J. Lee Grady
Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world
to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues
from the beginning?
Really? So what are these credibibilty issues oh great Grady?
J. Lee Grady
From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning
Christians raised questions about Bentleys beliefs and practices.
They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel
room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with
a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover
himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him
describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.
Amazing that all these
discerning christians have to judge on appearances. Lets take a look:
1) He claimed he talked to an angel
I gotta say, I never understood this one from a charismatic. I have never talked to an angel (that I am aware of) but I suspect that I may someday, and I certainly don't see what is wrong with that.
2) He wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it
3) He covered himself with tattoos
Hmmm..... Seems completely outward appearance to me. I have alot of tattoos, and I plan on getting more. My wife loves the skull motiffe, many of her shirts and shoes and even pants have skulls on them. I guess we are heretics too...
4) He tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.
I can see this as a possible concern. However, if God told him to do it, then it is not. How can we possibly judge that? I think that if the person wasn't healed and/or was angry and sued then that would be pretty good evidence that he was acting in the flesh. But if Todd was doing what the Spirit told him to do and the man was healed, I don't get it.
Sounds like what Jesus warned us against:
23If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
-John 7:23-24
J. Lee Grady
But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon,
discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow
and follow. The message was clear: This is God. Dont question.
So, great Grady, we are now stooping to mocking those we disagree with? Why didn't I ever hear anyone say that we need to
swallow and follow? I suppose it would be fair to say then that the so-called discerning christians that were judging on outward appearances were
fudging and judging?
While there may have been
some extremes in the
defense of Todd, I personally have seen
far more extremes in the
judgement of Todd. I do notice that you have failed to mention them in this artical however. You did not mention how many of these discerning christians said that Todd was worshipping angels and teaching others to do so also, and that He thought he was God, and that he was demon possessed.
Is is possible that you didn't mention these things, because
you know that the vast majority of thinking Spirit filled christians understand that thse accusations are pure rubbish, and your intent here is to
mock those that supported Todd, and
support those that are judging him regardless of the facts?
J. Lee Grady
Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles,
signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced
today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of
immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes
us do stupid things. Its way past time for us to grow up.
On this we are in agreement. It is the one issue that I have with the so-called revivals like Lakeland, Brownsville, etc. As a WOF believer, I don't see the neccessity of chasing the annointing around the nation or the World. The annointing abides within me. When I need it I draw on Christ in me, the hope of glory.
J. Lee Grady
Why didnt anyone in Lakeland denounce the favorable comments
Bentley made about William Branham?
This one baffles me. Branham embraced horrible deception near
the end of his ministry... and his strange doctrines are still
embraced by a cultlike following today...
Why didnt anyone correct this error from the pulpit?
What error? You have made favorable comments about David, the apple of Gods eye. Haven't you? Did you find it neccessary to couple your statements with a denouncment of Davids act of murder and adultery? Or did you just assume that people would understand that when you were praising David you were praising the good that he did, and the heart he had from God?
Todd is not a Branhamite. It is quite obvious. He himself said that Branham fell into error towards the end of his ministry. Are you claiming that Branham was NEVER anointed then, and are you willing to judge David the same, and deduce that he was never anointed also?
J. Lee Grady
Godly leaders are supposed to protect the sheep from heresy, not spoon feed deception to them. Only God knows how far this poison traveled
from Lakeland to take root elsewhere. May God forgive us for
allowing His Word to be so flippantly contaminated.
So now it is poison? What is poison oh great Grady? The fact that he said he talked to an angel? Or the fact that he wore a skeleton T-shirt? Or the fact that he has tattoos? Or the fact that he said God gave him the annointing of William Branham?
J. Lee Grady
A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after
Bentleys news hit the fan. He said to me: Im now convinced that
a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ
when he shows up because they have no discernment. Ouch.
Hopefully well learn our lesson this time and apply the necessary
caution when an imposter shows up.
Why did God TV tell people that any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic?
This ridiculous statement was actually made on one of God TVs
pre-shows. In fact, the networks hosts also warned listeners that
if they listened to criticism of Bentley, they could lose their healings.
I don't think any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic. And if God TV said this, and meant it the way that the great Grady is contextually using it, then I would have to respectfully disagree with them.
However, I do agree that a large portion of the chrismatic church will be decieved by the anti-christ, if they are here when he is. But it will be the so-called discerning christains that judge by appearance referred to by the great Grady that will be following.
Those of us that understand faith understand that healing
comes by faith, and, conversely, can be
lost by fear. When the anti-chirst comes I am sure his miracles will not require faith at all, they are meant to deceive after all, they will be
sure and easily proven, they wont require one to
believe before they see, but will sway the minds and hearts through
deceiving the senses.
All those who have decided that
believing something you
cant see is
deception, will flock to the so-called
real miracles of the anti-christ that will allow one to
see before they
believe.
J. Lee Grady
This is cultic manipulation at its worst. The Bible tells us that the
Bereans were noble believers because they studied the Scriptures
daily to see whether these things were so (Acts 17:11, NASB).
Yet in the case of Lakeland, honest intellectual inquiry was viewed
as a sign of weakness. People were expected to jump first and
then open their eyes.
Hmmm.....
Cultic manipulation at its
worst? Isn't that seriously overblown hyperbole oh great Grady? I mean, what about Jim Jones, Heavens Gate, and the fiasco in Waco Texas, just to name a few.
J. Lee Grady
Because of the Lakeland scandal, there may be large numbers of
people who feel theyve been burned by Bentley. Some may give
up on church and join the growing ranks of bitter, disenfranchised
Christians. Others may suffer total spiritual shipwreck.
What scandal? That he separated with his wife and is therefore stepping down from his position to follow his wife back to Canada to atempt reconciliation? There is no scandal yet. Just a hurting family trying to fix things. That is not a scandal in my book, though you see quite invested in hoping that is is.
This entire letter is full of judging by appearances, misrepresentation, and the attemp to create scandal where none yet exist. And the scripture says this:
11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
-James 4:11
9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
-1 John 2:9-11
15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
-1 John 3:15
20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
-1 John 4:20-21
Peace...
