Our Distorted Obsession?

A few months ago, my brother-in-law brought my attention to a certain revival called the "Lakeland Revival" going on in Lakeland, Florida. What is unusual about this is its main preacher, Todd Bentley of Fresh Fire Ministries. Todd's prophetic and healing ministry draws in the crowd by the thousands and spark a national interest in the US. Todd is not your typical usual preacher-type guy you see in churches but a fully tattooed biker who spoke of meeting with angels and healing with sometime violent acts like stomping or kicking people to get rid of the diseased parts. The internet are peppered with news and videos of the events that took place with varying opinions both for him and against his teachings as unbiblical.

The latest update is that Todd has stopped the revival meetings indefinitely after he announced that he and his wife have separated. Further update from his ministry's website reveals that he was involved in an unhealthy relationship with one of his staff and has been asked to step down from the board and to receive counselling as part of the restoration process.

Another news that broke this week was that of Michael Guglielmucci who gave us the hit song "Healer" while being diagnosed with cancer. He inspired hundreds of thousands of young Christians around the world as he performed with an oxygen tube in his nose. He has now confessed that he was never sick. You can read about it here.

I have no intention of dragging these people through the mud. Rather I moaned how we ourselves has been caught up extolling their virtues instead of God himself.

As I reflect on all these news, I can't help but felt ashamed that we actually has inadvertently been obsessed with Health, Wealth and Success, and leaving behind the pursuit of Holiness & Godliness that God has called us to pursue after. The priorities has been jumbled up somehow.

BlogPastor in his blog entry commented,

" We have baptized Fu Lu Shu and now worship an unholy trinity of Health, Wealth and Success. And it is a success as the world defines it: big budgets, bombastic buildings; great excitement and crowds; stratospheric worship. All this while the Cinderella of holiness, godliness and integrity sits somewhere in the grimy world of day by day living and working and serving, dishevelled and forgotten in a dark attic, waiting for the fairy godmother to restore her centrality in the royal ball. Such a worship inevitably cause leaders to turn a blind eye, rationalized with grace, and partner with highly gifted ministers in huge events, because they can bring the SUCCESS that God’s people crave. Like Aaron of old, we give in to what the people want, even when we know it is not the REAL THING."

How true, isn't it?

We need to go back to the basic, that of true repentance and seeking after the Giver, not the gift ; the Healer, not the healing. Indeed the signs of a true convert is not in the gifts or ability to work miracles (Matt 7:21-23), but that of character (1 John). Let's strives to be one that follows after God's heart. To pursue after Godliness .