Culture of Honor

This is my response to a blog about Todd Bentley to the author, he asked for our thoughts so I thought I'd post mine:


http://www.ibethel.org/regarding-todd-bentley/


This is a link to a response that I like very much regarding Todd Bentley. I think it's important for us to develop and keep a culture of honor. This church in Redding, California has found a way to recognize different anointings when they see them, and look past the things that they might not agree with. Whenever someone speaks at Bethel Church in Redding, the pastor will never tell you what he didn't agree with. He wants to train the church to recognize different anointings and different moves of God in different people. And sometimes those come in unlikely and maybe even uncomfortable forms. The important thing is to learn to see God, instead of the human. To recognize the "Truth" wherever it is. If we focus on the good, and learn to honor fellow believers even if we have small differences in doctrine, we get closer to understanding the heart of the Father. Just like the dad in the Prodigal Son, he did not care about the mess his son had gotten into. He loved his son and wanted to honor him and bless him just for being his son.


As believers we are going to keep being divided as long as we remain critical, and see the human error rather than the potentially mighty move of God in someone. Todd needed believers to support him (by supporting you don't have to agree with every last stroke of the pen), to love him, to honor him, and to pray for him. I believe that Todd has an amazing anointing to heal the sick and raise the dead. I know several people personally who encountered God in ways they never had before in Lakeland. Todd ushered in God's presence no matter how you look at it.


If you look at the history of revivals and revivalists, you'll notice that at the end, the "main player" usually gets burnt out, tired, and broken. Moves of God can happen quickly, and when someone is pushed ahead of the group to lead, they rarely have an opportunity to build in extra accountability, prayer support, and to get friends alongside them to help them lead. Without those things, anyone would burn out and get tired and feel lonely. Believers are meant to be honored and supported by each other, without being divisive about every detail. I think in times like this, we need to storm the gates of heaven on behalf of our brother in Christ, rather than sitting at the dinner table picking him apart. We need to show honor and love to all believers. If we can't love the Body, how can we love the lost? the homeless? the poor?



We have to first know and feel the love of God for us, before we can unconditionally give it. We should work from love not for love. from victory not for victory. and from a place of rest rather than for a place of rest. We have been fully equipped with everything we need, we just have to believe we have it, and then act on it.