In case some of you haven’t heard, there’s a “revival” going on in Lakeland, Florida. It’s led by “man of God” Todd Bentley who does “miracle healings”.
Yes, I put those things in quotes because I have serious doubts about what’s going on there. Here’s generally what’s been happening all over the interwebs:
Bentley Believer:
You should see the amazing move of God in Florida! It’s an incredible revival! God is using Todd Bentley to do some amazing things!
Skeptical Brother in Christ:
Really?
Bentley Believer:
Oh, yeah! People are being saved all over town, people are being healed, the anointing is all over the place, people are being raised from the dead, amputees are being healed, and a guy with a glass eye can suddenly see with it.
Skeptical Brother in Christ:
Really?
Bentley Believer:
Totally! I’m going to take a trip down and there and be part of it. I don’t want to miss what God is doing, and I want to be helpful if God can use me there.
Skeptical Brother in Christ:
Really?
Bentley Believer:
Yeah!
Skeptical Brother in Christ:
You know, I have some questions about what’s going on. I saw Todd Bentley on YouTube and GodTube and HealingEvangelistTube and am concerned about what I saw. He seems to say that angels do the healing. He said that God told him to kick an old lady in the face so she could be healed. People report feathers falling from heaven, and gold dust appearing on people. As you can imagine, I’m pretty skeptical when someone says that they’ve raised the dead.
Bentley Believer:
What’s wrong with you? Don’t you want God to move? You just don’t understand God’s miraculous ways. Why would you cut down Todd Bentley, who’s just being used by God to help people?
Skeptical Brother in Christ:
Um…
Bentley Believer:
I’m really disappointed in you. How can a Christian doubt what God can do?
Skeptical Brother in Christ:
Um…
Bentley Believer:
Don’t you want revival? Don’t you want people to be healed?
Skeptical Brother in Christ:
I’m happy that God might be doing incredible things in Florida. I wonder whether other things are going on, though. Do you really think that God would tell Todd Bentley to choke a man until he got healed?
Bentley Believer:
I don’t care what you say. God can do whatever He wants. If it’s not prohibited in Scripture, who’s to say that it’s not from God?
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I’m sure I’ll write more on this later, because it really bothers me that so many Christians are both so gullible and so hungry for anything that looks like the supernatural. A lot of people uncritically accept almost anything – like “holy laughter” and barking like dogs and being slain in the spirit – when it’s accompanied by a gospel presentation.
Yes, I’m happy that some are being saved. I wonder, though, about the thousands who are being taught to accept whatever a supposed ‘man of God’ says. I don’t think we should stop the gospel from being preached simply because someone’s doing something wrong…but I also don’t think we need to accept bad theology and false doctrines and bold-faced lies in the process, either.
What do you think?
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