Todd Bentley – The Fire-Fresh Fire
by Mike Oppenheimer
Let Us Reason Ministries
What Bentley is teaching is not new ” “ much of it can be found in the Latter Rain teachings that went through the late 40″s, 50-60″s. O.L. Jaggers taught that God is “constantly revealing His Word and giving us new truths.” This is why the Latter Rain is also called a restoration movement. Because God is still speaking they believe he is still delivering new doctrines, these are confirmed by experience.
Bentley’s ministry- Fresh fires statement of faith says.#12. “” ¦God is continually restoring truth and light to His Church. Therefore, we place no limit on further revelation; however, each must be substantiated according to the Scriptures” .
O.L. Jaggers “And if you remember, John wrote the revelation. “ ‘In the new age each man will habitually use the power of God.‘ “The habitual use, the habitual use of this power will enable each individual of the church to accomplish his own purposes. Man will regain his power and his dominion over the elements. It is accomplished, he says, by understanding how to use our inherited authority over this power of God or God power.”
This has always been about dominionism, taking dominion of the spiritual realm, angels and powers. What Satan tempted Jesus with he is using to tempt the church. You want power, I’ll give you power over more than you ever thought I’ll give you the supernatural..
Jaggers claimed: “A mighty revival time is moving around the world tonight” ¦. Ministers are becoming flames of fire under a new anointing” (O.L. Jaggers the Kingdom of God tape transcript).
The same is promised today by the Latter Rain adherents. John Arnott writes to Todd Bentley: Todd, you need to keep going in these meetings as long as the Lord is moving. I feel that this is a prophetic sign that another wave of revival is coming to North America.
If you remember, the laughing revival was released in Lakeland via Rodney Howard Browne. Randy Clark went to one of Rodney’s meetings in November 2003 in Tulsa, and came to Toronto in January of 2004, and it all broke out here.
So, the meetings starting again in Lakeland could mean that revival gets another fresh start all over the world! John Arnott, Founding Pastor Toronto Airport Christian )
The same program continuing in different clothes. What’s that saying about birds of the same feather flock together, ‚ not only is there gold- there’s feathers manifesting too.
Todd Bentley and Bob Jones: “The Third Wave is Here!’ 12 Places for Healing and Revival to Start are Mentioned–but THIS TIME IT’S GLOBAL”
Patricia King of Extreme Prophetic” tells us what’s to come “Appearances of Christ like the disciples experienced following His resurrection and like Paul experienced on the road to Damascus. He will appear to believers and non-believers. ‚ Angelic visitations, appearances, and encounters like those found in the scriptures. ‚ Third Heaven Visitations and Encounters like Moses and the 70 elders of Israel , Isaiah, Ezekiel, Paul, and John. Ascending and descending (earth to heaven and heaven to earth) like Jesus described and like the angels as seen in Jacob’s dream. ‚ Appearances of the Great Cloud of Witnesses like Jesus, Peter, James, and John experienced Walking on Water like Jesus and Peter. Transport in the Spirit through both visionary encounters and physical to physical like Ezekiel, Elijah, John, and Phillip. Walking into rooms where the doors are locked (possibly walking through walls) like Jesus. Raising the dead like Jesus did at funerals, at sickbeds, and even in graveyards. I have seen a vision of a revival of the raising of the dead. There will be an acceleration of resurrections. ‚ Witnessing numerous heavenly signs and wonders such as: manifestations of gold, silver, diamond glitter, gem stones, oil, feathers, lights, lightning’s, thundering, manna, fire” (“Patricia King’s Positional Statement on “The Spiritual Revolution” off her website)
Nearly every miracle in the Bible is listed; this is the typical view of third wave kindomizers. While God can do miracles and even have one walk on water, this is a perfect example to show how outstretched these people that are into the signs and wonders movement are. The miracle of Peter never happened again, it was not repeated by any apostle or Christian. And it was done when Jesus was physically there. It had a purpose in training the twelve who would become apostles. But there are those who think everything they have done, from Moses to Paul, we can do, and more- Because the church is being empowered to do more than any apostle or prophet ever did. Welcome the Latter Rain which is not authentic but is driven by excitement and advertising.
As many prophets of the Latter Rain persuasion are all prophesying about this we are faced with –“This Revival will NOT be stopped.
A good portion of what is taking place with Bentley sounds like Rodney Howard Browne’s encounter with the fire. Bentleys own words of in experiencing the Pillar of Fire — screaming, shaking and vibrating- The fire, the fire! Burn up my flesh! I want to feel the fire!” I was screaming” “The fire, the fire, I’m burning up! The fire is similar to what Rodney Browne said of his experience that was like the Kundalini power found in the serpent fire of Hinduism enlightenment.
Rodney Howard Browne “I cried out to God in sheer desperation. I wanted Him to manifest Himself to me and in me. I was hungry.” “As I prayed that day, I told the Lord, ‘Either you come down here and touch me, or I am going to come up there and touch you.’ I was desperate. I must have called out to God for about twenty minutes that day.”
Then one day “Suddenly the fire of God fell on me. It started on my head and went right down to my feet. His power burned in my body and stayed like that for three whole days.”
The similarities to Rodney Browne are certainly there. “I was plugged into heaven’s electric light supply…my desire has been to go and plug other people in. My whole body was on fire. (Rodney Howard Browne. “The Touch of God” pp. 73-74.)
In Bentleys experience at the hotel with his friends being caught up in visions they are being being tormented, no prophet was tortured like this from their vision or experiences. “every single person in the room starts screaming, shaking and vibrating. ” ¦I had a vision of a fire and I started yelling out “My God is a consuming fire! My God is a consuming fire!” …As I see the fire come down I scream, “The fire, the fire! Burn up my flesh! I want to feel the fire!”
The concept of electricity and fire as the Holy Spirit seems to be a common denominator in these experiences which prove they are not a biblical power but an occult one. The Bible says nothing of a fire experience like these. These are commonly found and used in other religions and the occult.
“Purification: Let the fires of divinity burn out all dross. Let the pure gold emerge. Give me the gold of living love to shower upon the sons of men.” [From Alice Bailey’s “Discipleship in the New Age; Vol. I – Instructions to Disciples”]
All this is not an original heresy, Bentley has similarities to many others, Hall, Browne, Branham, Hinn and others. From the time of Asuza street Parham promoted the ‘baptism of fire’ which came from Benjamin Irwin, founder of the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church. Teaching the ‘baptism of fire’ was a separate experience, a “third blessing” ‚ (the blessing of sinless perfection).
During the time of the Latter Rain inception to its growth in popularity and practice there were certain individuals that influenced others by their teaching and preaching. One of them was Franklin Hall, who established a major fasting and prayer revival center. Hall claimed that God gave him the new revelation to impart Holy Ghost fire.
Hall promoted the impartation of fire baptism through the laying on of hands. For instance: When intensified, the operation of the Gifts of Healing by deliverance preachers makes a person become very warm or hot, wherever the healing power operates. The sick area has a hot feeling right on and over the disease. Sometimes the heal ‚ ing fire ignites, so to speak, the very area of deadness or illness, consuming it away.” (Franklin Hall, ‘Atomic Power With God Through Fasting and Prayer’).
“I have said that impartation prayer is not really prayer, but a commanding of fire upon the person being touched by the “anointed” man of God. This, too, reflects Hall’s teaching on the ability to command fire upon those touched, describing how a skeptic was converted after having allowed Hall to lay hands on him, Hall states:
As Dr. Jumper stood before me, I commanded the Holy Ghost fire to descend and come all over him. The cloven tongues wrap around clothing did come upon nearly every part of Brother Jumper’s body. He testified to it being hot upon his physical flesh.”
Hall taught many things that were a mixture of new age and Christian ideas. There was the Holy Spirit full baptism which would give us the restoration of the lost Garments of Adam and Eve.
Bob Jones also states that his alleged healing power came upon him when he was struck by lightning and saw “a ball of fire danced all over that basement, and didn’t hurt me. But from that time forth my hands worked funny” ¦. Anytime God is going to start a fire, he starts it with lightning. And you can take a little of that fire and impart it wherever it is needed. And it will start a God’s fire” (Bob Jones, Visions and Revelations, 1988.)
There are a number of other things that seemed to work ‚ funny as well as Bible Doctrine got burnt up right on the spot.
Toronto was all about catching the fire” ¦Choo Thomas attended Toronto and later said in “1994 He anointed me my entire body with Holy Fire, then a month later, He showed me with His visual presence at the church during worship service” .
Benny Hinn’s ministry is empowered by consistent visitations and visions. Here he relates one of his heavenly visitations to Paul Crouch on TBN “One afternoon,” Hinn states, “I saw a man in my bedroom” ¦ he was wrapped in fire” ¦ He was standing about this high off the floor [motions about one foot up with hand]. His feet never touch the floor, he was wrapped in fire.“” ¦ Hinn continued to explain in graphic detail how the man on fire tried to beat the flames away.
Hinn says the Church is deficient because of the absence of a “fire” anointing. He explains:” the reason the Church has had partial liberty, is because we have not known the fullness of fire. The anointing as fire is coming to your life.” Hinn tells us that this new “fire” anointing will burn away bondage and sin.
Is the blood of Jesus Christ not sufficient to cleanse from all? ‚ (1 jn.1:9) Now we need a fire baptism to burn away sin? (1 Peter 1:18-19). Just like it was taught from the Latter Rain.
Benny Hinn often promises to give fire on people “Many of you feel a tremendous anointing on you, like fire, he repeats “fire” about a dozen times. They all go down when he says “fire on you.”
“Many of you feel the power like that of fire. Others feel like electricity just rushing through your body.” “You begin to feel a mighty fire when we’re holding the service. Some began to feel fire and warmth come on you only in the service. (Benny Hinn Honolulu Blaisdell Jan.21 1999)
Choo Thomas says of her experience “I received the fire of the Holy Spirit while I was praying at home in January 1994. About a month later, I saw the Lord’s presence while I was worshiping at the Neighborhood Assembly of God in Tacoma.”
In the Occult and Gnosticism there are teaching that angels that bring fire with them. Could this be what is taking place in these meetings that are out of order. The ascended masters: “Beings called Yan yin, Mary Diana angels of sacred fire, the legions of the angelic hosts all are called upon for service and power to release and distribute the flame.”
“The more you understand the reality and the presence, the more you can accept the presence of these healing violet flame angels, the closer, they will come and the greater their strength and power of that sacred fire wrapped around you” (I Am healing decrees Saint Germaine press 1976 p.6)
Fire what does this mean? It is not a Bible concept for the believer these occult energies are like fire. Being someone formerly in the new age movement I experienced the energy released in spiritual experiences and they are just like what I see taking place in these revivals. There is no biblical precedent for this.
What we are seeing today is what Bickle and the Kansas city prophets spoke of in 1989 “what’s going to be coming down in the next twenty years you and I have no frame of reference for understanding. It is going to be so unusual you are not going to be able to look at the word for every manifestation and find one there because the Spirit of the Lord has so many manifestations that you and I know nothing about” (Divine Appointment [Introduction], Mike Bickle, 3/29/89, cassette tape)
At the National School of the Prophets conference of Peter Wagner’s New Apostolic movement Mike Bickle gives us his misinterpretation of the fire in Scripture and he and Cndy Jacobs are teaching the very same concepts as Bentley :
Cindy Jacobs “I was sharing this about the fire issuing forth with Mike Bickel. ” ¦, share this about the fire issuing forth, about revelation.’
(Mike Bickel speaking)
In Daniel 7:10, the fiery stream, or the river of fire that breaks fourth out of the throne of God, I believe is the person of the Holy Spirit. And when the fire comes fourth, the fire is not just judgment. The fire is the revelation of the burning desire of God’s heart for people. Now, with that burning desire, when rebellion rises up against it, the fire removes that which hinders love, and we call it judgment. But the fire breaks forth. His name is the Holy Spirit, and when this fire comes through history, Malachi 3 says, “The forerunners at the end of the age are going to loose the burning fire.”
” ˜The river of fire broke in upon them in Acts 2. Tongues of fire baptizing them afresh. It’s the anointing of the forerunner’s spirit, and the thing ends in Revelation chapter 15. On the sea of glass, worshiping God, mingled in flaming fire with the harps of God in our hands. The church, the bride of Christ, that got a down payment in Acts 2, a room of a hundred and twenty with fire, is going to end up with these thousands and thousands and thousands, Revelation 15, verse 2 and 3, mingled with the same fire of Acts 2, the river of God, the Holy Spirit, clothing us with fire “
(Cindy Jacobs speaking)
Hallelujah! The Holy Spirit is fire and where does He abide? In here. That we begin to decree and declare what’s going to happen. There’s gonna be a fiery issue out of our mouths. The fire of God. The glory of fire, the Holy Fire, whatever you what to tell it. The fire of the living God that came in us at Pentecost, you see, we just didn’t receive tongues, we received fire at Pentecost. And the fire of the Holy Spirit is coming” “, we declare right now that the power that is released angelicly, the fiery servants of God are being released right now upon the state of New Jersey. We say they are being released now. Lord, we declare the fire that is released, the fire, the Michael force of angels is going in, come down, we cry out. Come down.” “We say, “Angelic forces, assign yourself to the sons and daughters of New Jersey.”
“There is something the Holy Spirit is gonna lay on you. Hallelujah. Come on, some of you speakers. Dutch. Come on, Bishop. Come on, let’s lay hands on them. Father, in Jesus’ name we decree and declare that you’re going to carry this back, for the, for the anointing of revival. We speak of fire, God, right now. Right now, right now, fire of God. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. Yeah, yeah, the fire of God. The fire of God. We release it and we declare it.” “Come on, speak the fire of God right now. Right now. Right now. Just receive it.”
if you got fire, you can stir up fire too. Stir it up. Kindle it. ” ¦ Baptize us with fire” Do you have a fire song? Do you have a fire song? Okay. We’re going to do a fire song. I can’t preach yet because God is going to do something.” “We’re gonna sing a fire song. Whoa, are you ready? Come on the, stir it up. The gift, you stirring it up. Stir it up. (Man singing) Burn in me, burn in me. Let the fire of the Holy Ghost burn in me. Burn in me. Burn in me.” Jacobs continue to do this as mantra about a dozen more times, completely and then gives us the clincher” ”
“The fresh fire from Heaven burning inside, I’m releasing inside, so, receive a new anointing, my prayers for you.. “Fresh fire,” says the Lord, “coming down. I’m exploding it now.” Receive the fire of the Lord. It’s coming now, it’s coming down. Fresh fire, fresh fire is raining down. Lift up your hands. “Receive the fresh fire for the nations,” says the Lord. Fresh fire. Just coming, fresh fire. A new fire for the nations. “I’m sending you fire,” says the Lord. “A fresh new fire is coming down. I’m giving you my heart for the nations, the fresh fire for the nations.” “”Oh, receive it right now,” says the Lord. A fresh fire, a brand new fire. Holy Ghost fire is yours right now.
Let loose your fire, God. Let loose the fire of the Holy Spirit right now. Right now, Lord. Send them home with fire. Fire. Fire, fire. Burn, Lord, burn, Lord, burn, Lord. Let the fire burn, yeah, Pentecost fire. And from his mouth comes, oh, the sword of the spirit, with burning fire, and his eyes are flames of fire. Oh. Hallelujah. Cindy Jacobs speaking at the National School of the Prophets. subtitled “Mobilizing the Prophetic Office.”- recorded at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 11th, 2000)
This was only a small sample of the wonderful antics of the prophets under Peter Wagner. If you think this does not sound like someone that is right you should see the video or hear the audio to hear her screaming this.
Jesus said you know not what spirit you are you are by wanting to call down fire from heaven. James and John wanted to do this for a judgment (Luke 9:55-56). We can’t even do it for a blessing, it can’t be done
Experiencing fire, having it imparted is not a Bible concept for the believer.
-A light that is really darkness.
