Restoration without Repentance

[stephen]

RESTORATION WITHOUT REPENTANCE

Todd Bentley, the evangelist at the "Lakeland [Florida] Outpouring" stepped down after sin in his life was revealed. On August 15, 2008, the Board of Directors of Fresh Fire Ministries issued the following press release:

"Todd Bentley has agreed to step down from his position on the Board of Directors and to refrain from all public ministry for a season to receive counsel in his personal life." Unless You Repent....

Lack of accountability has been a common feature of of these purported revivals. The situation has not improved. The following comments from Elijah List prophet Steve Shultz appeared in their March 10, 2009 email newsletter:

"God chooses to use imperfect people...even while He fully knows the mistakes we might soon choose to make. This does not make our mistakes okay, and it does not mean God planned our mistakes either....Let us learn. A good place to start is taking a good, hard look in the mirror..............

In 1990, during a time I was extremely judgmental of all who didn't see every doctrine exactly as I saw it, I was given a profound dream. In it, an old-fashioned revivalist, Charles Finney walked up to me and said, 'Don't even judge Jim Jones,' and he held a mirror to my face...."

One of Todd Bentley's "mistakes," was being unfaithful to his wife.

During his "restoration," Bentley divorced his wife and married the woman with whom he had an affair. How do we love "a fallen soldier-in-arms?" According to Proverbs 27:9, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Contrary to Scripture, the Elijah List writer tells us revivalist Charles Finney instructs, "don't even judge Jim Jones."

Not judge Jim Jones? As has been documented, "Jim Jones started out claiming that he was 'The Great Prophet Of God.'

After time, even that exalted title was not lofty enough, so he told his congregation one day that God had revealed to him that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Lenin." Not judge?

For the sake of the sheep we must report that some follow "another Jesus" (2 Corinthians 11:4), of whom Paul faithfully warned the Church."

 

[Coconut]

For the sake of the sheep we must report that some follow "another Jesus" (2 Corinthians 11:4), of whom Paul faithfully warned the Church."

amen Brother amen!

 

[shipwrecksoul]

RESTORATION WITHOUT REPENTANCE

A paradox in the light of Acts 20:21. Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Why are believers more and more going to non repentance?
Last week I was walking past the post office and saw the man I usually talk to. He is 80+ active years old, from the Bible belt, and he was shipping out bibles, unloading them from his truck. And we got to talking as we normally do. The subject went towards politics in which we talked about the debate that the two runner ups had at Rick Warrens church. This 80 year old man then asked me did if I read the book by Rick Warren “The Purpose Driven Life.’ He told me it was the greatest Christian book he ever read and that all churches should read it. I was astounded! I could not believe it. He saw the look in my eyes and asked me what was wrong. I told him that in the book he was promoting that there was no where that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned. He, remember this man is from the Bible belt, was offended and said I was not showing love and that I was narrow minded to not allow all forms of ministry. I told him that I could not believe that he would accept someone’s book without the book sharing the Gospel, how can you have a purpose driven life without being born again? Da. I told him that he knew better than that. I saw him even convicted by God on what was said.
With all this said now a lot of people just want love love love with no direction. This is happening more and more in churches. They are throwing out truth for love and throwing out holiness for compromise. So when a leader in the church does fall down it’s not a matter of looking towards ourselves in the mirror as written above but looking to the Lord in his remedy for the problem.
Just like that guy named Ted Haggard, a Pastor in a very large church who got caught in a homosexual affair. You mean to tell me that none of the other Pastors, that he worked with, did not know that there was something terribly wrong with their main Pastor. They closed their eyes because they were looking at themselves in the mirror instead of looking to Christ remedy for edifying the church. Out of love the other Pastors could have, way before the affair, confronted Ted and asked him to step down out of love for the church. But this did not happen because again they were looking towards their nature or sad to say they had no backbone for the truth of God’s word!
So with all the inadequacies written above and with the solutions do you see why the church today negate repentance with restoration?


This way we can love a fallen soldier in arms and not assassinate him because we are inept in our walk for true love by Christ Jesus!

 

[stephen]

With all this said now a lot of people just want love love love with no direction. This is happening more and more in churches. They are throwing out truth for love and throwing out holiness for compromise. So when a leader in the church does fall down it’s not a matter of looking towards ourselves in the mirror as written above but looking to the Lord in his remedy for the problem.

You are correct dear brother.........I agree with what you say here.

Surely the world is ripe for a harvest of Salvation in Jesus.......My church is praying for such in our area of England.

God bless you...as He does I am sure

 

[Trishann]

I hear this time and time again,
What happen to the respect and fear of God?

God Bless, Trish

 

[True Christian]

Well, this is good to discuss. While I do not criticize people, it is right to discuss with Christians, the understanding of these false doctrines and lifestyles.

I had to really pray for months about these people, and Father showed me much. I heard of people who raved about Bentley, and after much research and prayer, concluded that he is in serious error. This was three years ago, before all of this sin. I only learned of his 2008 sin today, as I did not need to think about him.

I scarcely know where to begin. We know, that the enemy tries to bring counterfeits to what God is in fact, doing. Since many believers have been improperly trained, they fashion onto someone who tickles their ears.

In early 2008 I did something rare for me, I sent an email to a few people whom I know, warning of this man. One person I know in South Africa, wrote back to me, defending Bentley with "God is sovereign and uses people as He wants..."

So, now I found out that he divorces his wife, marries someone else, and will not submit to proper counsel and love. I long for Christians to be discerning and to admit they were wrong to follow the likes of Bentley.

He is a false revivalist, and is a major cause of why true ministers of the Gospel are largely discounted today.

I thank God for His faithfulness, and for sending true servants to His people and to the world.

 

[jiggyfly]

Good post Stephen, taking a close look at the word restoration means to return something or someone to a previous state, which in these cases would still leave them in a state of spiritual immaturity. They were never mature enough to be leaders in the ekklesia to start with.

Tis one way to discern the difference between the carnal christian religious institution and the ekklesia that Jesus is building.

These people mentioned were spiritually immature and should not have been leading anyone. It is also revealing of all the so-called leaders that endorsed them. Blind leading the blind, babies raising babies.

This all is very indicative of the state of misguidedness of the Christian believers. People really would rather have a man to lead them, the ole "give us a king like all the other nations" mentality. Yet the scriptures are full of instruction and encouragement about being led by HolySpirit.