Latest Alert on Lakeland
Here is the latest Lakeland Alert posted on Moriel Ministries (moriel.org):
Let Us Reason Ministries Alert On Lakeland
by Mike OppenheimerBecause a large portion of Pentecostals and Charismatics hold to Latter Rain doctrines and practices it is no surprise another revival has sprung up and is quickly accepted- this time in Lakeland Florida.
Recently meetings have been taking place in Lakeland Florida by a new name breaking forth on the on the Signs and wonders scene: Todd Bentley of “Fresh Fire ministries International: Apostolic Network.” Maybe you have never heard of him but he is fast becoming a “household name” in the church. Bentley is called a Canadian evangelist from Abbotsford, BC, Canada. He and his team have been traveling all over the world holding healing/miracle meetings for years.
Since the beginning of April Bentley has been conducting “healing meetings” in Lakeland at the sanctuary of host pastor Stephen Strader’s Ignited Church. Steven Strader is the son of Karl Strader, former pastor of Carpenter’s Home Church that launched Rodney Howard Browne’s ministry of passing fire and contagious laughter as the anointing. TBN broadcasted its services, and the church was introduced to this kind of preaching and behavior as revival.
In the mid 90’s when the laughter was at its peak through Rodney Howard Browne, my pastor then said that it would die out like all trends or fads. I had studied the Latter Rain movement, since the end of the 80’s it was growing. I identified this as the resurgence of that movement. My response was that it would not fade but continue to grow and spread. Indeed it has, and it is here to stay. The laughter movement has not gone away, it continues abroad, though diminished in contrast to newer manifestations. The movement has had a metamorphosis, going to Toronto, to Brownsville, and now, all the elements that were found in these former revival meetings, and more, are found in Bentleys services at Lakeland.
This why our ministry has spent the last several weeks in an intensive scrutiny of what is taking place, watching the videos which are numerous in number, reading the reports, reading his sermons and looking at the blogs. What is being claimed is staggering, from people being raised from the dead to seeing through glass eyes…
The rest of this alert can be read here:
http://www.moriel.org/articles/discernment/church_issues/let_us_reason_alert_lakeland.htm
*Other related articles from Let Us Reason regarding the teachings of this current ‘revival’:
Does the Bible teach that angels visit us? can see them or summon them?
http://www.letusreason.org/Biblexp101.htm
Is there such a thing as a Baptism of fire besides the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
http://www.letusreason.org/Biblexp98.htm
Charismatic Gold Phenomena
Isn’t it interesting that gold seems to follow charismatic ‘revivals’ and their leaders? The following quote is from Todd Bentley:
“She (Emma) glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people. “God, what is happening?” I asked. The Lord answered: “She is releasing the gold, which is both the revelation and the financial breakthrough that I am bringing into this church. I want you to prophecy that Emma showed up in this service-the same angel that appeared in Kansas city-as a sign that I am endorsing and releasing a prophetic spirit in the church.”
– Angelic Hosts, Todd Bentley
http://www.etpv.org/2003/angho.html
Here are some more excerpts regarding gold dust and gold teeth from Apologetics Index::
Diamond dust manifestations of God’s presence have appeared in meetings led by Evangelists Todd Bentley in Canada and Ian Turton in Australia. There have been other places where they have appeared also, but it seems that they are not as commonplace as the gold dust and gold dental miracles. According to Todd, they look like fine sparkly ” ground glass”, reflecting light in beautiful colors.
– Source: Message posted on the pro-Toronto Blessing New Wine mailing list (item on file), Feb. 16, 2000
After worship and after some people having experiencing a mist and a dew Gold dust began to appear on evangelist Todd Bentleys hands. “Look, theres gold” he shouted.Soon others began to see gold on there hands and faces.
It wasn’t long and he began to pray for people who needed fillings. Seven people received Gold teeth last night.
One lady was standing at the front and while waiting to be prayed for received five gold teeth in a row. Not just filled, but buldging with Gold.
-Source: Message posted on the pro-Toronto Blessing New Wine mailing list (item on file), March 22, 1999
-Todd Bentley/Freshfire Ministries http://www.apologeticsindex.org/681-todd-bentley-fresh-fire-ministries
It’s not just gold that is appearing…as you can see, there is oil and gems as well. You can watch various videos about Todd Bentley & friends, oil of anointing and Gold Teeth here:
Florida Outpouring – Gold teeth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxdwKkCiI4ELakeland- Rob Deluca on Jesus the Great Dentist:
A new Gold Tooth!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6puNw6YX29QTodd Bentley in “Smell My Hands”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezbTMXIfMx0(longer version here):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVqfZ6xJhABut the most bizarre video of them all has to be Patricia King on gold dust:
What is all this about? Does God sprinkle gold on us to show us He loves us? Are gold fillings and gold dust a sign and wonder from God? What about hands dripping with oil? Is that any different from the stigmata or tears dripping from statues which Catholics flock to?
The following is an excerpt from an article (from intotruth.org) about the significance of gold in the spiritual realm…
Alchemy
The most significant meaning for gold is of course in the realm of alchemy, and most people know that the aim of alchemy was to transmute base metals into gold. Although this was actually attempted as a chemical process, the real meaning behind alchemy was a spiritual transformation of flesh into divinity.
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961) wrote some of his major works on alchemy, putting forward a psychological interpretation. He saw it as a method of self transformation whereby the alchemist unites the opposite elements within himself (e.g., male/female; conscious/unconscious) and attains completeness as a human being. To mystics and occultists alchemy is a spiritual discipline, whereby a person transmutes the base elements of the personality into “spiritual gold”. To the Adept this is a powerful process of transformation that unlocks the keys of magical power and of immortality.
[…]
It is the goal of the New Age to lift mankind into a new vibration, to awaken people to “christ-consciousness” within; this involves a luciferic initiation in which the mind is changed from the old paradigm to the new one and the enlightened one then sees mankind as one united entity joined to a living planet that must evolve into a higher spiritual dimension.
Those who undergo the transformation understand that they have divine capabilities and begin to train themselves to use their new-found powers. Eventually they believe they will transform the planet itself, and become spiritual beings ruling on a higher plane.
All this is symbolised by the GOLD of the highest spiritual attainment. A disciple of the new age would have no difficulty in interpreting the recent events in churches!
[…]
PROGRESSIVE ERROR
Finally, what is the danger to ordinary Christians in these signs and wonders? It is that, once you show willing to accept these things, your mind will open to ever more bizarre occurrences and lead you into paths that you would otherwise have shunned.
Nobody is led astray all at once. Satan knows that no Christian or church-goer would accept a talking statue, fire from heaven or a counterfeit christ without mental preparation. First the nursery slopes.
But now that so many in the Church have been warned “don’t analyse”, “simply accept” and “you must not put God in a box” they are willing to accept ANYTHING, however nonsensical.
They are not worried if a blue cloud hovers in the meeting-room, or if a woman shakes gold dust out of her hair. They gaze in wonder if oil drips from somebody’s hands, (and presumably would be just as awestruck by the kind of visible stigmata that Catholics have long known about?)…
Sound familiar? Please read the complete article here:
Gold Dust and Gold Teeth
http://intotruth.org/tb/gold.html
Also at this website is a related article called Marian Apparitions and Gold – Identical Signs (http://intotruth.org/tb/marygold.htm) which links reports of Catholic apparitions to the gold dust and fillings seen in today’s charismatic revival meetings:
“These reports only serve to prove that objects transformed to gold (whether rosaries or teeth!), and gold dust sprinklings are no new phenomenon and are not as uncommon as charismatics like to think. Furthermore, the most usual place to witness these “miracles” is at a Marian Shrine.”
This makes one wonder if there is any relationship between Todd Bentley’s gold dust/teeth phenomena and the Catholic charismatic mass and home group he attended as a new believer. Whether it has something to do with Catholicism, the New Age, occultic initiation, or just a hoax, there is no doubt that this phenomena is not from God and is something to be very careful of.
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