Hungry For God

Monday, May 05, 2008

Todd Bentley/Florida Outpouring/Healings

Anyone heard of this? I just happened to be flipping channels and caught it on GodTV. Um...can I just say how humiliating it was to watch someone knocking people down in the name of Jesus? Screaming "Fire" and BABABABABA ( I am familiar with tongues), and then shoving people hard! He wasn't even really saying anything about Jesus anyway. The folks at the revival were clambering up to the front to touch this guy as if he were God himself, and he was sucking it all in like a superhero. Now, I suppose that God can work here..He can do anything He wants to and however He wants, and maybe there are some legitimate healings taking place. And then again...maybe it's all just theatrics. He was even trying to knock down the security guards who were trying to control the crowd, and then I saw a man and a woman who were "giving the fire" from up on stage...they were almost fighting with each other to get to the next person to hit. Completely ridiculous...hillarious, insane, and a downright incredible performance if you ask me.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this or has an opinion...because, well, we're not moving in 2 days and homeless and not packed or anything....so I have all of the time in the world to blog and read! ;)

15 Comments:

  • At 7:48 PM, Blogger One Voice of Many said…

    My husband has gotten into a heated debate on this on another message board. His skepticism of the events being true and real have upset quite a few feathers.

    I agree - the whole thing is upsetting. It's a huge show and the guy actually uses textbook methods of persuasiveness that Darrin Browne uses. This video shows how he manipulates people with suggestion; touching them at key moments, using the same gestures at key moments - all of them culminating in the person coming away feeling like they've had a real experience.

    Our minds are amazingly complex and frightening predictable!

    Michelle

     
  • At 2:42 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I haven't seen anything about this myself, so I can't really give a first-hand opinion, but my friend Shelley does know someone who was healed at one of these meetings. You can read about it on her blog. http://www.shelleypaulson.com/blog/?p=271

    I know that there were a lot of objections when the Toronto Blessing and Brownsville revival hit back in the 90's. People were so upset by what was taking place. I have no doubt that God was moving in both of those places and that lives were being touched. I also have no doubt that some people were doing things in the name of God that were not of Him at all. One thing we can know for sure is that whenever humans are involved things get really messy. I can't remember who said this, but someone once said that sometimes God offends the mind to reveal the heart.

    Whether this is happening in the Florida Outpouring, I don't know. What I do know is that "wisdom will be justified by her children", meaning that this outpouring will be revealed for what it is by the fruit that it produces.

     
  • At 11:20 AM, Blogger Ruth said…

    I was just reading a funny post about Tod Bently at
    Stuff Christians Like.

    I personaly don't know what to make of him. His home ministry is very near where I live and I have always been curious to go to one of the "tent revival meetings". I was getting their emails for a while and the teaching was pretty good. It got rather other wordly after a while and wasn't relevant to where I'm at so I stopped reading them.

     
  • At 2:10 PM, Blogger KariBryant said…

    Thanks Ruth - interesting conversation over there! I had heard of the Wigglesworth baby kicking, but not the Todd Bentley face kicking. I'm not even sure I believe the baby kicking thing...who knows. I do believe that God can do whatever HE wants to do despite our crazy methods. I am definitely not used to this kind of thing and it does make me uncomfortable. I've read mixed reviews. Some have been completely creeped out and some have felt genuinely moved - both coming from similar religious back grounds, so I guess if God's in it for you then He's in it.

    2 Sundays ago we had a little old lady stand up and tell us about her grand daughter who was born with congenital heart defects - several of them, and she was waiting for a transplant. I've actually met her, though I dont' know her. We've taken them meals before after surgeries, etc...so I do know that she was (yes, was) genuinely sick. Anyway, her grandmother announced in the service that at her last MD visit the doctor ran whatever kind of scan/test/whatever and then looked really puzzled...then he did it again, and told her that she was completely normal. That there was nothing wrong with her heart.

    This is the closest thing I've experienced as far as a healing goes...physical healing, I mean. Because God is constantly doing his own emotional healing in me. This I HAVE experienced.

    I think I must have just caught the disgusting part of Bentley's show.

    Amy - I will check out Shelley's blog. I couldn't get there today for some reason on my computer. I think she's linked on your blog though. I would definitely appreciate her perspective! :)

     
  • At 12:47 PM, Blogger Ruth said…

    I love to here real stories from real people of healings - either physical or inner heart transformation.

    My sister's pastor in Tacomma was healed of Lou Gherigs disease. It was amazing when he walked into church one morning after the congregation had gathered around him for prayer. He went to his son's ball game later that day when previously he had been bed ridden.

     
  • At 7:00 PM, Blogger Nate said…

    Never heard of the guy. If he were real, neither would you.

     
  • At 4:10 AM, Blogger One Voice of Many said…

    I watched some of him last night online. At first, I didn't feel anything. By the end of the video I felt complete disdain for him.
    I'm sorry - I know some people are hoping he's showing a real manifestation of God but I've seen so many of these things. People get all worked up in an emotional group-think frenzy, have a grand old time, go home thinking they've been "to the mountaintop". Three weeks later they're as depressed as they were prior to the event.

    His rhetoric and behavior is as empty as I've ever encountered.
    Having tatoos and piercings doesn't make you any more authentic than the evangelistic hairstyle makes your righteous.

     
  • At 6:40 AM, Blogger One Voice of Many said…

    Kari -
    On an unrelated topic...
    I've tagged you for a meme :-)

    HERE

    Back to this topic - my husband, still debating this topic hotly on the ooze has been challenged for us to go down to this event, check it out in person, and report back. The people on the ooze have actually set up a paypal account, made donations, and are paying for us to drive down (it's only about 4 hours from our home). We're going to go for next Wed night's service. This should prove to be quite interesting. ;-)

    Michelle

     
  • At 12:34 PM, Blogger Ruth said…

    Michelle - I would love to hear your take on it when you come back.

     
  • At 6:12 PM, Blogger One Voice of Many said…

    Ruth -
    I'll share my experience with the class, for sure. ;-) Part of Mike's challenge is to provide an investigative report back to the contributors on the ooze so I'll link to his article when it's completed as well.
    I'm more interested in seeing his reaction and take on it all than mine. I don't believe the events are genuine but I also don't care. I mean, not care, in the sense that I feel the need to find out the truth behind it. I'm still in the "it is what it is mode". But I'm tagging along with him so ... we'll see.

    Michelle

     
  • At 7:09 AM, Blogger KariBryant said…

    Hi Everyone...we are in the middle of our homeless adventure. Sorry I have been MIA, but we are now in Texas...Luke is in Cincinnati, he has started his new position, and things seem to be going well. The kids are sick, and it definitely was a challenge getting both of them on and off of an airplane by myself, but we are all surviving. I probably won't be participating in the conversation for a little while due to the chaos. Michelle, I promise to complete your "Meme" as soon as I have a few minutes!! Thanks so much for including me :)
    kari

     
  • At 10:31 AM, Blogger One Voice of Many said…

    holy cow -- I should wear a button on my shirt that says "Ask me about Todd Bentley".

    Long story short: save your gas money.
    I'll post more with details and my reasons why I say this soon. I went with an open mind and actually some hope that it would all be very real. Please no one say I'm lacking faith. Once you've been to the puppet show and learned where the strings are, you can spot them anywhere! I saw them EVERYWHERE.

    I'm not saying God CAN'T do whatever He wants. But Todd Bentley being the next big move of God? Not a chance.

     
  • At 7:06 AM, Blogger One Voice of Many said…

    I've finally gotten around to posting a link to my husband's article about our experience if anyone wants to jump over and read it.

    It's HERE

    Michelle

     
  • At 2:05 PM, Blogger KariBryant said…

    Thanks Michelle, I've been waiting for this!

     
  • At 12:49 AM, Blogger Amy said…

    I wish that I could watch and see it for myself but I'm stuck in India with crappy internet that doesn't allow me to watch any video streaming online. However, I think it's a little bold to say 'not a chance' is this a move of God ... who are we to presume that we know exactly how God will move and not move?

    I personally know people who have attended these services and say that they were uncomfortable at first, but chose not to sit in the seat of the scoffer and by night 3 or 4 had no doubt that this was a move of God.

    I know people who have watched on TV and said at first they were offended by Todd's style, and brought it to the Lord and asked Him whether or not this is of Him. His style is not the preferred style of "ministering". I agree.

    Forget the person of Todd Bentley. He's an imperfect man (just like everyone else). What's the fruit? Are people getting saved? Are people being healed? Is God being glorified?

    If this is not a move of God, He will show this for what it is...

     

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