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Emily and I have made posts previously concerning Todd Bentley and the Florida outpouring. We were like many who were cautiously excited and were very pleased that so many were touched by the Lord during that time. We were of course very saddened when Todd said that he had filed for divorce from his wife.
How can this happen? Well it happens over and over again each time we allow our flesh to take the place of the pursuit of the Holy in our lives. I don’ t think the problem is as much with Todd as it is with the person in the mirror. You and I must choose to live righteously before the Lord and not compromise the Truth. Over time as we, Christians, have allowed compromise to sneak in and allow us to use our culture and consensus to determine what is right and true. The Word of God, the Bible, must be our compass and not our Christian or secular culture.
It has become too easy for us to pick and choose what we want to from the bible. We need to take a personal stand and be lovers of the Truth. We must not use the consensus of Christians around us as to what the right thing is.
Being a very strong advocate for marriage, especially concerning the personal struggles I’ve had, I am extremely grateful for the movie Fireproof. Though I have not seen the movie it is about time we as believers say it is not right that we allow ourselves to be swayed by even our Christian culture and say that divorce is not an option any more than abortion, pornagraphy or extramarital affairs are.
Below is an email from Rory & Wendy from God.tv sharing their perspective on the Florida Outpouring and I appreciated what they had to say. Remember that God uses weak and broken people as his vessel. Avoid judging His messengers because you too will stand in front of The Judge (Jesus) one day and have to give account for your wrong doing…. David
Beloved GOD TV viewer,
In the light of many statements having been released about the LAKELAND OUTPOURING and concerning Todd Bentley’s marital situation, we sensed that the Lord has released us to write concerning this situation, so that you, our viewers would know our heart concerning this matter.
The first thing we feel led to do is to state unequivocally that in the same manner as the Lord instructed us to broadcast and serve TheCall gatherings with Lou Engle; to broadcast what was happening at the International House of Prayer with Mike Bickle; Rick Joyner and MorningStar; the Solemn assembly in San Francisco; BattleCry and Teen Mania with Ron Luce; Focus on the Family’s prayer event for America; the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem; and hundreds of other anointed events over the past three years, we believe that the Lord instructed us to broadcast the Outpouring services at Lakeland with Todd Bentley.
It was not a mistake.
It was not by mistake.
We believe it was a clear instruction from the Lord.
Over the past twelve years, but especially since our launch in America, we have in obedience to the Lord searched through the earth for those events and anointings that the Lord has laid on our hearts – to amplify their message and anointing to the Body of Christ in this crucial endtime hour that we live in.
The Lakeland Outpouring with Todd Bentley was one of those events. We received over 45 000 e-mails many, many of these heart rending, powerful testimonies from viewers across the earth of their bodies or their families bodies healed, their lives transformed and their hearts revived.
None of us have ever seen such significant fruit in all the years of broadcast.
Far more profound than that were the desperate cries for help. I (Wendy), would go through the live inbox and see the desperate cries from mothers, wives, sons and daughters, so many with TERMINALLY ILL husbands, wives, children, sometimes babies in arms – sensing HOPE in their situation that for so long had been without hope.
Just reading these prayer requests would bring one to tears –
We are often so cloistered from the agony of peoples day by day real life agonies – and their agonies were written there.
So much so – that we both sensed that would need the word of the Lord under the fear of God to stop these broadcasts with the life changing impact they were having in homes not only in the UK and America but all across the world. And the Glory of the Living God that was being imparted.
We both kept a very close pulse on the revival since the start of its broadcast – we had first hand knowledge of the enormous criticism, persecution and reviling that Todd Bentley was receiving (often we were second contenders for it) but it was Todd Bentley and the Fresh Fire team who received the terrible weight of this.
Todd ministered each day as the revival continued but was consistently and unrelentingly criticized, maligned, persecuted – the attacks grew increasingly violent – and the heartbreaking thing was that so much of it came from the Church.
At the same time, Todd was facing a second wave of attack. This was from the covens, the warlocks – we heard firsthand concerning some of these assignments. The enemy had heard of the great honoring of the Lamb and was determined to destroy it – BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE AND AT ANY COST.
And the cost was Todd Bentley.
Was it because Todd was vulnerable and certain areas of his life were not surrendered wholly? Yes – like so many of us – in all probability.
Was it because the character of Christ was not yet formed in him in the equivalent measure to his gifting? Yes – like so many of us – in all probability.
Could it be the case that there by the grace of God go YOU AND I… Yes – In all probability.
Some of the areas in our lives are watertight and have been honed and refined and polished by the Lord while still other areas in our lives are often still in desperate need of attention. We are an ongoing work and we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Well – all ministers who preach should ensure their lives are in order, you may be saying.
Yes – we and our board and our minister peers across the globe agree wholeheartedly.
And yet, beloved – unfortunately, THERE ARE TIMES when satan comes unawares and targets a vulnerable area whose weaknesses only become apparent under the most enormous and unrelenting pressure brought to bear.
We believe and of course this is just our personal opinion, that the revival stirred up the satanic realms in a manner that has rarely been seen and with a violent wrath.
It is difficult to understand the degree of spiritual battle that comes against a leader. We have learned we need to protect the move of God with greater prayer for leaders, including ourselves. The body of Christ is growing in greater transparency and accountability, and this too should be a subject of prayer.
Should all of us wait till we are as perfect and as watertight as can be and mature in every area – that of course, would be the safest course of action, but the truth is that most of us would be 90 years old!
The Lord who made us and knows that we are as dust and yet looks on us with His great mercies and compassions knows this and He the sovereign God of heaven and earth still chooses to take a GOD-risk on you and I every day of our lives.
That even under the most intense pressure that we would choose HIM.
That we would love HIM.
That in times of intense duress and temptation that we would follow HIM.
And let it be so – even more in all our lives, but beloved – let us not forget so many of those who walk in ministry across the earth today with such COURAGE and FERVOR and lay their lives down for HIS CAUSE at great cost to themselves – Todd and Shonnah sowed their lives to sow the seeds of revival and we believe became a supreme target of the enemy.
On the June 23rd, Todd actually spoke openly and with great vulnerability of his and Shonnah’s previous marriage challenges and how they had faced those challenges and the Lord had begun His work. He did not try to hide their struggle but shared their ongoing journey.
As Rick Joyner so wisely put it –
“In marriage, I have learned there are those who admit they have been through times when they wondered if their marriage would make it, and then there are liars. Relationships are hard, and the closer they are, the harder they can be. I tell everyone that I give premarital counseling to that the Lord has ordained their marriage in order to kill both of them! That is true. It is also worth it! The greatest gift He gave to man was marriage and family. However, to have a marriage that is good, both will have to die to themselves. If either one does not make the commitment to lay down their life for their mate and their family, then what was meant to be heaven can be hell.”
It is an ongoing walk – and we all are ongoing works. But the Lord said something to us some years ago – He said – When you hate sin because it HURTS ME – then it will lose its grip on you. When you hate sin because it displeases ME – its hold diminishes.
The Lord also shared with us that someone can be deceived in an AREA of sin but it does not necessarily mean that in every area of his or her life or ministry, they were walking in deception as some critics of the revival may lean to believe.
And who is to judge that the Lord does not hold the violent unleashing of criticism and faultfinding and tearing down and divisiveness of the heresy hunters, as severe a sin as separation in a marriage?
We will find out before the judgement seat in eternity.
One of our greatest grievings has been to see how many in the church backtracked to protect their own reputations. We have been truly refreshed by several close ministry friends with their uncompromising love of truth and lack of a man pleasing spirit that has arisen in the church in the light of the Lakeland aftermath. They have given us fresh courage when we grew weary.
So beloved friend –
Do we at GOD TV refute the Outpouring? NO.
We are presently planning to broadcast other offshoots of Lakeland in both the United Kingdom and America, including revival meetings in Dudley, England.
We have determined in our hearts to follow the Lord with all our might as courageously and as boldly as we can, to reject the pressures to bow to a man pleasing spirit but instead to humble ourselves under the Fathers leading.
For HE is our all in all.
He is our great desire.
Finally, dear friends, while we defend and rejoice in the many ten thousands that God lifted and healed, we also know that there were dear souls, sheep, who were scattered as a result of Todd’s personal choices. The Bible says that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” and this is the last thing GODTV would want to see happen. We arepraying for any that stumbled and believing that the Lord will restore them to Himself.
Remember: this was never about Todd Bentley. It was always about the Holy Spirit and the fact that God loved you and I. It was GOD who touched our lives.
One thing, we felt impressed upon our hearts thirteen years ago when we first launched this ministry. That the Father will allow none of us – whether in ministry or as a viewer to hold idolatry in our hearts for any man.
For the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit alone are to receive our worship.
We continue on the road to maturity.
We continue our efforts to serve an end time spiritual army.
We continue to try each day to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of the ONLY one who is worthy of ALL adoration.
Of ALL HONOUR.
Of ALL WORSHIP.
Remember also, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Let’s turn our eyes toward Him and away from our trust in man.
He who sent His only begotten Son.
The Great Father of Compassions.
To Him alone we bow.
Personally we believe that the best is yet to come.
For our King and His Kingdom
Rory and Wendy Alec
I find the idea of war very difficult to swallow. Especially when lives are lost, the purpose behind it is not completely clear and those being delivered appear want to remain under oppression. Yet through all this, war is a fact of life in this age whether we choose to participate in it or not.
I do though know a little about human nature and the Enemy of Man, Satan, and his desire to steal kill and destroy every last one of us. It’s not just about our Enemy though, it is also about our choice to rebel against our Creator who is wholly good and right. When we make choices to turn away from Him it empowers the Enemy to do what he loves best and that is to destroy the very image of God – man.
Man then in his rebellion becomes an agent for our common Enemy. Man in turn will steal, kill and destroy. ”Christian” and non-christian alike are a subject to such corruption. Then as each generation continues in its rebellion it manifests in our world presenting us with the world we see today. A world where women are oppressed, the unborn are killed, people are enslaved, children are raped, the innocent are traded for sex, people groups are brutally murdered and so much more.
The cause of pain on the earth is us. We, each and every one of us, have made choices to rebel against God. Some have made it more of a priority than others. Fortunately God has made a way through the sacrifice of his son Jesus to rescue us from ourselves. Jesus came to set us free. Not in a short term sense like an act of sacrifice that frees us from temporary bondage but in a long term eternal sense.
God longs to see his creation free from bondage both in the natural and spiritual sense. Jesus came to do both and in time we will see our Enemy and his willing agents destroyed completely and those who chose Righteousness (Jesus) set free. Their freedom will be complete, natural and spiritual. This war will be the bloodiest and most brutal in all of history. It will be a war against Satan (and those who choose unrighteousness) and the heavenly man Jesus (and those who choose righteousness).
So I believe war is a visible manifestation of man’s rebellion towards his Creator. Then it could be said that liberating the oppressed is an act of God if the purpose behind it is true justice. So when looking specifically at the war in Iraq if it is really about freedom then I support it. Unfortunately because I am unable to read the minds of those in leadership and those on the ground fighting the war my support of it is uneasy and tentative.
I am glad though that there are many like the young men like the one in the video below (you must see it to the end to get my point) who seem to truly exercise justice at the expense of their own bodies. It is men like these that I give my honor and respect to because they are acting much like our creator (in a partial sense) by sacrificing themselves for the liberation of those oppressed.
I hope we can find a way to leave Iraq, Afghanistan and every other place where American lives are being lost almost every day. Yet because I am a lover of Truth (Jesus) and know that the heart of men is wicked I know the road will not be easy if not impossible. Therefore perhaps we should leave Iraq since it seems the people don’t seem to want to be liberated anyway.
This is why this subject is so frustrating to me and I talk little about it. We were not meant or created to war against each other but to live free from the tyranny of sin. So until that day we then must continually seek what is right and just, the man who is God – Jesus. Only he can (and will) liberate us.
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
I know pretty much the only thing I’ve been posting lately is political and that is probably driving some of you crazy. We’ll get back to the family stuff. I promise. Even though Emily is super supportive and is just as excited as I am about McCain/Palin she wishes I would stand down with all this political posting to our Family Blog. I was just explaining to one of my friends my current political views in an email and why I am so energized right now and why I will calm down about 60 days from now.
Here is what I said:
“I was just teasing about Ron Paul. I’ve known about him for a long time. How can you miss him with such an energetic support base. He turned me off during the debates because he came across so angry.
I have a very similar challenge with the two party system. Even democracies are manmade. I have for years been troubled by this and that is why I am very rarely involved in political issues. I don’t even have a strong stance on the war. I don’t care about the Republicans or Democrats except when if it relates abortion or moral issues like gay marriage. I certainly have preferences towards a smaller and less invasive government but in the end that isn’t a justice or moral issue.
I am taking a strong stand for McCain/Palin because the next president will nominate at least one more Supreme Court justice. We only need one more pro-life justice to overturn Roe v Wade. As a result I extremely excited about a republican nominee who says “human rights start at conception” and “I will be a pro-life president.” Not only that Palin is a charismatic Christian! That’s got me excited!
So as you can see I am going to make big deal about this election and McCain/Palin but when the elections are over I will likely get really quiet again except for my petitions to the Lord.”
We MUST not stand down or ignore this issue this fall when choosing who to vote for for President. Almost 50,000,000 children have been legally killed since 1973. We must stop this! We are only one Supreme Court Justice away from overturning Row vs Wade. Obama promises change but I don’t think this is the kind of change we want. He not only supports Abortion but allowing BORN babies die without medical care. Not even his Democratic counterparts support this! Obama is supporting infanticide. Please vote for McCain/Palin this fall and move us one step closer to ending America’s Holocaust.
This is a very difficult video for me to watch. Procede with caution. – David
