The number one question I am asked is, “How is Todd Bentley doing?” Todd came to spend a few days with us, and in general I was encouraged with how he’s doing. He is deeply sorry for the problems that his problems have caused others. He is well aware that he made some mistakes and foolish choices. Todd wants to express this as clearly as he can in a letter, which should be coming in a few weeks. It will take that long because I will be helping him with this, and I will be out of the country for three weeks. We also want to get input from a few others, and this will take time.
The present plan is for him to get some practical issues worked out in his life, visit with a couple of friends who have gone through similar things in their lives and have come through them victoriously, and then come to Heritage for a period of time to begin a healing and restoration process.
I have also spent some time with two of the primary leaders of Fresh Fire Ministries. I am confident that both Todd and Fresh Fire will not only make it through this, but will be a powerful force and factor in what will be unfolding in the coming times.
There are also profound lessons in almost every aspect of this issue. Resolving them and learning from them will greatly strengthen the church for the future. Personally, I have never doubted that the Lakeland Outpouring was a crucial visitation of the Lord for our times. Thousands and thousands not only were healed or experienced miracles, but the faith of countless others was lifted. This has resulted in continuing outbreaks and spiritual advances in other places, and is helping the church prepare for the times in a way that will be most crucial—knowing Jesus as our Healer and having faith in Him for needed miracles. For these we must keep growing and rising far above the place that the church is in at this time.
I also think the issues raised by Todd’s problems must be addressed by the body of Christ before we go further or similar issues in the future could be even more devastating. As we are able to get more specific, I think you will agree. Handling this correctly is a great opportunity for the strengthening of the body and preparing the church for the times ahead. Though there is good reason to be both encouraged and discouraged by the way many have handled this to date, how it is resolved can strengthen the whole church in a way that we desperately need at this time. The potential benefit from this is huge. The Lord always leads us in His triumph, and I am confident that we will see this here.
I appreciate the patience and the prayers of those who have not given up on Todd, Fresh Fire Ministries, the Lakeland Outpouring, and especially on the Lord to continue moving mightily in Lakeland and in many other places. Lakeland was a spark that has lit many fires and continues to light them—they are not going out. If you were touched in any way by it, keep moving forward. This was never about Todd Bentley but the Lord, and He is moving at a dramatic pace now. This really could be the beginning of the move of God that does not stop moving!
At the same time, we cannot keep killing our own wounded. As Galatians 6:1 declares, we have no choice but to restore those who are caught in “any trespass.” I am very confident that Todd will not only be back in ministry, but will ultimately have a much bigger impact and be walking in even more power than he has yet walked in. I believe this because of what I was shown by the Lord about Todd several years ago. As Bob Jones said, “Lakeland was just a preview of what is to come.” Todd is called to help begin what the Lord called “The greatest show on earth.” It will be the greatest demonstration of Who God is that the world has seen since He Himself walked the earth. This is what the body of Christ is being prepared for and what the Lakeland Outpouring began to prepare the way for.
At the same time, I was not very surprised by Todd’s problems. Those of his nature and calling have always been prone to great victories and advances, and great mistakes. The Apostle Peter is a good example. Right after he received one of the greatest commendations in Scripture, the Son of God Himself called him “Satan” (see Mark 8:33). One minute Peter was hearing straight from heaven, and the next minute he was hearing straight from hell. Right after denying the Lord, which is one of the worst things we could do, Peter was restored and became the leader of the revival on the Day of Pentecost. Go figure.
I have been spending hours a day on this issue for some time and confess that I am still learning a lot every day about the facts and factors, as well as what is needed for a solution. Many deep and important issues are being touched by this, and I have seen people with very intransigent opinions completely change their opinions when they received more accurate information. As this unfolds, there is an opportunity for great revelation, and I think the setting free and healing of many. Healing the body is actually much easier than healing the soul and spirit sometimes. We all need complete healing.
One thing none of us should ever do is limit grace. As we are told in Galatians 6:7, we will reap what we sow. If we want to receive grace, we should sow grace whenever we can. If we expect to receive mercy, we should sow it whenever we can. This does not mean that we should ever compromise the clear biblical standards of morality and integrity, but it does mean if we are spiritual, we will be restorers in a “spirit of gentleness” (see Galatians 6:1) lest we be tempted. To not be gentle reveals spiritual pride, and God Himself will resist the proud. I pray that all who have not been gentle in this situation will repent, because those who have responded in pride will themselves fall. The only specific word I was given about this was that a fool makes haste with his feet, and those who rush to judgment are unrighteous judges that the Lord will expose through this. Let’s pray for all to repent who have done this or we will be seeing a lot of this soon.
I received permission from Rory and Wendy Alec to distribute the letter they sent out to their viewers at God-TV concerning Todd Bentley and the Lakeland Outpouring. I thought this was as close to a letter with true apostolic weight as I have yet seen about these issues.
Beloved GOD-TV viewer,
In the light of many statements having been released about the Lakeland Outpouring and concerning Todd Bentley’s marital situation, we sensed that the Lord has released us to write concerning this situation, so that you, our viewers would know our heart concerning this matter.
The first thing we feel led to do is to state unequivocally that in the same manner as the Lord instructed us to broadcast and serve The Calls with Lou Engle, to broadcast what was happening at International House of Prayer with Mike Bickle, Rick Joyner and Morningstar, the Solemn Assembly in San Francisco, Battlecry, and Teen Mania with Ron Luce, Focus on the Families - Prayer Event For America, Day of Prayer For Israel, and hundreds of other anointed events over the past three years, we believe that the Lord instructed us to broadcast the Outpouring services at Lakeland with Todd Bentley.
It was not a mistake.
It was not by mistake.
We believe it was a clear instruction from the Lord.
Over the past twelve years, but especially since our launch in America, we have in obedience to the Lord searched through the earth for those events and anointings that the Lord has laid on our hearts—to amplify their message and anointing to the body of Christ in this crucial end-time hour that we live in.
The Lakeland Outpouring with Todd Bentley was one of those events.
We received over 45,000 emails—many, many of these were heartrending, powerful testimonies from viewers across the earth of their bodies or their families’ bodies healed, their lives transformed, and their hearts revived.
None of us have ever seen such significant fruit in all the years of broadcast.
Far more profound than that were the desperate cries for help. I (Wendy) would go through the live inbox and see the desperate cries from mothers, wives, sons, and daughters, so many with terminally ill husbands, wives, children, sometimes babies in arms—sensing hope in their situation that for so long had been without hope.
Just reading these prayer requests would bring one to tears. We are often so cloistered from the agony of people’s day-by-day real life agonies, and their agonies were written there—so much so that we both sensed that we would need the word of the Lord under the fear of God to stop these broadcasts with the life-changing impact they were having in homes not only in the United Kingdom and America, but all across the world. And the Glory of the Living God that was being imparted.
We both kept a very close pulse on the revival since the start of its broadcast—we had firsthand knowledge of the enormous criticism, persecution, and reviling that Todd Bentley was receiving (often we were second contenders for it), but it was Todd Bentley and the Fresh Fire team who received the terrible weight of this.
Todd ministered each day as the revival continued but was consistently and unrelentingly criticized, maligned, and persecuted—the attacks grew increasingly violent—and the heartbreaking thing was that so much of it came from the church.
At the same time, Todd was facing a second wave of attack. This was from the covens, the warlocks—we heard firsthand concerning some of these assignments. The enemy had heard of the great honoring of the Lamb and was determined to destroy it—BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE AND AT ANY COST.
And the cost was Todd Bentley.
Was it because Todd was vulnerable and certain areas of his life were not surrendered wholly? Yes—like so many of us—in all probability.
Was it because the character of Christ was not yet formed in him in the equivalent measure to his gifting? Yes—like so many of us—in all probability.
Could it be the case that there by the grace of God go you and I? Yes—in all probability.
Some of the areas in our lives are watertight and have been honed and refined and polished by the Lord, while still other areas in our lives are often still in desperate need of attention. We are an ongoing work and we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
“Well, all ministers who preach should ensure their lives are in order,” you may be saying.
Yes—we and our board and our minister peers across the globe agree wholeheartedly.
And yet, beloved, unfortunately there are times when Satan comes unaware and targets a vulnerable area whose weaknesses only become apparent under the most enormous and unrelenting pressure brought to bear .
We believe, and of course this is just our personal opinion, that the revival stirred up the satanic realms in a manner that has rarely been seen and with a violent wrath. It is difficult to understand the degree of spiritual battle that comes against a leader. We have learned we need to protect the move of God with greater prayer for leaders, including ourselves. The body of Christ is growing in greater transparency and accountability, and this, too, should be a subject of prayer.
Should all of us wait till we are as perfect and as watertight as can be and mature in every area? That of course would be the safest course of action, but the truth is that most of us would be 90 years old!
The Lord who made us and knows that we are as dust and yet looks on us with His great mercies and compassions knows this, and He, the sovereign God of heaven and earth, still chooses to take a God-risk on you and I every day of our lives.
That even under the most intense pressure that we would choose Him.
That we would love Him.
That in times of intense duress and temptation that we would follow Him.
And let it be so—even more in all our lives, but beloved—let us not forget so many of those who walk in ministry across the earth today with such courage and fervor and lay their lives down for His cause at great cost to themselves. Todd and Shonnah sowed their lives to sow the seeds of revival, and we believe became a supreme target of the enemy.
On the June 23, Todd actually spoke openly and with great vulnerability of his and Shonnah’s previous marriage challenges, and how they had faced those challenges and the Lord had begun His work. He did not try to hide their struggle but shared their ongoing journey.
As Rick Joyner so wisely put it—
In marriage, I have learned there are those who admit they have been through times when they wondered if their marriage would make it, and then there are liars. Relationships are hard, and the closer they are, the harder they can be. I tell everyone that I give premarital counseling to that the Lord has ordained their marriage in order to kill both of them! That is true. It is also worth it! The greatest gift He gave to man was marriage and family. However, to have a marriage that is good, both will have to die to themselves. If either one does not make the commitment to lay down their life for their mate and their family, then what was meant to be heaven can be hell.
It is an ongoing walk—and we all are ongoing works. But the Lord said something to us some years ago, He said: “When you hate sin because it hurts—then it will lose its grip on you. When you hate sin because it displeases Me—its hold diminishes.”
The Lord also shared with us that someone can be deceived in an area, but it does not necessarily mean that in every area of his or her life or ministry they were walking in deception as some critics of the revival may lean to believe.
And who is to judge that the Lord does not hold the violent unleashing of criticism and faultfinding and tearing down and divisiveness of the heresy hunters as severe a sin as separation in a marriage?
We will find out before the judgment seat in eternity.
One of our greatest grieving has been to see how many in the church backtracked to protect their own reputations. We have been truly refreshed by several close ministry friends with their uncompromising love of truth and lack of a man-pleasing spirit that has arisen in the church in the light of the Lakeland aftermath. They have given us fresh courage when we grew weary.
So beloved friend –
Do we at GOD-TV refute the Outpouring? NO.
We are presently planning to broadcast other offshoots of Lakeland in both the United Kingdom and America, including revival meetings in Dudley, England.
We have determined in our hearts to follow the Lord with all our might as courageously and as boldly as we can, to reject the pressures to bow to a man-pleasing spirit, but instead to humble ourselves under the Father’s leading.
For He is our all in all.
He is our great desire.
Finally, dear friends, while we defend and rejoice in the many ten thousands that God lifted and healed, we also know that there were dear souls, sheep, who were scattered as a result of Todd’s personal choices. The Bible says that ”hope deferred makes the heart sick” (see Proverbs 13:12), and this is the last thing GOD-TV would want to see happen. We are praying for any that stumbled and believing that the Lord will restore them to Himself.
Remember: This was never about Todd Bentley. It was always about the Holy Spirit and the fact that God loved you and me. It was God who touched our lives.
One thing we felt impressed upon our hearts thirteen years ago when we first launched this ministry, that the Father will allow none of us—whether in ministry or as a viewer— to hold idolatry in our hearts for any man.
For the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit alone are to receive our worship.
We continue on the road to maturity.
We continue our efforts to serve an end-time spiritual army.
We continue to try each day to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of the ONLY one who is worthy of ALL adoration.
Of ALL HONOUR.
Of ALL WORSHIP.
Remember also, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let’s turn our eyes toward Him and away from our trust in man.
He who sent His only begotten Son.
The Great Father of Compassions.
To Him alone we bow.
Personally, we believe that the best is yet to come.
For our King and His Kingdom
Rory and Wendy Alec
