R T Kendall: Lakeland Grieves Him & Is Not of God

The following is posted on R T Kendall’s website here. I do not know the exact date of either of the two articles posted, but the first was in July, a few weeks before Kendall came over to England to minister. The second statement seems to have come out before  the recent revelations about Todd Bentley’s “personal issues”, so I guess the second statement came out shortly after the first one, some time in July. It has only just gone live at the Ministry Today Site for the Sep/Oct issue.

One of the events R T Kendall did in the UK was the Detling Event when he appeared along with false prophet John Paul Jackson at the beginning of August. So whatever conclusions R T Kendall has recently come to re Lakeland and Bentley, they are not enough to shun the false prophets and apostles the Lakeland Revival is associated with, was orchestrated by behind the scenes, and indeed was birthed from – nor the false apostles or their government that the ‘revival’ was ultimately about elevating.

“July 2008 [excerpts]

People ask my view regarding the Lakeland phenomenon. I’m afraid my view is not so positive. I have been prepared all along to accept that God uses the ‘Yuk factor’ in his choice of instruments, but not all that makes us say ‘Yuk’ is of God and I doubt that the Lakeland phenomenon is. To trivialize baptism, the Trinity and preaching salvation through the blood of the Cross smacks of the flesh and grieves me no end. I firmly believe in last day ministries – and believe it isn’t far away (if I’m candid), but this isn’t it – in my opinion.

To achieve the balance between the Word and the Spirit is no easy task. To maintain preaching of the Word means that you take it very, very seriously indeed.

I have wondered if the major question nowadays is, ‘Do we really need the Bible?’ And yet there are places where, though they would certainly want to affirm the Holy Spirit, would be terrified if the Holy Spirit would show up in power. These are difficult days and it can also be lonely.

God bless you all.

R. T. Kendall – Romans 8:28, John 5:44.”   [end of first statement]

R T Kendall, formerly of Westminister Chapel, was for a long time considered a great man of the Word of God. However, since about 1990 he has been led further and further astray by the Latter Rain Kansas City Prophets – that means it is about eighteen years  that R T Kendall has been involved with these men’s heresies, advocated them, promoted them, appeared with them, and had ample chance to see their lies and hypocrisy and the failed prophecy NOT come to pass, and ample chance to weigh and test them and to discern these men - in both word and character.

But it seems for all Kendall’s brilliance, and all his doctrinal knowledge, and all his years, and all his “insider” knowledge, he has not yet woken up and smelled the coffee about them. I say this sadly, and not to crow -  may God give him wisdom, revelation and insight to see these men for what they really  are!

The statement above by Kendall on Lakeland, although short, is pretty good in itself, although one wonders why it is only out now recently - after  Todd Bentley fell after the ABC Nightline interview and ran away effectively sealing the end to the revival. Why did Kendall not speak out before then, bearing in mind Kendall well knew all these things then?    He surely must remember the Biblical counsel to be a watchman and warn the flock? To contend for the faith? To rebuke and shun false prophets? Indeed on Kendall’s front page of his website he says -

“Our premiss is this. It seems to us that there has been a ‘silent divorce’ in the church, speaking generally, between the Word and the Spirit. When there is a divorce, some children stay with the mother, some stay with the father.

In this divorce, there are those on the ‘word’ side and those on the ‘Spirit’ side. What is the difference?

Take those of us who represent the Word. Our message is this: we must earnestly contend for the faith ‘once delivered unto the saints’ (Jude 3), we need get back to expository preaching, sound doctrine such as justification by faith, the sovereignty of God and the internal testimony of the Spirit as taught by men like Martin Luther, John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards. What is wrong with this emphasis? Nothing. It is exactly right.”

So why only contend for the faith afterwards re. Lakeland when BLATANT heresy, deception and charlatanism is going on, and even then not particularly earnestly, and when the cat is already  out of the bag?

Bearing in mind the recent pattern in the apostolic-prophetic movement, and their timing with their statements well after the fact, this sadly smacks of hypocrisy, distancing oneself from something that one obviously previously endorsed to save one’s own neck, hiding one’s own lack of discernment by claiming he really  thought all along it was iffy, as well as false shepherding under the guise of “meaning well” or whatever. (If only Kendall had waited another couple of weeks, he could have ignored answering all the points all together about Bentley’s doctrine, and just focussed on the personal issues of sexual immorality and drunkeness like all the others seem to be doing.)

And more than that, Todd Bentley is not the only heretic in the apostolic-prophetic movement Kendall is associated with, and Kendall has not made a statement to my knowledge about them – Todd Bentley’s spiritual mother, Patricia King, spiritual father, Bob Jones, Uncles James Goll and Rick Joyner, and cousins Joshua Mills and John Crowder etc. What of them?

Notice too, that even when making this oh-too-late statement about Lakeland, after months of weighing up and fully knowing the facts from ABC Nightline, he still  does not sound certain and does not say what he says confidently, and boldly – he sounds unsure and timid and uses the word ‘candid’ and ‘doubt’ and ‘opinion’ for instance, as if he is expressing only his opinion and he could be wrong.  But does he really have no confidence on the word of God that he used to be so well noted for? Have the KC prophets so perverted and warped his mind so much? He gets a lot bolder in his second statement which makes me think it came out some time after the first one, perhaps when he had more evidence against Bentley to hand.

To his first statement on the website was attached a link to a forthcoming yet-to-be-printed article for Ministry Today  Magazine - one of NAR apostle Steven Strang’s publications. The page is undated but is recent, and has not yet been published in the August edition (the magazine is bi-monthly) so is due out sometime in Sep/Oct – update, just posted online http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/display.php?id=17762.

The bold emphasies are mine.

“I can think of nothing worse than for God to be powerfully at work and I miss it – all because I was biased and devoid of discernment. All my life I have waited for an authentic work of God that was not unlike the Great Awakening in Jonathan Edwards’ day. In more recent years I have hoped to see the beginning of ‘last day ministries’ – when Isaac succeeds Ishmael – which would precede the Second Coming.

{End times note – Note the Latter Rain theology here, with lack of biblical support to this premise.]

God owes me nothing and it may please him to by-pass me entirely in what he chooses to do.

I wondered if passing me by might be happening with regard to Lakeland.

{This is what the Lakeland leaders threatened of course. Test it and you might miss it ,they manipulatively claimed. Drink first, see the fruit laters, other said. But when did GOD ever say this? When did He ever withhold from a Berean for taking time to check things out first- he only blessed them all the more for being Bereans and called them “noble-minded”! God commands weighing and testing of all prophecy, spiritual manifestations, angels and teaching – to stop and THINK before accepting it as being of God – for a very good reason, to save the church from being decieved from false servants masquerading as angels of light. Doing this leads to more of the genuine, not less of it.

Have the Kansas City Prophets really so got to Kendall that he does not know his own mind or the Bible anymore?]

I say this because I have become more and more uneasy with what was going on there. It happens that I watched the Lakeland meetings virtually every night for the last three months.

{Every night for three months. Wow. I am not being funny or boastful as it is only God I can thank for any wisdom and spiritual discernment I do have, but it only took a few minutes of watching Todd Bentley before discerning he was demonic (this was back in December when I first saw him on God TV). His tongues really were diabolical in the true sense of the word (Notably I did not see these tongues at Lakeland at all, it was just a few words of the false tongues, sheeka boomba rubbish).  When I went to his website and saw the selling of ministry for special financial partners, it confirmed even more what he was really about. And seeing him prophesy for a few minutes – very badly cold reading – confirmed this even more. This was before Lakeland even started.

I truly cannot understand that anyone, but especially an intelligent man who knew the word – or used to – as well as Kendall, could watch this stuff for three months straight and not realise. In that time he would have heard numerous contradictions, watched Todd’s arrogance and pride and heard his boastings, noted the bad teaching and blasphemy, heard the false prophecy and another gospel preached, heard the tall tales, watched him abuse and mock the saints, watched him selling the Holy Spirit and manipulatively prophesy for money, watched the worship team deliberately hype everyone up for unrighteous reasons, seen him bear false testimony and allow others to, and not see anyone actually healed! And then see the apostle’s commissioning. etc etc etc]

I prayed for the evangelist and for the people there. I would stand before the TV screen and pray for my own healing. I tried very, very hard to support this strange move,

{Why try hard to support strange fire? Why not test it biblically and then stand on the findings?]

especially when some of my closest friends were endorsing it and urging me to do the same.

{His friends and associates include the K C prophets. But why not test it biblically especially as he bangs on about doctrine? Or pray about it? Does he care more about his friends and man’s approval than God?]

Furthermore, knowing that God loves to do what makes some of us say ‘yuk’,

{Where is this in the word of God? Unless he quotes the Toronto Blessing favourite “God offends the mind to reveal the heart” which ain’t scriptural)

I was prepared all over again for this to happen.

{Like at the time of the Toronto Blessing I think he means, which he endorsed – but this move was not of God either – although it was less blatant or forthright about its agendas, and did not mention William Branham all the time.

Interestingly, if Kendall rejects Lakeland, then he rejects the Toronto Blessing for it comes forth from the same dark source! The same prophets, the K C prophets, and Bob Jones notably, and the same apostles behind the scenes! And the same agenda (the NAR elevation and decieving the saints) and the same false prophecies…. Look how involved John Arnott is too in both “outpourings”.

Bob Jones for instance prophesied Lakeland was the third wave (Toronto being the second wave). Paul Cain also jumped on board and said that Bentley was the new Elijah of the new breed. The prophets endorsed Lakeland but they also endorsed Todd Bentley personally. So if Lakeland and/or Bentley is rejected, then Kendall must reject the Latter Rain prophets and apostles he has aligned himself with for the past 18 years as well as reject the Toronto Blessing for they are proven false!]

What complicated things most of all was that people were apparently being healed.

{Even if they were being healed, which they were not, what is ‘complicated’ about someone being healed by occult power or witchcraft or other ju ju. Is Kendall that naive?

A man of Kendall’s advanced years and status believes the “apparent healings” because of what he heard? From the mouth of a blatant liar like Bentley? Can’t Kendall read body language and notice when he is obviously being lied to? Surely he knows what goes on at healing rallies, and has long gone on for many years, the showmanship and heat of the moment. Surely he knows that many of his prophetic-apostolic friends are seriously ill and Bentley and his family are physically not manifesting what they peddle?

The way Kendall uses the word “apparent” indicates he writes this after he has seen more evidence possibly from Strang or another apostle or prophet there were no such healings, as he confesses the ABC Nightline evidence was not enough for him to be swayed]

At last count there were 37 resurrections from the dead.

{Because he was told this and these facts were proven to be untrue. Not one! Did he not wonder at the strange stories – of the being told to play this little piggie on a girls’ toes to wake her up from the dead – of the guy coming back from the dead ”praising Todd Bentley”, of the questionable character and story of the one girl who did claim to be one of the resurectees? Or the story denied by the hospital?]

If only one of them had a coroner’s death certificate it would be a very serious matter to say that what was going on there was not of God.

[Why would it be a "very" serious matter?  Does Kendall not know the scriptures about false prophets, even if they come up with real miracles, not to believe them? Or about endtimes delusion and the false prophet being able to do signs and wonders to fool even the elect if that were possible? Etc? Etc. Even if there is a genuine supernatural event going on, then there is no proof it is "of God"]

The fact that ABC news could find no documentary evidence of a miracle was not enough to sway me one way or the other.

{Wow, really?  Incredible if true.]

I was even prepared – for a while – to overlook the claim that the angel Emma is the secret explanation for the special revelations and miracles. I believe in angels. What if Emma were a part of the ‘yuk’ factor?

{What – even though the angel Emma changed sex, was passed on by false prophets, notably Bob Jones, was associated with gold dust and other questionable signs and was repeatedly lied about and denied and then removed from action? 

Why would you tolerate anything being covered up – since when has secret explanation re anything been God’s way?

And why would you OVERLOOK anything, however small bearing in mind a little leaven etc….. Your responsibility was to oversee the flock – not overlook heresy.]

It took a little bit of courage for me to endorse the Toronto Blessing in 1994. I have never regretted this. I was going to need courage again – to endorse Lakeland.

{Why would he need courage? Bearing in mind he had already sided with this camp, was already endorsing it by endorsing the exact same signs and wonders and prophecies by his continued involvement and backing of the apostles and prophets directly associated with Lakeland and Bentley - and/or was remaining silent about specific concerns about Lakeland which is tantamount to supporting it for the public.

Why would he need courage when the only ones getting slammed by the majority were the critics of Lakeland, and he would be in the majority?  He already said his closest friends were putting pressure on him to endorse it openly. He only needed courage to speak against it – and this he did not do until it was popular and permissable by the NAR apostles to do so when they had their agenda in place! He has only then ever run with the tide – not against it. Whatever the reason.

It takes little courage to speak out after the horse has already bolted and is already revealed to be dark!]

But a funny thing kept gripping me. It would take even more courage to say that the Lakeland phenomenon is not of God. Did I have the courage to say this? After all, I was reluctantly coming to the conclusion that it was not of God, but would I say it?

Yes. It comes to one thing at the end of the day: is the Bible true or not? If the happenings of Lakeland are of God, then what I have preached for the last 50 years is nonsense.

{But Kendall only spoke out after Todd was proven to be a fraud by ABC NIghtline, and underlined that fact even more by running away straight after it was aired! So at the end of the day, for all Kendall’s “standing on the bible” (which although sounds wonderful and admirable, note he has not done re all the other false prophets and manifestations he still backs) he only came out when facts proved undeniably Todd was not of God or Lakeland – he did not stand on the Bible to come to his conclusions, but rather based it on history and the tide of public opinion. Or came out when the apostles told him to.

Did it take three months for a man so knowledgable in the word to know it was not of God?

“If the happenings of Lakeland are of God, then what I have preached for the last 50 years is nonsense.” he says. Ok then if he truly means it and has seen the light and has assessed it by biblical standards he must then reject the other prophets and apostles he is associated with, and the Toronto Blessing as discussed.]

Lakeland was making me say ‘yuk’, yes, but not all that makes us say ‘yuk’ is of God.

First, never once have I heard a clear message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the Lakeland platform – except when a guest speaker did it. Second, when people were being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and ‘Bam – bam’, it both trivialized the Trinity and baptism itself. This is serious, serious trivializing. Third, if you were to ask how much a fear of God and conviction of sin emanated from these services – on a scale of 1 to 100 – I would say zero.

In 1994 I addressed a group of prominent evangelical leaders in London, having been given the subject ‘The Biblical Features of Revival’. I looked at my notes to see how Lakeland measured up. Not even close. A great awakening would, among several other things I do not have the space to go into here, demonstrate the centrality of biblical preaching. Preaching itself in Lakeland has been minimal, and what preaching there has been calls more attention to angels, miracles and manifestations than to Jesus who died on the cross. I’m sorry, but my heart is sick that these meetings have excited so many good people. They are indeed good people, very sincere; many of them have been a part of previous moves of the Spirit. And since church history has taught us that those who were in the middle of a move of the Spirit often lead the way in opposing the next work of the Spirit, some did not want to be seen doing this. I can understand that.

When one is reported to have been to the Third Heaven (as the main evangelist of Lakeland has stated) and told not to preach Jesus (because everybody knows about him) but rather angels (which people know little about), I can only call this ‘another gospel’ as in Galatians 1. I would go to the stake for the Gospel of salvation which Paul preached – that emphasizes reliance solely in the precious blood of Christ. I would certainly not go to the stake for the Lakeland message – and would be afraid to face God if I did.

{Please God then do not continue to stake your reputation by hanging with fraudulent lying hypocritical apostles]

It comes to this: is the Bible true? Because I believe the Bible I can testify: the jury of my mind on Lakeland is in. Leave Lakeland alone.”  [end of statement]

Todd Bentley face dissappears! (Just like Angel Emma!)

Thanks to Blair for letting me know that Todd’s pictures have noticably dissappeared from the Fresh Fire website here http://www.freshfire.ca/. If anyone else notices any other “housecleaning” activities on there, please let me know. By the way, Todd still drew a full salary during his last “sabbatical for health reasons” of six to nine months (based on Fresh Fire accounts) after his previous affair was covered over (and his salary is high, far from “modest” as claimed – and that is not counting all the expenses and other perks on top) so one wonders, is this paid leave again?

There is still no apology on the site from Todd.

Trevor Baker Dudley Outpouring leader re: Todd Bentley Divorce

By Trevor Baker, Leader of the UK Dudley Outpouring, from his website here -

“I know many of you will have heard of the breakdown of Todd and Shonnah Bentley’s marriage and that they have separated. This is very tragic in the light of all that Todd and Shonnah have given into the Outpouring.

It is now time to pour into their lives and their family, the grace and love that we all so eagerly desire.

{Endtimes thoughts – But where is the confession and the repentence from Todd Bentley first?]

Todd has withdrawn from public ministry while he seeks counsel and help from those he is accountable to.

{Todd is accountable to the millions he decieved, not just the elite, lying and hypocritical false leaders who kept things covered over until it suited them to reveal partial half truths. These leaders are also accountable to millions, for Bentley and his deceptions, as they are their deceptions too, and all the other false prophets and doctrines of demons they push onto the circuit. And before these millions of ordinary men and women and children, they and Todd are also accountable to GOD.

Regarding “counsel” – nobody needs being told that rebellion to God, cheating, adulterising, fornification, abusing and mocking the flock, excessive drinking, fraud, lying and charlatanism and false teaching and prophecy is wrong, do they?]

A meeting with Bill Johnson is planned when he returns from Australia. This will take place on 30-31 August. Do pray for the Holy Spirit to give clear counsel during this time.

{They know what’s wrong already and have for months, years even. If they really cared about what the Holy Spirit had to say, then Lakeland would never have happened, nor would these men and churches be what they are today!]

There are areas of Todd’s life that have resulted in the breakdown of his marriage that he is willing to address.

{This is called ’sin.’ Is that a forbidden word in the apostolic-prophetic dictionary?]

We now have both opportunity and responsibility to steward the Outpouring and see it increase.

{Yep, so hang Todd out to dry, and thereby save your own necks, and take the heat off Lakeland’s main lies which were actually what brought it down – not Todd’s sexual life revelations which did not come out til after it had fallen for all the lies! And save the remnants of a false revival orchestrated by charlatans keep on going, but with more money and fame for the people who really want the attention – Wagner’s “spiritual fathers”.]

Bobby Conner prophesied that the further from the source we take this, the greater the flow would become.

{Bobby Conner = a false prophet and knight of Malta. Other of their prophets like Bob Jones, Paul Cain, Che Ahn, Sharon Stone, Clarisse Fluit, Georgian Banov, Wes Campbell, Stacey Campbell, Patricia King et al  have already been proven wrong about Bentley and Lakeland, so why would anyone want to listen to these prophets or any of their associates? Really? Why?

Furthermore what is the source to take “this” away from? Todd Bentley? Lakeland? Bentley’s angels? Another portal or hub?  If this were a true revival with a true source, then the source would be God pouring out His Spirit from HEAVEN - and so is Bobby Conner and Trevor Baker and their false prophetic spirits, testfying to take it further and further away from God and heaven? Which is absoutely true as this is another gospel with false anointing that is opposed to God that they push that leads to hell.]

Now it is time for us all to maintain the Outpouring and see it increase in our personal lives, our family, churches and communities where we minister.

{Maintain the outpuring? How could man do such a thing unless it was a man-orchestrated event?!]

I have been truly transformed by my association with the Outpouring and have seen an increase in healings, salvations in Dudley and a deepening of my dependence on Jesus to manifest His glory.

May we all continue to seek the grace and mercy for our own lives and also for Todd, Shonnah and their family, and the Fresh Fires Ministry.

I personally will uphold Todd through the difficulties he is encountering in his personal life. He remains a dear friend in ministry and I will continue to pray for his full restoration.

I believe the best days of the Outpouring are still ahead of us.

Blessings abundantly

Trevor Baker” {end statement”]

***

Previous quote from Trevor Baker back in July to the UK media:  “I’ve known Todd for six years and during that time he has been a man of real integrity.”

The Didache on False Prophets

From Sheeple Blog -

“Apparently third wave “Apostolic Alignment” isn’t really third wave at all, and was an issue in the early church as well. So much of an issue, that they were also forced to write some conventional wisdom regarding Apostles. I couldn’t help but laugh as I read through some of these.

First, in case you are not familiar with the Didache, Wikidpedia offers as good a definition as any:

The Didache (Koine Greek: Διδαχή, Didachē, meaning “Teaching”^[1]; IPA: /ˈdɪdəkiː/ in English, IPA: [ðiðaˈxi] in Modern Greek) is the common name of a brief early Christian treatise (dated by most scholars to the late first/early second century^[2]), containing instructions for Christian communities.

It is not the purpose of this particular post to weight the merits of the Didache, but to just offer you some of its more conventional wisdom.

The Didache on the Apostolic, Is it time to return to our roots? 

• If a visiting apostle remains somewhere for 3 days, he’s a false prophet – 11:5
• If he takes anything from God’s people except for a loaf of bread, he’s a false prophet – 11:6
• If he asks for money, he’s a false prophet – 11:6
• If a someone says in the Spirit, “give me money “ do not listen to him – 11:12
• Christian workers should work for their own bread – 12:3
• “In no way should anyone live among you unemployed as a Christian” – 12:4

I especially liked the first one. Is it just me or did they not think to highly of “apostolic alignment” either?”

Jim Drown Statement re: Todd Bentley Marriage

From http://www.globalevangelisticmissions.com/

“25th July 2008 (notice the date. Weeks before the official announcement and key people claim they knew)

Our prayers are with Todd & Shonnah Bentley and their children during this difficult time. They have worked on their marriage for many years. However, the demands of a young marriage and an international ministry have become a heavy burden for them. We stand with them now, asking the Lord for His grace in their lives.

The move of God that began with Todd Bentley in Lakeland is a move of God.  God used a man as it began, but it is God’s move and will continue regardless of our humanness.  We look to God to carry it on. 

Many blessings in Glory,

Jim & Kathy Drown”

Heather Clark Statement on Todd Bentley Divorce

Thanks to ‘OhhowIloveJesus’ for this statement from Heather Clark (one of the worship leaders at Lakeland).

“There has been much controversy surrounding Todd and the Lakeland outpouring. This is my official statement.

I believe that Todd is a sincere person. He loves the lost and wants to see God move. He is a friend.

I do not agree with all of his doctrine nor share the same opinion he has of his prophetic experiences. This being said I think it is terrible and cruel the way that he has been treated, slammed and bashed by the body of Christ. I think it is fine to disagree and even warn with strength and passion but to shred to pieces is not walking in any measure of love.

{Endtimes comment – One wonders what her version of disagreeing or warning with strength and passon is, especially based on her previous debate where it is clear she did not appreciate anyone speaking out about Todd regardless of how ‘lovingly’ it was done – she clearly called criticism, however correct, ’casting stones’. Notice also her straw man argument claiming people are “shredding Todd to pieces” when I do not see anyone doing that.]

It has come out officially now that he and his wife are legally separated. I am believing in prayer for the restoration of this marriage and family.

{Sin? Guilt? Confession? Repentence? These words sure are in short supply in the apostolic-prophetic movement]

On the Lakeland meetings

I was there leading worship many times and personally felt changed, renewed, revived, touched. I think that it is common in the excitement of the moment for any of us to exaggerate the quantity of the quality of what is happening. In other words, I believe that there were people sincerely touched, healed, changed, but I think that it could have been wisdom to not jump to conclusions before testing the change whether it be physical or spiritual.” {end of statment]

[Uh Huh? You felt. You felt, You felt. But where is the evidence of healings, where is the fruit? The only fruit is rotten!   And why did you criticise those who were wise and said things should be weighed and tested? Or those that were discerning and said people should not exagerate, that is deliberately lie?]

There is also a post here about Heather here with some comments from her afterwards expressed some months back

John Arnott on Todd Bentley Divorce & Excessive Drinking

Thanks to Jennifer for directing me to this latest release here from John Arnott (of the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship) on the Todd Bentley scandal.

“I have just re-read the article about the Lakeland Revival that I wrote two months ago for our most recent edition of Spread the Fire Magazine. It was a glowing report of the wonderful healings happening there. Now it is with sadness and disappointment that I am writing again to our friends and supporters. You may have already heard that Todd Bentley has announced his decision to separate from Shonnah, his wife. I am deeply saddened for the Body of Christ that has been disillusioned yet again.

{End times thoughts - Whose fault is it if people get disillusioned? Those like John Arnott that help spread the delusion in the first place?]

I grieve for all the dedicated Fresh Fire Team, Roy Fields and all the musicians and for Stephen Strader, the pastor of Ignited Church and all his faithful folks who have been serving so diligently. Had any of us known what was just ahead, perhaps we would have been able to intervene before things went into crisis.

{End times thoughts – Oh wow. Had any of us known?! Many knew and they intentionally kept quiet about it! This statement from Arnott directly contadicts other testimonies come in from other leaders that expressed the HAD known. It is pure hypocrisy. (See also his Charisma Magazine Statement where Arnott claims he knew about the problems two years ago.)

And even if they genuinely had not known and were not told by concerned parties, as parties claim they were, how prophetic were they not to have known?]

We at TACF, Catch the Fire, Partners in Harvest and the Revival Alliance want to stand with Todd and Shonnah and try to offer godly counsel and support. We all want to see the good that has come from this ministry and the Lakeland Revival redeemed.

{Godly counsel and support. Why was this not offered before? And what about Godly counsel and support re the lies and the charlatanism and false prophecy etc?  The Lakeland Revival cannot be redeemed as it was false and rotten at its core, and was led by false and rotten leaders (I do not just mean Bentley). Furthermore, is not Christ the redeemer, and not the neo apostolic movement that Arnott suggests it gets redeemed through somehow?]

I have known Todd for several years and have seen God work mightily through him.

{When was that then?]

I went to Lakeland to support what Todd and Fresh Fire were doing there because I believed that God was moving powerfully in the lives of thousands.  I also knew Todd would have many critics, just as I had had with the revival in Toronto.  I wanted to stand with him and say, “I am here for you. Don’t let anyone discourage what God is doing through you.”

I wanted to be available to Todd if he needed advice. I had no agenda other than to see what was happening in Lakeland continue and to see Todd nurture this revival successfully.  I wish I had known that he was struggling in his marriage, but unfortunately, I did not.

I am working now with Bill Johnson and Che Ahn to listen to each person who is close to the situation in order to give godly counsel and confront the presenting issues in God’s love. 

{Yet to hear you – or anyone – even confess the presenting issues? The affair is but a smokescreen.]

We are all receiving many phone calls and reading much correspondence about all these matters at the moment. Some of it is quite hopeful and some of it is not. However, I believe that God can break through.

We all want to provide any help we can to preserve the fruit of this outpouring. We are doing this for several reasons. First, we love the Body of Christ and the work God does through times of revival. We care very deeply about the impact of the church’s leaders and role models on the body of Christ and the world. We also care about Todd and Shonnah, the Fresh Fire Ministries staff and all who have been a vital part of the Lakeland Revival. They are our friends.

Todd has chosen to do something that is wrong according to Scripture,

{And since when have YOU cared about upholding scripture? If you cared about truth and righteousness and what GOD wants, you’d have dealt with Todd months ago.]

and his timing to announce it was equally inappropriate.

{No, it was perfect timing for the apostolic agenda. Absolutely perfect. Todd had nothing much to lose as he had already been exposed and Lakeland had shut down based on the revelations re lies and fraud! Throw this in and suddenly people start to feel sorry for him, to pray for his marriage instead of rebuking him for his fraud, and forget the real reasons why he and Lakeland was criticised and closed down, and Todd is questioned and not the revival. Restoration is also offered as a solution to get him back on the road. And the apostles get seen as heros and get promoted and the real issues at Lakeland are forgotten. It is genius. Deliberate conniving genius. The timing of the press releases has been timed to perfection, bit by bit, drip by drip. This was pre-planned!]

Everyone is asking, “What happened?” “Why didn’t anyone see this coming?”  We are making the answers to those questions a matter of prayer, and are as shocked and saddened by what has just happened as you are.

{Hypocrits!]

Furthermore, it has now come out that there has been some inappropriate behavior, both with excessive drinking and also with a female member of his staff.

{And there’s more!]

Please don’t jump to conclusions or assume the worst,

{Huh! But you have just told us the facts though….haven’t you?]

but this behavior is wrong before the Lord.

Let me encourage you to hold steady to your faith in God and give the redemptive process the time it requires

{Confession and repentence and acknowledgment of guilt must come before restoration. And I have seen none of that from Todd Bentley. It is not just a question of giving it some time for people to forget and then coming back into false ministry!]

and let’s see what God will do. Because I believe in God, I also believe that nothing is impossible with Him. He is able to take the worst situation and turn it into a great blessing.

{He is indeed. BUT Todd needs to repent.]

Be slow to speak out publicly and to judge prematurely.

{Uh Huh. Nice scriptural distortion there to try and shut up their critics and lovers of God’s word. But people have had months to ‘judge’ Todd Bentley by biblical criteria. So if they speak now then they are being slow to speak and hardly being premature. And that was even the case months ago when it was plain exactly what Todd Bentley was.

And John Arnott YOU and many of your associates are speaking out so you must have determined it is time to speak out. So if it is OK for you, why is it not OK for others? One rule for you and another for those you do not like what they say? This is called hypocrisy.]

It is time to treat these people with grace, like you would like to be treated when you fall or make a mistake.

{Sure. Treating people with grace though is NOT the same as not speaking out or not demanding a public apology from them when they have “made a mistake”. I am happy to treat with Bentley with grace – despite his heinous deeds that have NOT yet been spoken of – IF he repents and gets right with God. NOTHING would make me happier. But it is dependent on Todd’s actions. And if Todd does not truly repent of ALL his wrong doing then the way of grace is to shun him and have nothing to do with him as per biblical command.]

Be assured that nothing is being ‘swept under the carpet,’

{hah!]

 but we are bringing it out into the light of God’s truth in mercy

{for your own agendas – because you knew about this BEFORE}

so that we can interrupt Satan’s plan to use this to discredit Jesus Christ by destroying the lives of Todd, his family and his friends.

{Nice undermining there again of the critics. Todd destroys himself (and others) by his own evil dark deeds – unless he saves Himself by becoming born again genuinely for the first time by repenting.

Satan is the father of lies. Did Arnott care or do anything about stopping or interrupting Satan’s plan re the lies before? Obviously not.]

The Holy Spirit, who is perfect, must use imperfect people even in revival.

{Correct, although the definition of true revival is another thing. But The Holy Spirit does not cause these imperfect people He uses to lie or to falsely prophesy or preach another Jesus or another gospel…or to be lying drunken fornicators. I John indicates that Todd Bentley is not of God because of his behaviour and because also of his teachings. The Bible also says such men are anathema – so why then does Arnott harbour them and support them, as well as being one who peddles another gospel himself?]

Carol and I always urge Christians to pay close attention to the issues of integrity.

{Ha! For real? What so they can coverup?!}

The scripture admonishes each one of us, “Watch over your heart with all diligence; for out of it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Christian leaders are held to the high standard of being exemplary in character and all other aspects of our personal lives.

{Exemplary?! This is hypocrisy at its best – or worst!]

When a leader fails, the news spreads so quickly to those outside the body of Christ heaping shame and reproach upon the name of Jesus Christ and the church. The enemy wants to use these failures to undo the work of the Holy Spirit if he can.

To those who were blessed in Lakeland, do not allow the seeds of hope and healing that were sown into you there be uprooted by this leader’s mistakes. It was God who touched you and no one can take that away unless you allow it. Continue to give God the praise and thanks.

I am aware that the devil wants to tempt some people to say, “I told you so.”

{‘I told you so’ ain’t necessarily the devil speaking, Arnott…. God uses that line too, albeit He uses it for righteous reasons and in love, but in all holiness – and that also reflects his anger. God is not just loving, He is angry too – especially about men like Todd. There is also a difference between weeping a thing and crowing it.]

Do not allow yourself to become his instrument by using the sword of truth without mercy in this way.

{Truth with mercy rebukes – it does not ignore and do nothing.]

Before you cast a stone, remember that you are not without sin yourself. This is how pride can gain a subtle hold in your heart. What you sow now, you will reap in the future.

{Turn on the critics! Note how much John Arnott is putting down criticism of them by twisting and distorting scriptures for his own ends! Then he tries to make the critics even more afraid of speaking out about Todd and them by claiming that what you will sow you will reap, so you better not really think about it, and only say nice things of Todd and not warn about him.  

What you will sow you will reap? What sowing obedience and righteousness? The Lord rebuke you, you deciver and hypocrit, John Arnott!

And isn’t ‘what you will sow you will reap’ an apt line more to be spoken over the likes of men like Todd and other liars and sinners as a warning now? And if what they reap partially comes, then is it not a case of “I told you so”? (God is not afraid of using that line!)

The Bible commands us to refute error and rebuke sinful men.]

Had you lived during the reign of King David would you have judged him for his moral failure?

{Yes, by the biblical standard of ’judgments’ as all should have. We are all priests and kings now – kings rule and judge as do priests – and priests and kings judge the church as per scriptural command! If it was wrong and unloving and unspiritual to judge why were there appointed judges in Israel?!]

While he was in sin, God saw David’s heart and knew that he could be corrected and redeemed. His sin and God’s judgment on it as well as God’s redemption of the situation are recorded in Scripture for everyone to read.

{God did not consider it a small thing at all. David confessed and repented of it (he did not cover it up when confronted) but there were still consequences to pay for years afterwards, including the death of his child. A prophet rebuked David for his sin so was allowed to “judge” and “speak out” in the sense Arnott says we cannot.

Nobody is saying Todd cannot be forgiven here and redeemed. He can. BUT it is the way of humility, confession and repentence – none of which I think we will see]

My prayer since 1994 has been, “More, Lord! I want more of your love and power.”

[The Toronto Blessing was not of God though. So More of what? Delusion? Deception? Lying signs and wonders?]

I want God to send us more revival with all its accompanying blessings.

{More? How can he send YOU more when he has not sent you any? Unless you mean more delusion.

Does ‘accompanying blessings’ by the way mean offering money?]

I want to see many more conversions, healings and miracles.

{So do I. But it will not happen at Lakeland.]

More than that, however, I want to see these days led by honorable and trusted leaders who not only have powerful gifts but who are pure in heart and character.

{Oh boy, I want that! But where are they?

Arnott is of couse promoting himself and the apostles here – “honorable and trusted leaders who not only have powerful gifts but who are pure in heart and character” – the Wagner apostles “spiritual fathers” Lee Grady is calling on – but please, these men are not honorable, not trusted, not leaders in the body but wolves preying on the flock and false brethren, they are liars, they use false gifts, preach another gospel, some dabble in the occult and gnostic, aand they are far from pure in heart and character… as has been proven just by this Bentley debacle.]

May I enlist your prayers for Todd and Shonnah and their children at this time, that God, the Great Reverser, will miraculously turn this situation around?

{No, not as you want this situation turned around]

Much love to you all in Jesus,

{which Jesus?}

John Arnott
August 17, 2008″

Bob Jones Recent Vision re The New Breed

Note the scripture twisting and the blasphemous nature of this prophesied elite New Breed who will be divine in themselves as God-men, and the Christ returning to manifest in the church first heresy (Manifest Sons of God Latter Rain heresy).

Todd Bentley was supposed to be part of this new breed, so I am not sure what this bodes for this generation and their holiness levels.

THE NEW BREED, August 4, 2008 from http://www.bobjones.org/

“Recently, Bob had a vision of the new breed coming forth.

There is a coming forth of the NEW BREED!  They are not old and they are not young.  They will come forth in the Spirit of Holiness.   (Rom 1:4 And [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the Son of God in power [in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner] by His resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

The Spirit of Holiness coming forth is the divine nature of Christ.

(2 Peter 1:4-10) By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

5 For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),

6 And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),

7 And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.

8 For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

9 For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall.

The new breed shall be of the divine nature and will be a friend with God. (John 15:15) I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer; for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]

The Spirit of holiness coming forth will have resurrection power in it and this power will bring the obedience of what Christ called us to. (Mt 10:8] cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.  Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give.

Most of the people Bob saw were between the ages of 25 & 40.  They will be the first of the new breed which others will immediately begin to follow and they will not fall back.

The Spirit of Holiness is different than the Holy Spirit although it works by the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of Holiness is the nature of Christ in you coming forth in maturity.  Christ formed in you to a new level of maturity. Paul’s prayer will be answered; he travailed until Christ be formed in you. (Gal 4:19) suffering birth pangs until Christ is formed in us.

Those who will walk forth in the Spirit of Holiness will be individuals who will represent Christ in a new level of maturity. These will be the first of the great youth leaders which countless numbers will follow.   

Christ was the first of the new breed coming forth resurrected by the Spirit of Holiness.  This new breed will be motivated by the Spirit of God doing nothing of themselves but only doing what they see the Father doing. (John 5:19) so Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, what the Son does in the same way (in His turn).”

A Leader Asks “Did I Sit On The Sidelines While The Playing Field Burned?”

I do not know this guy at all, but came across this article here and have to admire this guy’s honesty, as well as his taking an open cold hard look at himself as to his not doing more to warn about Todd Bentley. Bless him for this refreshing honesty! Chris Elrod, the writer, is the lead pastor and founder of Compass Point Church, a Christian church plant in Lakeland, Florida.

By Chris Elrod

“As I was on my way home from South Carolina last Thursday night I got “the call”. My friend and fellow Lakeland pastor let me know that the news about Todd Bentley…the news that had circulated around Lakeland for weeks…was finally about to break. For months it had been rumors…with very little hard facts to back it up. Local church leaders had been hearing things about Todd…and Ignited Church…that caused us to question even more the validity of the “revival”. Then the truth began to come out bit by bit…first to Lakeland…then the world…and now Todd’s wife was in Canada getting help while he was “floating around” the United States trying to get his head together. Yes Todd had been convicted of molesting a 7-year-old boy in Canada. Yes Todd was legally separating from his wife. Yes there was another woman involved. Yes this was not the first time Todd had been involved with another woman. Yes Todd and Ignited Church had failed to address concerns…many being voice by their own denomination and people that support such Charismatic outpourings…about the heresy being preached and displayed at the “revival”. Yes there was not one single medical document to prove that any healing had actually taken place. Yes the media could find no one…not one single person…to come forward and say they had been healed during the “revival”.

As the fall out continues and more facts are beginning to emerge about everyone involved with this mess, I have begun to ask myself some pretty hard questions. Did I handle this correctly?

When the first news began to break around here about Todd, healings and the revival…I went to see it for myself. In all I attended four separate “revival” meetings over a two month period. I also watched countless hours of the events on the Internet. I witnessed Todd hollering “BAM” a lot. I witnessed “verification teams” in the parking lot carefully choosing people deemed candidates for “healing” while turning many others down. I watched ushers push ill children away from the stage area because they had not been preapproved for “healing”. I heard stories about pixie-dust-spreading angels and conversations with the Apostles in some abstract heavenly cabin. I saw leg drops, high kicks, head punches and every other Wrestlemania cliche under the sun. I heard anonymous crazy stories about people being healed and others being raised from the dead. I heard and saw many strange things…but nothing that even remotely kept with sound doctrine. Every Biblical discerning bone in my body showed me that there was nothing going on at the “revival” that was in keeping with God’s Word.

I began to speak out against the revival, Todd and Ignited Church to our people. Mainly it was through our Journey Groups, one-on-one conversations, phone calls and emails. However, I was advised by several other pastors not to speak out against it publicly because “I might be speaking against something that God is actually doing” (I wasn’t questioning God…I was questioning Todd). Therefore I never addressed it from the pulpit because our podcast is heard by hundreds of people all over the world. I never blogged about it because I get a 1,000+ hits on a normal day. I dodged the questions about the revival in recent radio interviews I did in other parts of the United States. Finally, I refused to answer the hundreds of emails I got about the “revival” from other folks all over the world. In essence I protected my flock from the three-ring circus and hoopla…but did nothing to protect the Body as a whole.

Hindsight they say is 20/20. It now turns out that all of the rumors were true. It now turns out that the Scriptural discernment was correct. It now turns out that this was the same hyper-Charismatic craziness without accountability that the leadership of the sponsoring church is known for. The three ring circus has been packed up, the tents have been taken down, the moral failure has been announcement, everyone involved is pushing back and thousands of hurting people are left questioning God and their salvation. The question that I now have to ask myself…the question that will haunt me for quite a while is…did I sit on the sidelines while the playing field burned? Should have I blogged about it…spoken out about it publicly…done more to get the word out to the rest of the world that this whole thing was about Todd and not God? I took care of my own house…but should I have done more to take care of the entire neighborhood?”

Rick Joyner of MorningStar – Neo Pagan Wiccan Connections

I spoke about this in the longer post here BUT I think it is so important I wanted to highlight it in a much shorter more accessible post.

There seems to be indiction that Rick Joyner is either an initiate himself OR is deeply influenced by others around him who are initiates into the “craft”. Why do I say this? Not just because of his false gnostic prophecies and teachings and use of occultic symbology and another gospel, and known ‘occultic’ connections with the Knights of Malta, but because of what is being planned on September 21st that has obvious pagan symbolism in it that they are becoming far more overt and blatant about.

Rick Joyner said in his latest bulletin:

“…. We are close to the birth of something we were created for, that we believe will begin this fall, around September 21. We have been given that date like we were 8/8/08 and it is not a coincidence that this date is exactly six months after the Honoring the Father’s Conference we hosted with WhiteDove Ministries.

Because of this, we moved our Harvest Conference to begin on September 18, and the Worship & Warfare Conference to begin on September 22, so September 21 will be the Sunday in-between. Come to either or both of these if you can, and you may be a part of history.

[Endtimes notes - Does 21st September have any significance?

In ancient Greece, it is the eighth day of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

It is also United Nations Global Peace Day.

Importantly, it is the date of Maltese Independence and the Knights of Malata celibrate it:  http://stjohnscocathedral.com/news-events.html

But even more importantly Sept 21st is the autumn equinox called 'Mabon' (The god of YOUTH - note Joyner's previous comments on youth).  It is one of EIGHT wiccan days and is a wiccan harvest festival called 'The Witches' Thanksgiving'. It has a festival like atmosphere. It is also called Harvest Home, the Feast of the Ingathering, or Thanksgiving - so it is a corrupted pagan festival. Respect is given to the coming darkness (of the winter) and The Dark Mother is honored, the Crone aspect of the triple goddess (a corrupt blasphemous trinity). HUGE BONFIRES ARE LIT. Rituals to thank the growing energies of the God and the fertility of the Goddess are performed.  It was celibrated along with Michaelmas by some, the feast of Michael the archangel, so it would be interesting if the angel Michael is mentioned at Joyner's gathering (eg as a 'prophecy') as that would be even more indication of the event's real roots ....] 

“…. We will have midnight bonfires…

{This bonfire is the proof that many of these guys are pagans/witches! This is not an innocent coincidence that they just so happen to have bonfires on a pagan festival day on the second most important date in the Wiccan calendar – and at MIDNIGHT at that (this has even more significance) – and that Rick Joyner has used other buzzwords when describing the event such as “festival” and “Ancient paths” and “harvest conference” and “youth” (the god Mabon) as well as using all the numerology related to 8 and Saturn! Note that many of these guys are not just innocently decieved, they are deliberate decievers in the craft!]

roaming worship and ministry teams, and other events that will create a festival atmosphere that is conducive to members of the body getting to know one another. Many important bonds between them will begin at this event. This one really could be historic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were 8,888 that come….”