A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL??

A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL?? - LAKELAND, FLORIDA
-Andrew Strom.

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Three Articles from April & May 2008 by Andrew Strom,
who spent 11 years in the same Prophetic movement that Todd Bentley
comes from. -Ie. Warnings from an Insider.

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(NOTE: WATCH FOR ANDREW’S 132-PAGE BOOK ON THIS TOPIC - OUT SOON).

Article - “A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL?? -Florida”

Many of you will have already heard about the “Healing Revival” that has purportedly broken out in Lakeland, Florida. Today Charisma Magazine put out a piece on it entitled ‘A Holy Ghost Outbreak in Florida’ - “…Charismatics are flocking to the sleepy town of Lakeland, Fla. to attend evangelist Todd Bentley?s unconventional revival services.” Is Charisma preparing to hype this one to the skies like they did with Toronto and Rodney Howard- Browne? It seems perhaps they are.
But why am I opposed to this ‘Healing Revival’ so soon after it has been announced? -It is because I already know Todd Bentley’s ministry all too well, and this whole thing centers around him.

Todd Bentley actually has deep roots in the Prophetic movement, and he is one of the very few ministers that I have ever felt I had to publicly warn people about by name. -His ministry is that bad. False “angel” encounters of the weirdest kind, gold dust, guided visualizations of the “Third Heaven” that are straight out of the New Age, etc. And yet there is a “power” with it that makes it all the more dangerous.

Here is how Charisma describes his Florida meetings- “His methods are far from polished. When he prayed for people in Lakeland, he usually began by laying his hand on their heads and then yelling, “Bam!” Often the people fell backward to the floor. After one elderly woman fell, Bentley told the audience: “She doesn?t know why she fell down.” The woman then laughed and said to him in the microphone: “Because you pushed me!” He prayed for her three more times that night, and she said she could hear better…
During the past three weeks people have testified of being healed from heart conditions, skin rashes and back problems, and many said scars disappeared…
Many charismatics are wondering if the protracted meetings will become a phenomenon similar to what happened in Rodney Howard-Browne’s meetings in Lakeland in 1993, at the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church in Canada in 1994 and at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola in 1995…” [END QUOTE]

Sadly, the Charismatic movement is in such a sick state today that it would not surprise me at all if this happens. (-I say this as a strong Spirit-filled, tongues-speaking believer myself. I am by no means opposed to genuine miracles). Have we completely forgotten the warnings of “Lying signs and wonders” in the Last Days?

Below is a testimony by Lynn Clark who is a Moderator at our website ‘RevivalSchool.com’. This is what she wrote about her involvement with Todd Bentley’s ministry:

“I decided to check out Patricia King and Todd Bentley and, ignorant of their ‘third heaven’ guided visualizations, attended a five day conference of Patricia King and then two of Todd Bentley’s conferences and began to imagine third heaven visitations - guided visualization - still not realizing that these are actually spirits of darkness - the New Age calls them spirit guides - demons is what they are. And so I bought Todd Bentley’s teaching on third heaven visitations and brought it home to listen to.
“I was in my living room laying on the floor listening to the teaching on how to visualize the third heaven and what to say and was getting caught up into his teaching and all of a sudden I began to shake uncontrollably and jerk and groan, and no sooner had this taken place I became frozen stiff - I could not move any part of my body and I knew this was a demon trying to take hold of me, and so with all the effort I could muster I cried out, “God save me - Jesus help me” - and as soon as I cried out to the Lord my body went limp. God spared me that night and I will be forever grateful.

“I spent much of the night in tears asking God to forgive me - and renouncing all the hands layed on me and all the awful deception I had opened myself up to…” [END QUOTE]

ANDREW AGAIN: I myself have heard the tapes of Todd Bentley’s “Third Heaven Visualization” teachings, and I want to tell you - they are straight out of the New Age handbook. -Terrible stuff. And yet so widely accepted by thousands of Christians today.

Do these kinds of practices (above) produce a genuine ‘Healing Revival’? -These are the kinds of questions that we need to be asking Charisma Magazine. I leave it for you to decide.
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“ANGELS” & the FLORIDA HEALING REVIVAL

I continue to get emails about my last article - “A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL?” Some people strongly agree, while others are totally outraged that I would question the healings or other manifestations that are occurring.

Personally I am deeply saddened that I even have to put out these warnings. I get no pleasure out of it. In fact I hate having to talk about this stuff. But what happens if something is seriously amiss and yet no warnings are given? Is it right to be silent in such a case? What about the precious sheep? Shouldn’t they be warned?

What a lot of people may not realize is that the leader of the revival Todd Bentley has a long history in the “Laughing/ Drunkenness” movement - but also is a leading proponent of strange “Angel” encounters (and I do mean ’strange’). Todd has openly promoted these encounters for years - in fact he is well-known for leading others into contact with these ‘angels’ too. This has been a big part of his ministry for a very long time. And it is really no different now.

Here are a couple of extracts from Todd’s 2003 article ‘Angelic Hosts’:

“So when I need a financial breakthrough I don’t just pray and ask God for my financial breakthrough. I go into intercession and become a partner with the angels by petitioning the Father for the angels that are assigned to getting me money: “Father, give me the angels in heaven right now that are assigned to get me money and wealth. And let those angels be released on my behalf. Let them go into the four corners of the earth and gather me money.”

Todd continues…
“EMMA, ANGEL Of The PROPHETIC
Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in 1980: “Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?” He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, “Bob, who is Emma?” He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma, I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota.
“In the middle of the service I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma. As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, “Here’s Emma.” I’m not kidding. She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful and young - about 22 years old - but she was old at the same time. She seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life. She glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people… Within three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands of dollars! Thousands!… During this visitation the pastor’s wife (it was an AOG church) got totally whacked by the Holy Ghost - she began running around barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken as a powerful prophetic spirit came on her. Also, as this prophetic anointing came on her, she started getting phone numbers of complete strangers and calling them up on the telephone and prophesying over them… Then angels started showing up in the church.” [END QUOTE]

More recently, Todd stated that in one of his “Third Heaven” trips he literally visited the small cabin where the apostle Paul lives in Heaven. Paul told him that he wrote the book of Hebrews with the personal help of Abraham the Patriarch: ?The authorship isn?t clear because it was Abraham and I; Abraham shared the content with me.? Todd’s ‘Third Heaven’ tales are full of such astonishing claims - and of course, more angels. (See ‘A Face To Face Encounter - Part 2 of 2′ - By Todd Bentley).

Lest anyone think that Todd may have changed his ways in recent times, you should know that he is constantly mentioning his ‘angels’ in the current Florida meetings also. For instance, watch from about the 6-minute mark of the following video clip-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9mSCHJfnGE

In this video, Todd speaks of the angel that is going to “visit the children” and then he begins more and more to jerk and laugh uncontrollably. He prays that a ‘drunken glory’ will move across the whole place - and you can see it happen in the audience.

This is all the same kind of stuff that Todd has been involved in for years. There is nothing new in it. In fact, both Todd and Bob Jones credit an angel that carries the “Winds of Change” for the current healing revival - an angel that they say is still driving it. As one young preacher commented who has been following the Florida meetings closely, Todd seems to talk about his “healing angel” even more than he talks about Jesus. Yes - exactly!

We are warned explicitly in Scripture that the devil “transforms himself into an angel of light”, and that in the Last Days will come ‘Lying signs and wonders’ that will “deceive if possible the very elect.” Do we really believe that the devil is unable to perform miracles? Have we forgotten what the Bible clearly says?

Some make the point that Todd obviously had a strong healing gift right from the start of his ministry - so some of the healings in Florida may be genuinely from God. Yes - I agree that this is possible - even likely. But how can we trust anything at all coming from this source if it has become so tainted with all this pollution? Do we want such a man laying hands on us and imparting “anointings” or spirits into us?

I read a report from the UK yesterday that an English preacher has brought Todd’s anointing back from Florida and now it is manifesting in his UK meetings: “Fire, a burning sensation, was felt all over people?s bodies… There were outbursts of joy, drunkenness and spontaneous healings throughout the meeting.”

Other reports from the USA now speak of pastors having hands layed on them to receive the “Florida anointing”.

The Elijah List claims that on New Year’s Eve, for 2008, God told Bob Jones that “the third wave was coming.” Todd asked Bob what the third wave was. He said that, “Toronto was wave #1, Pensacola was wave #2, and the third wave is the “Winds of Change” — this move of God. This move will be a global move, traveling with signs and wonders all over the world! The third wave is here!”

The Florida meetings have now moved into an 8000-seat auditorium. This “anointing” is spreading across the globe. Can you see why I have cause for alarm, my friends?
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MOST “CONTAGIOUS” ANOINTING

Todd Bentley has declared that his Florida anointing is the most “contagious” that he has ever imparted to people. (In other words, the most easily transferable). And indeed this seems to be the case. It is spreading rapidly throughout the world.

But what exactly is this anointing? One observer of the Florida revival notes: “Todd Bentley constantly manifests his “anointing” by shaking his head back and forth, and by his body physically shaking. These manifestations also happen frequently in those who he imparts to. He will even wave his arms over the audience, shouting, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” and then people in the audience will start manifesting. Some appear to be convulsing, and some even as if they are being thrashed by a spirit.”

In a CBN News interview, Todd stated: “Our focus here in Florida every night is I lay hands on every single person who comes - whether it’s 5,000, 10,000 - And I’m praying every night, ‘God, give it away, give it away, give it away.’ And that’s the focus here: Impartation.”

And indeed there are more and more reports of this anointing being transmitted from Florida to other states and nations across the globe.

As we have already seen, a report from England tells of a preacher who brought Todd’s anointing back from Florida and now it is manifesting in his UK meetings: “Fire, a burning sensation, was felt all over people’s bodies… There were outbursts of joy, drunken- ness and spontaneous healings throughout the meeting.”

A man from Clearwater, Florida says that a number of people from his fellowship have attended the revival and then brought the ‘anointing’ back with them. Here is what he personally saw:

“These are the effects that I have witnessed on people who have attended this movement and either have had hands laid on them or claim to have been imparted with “the spirit”:
-They come back with this kind of childlike drunken stupor.
-Descriptions of a burning sensation either in their veins, heads or stomachs.
-Descriptions of being washed back and forth like the waves in the ocean;
-Dancing about like drunk…
-Inappropriate yelling and screaming like they’re at a football game;
-Young men whistling over and over and holding their heads and claiming that they “feel the Holy Spirit about to split them in two”;
-One young man’s back two teeth turned completely to some metallic finish.
-People with their eyes rolled in the back of their heads and weaving around like they’re lost.
-Women just gyrating and pulsating like they’re being ravaged from behind from some unseen force.
-Drunken uncontrollable laughter in the middle of a solemn prayer time
-People being “slain in the spirit”… just falling down and being unable to move (like something’s holding them down)…”

Another eyewitness from the USA writes:

“A friend of mine invited me to a church where the ministry team brought back a “Fire” from the Lakeland revival? The pastor’s wife was moderating, but she could not complete her sentences because she was ‘drunk in the Spirit.’ She imitated the type of sounds I read in your blog. I saw people breaking out into uncontrollable laughter. I came with my Bible to receive a word? There was no teaching or preaching. Just testimonies. They talked about their experience in Lakeland… Where was the word? I did not find any. I also heard a sound BAM and then I saw someone being slain in the spirit.”

A Spirit-filled pastor that I know from the UK who has been following Todd Bentley’s ministry closely for some years wrote to me about what he himself has observed since the year 2000:

“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.

“I have written to Todd on numerous occasions and reminded him of God’s warning, alas to no avail.

“When Todd Bentley conducted a healing meeting in a large charismatic church here in England in 2005, he laid hands on many people who were apparently healed. I know of at least one instance where a pastor’s wife with cancer was prayed for by Todd. Soon afterwards she heard voices in her head telling her to ‘drown herself just like her father did’. The poor woman ended up in a mental hospital, I believe she still has the cancer.

“No-one is following up or keeping records of what happens to people who have hands laid on them by Todd or others like him.

“I have kept records as far as I can, concerning this particular church. Over a relatively short period, there has been a dramatic increase in premature deaths, cancers, marriage break-ups, sickness and disease amongst the congregation where the leadership have allowed this type of ministry into their church. Many people left the church in fear.

“These are the consequences of following this type of ‘ministry’ which no-one is either aware of, or wants to address. I know, I have visited the people in hospital and attended one of the funerals.” [END QUOTE]

Meanwhile we find a number of prominent leaders beginning to declare that this will be one of the greatest revival movements in history. Some even see it as the beginning of a “new awakening”.

Bob Jones declared that “This move will be a global move, traveling with signs and wonders all over the world! The third wave is here!”

As this ‘anointing’ spreads worldwide, I believe there are some serious questions that we need to ask ourselves:

Isn’t it possible, with all the dubious ‘anointings’ and angels and manifestations associated with Bentley’s ministry, that what we are really seeing is a giant ‘counterfeit’ revival? Isn’t it possible that if it continues to grow at the present rate, that it may literally become one of the great “delusions” of the Last Days - a great deception that has the power to actually deceive, if possible, the very elect?

These are very serious questions - but I believe they must be asked - because this ‘anointing’ is already beginning to circle the globe.

If you have been to a meeting where someone has brought the “fire” back from Florida, please write and tell me what you saw. I am collecting accounts from people about this.

Send any emails or feedback to- prophetic@revivalschool.com

God bless you all.

Andrew Strom.

source: REVIVALSCHOOL.com
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