The Truth About Todd Bentley And Lakeland

TORONTO – LAKELAND – WHERE NEXT? 

by Adam Harbinson

Most of us will remember the so-called Toronto Blessing of the mid-nineties. But what was it? A unique outpouring of God’s Spirit; an end-time revival? Or was it an emotional hype; clouds without water; promising much but delivering little? Who knows, perhaps a little bit of each of the above.

At the ‘loony’ end of the continuum I remember a lady in a Belfast outpost of the global event jumping to her feet at a meeting, and amid the sound of barking dogs and clucking chickens was heard to shout, ‘I’m a piece of toast! I’m a piece of toast!’ – an unedifying debacle that demonstrated nothing but a lack of wise and strong leadership.

But the question I never heard asked was; ‘If this is a genuine blessing, who is it for? Was it for the sole benefit of the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church or was that church a chosen conduit through which God could bless the whole planet? We need to address that fundamental question, because while the latest wave has just petered out; the Lakeland Revival under the leadership of Todd Bentley - you can be sure there will be more.

So what’s the answer to that question? Firstly, there are obvious dangers in seeing the latest series of events in the ‘Ignited Church’ of Lakeland Florida as some sort celestial honour for services rendered to the heavenly kingdom. To suggest that God pours out his Spirit as a reward for faithful service and theological probity like sugar lumps to a performing horse, flies in the face of the Christian concept of grace – Joel’s prophecy, quoted by St Peter in the New Testament was; ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all the people.’

Also, it can lead to competitiveness and jealousy; ‘It can’t be genuine,’ some will say, ‘for we have laboured in the Master’s vineyard longer than they have. Our theology is spot on and theirs is screwed up. It’s just another American fantasy show’ – and the rich harvest is one of sour grapes.

And yet I spoke to psychiatrist recently; a good solid, Scottish type whom I know well, and he assured me that he has seen several well documented examples of miraculous healings as a result of the Lakeland Revival – ‘That confirms to me that’s it’s an authentic move of God,’ he said. And to a point I agree, for there’s no doubt that even as the Toronto Blessing travelled around the world some good was done, and it can happen again. Our challenge is to distinguish between the ‘authentic’ and the ‘I’m a piece of toast, barking dog, clucking chicken’ nonsense.

So what then should our attitude be? Firstly, thankfulness for God’s faithfulness: he has not forsaken his people. Secondly, apply the ‘Gamaliel Test’ – if it’s of God it will prosper, if not, it won’t. And thirdly, avoid the temptation to ‘globe-trot’ in a perennial search for the next big event. I sometimes wonder how much it saddens God when planeloads of his people rush headlong past him, in the hope of finding him three thousand miles away. God isn’t impressed by our ‘headless chicken’ impersonations, he is with us, right here, right now, wherever we are, and we can experience the miracle of communion with God, each day, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.