It’s good to sit back and laugh once in a while.

I guess so

Whereas in the 90’s we called the latest revival the “[your city here] Blessing”, such as the Toronto Blessing, the Brownsville Blessing, now the term “outpouring” is beginning to be popularized due to the overwhelming fascination people have with the Lakeland Outpouring.

Is this going to be the new Charismatic catchphrase?

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/capetownoutpouring
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cumberland-outpouring
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gadsden-outpouring
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kansas-city-outpouring
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/memphis-outpouring
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/revival-fires-dudley-outpouring
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stockton-outpouring

Here goes. I hope it blesses you.

__________________________________________

I sort of cringe in writing this, because the situation with Todd Bentley has put a heaviness on my heart and mind which I have as of yet not been able to shake. I do not feel joy or happiness at the announcement of the news over the past weeks.

I have not been posting on the internet since the news broke. I just wanted to collect my thoughts to myself.

But now I feel ready to speak after watching Bill Johnson’s videos.

May I first say that Grace and I both are saying prayers for Todd & Shonnah Bentley, both as a couple and as individuals, and for their family. It is deeply sorrowful to see people going through a situation like this. Personally, I thought Todd would end up getting tripped up by doctrinal issues or else through religious associations, but not in this way. I never saw this coming.

But we are praying for Todd, Shonnah, and family at this time.

I have been through two major church scandals, both involving “other women”, and the results were tragic for the internal church structure as well as for the families involved.

Personally, I feel sorry for the people coming to the meetings who believed in what Todd was doing there, and who truly received from God through salvation, healing, deliverance, or in whatever other way they received.

For I have seen how people will begin to doubt and question God Himself just because of the choices of the MAN of God.

I have seen the disillusion and disappointment.

It breaks my heart that so many people are impacted by this horrific scandal, and I pray they can be restored, and will not turn to go back into the world.

I think it behooves Bill Johnson and other leaders to take their focus OFF Todd’s critics and to place it ON helping Todd right now. Paul wrote to the Corinthians for the second time, updating about the situation in I Corinthians 5 of the man who slept with his father’s wife:

Quote:
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

- II Corinthians 7:8-12

Paul was saying, that though he made them sorry and made himself sorry over this situation, now he was rejoicing because of the good fruit produced by the proper disciplinary process undertaken, that whereas the Corinthians had shown carnality and permissiveness earlier on, now they were showing signs of maturity and growth and honor. He was saying that the godly sorrow [not the sorrow of the world which leads to condemnation and death] was working carefulness, indignation, fear, vehement desire, zeal, and revenge [against Satan], and that now they had shown themselves to be in the right place spiritually.

Having gone through both church scandals, I take note that there must be a graveness of heart to deal with matters of gravity. It seems like we should not focus on people who criticized Todd Bentley at this time, but should focus on Todd himself, and what we are now going to do.

The leaders [Arnott, Johnson, Ahn, Wagner, others] ought at this time to be extremely looking to help Todd Bentley, to the exclusion of any other focus.

The truth is that we are in the mess we are in, not because of Todd’s critics, but because of Todd’s choices.

Discipline is not fun.

It is not about trying to wear loyalty as a badge in the face of opposition; the fact that you are willing to discipline someone shows the loyalty itself without you having to broadcast it.

It is not about trying to silence critics. The refiner’s fire is a serious way of dealing with a serious matter.

When David had sinned against God, Nathan came to him and said “because you have given occasion of the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, you will be punished.” Nothing was said to David about the Lord silencing or dealing with the critics, because the prophet knew that if David had done what was right in God’s sight, they wouldn’t have been in that trouble to begin with. Nathan said to David, “THOU art the man.” He didn’t say “what about everybody else?”

I know that it my own personal time of repentance in different times of my life, the very last thing on my mind was who was criticizing me. I was swallowed up so much by the knowledge of my own disobedience and guilt, that nothing anyone thought of me was anywhere near the forefront of my mind.

May I also say about Todd’s critics, it takes prophetic courage to stand against evil and to be angry against sin; anyone can be a cheerleader and an encourager in the name of “grace”.

Todd needs grace right now, because the fight is hard, but the truth is also hard that Todd brought this hard fight upon himself.

The example used by Bill Johnson about Uriah, and the soldiers backing out, and Uriah being left to fight the enemies, is an incorrect use of Scripture. Uriah was innocent. His fight was not his fault. If there is anyone in that story who Todd fits into the shoes of, it is David, not Uriah. David caused his own problems.

I don’t hate Todd Bentley. I will do everything I can to help him at this time, by praying for him and hoping that he can will regain his family and his ministry.

The true victims here are Shonnah, the Bentley children, and the body of Christ.

The greatest tragedy is NOTHING that would happen to Todd from his critics, but the greatest tragedy would be if he were to lose his wife and his children, if they are not able to reconcile. The heartache felt for decades to come by the betrayal would affect those children and his wife forever.

I hope Todd can get back together with his family, and enjoy his place of “daddy” and “husband” once again.

I hope that he can be restored to ministering to people in public, with a repentance and renewed focus to do what is right. I hope this time is productive for him, that he doesn’t give in to depression or to fear, and I hope he will arise and shine, as he is cleansed and purified in God’s presence.

I truly am praying for him.

I truly hope for his restoral, if only to his family.

But quickly saying “forgive” and “grace”, and feeling like everything is all okay now, does a great disservice to the repentance and restoration process.

David was great, and had a great comeback, all because he truly knew what it meant to be right before God, knew how to repent, and felt the effects of his own disobedience.

And Todd can be great [and make a comeback] for all those reasons, too.

I hope he finds it within himself to do so.