My fellow blogger over at Endtimes Prophetic Words had this to say today (you can read the original post here):
A number of people have commentated over the past few days about Todd Bentley recently criticizing the critics for ‘bashing’ him re the angel Emma -
“Todd said the other night that critics talking about him saying the angel Emma was there were wrong and totally off. He was disgusted at how people were spreading false stories about him.”
Todd Bentley apparently publically said (thanks Sarah for this transcript):
“And I’ll say this for all the critics out there: WHAT are you talking about Emma and a female angel?!” Then to the audience, “Just had to say that to some people out there in Heresyland.” Then back into the camera, “THERE IS NO FEMALE ANGEL!…directing me.”
And the audience applauded. He continued,
“Emma and all that, that’s just a whole other experience. Don’t tie it into this. It’s not the healing angel I’m talking about. God said, ‘This angel is with you, just like I assigned an angel to William Branham. Not the same angel, an angel like. Just like the angel that was with John Lake.’”
He then went on to explain that the thousands of “healing angels” that were in the stands were angels God was ready last night to dispatch to people, cities, churches, ministries, that are ready to accept them.
Obviously Todd Bentley is trying to detract criticism and undermine the critics by lying about the critics and what they are actually saying, and creating a false trail of red herrings – just like he falsely claimed the critics were only ’picking on him’ because of his appearance, education and background, which is similarly not true. Critics criticise him because he is a documented liar and false prophet!
And the trouble is with this latest distortion of his on the red herring trail, is there are no false stories on this site, or any of the other main watchman sites I am aware of, about angel Emma. All the sites link to his own testimony, his own prophecies in his own words - that disappeared overnight when he did some houseclearing without retraction on his website [what does this say about his and his ministry's intergrity. He keeps most of the story but deletes the name 'Emma'.]. So if he is saying the stories on sites like this about Emma are false, he is saying his own stories are false, as they are exactly what we quote, word for word – which can be the only conclusion if he says it is a ‘pack of lies’ – which proves our point about him being a liar and false prophet. What does he have to be ‘disgusted ‘about? Himself?
“Emma and all that, that’s just a whole other experience. Don’t tie it into this. It’s not the healing angel I’m talking about.”
Stephen Strader has recently said that the angel Emma won’t be mentioned again because Strader is ‘uncomfortable about it’ - eg; read that as: the uproar and rebuke has been embrassing for the ‘revival’. See here for Stephen Strader’s comments re the angel Emma and other of his lies and contradictions here.
Notice too what Todd Bentley is actually saying here. He is not denying belief in Emma, or retracting all his claims about her, he is saying that is a whole ‘other experience’ (from a few years ago and another time, claims Stephen Strader, but this is not true as can be seen later in this article). But so what, even if it was a few years ago and has not been mentioned since (it has though, I just mention this to humor Todd)? If it was false and ’cause for concern’ then and makes both him and Bob Jones who introduced Emma to Bentley false prophets then, it makes them still false prophets NOW as they have not changed any or changed the spirits they prophesy by – if anything they have gotten much worse. Bob Jones, the same introductory source for Emma, has allegedly introduced and prophesied many other angels to Todd since, including ‘Winds of Change’ who is frequently referred to at Lakeland. If Emma was false then, then the source was false, right? And this false source, Bob Jones, still prophesies and introduce pass-me-on angels to many of the new prophetic crowd including Todd Bentley.
Regardless then, even if angel Emma has not been mentioned in this particular Lakeland ‘revival’ (she HAS but we’ll come to that in a minute) that is really not the point. Because Todd Bentley and Bob Jones and many others in the prophetic movement believe in Emma and have prophesied about her without repentence and retraction for years (only covering up now because of criticism – which is a work of darkness and not the light) and keeping quiet about her and covering her up also contradicts what Todd Bentley said recently at Lakeland (source – from Stephen Strader’s own words from his Lakeland Revival blog): -
“This is the one thing, people hate … when I talk about the Angel …. People say ‘don’t talk about the angel’ but I’m telling you, right now, to deny prophetic destiny and what you’ve received from the Lord is to turn from the Lord; I could not stand before the Lord, and say I saw the angel of lord, if I did not see it; GOD WOULD STRIKE ME DOWN.”
But Stephen Strader ADMITS both Todd Bentley and Bob Jones have agreed not to talk anymore about Emma, and they have also shown this by deleting her from the Fresh Fire website as well as the recent moving away from her which is tantamount to denial and deceptive at that. But err… isn’t this agreeing not to talk about his angels, in Todd’s own words, thus denying ‘prophetic destiny’, and is ‘turning from the Lord’ deserving that ‘God would strike him down’ if he either lied about or denied his angels? He does both and God has not struck him down yet! That one quote alone illustates the continued lack of truth and the continued contradictions in this ‘revival’!
If people rightly have concerns about the biblicalness of the angel Emma, so what if Todd does not think she is behind this revival and other angels by other names are? Emma still shows up Todd to be a false prophet. Emma is related to false lying visions from false lying prophets that are unrepented of, so THIS is the point to highlight – not how recent the visions have been or which particular revival they are linked to.
“It’s not the healing angel I’m talking about.”
What in this particular instance? So what if you have moved onto angels by other names? And besides which, it is not just the angel Emma that is unbiblical. There are plenty of other male angels he claims to see and work with which give EQUAL, if not more cause for concern than Emma, that are equally unbiblical – and they are all introduced from the same false source, ‘prophet’ Bob Jones.
“It’s not the healing angel I’m talking about.”
Bob Jones said at Lakeland on May 13th that Emma means ‘healing’ and she is one of three powerful angels present at Lakeland.
On May 13th 2008 Bob Jones said:
“And an angel appeared to me, told me to get paul keith (here tomorrow) and ken maddock, bobby Connors … HEALING ANGEL, called winds of change appeared to me …. Do you (crowd) believe in angels? …. Yes? ….. well, I saw winds of change said, extreme weather patterns in every form; winds shutting down entire towns from north west; so TODD you are from north west, you need to shut down towns;
And 3 powerful angels are here; Emma, means healing and another called Grace; and Winds of Change.”
(Source here, there is also another separate testimony by someone else from that night here that Bob Jones said the same thing).
Todd did not contradict or rebuke Bob at all, and by all account agreed with him and lapped up his word. There are also other lies and embellishments on this night I will pull out in another article.
If Emma is to be denied then Bob Jones must be denied. If Emma is not there at Lakeland with them, then that makes Bob Jones a false prophet in Todd Bentley’s book and it means Todd allowed Bob to lie/falsely prophesy to the crowds on May 13th without correction. (However, Todd evidently did not have a problem at the time as he was apparently lapping up Bob’s every word just as he has lapped up all of the other ridiculous things and aberrant Bob Jones claims). Let me make that clear – they cannot have both ways. Either Emma is there, or she is not there, and Bob Jones is a lying false prophet. And if Bob Jones is a lying false prophet, this whole revival is false because it is based on Bob Jones, his prophecies and other directions and is orchestrated behind the scene by him. So what is it to be?
“THERE IS NO FEMALE ANGEL!…directing me”
Emma is not the only female angel prophesied by Bob Jones on stage with Todd Bentley’s agreement being at Lakeland. Others include an angel called ’Grace’. Admittedly, Todd’s main ‘man’ now is a lot more macho ‘Angel of the Lord’, but these angels are still repeatedly mentioned, recently too.
“THERE IS NO FEMALE ANGEL!…directing me”
Although he and his cronies say they are, I actually believe this to be a true statement – one of the few he has made. Because Todd Bentley repeatedly lies about his experiences with angels and makes it up as he goes along. The one directing him seems to be Bob Jones, if anything, as is evident by all the talk on record.
“This angel is with you, just like I assigned an angel to William Branham. Not the same angel, an angel like. Just like the angel that was with John G Lake…”
It is really splitting hairs to say whether it is the same exact angel, or an angel LIKE, as this issue is not really about whether it is the same angel being claimed as anyone else, it is whether the angel is blilical. Rather, the concern is, the nature and deeds of this angel, the over focus on it, and the beliefs concerning the angel and how it is handed on by prophetic introduction. Furthermore, what kind of angel was assigned to William Branham and John G Lake – both notorious fake healers and liars (despite their place in the pentecostal hall of fame)?
However, not only that BUT Todd has claimed it is the same angel – and frequently too. Not just an angel ‘like’, the same angel. On April 10th, here, Todd said, in Stephen Strader’s own words -
“The same angel that came in 1948 has now come to Florida in 2008.
For more on William Branham, click on http://www.justinpeters.org and click on “demo.”
WOW!
I very much appreciate all your diligence in posting the truth about Todd Bentley. I started out as a Charismatic Christian five years ago. I was told over and over again by my pastors, leaders and friends that if you still yourself before the Lord, you will hear His voice! And still myself I did — 1-2 hours a night, sometimes up to 6 hours, every night, for four years. I did it in spite of revelation after revelation of deception, because these “leaders” and “friends” said the deception was Satan trying to trick me, and to just keep going.
One of the things that kept me going in the Charismatic stuff in spite of all the deception is that both Todd Bentley and Jim Goll clearly state in their books that if you wait on the Lord and listen for His voice, and your heart is right before him, God will not allow you to be deceived. Todd cites Matthew 7:11 about your father giving good gifts. Jim Goll’s statement was, “We have got to get over our fear of being deceived!”
So after I finally gave up on the deception, I wrote to both Todd Bentley and Jim Goll, saying I’d trusted what they’d written in their books about how Christians can’t be deceived and how much I’d been hurt because of it. Jim Goll didn’t respond (but he and his wife were both very ill when I wrote, so I can understand that.)
One of Todd Bentley’s assistants, however, responded about a month later. He said that they stood by their teaching, and told me I’d been deceived because my “heart was full of idols.”
This is what scares me the most:
Todd Bentley honestly believes he is sooooooo right before God that Satan will not deceive him, or even test him, because God won’t allow it. He does not have to question or test anything. He does not have to make sure what he says lines up with Scripture. He just has to wait and open his mouth — because he is “right” with God!
1 John 1:8: If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
If Jesus was tested by Satan, and so was Job, why wouldn’t Todd Bentley and his minions be tested in the same way?
The “Emma” chronicles show that Todd Bentley refuses to admit he’s been deceived. He shoud not be in ANY position of Christian leadership!
TLC,
Thanks for your kind words. I just feel like if enough of us keep spreading the word, we might make a difference, at least for those who are willing to look into the Bible for themselves, with honest, open minds, and ask real questions.
I sure “hear you” when you talk about listening for God’s voice. I read Jim Goll’s books too. And believed everything in them. I thought the world of his wife (Ruth Ann Goll? can’t quite remember her name) and the books she wrote, especially “The Beginner’s Guide to Receiving the Holy Spirit.”
BUT…after awhile, I had to acknowledge that my “ability” to hear God’s voice wasn’t that great. The only thing that kept me in check was that I spent a lot of time reading the Bible. I had friends, though, who seemed to have visions every time they closed their eyes. And yet NONE of their prophecies, the things that they had “seen” in their visions, EVER came to pass. I mean, they would have visions of very specific things. Like once, they specifically told us that one of them had had a vision about one of the pastor’s sons, and how he was going to have an amazing healing ministry at a particular Sunday night service…didn’t happen, not whatsoever. These friends’ lack of “prophetic success” was a major factor in allowing myself to doubt the books I was reading.
I simply had to acknowledge that if these sincere and dear friends of mine were expending so much energy “hearing God’s voice” and yet constantly missing it, there was no guarantee that any of us were getting it right. The ONLY reliable way to hear God’s voice is to read God’s Word. That’s the only rock we can count on.
Hi,
Did you see this on the Fresh Fire website at:
http://freshfire.ca/ffmstream/
“Fresh Fire Ministries in partnership with GOD.TV are currently in the process of providing high quality video archives of the evening services. We currently do not have a date when they will be online, but will notify all of our Fresh Fire Newsletter subscribers as soon as they are available.
Subscribe Now! (leave SUBSCRIBE in the subject line with no content in the body of the email)
* As of June 4th no GOD.TV video archives of the evening services will be available on ustream.”
Hmmm,
Will these be edited highlights, or the full unedited broadcasts?
One has to wonder if they are sensitive to all the criticism from people who are quoting snippets of the broadcasts on YouTube. Some days it seems that half of the new YouTube files are critical…
Certainly, it can’t cost that much to put everything on Ustream. There’s only a few thousand hits for each ustream file.
One would have to think that if the revival is valid, they would want a permanent record of everything so that people can be blessed by it. Especially given that Mr. Bentley takes pains to emphasize that the fact that these meeting are being broadcast live over the internet and on satellite TV helps a lot with what they are trying to do.
Unless, of course, they want to silence all internet critics who don’t have access to the God TV satellite signal or do not have a DVD recorder.
R,
Very interesting!
I actually went over to GodTV one night to try and watch the broadcast of the Lakeland service, and I couldn’t seem to access it, or even find where it was available online. This struck me as quite odd, since I’d heard over and over again that these meetings were “being broadcast on the internet” nightly.
How do others access them? All I’ve been able to do is watch the clips as they appear on youtube. We don’t get GodTV.
You have to register on the God TV website to be able to get connected to the live stream of the revival. It is worth it because there are other things broadcast on the internet beside the revival. Also, the Fresh Fire website has it streaming every night, and you don’t have to log in to anything, its on their site.
http://www.god.tv/user/register
I did register at GodTV, but then the message came up as “unavailable.” I’ll have to try again. I didn’t realize that the Fresh Fire site was offering it too. Thanks!
“”"If Jesus was tested by Satan, and so was Job, why wouldn’t Todd Bentley and his minions be tested in the same way? “”"
I recently heard Todd say that he needed to be exorcised, ‘the lord’ told him to go down the front to be exorcised and he was delivered of a vile demon.
Todd didnt even know he was demon posessed until he was in a church meeting, this is very telling for a man who is said to be open to hearing the voice of God.
BTW TLC that was a great testimony you shared.
Hello everyone, I wanted to comment on hearing the voice of God. Most people wouldn’t know the voice of God from Saten or their own thoughts. If you know the Bible and have the Holy Spirit in your life and use plain common sense. Then the voice of God is as easy to recognize as the voice of your mother. All the Holy men of old heard the voice of God. “Thus saith the LORD…” They also knew scripture very well. In Duet. 28:1-3 We are blessed if we harken unto the voice of the Lord our God and do all that he commands us to do this day. In John it says, “My sheep know my voice and will follow no other.” I always say that praying without ceasing involves mostly listening. God doesn’t speak very often. He wants you to read the Bible and seek to do what is right. When God speaks He does not contradict what he has already said in the Bible. I have heard people say, “God told me to marry so-and-so.” Everyone I have heard say this later said “God told me to get a divorce.” I would say that they did not hear from God. My experience is that God doesn’t tell you who to marry or other personal decisions but will give you peace in your heart when you decide to do the right thing. If you are seeking a word from God you get into trouble because God has already told you in his word the Bible everything you need to know for life and godliness. Balaam got in trouble seeking a different word from God.
Most of the time God the Holy Spirit communicates to me by moving on by spirit when I read scripture etc. I learn to pay attention to what he is saying. When I get upset about the behavior of others, I first ask God to show me if I have any of that in my own life; Then within a day or two it is like he taps me on the the shoulder (not literally) showing me I do. I can remember several times God spoke to me in my thoughts. One time I was worshiping God and meditating on the faith of Abraham. I told God I would like to met Abraham when I get to heaven. Then totally not expecting anything God said in my thoughts, “He has been wanting to meet you too.” This blessed me and moved me to tears. Another time I had a dream that the church building my dad pastored in when I was 4 was sold to a farmer who was raising pigs in it. I woke up and was grieved and troubled at my dream. As I was thinking and wondering what God would do to such a sacrilegious person. God took my by surprise and said, “The pigs are better behaved than the people were.” Again I started to cry that God would think such. Then over the next couple of days I told several pastors my dream and what God said. They all commented, “So true, So true.” And again my heart was sad. For a couple of years God kept telling me to “Walk in the Spirit” or “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill to lust of the flesh.” So after a couple of years of meditating on scripture and what this means and how to do it. God said one year ago, “Now I want you to walk as a Son of God.” I am still learning what this means. Anyway God bless you all. I hope this helps.
Lance,
I enjoyed reading your post; however, when you spoke of your dream, I immediately thought (again) about the dream I had last night. I almost never remember dreams; but, this one startled me a bit (not unusual) and the interesting thing is I remembered it in the morning (very unusual) and even told a co-worker. As I read your dream and its interpretation I believe I received the interpretation of mine.
The dream:
I was on what appeared to be a very small piece of land or something somewhat solid as I floated on the ocean. Whatever it was I was floating on was barely large enough to contain me. Initially, I believe someone was with me; but, I’m not sure (all my dreams tend to be very disjointed).
Initially, I was not afraid; but, rather had a peace about me. Then, just ahead I saw a small island complete with palm trees. OK, I’ll just try to make it to the island. Then I saw what looked like a very large rock jutting out of the water. As I drew closer I noticed close to me was my ex-wife (she divorced me); and, I noticed her eyes filled with fear. Then, I looked at the large rock again and noticed it was actually a very large crocodile! It was at this point I realized I was alone on my ‘raft’ as I floated along. I was certainly afraid; but, I stayed very still so as not to stir the croc. I don’t remember seeing my ex-wife again as I floated right by the croc without disturbing it. Then, I woke up.
Once awake I thought to myself, “Now what is a croc — a freshwater beast — doing in the middle of the ocean?”
My interpretation now is — there are beasts in places most Christians think are safe. As we are floating along in the calm of our ‘ocean’ of church (or conference, etc.), there are beasts such as Bentley who don’t belong (they are not Christians) but are not noticed by most; and, they are savagely destroying the flock. It takes caution and discernment to not get bitten.
What do y’all think?
Lee,
I feel quite certain that your dream was NOT something your human mind just threw together. Why? Because dreams are made up of bits and pieces of the life we’ve lived. True, they can get quirky sometimes, but you can almost always trace a dream back to some memory, wish or experience you’ve had.
Can you tell I have an educational background in psych?
No where in your life have you ever encountered a croc in freshwater.
I would venture to say that this dream and interpretation were both from the Lord. Quite simple but quite profound.
Thank you for sharing this.
SP
Lee, thanks for sharing your dream. In the dream I am sure you make it to safety but my heart was burdened for your ex-wife. Father, keep her safe. Help her not to be afraid. Help her to trust you. And bring her to safety whatever her life situation.
This reminded me of a dream I had. Sadparent will be interested in this. I have been married almost 25 years. My wife is presently disabled. We are believing still for healing from MS. We have gotten complete healing from Environmental Illness. Her disability started most 18 years ago. Before she got sick or when see first started to have some physical problems. I had a vivid dream that my wife had been washed away in a flash flood an was being carried down stream. I was left on the bank of the river. I awoke facing the big question, would I risk my life and jump in not knowing if I could save her or not. I had the impression that this was a very important question and that God wanted to know my answer. I made the decision that I must try to save my wife. I seem to remember the dream repeated but I had made my decision.
We are all tested all the time. This life is one big test for all eternity. God has some big job descriptions to fill for ruling with him forever. This excites me. But also increases my holy fear and respect for God. The plans and purposes of my life may not be fulfilled this side of heaven. So I don’t want to blow it. I don’t want to see how close I can get to sin. Personally I would not want to be Todd Bentley explaining before God how I thought I heard his voice to kick a little old lady in the face with my biker boot. What happened to “Be ye kind to oneanother, tenderhearted…”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_K8XjObzfXM
It grieves my heart. My wife wrote a book on spiritual abuse regarding healing.
see joyfulcalkins.com However this is now physical abuse to God’s precious sheep. Who came seeking God for the bread of healing and Todd Bentley gave them a stone. They come seeking the Holy Spirit and Todd Bentley gives them a spirit a divination and deception. Please don’t go to Florida. Go to Father God who loves you so much that he spared not his own son to win your freedom from the bondage of sin and saten (and even death). How much more will he not freely give you all things. Blessings-LC
Lance,
Thanks for your words above. Yes, I’m sure I will be safe according to the dream. Interestingly, I emailed SadParent (I ‘met’ her on another blog and asked her to read my dream here) and she said the same thing about my ex-wife. I’m going to call my ex (she’s remarried).
Another aspect of the dream applicable to me — I believe, anyway — is that I’m to continue ‘contending for the faith’ in the way I’ve been doing on various blogs and with people I know here locally in an effort to keep people from the deceptions. I just found out there is an xHOP here in my home town! I knew it was coming based on info I had last year. I’m going to warn as many people as possible…
Todd Bentley wrote in “Discerning The Call Of God – Part 2” that the angel that was with William Branham is now with Todd Bentley.
I quote it…
“This time (on December 5th) the angel said, “I am the angel that has been assigned to your life. I am a healing angel . . . You are going to take miracles, signs and wonders around the world.” “I was with William Branham” (the Voice of Healing movement), the angel said.”
That contradicts what he said, that it was not the same angel but one like it, from this article “God said, ‘This angel is with you, just like I assigned an angel to William Branham. Not the same angel, an angel like. Just like the angel that was with John Lake.’”
Plus a contradiction that first, the angel said, then now it was God who said.
I will never understand how anyone can read W Branham and think “Wow I need his mantle”
Its pure occult.
I was one of JWs for many years before coming to know the real Christ. I was totally amazed when I left the cult to find that people where telling me how good Branham was. I checked his material and found his false prophesy concerning 1975, I found he was buried under some pagan statue (just like CTRussel of JW fame) and was repulsed by his false doctrine that was so similar. I had just been saved from a cult and was now being told all the wierd stuff, false prophecy and error that the Lord has shown me to be false was infact not that bad at all!
Todd always speaks of Branham, I guess this is due to the 90s Toronto and Word Faith resurrecting Branham material and offering him in a line of being one of the most faithful and powerful men of revival!
These people have been psychologicaly prepared for these waves of error for years. It really is no surprise to see what is happening in these OTT charasmatic churches. GodTV is so accountable for raising up false prophets and introducing them to the world. If anyone studies mind control and how to manipulate the crowds to expect something massive to happen, then they will see straight through this.
Todd Bentley is a false prophet, and probably worse. That is clear. But the real fault is with people like Jack Hayford of Foursqare who refuses to denounce what is happening in Lakeland. This is where the greater damage is done. He stated that we just don’t know, and we need to wait and see what will come of this supposed revival. Really? Perhaps we ought to send all of the damage that is done while we are waiting over to Jack. Why is it so hard for him to see and admit what should be more than obvious? Some people have lauded Hayford for his wisdom. I say he is a moral coward and has been for the last 20 years. When is the last time, in this age of blatant apostasy within the charismatic movement, that you heard Jack Hayford take a stand over ANYTHING?
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4022131/TODD-BENTLEYS-PASTOR-PATRICIA-KING-THE-BLUE-FLAME-QUEEN-BLATANTLY-EVIL-
TODD BENTLEY’S PASTOR ~PATRICIA KING ~THE BLUE FLAME QUEEN ~ BLATANTLY EVIL ~ INVITES YOU TO STEP THROUGH A DEMONIC PORTAL INTO AN ILLUSIONARY LAND OF THE ESOTERIC ~ FULL OF PAGAN REVELRY AND IMMORALITY ~ DEMOTES JESUS CHRIST ~ RAISING THE GOD PAN TO NEW WORLD PAGAN RELIGION ~ MYSTICAL WITCHCRAFT ~ THROUGH EKSTASIS WORSHIP ~
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Charles Williams wrote in Witchcraft, “It is cold, it is hungry, it is violent, it is illusory. The warm blood and intercourse at the Sabbat do not satisfy it. It wants something more . . . It wants souls.”
DOCTRINES OF DEMONS – PART ONE Patricia King
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D1wkThccw0&feature=related
DOCTRINES OF DEMONS – PART TWO Patricia King
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3YwtjGEdJw&feature=related
MYSTICAL PARANORMAL POWER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xWEu1ltlrE
Psychics, New Agers, mediums, Satanists, those who follow the occult and spiritualists are seeking power. They are looking for supernatural ways to improve conditions of possessing greater power over the minds of the average human being. They are bringing an onslaught of counterfeit faiths, including the pursuit of witchcraft and Satanism.
Patricia King – The Wine Cellar Of Heaven Is Open