The Emperor Has No Clothes

When I was in Canada last week on vacation, I picked up a Canadian newspaper with a full-page article about revivalist Todd Bentley titled "Bentley Bends." It appeared in the National Post on August 19, and though it put the typical secular journalist spin on anything having to do with Pentecostals or miracles, it was surprisingly gentle in telling about Bentley's fall. If you're interested in reading it you can click here.

Meanwhile ministry to Bentley continues. I'm thankful that the Christian leaders who were set over him in the June 23 "alignment and commissioning" ceremony at the Lakeland Outpouring are ministering to him behind the scenes. In an earlier Strang Report I had called on them to step up and intervene in this situation, a day or two after news of Bentley's separation was made known.

Two of the three leaders were out of the country and later challenged me via e-mail by saying that I had made it sound as if they would not do their jobs unless outsiders put pressure on them. Of course I assumed that they would do their jobs because I know they are men of integrity.

But in the rush of dealing with the situation quickly I did not contact them other than to send them an advance copy of my Strang Report. So, for what it's worth, I apologize for leaving the wrong impression. My reaction was based partly on past observations of situations in which spiritual discipline needed to be applied and those who were supposedly over the person ran for cover.

Meanwhile, many people are talking about the situation and wondering why there wasn't more discernment. In fact, I had lunch recently with a Christian leader who watched the Lakeland Outpouring on the Internet for 60 days and said the longer he watched it, the more inclined he was to overlook some concerns he had. He said initially he felt that Bentley's actions, along with his tattoos and piercings, indicated that he was "in rebellion." This leader confessed to me that next time he is going to be more careful to listen to his inner witness when he has a concern about a ministry.

Others are e-mailing me what various people have written about the situation. If you have not read Dutch Sheets' very in-depth and thoughtful letter about Bentley and the Lakeland Outpouring, I urge you to do so by clicking here. I agree with essentially all that Dutch writes.

Someone else e-mailed me an item from the United Kingdom. We tried to get permission to use it but couldn't contact the author, so I am assuming it is all right to make this point. I was taken by the fact that the person who wrote it rightly comments that many Pentecostals believe "if it's odd, it must be God." I had never heard that expression, but I know his statement is true.

The writer also makes a comparison to the emperor in the old fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor's New Clothes. Because he relates the story better than I can I quote him here:

There is an old fable that should serve as a pertinent parable for today's church. The story is told of two unscrupulous tradesmen who offered to sell an emperor a quantity of material that was so exquisite that 'only those with the greatest taste and style' could see it. The emperor, not wanting to give the impression that he lacked such finesse, paid an enormous sum for the non-existent material that was then 'made' into a suit of clothes.

It was later announced to his subjects that he would be leaving the palace wearing clothes of such wonder that 'only those with the greatest taste and style' could appreciate it. The crowd, falling into the same trap as the emperor, cheered and shouted at the non-existent apparel.

The ecstasy and applause continued until a small child, who had come to the gathering late and had not heard the intimidating preamble, joined her mother and, pointing to the emperor shouted out loudly, 'Look, Mummy, the emperor is not wearing any clothes!' Only then did the bubble burst.

The e-mail I was sent is so good that I want to share some of the points the author made since I couldn't say it better myself. I wish I had been able to discover his name to give proper credit. He says, in relation to the fable:

We need the simplicity of that childlike voice in today's church.

It is the voice of people [who] refuse to accept that spirituality is "less than" if it is not accompanied by uncontrollable shaking. It is the voice of leaders who, when they see manifestations of the flesh, refuse to be intimidated by the voice of a crowd that declares that "If it's odd, it must be God" and have the courage to say, "Please stop doing that; it's silly."

Those who operate in this gift are almost universally considered to be the party-poopers of Pentecost. Their voice is universally seen as negative, and the body language of those who do not want to hear their message is always, "Why are you trying to stop us when we are having so much fun?"

Yet the Bible tells us to "test the spirits" and "weigh prophecy."

Why, with so many mature leaders present at Bentley's endorsement, was the gift not used or, given what we now know, why was there not a word of knowledge? Why was it that, as millions listened and a prophecy was given that Jesus would appear in person on the platform on a specific date, not one person expressed a word of caution? Could it be the intimidation of crowds, the awe induced by Christian celebrity or the absence of the childlike voice that needed to burst the bubble? What the church should be hungering for today is not "extreme prophetic" but "accurate prophetic."

Why is it then that some people who have gone to Lakeland are seeing things occur in their church that they had not encountered before? The answer is simple. God recognizes and responds to hunger. Leaders heard there was a fire and wanted to be warmed, heard of a well and wanted to be refreshed, and heard there was food and wanted to be fed. That God met them on their journey is yet another expression of His amazing grace.

Please share your thoughts with me about the situation. Meanwhile, pray for Todd and his wife, Shonna. Let's especially pray for Shonna, who received none of the adulation but is experiencing most of the pain.

McCain gets 'gold' at Saddleback, Obama gets 'bronze,' but Warren sets record

On August 16, the same day that Michael Phelps set a world record at the Olympics by winning his eighth gold medal, Sen. John McCain went for gold at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., while Pastor Rick Warren set his own world record. That was my view from the back of the church as I watched them participate in a forum Warren hosted to give the 2008 presidential candidates, McCain and Sen. Barack Obama, an opportunity to answer questions of interest to evangelicals.

This was the first time both candidates had shared a stage, and the only time they'll meet before the debates in October. The fact that they agreed to talk about faith and other issues with a pastor in a church setting is remarkable!

Of course it wasn't just any pastor. It was Rick Warren, author of the best-selling book of all time other than the Bible—The Purpose Driven Life. He's a man who is trying to mobilize churches around the world to solve tough global problems such as eradicating AIDS and caring for 148 million orphans.

Warren called the event a “Civil Forum on the Presidency,” and thankfully it was indeed “civil”—a blessing because conservative Christians are often portrayed by the media as being uncivil when it comes to politics.

As you know if you watched the event or read the press reports, Warren interviewed Obama for an hour and then asked McCain the same questions he had posed to Obama. He avoided the “gotcha” questions, so Obama did not have to comment about his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, or about his father’s being a Muslim.

Yet Warren asked tough questions, some of them in a very creative way. For example, he asked each candidate which Supreme Court justices he would not have appointed. The answers from McCain and Obama were polar opposites. Their responses made it easy to see that although each candidate is eager to get the evangelical vote, there are major differences in their positions on the big issues--with McCain lining up closest to what evangelicals believe.

To me, Obama performed adequately in the question-and-answer session. I'll give him a bronze. But McCain was the big winner at Saddleback. His performance was pure gold.

The media has been stating that more “moderate” evangelicals might be considering Obama because he says the “right things” about caring for the poor--something Jesus said a lot about and every evangelical acknowledges is important. But Obama is strongly pro-abortion, as his voting record shows. And though he told the Saddleback crowd he favors marriage between one man and one woman, he also said he favors “civil unions”—essentially the same thing as gay marriage. He is known to be a big backer of the so-called “gay agenda”—a fact that didn't come out at this civil forum.

When asked by Warren, “At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?” Obama replied, “Whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.” My comment: It’s funny that it's not above his pay grade to strongly back a woman's right for an abortion or to support the Freedom of Choice Act, a law which, if passed, would annihilate every state law limiting or regulating abortion, including the federal ban on partial birth abortion.

Obama obviously wants and probably needs evangelical votes in November, so he said at Saddleback that he respects those who believe life begins at conception. At least he isn't trying to argue he's right! But from my viewpoint, he probably didn't win anyone over who didn't also vote for John Kerry in 2004 or Al Gore in 2000.

If Obama respects anyone who believes life begins at conception, then he must respect McCain, who didn’t hesitate when asked the same question an hour later. The Republican candidate responded definitively, “At the moment of conception.”

The crowd thundered its approval. McCain went on to say, “I will be a pro-life president, and this presidency will have pro-life policies.”

Warren quipped, “OK. We don't have to go longer on that one.” McCain was so strong in his answer and quick to reply that Warren was able to ask him a few extra questions he had no time to ask Obama.

You can click here to read a news report of the forum or here to read an actual transcript, so I don't need to give a detailed report. Instead I want to give my own observations of why I say Obama got bronze, McCain got gold and Warren set the world record.

Obama was charming, as everyone knows he can be. He was funny, and on some things, such as his own faith, he said the right things about following Jesus. However, at Saddleback he left out a little detail that he mentions in one of his books and that he declared at the meeting where I met him in June in Chicago--that he basically believes all roads lead to heaven. What he described is universalism, which to evangelicals is heresy.

I suspect there were those in the audience who wanted to find a reason to rationalize voting for Obama. But unless they were blind and deaf and their minds were totally made up, they didn't hear reasons at Saddleback why a Bible-believer can in good conscious vote for Obama.

On the other hand, many expected McCain to be wooden and inarticulate on matters of faith and seemingly uncaring about the evangelical vote. However, McCain connected with the evangelicals at Saddleback. He was strong, decisive and honest about himself in a way that caught everyone by surprise, especially when Warren asked McCain what his greatest moral shortcoming had been. Obama answered the question by saying it was teenage drug and alcohol use.

But McCain very humbly admitted that his greatest moral failure was the failure of his first marriage. When he said that, it was as if everyone in the audience collectively held their breath and began breathing again at the same time. We were stunned by his honesty and humility.

In my view, McCain’s answer to this question was the turning point in the forum. It was similar to the lap in a relay race in which Michael Phelps pulled ahead and led until he set a new world record.

When asked about evil, Obama mentioned Darfur and child abuse--both standard liberal answers. But McCain didn't hedge about evil in the world. He said he'd stop at nothing to get Osama bin Laden.

All McCain's answers were equally decisive. He said he'd allow off-shore drilling to solve the dependence on Middle Eastern oil. And he earned a round of applause when he said the educational system should be revamped and bad teachers should go into a different line of work.

But the big winner of the night to me was Rick Warren, who had the panache and clout to not only pull off the event but also get three cable networks to carry it live.

Warren was featured on the August 18 cover of Time magazine and was pictured in the article (click here to read it) holding hands with Obama in prayer. Some of my more conservative friends claim the photo made Obama look like a “reasonable” consideration for president.

I don’t know whether the possibility that the photo could be seen that way bothered Warren. In the forum, he appeared not to take sides. He asked both candidates tough questions. He was polite to both and seemed impartial. But his reactions to some of McCain's strong answers and Obama's weak ones let me know what he truly believes about abortion and traditional marriage. I realized he wasn't trying to give “a wink and a nod” that it was OK this year to vote for the pro-choice candidate.

What he did was show that Christians can be involved in the national debate without looking like narrow-minded theocrats. And when's the last time so much focus has been on faith in the political dialogue?

Let me close by mentioning that some of the questions Warren asked were similar to the ones I asked Sen. McCain last Wednesday in a 15-minute telephone interview that we'll run in the October issue of Charisma. In that interview, also, McCain came across as very personable and decisive.

There was one major difference other than the venue and the length of the interview. In my interview he called me “my friend” only three times. If I counted right at Saddleback, he used his trademark phrase 11 times!

This week we expect to get an interview with Sen. Obama. Stay tuned.

And be sure to add your comments on our Web site.

It's Time for Spiritual Fathers

It's time for the spiritual fathers to step up and help Todd Bentley, the former leader of the revival that has come to be known as the “Lakeland Outpouring.”

In light of the tragic news of the break-up of Bentley's marriage and some type of breakdown by Bentley himself (close associates are being tight-lipped), I believe his apostolic covering needs to minister not only to him but also to the larger body of Christ.

In June, at the request of Stephen Strader, pastor of Lakeland, Florida’s Ignited Church, Peter Wagner, head of the International Coalition of Apostles, agreed to lead an effort to address some of the concerns other ministers had voiced regarding the outpouring. As a result, Bentley and the revival in Lakeland were put under apostolic covering in what I consider a very healthy step

Too often in the "anything-goes-if-there's-an-'anointing' " charismatic environment there is no clear line of spiritual authority. But at Wagner's leading, Bentley submitted to the authority of three mature men of God--John Arnott, Ché Ahn and Bill Johnson--who love him and who agreed to give him and his ministry apostolic oversight

I know all three of these men personally. Each of them has a stellar reputation and is known for his desire to see revival come to the body of Christ. Each endorsed the Lakeland Outpouring and on June 23 laid hands on Bentley to commission him to lead that revival

About a week ago Wagner issued a statement about the commissioning process, which I believe was needed and very helpful. Little did any of us know that within a matter of days revelations would come out about Bentley. In 20/20 hindsight perhaps we should have seen it coming.

• -Anyone who is in services 4 to 6 hours a day, 7 days a week for weeks on end is bound to have some type of breakdown.
• -Anyone who covers himself with tattoos while in the ministry raises questions about his stability.
• -Anyone who talks about the "Angel of the Healing Revival" that ministered to A.A. Allen and William Branham must have overlooked the fact that Allen and Branham both were discredited with moral shortcomings.
• -Anyone who baptizes people in the name of the Father, the Son "and BAM" is playing lightly with the Holy Spirit and is bordering on blasphemy.
  

Many of us who long for revival saw the hungry people coming to Lakeland and witnessed the powerful anointing. We recognize that God can use flawed people (because He uses us!), yet we had major questions about Bentley. But rather than censoring him, we wanted to help correct the problems.

Now is the time for Bentley to be corrected. But it would also be good for Arnott, Ahn and Johnson, as well as other leaders such as Wagner, to issue a statement to the body of Christ to help the tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands who were affected by the outpouring understand what is going on spiritually.

Because all of these men endorsed the revival, it might even be appropriate for them to issue an apology. Some of Bentley's critics say an apology is necessary.

Perhaps some of the problems would have been prevented if men had spoken into Bentley's life several months ago. As good as it is to have an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff to help the injured, it is much better to have a fence at the top of the cliff to prevent someone from going over.

The Old Testament is full of the stories of flawed men God used powerfully. He continues to use flawed men and women today. But at the same time I believe God sets a higher standard for leaders in the church, requiring them to live righteous and holy lives. It is not right for the leaders who encourage us to follow God with utmost devotion to fall into divorce and other sins while the mocking world watches.

Strader, the pastor to whom Bentley handed "the baton of the Outpouring" earlier this month and who is continuing the services at his church, said that a television news crew was outside his church Tuesday covering what is happening. Newsmen are usually skeptical of high-profile preachers because they've seen them rise and fall in the past.

Strader told me that his church, which seats about 800, was packed with people wanting a touch from God. But he admitted that many have been devastated by the news about Bentley’s marriage, including many of the young staff members who were employed by Bentley's ministry, Fresh Fire. Bentley, his wife, Shonnah, and their family, also, are clearly in turmoil.

Strader mentioned as we talked that we have to be careful not to shoot our wounded. I was reminded of his comment during my daily Bible reading this morning, which included Galatians 6—a passage that says we need to restore those who fall with a spirit of gentleness so that we don't fall into the same sin. But he also pointed out that there must be a reason why the story of Ananias and Sapphira is in the Bible as a warning to others.

I invite you to click here to read Wagner's statement, which was written before Bentley's pending divorce had become public. And you're welcome to leave your comments on our blog. Also, click here to read a commentary on this sad story by my colleague Lee Grady.

33 Years Ago the First Issue of Charisma Magazine Rolled Off the Press

Today, August 5, is a special day for me. Thirty-three years ago the first issue of Charisma magazine rolled off the press. It was our August/September 1975 issue. Thurlow Spurr was on the cover. It had 32 pages and sold for 50 cents.

The magazine was a publication of Calvary Assembly in Winter Park, Florida. Most of the 500 or so subscribers were church members, and all of the advertisers belonged to the church. I was a 24-year-old journalist who published the magazine as a part-time job while I continued my work at the Sentinel Star (now the Orlando Sentinel).

Several times over the years--usually in anniversaries divisible by five--we've done something to commemorate Charisma's anniversary. It's really the only anniversary that we pay attention to in our company, even though we now publish six magazines and hundreds of books and have an increasingly substantial presence on the Internet.

Since those early years the Lord has opened up a lot of doors for me. This week, for example, I expect to interview presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama. I will be reporting on the interviews in the Strang Report as well as running them in the October issue of Charisma, where we will be taking an in-depth look at the upcoming election and the issues.

Charisma magazine has allowed me to be a part of what God is doing the last 33 years. Back in the ’70s the charismatic movement in mainline churches was going strong. The big controversy of the day was the “Discipleship Movement.” The television networks of Praise the Lord (PTL) and Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) were just getting off the ground. We had never heard of the ministries of now-prominent leaders such as T.D Jakes or Joyce Meyer.

Since then we have seen and reported on the rise of megachurches and the explosion of the charismatic movement, first among African-Americans and later among Hispanics. We have noted the rise and fall of a number of ministries. The charismatic movement has become more mainstream in the church, yet it is still often on the outside not only of American culture but also of the broader evangelical Christian community.

Forgive me if I'm a little sentimental when an anniversary rolls around. But I am grateful for and humbled by what God has done. If I died today, I would truly feel that I had had a very enjoyable and productive life. Yet at the same time I have been getting prophetic words--one as recently as yesterday--that indicate the Lord will open up doors in the future that are greater than those I’ve walked through in the past.

On Sunday George Cope, the current pastor of Calvary Assembly (where we started), was gracious enough to acknowledge Charisma's 33rd anniversary in the church’s morning service. Even though I have not attended Calvary Assembly for many years, we have worked to maintain a connection there.

We offered a special subscription of 33 issues for $33 (that's just less than half-price for a nearly 3-year subscription). We had an overwhelmingly positive response and are giving all the proceeds to a ministry of Calvary Assembly. You too can get 33 issues of Charisma for only $33. Click Here!

The response was so good that I decided when I wrote about our anniversary in this report, I would make the same offer to you.

Whether you are a current subscriber or a new subscriber, I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity. You can click here to order your subscription online. We'll also be glad to send it to someone as a gift if you choose.

In 1986 we took over the publishing legacy of Christian Life magazine, one that went back to 1939. A few months ago Bob Walker, the founder of Christian Life, went home to be with the Lord at age 95. In his day he was reporting on what the Holy Spirit was doing. He was one of the first to report on the burgeoning charismatic movement.

I believe I am doing much the same thing in a new generation and with new tools. Back in 1975 we were just beginning to hear about the personal computer, which became available a year or two later. We could not have envisioned the Internet as it is today. These two tools give us open doors to proclaim the good news of Jesus throughout the world.

We are privileged to publish Charisma in Spanish under the name Vida Cristiana (Christian Life). We have also licensed our name with a group of Christians in Indonesia to publish Charisma Indonesia, and this week we hope to come to an agreement with a leading publishing company in South Africa to publish Charisma Africa. This magazine will give us a presence in Africa that will allow us to do special editions in both Nigeria and Kenya. The deal in South Africa will be an arms-length business deal, but we will be supporting the efforts in Nigeria and Kenya through Christian Life Missions.

Many of you have already given to the Charisma Africa project, and we believe it will strengthen the church in those two countries. Of course there is a need for a financial help, which we are happy to give through Christian Life Missions. If you would like to add your tax-deductible donation, you can click here to help us with this project.

I'm proud of my son Cameron, who is continuing the publishing legacy through his own Relevant Media Group, a separate company. He's reaching his generation in a way I can't.

At the same time I believe Charisma and the other products we publish at Strang Communications will continue to grow and prosper as God gives us favor, opens doors and helps us network with many Christians, not only in America but also around the world. I feel a very special bond with those Christians who are my readers--that's why I felt I could open my heart and share my feelings with you on this special day.

I'll close by humbly admitting that the first issue of Charisma was actually scheduled to come out on August 1. We were five days late when it came off the press on August 5. Though we do a much better job of meeting deadlines today, it's always been a joke in our office that our first issue was late.

Steve Strang

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