As you know, I’ve been following the Todd Bentley fiasco and attempting to reconcile the fact that people may be healed and miracles may happen in his services. How can he be a false prophet, if there is positive fruit in his ministry?

One explanation is that God is endlessly compassionate and responds to the sincere faith of His children, even when they are receiving ministry from someone on whom God’s calling and gifting no longer rest, because they have disqualified themselves through immorality or false doctrine.

But I think there’s a better explanation for Todd Bentley. We know that miraculous signs, healings and even professions of faith are very poor indicators of whether someone is a true prophet, because Scripture predicts that in the last days false prophets will perform miracles and deceive even the children of God (Mark 13:22).

Therefore, is it possible that signs, miracles and healings in Bentley’s ministry are being performed by the enemy for the purpose of validating the bad doctrine and lifestyle of a false teacher, so that weak believers may think that God does not care about morality, truth or righteousness?

Satan’s ultimate goal is not the destruction of bodies, so allowing a healing or miracle here and there is no big deal to him. His targets are much larger: the supremacy of God’s word, the sanctity of marriage and family—the building blocks of the church itself and a reflection of God’s own Trinitarian nature. If he can give people the impression that God is not particularly concerned when a man cheats on his wife, leaves his children and marries his girlfriend, he will gladly risk people being saved, delivered and even healed through that man’s ministry.

So, that’s my theory. Any takers?

Todd Bentley recently began conducting “Outpouring Services” at Morningstar Ministries, where he has been undergoing “restoration” under Rick Joyner.

Several weeks ago, Bob Jones, a leader in the prophetic movement—and dead ringer for Cotton Hill—says he had a trance in which God instructed him to break off the “curse” that had been put on Todd by “well-meaning” but “disgruntled” Christians. These curses, Jones noted, have left Todd open to being “assassinated” and also affect those who “protected” Todd.

The “curses”, of course, are the criticisms of those who questioned the legitimacy of Todd’s ministry during the Lakeland revival and were concerned when he left his wife and children for a young intern on his staff.

Before laying hands on Todd and praying that God will give him a “clear conscience” and an even greater “anointing” than he had before, Jones warns listeners that the curses leveled on Todd could come back on those who spoke ill against him.

From the biblical perspective, the medium, message and messenger are inextricably intertwined. In the Old Testament, the prophets starved themselves, cooked over dung fires, married prostitutes and walked around naked to communicate God’s message to His people. In the Gospels, Jesus is referred to as the Word, the Way, the Truth–He is the message, the Word of God in human flesh. In the Pastoral Epistles, the preacher’s character is what validates or nullifies the gospel he preaches, and Paul spends just as much time delineating the character of the leader as he does defining the content of the leader’s message. Even in the secular world, one’s character can be held up to scrutiny to determine if his or her testimony is to be believed in a court of law.

But in the church today, this is often not the case.

In a recent letter published on its Website, Fresh Fire Ministries reveals more details of Lakeland “revival” champion Todd Bentley’s moral failures. While it discusses his current adulterous lifestyle now that he is no longer in ministry, the letter also reveals his behavior while he was in ministry:

“The anointing can be addictive. … Alcohol, movies and leisure time spent with a few of the younger, more impressionable members of his staff and road-crew began to replace the hours of soaking in the presence of God in which Todd had engaged during the early days of the outpouring. … The legal separation from Shonnah was initiated completely by Todd and he has not seen her or the children since the last week in July.”

But in spite of Bentley’s failings, read how Fresh Fire continues to defend of the validity of the message and the “revival” that Bentley led while he was in this state:

“What Todd has done should not only be defined by his present failure. He has raised the bar on what is possible. He has broken a barrier of sorts for all of us and made a pathway into new possibilities. This is what you partnered with – not a man but a transferable anointing and an ability to reach into a combined realm of prophetic revelation and signs and wonders manifestation! … Having known Todd well for many years, both his amazing strengths and his areas of weakness, we can say without reservation that the move of God in Lakeland, which began at Ignited Church, was genuine. … We have never seen, in the history of this ministry, a greater quantity and quality of the miraculous demonstration of God’s healing power. … As the Lord began to pour out His glory in Ignited Church and in the many venues that followed, Todd’s spirit was as pure as it has ever been and he was intensely hungry for more of God’s presence. … Todd is a champion in the Global paradigm shift from a lethargic and dunamis-deficient church to an empowered body of believers carrying out the Great Commission in a mighty demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”

And, ultimately, blame for the fiasco is linked to the devil. There is never once the thought that Todd’s fall was a direct judgment from God for false teaching, fake miracles, a devaluing of the Word and the deception of many who are now shipwrecked in their faith after following him.

“How many believers have become almost vicious in their attack against Todd, demonizing not only him but his ministry and everything he has ever done? What sort of spirit do you think is behind this?”

Instead, the letter closes on a note of almost embarrassing triumphalism, and no suggestion that perhaps this ministry, built by a false prophet, on bad theology, with little accountability, just needs to be shut down.

“God is waiting for us in 2009—certain to be our greatest year yet!“