— Critical issues concerning the Church —

Fellow Soldier,

As wave after wave is destined to break upon the beach, so, in the last days is the church to be battered and deluged by false teachers.  They’ll roll in with increasing frequency; one upon another until the ultimate deceiver is revealed.  Now, for the third time in recent years, another perverse caricature of the Gospel, is again foaming in from Florida.

Receiving more inquiries and commentary about the “Lakeland Revival,” we feel led to Truth-medicate this latest infection in the thin hope of sparing the church further sickness.  Scripture brands it of enemy origin and its promulgators as long standing false teachers and prophets.  Not we, but the Word of God is their judge.  We urge you to be good Bereans; do your homework and in Christ’s words, "be not deceived."

Lakeland’s “Revival”

Brace yourself for another satanic tsunami.

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." — Mt 24:4,5

As the central figure of what is being called the Lakeland Revival or Florida Outpouring, Todd Bentley is misrepresenting the Gospel and is therefore a clear and present danger to the spiritually hungry, in or out of the church.  God’s Word deems him, his mentors and allies, to be thoroughly infested with spiritual “fleas.”  An old saying captures the idea: “If you sleep with dogs, you’re gonna catch fleas.”  Scripturally, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump" — Gal 5:9.

As a one-time R&D engineer I learned that a very profitable avenue of discovery is to, not only directly examine the issue at hand, but broaden the investigation to include peripheral factors.  We’ll here examine this latest sham’s key players in light of Scripture.

"I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them" — Ro 16:17.  It is important to know and pray for those among us whom God’s Word identifies as false teachers, false prophets and/or outright heretics.  Peter warned: "There were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" — 2Pe 2:1.  Paul reminds the church: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock" — Acts 20:29.

Bentley’s Appearance.  For converts coming from a life of alcohol, drugs, satanic music, sex, criminality and prison — tattoos, body piercings and ungodly adorned clothing are expected.  However, this man’s continued addition of tattoos/piercings and advertising hard rock bands raises questions about his familiarity with Scripture and state of mind.  God’s people are ordered: "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" — Ro 12:2.  Wouldn’t a renewed and Spirit-led saint remove or downplay worldliness?  Sadly, Mr. Bentley’s appearance is NOT in keeping with the Word of God.  It showcases the works of the world; those which Scripture calls us to come out from (2Cor 6:17; 1Jn 2:15,16).

Bentley’s conduct is disconcerting ... more like frightening.  “Is this Christlike?” raced through my mind as I viewed a You-Tube video of him “ministering” to a man who came up for prayer.  According to the source, he was suffering from matasticized colon cancer when this “ambassador” of Christ, the God of love, came roaring at the man from several feet away and planted a biker’s boot hard in his abdomen.  Needless to say, he crumpled in agony.  A second video shows Bentley bragging about the time “the spirit” led him to mash that same boot into the face of another who came in need of prayer; that time a woman .  Granted, these antics might be his worst (?) but still, is THIS how our gentle Shepherd would conduct Himself?  Is THIS the manner in which the Comforter expresses our Father’s love?  Just how much “abiding in Christ” or biblical literacy does it take to come up with an emphatic “NO!” to both questions?  This is NOT Christian conduct.

Bentley’s ministry (Fresh Fire Ministries Int’l: Apostolic Network) beliefs and thrust are a concern.  Typically, aberrant ministries (TBN et al) heavily emphasize money.  The hackneyed “seed faith” scam, conjured up by Oral Roberts (which one would think should be worn out by subsequent hucksters) is again being used as a tried and tested tool.  It basically claims the more you “sow” (give) the more you “reap” (get).  Not surprising, a false teacher de jour claims their “soil” (ministry) is the best in which to “plant” (give to).  They further deceive by implying, “planting” (giving) 30 bucks a month will not “reap” as much of a “harvest” as $50 and certainly not as much $500.  Go to Bentley’s web site and see for yourself .  Shameful and biblically pathetic.

Rather than preaching the Gospel, the majority of Bentley’s platform time is devoted to hyperventilating about supernatural and miraculous experiences; about myriad angels in his life, tooth fillings, gold dust and his frequent trips to heaven — sometime to consult with the Apostle Paul.  Go to You-Tube and look closely at the “gold dust.”  Notice it’s all cut into precise little squares like common mylar glitter.  My my, how gullible we all are!  Of angels, I have no doubt.  The big question: “Who’s?”  When’s the last time you found a biblical female angel?  Never!  Then, from whence cometh Bentley’s “Emma”? (see Col 2:18,19)

Bentley’s Associates.  Ah ... maybe Emma is a revisitation from the Kansas City meetings of false prophets back in the 80s, or the favorite of his Trinity-denying hero and heretic of the 50s: William Branham: of the Latter Rain sect?  As you may realize, that’s the false doctrinal engine of the Faith, Charismatic and segments of the Pentecostal movements.  It came out of British Columbia, Canada ... the same origin of Todd Bentley.  Hmm.  Bentley’s mentors and key associates are also largely Branhamites.  As a group they share an amalgamation of Latter Rain, Manifest Sons of God and Dominion theology — none scriptural and all of which have been soundly exposed as false.  To name a few:  Patricia King (aka: Pat Coking) one of Bentley’s mentors.  Show me New Testament chapter and verse where God places a woman in spiritual authority over a man.  Nada!  Ms. King heads the Extreme Prophetic ministry and I’ll give YOU the honor of checking out her other disorderly machinations (do view some of You Tube’s disturbing videos).

Then there’s Bob Jones, a former Vineyard pastor and one of the original Kansas City “prophets,” of whom Bentley says, “My friend ... Bob Jones [is] a gifted, mature seer-prophet.”  He, along with Rick Joyner, et al, have hyped the “Joel’s Army” fiction of an end-time army of immortal believers who will perform all the miracles of Jesus and the apostles — and then some.  Supposedly, the Lord Himself gave Jones this “prophecy” during a time Jones was involved in serious “sexual impropriety;” namely, that which got him booted out of Vineyard.  He had a habit of fondling women whom he had strip to “stand naked before the Lord.”  Two sued and he later confessed his guilt.  Check the news account for yourself (“A Question of Faith,” Los Angeles Times, 1/28/92, section EL, p 8).  The record shows that Bob Jones also has a long history of issuing false prophecies.

Paul Cain —  He’s honored as the supreme “Seer and Prophet” among his peers, a “Super Prophet.”  How  strange though (and a sad testimony to their corporate “seer” skills) that none discerned him as an alcoholic and practicing homosexual.  Check it out.   He’s a card-carrying false prophet whose primary teachings center about his vision of an end-time “Joel’s Army.”

Other “flea carriers” are the likes of John Arnott of the infamous “Toronto Blessing;” Steve Hill and John Kilpatrick of Pensacola’s ungodly “outpouring,” Rodney Howard Browne (Holy Spirit bartender).  Stephen Strader of Ignited Church; Rick Joyner of Morning Star Ministries; Peter Wagner, champion of the “Third Wave;” Steve Schultz of Elijah List Ministries; Benny Hinn who still worships at Kuhlman’s grave; Randy Clarke, Mike Bickle, God TV, etc.  All have at least two wheels in the ditch of doctrinally deceit or are entirely mired in the foggy bog of unbelief.  Check them out and decide for yourself if what’s going on in Lakeland is of God.

The subject is no more fun to research and report than it is to read.  But, each has a responsibility to the Lord, the Church, our loved ones, the unsaved and selves, to know and beware of false teachers in our midst.  [Jesus] said, "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them" — Lk 21:8.  "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind" — 1Co 6:9.  "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" — Ga 6:7.

Dear one, we ARE living in those deceitful days foretold by Jesus.  Not all who say “Lord, Lord” are of Him; not every church gathering is of the Spirit and not every miracle is of God.  Besides, miracles are NOT the litmus test of Scriptural authenticity: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" — 2Pe 1:19.  Amen!

ABOUT US:  Founded in 1993, Hallelujah Living Ministries is a donation-based, non-denominational Christian outreach to uplift, inform and challenge followers of Jesus Christ.  For more information or a copy of our always-free print newsletter, please include a  postal mail address along with your comments and prayer requests. Thank you for visiting  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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