Todd Bentley and the ’13th Resurrection’
What was the name of that funeral home?
by Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
www.christianresearchservice.com
ChristianResearchService.blogspot.com
July 22, 2008
In this 5:28 YouTube video
Todd Bentley reads an unverified e-mail and excitedly proclaims the “thirteenth resurrection from the dead” which, according to Bentley, took place at a funeral home.
While reading the e-mail, Bentley says a family requested that the God TV/Florida revival be aired during an “all-night wake” for a dead man resting in a casket. Amidst the cheers and applause from his revival audience, Bentley states:
At the funeral they played the revival, and we declared that our brother would not be embalmed. At 2:19 AM, my brother began to stir in his coffin! In his coffin!
And Bentley’s followers went wild with cheers and shouts.
Bentley continues reading the unverified e-mail, stating that,
My brother sat up in the coffin praising God and the Reverend Todd Bentley! Now listen to this! My dear brother, all day, since he’s been raised from the dead, has been telling us about his journey to heaven and how he thought he would never come back.
He died and went to heaven! Listen to this! He thought he would never come back to the earth to be with us, but then he heard our beloved Reverend Todd and his voice pulling his spirit out of heaven. All of us at the funeral home began screaming and shouting for more fire. Thank God for the revival and God TV!
NUMBER 13 FROM THE DEAD! We’re gonna confirm it. We gotta confirm it. We’re gonna do a follow up. But I thought I’d read it as I received the testimony.
I became curious after watching the video and called numerous funeral homes in and around Lakeland, Florida. I spoke to officials and asked questions pertaining to a dead-man being raised to life from his coffin. A few asked, “Are you serious?” while others laughed.
But without exception, they all said it had not happened. Also, a few of the officials said that if a dead man had actually been raised to life from a coffin, they would have known about it–nationwide.
Indeed, the dead being raised from their coffins in funeral homes, as well as the aftermath, would make local, state, national, and worldwide headlines, such as:
The ‘Dead’ Rising To Life from Caskets
Funeral Homes Closing Doors
No doubt funeral home directors and employees would be seeking a different line of work, or unemployment benefits.
Anyway, one funeral home representative said that a family–via the Lakeland revival–had come to the funeral home and prayed for one that had died, but the burial took place as scheduled.
So, just to make sure, I called the Board of Funerals, Cemetery, and Consumer Services in Florida and asked the same questions. Again, the answer was, “No.” Had a dead-man sat up in his coffin–as described in the e-mail read by Todd Bentley–they would have heard about it.
While I believe wholeheartedly that God has and can raise the dead to life–embalmed or not–perhaps Todd Bentley will graciously provide the name of the funeral home in question, along with documented proof of all of the alleged “resurrections” from the dead.
It never hurts to ask, due to the fact that documented proof will stand up to intense scrutiny–provided the story is true, that is.
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).
DiscernIt 
14 comments
Comments feed for this article
July 25, 2008 at 11:19 am
fortyyearsinthewilderness
Great informative site!
Check mine out at:
http://fortyyearsinthewilderness.wordpress.com
July 25, 2008 at 9:29 pm
David Weber
There truly may be no overestimating the gullibility of people who want to believe. No one would sit by and listen to a friend tell them such a story without demanding some verification. Yet, when humans get into a crowd, which has been professionally manipulated (not at all unlike a rock concert), they somehow give up their critical thinking.
It is not blasphemous at all to accuse Bentley of being the latest in a series of con men who know how to play human emotions with Christian words. In fact, it is blasphemy NOT to call these frauds to an accounting.
July 31, 2008 at 8:24 am
Fiona
How do you find out if Todd Bentley actually verified it or not? He seems very certain that it would be verified so surely there is a way of finding out the result. Can anyone tell me how to ask this question to someone in Lakeland, to those who should know?
July 31, 2008 at 10:34 pm
dancurant
I am under the impression that this was a hoax. Todd openly and abjectly apologized for having accepted and announced a hoax resurrection report, and I suspect that it was this one.
The fraud was on the part of the person submitting the hoax report.
It was alleged to have happened in a little town in Georgia.
Todd has made it clear that he reports what is submitted before it is verified. Once they determined this (I believe it was this one) was a hoax, he announced that on worldwide live television and apologized.
Not sure what more he could do.
August 1, 2008 at 7:23 am
Kim
I don’t remember seeing this apology…When did this happen?
I don’t see Bentley verifying reports before announcing them. I have seen many videos of him taking a piece of paper handed to him and stating something to the effect …”this email just came in and here is a healing……….”
August 1, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Bud Press
Fiona:
Find the contact page at http://www.freshfire.ca and ask if the “13th resurrection” has been verified. If they say it has, then ask for proof. If they say it hasn’t, then ask when will it be verified.
And don’t be surprised over upcoming national news reports questioning Todd Bentley on the “resurrections” and more.
On a side note, we know about the Scriptural commands to “test all things” and “try the spirits” (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1). By reading unverified e-mails (in and of itself) Todd Bentley demonstrates his utter lack of concern for Biblical commands and guidelines.
Furthermore, when Christians question Todd Bentley and request validation on his healing and “resurrection” claims, he balks and makes it difficult for Christians to “test” what he says by Scripture or by practical means.
Common sense dictates that when someone makes a claim, but refuses to provide PROOF, they cannot be trusted. And it calls into question ALL the claims they make.
All false teachers have their dedicated followers, many of whom spend a good deal of time defending the false teacher, as opposed to testing them by Scripture and exposing their deception.
Sadly, people who are slowly and subtly conditioned by false teachers are more apt to believe a lie than the truth–regardless of how outrageous the lie is.
As Christians, let us not forget to pray that God will be merciful and open the eyes of those being deceived–according to His will.
God bless,
Bud
August 1, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Mary B
Fiona,
Apparently Todd can’t verify any resurrections and his jig is up.
See this:
http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/more-evidence-of-todd-bentleys-continued-lies-at-lakeand/ –
August 1, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Mary B
oh my, CBN just had a guy from Todd Bentley’s ministry on. They really havent a clue. sigh.
August 2, 2008 at 6:25 am
Lee
Mary B.,
This is no surprise regarding CBN as they’ve been touting Lakeland from near its beginnings. Robertson is as wayward as many others today.
It is sad.
August 2, 2008 at 7:40 am
Kim
What is CBN? I am familiar with TBN.
August 2, 2008 at 7:48 am
Lee
Kim,
It’s Christian Broadcasting Network run by Pat Robertson.
http://cbn.org/
This clip was sent to me by a friend back in early May who thought Bentley was the real deal:
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/370291.aspx
She now thinks otherwise.
August 2, 2008 at 5:10 pm
sadparent
There’s so much error in Christian bookstores, on CBN (700 Club for one) and in many, many churches throughout the U.S.
I just saw a video re: Ekstasis ‘worship’ and am thinking that when I visited IHOP 2 1/2 years ago, that I may have witnessed this taking place (briefly) at one of their meetings. I know if not that exact thing, something really close to it has been taking place within IHOP.
How can the body of Christ swallow some of this garbagiola so easily?!
How can the body of Christ think that ‘Todd Bentley is really moving with God’ when he slaps, kicks or hits someone? I mean, I’ve seen some stuff that has just left me in a state of total amazement..
SP
August 3, 2008 at 12:48 am
Bud Press
Hi “sadparent”:
Speaking of Christian bookstores, you may be interested in the available research on both walk-in and online bookstores here in the U.S. and worldwide at http://www.christianresearchservice.com/ChristianBookstores.htm .
The information also includes a Master List of non-Christian authors and books found within the bookstores.
You asked, “How can the body of Christ swallow some of this garbagiola so easily?!”
God’s word answers in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and 2 Timothy 4:1-5. And, in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, God’s word teaches:
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron…”
Therefore, let us rejoice. Jesus is coming!
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
God bless,
Bud
August 3, 2008 at 10:25 am
Mary B
Sad Parent,
A note of encouagement: I was listening to one of my favorite christian radio programs the other day. The topic was David Wilkerson and his conversion and ministry. The host was interviewing a young guy who had been heavily into drugs and had all sorts of problems. But then he got involved with David Wilkerson’s ministry and surrendered his life to Christ. The host of the program became rather emotional. He said, I know this young man very. He’s my son.
I fad no idea all these years of listening to this program that the host’s own son had been in such deep trouble all these years and had caused much anguish and hours of intercessory prayer.
It’s amazingn what God can do! 🙂