Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. Proverbs 20:17

The Abbotsford groups are changing their names after the fiasco of the man-made Lakeland revival last year.

While Canadian Todd Bentley crashed and burned, others in NAR and neo-Pentecostalism clustering around Lakeland with their hands out were well aware of his affair. After media got hold of the lies about healings, asked questions about money and internal news broke that Todd and Shonnah Bentley’s marriage was ending, Fresh Fire Ministries Canada tried to distance themselves as Bentley stepped down.

Global Harvest Centre (Bentley’s home church in Canada) have always had their people on the Fresh Fire Board,  Fresh Fire started out as one of their street ministries, the loss of their main cash cow and the negative publicity  has led to a grand announcement that the centre and the ministry are changing their names.

Global Harvest Centre Abbotsford will now become Transform Central.
Fresh Fire Ministries will become Transform International. 
The  usual crowd are showing up in Abbotsford to kick off the name change.

IT’S TIME TO FLY – CONFERENCE
Transform International Inaugural Event
March 18 – 20, 2009 ~ Abbotsford BC Canada
Speakers: John Arnott, Jeff Garvin, Michael Bullett, Eli Miller
Worship: Bert Petkau, Erik Uunila

Registration: FREE – Everyone Welcome

Transform International (formerly Fresh Fire Ministries) presents its first conference event! Come join us March 18 – 20, 2009 in beautiful Abbotsford BC Canada, for this FREE gathering. This event will mark the launching of Transform International … come be a part of the birthing of a Culture! Register soon as seating is limited!

As the Canadians play transformers, Todd Bentley’s parents began to put out feelers into the neo-charismatic community to see how former followers were handling his downfall. Dave Bentley (Todd’s biological father) released information to a  web site NAR considers antagonistic. (see comments below for clarity – BD)
Then a few weeks later a puff piece featuring Dave Bentley ran in Canadian Christianity the first of February.

Right on cue, Bentley’s stepmother Darcia has released a ‘newsflash’  at Sound of Fire Productions. Darcia and Dave Bentley also run a site called Freedom Fire Ministries.   
What is interesting is this is the second time his parents have said he is undergoing restoration at Rick Joyner’s Morningstar Ministries. Only hard core fans seem to be playing along, because the powers that be which hold power aren’t saying anything. After the flurry of distancing last year, I think the decision has been made to starve fans of news to better a comeback and the parents are either going with the program or not quite following the apostle’s script.  
It’s interesting comments are open under Mrs. Bentley’s ‘newsflash’; last year the man made revival message was tightly controlled, now his parents have a stake. I don’t expect the comments to remain open long, the blues and the greys are having at it. (a Joyner civil war in the church reference) 

It is also interesting that Rick Joyner plans to do the talking, and I suspect he hopes followers forget he planned to months ago. It is also interesting step-mom doesn’t mention new wife Jessa.
Rick Hiebert, a Canadian reporter who deals in facts not speculation, and who has been on the Bentley story for years, posted  Saturday that Bentley remarried. The leak had to be purposeful, the game’s afoot.

Darcia Bentley ends her Todd-centric ’newsflash’ pushing product. 
On neo-charismatic boards, rumours have been flying Bentley married Jessa in January.

What I find even more interesting is how easily lies come and how easy it is to believe them.

During Lakeland the claims of the numbers of people watching the online streaming were hyped, as professional marketing kicked into high gear. The claims as they have been throughout religious history were over the top. Thousands healed, millions watching.   The numbers decimate the hype,  it’s becoming clear key players took a hit when the shows star ran off.

To be fair, this site mostly measures US traffic with some global, and Quantcast makes no claim this all of this is hard data, (see the symbols for estimated).  Still, it’s a far cry from the millions being reached, thousands being healed, and the dead raised, isn’t it? Fresh Fire Ministries:

Toronto Airport Fellowship (which will be participating in the name change hootenanny) also broadcast Lakeland, their numbers are so low I was surprised, and I don’t surprise easily. Charisma Magazine and Elijah List haven’t fared quite as badly, as information central for neo-charismatics and devout followers of authoritarian apostles of apostasy, these two sites have a lot of cross-over and feed followers what they want to hear.
 Ignited Church website, Stephen Strader’s Lakeland home base which hosted the ‘revival’ is faring even worse.

God TV’s numbers aren’t available on Quantcast that I can find. (Aha. Found GodTV numbers – wow, for a media business that kind of dive is disastrous) 

Finally let’s have a peak at Rick Joyner’s traffic, shall we?
He is still selling Todd Bentley’s final performance – a 2 disc DVD set for $20/US. Anyone with an ounce of discernment or a modicum of sense can understand why Joyner jumped at ‘restoring’ Todd Bentley. MorningStar has the broadcast equipment for the comeback.
Fewer hands out, tighter control of the message and the profits.
We’ll see.
As prosperity ministries crash and burn with the rest of the economy and as Joel’s Army needs it’s fix; Joyner positioned himself. 
I’ve written about this before, make no mistake, people dazzled and deceived by Lakeland will be back for more Bentley.  MorningStar Ministries:

Update: Right on cue: Rick Joyner speaks. Jessa is sorry, Todd is sorry and isn’t Rick wonderful to see such promise in Todd Bentley that he’s going to restore him. It’s all about Joyner’s timing, not God’s. There will be people with solid theological responses to this – I’ll link up, right now I’ve got to grab some much needed sleep. I’ll put Darcia Bentley’s disappeared/replaced statement below the fold.

“Newsflash 1

Dear Friends,

The Bible says that though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again (see Proverbs 24:16). The difference between a righteous person and an unrighteous one is that the righteous one resolves to rise again in the Lord; the unrighteous one does not get up when he falls.

In seeking to surrender control to God, God has upheld my son Todd with His hand (see Psalm 37:24), that though he stumbles, he will not fall. Todd has resolved to rise again in the Lord, in His timing as he hands full control to God during this transition of healing, repentance, rest, strengthening, and yes, growth in character to carry and sustain the anointing. I am so glad, for the sake of Christ and His banner of love that still needs to be carried into key areas. I’m glad for my son’s sake, for the family’s healing, for a mother’s sake, for those already touched through Todd’s ministry who may be hurting, and for the sake of all those whom the Lord has yet to touch and mark as His own.

I can say this with all forthrightness as his step-mom. Todd worked hard over the years and with the greatest intentions as a young parent and as a husband who sought the very best for his family, having himself come out of a life of dysfunction and poverty. He also carried a huge ministry load for a youth still growing in character. Not only in his consuming desire to take God’s love and miracle working power to the world, but also in caring for the sheep within the folds of Fresh Fire, many of whom were members of his family, such as his in-laws, and friends who had been with him there from the emerging days of ministry. Todd also had a season of burnout several years ago, that he termed his “season of suffering,” whereby he tried to address the burgeoning difficulties in his marriage as well as the emerging flaws in his character that needed edifying. But the pressures upon him, self-imposed and from the outside were so great to return to ministry, that perhaps he returned too soon, and perhaps this is an extension of that time now that the Lord has used to bring him to that place of mature stature in Christ, for the work left to do.

The Word doesn’t recount the stories of David, Abraham, or Noah’s downfalls so that we can point and accuse but to remind us that we all fall short, are vulnerable, and will battle something that will try to take us down. Does this mean that Christianity doesn’t work? No, it works—millions can testify of that! Does it mean that the healings, the salvations, and the deliverances, the power words of the Gospel that went forth through Todd as one of God’s mouthpieces have no effect? Thankfully, no. God’s word never returns void. I know that Todd still believes with great conviction everything he has ever preached or taught concerning the goodness of the Lord, of intimacy with Him, of His incredible might, love, and power, and ability to transform. Todd now is an example of all of our need for Jesus, we cannot let Todd’s fall take any one of us away from that truth.

The Bible does not claim that people are perfect, even leaders entrusted with great and effective ministries, but it does reveal the truth about our common struggles. God knows that people will fall. But we know by His love that we don’t have to stay down, there is always away up out of the muck, always a path toward restoration, if we’ll take it. Many of the greatest men and women of God of all time got to where they were in the Lord because of their decisions to get up again and put themselves into God’s hands that they would grow and learn from their wrong, bad, hurtful, or sinful choices. This should be our hope and desire—and it is Todd’s, the hope of “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:24).

It is like music to a mother’s ears to hear her son say, “The Lord helped me in battle!” And that will be key to his ministry as my son rises up out of the ashes with the help of the Lord and the accountability team, for even greater effectiveness in the kingdom; empathetic and watchful because of his own struggles and ensuing victory, and strong enough in stature and maturity to sustain the anointing and carry it to the ends of the earth.

Please keep Todd and the family in your prayers! We have made available all of his teachings and tapes to you and trust that they still minister to your deepest needs. In the meantime, watch here for communication from Todd as the Lord leads.

Love in Him,

Darcia Bentley

via: Miriam Franklin