It’s Not About Todd Bentley

I must preface this post by saying that I am merely an outside observer in this whole debacle concerning Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries.  I attended several Bentley meetings in the early part of this decade in Alberta.  So I do have some knowledge of his ministry.  I used to be a leader in an Evangelical/charismatic church (several actally… Vineyard and Pentecostal).  Two years ago, I abandoned the “faith”, for reasons which I will post in the future. You could say I de-converted.  More on that at another time.

Let me say this, I dearly love sincere and honest Christian people.  It angers me that wolves like Todd Bentley can come in, dangling the carrot of “revival” in front of sincere people, many desperately seeking healing and freedom from things they have dealt with for years, only to hear that the leader they have trusted has fallen.  Many people in the Christian faith tried to warn you of Bentley, using discernment, but you failed to listen to their warnings, and now you suffer the consequence.  How many are now shipwrecked because supposed prophets and “apostles” allowed this man to run rampant among the tender sheep?  Yes, I’m pointing at you Peter Wagner.  Yes, I’m pointing at you John Arnott.  Yes, I’m pointing at you Bill Johnson.  Yes, I’m, pointing at you Rick Joyner.  You supposed men of God. You supposed men who have prophetic insight.  Oh, yes, it’s one thing to stand on the platform and endorse this Bentley Character, and then when he falls, say, “Yes, I knew there was something not quite right about him…”  So, John Arnott, where were you?  So, Bill Johnson, where were you?  So Peter Wagner, where were you?  Where were your “gifts of the Spirit” then?   You people are a joke.  I hope you pay for the hurt you have caused innocent people worldwide!

Oh, and Todd, you have a wife ( I don’t know what part she played in your break up) and three kids.  Watching a recent “revival” video, I could plainly see they were not happy.  How are your kids going to feel 5, 10 years from now?  This is a sham, and you are evil, Mr. Bentley!

Obama Vs. Clinton

Ok, I admit, I am Canadian!  So, maybe that disqualifies me from commenting on US politics, but you are Canada’s dick ass, so I guess what happens there affects us up here.  I thought the Amurikan peeples had spoken in declaring Obama as the Democratic Candidate?  So why do I hear that Billary Clinton is going to be up for grabs as the cadidate at the DNC?   Let me guess?  The Bush/Clinton Czarship got together and decided this?  This stinks and you Americans know it! Obama does represent true change, but the powers that be don’t like this!  As usual, political games win out over what the people want!  Too bad.  If you Democrats can’t stop infighting, you we will have four more years of Bush stupidity under a Republican regime that is convinced that might is right.  If I were you, I would fear that!

Blast From The Past!

I just came across this poster for the “Original Battlestar Galactica” movie.  Wow… It was presented in Academy Award Winning “Sensurround!”

I love the part that says, “Two years in the making… Presented at a cost of $14,000,000!”

They were probably thinking, “So come watch this damn movie or we’re royally screwed!”

Todd Bentley Steps Down From “Fresh Fire”

As any readers of this blog know, I have been highly critical of Todd Bentley and his ministry, especially during the so called Lakeland Revival.  However, it is with some sadness that I read in the Province Newspaper today that Bentley has admitted to an “inappropriate relationship” with a female staff member, and has stepped down as the Director of Fresh Fire Ministries.  The report went on to say that Bentley and his wife are having a difficult time in their relationship, and are currently separated.

I don’t think anyone should be boasting about this.  However, many people did see this coming.  The kind of self promotion that many saw happening usually precludes a fall like this.  I should know, it happened to me many years ago.  Whether or not one agreed with Bentley’s doctrine, there are now thousands of people affected by this.  The Lakeland meetings attracted over 300,000 people from all over the world.  Those people have got to be questioning their faith, I would imagine.  The fall out from this will undoubtedly have an affect on countless churches as well.  I’m also sure that ardent Bentley supporters will blame those of us that criticized what was happening at his meetings.  Everyone, including Todd Bentley, needs to realize that we as individuals are responsible for our own actions.

The article did not say what the “inappropriate relationship” entailed, beyond saying that it was an emotional relationship with a female staffer and I refuse to speculate beyond that. I can only hope for the best for Todd and his family, and everyone involved in this mess.

You can read the statement from the Fresh Fire Board of Directors here:

http://www.freshfire.ca/

Rick Warren… Caught in a Lie… Updated

Update:

I have just watched Rick Warren on Larry King Live, and must say that I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Warren stated that he was not aware that John McCain was not in the shielded green room, and was in fact unaware that he had left the building and returned to his limo.  What I did find hard to swallow was that it was his belief that McCain did not listen to the live broadcast while he was in that limo.  All of these politicians are looking for an edge to best the other, so why would McCain NOT watch the broadcast?  Given most politicians’ propensity to lie, why should we believe McCain when he says he did not watch?

When I first heard that Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church, one of America’s largest churches, invited Barack Obama and John McCain to respond to questions in a public forum, I thought, “Great idea!”  Now, it seems that  that great idea was another ploy by the religious right to push their political agenda.  Prior to the debate, listeners were told that John McCain was in a “cone of silence”, a room that was shielded from hearing any questions that Barack Obama was asked by Warren.  It has now come to light in a CNN interview, that the “cone of silence” was McCain’s limo, which incidentally includes a Television set, where presumably McCain got a chance to listen to the questions, and responses of Barack Obama.  No wonder McCain appeared so polished!  He had already heard the questions!  Shame on you Rev. Warren!

One more thing, Rick Warren is the author of “The Purpose Driven Life.”  In this case, it seems his purpose is to help get another Republican neo-con into the White House.   A Republican neo-con that will have America begging for the good ol’ days under George W. Bush by the sounds of things!

Move Over Spirit and Opportunity, The Europeans Are Coming… And It Looks Awesome!

Check out the Rover that the European Space Agency plans to send to Mars in 2013.  I wish my car looked this awesome!

Check out the whole story at:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_11-8-2008-10-34-56?newsid=42354

I Really, Really, Really Want to Believe

I would like to believe that UFO’s are alien space ships visiting our planet.  I would like to believe that lake monsters such as the Loch Ness Monster, and BC’s own Ogopogo that is said to reside in Lake Okanagan are an undiscovered prehistoric animal surviving from the age of dinosaurs.  I would also like to believe that Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, as he is more commonly known, roams the most remote parts of our wilderness.

So, it was with great interest that I read a story about two Georgia (USA) men who claimed that they had actual evidence of Bigfoot.  In fact, they claimed, it’s body was frozen in a freezer, and they claimed to have DNA samples that would prove the existence of this mysterious creature once and for all.

Two days ago, the men, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, held a press conference, where they presented three fuzzy pictures, said to be the creature, and the supposed DNA evidence.  The DNA was analyzed by a U of Minn. scientist, who found that one sample came from a human, and the other from an opossum.  Hardly the “smoking gun” proof of Bigfoot.  Unbelievably, Whitton and Dyer  claimed that this is what the Bigfoot must have consumed before it died!  What about those pictures?  Well, when compared to an off the shelf Halloween ape costume, that anyone can buy, there is no noticeable difference.  One more thing.  This “body” was supposedly found in a remote wooded area in Northern Georgia.  The two are keeping the location a secret supposedly to protect these creatures in their habitat.  Surely, if they were honest, they would report the location to biologists, zoologists and other reputable scientists so that these creatures can be cataloged, studied, and ultimately protected, since they would obviously be endangered.

So, the search goes on, and will likely continue for a very long time.  I think, we as humans have an innate need to believe in the unknown.  Maybe the monsters of our imagination say something more about ourselves than anything else.

Why I Blog

I guess this is really the first posting where I really drop my defenses.  I have been pondering the question, “Why Do I Blog?”

I guess there are many reasons why people blog.  For some, they desire to share details about their lives that others may find interesting or inspiring.  Others just need to rant about issues, either in their own lives, or the world around them.  Still others have a desire to share their writing talents with others.

I suppose, for me, it goes deeper than that.  For me, blogging is therapy.  I have struggled with clinical depression since late adolescence.  Depression can be an insidious monster.  It hides in the recesses of our minds, taunting us every moment of the day.  Unlike the monsters that hid under our beds or in our closets as children, this monster is real, and, unless treated, does not go away.  Until the development of the newer SSRI drugs, my depression went untreated.  It was a living nightmare, both for myself and those around me.

During my fervent Christian years, attending various churches, I found that depression was something one did not talk about.  In the various faith groups I was part of over the years, depression was probably one of the most misunderstood conditions.  I will never forget being told that the way I was feeling was my fault.  A Christian should not feel that way, because they had Jesus in them, and the joy of the Lord was to be their strength. Then there were the ones that blamed the devil.  It was all the devil’s fault.  It was lack of faith.  It was because of sin in my life.  Finally, I just gave up trying to find solace in the church, even though I went to a Christian College and eventually went into ministry for a few years.  Depression was something that I learned to keep in the closet.  However, it never stayed in that closet.  It would come out behind closed doors, manifest in many ways.  Perhaps the most destructive way was the self loathing that went along with it.  If one tells himself that he is useless and no good enough times, they will believe it.  Combine that with the stress of a rough marriage, the birth of a physically and mentally handicapped child, plus a work injury that has caused much pain, and left me unable to work, and you have a recipe for disaster, that almost cost me my life.

Eventually, I came to realize that depression was not my fault.  Depression was not Gods fault.  It wasn’t some imaginary bogey man’s fault.  It was a disease caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.  It was a physical ailment much like diabetes, or other physical ailments.  I also found that depression could be treated.  I also found that some things I had tried desperately to hang onto in my life needed to be let go.  Toxic relationships.  Toxic faith.  Toxic belief systems about myself and others.  Getting the correct treatment has made a huge difference.  (Although it did take awhile.)

All of this leads to to my question: “Why Do I Blog?”  This question was inspired by a comment a close friend made about not understanding why people blog, or why they feel the need to blog.  I’m not sure, but I get the impression they were of the opinion that people just wanted their 15 minutes of fame.  The reason I blog is that it is good therapy.  When I prepared messages or lessons, I had to call upon a certain amount of creativity to do that.  Tat creativity does not all of a sudden leave a person because they are no longer doing what they did.  I found that keeping that creativity pent up was leading to further depression.  So, for me, blogging is good therapy.  I’m not the best blogger.  I’m not the most talented writer.  But it is an outlet, and hopefully others can learn something or I can learn from them.

A note about depression: How to identify depression in yourself or others

Feelings of sadness that are not normally experienced lasting longer than a few weeks.

Feelings of hopelessness.

Suicidal thoughts.

Changes in behavior or thinking patterns (constant negative self talk).

These are just some indicators of depression in an individual.  If these are things you struggle with, a trip to your doctor may be the best thing you have ever done.  Don’t let others tell you it’s all your fault.  It’s not!  Depression is treatable.  My depression is now under control and in “remission.”  I will probably be taking medication for life because it was untreated for so long.  If caught early enough, one may only require the medication for a short period of time.

Bono, Get a Pair of Headphones!

I absolutely love U2, they are my favorite band of all time, but when I read this today, I almost fell on the floor laughing.  It seems that the man himself, Bono, was so taken with their soon to be released new album, “No Line On The Horizon”, that he decided to play it loud on his stereo.  It just so happened that a man was walking by Bono’s Villa in the South of France when he heard the Voice.  Realizing what he was hearing he pulled out a camcorder and recorded 4 tracks from the album and released them on YouTube.  From what I have heard from those who have listened to the songs, it sounds like this is going to be a great album.  I can’t wait til November!

BTW, I have not heard the tracks, not because I didn’t try, the sound has been disabled.

Excuse Me, My Irony Meter Just Imploded…

I’d just sat down to peruse the toobs, when I saw this on the BBC News Website:

US Demands Russian Troop Pull-Out

US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice has demanded that Russian forces withdraw from Georgia Immediately

I love this quote by Pres. Bush, who accused Russia of:

Bullying and intimidation…

He then said:

Russia must respect the freedom of its neighbors.

I don’t know everything that went down between Georgia and Russia.  However, one thing I do know is this: Maybe George W. Bush, or anyone from his regime Administration are not the best people for telling other nations that just happen to invade other nations what they should or should not be doing.