Posted on 06/18/2008 3:36:58 PM PDT by Manfred the Wonder Dawg
TODD BENTLEY’S CONNECTION TO THE LATTER RAIN MOVEMENT
A Pastor Reports on Todd Bentley's "Revival" in Lakeland, Florida
By Pastor Gary Osborne
My first real concern with these crusades revolves around the issue of who Todd Bentley looks up to and who he considers spiritual leaders. He frequently mentions, and even has up on stage with him from time to time, members of the "Kansas City Prophets." And the KC "prophets" are, in many ways, an extension of the Latter Rain movement that really found its legs through the ministry of a man named William Branham.
Although Branham didn’t found the movement, he was instrumental in popularizing many aspects of it. This article will not go into detail concerning Branham and his ministry except to say that he was a preacher who ministered primarily in the 40’s and 50’s. He was a forerunner to many of the “healing evangelists” of today in that he would call out words of knowledge concerning the private lives of audience members, as well as pray for the sick to be healed, all with astonishing results. Interestingly, he would often tell the audience wherever he was ministering that he had to wait for his angel to appear before he could give any “words” or work any healings. This will be an important point that surfaces later in our discussion. But let’s stop right here and ask the question: Does God ask His people to look to angels or to Himself for any need? He tells us it is by His Spirit, and not angels, that He operates in words of knowledge, gifts of healings, and the like (I Corinthians 12).
In spite of his miraculous signs and wonders, Branham was a false prophet according to the standards of the Word of God. Why do I say that? Well, read the exhortation from the Lord to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy.
* Dt 13:1-3 – “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. “
I believe the Pentecostal Church in Branham’s day failed the Deuteronomy 13 test because while he did perform signs and wonders, he also counseled people to turn from the God of the Bible through his spurious teachings. He taught there was no Trinity (he was “Oneness Pentecostal”); that he was literally the prophet Elijah come back; that the world would end in 1977; that Jesus was “created” and not the Eternal Word as John 1:1 declares; that he was a “god” (and this is where the Manifest Sons of God movement got it’s name and teaching); that he could decree things just like God; that Eve had sexual relations with the serpent in the Garden of Eden; that the Zodiac and the Pyramids were equal with the Bible as the Word of God; and that there would be no eternal Hell.[1]
As you can clearly see, the man was way off in his teaching about God. So the question must be asked, “What criteria do we use to determine if a person is a true prophet or a false prophet?” If you look only to the signs and wonders a person does, and not to their teaching, then you fail the Deuteronomy 13 test. It is NOT the miracles that count. They are only used to CONFIRM the message. It is the teaching coming from the “prophet” that counts the most, according to the Bible. And Branham fails the test miserably. Even today, if one were to visit his gravesite they would see a tombstone shaped like a pyramid!
William Branham helped popularize an entire movement called the “Latter Rain” that has continued to teach differing heresies down through the decades. In the 1980’s a group of men, including Mike Bickle, Paul Cain, Bob Jones, Rick Joyner, and John Paul Jackson formed an alliance of sorts and became known as the “Kansas City Prophets.” Time does not allow me to discuss these men in detail, but it is important to know that these men took some of their cues from William Branham. Two of the main leaders, Paul Cain and Bob Jones, have both been guilty of grievous sexual sin while “ministering” as prophets. Cain has been revealed to be an alcoholic and a practicing homosexual, while Jones admitted to having women undress in front of him to experience the glory of God.[2]
In spite of many doctrinal heresies, this movement continued in one form or another. Whether it be the Toronto Blessing, the ministry of Rodney Howard-Browne (“laughter”) or Brownsville Assembly, it can all be traced back to Branham and to the Latter Rain movement that he helped spread. And so it should come as no shock to anyone that Todd Bentley is connected to all these men. And he is. Paul Cain has shared the stage with Bentley in Lakeland.[3] Bob Jones and many of the others have been mentioned in a favorable light on more than one occasion during the revival.
But the kicker to the entire thing is found here, in an interview that Bentley had with BCN (Breaking Christian News) last month. In that interview he said that he “saw an angel he described as carrying the ‘Winds of Change.’ Asking him to describe this angel, Bentley replied that those familiar with the life of William Branham would recognize the angel from being a relevant factor in his healing ministry.”[4] It should be apparent to all that Todd Bentley’s meetings derive from the same spirit as Branham and the rest. It all comes from the same place. Let the reader take serious note of the obvious and continuous bridge between Branham and Bentley.
“FEELINGS, NOTHING MORE THAN FEELINGS”
The second issue I would like to touch on briefly is the emphasis on “feelings” in all these meetings. Don’t get me wrong. We are created beings that do have feelings, and often times those feelings are a part of our worship to the Lord. If I’m going through a mountaintop experience in my life I may very well “feel” great and shout to the Lord. There’s nothing wrong with expressing feelings in this sense. We can clap our hands, jump and sing praises to God when things are going well, and we can cry and lay prostrate on the floor when facing difficult times. But David said, “as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say you are my God.” He understood that regardless of what he was going through, he would not allow his feelings to dictate truth to him. In the same way the point of this passage and many more like it throughout the Psalms is that God’s faithfulness and truth are not conditioned by our feelings. We enjoy it when good feelings accompany our faith, but we must remember that the faithfulness of God is not based on our feelings.
Unfortunately, in the Bentley meetings “feelings” are the big emphasis, to the detriment of the hearers. Why do I say that? Because the Word of God is not preached in these meetings. Rarely does Todd even bring a Bible to the pulpit with him. He actually bragged about bringing more “real Word” to the people than preachers who expound on the Bible week in and week out because he was bringing a living Jesus through the experiences [i.e. “signs and wonders”] he was giving them. I heard this for myself on his Saturday, May 10th God TV telecast from Lakeland. And the people loved it so. No Word of God is ever brought at these meetings. It’s all about the “feelings” they can experience. This type of mindset and philosophy of ministry leads to very shallow Christianity. I fear for most of the people that attend these meetings because when they come down off the “high” they have been on in these emotionally charged services they will probably crash and burn spiritually. I’ve seen it play out too many times in the past to think otherwise.
In the same vein as the “feelings” issue, there’s also a huge stress on what Todd and his crew call the “tangible presence of God.” That phrase, or one similar to it, is used many times in each meeting. People are conditioned to expect some outward, sensual experience with the Holy Spirit. Whether it’s tasting God’s presence, smelling God’s presence, hearing God’s presence, or seeing God’s presence, it’s all a big part of this revival. Todd talks about seeing a mist or cloud. He talks about tasting something similar to honey. He talks about smelling the incense from Heaven. Everything is done on a 5 senses level. Yet no where in the New Testament do we read about the disciples promoting anything like this nonsense. God is Spirit and those that worship Him will do so in spirit and in truth. The more we move from the objective truth of the Bible and more towards these outward manifestations, the more open we are to deception. The Devil can and does work on people’s senses but he cannot get to us if we know and worship God based on His Word. People in other religions have “experiences” but it doesn’t make them godly experiences. So we must be careful not to be pulled into the trap of feelings-oriented or manifestation-oriented theology. Yet this is exactly what Bentley emphasizes.
TOMORROW: Music, Mass Hypnotism and Angels
For further information, see the following link: http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NL_June1990.pdf
The Truth:
"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying." (Romans 13:13)
Endnotes: 1. www.letusreason.org/Latrain4.htm 2. www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel19.html 3.www.charismamag.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=2408&start =0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&sid=386e07de8ab0207fdfb34ca594d2b5ea 4. www.freshfire.ca/index.php?Act=read&status= revival&Id=132&pid=954&bid=923
Just curious, have you read “Why I left the Prophetic Movement” by Andrew Strom? My sister loaned it to me and I’m trying to get enough time to read it.
By your rationale, King David is also disqualified as a leader/servant of the Lord through his sinfulness.
What God other than the God of the Bible is Todd Bentley saying to follow?
You don’t believe angels can minister and give information to people today?
Etc.
Also, your rejection of the revival at Brownsville Assemblies of God associates 60 million Assemblies of God Pentecostals worldwide as part of your heretical “cult” since they accepted/endorsed what the Lord was/is doing at Brownsville A/G.
Also, just curious, do signs and wonders, divine healings and deliverances from demon possession follow Pastor Gary Osborne’s preaching and teaching?
Also, just curious, do signs and wonders, divine healings and deliverances from demon possession follow Pastor Gary Osborne’s preaching and teaching?
(The words of our Lord) Matthew 7:15-23:
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
...... Test the spirits. I have tested and find this not of our Lord- according to scripture. I don't find out of control convulsions, acting “drunk in the spirit” and out of control laughter anywhere in the Word of God. (Actually, I did find it but it had to do with demon possessed individuals, not born-again Christians.) I challenge anyone on this site to demonstrate otherwise, FROM THE BIBLE ONLY PLEASE! This movement is signs and wonders to those who desire to follow a false teacher.
Luke 9:42-43:
“EVEN WHILE THE BOY WAS COMING, THE
DEMON THREW HIM TO THE GROUND IN A CONVULSION.
BUT JESUS REBUKED THE EVIL SPIRIT, HEALED THE
BOY AND GAVE HIM BACK TO HIS FATHER. AND THEY
WERE ALL AMAZED AT THE GREATNESS OF GOD.”
I find “being slain” here and convulsions, brought on by an evil spirit.
No - haven’t even heard of that book, or the author. Let me know what you think of it. I read up on the Kansas City Prophets a dozen years ago. gag.
If you want me to consider your comments, you will need to clarify your first comment.
Bentley is not following the Word of God, so it reasonably follows that his god is from Satan.
The Lord’s angels have no record of the types of behavior Bentley revels in proclaiming and they will never mock God nor go against His Word. Satan’s angels, however, will do all those things.
It would be better if you collected your thoughts and posted one reply.
The Brownsville “revival” was demonic. I read everything on it at the time and went to listen to Steve Hill in person when he was in Dallas. Paul Yongi Cho was instrumental in that and so many other apostate “prophets” as to make the “laughing revival” laughable.
Thanks for your kind words and THANKS for posting Luke 9:42 & 43; it’s GRRRRRREAT!!!!!!!!!!!! to have the Word brought to bear on a topic.
Welcome Brother! If you remember, please Ping me if you run more in this series.
http://www.revivalschool.com
Thanks for the link.
From Strom’s site:
“Now, I have come across Todd Bentley’s teachings on “How to visit the Third Heaven” before, and I tell you, it is nothing less than ‘Guided Visualization’ taken straight out of the New Age movement. Nothing less and nothing more. It is exactly the same. And I want you to know that if you attend these kinds of things, or allow these men to ‘guide’ you or lay hands upon you, then you are opening yourself up to all kinds of spirits and demonic counterfeits. As I have stated before, this movement has absolutely NO DISCERNMENT at all. It has sunk into such deception that it’s leaders are opening people up to all kinds of demonic experiences on a daily basis. It has no idea that it is even doing it. -It behaves exactly like a movement that has been “given over to deception” by God. I urge again that everyone reading this would prayerfully consider CUTTING OFF all ties to this movement, lest you yourself become tainted by it.”
A good (and Godly) friend of mine went to Lakeland and came back a new person. His prayer life has greatly improved and his wife speaks fervently of his changes. We believe this is a move of God through imperfect human beings, like those he used in the Old and New Testaments. This revival will travel to other churches. It’s not Todd Bentley that matters, it’s what God is doing. They criticized Brownsville and Toronto as well. Good fruit came from those two revivals. God is moving. I’m not judging the music or anything else. I judge only by what changes God is making in His people.
David repented of his sinfulness and God forgave him, but David still had to suffer the consequences. As for these so-called “prophets” mentioned in the article, I doubt that they have repented. I don’t believe that any man who asks women to strip for him in public, so they can “get the glory of God,” is a true prophet. Any man who does that is stupid, and so are the women who strip for him. No one “gets the glory of God” by stripping in public. You don’t “get the glory of God.” You see the glory of God through faith in Jesus-—the real Jesus, not the phony Jesus preached by false prophets like Todd Bentley.
Do angels minister? Yes, but not in the sense of preaching. That job is for men called by God to preach.
Wow. So, according to you, Satan is in the business of over 100,000 people repenting of their sins and finding Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Perhaps you can find a better use of your time than making blanket statements such as “The Brownsville ‘revival’ was demonic.”
However, if you are convinced that your judgments please the Lord, I suppose you will continue to make them.
1. So you think having people disrobe (I’m not justifying this behavior, if it actually happened) for sinful reasons is a worse sin that abusing your power to commit adultery, and your position of authority to commit murder (to cover the sin), and further remaining unrepentant of that sin for a year (or so) until God sends a prophet to remove any place to hide.
2. So you have seemed to judge that your experiences and understandings of the Bible are correct (100%?) and Bentley’s are incorrect (100%?). Is that a fair statement? Or would you like to massage the percentages a little?
The Bible does say that God confirms His Word with signs (supernatural events) following. This is a confirmation it is a Word from God. Mark 16:20. The good news of Jesus, Luke 4:18, included more than just words and “salvations”. Not minimizing the importance of salvation, but that is not ALL that Jesus died for.
3. The ministry of angels: Angels serving (ministering) to people and giving them information today is VERY biblical. See (all post-resurrection/ascencion occurences) Acts 5:19, Acts 8:26, Acts 10:3, Acts 10:7, Acts 10:22, Acts 11:13, Acts 12:7-11 (each verse), Acts 12:23 (judgment), Acts 23:9, Acts 27:23, Revelation 1:1, multiple other references in Revelation, some of them directed specifically to John for current ministry in the light of futuristic events.
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