Todd Bentley’s divorce and ministry: Who is responsible?
I confess I’m a little late in following the news surrounding Todd Bentley. My curiosity increased after someone told me on the phone that there are churches in Malaysia really "into" this new revival. I’m not sure how this is going to play out… but Maggi’s blog posts here are helpful.
It would be better, in my view, more holy and more loving, to grasp the fact that true religion only begins at a place of brokenness; that there is no such thing as a level of anointing in spirituality that innoculates us from being thoroughly human. As a wise friend of mine used to say, "the ground is level at the foot of the Cross."
Me? I still don’t like Bentley’s religion, and have no reason to defend it. I much prefer being human to being religious. But I’m not going to use his personal situation to flay him with. I started the day with a prayer for him and his family.
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Now I’m no fan of ministers who begin to believe in their own publicity. But I have been in the company of similar proclaimers of prophecy before now, and I’ve seen how quickly people will abandon their proteges and conveniently forget their grand words of prophecy when they don’t cash out. And although it’s true that people are responsible for their own actions, it’s also true that in this case a whole crowd of older people, in whom a great deal of authority and respect is invested, took part in commissioning a young and obviously vulnerable man. I don’t know where they are now. But in the midst of the current web-trashing of Mr Bentley, I hope that the "Apostles" who commissioned him are repenting their extravagant words, and taking genuinely good care of him and his wife and kids.
10 Practical Uses For Psychological Research in Everyday Life (HT: Guy Kawasaki)
A pretty good list.
5 Tips for Telling Better Stories (HT: Keith Ferrazi)
Good reminders.
25 Painless Ways to Free Up an Hour a Day for Your Goals
self-mastery is a life-long training process. It’s more than trying!
DUMC’s Nights of Fire was inspired by the Lakeland Outpouring revival meetings. I will be praying for church friends who might be shaken by this.
Yew Khuen – I got an email this morning on another crushing news of a pastor who’s been exposed for being a fraud. Another damaging news to many. … these are hard times.
So Bentley’s getting a divorce. Yes, God hates divorces, but hey? He’s human too. People fall, due to whatever reasons, that’s why they’re called people, not God. So I don’t think it’s wise to start pointing fingers in finding out “who’s responsible”. It’s not wise to even begin to judge.
Revivals are not something you get “into”. It came from God. You’re making it sound like as if revival’s some new in-thing where people adapt and forget over time. Guess what? It’s not. There’s gonna be more of revivals before your very eyes, and it’ll be a pity to miss it and not be apart of it.
Revivals are not something you call as “Bentley’s Religion” because in the first place, it is not. It’s called a Revival. Period.
You’re a Pastor right? You should know better.
Joanne – thanks for dropping a comment. My response to Todd Bentley is to pray for him and his family during these hard times. My response to us as church leaders is to reexamine ourselves in relation to revival and pastoral accountability. My response to you is thanks for your comment, as for Revival it’s always a mixed bag and can be messy, I’d admit that but after being part of numerous revivals, I think the greatest missing element for many Christians today is the little word “discernment”. Discernment needs honestly and humility. That would make the revival truly long lasting and close to the heart of God.