Todd Bentley & His Anointed Kidneys

I’ve been listening to Todd Bentley in Lakeland, FL recently via Bentley’s podcasts. Two days ago, I listened to the Lakeland message from April 11, 2008. Aside from the rank Word of Faith nonsense (something I may post on soon), I was struck with… Holy Laughter?… by the following:

Bob Jones told me one time, he said, “The anointing works in the kidneys - the fat, the kidneys, the adrenaline - it works through the kidneys.” He said, “Kidneys are connected to the anointing. If you wanna see someone persevere (preserve?) an anointing, pray for their kidneys.” People are praying from my kidneys, and I get full (?) - it’s instant. There’s something about eating the fat of the kidneys in the Bible. The anointing is in the kidney - it’s in the fat.

- Todd Bentely, Lakeland Revival (April 11, 200

If you look closely into this kidney’s renal medulla, you can actually see the anointing!

I know ostensibly reasonable and intelligent brothers and sisters in Christ who take this clown (and his circus) seriously. If any of you are reading this, please help me out. What, exactly, prevents you from laughing this fraud and heretic right off the stage? I know I’m coming at this hard and without much subtlety, but my question is earnestly posed: How do you justify lending credence to an out-and-out heretic? What is happening in Lakeland through Bentley’s “ministry” that is appealing to you?

I understand the hunger for revival (though, I think we could all use a primer on what a genuine, Holy Spirit revival actually looks like), and though I don’t share a zeal for “signs and wonders”, I can wrap my mind around that as well. But why is it that when I first encountered Bentley 3-4 years ago, my heresy sensors and B.S. radar were blown off the scales, and now he is being countenanced by a frighteningly large proportion of charismatic/pentecostal Christianity?

I truly want to understand the rational mind that swallows this junk, but I presently just don’t get it.

Faith Death

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,341869,00.html

The mother of an 11-year-old girl who died of untreated diabetes said Wednesday that she did not know her daughter was terminally ill as she prayed for her to get better.

Madeline Neumann died Sunday from a treatable form of diabetes.

…an autopsy determined Madeline died from diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment that left her with too little insulin in her body.

She had probably been ill for about 30 days, suffering symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness…

The family does not belong to an organized religion or faith, Leilani Neumann said.

“We just believe in the Bible, that’s all,” she said. “This is our faith.”

Her husband added that, “We believe the word of God and live according to its precepts.”

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I once heard Todd Bentley teach that a person’s lack of faith can forfeit a healing. He used the example of an individual being healed of some malady - I believe it was cancer - by a faith healer, and then being told the next day by a physician that the cancer was still present in the person’s body. Bentley argued that the individual now needed to decide who he would trust: man or God. If that individual allowed the physician to sow doubt in his heart, he would forfeit the healing.

So, when Benny, or Todd, or any number of other “faith healers” proclaim a healing over you, and it does not come to pass, it’s your fault.

Bentley & Co. are directly responsible for this girl’s unnecessary death. Anyone who teaches “God vs. Medicine” played a part and should repent. Shame on you, Todd.

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http://www.americaslastdays.com/?page=theyshall-leilani

The dead girl’s mother posted twice on the above site. This tragedy should awaken us to the necessity of local church membership. We need one another to bring correction and rebuke when we stray from the faith into all kinds of sillinesses that sometimes have very serious consequences.

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