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The Spirit Said, “Kick Her in the Face”

Orginally published on Friday, May 23, 2008 at 6:55 AM
by Todd Rhoades

I know it's Friday, and we like to keep things a tad less serious. I wouldn't classify this as funny. Outrageous is more the word. Have you been following the "revival" that's happening down in Lakeland, FL. I haven't posted anything about it here at MMI because, quite frankly, I'm just a tad big skeptical (that's an understatement). And this video clip doesn't help me any. Does anyone really believe that the Holy Spirit would prompt you to kick an old lady in the face? Here is a collection of things that God has apparently told the revival host, Todd Bentley (no relation) to do. Sounds to me like this Bentley guy's gonna end up in jail for felonious assault if he's not careful. (Thanks to Thoughts of a Worshiper for this one)... Take a look see:



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  There are 65 Comments:

  • Posted by Heath Hiatt

    I also have one eyebrow raised at what is going on down there in Florida, but we must all remember that the Holy Spirit told Jesus to hock a big lugee in the dirt and then smear it in a blind guys face.  (He being blind must have been quite surprised when what he had heard being created ended up in his eye) I would rather just let everyone hear God for themselves, and I will hear God for me.  smile

    Heath

  • Posted by Danny

    The gift of faith?  I wonder where he finds that in the Scriptures.

  • Posted by Bart

    Nuttier than a fruitcake!!  Where does God’s word say it is OK to knock out a tooth or assault someone to get the devil out?  But in keeping with the spirit of Fridays, I am going to invite him to come to my church and give him a list of who needs the most help!  Just a word of caution though, if he tries to leg drop me I am 6’4” 225lbs and my past sometimes rears its ugly head and he might find someone pounding the devil out of him!

  • Posted by

    1 Corinthians 12:9 to be exact - you know, the duplicity in this thread sometimes is really amazing. MMI is often criticized for the discussion and trumpeting of unconventional methods by sites like Laodicea and then MMI will turn right around and slam another ministry for the same reason. Follow the advice of Gamaliel and refrain from your sweeping judgments. You certainly do not appreciate when new paradigm works are summarily dismissed.

  • Posted by

    Heath, Spit in the day of Jesus was often considered medicinal.  Chances are it was not a lugie and chances are the blind guy would not have been surprised. 
    ah, Gamaliel was foolish.  He had just seen the resurrection, people healed, tongues coming down like fire, the lame man at the temple was now walking and leaping and praising God… and did I mention the resurrection?  And the best he can muster… If it is from God is will last....  Which is not true anyway.  Let’s follow someone else’s advice this time.

    As for the guy… kind of makes me sick to my stomach.

  • Posted by

    Eric you sound so wise, you must have been raised well.

  • Posted by

    It’s possible that Todd has the kind of revival ministry Billy Sunday had.  He punched people as a way of healing them, and age didn’t matter to him either.  Most regard him as a man anointed by God.  I try to be careful about acknowledging the miraculous work of God in the past and criticizing it in the present.  I’ve seen God do things that really make me uncomfortable and challenge my comfortable and safe theology.  I’ve also seen people claiming to work under the anointing of the Spirit who are merely using psychological manipulation.  It’s hard to tell if Todd is the former or the latter.  Perhaps his ministry will be part of the WWE.

  • Posted by

    I love that the way, it seems, to heal anyone, is to violently physically abuse someone.  I mean, who knew that pushing people over, slamming them to the ground, and booting them in the head would cure diabetes, tumors, and rheumatoid arthritis? 

    So, I guess the next time someone makes you mad, you can do a pile driver and say that you were really offering up a divine healing.

    Unbelievable. 

    --
    CS

  • Posted by Clayton Bell

    Lest anyone accuse you of creative editing to make something look worse than it was, you can’t edit something that isn’t actually there. Very interesting.

    I think time will be the greatest judge. What are we to make of Smith Wigglesworth, who also had strange methods? Always hard to have perspective in the moment. Time and sustained fruit will be the greatest judge of this event, IMHO.

  • Posted by

    AH,
    Great insight. I am sure Todd has a very good excuse [oops, reason]. The Pot and the Kettle seem to be of the same mold after all.
    fishon

  • Posted by

    Thanks for correcting me.  It was Smyth Wigglesworth that occasionally hit people to heal them.

  • Posted by Mathias Grehn

    Danny asked about the gift of Faith.  Read 1 Corinthians 12 (9 Gifts)

  • Posted by

    i have a few books about smith wigglesworth, and if they are true he was the real deal, and i do believe he was a true man of god, every thing that looks strange is not strange to god, i could not view the video, but i have never heard of god having someone to kick peoples teeth out, or stomp on them, well i will not judge it because i know nothing about it.

  • Posted by

    Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1 that he did not want us to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.  Ignorance is what lets people get taken advantage of by religious leaders and what fosters statements like “well, if god might be in it, I wouldn’t want to say anything against it.” To err on the side of caution is to still be in error.  Stuff like the video and I did look up other things around the revival thrives because we refuse to sit down and read the word, study the word, dig into the word and then use the word for discernment.  In other words we remain ignorant about spiritual gifts and when someone flashy guy knocks people over, blaming the Holy Spirit, people simply refuse to see anything outside of experience. 

    It is not that I do not believe in miracles and healing, I just find the stuff I saw on the video a bit outrageous.

  • Posted by missional girl

    The Bereans tested what the apostle Paul taught and Scripture doesn’t condemn them.  John warns us to test the spirits by the spirits.  If someone “preacher” whines about being attacked, then he or she needs to stop talking and sit down.  As for Bentley’s methods, you kick me in the face and I’ll break your face----er, with a smile, of course.

  • Posted by Danny Daniels

    It is more of the same.

    Different players, same old tired drama. People are chasing after the spectacular and calling it spiritual. 

    I wish that people would quit chasing after a “move of God.” We need the “fruit” of the Spirit to move through the body.  I will trade fruit for gifts any day.

    I’ll tell you what is supernatural: When we serve others, help others, forgive others, love others, and expect nothing in return.

  • Posted by Peter Hamm

    Danny writes “I will trade fruit for gifts any day.” Oh, gosh. I can say amen loud enough.

  • Posted by

    An exploding tumor?  An elderly lady who falls under the ‘power of God’ at the moment of boot on nose impact?  A (chinese) man who is knocked backward and has a tooth removed by the fist or the floor? Is this a dental miracle or merely a dental issue?  I am not buying any of it until I have evidence of the miracles.  I do believe in miracles, am not convinced of the stories.

  • Posted by

    “I’ll tell you what is supernatural: When we serve others, help others, forgive others, love others, and expect nothing in return.”

    Well said, Danny.  How sad that is supernatural and not just natural.

  • Posted by Eric Jaffe

    Not sure about Todd or his methods.

    But the day is coming, if not already here that signs and wonders will abound in the earth. Jesus Promised it. Actually just read it today in my one year bible.

    John 14:11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

    Jesus did all kinds of signs and wonders and promises that “anyone who has faith in him” “WILL” do what He was doing and even greater things. 

    I believe the signs and wonders are supernatural and natural like gifts of serving, fasting, giving, etc.

    Maybe, just maybe, it’s those who don’t believe in the supernatural weird stuff are the people that might have it wrong? hmmm something to think about!

  • Posted by

    There are many today who truly need to consider what it means to “fear God.” Doing evil and attributing it to the Holy Spirit is a very serious sin.

  • Posted by

    Why do we have to choose between fruit and gifts?  It seems to me that a more scriptural interpretation is that we should have both.  Part of the problem is that those who emphasize gifts often don’t have much fruit to show.  Or worse, they have bad fruit.  The amazing thing is that God still works through very imperfect people, whether it’s through a “move of the spirit” in the supernatural or a move of the heart that is sacrificed to Him and expresses His love through loving those who hurt us.  And either one of these can be tainted by our humanity when they are expressed.

  • Posted by

    The scripture defines the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Surely those truly in communion with the Spirit should display at least a few of these.

  • Posted by Danny Daniels

    In response to Eric Jaffe:

    “John 14:11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

    I believe this is true.

    I also believe that the greater works Jesus is referring to will be more in line with what He did while He was on the earth.  Punching and kicking people in the face is not an act of faith. It is disrespectful, rude and even harmful. Jesus didn’t do it and I don’t think it is in His character to ask us to do it on His behalf.

    What is happening in Florida is only made possible because Christian people are willing to settle for less than the real thing.  Instead we try to make a move happen through human influence, effort and emotional manipulation.  Miracles aren’t supposed to be subjective.

    I believe what the Bible says will come to pass. When it does it will be authentic and verifiable and it will be done through those who are truly humble and fully submitted to God.

    It appears that what is going on in Florida is not authentic.  It is more reflective of a carnival. Freaks shows and all.

  • Posted by Danny Daniels

    In response to Eric Deeter:

    Good post. I agree that we shouldn’t have to pick one or the other. (fruits vs. gifts) We should seek a balance between the two.

    Fruit is a product of the tree.
    Gifts are a tool.

    Spiritual fruit is a byproduct of time spent with God through His word and through prayer. You can’t misuse or abuse fruit because the moment you do it is no longer fruit.

    Misused love is no longer truly love.
    Misused kindness is no longer kindness at all. You get the point.

    Gifts can be misused very easily for self promotion or self gain. We can use the tools that God has given us and become very destructive if we are not careful. That is why I would prefer to see fruit of the Spirit in someone’s life first before I am very interested in seeing their gifts in action.

    In the end those with Spiritual fruit are in a much better place to utilize their respective gifts properly.

    When it all works how it was designed it is a wondrous thing to witness.

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