I Am Healed!

Discernment’s best use is not to identify junk in a person. In fact, it’s really a corruption of this gift when we use it to list someone’s faults and foibles and demand that they change.

Its best use is to see past the junk to identify and prophetically call forth the treasure that God has placed in a person. (There is treasure in each of us – and it’s the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out).

Often this results in a process beginning in which that treasure begins to manifest… which brings that junk (demons, hindrances, lies, hurts, wounds, etc) to the surface so that it can be pushed out of the way or shed (that’s the refiner’s fire!).

If we focus on demons and lies, it becomes about demons and lies. Therefore if discernment and deliverance are all about “identifying and dealing with junk”, we have focused wrongly… lost the plot… corrupted the gift. When we deal with a problem from a second-heaven perspective, we get a second-heaven answer to “need”.

But if we honor God and His creation, it remains about Him. People have inherent value… so why do we concern ourselves with that which has no value? Discernment and deliverance are righteousness, peace, and joy in Holy Spirit – they are the Kingdom of God being made manifest in the sons of God. It’s a third-heaven answer which supercedes the second-heaven problem with the compassion and power of God.

“Deliverance” is “Refinement”… it’s the process by which we are continually made more like Him. An artist who is painting spends time studying what they want to paint and gazing upon that object. They don’t look at something else and say, “I don’t want to paint *that*.” And so in our own lives, if we’re being transformed and helping others to be transformed, what are we spending our time gazing on? Trash or treasure? That which we focus on commands the greatest detail in the painting…

Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand…
(Yes… I am…will you join me?)

Follows is an update from Pastor Bill Johnson regarding Todd Bentley. This is SO encouraging and we thank God for Todd’s restoration and the work that He is doing in and through Todd -

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Family,

Several of the members of Revival Alliance flew to Lakeland, Florida, in 2008 both to observe and bless what God was doing through Todd Bentley. He was taking a lot of hits from highly respected leaders pertaining to that outpouring. We went there to lend our support and possibly add our strengths to the movement. We have all been on the receiving end of similar accusations against what God was doing in our ministries and churches. Each of us had developed a friendship and an informal partnership with Todd over the years. We have had great respect for the gift and anointing upon his life.

Before the Lakeland Revival, I had not only worked with Todd in ministry but also met with him, along with some of the core staff from Fresh Fire Ministry, to help him in the broken areas of his marriage. He was advised to cut back on ministry and get help. He did as was requested.

Fast forward: I was assured that there was great improvement in the Bentley marriage. Todd started to travel again with great breakthrough anointing. Lakeland actually started fairly soon after his return to travel. The outpouring happened exactly as had been prophesied. Interestingly, after some time in the revival, the same prophet who had prophesied the revival also warned of its collapse if Todds personal issues weren’t addressed properly.

Within days of Revival Alliance’s time in Lakeland, Todd’s marriage imploded. Both prophetic words were true. We were all grieved for the effect it would have on people who had been touched by Todd’s ministry, especially the young people who looked to Todd as an example to follow. The consequences could be devastating. We grieved over the effect it would have on the Lakeland outpouring, itself, as well as outpourings in general. Our hearts go out to those who have given themselves to unselfishly serve the great work of God only to be let down by its leader. We grieved especially for Todd and his family, who would suffer from the choices that were made.

Immediate prayers were offered up for all of the above. Repentance would be needed. Deep repentance. The Revival Alliance team felt it best that I be the one to represent them because of my history with Todd and my involvement with the marriage issues.

My heart has always been for Todd the person, not the ministry. He’s a friend. Ministry is supposed to come out of who we are, not what we can do through our spiritual gifts. In the time that has passed since the initial breakup, I have never met with Todd wanting to get him back in the pulpit. I’ve only met with him and prayed for him to see him healthy, knowing the rest will take care of itself.

Rick has the experience in restoration and the “community” setting that would be good for Todd. He is a trusted friend, one of the few I know with the experience needed to work in such a high profile case. (There is such a temptation in high profile cases to make decisions according to how they appear to others, and not directly with the fallen person in mind. People who are moved by the opinions of others work to appease the media and/or the Christian critics instead of working to restore. Rick is more resistant to that temptation than anyone I know. It was and is a necessary trait if we want to see true restoration.)

Over the last three years, I have met with Todd on several occasions, as well as with Rick and Todd together. Rick and I have also talked privately, as he has worked hard to include me on critical issues. It’s not been a lot. But they have both worked to keep me in touch. But it needs to be clear Rick and his team are the spear point of this process.

Rick has worked with Todd over every accusation that has been brought up. He has mentioned to me on several occasions that Todd has responded very well to each situation. He has been extremely transparent and repentant over his issues. Necessary steps are always taken to make sure Todd is able to clean up his mess.

Rick called me a while back saying that he wanted to start to use Todd in ministry in a safe place. The safe place idea was for Todd’s sake. The perfect setting for this is, of course, Morningstar Ministry. This is where Rick could observe and monitor Todd’s progress, or, on the other hand, see areas that need attention. Rick has told me many times how encouraged he has been with Todd’s personal transformation as well as some positive changes in ministry.

The next step has been to release Todd to minister with trusted friends who could benefit from and help in the process of Todd’s restoration. This is in process right now, and the fruit has been good. I have now ministered with Todd in both settings, Morningstar and at a conference in Texas. It was good to see Todd in ministry again. He handled himself well and functioned under great anointing, and much more out of “rest.” The fruit of the ministry was very good.

I have been involved from day one, although at quite a distance, both geographically and in time spent. Whenever I’m with Todd, I talk to him about his family. It’s not that he needs reminding that that is an area that needs attention. It is in his heart. I just want to make sure that he is doing everything necessary to serve his family well in this very difficult situation. Todd has always responded well to my questions. I’ve been very happy with his sense of responsibility in that area.

One of the more important contacts in this process has been with Brent Borthwick. He is Shonnah’s pastor. Brent is a trusted personal friend of mine and represents Todd’s ex-wife and kids with compassion and wisdom. He has spent time with Todd since his move to Morningstar and has affirmed that from his point of view, Todd is doing well. He also told me he was pleased at how much at peace Todd seemed to be. Brent’s perspective is important to me, for obvious reasons. He was also able to verify that Todd has taken care of Shonnah and the kids financially in an honorable way and continues to do so.

I am pleased with Todd’s progress as a person, and now as a minister of the gospel. He is more at peace with himself than any time I’ve known him. Most of all, I am thrilled with the job Rick and the Morningstar team have done in serving Todd and trust Rick’s perspective. Todd needed a great leader to stand up with him and for him, but he also needed to fit into a community of believers that would be honest and confronting when needed. This has been provided for him.

How long should it take for someone who has fallen to be restored to ministry? I wish I knew. I had a more absolute answer to that question before I had much experience. After many years now of working with broken people, I no longer know have a set time in mind. Every situation is different. The advice I’ve heard has ranged from “he should never be in ministry again” to “immediately-once forgiven a person should get back to what they’re called to do.” I don’t like either of those answers.

Some have called for extreme punishment. It’s been said, “We must make an example out of Todd.” But if we’re honest, punishment isn’t really for the person who sinned. It is really to make the punisher feel better about the situation for which they have no control. As those who work with broken people we have responsibility for Todd and his family but also for the impact on the body of Christ. Whatever we do, it must be redemptive in nature for all of the above.

I don’t want to do anything that will cause young people to think they can intentionally sin, say they’re sorry, and go about life as though nothing happened. That is so far from reality. Sin has consequences that must not be ignored. (I don’t say this to imply that Todd has taken his sin or situation flippantly. I don’t believe that is true. It is just a possible message I don’t want to convey when we release a person back into ministry.) On the other hand, I also don’t want to miss the chance to demonstrate what the grace of God looks like. There are so many that are in Todd’s position that need to know that God forgives and restores. People need permission to truly live as though they are forgiven. That is the greater story.

In conclusion, I recommend Todd to you, believing that you will be blessed and encouraged by his ministry. But perhaps even more important is the fact that Todd will be a reminder to us that it is possible to stand after such a great fall. We all live by grace, and only by grace. We desperately need examples of those who have walked in integrity all of their lives. But when there is sin, we need examples of restoration to bring hope to the broken people, many of whom are in our congregations. God will use Todd to be a message of restoration.

Blessings!!

Bill Johnson

Bethel Church

Redding, California 96003

Reactions to my reading of Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” have been interesting… ranging from, “Cool, glad you finally read it!” to “Wait – you won’t call it heresy? You must be “one of them” too!”

I may be a heretic, but not of the sort that Bell is accused of being. Jesus is Lord, He’s the only way to the Father, and I do believe in a literal, eternal, heaven and hell.

I really want to understand where Bell is coming from, though. Why, reading the same Book that you and I do, did he arrive at the conclusion that hell may not be an eternal state of existence?

One of the reasons I found myself liking Rob Bell is because he asks the questions… and they are important questions, THE important questions, because they tend to come back to, “Who is God? Who are you?” … that foundation shapes not only our theology but our actions, ethics, and abilities. The answer to those question either limits and imprisons us, or it frees us to be who God called us to be.

But I was thinking about all of that in the middle of the night. A question that Bell asked in an interview with Warnock haunted me. He was talking about hell (which he DOES believe in) and eternity (it’s that, that he has a different take on), and saying basically (this is a paraphrase), “God would keep a person who sinned for a few short years in hell, with no opportunity to repent and come to Christ… what does that say about the nature of God?”

Who is God?

Something about that question bugged me. And still does. In the middle of the night, what echoed through my mind was, “Is it really about the nature of God? What does that say about the nature of death?”

Just some more to muse on. Scripture immediately comes flying to mind and I need to chew on it for a while.

I also read an interesting quote on a Bell supporter’s blog that led me to a well-written review of Love Wins by George P. Wood on Amazon. He disagrees with Bell but does it with a grace that is rarely seen. (Thank you George!)

Bell’s underlying premise is that because Heaven is a “now” sort of place, hell is too… and people create the hell they live in. By choosing anything but Jesus, they create all sorts of strife and that continues even after death. But this is redemptive, not punitive, in nature and as such, those in hell can choose Jesus at any time, leave hell, and occupy heaven.

Wood makes an excellent point – so excellent, in fact, that I’m going to simply copy the tail end of his review (but I’m going to split it into two paragraphs for emphasis):

For Bell, there does not seem to be a definitive turning point, a crisis moment where destinies are finalized. Hell, especially, is temporal and remedial. How long one spends there depends on how long one resists God’s love. “Hell is our refusal to trust God’s retelling of our story.” Bell draws attention to Revelation 21:25, which says of the New Jerusalem: “On no day will its gates ever be shut.” Then he writes: “That’s a small detail, and its’ important we don’t get too hung up on details and specific images because it’s possible to treat something so literally that it becomes less true in the process. But gates, gates are for keeping people in and keeping people out. If the gates are never shut, then people are free to come and go.” Bell sees this as an image of hope. Those who have chosen hell can choose heaven.

Logically, though, the image contains a note of despair, for what stops a person who has chosen heaven from choosing hell? Absent the precipitating event of Christ’s second coming and the final judgment, it seems to me that life as Rob Bell portrays it will always be an ongoing struggle between heaven and hell, with no guarantee of a final resolution.

And if that’s the case, in what sense does love actually win?