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"Take
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Cecil Andrews, 29 Edengrove Park, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AZ, Northern Ireland Telephone/Fax 028 9756 5511. E-MAIL - takeheed@aol.com WEBSITE - http://www.takeheed.net Quick Links - Home - Assorted Articles - Audio/Video - Ministry Newsletters - Words of Wisdom |
Todd Bentley remarries and re-launches
Last year as a ministry we spent much time and energy reporting on and exposing the fraudulent so called ‘Miracle Healing Crusades’ conducted by Todd Bentley in Lakeland in Florida and I don’t plan to revisit those God-dishonouring events in this article – a search of our website and those of other faithful watchmen ministries will yield all the information necessary to discover the devilish nature of events in Lakeland. The ‘Miracle Healing Crusade’ came to a shuddering halt when it was discovered that Todd Bentley had ‘entered into an unhealthy relationship on an emotional level with a female member of his staff’ – at least that’s how the board of Mr Bentley’s then ‘Fresh Fire Ministries’ initially put out the story – subsequent revelations showed how very wide of the mark this first statement was.
Considering these revelations only came out in the middle of August 2008 Mr Bentley hasn’t wasted any time in firstly divorcing his wife Shonnah and then secondly marrying the lady with whom he committed adultery. He has gone through a token period of ‘rehab’ or ‘restoration’, call it what you like, and is now planning to re-launch himself with the help in particular of one of his ‘counsellors’ Rick Joyner under ’Fresh Fire USA’, Fort Mill, South Carolina – where his ‘counsellor’ is based.
These links might be helpful in understanding firstly the background to this particular situation as it unfolded last year and then as it has been reported in recent times -
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/10/the-faith-heale.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja21PK8MRak
This is how Rick Joyner has announced these new plans on
his own ministry website on
[Cecil - I have
added my own comments in red]
Todd Bentley was used to spark the Lakeland Outpouring, which
raised the faith level of much of the body of Christ. [This is a sheer
delusional re-writing of history – any true Christian with a modicum of
discernment realised that this ‘outpouring’ was not of God but was from a much
darker and more sinister source] Testimonies of
healings and miracles from it are now virtually all over the world. [Many of the so-called
‘testimonies’ are to the effect that nothing of a healing nature took place and
in relation to all the so-called claimed ‘resurrections from the dead’ – not
one has ever been substantiated] When Todd’s marriage failed, he abruptly stopped all ministry and
virtually disappeared for almost nine months. In the meantime, his divorce was
finalized and he has recently remarried. [God’s word teaches that a guilty adulterer who
divorces and remarries is continuing to live in a sinful adulterous state – it
was biblically legitimate for Shonnah to be divorced from her adulterous
husband but anyone who then marries the ‘guilty party’, in this case Todd
Bentley, according to scripture has entered into an adulterous relationship –
see Matthew 5:32 and Matthew 19:9 – John MacArthur in his notes on 19:9 writes
‘Jesus includes the “exception clause” clearly permitting the innocent party in
such a divorce to remarry without incurring the stigma of one who ‘commits
adultery’]
Todd has taken full responsibility for the failure of his marriage. He and
Jessa also admit that their relationship was premature and should not have
happened the way it did [only ‘premature’? – it should never ever have been allowed
to happen if wedding vows are to mean anything at all and God tells His
children to ‘let your yea be yea etc’ (Matthew 5:37) - Todd Bentley, a
so-called ‘man of God’, shredded his marriage vows to satisfy his own selfish,
sinful desires – in doing so he showed that he is not qualified for the office
of ‘elder’ according to God’s standards as set out in 1st Timothy 3
– yes of course there can be genuine repentance and restoration of fellowship
with God for those who fall and sin in such a manner but there can be no
restoration to office – there is the state of being a “castaway” that Paul
referred to in 1st Corinthians 9:27 and that is mentioned in the
specific context of someone not being able to “keep under their body and
bring it into subjection” – John MacArthur in his notes writes ‘Paul may be
especially referring to such fleshly sins that disqualify a man from preaching
and leading the church, particularly being blameless and above reproach in the
sexual area, since such a sin is a disqualification’ and Pastor MacArthur then cross-references
this with notes on Psalm 101:6; Proverbs 6:33; 1st Timothy 3:2 and
Titus 1:6]. Both are adamant that it was not the cause
for the failure of his first marriage, nor did they begin their relationship
until Todd was convinced that his marriage was over. They have both expressed
that it was wrong and premature. They do not want to try and cover this up even
though they know many will never accept them for it. Even so, they are married
now and are resolved to make the most of their marriage, their lives, and to
continue to serve the Lord in the best way that they can. [The ‘best way’ for them
to supposedly ‘serve the Lord’ would be to recognise that Todd is now a
disqualified “castaway” where his desire for public ministry is concerned]
My position all along has been that I will do my best to
comply with Galatians 6:1, “If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are
spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself
lest you also be tempted” (NKJV). To obey this Word, I have always felt that it
did not matter what one had done, and that it was my responsibility to help
them find the grace of God to return to the place from which they had fallen. I
confess that with Todd, I am not just doing this as a duty. From the time I
first met him nearly ten years ago, I knew that he had an extraordinary purpose
and a gift of faith for the miraculous that would be desperately needed in
these times [I defy any true and faithful believer to agree with this statement
in the light of for instance the horrendous and ridiculous claims made in
‘public ministry’ by Todd Bentley that whilst he was at a meeting being held by
another of his ‘counsellors’, Bill Johnson he was basically ‘beamed up’ into
heaven to undergo stomach ‘surgery’ to enable him then to impart God’s ‘truth’
– this can be viewed on http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/3399535/] . I consider helping any
of God’s children an honor, and helping Todd is a privilege.
I also confess to some selfish ambition in
wanting to do this. I had a dream two decades ago in which one of my children
had fallen into a sewage ditch and could not get up. My child was being scorned
and no one would help him. A man came along who helped my child get up and then
cleaned up. In that dream, I felt as if I would give everything that I owned to
this man who helped my child. Then I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Jim Bakker
is My child. Will you help him?” Since that time, I have been devoted to
helping any of God’s children that I could who have committed any trespass,
because I knew there were few other things that would bring the Father’s favor.
I consider this willingness to at least try to help others this way a major
reason for the extraordinary favor that our ministry, my family, and I have
received. I love Todd and am glad to help him, but I also know by doing this, I
will be doing something that means a great deal to our Father.
When we release someone to minister in the body of Christ,
we are releasing him or her to minister to God’s own children, and I personally
do not do that with anyone who I would not allow to minister to my own family.
For all that was done through Todd, and especially at
Jack Deere and Bill Johnson have agreed to be a part of
Todd’s restoration process. I asked them to be a part because I know they will
probably see things I don’t, but also because both Todd and I trust them and
know they would not sign off on something they did not really believe in.
However, both of them are going to be involved in this at a distance, and
therefore, I will be the main person responsible.
Being a believer in body ministry, I expect our
whole leadership team, and to some degree, our whole local church, to be
involved in helping Todd and Jessa. Our staff and all from the church that I
have discussed this with are very happy about them being here and want to help
them in any way that they can.
In future Bulletins, we will go into more detail about what
we’re doing and why, as well as what we think was a cause of some of the
failures Todd experienced [Look no further than Matthew 15:18-20 – Todd Bentley needs
a spiritual ‘heart transplant’ - am I being presumptuous in saying this – not
in the light of the Lord’s words in Matthew 7: 16 & 20 – God’s discerning
people “shall know” (be able to positively recognise) “false prophets who come
in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves” – that means they are not
saved and are not part of the Lord’s sheep] . We will only
do this for the sake of helping others avoid the same traps. We know that trust
has to be earned and that Todd will have to earn the trust of the body of
Christ for future ministry, [God does not sanction any such ‘future ministry’ for such
‘castaways’] which will not be easy, nor should it be.
Todd, more than most, does not want to jump back into ministry prematurely,
even as much as he misses it in some ways.
I for one have been very encouraged by the expressions of
grace and genuine concern so many have expressed toward Todd in this situation.
It gives me great hope. As we have been constantly reminded, the Lord had great
patience with sinners, but He had none for the self-righteous. [Those who will publicly
proclaim that Todd Bentley is now debarred from any future public ministry (not
that he can’t be forgiven) are going to be classed as ‘self-righteous’ and not
faithful teachers of what God’s Word says on this subject] We’re all here because He had mercy on us, [that’s true but with
such mercy and privilege comes responsibility and those in leadership forfeit
any right to public preaching or elder role in certain circumstances that are
clearly laid out clearly in God’s Word and that is the situation now where Todd
Bentley is concerned] and we know we still need it. However,
we also know that true repentance and restoration [of ‘relationship with
God’ – not of ‘role for God’] can only come if we
refuse to compromise the clear biblical standards for morality and
integrity.
Todd wanted to personally say
the following:
It has been a long while since I have spoken publicly and openly. I am sorry
for the hurt and confusion that my decisions have caused the body of Christ. It
has
been a true season of brokenness, hiddenness, and a long process of grieving.
As many of you now know, my
previous marriage has endured years of unresolved conflicts. I apologize that
it has ended in divorce, and I take full responsibility for my part for the
ending of the marriage. I realize that my silence and decisions have caused
many of you to feel hurt, confused, and offended. The reason for the silence
was for my need of healing, creating a restoration process under a team of
qualified leaders, much needed rest after the Lakeland Outpouring, repentance,
and the divorce process.
I have now relocated to
.
Thank you friends and partners for your continued prayers,
encouragement, and love. I am committed to the work of the Holy Spirit and
confident that the good men around me will help me be restored first as a man,
as a husband, and ultimately to fulfill God's call on my life. [I am struck firstly by
the total absence of any expression of contrition or regret for the shame he
brought upon the name and glory and honour of God and then secondly by the
absence of any expression of regret for the hurt inflicted upon Shonnah and the
children and his failure to recognise that in the light of the clear teaching
of scripture he is still (despite this recent marriage) in an adulterous
situation and that there can be no ‘call’ to future public ministry]
Those of you who were touched by the Lakeland Outpouring do not
lose your encouragement. What happened there was from God, and Todd is a true
servant of God. [Examined under the spotlight of scripture these statements are just
plain wrong] He has made some mistakes, and he is trying to
get his life back in order, and you can be confident that he will. Throughout
the Bible, many of the greatest heroes in it also made some of the worst
mistakes. King David, possibly the greatest hero in the Bible after Jesus, made
one of the most horrible mistakes, not only committing adultery, but murdering
the husband of the woman he committed it with. God knew that was going to
happen with David when He called him, and He loved David before, during, and
afterward.
One of the remarkable events in the Bible is that the Lord
then used Bathsheba to bring forth the heir to the throne, Solomon, and she is
part of the genealogy of Jesus. [There is no doubt David committed some very grievous sins
demonstrating that even the ‘highest in the land – a King’ can fall foul of
Satan’s snares and temptations and our omniscient God used, but clearly would
never have approved of, the ‘fruit’ of that sin for His own eternally decreed
purposes – However the difference between David and Todd Bentley comes down to
a matter already referred to earlier – the matter of ‘the heart’ – David is
referred to as someone who “walked in integrity of heart” (1st Kings
9:4 – this does not mean he never sinned but it was not an ongoing pattern of
life for him and there was clear evidence of subsequent genuine, Holy Spirit
inspired contrition and repentance on his part as expressed in Psalms 32 &
51) and when both the public teaching and personal living of Todd Bentley over
many years are examined in the light of God’s truth they expose someone who has
not “walked in integrity of heart”] It still stretches me, but we need stretching in the grace of God.
At the same time, we must balance it with how God hates divorce, and it is one
of the scourges of our times that is tragically hurting many, many people.
Marriage is under such an assault now because it is so important. However,
legalism will not overcome lawlessness. This situation and similar ones that
almost every church and family are now being faced with is one that we need
answers for. We cannot run from Him, but must run to Him with our need.
Many of Todd’s friends and former partners have asked if and
how they might help to rebuild and establish Fresh Fire USA, [I am reminded by these
expressions of the words of Joshua 6:26 “Cursed be the man before the Lord who
riseth up and buildeth this city, Jericho” – in August 2008 the ‘walls’ of
Fresh Fire Ministries collapsed according to the Sovereign permissive will of
God and any attempt to rebuild them will I believe have the ‘curse’ OF God
resting on them] which has recently relocated from
Abbotsford, BC Canada and is now based at Heritage International Ministries in
Fort Mill, SC. Donations can now be made to Fresh Fire USA at the following
address:
Fresh Fire USA
C/O MorningStar Fellowship Church
375 Star Light Dr.
Fort Mill, SC 29715
Make checks out to Fresh Fire USA, or if you would like to donate by credit
card to help in rebuilding Fresh Fire USA, call 1-800-542-0278, and tell the
operator that you want to make a donation to Fresh Fire USA.
This new ‘ministry’ will only get off the ground if people are gullible and undiscerning enough to give it support – may the Lord reign supreme and prevent any repetition of the dishonour brought in the past to His name by Todd Bentley.
Cecil Andrews – ‘Take Heed’
Ministries