A Matter of Trust

There’s a well-known story involving Dutch holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom (pictured here) about the power of forgiveness. Shortly after being freed from a Nazi concentration camp, Corrie spoke about that experience at a church in Munich, Germany. A former camp guard that Corrie recognized approached her, extended his hand and asked for her forgiveness. Corrie struggled at first while she stood face-to-face with one of her former captors. Finally, Corrie shook the man’s hand and in her own words: “I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then.”

A few years ago, I experienced a forgiveness test at a revival meeting in the Minneapolis area. Around the time the preacher talked about forgiving others, I noticed a familiar-looking man leaning up against the wall. It turned out to be my former best friend whom I hadn’t seen in over a decade. “Stephen” betrayed me by getting into an adulterous relationship with my then-wife who separated from me and subsequently filed for divorce. Immediately, I reminded the Lord of my forgiving Stephen but had a feeling we would end up talking that night.

After responding to an altar call and doing some “carpet time”, I went to use the bathroom. Sure enough, Stephen was also in there. He asked to speak with me, and we moved out to the lobby. After a few minutes passed without him mentioning my ex-wife, I went ahead and told Stephen I had forgiven him for betraying me. He thanked me but didn’t apologize or say anything that sounded like genuine remorse. Stephen said something about contacting my ex-wife’s father again. He also wanted to stay in touch with me through the Internet. Although I later showed him my website on my laptop, I didn’t have peace about giving him my email address.  

Sometimes boundaries need to be set when a professing Christian breach their trust. Even Jesus didn’t have blind faith in people. John 2:24 (NLT) says, “But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature.” While we are to believe the best of every person (1 Corinthians 13:7), it’s unfortunate when a lifetime of trust gets broken in seconds.

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” - Psalm 118:8

Believing the Best

A few weeks ago, reports surfaced of immoral behavior involving Canadian-born evangelist Todd Bentley. Three of his former associates who I’m friends with on Facebook issued public warnings about him. Todd has denied most of these accusations. Meanwhile, a tribunal has been set up to investigate the charges. At the time of this writing, I’ve not heard of any legal action taken against Todd. 

Unless he is proven guilty, I’m choosing to believe the best about Todd Bentley (1 Corinthians 13:7). It was around 2002 when I started hearing about him. His name stood out to me because I had a junior high classmate also named Todd Bentley. 

The first time I heard evangelist Todd Bentley minister was at The River at Tampa Bay church in 2004. He wasn’t the scheduled speaker but Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne invited him to come up to the pulpit for a few minutes. Because he’s from Canada, I was surprised to hear Todd preach like an American Pentecostal.

Over the next two years, I listened to more messages by Todd Bentley. Cuts from his albums “Soaking in the Secret Place” and “Marinating” were played on my Internet station Signs & Wonders Radio. I also read his testimony book “Journey Into the Miraculous.” Admittedly, I was somewhat jealous of Todd’s rapid progression in ministry but respected his spiritual hunger and passion for the lost.

In 2007, I attended a Todd Bentley conference in London, Ontario. One night in a prayer line, Todd laid hands on me without looking me in the eye. I thought that was odd. Another time, I stood by his book table while he was talking with someone. I hoped to at least say “hello” to him but that didn’t happen.

A year later, a series of Todd Bentley meetings in Lakeland, Florida quickly erupted into a revival that lasted several months. I went there for a few days in May. During my first night at the revival, Todd offered to pray for all the missionaries. Just before I reached the platform, Todd sent his associates to pray for the rest of us waiting in line. That caused me to question if God didn’t want me having contact with Todd. Nevertheless, he laid hands on me again at an anointing service three nights later. We also became friends on Facebook.

Throughout the summer of 2008, I watched more revival meetings on GodTV. I appreciated what God was doing through Todd Bentley but perceived not everything was okay in Lakeland. The revival soon cooled off when Todd’s marriage problems became public knowledge. Since I had gone through a divorce that year, I could relate to the flak Todd experienced. It’s sad when Christians judge others without knowing all the facts.

In 2009, I watched videos of Todd Bentley going through a restoration process with Rick Joyner of MorningStar Ministries. In one of them, Todd’s new wife Jessa explained how they came together while Todd was getting a divorce. Jessa clarified that no adultery occurred but got too emotionally involved with Todd before his divorce was finalized. It was also revealed Todd and his first wife Shonnah had marital difficulties before Jessa came into the picture.

In February 2010, the Lord led me to Charlotte, North Carolina to attend meetings at MorningStar. By this time Rick released Todd Bentley to do public ministry again. Just before one evening service, I got to meet with the Bentleys for a couple of minutes. Todd prayed a blessing over my ministry without me asking him to. Since a brief return to MorningStar later that year, I haven’t attended any of Todd’s meetings but often read his Facebook posts.

In response to the recent allegations, many Todd Bentley meetings were canceled and partners have withdrawn their support. A few Christians insist he should no longer be behind the pulpit. I disagree as long as Todd has repented of all wrongdoing. Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Televangelist Jim Bakker had a moral failure and was divorced by his wife Tammy while behind bars. God still brought him back into ministry. Jim didn’t even want to go on TV again but was led to start a program he now hosts with his current wife Lori.

Friends of mine in Massachusetts are hosting a Todd Bentley meeting in their home next weekend. I pray that heaven’s purposes will be fulfilled there. No matter how many times someone may mess up, God will use anyone who humbles himself and is repentant.

“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.” - Proverbs 24:16

UPDATE: Dr. Michael L. Brown released two statements regarding a Leadership Panel that investigated Todd Bentley's recent actions. The statements were posted on Dr. Brown's Facebook pages in early January 2020. I encourage everyone interested in reading them to do so prayerfully.

The Danger of Unforgiveness

Those of you who know me are probably aware I frequently go to McDonald’s to drink coffee and work online with my laptop. You may be surprised to learn I once had a long standing grudge against the restaurant. 

Back in 1976 as a twelve-year-old, I went inside McDonald’s one day to pick up dinner for my family. Initially, there were many other customers waiting to order. Over the next 45 minutes, everybody had been waited on except me! For some reason, employees asked people in line behind me for their orders. I didn’t speak up because I thought I was doing the right thing by being patient. By the time someone finally asked for my order, I was extremely upset. Back home I ate my McDonald’s food but then vowed never to eat there again.

You might ask yourself, “So what’s the big deal? If you receive terrible service, don’t go back there.” I took my resentment towards McDonald’s to the extreme. Whenever my parents bought me food from there, I refused to eat it even if that meant going hungry for the night. One time I was about to ride with my dad and noticed McDonald’s wrappers in the car. I grabbed some paper towels to avoid contact with those wrappers while throwing them in the trash. If I rode with someone who decided to stop at McDonald’s, I usually waited in the car. If I had to sit inside the restaurant, I refused to touch French fries offered to me.

During my sophomore year in high school, my best friend David got hired by McDonald’s and suggested I work with him there. Even though I wanted a job, I wouldn’t consider his idea. The following June, I went on a week-long field trip with my Sunday school class. Occasionally, the pastor stopped at McDonald’s. Because I still refused to eat there, he gave me money so I could get food someplace else. It wasn’t until a decade later when I finally ended my McDonald’s boycott and bought myself an eggnog shake. What did I accomplish by holding onto a fourteen year grudge? Nothing!

Because we live in a fallen world, we will occasionally get mistreated. We can respond by forgiving the offenders or continue pondering the mistreatment and let it build inside our heart. That can have dangerous consequences. Hebrews 12:15 says, “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

Many times I’ve heard it said the only sin that stops people from receiving eternal life is rejecting Jesus. There is actually one more hindrance to heaven: unforgiveness. Look at what Jesus said in Mark 11:25-26…

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

One pastor I recently exchanged emails with contested the idea that unforgiveness prevents a Christian from going to heaven. God confirms His word by the mouth of two or three witnesses. In the Reinhard Bonnke video “Raised From the Dead”, a Nigerian pastor named Daniel Ekechukwu testified of being resurrected three days after dying from injuries suffered in a car accident. Before coming back to life, Daniel briefly stood outside the gates of heaven and learned he would’ve gone to hell for having unforgiveness towards his wife.

There’s also an eye-opening testimony in John Bevere’s book “The Bait of Satan.” John wrote about a man from the Philippines who briefly died on the operating table and was shown a vision of hell. This Filipino was amazed to see his wife’s mother burning in flames. She had said the “sinner’s prayer,” confessed to being a Christian, and had attended church. 

“Why is she in hell?” the Filipino asked the Lord.

The Lord told him that she had refused to forgive a relative and therefore could not be forgiven.

Forgiving others is not an option. Jesus makes it clear in His word…If we don’t forgive those who wronged us, God won’t forgive us of the wrongs we’ve done to Him.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” - Matthew 5:21-22

Future Forgiveness

Thank God for grace! None of us deserve eternal life but God made that available through the death and resurrection of His Son. We need to continue receiving that grace to fulfill His plans and purposes for us on this earth.

A doctrine I’ve heard taught by some modern grace teachers is that once you’re saved, all your past, present, and future sins are forgiven. For a while I kept thinking, something isn’t right about the future part. Then I read Michael Brown’s book “Hyper-Grace” in which he shares this powerful analogy…

“It’s as if you have a debit card with a prepaid amount of one million dollars, but the account is not charged until you go out and use it. In the same way, the forgiveness of all of our sins has been prepaid, but that forgiveness is not applied in advance. It is applied as needed.”

The Lord also gave me this illustration. If you’re married, there have been times you said or did things that hurt your spouse. Your marriage didn’t suddenly end but that relationship was strained until you apologized and asked for forgiveness. No one has ever been a perfect husband or wife.

Likewise, anyone who is part of the Bride of Christ will occasionally say or do things that are wrong. Any believer who claims he never sins is a liar. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Fortunately, the next verse mentions the forgiveness available for when we blow it: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Yes, forgiveness for future sins is available but is to be received when needed. Jesus may have said on the cross “it is finished” but every believer is a work in progress. A Christian serious about his walk with the Lord won’t practice sin but still misses it from time to time. We all have room for improvement. 

So the next time you feel convicted when messing up, don’t live in condemnation. Confess it before the Lord (and others when necessary) and then move on.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” - Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

In Remembrance: Steve Hill (1954-2014)

This past Monday I initially woke up just after midnight. Unable to fall back to sleep, I went online for a couple of hours. Through Facebook friends, I found out a well-known preacher went home to be with the Lord hours before. Steve Hill, best remembered as the evangelist God used to spark the Brownsville Revival, died after a long battle with cancer. He was 60 years old.

Born in Ankara, Turkey to a military family but raised in Alabama, Steve Hill got caught up in a lifestyle of drugs, alcohol, and crime. On October 28, 1975, Steve’s life changed when a Lutheran minister stopped by his house. Steve got born again not by going through the Four Spiritual Laws, the Romans Road, or some other popular witnessing method. The minister simply encouraged Steve to repeatedly call on the name of Jesus and was instantly delivered from drug addiction. Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

A few weeks later, Steve was arrested due to unlawful activities prior to his conversion. He was eventually probated to Teen Challenge, which prepared him for the ministry. Steve later spent several years on the mission field planting churches and conducting evangelistic crusades in various countries. All of that came to a halt on Father’s Day 1995 when Steve was the guest speaker at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. The rest is revival history.

The first time I listened to Steve Hill was in October 1997 during my initial visit to the Brownsville Revival. I hadn’t yet heard any of Steve’s sermons and was taken aback by his in-your-face preaching style. Eventually, I grew to appreciate Steve’s boldness and passion for souls. He always compelled sinners to run for the altar. Steve often extended altar calls whenever he perceived someone had one final opportunity to get right with God.

During my second trip to Pensacola in January 1998, the Lord spoke to me about downsizing my personal belongings since I would be traveling more as a missionary. Later at the revival, I received a confirmation through this prophetic word spoken by Steve…

“The Lord would say to everyone in this place – live unsettled! Don’t sink too deep into the soil of this earth. Keep your head up and your feet moving…loose yourself of any ties that bind. If you don’t loose yourself – I’ll help loose you! Prepare the way in your own heart and then help prepare the way in others…I will return for a pilgrim people.” 

For the next three years, I attended many more Brownsville Revival meetings as the Lord directed me to make temporary moves to Pensacola. Steve Hill prayed over me numerous times although I never got to talk with him personally. I briefly chatted with his wife one time after finding out she is a North Dakota native like me (Jeri Hill was born in Williston).

While most of Steve Hill’s messages were very serious, he occasionally displayed a sense of humor. I was at Brownsville when Steve preached one message called “Just the Facts” wherein the beginning, the worship leader played the old “Dragnet” theme. Steve then announced, “This is the city...Pensacola, Florida. I carry a Bible.” He often made clever use of visual aids while preaching.

Steve Hill ministered up to four nights a week at the Brownsville Revival during its first five years. Then in 2000, Steve relocated to Dallas and resumed worldwide evangelism outreaches. He later started Heartland World Ministries Church. During the last few years of his life, Steve was weakened by skin cancer but continued preaching the gospel mostly through video plus writing books and numerous articles.

Steve’s death surprised me. I thought he had recovered from his illness after watching him on Sid Roth’s “It’s Supernatural” program last year. In addition, Christian singer Carman also went through a recent cancer scare but experienced miraculous healing. Instead of questioning why Steve didn’t get healed, let’s rejoice in the fact that he’s now in heaven and will be joined there by multitudes touched by his ministry. 

Let’s also take to heart this tribute written by Dr. Michael Brown, the former president of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry...

“May Steve Hill now be like a seed planted in the ground that dies, only to bring forth much lasting fruit. And may there be a supernatural multiplication of Spirit-anointed, Jesus-centered, revival-carrying, sin-hating evangelists raised up in his name and sent out to America and the nations.”

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 

- 2 Timothy 4:7

Greasy Grace

In some churches, you will hear the term “greasy grace” used. There are Christians who believe the gospel message has been watered down in recent years to where we make it too easy for people to receive forgiveness.

One of the definitions of the word grace is “the free and unmerited favor of God.” Certainly, we need to preach repentance from our pulpits and not tolerate sin. Romans 6:15 says, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” But we must also remember, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

When I asked the Lord if it’s wrong to give a person too much grace, He reminded me of Matthew 18:21-22…

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Notice that Jesus told us we are to forgive our brother ”seventy times seven.” That’s 490 times! Would you be able to do that for someone who wronged you that many times? I’m sure it wouldn’t be easy but God would give you the grace to do so. After all, it is a commandment.

In his book “Between Noon and Three”, Episcopal priest Robert Farrar Capon uses a powerful illustration comparing grace to the fire department. The building inspector may cite you twenty times for breaking the fire code. But when your house goes up in flames, the fire department still responds every time. A fireman would never walk up to your burning house and begin reading the code violations you committed. Condemnation won’t stop the flames.

So the next time someone accuses you of extending “greasy grace” to someone, search your heart in the light of Scripture. It's likely you are hearing from the heart of God.

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” - John 1:17