Todd Bentley the Fraud
Todd Bentley was caught being a fraud on video...
Obtained from the following URL...
Todd Bentley caught being fraudulent
“Anyway, now we come to the healing testimonies from the meeting…..Many folk came on stage and were evidently still sick and crippled. You could see humps in their backs and obvious pain when walking etc. Yet they testified to being healed despite this glaring contradiction.
One man came on stage and claimed to be healed out of a wheelchair and said he had not been out of it for years. The crowd went wild. Wow. Impressive. The only thing is earlier as the camera panned the crowd, I had seen this same man standing - not realising he’d be one of the testifiers, I remembered him as he had a slightly ‘funny’ face.
One young lady who regularly cut herself claimed that she’d been healed and delivered (I think she said through the TV or internet a few days before). She was there with her dad. She claimed not only had she been instantly delivered of her demon/s (without repentence), but also her scars had miraculously gone. Wow! Quite a testimony. Todd was interviewing her and saying how great, doing his usual head shaking from side to side thing when hearing it. But then I could see clearly four horizonatal cut marks still on her arm. Even on the TV I could see it, so Todd would have seen them too even clearer as he was right there. Yet she said they had gone. And Todd kept on saying how amazing, how wonderful, even though he knew this was not true and was looking at them! He even turned around to the audience and talked on it for a little while how good it was the scars were gone. Todd often does classic liar’s body language when lying - he opens his arms out wide and does some over the top mannerisms - and so in this case, and his voice even went up at the end of the sentence (like liars’ do). A school psychology class could have a field day spotting him lying. TODD IS A LIAR AND ALLOWED LIES TO BE SPOKEN. He knew it. He allowed it. It is disgraceful. He was caught on camera. And his staff had filtered this girl through and must have seen it too. Oh, the deceit! This man and some of his staff does not fear either God or man.
Then a man came up with Parkinsons disease who claimed to be healed, and his wife said the shaking had stopped and he did a bit of walking and bending - the usual show. Yet the camera clearly showed the man’s arm and hand shaking in the ‘classic’ undeniable Parkinson’s fashion, and you can bet Todd and his staff saw it too, yet still Todd said how awesome, how amazing to be healed of Parkinsons in his over the top fashion - just the same as the girl with the cuts on her arm. Both were not healed - clearly. “
It should also be noted that when people with metal rods bend over, it is no medical miracle as Todd claims - most with metal rods can do this anyway! Likewise when people get out of wheelchairs, it is not necessarily a miracle - many are able to do this anyway for various periods of time, whether to go to the loo, or for even longer periods. My elderly mother, for example, drives around with a wheelchair in the boot of her car, for use as and when she needs it. She takes it for when she needs to wait long periods and would otherwise need to stand, or when she takes a ‘turn’. Some people do a double take when she comes back to her car, arises from her wheelchair, and picks it up and flings it into her boot! This is no miracle, as in the case of many wheelchair users who come up on stage. Someone previously remarked on this blog how ministers who well use this knowledge to hype the crowd who go wild when they see a wheelchair user walking. It ain’t necessarily a miracle, any more than my old mum walking on stage!
Update: Charisma Magazine, 22nd May reported -
One of the cases involves a 3-year-old girl, dead for two days, who allegedly woke up and coughed as she was being wheeled into a room to have her organs harvested. The hospital denied the report.
Update 27th May from Cheryl
I just read the saddest testimony on Strom’s website http://www.revivalschool.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=9609&start=390. A Pastor Larry Reed from Washington State had terminal bone cancer. He went to Lakeland last week, and Mr. Bentley “Bammed” him. He struggled out of his wheelchair and cheered with the crowd as Mr. Bentley proclaimed him healed. He died yesterday.
“…a dear friend of mine who passed away this morning at 5:20 AM. His name is Pastor Larry Reed, Pastor of Olympic View Assembly of God in Silverdale, Washington. Pastor Larry has been suffering for the past 18 months of terminal bone cancer. He was given only a year to live, but PRAISE THE LORD out lived the doctors findings. He (Pastor Larry) told me last year at breakfast one morning that he wanted more for Jesus and was going to do whatever it took to accomplish that. He invited speakers from all over the country from evangelists to prophetic speakers so that he and his congregation could catch the fire and maybe just maybe a revival would break out in his church.
He really took a turn for the worst this year, and lost most of his weight, he looked like a skeleton, was on oxygen and needed care all of the time. He couldn’t even preach anymore. Pastor Larry was a man who dearly loved Jesus, and was very strong in his faith and very strong in stature physically. So to see him him so frail was shocking to say the least.
Last week on 5/18/08 he was in the sanctuary there in Lakeland trying to find the healing he soo much wanted, sitting in his wheel chair in front of Mr. Bentley, he was deemed as “healed” when Pastor Larry stood up and cheered in victory. During the course of last week when he returned, he got worse and so this morning he died.
Now I have to say with all my heart that I believe without a shadow of doubt, that this so called “revival” is fake! I wont question my friend’s faith because his ministry was filled with faith. But if this was truly a move of God and all these people were getting healed, then why did my friend die?
I truly believe with all of my heart that God in His infinite mercy and love for his child Larry Reed took him home this morning to end his suffering and that he is face to face with Jesus right now. But what about all the others who have been duped into going along with this mess and is finding out that they right back where they started? I tell you if I could I would knock some people’s lights out, of course that wouldn’t be right, but thats how I feel.
I hope that all of you who stand up for this guy Bentley, will “wake up, arise from the dead and allow Christ to shine in you”, the days are evil family, the light of day is growing shorter and shorter, and we’re wasting our time hunting down the anointing looking for the next wave of revivals. People are dying about a hundred thousand a minute. Instead of seeking the anointing for yourself why not run out to your street corner and begin to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and take on the heart of Spurgeon when he said that if people want to go to Hell, the they will have to jump over his body to enter those gates!”
June 13th, 2008 - 14:38
I can well understand people chasing “revival” as the church in the West seems at a very low ebb right now. As a pastor said recently on Genesis TV here in UK, we need the Word and Power and, sadly, power is very much missing right now. Perhaps we are not willing to pay the sacrificial price to get it! Repentance and seeking first the Kingdom of God is what is required but we seem all to keen on chasing signs and wonders and the increase in prosperity so often preached.
Perhaps when we, as the Bride of Christ, are more interested in preparing ourselves for his return as a pure bride, then we will see signs following the preaching of the word. They should be normal, not something we have to travel to the latest port of “blessing” to experience. Some years ago I was healed of gall stones – it was my sister who prayed for me, I didn’t fall down in the Spirit (though I often have when being prayed for) and I felt nothing at the time.
I don’t know whether Todd Bentley is genuine, or whether the healing outpouring is real as I haven’t been there. I tend to take the attitude of time will tell. We are exhorted in the Word not to judge each other, or even ourselves and some of the vicious comments I have heard about the man and his ministry put us to shame. Are we not supposed to love each other, not tear each other to shreds publicly? Some comments I heard linked him to Paul Cain – who may have had personal problems but he is a man who, in the past, God used mightily. I wonder how many of us, should the Lord choose to shine a very public spotlight on our own hidden failings, would be able to stand?
My prayer is for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on every believer so that we may all do the greater things that Jesus prophesied!
God Bless.
June 16th, 2008 - 23:11
God will judge and evaluate everything that has His name attached to it. Will it be wood, hay and stubble, or will it be the lasting eternal fruit. A healing or a miracle doesn’t make God, God. A healing or a miracle doesn’t increase or decrease the love of God for the Bible says “God is love”. My wife and I went to Lakeland and we went because we wanted to receive an impartation from God which we could then share with others and to bring back the power we saw displyed while we were there. We received what we went for and we are seeing God’s hand move as we minister to people.
I have received several reports from pastors I work with in India, who are watching the “outpouring” and they report very positive responses to the gospel in larger then normal numbers, increased water baptisms, and healings. I truly believe this Lakeland outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an opportunity for all Christians to begin to look at God our Heavenly Father and say ABBA, show us and give to us the things we need most in our life: This may include a healing, a deliverance, salvation, re-dedication, a miracle; including ressurrection from the dead, or simply an increase in our measure of faith in the true truths an promises of God, regardless of anything else.
Let me close with this, and I do so very humbly and very carefully because I thank God for His gift to me, but I know God has gifts and promises and plans which are so much greater. On one evening while in Lakeland we were encouraged to pray for God to give us an outpouring of gold teeth. Several people had come forward and testified to having received them. My wife and I, with very little faith said “why not”. The next evening we were instructed to open our mouths wide and receive a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. So we joined in and opened our mouths wide and asked God to fill us more. The next morning as I was brushing my teeth I looked in the mirror and saw a “gold wrapped/covered tooth” which I previously had never had. I was stunned, and went to my wife to ask what she saw. She said open wide, and exclaimed “you have two gold teeth”. At that point we began to cry and laugh at the same time. The teeth are still bright and shiny gold. Everyday when I open my mouth and brush my teeth I know that God did something special to increase my faith, even though His gift is a remembrance of how small my faith was.
There is nothing wrong with being skeptical or to have a small amount of faith, but don’t try to put God in a box or limit Him by your own expectation. I have come to always expect the unexpected as God pours out His love in all things.
June 17th, 2008 - 00:04
I was reluctant to approve Doug’s comment about gold teeth, because I believe it draws our attention away from Christ. But, I will take this opportunity to point everyone to a dream I had, in response to inquiring about strange signs and wonders such as gold teeth, gems, oil, etc…
http://blog.trentonadams.ca/2008/03/24/patricia-king-and-dripping-oil/
Also, “don’t put God in a box” is just another way of saying “don’t question what the devil is doing“.
June 26th, 2008 - 18:52
It’s a new name but the same old same old.
Over the weekend, my 18 year old daughter invited me to attend church with her. I enjoyed the service and the people were gracious and the message was centered on Christ. I was overjoyed that she had found a church that exhibited all of these characteristics. Then on the way home she told me that the guy who gave the message was not their regular pastor and that he (the regular guy) was off at a revival meeting. Then she told me about how this pastor had become infatuated with some guy named Todd Bentley. I’d never heard of him before, maybe because I have almost always attended mainstream churches. Fortunately, my daughter actually cares what is in scripture and has a measure of discernment so she was extremely skeptical of the guy. When I got home I started doing some internet “research” and found that there are hundreds if not thousands of pages dedicated to this guy. The vast majority are blasting him one way or another. A slim minority are puffing their chests indignantly and condemning the rest of them for “judging” this “man of God.”
To tell the truth I couldn’t care less that the guy has tattoos. I know lots of Christians who have tattoos some, even, who got them after they were saved (gasp!). His shaved head, piercings, informal attire, biker boots, etc. are all immaterial to me. But what I did find troubling is that, again, thousands of Christians are flocking to some charismatic (note the small “c”) charlatan who is leading them by the nose with one hand and emptying their wallets with the other. In the tradition of (the more modern ones anyway) Mike Warnke, Johanna Michaelson, Peter Popoff, Oral Roberts, Jim Bakker, and on and on and on, the mindless sheep who are destined to follow will do anything up to and including having sex with their latest guru in order to get a taste of some spiritual candy. Unfortunately even the taste is very rarely realized and then the deceptee has to go on living with emotional scars from being abused by these psychopaths.
Another thing that I find troubling is that most of those who are opposing this guy are using entirely different rules of engagement than he is using. Do you think that you will reach his followers by pointing out that this guy is on shaky/nonexistent scriptural ground. I’m sure you have listened to him or read interviews he has given. Have you ever heard a consistent scriptural based thought come out of his mouth? His followers aren’t there because he has sound theology, they’re there because they’re addicts and he’s peddling their drug of choice. They don’t mind him emptying their pockets any more than a crack addict minds the dealer taking his money. As long as they get their high, they’re at least temporarily satisfied. And high they definitely are. Just reference the crowd laughing ecstatically while he’s describing kicking an old lady in the face for Jesus. Or knocking down “a little Chinese guy” (note the overt racism of this reference) so hard that it knocks the guy’s tooth out. The crowd can barely contain itself when he then brags about doing a “full mount” and “ground and pound” on another guy. Is this the response of a sober group of Christians?? I certainly hope it hasn’t come to this!
The truth is, this guy is definitely a force for evil. Is he directly influenced by Satan or demons? Possible, I guess. My assessment, though is that he’s a lying psychopath motivated by greed and a hunger to control people. The crowd is providing him with his drug as much as he’s providing them theirs. His stories of his third heaven visitations, visions of angels, teleportation, being beamed up (by the angel “Scotty” I would presume) are either just outright lies or something that a few doses of Haldol could take care of. He’s a fake. His followers are addicts. No amount of scripture is going to reach them until the dope runs out. And the sad thing is, as soon as he has gotten rich by fleecing the flock and faded away, there will be hundreds out there just waiting to fill the void.
Unfortunately these guys are here to stay. I’ll go on record and say that he hasn’t had any of the “supernatural” experiences he talks about and none of the things that so conveniently happen at “other meetings” have ever happened (except in Todd’s acid-like imagination). Forget trying to argue that these things have been done by the devil or a demon. With all due respect, that’s a bunch of bull. More reasonable to argue that the devil is busy keeping us in a war that has killed over a million innocent people than that he’s expending his spiritual capital doing supernatural things that, strangely enough, only Todd Bentley is able to see. The guy is a psychopathic liar and has been able to dupe quite a few very naive, simple-minded Christians who only care about getting their next high. Trying to out him with scripture is like trying to stop a drug dealer by telling him to “just say no!” Neither he nor his followers care about scripture at this point.
June 27th, 2008 - 01:55
WOW John, you really don’t hold any punches. I think you really hit the nail on the head for most people following after these things.
However, I believe there are a few, who will see these warnings, and turn away. There have been some, who have commented on this blog, that actually went searching for truth, and found it.
June 27th, 2008 - 04:56
when jesus will come back to take his bride, the chosen ones…………then all of u who have written in this page will know…….and will have no time to repent then………….u’ll all find urselve on the THRESHOLD OF HELL…………………AND THEN………..FOR THE REST OF LIFE ON EARTH B4 U ENTER UR ETERNAL DESTINATION(HELL …..U GUYS CAN SIT AND WRITE THINGS LIKE THIS AND POST IT……..OK
)(.IF U DONT REPENT AND GIVE UR LIVES TO JESUS……WHAT I WRITE WILL COME TRUE AND HELL IS PLACE FULL OF FIRE AND SUFFERING…..A PLACE ALSO CALLED THE OUT DARKNESS WHERE THERE WILL BE GNASHING OF TEETH……..BUT NO RESCUE WHATSOEVER)
June 27th, 2008 - 09:27
Jones, you do not know what you speak of.
1. You seem to indicate a pre-trib rapture. That’s just another deception of satan, which is really being pushed by the “city taking” people. The bible says that the anti-Christ will overcome us, not the other way around.
2. You speak out of the vanity of your own mind. You ignore sound reason, sound judgment, and you lack discernment.
3. You should be careful about saying that people are not saved. God does not take kindly to His children being spoken of wrongly. If a child has done wrong, then they need to be rebuked. But, if they have done right, God will defend them.
I have prayed at times, that anyone that comes against this revival would come under judgment, if it be of God. Then, the Lord gave me a dream to the contrary, just the other day.
So please, don’t speak out of the VANITY of your own mind. Rely on the Lord for RIGHTEOUS judgment, for he knows the heart of every man, woman, and child.
June 27th, 2008 - 10:18
Also, I wanted to say that I bind every curse that Jones would speak against us, and I command it to be broken in the name of Yashua. AMEN.
My wife mentioned something interesting. She said that she saw 1 Corinthians 13
love in what Jones wrote, OR NOT. *rolls eyes*.
June 27th, 2008 - 16:22
Kind of interestenting that the curses pronounced upon us by Mr. Jones have no more scriptural basis than anything that Todd and the Bentleyites are putting out there. “THERE WILL BE GNASHING OF TEETH”…..hmmm….would that be gold teeth?? All kidding aside, please just explain one thing to me. How do the Bentley apologists spin the kick to the old lady’s face….FOR JESUS??? Try scriptualizing that bizarre tale.
July 16th, 2008 - 11:35
I was filled with the Holy Spirit and experienced many supernatural things after my conversion in 1979. It was these glorious experiences that compelled me to commit myself to being a servant-leader for over 20 years in charismatic churches. One in particular I helped to start and build into a large congregation.
I now frankly despise what most of those types of Christian subcultures have become, being fully aware of the avarice and narcissism that drives so many so-called leaders. But what is worse to me is the sight of that swaying, enabling congregation, so caught up in their superior style of worship, which has as its prerequisite a complete ignorance of scripture and a lack of caring as to how Jesus is represented before a watching world.
So many conservative Christians complain that Muslims as a whole do not stand up and raise their voices against those who hijack their religion to commit evil deeds. Yet so much of visible Christianity in America is in the hands of charlatans and we ask ourselves, “Who am I to judge?”. Well, I judge them with passion, and if being an American Christian comes down to being associated with folks like them, call me anything, but don’t call me a Christian.
We know from scripture that fear of man is a snare, and trusting in man is a curse. Americans need desparately to turn back to fearing God and trusting Christ.
July 23rd, 2008 - 17:57
Could Todd Bentley be another Jim Jones? In the early stages of his ministry there are striking similarities between Bentley and Jones. In 1955, Jones was prayed for a Latter Rain Pentecostal Conference by O.L. Jaggers who pronounced that he had a very special prophetic calling on his life. Years later when he founded the People’s Temple, Jones used faith healing to draw the masses much in the same way Bentley has in Lakeland. It may be a little premature to say Bentley is treading the same course as Jones, but I think it is a possibility we must be aware of. After all no one ever thought Jones would go to the extent he did by getting 918 people to commit suicide through drinking kool-aid laced with cyanide. Bentley’s claims show that he is very dangerous spiritually as he has placed much emphasis on angels, third heaven experiences, and has claimed experiences where his spirit left his body which is known to New Agers as astral projection. Could Bentley be even more than just a spiritual danger? Could he be leading his followers down the same course that Jim Jones led the People’s Temple in 1978 to the greatest mass cult suicide in history? I am drawing the comparisons and revealing Bentley’s false teachings at http://www.toddbentleyjimjones.blogspot.com
July 25th, 2008 - 01:51
I am astonished that Todd Bentley is not behind bars.
To me it’s rather obvious that he, cynically, robs people and ruins their lives. The sad hing is that many of those who blindly believes in him are people who are terminally ill and, in their despair, view this jarlatan as their last chance.
But we have seen this before, haven’t we?
September 6th, 2008 - 17:56
“I want my money back!!!”
“I want my money back!” is the cry of many defrauded at Lakeland
by Todd Bentley and Freshfire ministries.
Person after person i talk to wants their money back.
“Fraud”, “con-artist”, “snake-oil salesman”, “liar”, “deceiver”,
say the trusting christians. Some are now in poverty.
Here are the people at FFM to request in writing, your money back.
Also photocopy your dated and signed request, and mail it to the
FFM offices in Canada and the USA. Finally, Send a copy to the
IRS and Revenue Canada.
This will start the process to reclaim you losses.
Since obvious FRAUD was committed by FFM and others,
this may take a class action lawsuit to get your stolen money back.
The first step is as stated, put it in writing, and mail it to all.
Then, get online with others and take action.
Fraud is unchristian, and illegal. Get your money back now
from those charletons, con-astists, and Frauds.
Contact info follows:
FRESH FIRE MINISTRIES USA, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number N08000005172
FEI Number NONE
Date Filed 05/29/2008
State FL
Status ACTIVE
Effective Date 05/23/2008
Principal Address
5859 HWY 98 NORTH
LAKELAND FL US
Mailing Address
PO BOX 1588
SUMAS WA 98295–158 US
Registered Agent Name & Address
HORTON, EVON DR.
3086 KILLARNEY DRIVE PACE
PACE FL 32571 US
Officer/Director Detail
Name & Address
Title P
BENTLEY, TODD
3837 KALEIGH CT
ABBOTSFORD BC V3G 3-E3 CN
Title VP
GRETER, KENNETH
8509 BRADSHAW PLACE
CHILLIWACK BC V4Z 0-A7 CN
Title S/T
ANDRES, VALERIE
3539 BASSANO TERRACE
ABBOTSFORD BC V3G 2-Z7 CN
Title D
RAIL, BARBARA
1949 HIGHWAY 1
FAIRFIELD IA 52556 US
Title D
BINNIE, ARCHIE
49 BOULDER BLVD.,
STONY PLAIN AB T7Z 1-V6 AL
Title D
BULLETT, MICHAEL
2912 MCBRIDE ST, ABBOTSFORD, BC,
ABBOTSFORD BC V3G 1-G9 CN
To report Todd Bentley’s personal fraud in Canada:
Tel.: 1-866-846-3535 (toll free)
Fax: 250-470-5060
Mail:
Southern Interior Tax Services Office (KEL)
Pacific Region Informant Leads Centre
c/o: 9755 King George Highway
Surrey BC V3T 5E1
Todd Bentley info:
Born January 10, 1976 (1976-01-10) (age 32)
Sechelt, British Columbia,
wife Shonnah has three children,
LauraLee, Esther and Elijah in Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Canadian Mailing Address Fresh Fire Ministries
PO Box 2525, Abbotsford, B.C.
V2T 6R3
Tel: 604-853-9041
Fax: 604-853-5077
US Mailing Address Fresh Fire Ministries
PO Box 1588, Sumas, WA.
98295-1588
Also email your government officials, Ministries,
Pastors, and others concerned. Talk to everyone about
this, or Todd, like an ugly zit, will be back soon.
FFM must be stopped. The ABUSE must be stopped.
Contact people NOW!!!
To report FFM Fraud:
1 800 267 2384 Revenue Canada Ottawa Charities
transfer to:
Report line: 613-948-2463
(your info is not needed, just leave message)
Fresh Fire Ministries Charity Info:
BN/Registration Number: 880636428RR0001
Correspondence Language: English
Address: PO BOX 2525
City: ABBOTSFORD
Province: BC
Postal Code: V2T6R3
Country: CA
Category Code: 47. Missionary Organizations and Propagation of Gospel
Designation: C. Charitable Organization
Date of Registration: 1999-01-01
Date of Revocation: TBA
March 15th, 2009 - 16:00
I knew that Tood Bentley was full of deciet when I first saw him. My wife was upset at me because she thought I was being judgmental. My mother in law was all into him and thought that it was awesome that God was healing all these people through him.
I knew he was false from the first time I saw him because of one basic reason that stood out. He said that all of the people up there were being healed right then and there. Impossible. Why? Because I can bet that it was not GODS PLAN for all of those people to be “healed”. God has control over who he heals. God decides who is healed, and no amount of convulsing and screaming and “BAM” nonsense is going to change that. If it is not Gods will, then you are not getting healed. Does this mean you will never be heald? No, it just means God is in control. Not a phony who uses his tattoos and “shockingly different than what you would expect” attitude to wow innocent and gullable Christians into his web of deciet.
As it turns out that he indeed is a fraud, and has been proven to be a fraud with several set-ups and video/e-mail/blog proof they seem a little shocked.
I am upset that he has harmed people with his “kick to the gut” and violent assaults on people. If he did this to my mother in law who has back problems, I can promise you that I would have done 10 times worse back to him.
I have since become a better Christian, I forgive him as I have been forgiven of much. I use the gift of dicernment that God has given me, but I always remember that I am not perfect in any way.
Of all the nasty things that Todd Bentley is guilty of, and his associates who are just as guilty. There is one thing that we as Christians must do regardless. We must pray for him, and we must forgive.
The devil did a fine job of using Todd to give Christians a bad reputation. I cannot imagine how many people are laughing with glee at Christians as a whole because of him.
What these innocent people were hungry for was seeing God work, they wanted to see God heal so badly and they had so much faith in God and his word. Thats what they wanted, not the lies of Todd Bentley. He will have to deal with his actions, and I pray for those of us who have been hurt by him.
Lets be good Christians, lets pray for him and each other. Through all this nonsense, anger, deception, and even hate, we must show compassion.
I am not “Holyer than thou” type of person, I know my place in this world. God has given me truth and I am humble. As hard as it can be sometimes, we need to pray for people like Todd Bentley.
March 15th, 2009 - 16:04
I am sorry if I seem angry or as if I am being judgmental in my previous post. I just get very andgry when I see this kind of thing going on. Forgive me, I pray for all of you!
March 16th, 2009 - 22:26
I hear you Anthony. It can make you angry. Let us be angry, and sin not.