Todd Bentley: Preaching the Gospel 'Won't Win Souls'

Kingdom Rising or self-rising kingdom?

by Bud Press, Director

Christian Research Service

April 28, 2009

 

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For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of,

for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not

preach the gospel. -Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:16

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Years ago, a Christian strolled into a Christian bookstore, browsed the many shelves of reading materials, and noticed M. Scott Peck's book, The Road Less Traveled on a special display. He began thumbing through its pages.

 

The book might be a good read, thought the Christian. After all, it has its own special display and is on the Best Seller list. So, It must be okay.

 

But as the Christian soon learned, The Road Less Traveled wasn't okay, for within its pages he found that: 

 

M. Scott Peck (now deceased) was a bonafide New Ager and taught that "God wants us to become Himself (or Herself or Itself). We are growing toward God. God is the goal of evolution" (p. 270); that "we can define spiritual growth as the growth or evolution of consciousness" (p. 280); and that "to put it plainly, our unconscious is God. God within us. We are part of God all the time. God has been with us all along, is now, and always will be" (p.281).

 

Peck's statements disturbed the Christian. Equally disturbing was that the book was being advertised and promoted within a Christian bookstore.

 

It wasn't necessary for the Christian to purchase and read the entire book to know it was New Age blasphemy, and extremely dangerous to the spiritual welfare of the believer. All it took was a few statements.

 

But when the statements were pointed out to the bookstore manager, the manager returned the book to its special display. The manager maintained that The Road Less Traveled was a runaway success...It helped pay the bills and draw customers into the store...Many professing Christians loved it.

 

"Just pick out the good and throw away the bad," said the manager.

 

As the Christian walked out of the bookstore he replied, "True Christians don't believe they can evolve into God, nor do they refer to God as 'her' or 'it.' A New Age 'god' can't save anyone."

 

The Christian bookstore manager shrugged his shoulders, and waited on a customer browsing the special display for The Road Less Traveled.

 

For the discerning Christian, sometimes all it takes is one sentence, one paragraph, or one page out of the book or article to know something is wrong.

 

While Todd Bentley's latest book, Kingdom Rising: Making the Kingdom Real in Your Life, doesn't term God as a "her" or "it," or state that "God is the goal of evolution," it does, however, contain his latest endeavor to spread his version of the gospel of the kingdom--which the reader will soon learn is a false gospel.

 

Published in October 2008 by Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., an introductory statement on the back cover claims that the "radical and biblically sound teaching" within Kingdom Rising "will ignite a roaring passion for Jesus within the hearts of believers for the glory of God" (book on file).

 

Is the book Biblically sound? No! But it is radical; so radical that on one page Bentley maintains the gospel can be preached "all day long, but that won't win souls." On the same page, when supposedly confronted by gangsters in a South African ghetto, Bentley guaranteed that if God didn't "touch" them, he would agree with them that "God isn't real."

 

But more on that later.

 

Kingdom Rising takes up where Bentley's books, Journey Into The Miraculous (January 2008) and The Reality of the Supernatural World (June 2008) left off. Within the two pages of Acknowledgements, Bentley issues a special thanks to his "beautiful wife, Shonnah" and his parents Darcia and Dave, and credits Bob Jones, Bill Johnson, Patricia King, Heidi Baker, James Goll, Mahesh Chavda, and Che Ahn for their encouragement, mentoring, counsel, and inspiration. Bentley also credits his writer and editor Shae Cooke, the folks at Fresh Fire (now Transformed International), and individuals at Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.  

 

With the Todd-friendly Foreword by Bill Johnson and exuberant endorsements from Bob Jones and Heidi Baker, Kingdom Rising is destined to mimic its sister books, in that it will cause innocent and unwary believers to stumble, and subtly draw those searching for truth away from the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ.

  

While discerning Christians will be quick to spot the vast difference between the Biblical gospel and the counterfeit within Kingdom Rising, those with little or no discernment will be introduced to a false gospel the Apostle Paul warned about in Galatians 1:6-9: 

 

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 

 

Note that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write the word accursed twice.

 

God's written word is crystal clear: those who preach a false gospel are under a divine curse (anathema). In the end, a false gospel is a terrible waste of time, ink, and breath, and has not the power to bring the lost to repentance. A false gospel leads the lost down the wide path of destruction. A false gospel is always overshadowed and energized by Satan and his false apostles, deceitful workers, and false servants (2 Corinthians chapter 11).

 

Like the Christian who discerned New Age beliefs within M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled, one need not read Kingdom Rising from cover-to-cover to learn how twisted and dangerous Todd Bentley's teachings on the gospel are. In this case, all it will take is one page to spot the serious errors. 

 

To prove this point, midway down on page 67, Bentley claims that during a mission trip, he and his team encountered drug addicts and gangsters while preaching in the ghettos of South Africa. According to Bentley, he and his team "saw many" come to know the "Jesus of power," while others "came to know the Savior" after falling under the "power."  

 

Although Bentley's visit to the ghettos and encounter with gangsters may be a true story, it is how he chose to handle a specific group of gangsters that is disturbing. Bentley writes:

But just behind us on a hill were about 30 gangsters taunting and mocking these people. I called them out and said, "You don't believe all this?"

 

Several replied, "No, we don't believe this, we don't believe in God! It's all faked and staged."

 

What could I do? How could I convince them? Would preaching more convince them? Would a lesson in theology convince these violent youth and drug addicts? I thought not. I called them over and said, "Fine, that's what you believe, but line up right here and let me lay hands on you. Watch how God will touch you. I guarantee that if God doesn't touch you, that I will say that God isn't real." [emp. added]

Next, in the last paragraph on page 67, Bentley claims the gangsters "lined up and the Holy Spirit smacked them," and "Whoosh. Down they all went, laid out under His power, and every one of them got saved."

 

Of course, it isn't sharing Jesus Christ with the lost in ghettos, or having confidence in God's ability to save, sanctify, and redeem gangsters that is disturbing (indeed, the burden of sin and the need for the Savior has brought many a hardened criminal to their knees in repentance). What is disturbing is Todd Bentley's stating that, "I guarantee that if God doesn't touch you, that I will say that God isn't real."

 

As disturbing as the statement is, it isn't the first of its kind from Bentley:    

I didn’t try and convince them with words. I didn’t try to back it up scripturally or win them into the kingdom theologically or theorize and give an opinion. I said, "Fine. I want you to line up right now, every single one of you. I want you to line up on this hill. I am going to lay hands on you and you watch because God is going to touch you. I guarantee it. If God doesn’t touch you, then God isn’t real." And so they all lined up and the Holy Ghost smacked them! They began to be laid out under the power and they got saved! Those guys needed to experience a manifestation of the demonstration of the Spirit of God [Todd Bentley, "The Gospel Is Power-Part 1," July 31, 2006,

Both statements are equally disturbing. Also disturbing is Todd Bentley's identifying with the unbelief of the gangsters, and his belief that the gangsters needed to "experience a manifestation" over hearing the gospel.

 

Bentley claims to be a Christian, but in both statements he said he would deny the existence of God if God chose not to move in the lives of the gangsters. For a professing Christian to say or even joke around that God isn't real is blasphemy!

 

For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." (Psalm 10:3-4)

 

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good (Psalm 14:1).

 

Further, instead of preaching the Biblical gospel, planting seeds, and relying on God's will and sovereignty in the lives of the gangsters, Bentley openly admits that he "didn’t try and convince them with words." Then, Bentley states that, "I didn’t try to back it up scripturally or win them into the kingdom theologically or theorize and give an opinion."

 

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is the One Who catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again, "The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless" (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

 

Relying on his own understanding is an all too common practice with Todd Bentley. God's written word is specific:

 

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:5-7). 

  

God's guidelines for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ were established thousands of years ago, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and preached by the apostles and believers. The gospel has withstood the test of time and has survived an onslaught of atheists, cults, heretics, false prophets, and liberals.

 

The God of the Bible is exclusive. The Jesus Christ of the Bible is the risen Savior, King of kings and Lord of lords, and the only way to salvation and eternal life in heaven. Christianity is exclusive to all religions and belief systems. The Biblical Road to Salvation has led untold numbers of people worldwide to repentance, salvation, and into the kingdom of God. It isn't about us or what we say, but what God has said and established:

 

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:44).     

 

For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).

 

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). 

 

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16).

 

But preaching the Biblical gospel to the gangsters just wasn't good enough for Todd Bentley. And how did he arrive at his conclusion? Bentley provides his answer in Kingdom Rising, in the first paragraph on page 67: 

We can preach the Gospel all day long, but that won't win souls. That won't win the hearts of the people. We can talk, try to theorize, theologize, reason, argue, debate, and spend time trying to prove that Jesus lived, but that won't win a heart. How often do we see the religious mindset that believes that the more Scripture quoting, the more yelling, the more hell fire and brimstone preaching, the greater the chance to win someone over for the Kingdom? Likewise, how often do we see people sitting or standing there listening in stone-cold silence or indifference? [Todd Bentley, Kingdom Rising: Making the Kingdom Real in Your Life, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., October 2008, p. 67, emp. added]

The Bible informs us of the vast difference between Todd Bentley's methods and the Apostle Paul's:

 

And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:8-10. See also Acts 17:1-9; Acts 28:23-31).

 

Remember, within Todd Bentley's articles and books, he is the man who:

  • claims to be "baptized in the Spirit" and an anointed "forerunner" of God.

  • believes he is "invisible" to his enemies and has "supernatural intelligence" from God.

  • claims to wear the "mantle" of a prophet, evangelist, and apostle.

  • for years has boasted of angelic visitations, visits to heaven, and throne room encounters.

  • has proclaimed miraculous healings, divine revelations, and deep intimacy with God.

  • claims to have the "gift of healing" and "discernment."

  • claims to have received a "true impartation of the Spirit that brings life from the dead"--both "dead in spirit" and "dead in body."

  • claims to be healed from "every infirmity and immune from every sickness and disease."

  • claims to have walked in the Garden of Eden.

  • claims to have witnessed "Jesus" shedding blood in the Garden of Gethsemane.

  • claims to have had multiple encounters with angels, conversations with the Holy Spirit, and multiple face-to-face visits with "Jesus Christ".

Yet, despite all of Bentley's boastings and claims, when he stated "I guarantee that if God doesn't touch you, that I will say that God isn't real," and "We can preach the Gospel all day long, but that won't win souls," he revealed his true beliefs behind his statements.

 

On winning souls for Jesus Christ, here is what the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write:

 

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win (1 Corinthians 9:19-24). 

 

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

 

Thus, Bentley openly admits that preaching the gospel, being ready to preach the gospel whether it is convenient or inconvenient, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting God's written word with great patience and instruction--"won't win souls." The Apostle Paul's charges to Timothy and the church stands in stark contrast to Todd Bentley's beliefs:

 

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2). 

 

Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:14-15).

 

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith"  (Romans 1:16-17).

 

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)

  

For Todd Bentley, signs and wonders ruled the day over preaching the gospel to the gangsters--despite Jesus' warning that An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign (Matthew 16:4).

 

Todd Bentley's preoccupation with signs and wonders over the preaching the gospel shouldn't come as a surprise, for he teaches that the gospel alone isn't enough to save a soul destined for hell:

God hasn't called us just to preach the Gospel. The Gospel "package" includes performing signs and wonders. Your destiny is to be a sign and wonder! [The Reality of the Supernatural World, Destiny Image, Inc., June 2008, p. 70]

 

I'm going to make a statement that you might not believe; you might even find it offensive. Fortunately, its not just my opinion; I got it from the apostle Paul who picked it up from Jesus—so don't get upset with me! Here it is: You haven't fully preached the Gospel of Christ if you haven't done it with miracles, signs, and wonders [Ibid., p. 71] 

In my ministry, I teach my disciples, "Power first, then the Word. Go in and prophesy first, or demonstrate the power of God first in some way." [Ibid., p. 72]

 

Does this mean that every Christian who has preached the gospel--without the signs and wonders "package"--has misled the lost and wasted their time? God's written word disagrees with Todd Bentley. The following articles will help illustrate this important point:

 

ISAIAH 53: "BY HIS STRIPES I AM HEALED"

 

Closing comments...  

 

Words are important. Words that sound "Christian" may not be Christian at all. Doctrines that seem "Biblical" may originate from doctrines of demons. Words and doctrines are to be tested by what God has already established in His written word:

 

But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).

 

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God (3 John 1:11).

 

So important are words that the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to issue the following words of warning to those who preach false doctrines: 

 

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

 

Jesus Christ declared sound words, encouraging words, words of warning, and words of truth and righteous judgment. His words are pure and perfect, and will endure forever. Who better to believe in than the sinless Savior?

 

Todd Bentley is a man of many words and claims. But unlike Jesus Christ, Bentley's words are carefully interlaced with incredible deception and blasphemy. His book, Kingdom Rising betrays the pure and perfect words of Jesus Christ.

 

Heretics and false prophets are their own worst enemy. They condition and desensitize their followers over a period of time to believe their words--even over the Bible. They are the deceived leading the deceived, the blind leading the blind. When left unchecked, they will shipwreck the faith of a believer and drive the unsaved further away from the true God of the Bible (Matthew 23:13-36). 

 

No Christian in their right mind would knowingly lead a fellow Christian or the unsaved into the tangled realm of deception, nor would a right-minded Christian advise anyone to "Just pick out the good and overlook the bad" or "Eat the meat and throw away the bones." Indeed, if a person's beliefs and doctrinal "meat" are tainted or rotten, both the meat and the bones must be rejected.

 

But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13). 

 

Over the years, Todd Bentley's words clearly demonstrate a progression of deception (2 Timothy 3:13), much of which he accumulated over a period of time from the grooming, mentoring, and counseling of his heretical peers. What began with his reading of Benny Hinn's Good Morning, Holy Spirit has erupted into a cult-like mentality, as well as a cult-like adoration from his devoted followers.

 

And as far as Bentley's devoted followers are concerned, heresy, false prophecy, in-your-face egregious sin, and even blasphemy can be nonchalantly explained away to their satisfaction. They fail to realize that their minds have been dumb-downed to accept virtually anything that rolls off of Todd Bentley's lips. 

 

Todd Bentley's kingdom is self-rising. His gospel of the kingdom is a kingdom he has established and not from God's written word, the Bible. Yet, despite all of his false teachings, false prophecies, and ungodly claims, actions, and antics, Bentley is being "restored" under the heretical umbrella of Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson, and Jack Deere.

 

A New Ager cannot groom and mentor the unsaved into the kingdom of heaven. A Mormon cannot groom and mentor a Mormon in the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ. A Jehovah's Witness cannot groom and mentor a Jehovah's Witness on the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Thus, it is impossible for a false teacher to be groomed and mentored by false teachers, and be "restored" by false teachers.

 

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see

the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake (2 Corinthians 4:1-5). 

 

Therefore, the question of the hour is: What exactly is Todd Bentley being restored to?

 

 

 

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