When attending church, it doesn’t take long to see what the main focus of that church is.  Either the service will be centrally focused on Jesus through praise, worship, and teaching of the Word of God, or it will focus on signs, wonders, miracles, and money.  If your pastor or speaker approaches the platform with Bible in hand, and expounds the true Word of God to those in attendance, then you know that is a Bible believing church.  If your speaker or teacher approaches the platform with twitches, shakes, screaming, and an hour-long testimony about all the things he himself is doing in his “ministry,” then you know the teacher is self-centered and not teaching the whole council of God.

What you focus on tells what you serve.  In this case, Todd Bentley, according to World Magazine, spent at least 30 minutes on the offering alone.  The magazine also reports that there are ATM machines set up at the Lakeland Revival.  This should make it more convenient to keep the people giving.  How considerate of them.  What time he wasn’t talking about himself or manifestations, he was talkin about money.

This is from World Magazine:

A visit to one of Bentley’s services suggests that he is learning how to turn the big crowds into big money. ATM machines have been set up, providing attendees with ready cash for the offering plate and book purchases. The offering is now a significant part of the service, taking as long as 30 minutes. Bentley has not released financial information, saying he is “too busy keeping up with what God is doing” to pull the information together.  Source.

World Magazine also reports that when they asked Bentley for verification of healings, his ministry claimed “privacy issues,” and disclosed nothing.  Transparency is of vital importance to any ministry.  When they will not disclose any information, it leads us to wonder why.

True revival begins with repentence and humbling yourself before God.  The people visiting Lakeland have heard no sermons on repentence, obedience, and Godliness; they hear nothing about Christ and Him crucified, and instead are taught to invoke angels, and to call for fire.  While all of this chaos takes place, Jesus is standing somewhere out near the curb where He’s been kicked.

Remember, Jesus said in John 12:32:  “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”  The Holy Spirit, who Bentley tells his congregants to call on, will not even speak of anything pertaining to Himself…only the Son of God, the life and light; the Living Water, the Bread of Life (John 16).