Living Journey

This….

Todd Bentley: Unwelcome Wagon in L.A.

by Jackie Alnor
Apostasy Alert

The signs and wonders seekers waiting in line under the hot Los Angeles sun for the best seats in the Galen Center got more than they bargained for. They came to USC’s sports stadium last weekend to see their hero Todd Bentley and to receive a promised impartation of God’s anointing. But what they got was a dud of a meeting inside and some unanticipated reproofs, rebukes, and exhortations on the outside.

On Saturday, July 26th, I led a small group of five people representing three ministries: Apostasy Alert, Moriel Ministries, and Lighting the Way Ministries to distribute a leaflet that documented the false teachings of Bentley that included web links for resources to assist those who believe in testing all things. We handed out 500 leaflets and also some gospel tracts disguised as 1 million dollar bills that just happen to be produced by a ministry that, unbeknownst to us, was planning their own outreach the following day.

• Read about the crowds reaction to the real truth HERE . 

And now it seems that the Apostolic [NAR] movement is distancing themselves from Mr Bam, Bam, Bentley…

Did Peter Wagner’s commissioning of Todd Bentley cause a rift in the ICA? 

Are WAGNER’s APOSTLES LEAVING??

-Andrew Strom.

Last week we published a number of strong statements against Lakeland by one of Peter Wagner’s ‘apostles’ named Robert Ricciardelli. For those who are not aware, Peter Wagner heads
up an organization devoted to setting in place “apostles” over the church. This is known as the ‘New Apostolic Reformation’ (NAR), and it has been very controversial. I myself have never seen it as any kind of true “Reformation” - because all it seems to do is set up another level of hierarchy over the existing ones. I also question whether many of the “apostles” are true apostles - but that is another story. Suffice it to say, that Wagner runs one of  the most powerful and far-reaching global networks in the Charismatic world.

“The reports he has given me are firsthand, not hearsay. I am deeply troubled, grieved and tormented at what I’m hearing. He attributes most of the anointing at Lakeland to Roy Fields (worship leader). I agree. Roy is nothing but clean and God shows up hugely when he leads worship. I can go into detail later about what is surfacing, but there are huge lapses of integrity going on… Much embellishment. Many claims have been made that simply are not true. The Charisma crew has researched it. I want to weep. My heart is breaking. For now, to be safe and for the sake of integrity, we need to stop speaking about the claimed resurrections. Three of them have been checked out with the doctors and EMTs involved and found never to have happened at all. Todd has been confronted with this and has not adjusted the numbers in his claims. Not a single one of the other claimed resurrections can be substantiated despite diligent effort to do so. Even after Stephen Strader brought it down to 13 (and even those couldn’t be substantiated) Todd ran it back up to 27 and more. Misrepresentation and embellishment!

[..]

“What I am saying is that we need to back up and not identify ourselves closely with Lakeland and that we need to stop repeating claims being made on the air lest we end up getting splattered with the collateral damage when certain issues of false claims, embellishments and lapses of integrity begin to come out more
publicly.

• Read more HERE

Seems like the Bentley Bam has run out of steam… finally!

Yes, ‘Word and Verse’ these two youtubes that you posted are brilliant! They clearly show what kind of verification is being used from Todd Bentley’s ministry.  Which of course is NONE!!!

‘Stop the Lies’ — the author of the two videos — has commented further at ‘Word and Verse’, and has shed some more light on this situation.

Watch the videos at - I Say, Old Chap, This Is Rather Brilliant! | Word And Verse and read the comment left by the author of the videos. Very enlightening indeed!

Over at PJ’s site she has asked a very interesting question. One that I have asked myself in times past when it came to the whole ‘Toronto - Pensacola - Brownsville” moves within the Church.

Can something that is so divisive be a tool that God is using to clean up His House? God after all wants a pure bride doesn’t He? What is God’s plan for the wife that has acted like a whore?

If a man put away his wife - It was ever understood, by the law and practice of the country, that if a woman were divorced by her husband, and became the wife of another man, the first husband could never take her again. Now Israel had been married unto the Lord; joined in solemn covenant to him to worship and serve him only. Israel turned from following him, and became idolatrous. On this ground, considering idolatry as a spiritual whoredom, and the precept and practice of the law to illustrate this case, Israel could never more be restored to the Divine favor: but God, this first husband, in the plenitude of his mercy, is willing to receive this adulterous spouse, if she will abandon her idolatries and return unto him. And this and the following chapters are spent in affectionate remonstrances and loving exhortations addressed to these sinful people, to make them sensible of their own sin, and God’s tender mercy in offering to receive them again into favor. [Adam Clarke]

Jer 3:1-13″If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the LORD. Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; yet you have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed. Have you not just now called to me, ‘My father, you are the friend of my youth– will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could.”

The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore? And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me,’ but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the LORD.” And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD.

Chapter 4 resumes the subject of chapters 2, 3, and, applying it at that time to the people, tells them that, if they return, it must be unto the Lord Himself-that neither forms nor half-measures would be of any use. [John Darby]

Jer 4:1-2 “If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, and if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”

Has ‘Lakeland’ been a Good Thing?

Posted on July 12, 2008 by pjmiller

Do you believe it has been beneficial in any way?

Just a small musing on my part: I’m beginning to believe it has been a ‘good thing’ in that the happenings have been (and are continuing to be) discussed among Christians: especially by those who like myself, still believe in the Gifts of the Spirit and true Spiritual manifestations from God. The focus upon Lakeland, Todd Bentley, and this ‘impartation’ is something which I believe God is using. Do you? Or do you think only bad is coming from this. I’d love to hear your opinion…

Read the comments and add to them at - Has ‘Lakeland’ been a Good Thing? « Sola Dei Gloria

A worthy and thought provoking topic in light of today’s Church.

This is a RED FLAG post

This is a must see video.

Why would God say to Mr BAM, BAM Bentley that the Church has to believe in THE angel? What angel is Todd Bentley talking about?

The name of this angel may give us some clues. So might Bentley’s inked skin!!!

Who is this Emma? There are some tattoos that Bentley has on his arm, and they are written in Japanese. People are desperate to find out what these tattoos say, either to verify or put aside something that may or may not be true regarding this angel Emma. His symbols on his arm could well be Kanji symbols which from my research could relate to the following…

***IMPORTANT***Please note this Second Amendment

Since posting this, more information has come to light concerning the Kanji symbols of Mr Bentley’s arm.

My thanks go to Eternal Path for this extremely important and enlightening information…

One of the tattoos that have puzzled people are the three large Japanese Kanji symbols on his left arm. Eternal Path turned to expert Takanori Tomita, a native speaker of Japanese and fluent in English, who translates Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana Symbols. Kanji are ideographic characters. Each Kanji character represents an entire object, idea, or meaning in a visual character(s). Many kanji characters are similar to each other, and some can have different meanings depending on context. The first letter on Todd’s arm means DAI=Big or Great, the middle one EI=Protect or Defend, the last one OU=King or Monarch. In Japanese, DAIOU is often added to provide honor to the subject of mention. In proper order, it would would seem to read “Protect Great King,” however not only is the order wrong, but the character in the middle is incorrectly rendered. Further more, even if the middle character is used at the top, there’s no such word combination like “Protect the Great King”. It doesn’t make any sense in Japanese even if the order of the character is corrected and the middle character is properly written. It is not unusual for Western tattoo translations to be in error. The middle symbol does not represent the Chinese character “David” in this context, as is widely speculated.

Alex Mizuno, another individual versed in Japanese tradition and writing styles, who produces Japanese documentaries, revealed that there is a Japanese word “Emma Daioh” which means “Emma, the Great King”, which is used very commonly in his culture. This God is sometimes simply called “Emma-sama (sama is added for respect)” or “Emma.” Buddhists recognize Emma-sama as Yama, who rules the spirits of the dead in Naraka (hell). He said Todd’s erred tattoo was in favor of the latter translation. The tongues of flame accenting the Kanji symbols also support his position depicting the god of Naraka.

In Japan Yanluo is referred to as Emma (older Yemma) , or Emma-ō (閻魔大王 Enma Dai-Ō, “Great King Yama”) in someway. You can clearly see that the first three symbols, those being 魔大王 are inked into his skin. But there is a symbol that is missing [ 閻 ]. The symbols are in a different order too.

What everyone is trying to find out is what do these symbols mean, especially in light of Emma-O the angel that appears in The Satanic Bible and Emma-O according to Japanese mysticism.

If anyone knows anymore about this and if there is any significance concerning the order and the missing symbol, or if you can read Japanese please comment here on this blog. But if you want to remain anonymous you can let me know by contacting me at:

livingajourney@gmail.com

Even if the tatt’s do not speak of the Japanese Ruler of Hell. The Angel called “Emma” was most assuredly spoken of by Bentley in the past, and now it seems he has become ashamed of her as he has changed his story on his web-site and doesn’t call her by name, but rather a ‘particular angel’.

Here is a related article by someone that I respect in regards to her research…

• Todd Bentley’s Diabolical Signs by Jackie Alnor

Also another site with added information about certain images contained within Bentley’s tattoos is found HERE.

There is a skull within a Rosicrucian Rose the skull/devil looks like it symbolises the Oni which is another Japanese ‘two horned devil’. The words to die is to gain is written below this particular tattoo.

Andrew Strom has put together a very interesting article on all of this. Also there are photos of other tattoos that Bentley has put on his body since becoming a Christian which are clearly occultic. Andrew actually writes that…

“My difficulty with Todd Bentley’s ministry is not whether he has recently covered himself with tattoos or pierced himself silly, but the SOURCE of his power. He keeps changing his position on this. Sometimes he says it’s the Holy Spirit and a lot of the time it’s his angels…
“Many have said that they believe that Florida is a ‘mixture’. Personally, I do not believe ‘mixture’ is involved. I believe these deceiving spirits have hi-jacked Todd’s ministry… Either the healings are of God or they are not. Which is it?
“People can be healed in spiritualist churches. I have witnessed, close-up, first hand, people being instantly healed by mediums and faith healers. I have also seen people healed by the power of the Holy Spirit. To begin with there is no discernible difference. However the counterfeit healings soon begin to either go wrong or something far worse comes upon the person.”When God heals someone - He adds ‘no sorrow.’

“I know Todd started off OK - I was there in his early meetings… In September 2000 I stood in front of Todd and gave him the warning that God gave me for him. “Beware, the leaven of the Pharisees, lest an angelic leaven enters your ministry.”

“One month later, according to Todd’s own account, at a meeting in Grants Pass Oregon, Cal Pierce walked in with Branham’s ‘Healing Revival’ angel in tow, Todd saw and accepted this spirit without reservation. His ‘angels’ have been with him ever since.

Please use discernment in all things.

Related:

• Why I Left The Prophetic Movement

For a long time now I have thought that there is a type of shaking in the Church that is very much like the kundalini serpent being aroused. The more I research and listen to the teaching that comes from the lips of such spiritually suspect influences, the more I see that it is NOT the Word of God, but rather occultism/spiritism close to the what the ecstatics experienced and wrote about.

I find it interesting to say the least that a lot of these people have endorsed what they do because the early Church, meaning Catholic here, have always had their ecstatics. John Crowder is one such fellow who speaks highly of the ecstatics. He, I think, has gone one step further into relating to today’s culture with a post-modern cutting edge to attract the youth.

As the apostate Church finds her way back to the Church of Rome in ecumenical — and obviously now — interfaith unity we will witness an increase in teaching that has been gleaned from the early ecstatics.

Also you can find ecstatics in all faiths. This could well be the the unifying factor of all faiths.

Wayne Teasdale writes in Mysticism as the Crossing of Ultimate Boundaries A Theological Reflection

Interspirituality3 is a term to describe the breaking-down of the barriers that have separated the religions for millennia. It is also the crossing-over and the sharing in the spiritual, aesthetic, moral and psychological treasures that exist in the different traditions of spirituality living within the world religions. The deepest level of sharing is in and through one another’s mystical wisdom, whether teachings, insights, methods of spiritual practice, and their fruits, The mystical life, in its maturity, is characteristically, naturally, even organically interspiritual because of the inner freedom and liberation the mystical Journey ignites I in the depths of the person. It frees us from the obstacles within us that would hold us back from that generosity and willingness to partake from the mystical springs of other traditions. To drink this precious nectar requires openness and a capacity to assimilate the depth experience of these venerable traditions. More and more it is becoming common for individuals to cross over the frontiers of their own faith into the land of another or others. So much so is this the case that we can speak of this new millennial period as the Interspiritual Age. This development is momentous news for the human family because up until this point humankind has been divided, segregated into spiritual ghettos. Out of this separation has come so much misunderstanding and thousands of wars sparked by mutual suspicion, isolation, competition and hostility.

I have found this site called “The Council on Spiritual Practices”… which is a collaboration among spiritual guides, experts in the behavioral and biomedical sciences, and scholars of religion, dedicated to making direct experience of the sacred more available to more people. There is evidence that such encounters can have profound benefits for those who experience them, for their neighbors, and for the world.

If you want to read any articles from the movers and shakers, this looks like a good place to start.

If anyone else has any links that they would like to share with me, please feel free and post them to me either in comment, or my email is livingajourney@gmail.com

An excellent review — and a very much needed one — by James Jacob Prasch of Moriel Ministries concerning the much talked about letter of defence written by Gary S Greig concerning Todd Bentley and the Florida Outpouring.

A very important article indeed. My hope and prayer is that more men of faith are willing to take a stand on such matters…

A Review Of Gary S Greig’s Pseudo Scholarly Apologetic For The Unbiblical Antics Of Todd Bentley And The Lakeland, Florida Sequel To The Failed Revivals Of Kansas City, Toronto, and Pensacola

by James Jacob Prasch

Faculty of Hebrew, Judaism & Judeo Christian Hermeneutics
Midland Bible College and Divinity School, University of Wales, UK

(Jacob Prasch is the author of several books and holds a non-cessationist pneumatology believing in an ongoing operation of charismatic gifts as defined and practiced biblically, but firmly rejects Lakeland, Toronto, and Pensacola as carnal and demonically influenced counterfeits of biblical charismata.)

[...]

The Facts and the Camouflage

The first pillar of Greig’s apologetic presentation trans-locates what the scripture teaches about ‘fruit’ as a basis of evaluation of something, with what scripture identifies biblical disdeskein (doctrinal teaching) as a basis of evaluating something. Greig deceives others and himself by reversing the two (2 Timothy 3:13).

Biblically, we judge people by their fruit (the fruit of the Holy Spirit) but we judge teaching, revelations and praxis by contrasting them with scriptural dogma. Greig attempts to circumvent evaluation of revelation and praxis by making ‘fruit’ the criteria by which the affect is evaluated. This is low-grade, pseudo, academic fraud that would see Greig demolished in the first round of a properly monitored theological debate in the presence of independent scholarly opinion.

Conversely, Greig attempts to circumvent examining the ‘fruit’ of Todd Bentley’s life personally by elongated semi academic arguments avoiding the fundamental issue that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is EKREITEI or ‘self control’ [ Galatians 5:23, Titus 1:8] and not the lack of it as we observe in the Lakeland clone of Toronto and Pensacola. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is also PRAUTAS or “gentleness” (Galatians 5: 23). Gentleness is not characteristic of Todd Bentley claiming ‘the Lord told him to kick an old woman in the face with his biker boot’ or smash out the teeth of a small Chinese gentleman.

Read more at - A Review Of Gary S Greig’s Pseudo Scholarly Apologetic - Moriel Ministries