The Lakeland Outpouring - Todd Bentley

Some may have heard, and others may have not, that there is a new revival going on in Florida being dubbed the "Lakeland Outpouring" or "Florida Outpouring." Reminiscent of other revivals, such as the Toronto Blessing and Brownsville revival, a new face has come to the forefront of healing ministries. Introducing Todd Bentley.

Todd Bentley is a Canadian pastor and founder of Fresh Fire Ministries. "Fresh Fire Ministries is an international ministry called to global harvest. Todd Bentley and his team take God's saving, healing and delivering power to the nations...sparking revival fire and equipping the body in power evangelism and healing Ministry."

Here is a little bio on Todd Bentley...

"In his late teens, Todd had a dramatic encounter with the saving and delivering power of God. This experience brought Todd out of a lifestyle of drug and alcohol addiction without cravings or withdrawal symptoms. He was also delivered from a lifestyle involving criminal activity, youth prisons, drugs, sex, satanic music and bondage. Todd's miraculous conversion to Jesus was much like the Apostle Paul's on the Damascus road. Todd was instantly transformed into a radical disciple and soul winning evangelist for Jesus.

God has drawn Todd into deep and intimate place of prayer. These extended times in God's presence has released a fresh prophetic and miracle-healing anointing."

Okay, just to make this clear, I am not endorsing Mr. Todd Bentley. In fact I think Mr. Bentley, as many other faith healers, is a self-serving fraud. I know, I've just made a very "judgmental" statement. Let me say this just to clear up what Scripture really says about judging. Christians are allowed to judge, but we are not allowed to condem. Only God has the final say when it comes to someone's eternal destiny, but nowhere in Scripture does it tell Christians not to judge. Jesus himself said that a Christian could be seen by his fruit.

So the argument against me might be "Look at the fruit of Todd Bentley. He's healing people. People are getting saved!!" My question is, is he really healing people.

Here is Nightline's Report for you to judge.

Go the next one for part 2.

Another question I have to ask is how did Jesus and the apostles heal people? Was it like this?

Or did they heal like this?

Or like this?

How in the world do people fall for this stuff. Is this stuff from God? Absolutely not, and I'm not afraid to say it. Todd Bentley's revivals (including Lakeland) are nothing similiar to what we see in Scripture. They say it is, but find a passage that shows a man kicking a woman in the face. Even when Jesus was healing in crowds it wasn't a tent revival atmosphere. Many times Jesus' healings took place as he went through towns right in the open for people to see. He was humble but he was confident. These people are arrogant and make extraordinary claims that never issued forth from Jesus' lips.

Jesus calls all of us, every single person who follows him, to be like him. How do we know a Christian is who they say they are? By their desire to become and progress towards becoming like Christ. What was Jesus' reason for healing? It was to confirm that he was indeed the Son of God and the long awaited Messiah. Why were the disciples given the ability to heal as well. Because it was a sign that Jesus passed his mission to the church and it was through these men that he built the church. Why can't miracles be done today? I never said they couldn't be for God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, but do these so called miracles we see today line up with Scripture? Do the lives of these men and women who claim to have such power line up with Scripture? People need to be asking the tough questions.

The overall proof for me that these things are a sham is the very fact that Jesus died because of our sin. Sin is in its very basic form selfishness. Revivals such as Todd Bentley's, Benny Hinn's, David Hogan's, etc... feed the selfish nature. If God wants to heal you he will do it without the help of these men. Something we all need to remember is that it is God's will that is done and not our own. Paul himself had a "thorn in his side." We can only guess at what this "thorn" was, but it is clear that it was something Paul didn't want to deal with. He prayed and prayed that God would deliver him from this, but God said no. He answered Paul by saying "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

I don't know about you, but if God's power is made perfect in my weakness, then why would I want to have that weakness taken away? There will be a day when I will be in heaven with God and I will be perfect. I can hold out for the short amount of time I am on this earth through God's power.

Let us all be wise. Paul says "Do not despice prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." In a way, it really is simple. The only way it can be done is through God's power.