[Originally posted at Bene Diction Blogs On, Jan. 13, 2010]
Todd Bentley, is the "tough love" evangelist. Or so an offhand remark that he made during a Dec. 18, 2009 service at the Morningstar facility might imply.
"I'm a compassionate guy," he says. "I'm a loving guy." You can see it for yourself shortly after the 112 minute mark of the service, as saved on Bentley's website.
I would wonder if his former wife and kids might agree with that. But he goes on to add something that will raise an eyebrow or two. It's at :
"You know, when I was in Florida, the only time that God would let me pray for the terminally ill was when the anointing of compassion came on me....I'm talking about a compassion that we can't even produce in ourselves. And when I was in those meetings in Florida, only when that compassion would come on me, then I would say 'Bring me the terminally ill...'"
Well, remember at Lakeland, when he kneed a cancer victim in the stomach? Or the night that he told "war stories" of his adventures in evangelism, such as the time that he was told to "leg drop the pastor", or the time that he was time to kick a lady in the face. Two presentations by radio apologetics expert Todd Friel at the tail end of the Lakeland revival, which are still saved on YouTube, go into detail on his record of crazy prayer for people, and explain how this is theologically problematic.
If we confine our discussion to Lakeland, here are some more YouTube examples of how he would pray for people, by kicking a guy with polio, or kneeing a guy who wants Todd's anointing (at God's direction), or "healing with the holy knee" or.... I'm sure there are a few more examples on YouTube still...
I would not define any of this as dealing who come forward for prayer in a compassionate way. Would you? Doubt it.
Jesus healed with a touch, not a slug. Todd Bentley, please take note this time.