A Complicated Thought Pattern

A popular subject in my life recently has been Todd Bentley and the revival in Florida. Although I must admit that I have not personally encountered or studied this topic, I have engaged in many a debate surrounding these subjects.

From what I know, The Lord spoke to him in a vision saying, worship the healing angel, Emma. Many miraculous signs and wonders have surrounded his ministry. He is engaged in the charismatic supernatural gifts. He has called down angels by the inclination of the Holy Spirit.

I see many problems with this "revival."

God says in His word:
"Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through it's joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God." -Colossians 2:18, 19

"But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed." -Galatians 1:8

"For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light?"
-2 Cor 11:13-14

God never goes against His word. Anything that is of Him and from Him will be congruent with His Word. Clearly, He says that angel worship is not acceptable.

He also says:
"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give miraculous signs and wonders in order to seduce, if possible, even the elect." -Mark 13:22

The purpose of signs and wonders is to confirm the Word of the gospel, that people might believe in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:20, 2 Thesselonians ch 2). The purpose is not for our own selfish gain, but for the glory of Christ. The Holy Spirit always points to Christ.

The most important thing:
His Word.

God values His Word, even above His name. Which significance we cannot fully understand. In our American culture, we flagrantly use the name of God to our pleasing, but we cannot understand the sanctity of His name, that the Jews (who God entrusted with His name) would not even say His name for fear of using it in vain. His name is highly exalted. When He made a covenant with Abraham, He could swear by no one greater, so He swore by His own name. His name is the name above every name. It is significant to note that He magnifies His Word even above His name.

The Word is God's heart. It is his special revelation to us. Everything we need (for life and godliness) is found therein. The Word is our foundation. Jesus is the Word become flesh (as Jesus is our rock and our foundation). The Word always reveals Jesus. It always inspires us into a deeper relationship with Him.

"I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth's sake; for You have magnified Your Word above all Your name." -Psalm 138:2

"And He had been clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." -Revelation 19:13

" For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself (His own name), " Hebrews 6:13

The bottom line is this: anything that goes against God's word, even a little, is not of Him, no matter how appealing it seems, no matter how many people have experiences that feel like they are from God, no matter how many signs and wonders, no matter how convincing.
If it goes against God's Word, throw it out.

A Simply Touching Story

"Many years ago, while watching TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a Church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years.He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the Church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age.

After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait,to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind, he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak.

'When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50 or so years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me...... the only thing that would comfort was this verse.....
'Jesus loves me this I know.For the Bible tells me so.Little ones to him belong,We are weak but he is strong.....Yes, Jesus loves me...The Bible tells me so.'
When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his footsteps as he shuffled back to his chair. "


We often forget the simple truth. We like to make things complicated. We like to dance around conversations that are too great for us to understand, yet the simple truth remains...
"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." If we could just grasp that simple truth and live to love Him back, then maybe our lives would be much more productive for His glory and much less complicated and filled of our own.