A Politically Incorrect Christmas in Baghdad

A Politically Incorrect Christmas in Baghdad

By Ken Joseph Jr.
Special to ASSIST News Service
WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (ANS) -- Walking the streets of Washington DC leading up to Christmas, I have come across a most interesting phenomenon..

Nowhere, and I mean absolutely nowhere, is Jesus to be found!

It is truly amazing!

Extensive Christmas decorations are everywhere, in the stores, on the streets, wherever you turn it is Christmas!

I started to talking to people and asking them the simple question, “Isn't Christmas celebrating the birthday of Jesus?”

The answers I got were quite amazing.

Literally everybody I talked to, paused and said, “You know; you’re right! It is supposed to be His birthday. What happened to Jesus?"

Imagine if you had a birthday. Your friends all came over, they partied, they ate, they exchanged presents and everybody acted if you didn't even exist.

Well, after a few minutes of that, you would stand up and say, “Hey! It's my birthday!”

As I began to talk to people, dozens of them, I started to get angry. No matter what faith, creed, color - and you can find just about anything in Washington - they agreed. It just wasn't right!

Christmas, celebrating the birthday of Jesus and amazingly there appears to be a very studied attempt to completely ignore Him.

Well, contrast that to Baghdad. I am an Assyrian Christian and my family is originally from the Iraqi village of Mahmoudia in Northern Iraq.

I was there during Saddam’s time and remember the sheer terror that reigned 24 hours a day. The constant fear that you could be hauled off by one of his “goons” and never seen again.

Well in Iraq thanks to our failed policies the poor Iraqis have not learned yet that you are supposed to ignore Jesus on Christmas.

Sponsored by the Iraqi Government -- no separation of Church and State here -- there was a special Christmas Celebration in downtown Baghdad.

Guess what was the main attraction? A huge Christmas tree topped by a Star? A massive Santa Claus? Fake snow?

Nope! They had a huge picture of… you got it, Jesus!

There it was! A huge, beautifully painted color painting of Jesus, the center of the Christmas celebration!

Iraqi Government spokesman Abdul Karim Khalaf took it all one step further when he announced on behalf of the Iraqi Government, “All Iraqis are Christians today.”

Did I miss something?

No, I didn't.

After meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, on behalf of the Assyrian Christians, I paused and said, “Prime Minister, would you mind if I prayed for you?”

He beamed, ordered all his beefy, confused security guards who were surrounding us, to bow their heads and we had a wonderful time of prayer.

Meeting later with Iraqi President Talabani on the same subject, I asked the question again. This time he pointed to his chest and said, “I just had surgery on my heart - pray here!”

I thought to myself what kind of a reception I would get on Capitol Hill, at the State Department, or a dozen other Government Agencies, after a meeting, if I asked, “Would you mind if I prayed for you?”

A cold silence? Mass panic? A straight “no” - with a couple exceptions.

Well, Washington, and all of us this Christmas can learn something from the poor, politically incorrect Iraqis.

By the way, if Iraq is doing so bad, why is it that I can’t seem to book my ticket to get back there, as there are no open seats!

As every Iraqi Government says so proudly they have been “liberated”` and now celebrate Christmas the way it should be with a huge picture of Jesus whose birthday Christmas is!

May God bless them all and may He call us back to our senses before it is too late.

Of all times in the middle of an economic crisis it is not the time to make the birthday guest upset!

How stupid can you get!

Christmas is the birthday of Jesus and the Iraqis got it right - put Him up front and center! The Iraqis at least know that much! They need Him and all the blessings they can get!

Ahmadinejad show "causes offence"

Ahmadinejad show ‘causes offence’
Huge row breaks out in Britain over his Channel 4 Alternative Christmas Message

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
LONDON, UK (ANS) -- Allowing Iran's president to deliver Channel 4's Alternative Christmas Message will cause “international offence,” the UK government has said.

The BBC stated in a story that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was shown telling viewers of the British TV channel “the general will of nations” was for a return to “human values.”

The decision angered some British MPs, who branded him a “dangerous fanatic” with anti-Semitic views.

Channel 4 said it had offered viewers an “alternative world view.”

“The speech, in Farsi with English subtitles, was the channel's 16th alternative message and was shown after a brief introduction to Mr. Ahmadinejad contextualizing his views,” said the BBC story.

“In it, Mr. Ahmadinejad congratulated the people of Britain on the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“He said that problems in society were rooted in the rejection of the message of the prophets of God, including Jesus.”

And he criticized the “indifference of some governments and powers” towards the teachings of “the divine prophets.”

However, a British Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: “President Ahmadinejad has during his time in office made a series of appalling anti-Semitic statements.

“The British media are rightly free to make their own editorial choices, but this invitation will cause offence and bemusement not just at home but amongst friendly countries abroad.”

Labour MP Louise Ellman, chairwoman of the Labour Jewish Movement, said: “I condemn Channel 4's decision to give an unchallenged platform to a dangerous fanatic who denies the Holocaust, while preparing for another, and claims homosexuality does not exist while his regime hangs gay young men from cranes in the street.

“Who will deliver next year's alternative Christmas message? Will it be David Irving or Robert Mugabe?”

Conservative MP Mark Pritchard, a member of the Commons all-party media group, said: “Channel 4 has given a platform to a man who wants to annihilate Israel and continues to persecute Christians at Christmas time.

“This raises serious questions about whether Channel 4 should receive an increased public subsidy for their programmes.”

The BBC said that Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor said: “In Iran, converts to Christianity face the death penalty. It is perverse that this despot is allowed to speculate on the views of Jesus, while his government leads Christ's followers to the gallows.”

He said Channel 4's decision to broadcast the message was a “scandal and a national embarrassment” and in “its search for ratings and shock factor, Channel 4 had lost its ethical way.”

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell joined the attack, calling the president a “criminal despot, who ranks with Robert Mugabe, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and the Burmese military junta as one of the world's most bloody tyrants.”

‘Enormously influential’

But Channel 4 defended its decision to broadcast the message.

Head of news and current affairs Dorothy Byrne said: “As the leader of one of the most powerful states in the Middle East, President Ahmadinejad's views are enormously influential. As we approach a critical time in international relations, we are offering our viewers an insight into an alternative world view.”

A spokesman added: “Channel 4's role is to allow viewers to hear directly from people of world importance with sufficient context to enable them to make up their own minds.”

He said the channel had not asked for increased public funding, rather an indirect subsidy to overcome a funding shortfall caused by the digital switchover.

“Channel 4's first alternative message was delivered by gay icon Quentin Crisp in 1993,” said the BBC. “Others to have given the broadcast include French actress Brigitte Bardot, former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne and TV chef Jamie Oliver.

“Last year's message was given by Sergeant Major Andrew Stockton, a British soldier who lost an arm fighting in Afghanistan.

“Unlike previous years, the president's message was broadcast at night and not at the same time as the Queen's speech.”

Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2009

Merry Christmas and a happy new Year 2009. Harapan kami di malam Natal kita sekali lagi berjumpa secara pribadi dengan KRISTUS. Doa kami sekeluarga ada penghiburan dan kekuatan yang baru di malam Natal ini.

We that love and care for you,

Dave and Novie

What happend to Demas?

What Happened to Demas?
by J.D. King www.worldrevivalnetwork.com
________________________________________
Have you wondered what it was like to participate in a great move of God? In the first century there were a handful of men who had this privilege. Reflecting on them, the Apostle Paul wrote the following:

"Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philemon 1:22-25)

Paul names several men in this overlooked passage; calling them "fellow workers." Just visualize for a moment what it must have been like? What miracles you would have experienced as you stood beside the apostle?

However, as you consider the opportunities afforded these men, you cannot overlook their spiritual character. On the pages of another epistle, Paul makes reference to this.

"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings."(Colossians 4:12-14)

These men – described by Paul as "dear friends" – wrestled in prayer. They stood in the gap so others could find spiritual strength and maturity. They were great warriors for God. I certainly would not be shocked if many unrecorded exploits were accomplished through their ministries.

However, when reading about these men, it is easy to forget that they were moving through the opening stages of revival. We are listening in as everything is new and exciting. It is not difficult to grab hold of the purposes of God when everything is fresh and easy. It is an entirely different manner when things become hard and a difficult battle ensues.

In these quiet early passages, the great challenges of ministry are not yet manifest. Yes, hints of danger are on the horizon, but mounting persecution has not yet raised its head. In these triumphant moments, Paul and friends are conquering every obstruction before them.

It is easy to run as long as light remains, but what happens when the shadows lengthen.

As warm winds shifted and the seasons changed, this mighty apostolic team began to face difficult opposition. No longer was it painless to minister the gospel. The new crowds they were encountering were not as open to the message as the earlier ones. Paul and his workers were not only being publicly denounced by the Greeks, they were experiencing violence from prominent Jews.

In the closing years of Paul's life, many who once stood beside him dishonorably abandoned him. Anointed men with promising futures were convinced that they could not handle the pressure. It is easy to stand up for righteous when things are good, but who will remain in the face of mounting difficulty.

One can almost hear the deep sadness in Paul's voice as he appealed to Timothy - one of the few men who remained faithful.

"Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." (2 Timothy 4:9-11)

In this tragic epistolary exchange, Paul digresses about Demas; a man once referenced in the same breath as Luke (Colossians 4:14). Who was this troubled man and what became of him? When reading about Demas, many write him off as a pretender; a charlatan who was never really in the faith. For others, Demas' story is little more than a distracting sideline in Paul's overarching theological discourse. They believe these verses are interesting but inapplicable; something passed over on the way to more important passages. This is a wrong outlook. Mistaken assumptions cause us to miss the greater lesson of this scripture.

We have forgotten not only who we are, but where we have come from and where we are going. Churchgoers are blinded to the fact that we are becoming like Demas. Sure we started out in the right direction; moving in the glory and power of the Lord. We loved Jesus with all our heart and were prepared to serve Him all the days of our life.

Somewhere along the way things got harder. Troubles of this world came and started choking the purposes of God. You had everything you needed to fight, but somehow lost heart. Passionate people of the Kingdom are in danger of losing their way. What happened to Demas? Whatever it was you cannot let it happen to you.

A Corporate Revival in KC

A Corporate Revival in KC: a Report
by Robert Ricciardelli www.vision2advance.com

Joyce and I recently had the privilege of being hosted by Steve and Kathy Gray and the World Revival Church in Kansas City. Steve had seen some of our newsletter articles come through regarding Lakeland. Without being critical, Steve notified Lee Grady and myself about what was going on in his church that was powerful and yet God honoring. He invited Lee and I, and our wives to come and see what God has been doing there. Lee could not work it out in his schedule, but Joyce and I were able to go.
For those who do not know, Steve and Kathy Gray were the pastors of the Smithton Revival, more information here. They are now in the Lee’s Summit area of Kansas City. They are not only pastors but are also producers of the Emmy Award winning Steve and Kathy Show. I was able to conduct an interview that is now being edited and I will share with you as it becomes available.
We were treated very well by everyone and we believe Steve and Kathy will be lifetime friends and partners. Here are some highlights of what we saw in our 4 days there.
Humility: Steve and Kathy walk with a limp. There is nothing sweeter in my eyes than humility. I will take humility over anything in the world. These two in the midst of God promoting them, and their ability to influence, are humble and give all glory and honor to the Father. We see this in their leadership team as well. They see God showing up, and yet they do not own it, and they do not think they are exclusive in their experience.
Word: The Word of life is preached. They do not glory in the signs and wonders but glory in Jesus. They are not looking for gold dust, but searching for the character of Jesus. They are not seeking 3rd heaven experiences, but asking the Lord to bring heaven to earth now. Jesus is exalted and unlike recent leaders I have seen, Steve and Kathy do a great job of deflecting any glory from themselves as leaders. Deflecting all glory from self is a sign of humility and another reason why Joyce and I fell in love with them.
Presence: The people of WRC go after God with all that is within them and God is showing up. Joyce and I have been to Lakeland and we did not sense the presence of God in power like we did at WRC. We also witnessed some healings and dozens of lives changed right before our very eyes. I must note that these folks do not hype or embellish what God is doing. They do not use it to say look at us, so this was a far departure from some of what we saw this year at some other notable events.
People: We got to meet most of the pastors there as well as many members and they were genuine in their love and passion for Jesus. Their zeal was real and not pumped up. Many of them had powerful testimonies of radically transformed lifestyles. Joyce and I felt welcomed and loved. This life is also now spilling into their everyday lives and impacting their spheres in the marketplace.

Relationships: They really are a family. A very committed people. When God called them from Smithton to Kansas City, 68 families quit jobs, sold homes and moved to be part of the work God had for them in their new community. They went in faith and God has further brought them together as family, and they really do love each other and it is very evident. I see a very “safe place” for mutually submitted relationships and a community growing together.

Expression: Those who know us know that we value every corporate and organic expression of Christ-like living. We have seen radical Christians in house churches, denominational, combinational, and nominal expressions of faith communities. We believe that any expression that does not breed lives that bring His presence, nature, and character to the outside world, is fruitless religion.

WRC begins their time together on Thursday nights for Intercessory prayer. This is foundational in what God is going to do on Friday and Saturday nights as well as Sunday mornings. 75% of the members at this time are engaged in all four of the gatherings each week.

Order: When God shows up and meets the flesh of mankind, there are sometimes reactions that take place both by the Spirit and the flesh. I believe Steve and his teams have done a great job to make it a safe and refreshing place to be for not only the members, but the guests that come each week. Regardless of your expression, you would most likely appreciate the order during the worship services.

Testimonies: I really appreciate the time they take in every service for testimonies. They usually have at least 5 testify of the manifest power of God that has just changed their lives. One First Nation man who had never been churched felt the fire of God consume Him and began to worship Jesus. A woman, who was on the verge of suicide from lifelong pain, was divinely rescued. Some of these will be on the taped interview that is now being edited.

Summary: We all have out presuppositions of what church looks like, what revival is, how we gather, how we worship, etc. Maybe there is a better word for revival these days. Joyce and I look for Jesus in the midst of many expressions and gatherings. We saw Jesus show up in marvelous ways in the life of the people at WRC. We felt His presence, and we saw transformed lives that were being carried out into the fabric of society. We may need to redefine what revival is at some point, but if changed lives (repentance), changed character, and moving in His power are revival, we saw many rumblings of this at our time at World Revival Church.
If you get a chance to visit the Kansas City area Steve, Kathy and the World Revival Church welcome you to visit them. You can get more information on their website  www.worldrevivalchurch.com

A LAKELAND UPDATE

 A Lakeland Update  
From C. Peter Wagner
October 29, 2008

Dear friends,
 
            This is an update on the aftermath of the Lakeland Outpouring.
 
            As most of you know, a day or so after I went to Lakeland and helped align Todd Bentley with Revival Alliance on June 23, the veil of secrecy over a number of serious, hidden sins began to come off.  God has now shaken what could be shaken in Todd's life.  On August 12 he announced that he was leaving his wife of nine years, and it had been revealed that he had been directing his attentions toward another woman.  This is now history, but many have been asking for an update.
 
            I have delayed sending you this email until I had an official statement from Todd's apostolic alignment, John Arnott, Ché Ahn, and Bill Johnson of Revival Alliance.
Here is their statement, issued October 23, 2008, four months after the alignment:
 
PUBLIC STATEMENT ON TODD BENTLEY FROM REVIVAL ALLIANCE
 
Dear friends, several years ago, six leadership couples came together formed a relationally based, non-denominational network called Revival Alliance.
 
When the Lakeland revival broke out Todd Bentley and the revival meetings were coming under much criticism. At the suggestion of Peter Wagner, three of the members of the Revival Alliance team went to Lakeland because the Alliance as a whole wanted to express support for the Lakeland Outpouring and to commission Todd as a revivalistic evangelist. Having been powerfully touched in the Toronto outpouring, and seeing the opposition that came from leaders in the church because of that movement, we wanted to stand with Todd and deflect some of the personal assaults that were coming against him. Many of the attacks were coming from well-respected Christian leaders, people that we still hold in high esteem. Yet the mandate from the Lord was clear. And we stood with Todd and the Fresh Fire Ministries team to both endorse and support this move of God.
 
Rory and Wendy Alec of God TV also took tremendous risk in airing the revival prime time and broadcasting it to over 200 nations around the world. Their heart is to capture and release the move of God, no matter where it happens, or who God uses as His instrument. This unparalleled media attention gave unusual advertisement for the outpouring. But it also put their whole team in an unusual, high-level position of receiving both praise and criticism.
 
The impact of the Lakeland Outpouring has been amazing, and it still continues. The record of conversions and miracles of healing is extraordinarily great in number. And the spreading of the revival to nation after nation has also been very significant. The God TV broadcast stirred up the hunger in people from around the world to go to Lakeland and receive from God, but then bring it home to their local churches. Impartation seems to be one of the unusual markers of a genuine move of God. Revival fires began to spread around the world as a result of the impartation received at Lakeland. But as great as the fruit has been, so have the devastation and fallout from Todd's personal failure.
 
While there must be no toleration or whitewashing of sin, there must also be no allowances for ungodly judgments in the name of Jesus. Hatred often masquerades as a passion for holiness. And while the church has had its share of tragic failures of leaders in recent days and equally tragic reactions, we must get this one right. It is possible to promote holiness and accountability in the spirit of grace.
 
The quickness to condemn and abandon a fallen comrade has caused us as much concern as has the actual sin of our friend. Some want to humiliate and expose Todd before the world. And then there are others who want to point to the obvious anointing on Todd's life as the sign of God's approval of Todd's behavior. Neither is acceptable to us. There must be deep repentance and thorough restoration.
 
The restoration process must be firm but loving, while holding to the Kingdom standards of both holiness and grace. The initial goal is not to get Todd preaching again. It is to get him healed from the issues of the heart that have brought devastation to his family, and such shame and failure to him. His gift will always function when given an opportunity. We just want it to come from a place of personal victory and triumph this next time.
 
Since the announcement of Todd's leaving his wife, Revival Alliance has been working to help restore our fallen brother. Sin is disastrous on any level, but it is well known that "to whom much is given, much is required." Gross sin from someone on Todd's level of influence is devastating. Even so, God is ready to heal and restore.
 
Todd recently spent three days in Redding, California, with Bill Johnson dealing with the issues of his personal life. Following that, he went to Morningstar Ministries in Charlotte, North Carolina, to be with Rick Joyner for the same reason. Rick, along with the Morningstar leadership team, has offered to help in his restoration. With great confidence, Revival Alliance recommends this as the appropriate process for Todd's healing and restoration. Todd will be moving to Morningstar Ministries to live for a season. Rick Joyner's wisdom, along with the strength of the Morningstar community of believers, will be a great support to Todd as he deals with the heart issues that brought about his failures. A council of three has also been formed to give oversight to the restoration process. Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Bill Johnson will give oversight as needed.
 
We appreciate the prayers and support of countless numbers of believers who have continued to support Fresh Fire Ministries. We also appreciate the prayer support of so many for the Revival Alliance. We are also very thankful for Rick Joyner and his whole team that will be working to bring about a complete healing to our friend, Todd Bentley.
 
It should also be noted that effort is being made to ensure that Shonnah (Todd's wife) and children are also cared for and given opportunity to receive ministry and help. As you may imagine, they have suffered great hurt from this failure.
 
There are many in Fresh Fire Ministries who also need help. Efforts are being made to serve them as best as possible. John Arnott recently invited the Fresh Fire Ministries associates to Toronto for their Signs and Wonders Conference to receive personal ministry and encouragement. These kinds of efforts will continue.
 
Bill Johnson, John Arnott, and Rick Joyner have each spent time with the Fresh Fire Ministries board, and will continue to assist them as needed through this tragic season.
 
Fresh Fire Ministries will continue their crusades and conference schedule around the world. They are a group of ministers with much integrity and a great heart for the lost. Pray for them as they maneuver through the challenging season ahead, while serving the church at large.
 
We are thankful for the honor of being involved in this crisis.
 
 
On behalf of Revival Alliance:  John Arnott, Ché Ahn, and Bill Johnson
Thursday, October 23, 2008
 
Apostolic Protocol
 
            The Todd Bentley situation affords us a good contemporary case study in the proper application of agreed-upon apostolic protocol.  Before an international TV audience, Todd affirmed that he desired to be apostolically aligned with Revival Alliance, and then received their apostolic commissioning as a revivalistic evangelist.  Almost immediately, the shifting that this alignment produced in the invisible world caused Todd's hidden personal life to begin to unravel until he left the Lakeland Outpouring in early August.  Host apostle, Stephen Strader, continued services in Ignited Church until he finally closed it in October.
 
            The Revival Alliance took the first steps toward dealing with Todd's discipline and possible restoration.  However, Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries in Ft. Mill, South Carolina, a friend of Todd's, offered his services to help in the process.  Revival Alliance, then, decided to outsource the long-term hands-on restoration to Rick.  Rick brought his friend, Jack Deere onto his team, and Bill Johnson was added to maintain a link with Revival Alliance.
 
            After reading the Revival Alliance statement above, some have asked not only who is now in charge of the restoration (Rick Joyner authorized by Revival Alliance), but also who would make the official announcement to the body of Christ if and when the restoration is complete and give Todd clearance to resume public ministry?  The answer to this question revolves around responsible apostolic protocol, and the proper answer is that only Revival Alliance would be authorized to make such an announcement.
 
            How would I reach that conclusion?  Later on, I will explain the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team, but first let me introduce an official statement on apostolic protocol dealing with situations such as Todd Bentley's issued by the group in October:         
 
Statement from the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team
 
Current issue:  Paul Cain and his appearance on the platform of the Lakeland Outpouring I.
 
            The background.  At one point rather early in Lakeland Outpouring I, prophet Paul Cain was invited to appear on the platform.  A few months before the Outpouring began he had prophesied publicly that such an outpouring would break out in Lakeland, and Todd Bentley felt it would be appropriate to recognize Cain on the platform and let the audience know about his accurate prophecy.  While Cain was there, he took the opportunity to announce, among other things, that he had been living a chaste life and that rumors about him were not true.
 
            This event drew criticism from many observers who knew something of Paul Cain's recent experiences.  It turned out that he had been living a secret life which involved problems with drunkenness and homosexuality.  Three Christian leaders who had been long-time friends and colleagues of Cain, namely Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle, and Jack Deere, attempted to bring correction and restoration privately, but to little avail.  Consequently, they decided that, following the precepts of Matthew 18, they had come to the place where they needed to announce Cain's moral turpitude to the church at large with the hope that this public reprimand would speed the process of his restoration.  Cain's response was to place himself under the accountability of other, self-chosen, Christian leaders who after a period of time announced that his restoration had been completed and that he was free to return to public ministry.  This was an obvious violation of apostolic protocol.  The correct apostolic protocol would have been for the three who first blew the whistle publicly to have been involved directly in any announcement to the body of Christ that Cain's restoration had been complete.  Not only were the three not involved, but they felt that the timing for such an announcement had been premature.
 
            Bentley knew something of this situation because he reportedly later commented that he had thought (wrongly!) that he had first cleared his intentions of inviting Cain to the platform with Rick Joyner.  The problem had become more complicated with Cain's public confession of having lived a chaste life, apparently denying that he ever had been involved in homosexuality.  His later explanation that he really meant that he had been chaste only since his "restoration" was not sufficient to change the impression left with the huge international television audience who heard his first words.  Our conclusion is that inviting Cain on the platform and allowing him to have the microphone was an unfortunate mistake on the part of Bentley since it was an intended or unintended violation of apostolic protocol.
 
            The principle.  What can we learn from this?  The principle is that the prescribed  restoration of a fallen leader should be undertaken only by or under the direct supervision of the apostle or apostolic group (whether or not the term "apostle" is used) with which the fallen leader has previously aligned.  The practice of the leader, himself or herself, slipping out from under a recognized accountability structure in order to select what would inevitably be a more lenient person or group of persons should be regarded by the body of Christ as unacceptable behavior.  The proper apostolic protocol should be for  those involved in the initial apostolic alignment, and those people only, to make any public announcement on the progress of the restoration or that the restoration has been completed and that the restored leader be allowed once again to resume public ministry.
 
            As a footnote, it should be recorded that in recent years Paul Cain has not been the only high-profile leader to attempt this evasion of accountability.  Others have taken similar erroneous pathways, and our opinion is that there should be a general consensus in the church that such behavior will not be repeated or tolerated in the future.
 
Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team
October 10, 2008
 
            In light of the above statement it seems clear that public reports of the progress or successful termination of Todd Bentley's restoration be made only with the explicit approval of Revival Alliance.  Any attempt to circumvent this apostolic protocol (as was done in the case of Paul Cain) should not be regarded as acceptable to the body of Christ.  Especially those of us in the charismatically-inclined evangelical stream feel deep embarrassment over a number of recent cases that have taken this deviant route.
 
The Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team
 
            As I have told you in other emails, after I moderated the meeting at which Todd Bentley was aligned and commissioned, I received over three thousand emails.  Many of them expressed dismay and concern over issues that had surfaced during the Outpouring itself and during the commissioning.  I carefully cataloged these and simultaneously pulled together a group of apostles which I called the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team.  The team included Stephen Strader, Steve Strang, David Cannistraci, Ché Ahn, Lee Grady, Joe Askins, Jeff Beacham, Chuck Pierce, and John Arnott besides myself.  One of the first things we did was to analyze the issues raised and end up with a list of 24 important concerns, each of which we would discuss and attempt to issue a public statement to the body of Christ.
 
            We began our work and issued the statement above on apostolic protocol for the Paul Cain case, reducing the list to 23.
 
            Meanwhile, God began speaking to Dutch Sheets, whom many of you know is my pastor at Freedom Church here in Colorado Springs, and who has been recognized as an apostle to our nation.  Dutch felt that God was giving him an assignment to deal with many of the issues that I had on my list, and others as well, from a proactive, rather than a reactive posture as I had been doing. 
 
            After consulting with John Kilpatrick, Dutch approached me with the possibility of making some changes.  I gladly received his suggestions and, frankly, I was greatly relieved.  While I chaired Todd's alignment ceremony in obedience to a direct word from God, I did not have the same clear assignment from God to deal with the issues.  I had organized the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team only because I felt it was my duty.  Dutch now has a passion for the task, while I only had a sense of responsibility.  The upshot is that I have now disbanded the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team and passed the torch to Dutch Sheets, who will form a similar group.  One condition for Dutch's action was that I would agree to be a member of the new group, which I did.  I also think that a proactive stance will be much more profitable for the body of Christ long term than my reactive approach, dealing specifically with problems arising from the Lakeland Outpouring which no longer exists.
 
Conclusion
 
            That is my update for now, and probably the last one I will issue on the subject of Lakeland.   Criticisms of what I have done have been severe, but affirmations have outnumbered them maybe one hundred to one.  Only a few have been so upset that they have severed relations with me, and I deeply regret this.  But I have no regrets over what I have done in the last four months, although there are undoubtedly a few things that I could have done better.
 
            Let's move on to new horizons for the kingdom of God!
 
Blessings,
Peter

WORSHIPING AT THE ALTAR OF SUCCES

Worshiping At The Altar Of Success
by David Ravenhill www.davidravenhill.net

Though you may find it hard to believe, there is an addiction more subtle and more powerful than either drugs or pornography. It’s older than prostitution, more prevalent than alcohol, more addictive than cocaine. It doesn’t discriminate between male and female, black or white, young or old, rich or poor. Its strength is greater than all other addictions combined. It’s as rampant in the Church as it is in the world. It leaves the body unscathed but destroys the soul. The vast majority of people addicted have little if any understanding of its power or perils.
The history of the worship of success dates back to Lucifer, the rebellious archangel who wanted to relegate God to a subordinate role and take the ‘top gun’ position for himself. This desire for success soon spread throughout the earth like a cancer, reaching its pinnacle with mankind seeking to build a tower and to make for themselves a name. What a contrast in attitudes we find between Genesis 11 and 12. Chapter 11 exposes man striving for recognition, while chapter 12 we find God promising humble Abraham that He would make his name great.
A clear picture of this obsession with success can be found in the story of King Ahaz. His numerous sins had brought judgment upon himself and the nation of Judah. This punishment came through the king of Aram who carried off a great number of his people as captives. Embarrassed and distressed over his glaring defeat, the Jewish king made the monumental mistake of attributing the Aramean victory to their gods. Whatever small faith he may have had in Jehovah was completely discarded in favor of idol worship. “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them,” he reasoned, “I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” (II Chronicles 28:23) It seems that Ahaz was prepared to pay any price for success.
Lamentably, it seems that much of the American Church holds this same misguided logic. Pastors around the nation are flocking to follow the ‘mega church’ pattern, believing that what worked somewhere else will work for them as well. We now have the mentality that success is purely numerical. Witness what the Barna Research Group stated as the result of a recent study:
“The most discouraging study we ever conducted was one in which we attempted to identify churches in the U.S. that consistently and intelligently evaluate life transformation among the people to whom they minister. We found that very few churches - emphasis on very - measure anything beyond attendance, donations, square footage, number of programs and size of staff. None of that necessarily reflects life transformation.” (Italics mine)
How tragic! Success is now measured by attendance, donations, square footage, etc. It’s time we stopped worshipping the ‘gods of success’ and turned our gaze afresh upon the Lord, for beholding we will be changed. I think that is the definition of SUCCESS in the Kingdom of God.