Todd Bentley -God is Releasing a Sundar Singh Annointing |
According to Todd Bentley, God is releasing a Sundar Singh type anointing of revelation to the church. However, is this something we should desire? Lets examine this in light of God’s Word which is the standard by which we are to judge.
Todd Bentley claims that “during this time of prayer that God took me in a vision to what I believed to be the Himalayan Mountains. I saw an Indian man with a turban on his head and heard the whisper of the Spirit say, “This is Sundar Singh. I am releasing anointing of revelation like this.” I had no communication with this old saint, nor did he say anything to me. The experience lasted only a moment….”
So who was Sundar Singh (1889-1929) and why was his anointing of revelation so special and important? According to Wikipedia, Sundar Singh was a Christian Universalist; he believed that all people would, eventually, attain salvation. Writing in 1925, he argued: “If the Divine spark in the soul cannot be destroyed, then we need despair of no sinner... Since God created men to have fellowship with Himself, they cannot for ever be separated from Him... After long wandering, and by devious paths, sinful man will at last return to Him in whose Image he was created; for this is his final destiny.”
In 1929, before his final mission, he was asked about the doctrine of eternal punishment by some theology students in Calcutta. He said that "There was punishment, but it was not eternal," and that "Everyone after this life would be given a fair chance of making good, and attaining to the measure of fullness the soul was capable of. This might sometimes take ages."
This is in direct contradiction of what the Bible teaches. According to Sundar Singh everyone will be saved regardless of whether they accept Jesus or not. It is a bloodless salvation according to Singh. If we live an unholy life, no worries, we will have a chance to make it all right and attain the “fullness of the soul” that we seek in the hereafter. This could explain why he believed he could evangelize the dead.
Singh believed that “Hinduism has been digging channels,” and that “Christ is the water to flow through these channels…there are many beautiful things in Hinduism; but the fullest light is from Jesus Christ…”
Sundar Singh was a great admirer Emanuel Swedenborg and regarded him as a visionary. He claimed to have conversed with him in the third heaven even though Swedenborg had been dead for 117 years at the time of Sundar Singh’s birth. Emanuel Swedenborg was a Christian mystic and claimed he was appointed by the Lord to write a heavenly doctrine to reform Christianity. According to Wikipedia, He claimed that the Lord had opened his eyes, so that from then on he could freely visit heaven and hell, and talk with angels, demons, and other spirits. For the remaining 28 years of his life, he wrote and published 18 theological works, of which the best known was Heaven and Hell (1758)
This is what Sundar Singh had to say about Swedenborg’s book “I want to say that after my book on the “Visions of the Spiritual World” was published, some friend sent me a copy of “Heaven and Hell,” and I was glad to see that this wonderful man of God [Swedenborg] also had similar experiences. I should very much like to read about this seer and saint.”Sundar also clearly stated “Yes, I have talked with the venerable Swedenborg [even though he’s dead] and some other saints and angels about the hells, although I am unable to explain adequately all that they told me.”
So let’s sum up some of his aberrant beliefs.
· He conversed with dead people (both believer and non believer)
· He believed in evangelizing the dead
· He believed that men became angels upon death or that Christians who had died became angels and would help those on earth
· He believed that there are non-Christians in heaven but that they feel out of place there. “Nobody will be allowed to enter into Heaven who has not a face like Jesus Christ. That is the only ticket; otherwise we shall find ourselves out of place there. Only those who follow Him will feel at home there.”
· He believed that all roads lead to heaven
· He believed that you did not have to confess Jesus to be saved but that we all had the divine spark in us and would all eventually end up in heaven.
· He made trips to the third heaven where he conversed Jesus on a regular basis
· He had strange angelic encounters and visitations.
· He believed Hinduism was but a channel for Christ to flow through
· He did not believe in eternal punishment.
Now let’s take another look at the Vision that Todd Bentley claims God gave him. "...in a vision, the Glory Cloud of Revelation descending upon the church. It was also during this time of prayer that God took me in a vision to what I believed to be the Himalayan Mountains. I saw an Indian man with a turban on his head and heard the whisper of the Spirit say, "This is Sundar Singh. I am releasing anointing of revelation like this." I had no communication with this old saint, nor did he say anything to me. The experience lasted only a moment...." The Glory Cloud of Revelation & Prophetic Mantles- Todd Bentley
On the website for Stand Firm World Ministries they have placed a conference report for the Secret Place Conference II (Fresh Fire Ministries second annual conference) [L ink to report: http://www.sfwm.org/newhome/showminrpt.cfm?id=36]
Wednesday night: Todd Bentley taught on contemplative prayer and learning to silence your thoughts. He outlined the four prayer steps practiced by Sundar Singh, an Indian prophet who had a visitation from Jesus. The steps include: 1. Read a whole chapter, 2. Meditate on the passage that most spoke to you, 3. Recollect with an open mind and heart as the Holy Spirit reveals the scripture to you, then 4. Rest and restoration in His presence while the Spirit imparts revelation or takes you into the heavens. As we make ourselves available to the Lord, said Todd, it is amazing where we will go with Him. As scripture tells us: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15) and "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31).
On the Elijah List http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word/1400 Bentley states that “God is also wanting the church to remember the life and anointing of this great man before the church forgets completely. Sundar Singh was a true example of a seer prophet, powerful evangelist, life in the spirit and holy devotion to Christ his master. We need this anointing for effective Evangelization today.”
So this is the anointing that Todd Bentley believes needs to be poured out on the church. We NEED it for effective evangelism he states. I would tend to agree that when you believe all roads lead to heaven it is very easy to evangelize. Have another drink……
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Wow! What a man was Sundar
Wow! What a man was Sundar Singh. Sounds like the western-mindset missions station mentality utterly failed hime. He sounds like he really needed a good bible school or at least a good mentoring from a seasoned christian. He also sounds really devoted, not spoiled. I think if the "spirit" had told Todd Bentley "This is Sundar Singh. He had really good doctrines" or "follow him" then we would have to really question if this was the spirit of the antichrist. To say "I am releasing anointing of revelation like this." is more like saying this is something that the western mindset needs and could benefit from. There are many things in the western church that are pagan in origin, please read "Pagan Christianity" from Frank Viola and George Barna. Again, good and bad, we must be vigilant in introspection, loving in all else.
Taking anything from Eastern
Taking anything from Eastern Religion or Paganism or mysticism or meditation is what will eat away at Chrisitanity. What fellowship has light with darkness? We must hold our ground and not allow any of it in. Just read the Old Testament about how important it was to not have any part of these things in our "camp". Yet emotionalism and curiosity and the idea of "lets just all be one" is enticing well meaning Christians off the path. Jesus was our example and was totally focused on God His Father and being likeminded with Him. He used no meditative practices and mantras and mysticism. If we keep the Word in us and forever before us and are led into all truth by the Holy Spirit, we won't need all these other ways of getting there. Just be dead to self and the flesh and let Him lead. It's no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me, so why do I need gimmicks and meditative trances and props? Just let Christ be Christ in you as you walk and talk with him. He has annointed me to preach the good news, and lay hands on the sick, and deliver people from their prisons...not sit in a trance in a room. Go out and DO.
To "release an anointing" is
To "release an anointing" is not at all like, "Hey, I want to remind you of someone"...
To use the term anointing, the implication is conference of holy sovereign blessing and consecration for specific purpose.
To confer the "anointing" of an occult eastern mystic upon someone would be to wish them to be inhabited by this spirit...
Sundar was revealed to Todd in an occult fashion... As Todd claims to have studied the life of Sundar, we cannot say that Todd is misinformed regarding his life and practice...
Therefore, Todd has revealed himself regarding his own spiritism and occult involvement...
Michael Warnke, John Todd, Jack Chick, Todd Bentley... the "list" goes on...
Either Bentley is truly operating in spiritism and the occult, or he is an imposter, e.g., Marjoe (google it)...
I'm just copying what I
I'm just copying what I posted in another place!
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Sadhu Sundar Singh is very genuine. He is called ‘apostle of bleeding feet’. He had a call to be the missionary of Tibet.
Visions of Sadhu Sundar Singh
http://www.eaglevision.com.my/ssvisions.htm
At the master’s feet by Sadhu Sundar Singh
http://sadhusundarsingh.homestead.com/files/introduction.html
[[Sundar Singh was not a true follower of God, let alone a true prophet of God.]]
I disagree and object to that conclusion.
[[Sundar Singh was a mystic who believed in universalism (that is everybody will go to heaven regardless of whether they accept Christ or not - this is an antichrist doctrine of course that leads to hell) ]]
I do not think he preached anything like that.He preached the cross and salvation through the cross.
[[ It has been said that “In him Christianity and Hinduism seem to meet”.]]
How can they meet? One is light and another is dark. That would have been said by somebody who doesn’t know anything about christianity ,hinduism and sadhu sundar singh.
[[Singh would frequently converse with the deceased for wisdom and guidance. His communication with the ‘other side’ did not just stop at deceased ‘Christians’ but he conversed with dead unbelievers as well. ]]
This is not true. He sought fellowship with God only. God might have allowed him/granted him permission on occasion to converse with saints/spirits on the other side.
[[He believed that the dead could receive Christ after death. ]]
If that were true,why did he burn with the desire to tell people about Jesus? Why did he want reach the Tibetians with the gospel? Many times he was beaten to death for preaching the gospel.He suffered a lot and died(disapperaed) at an young age preaching the gospel.
[[He believed in a kind of purgatory. Asked about the doctrine of eternal punishment by some theology students in Calcutta, he said that “There was punishment, but it was not eternal,” and that “Everyone after this life would be given a fair chance of making good, and attaining to the measure of fullness the soul was capable of. This might sometimes take ages.” ]]
If it is true that people may be able to come out of the hell fire, after a very very long period of time, them I am happy!
[[He was a universalist - “However bad and evil-living a man may be, there is in man’s nature a divine spark … this spark of the divine is never extinguished … If this divine spark or element cannot be destroyed, then we can never be hopeless for any sinner… The Creator Himself will not destroy it (man’s soul)… even though many wander and go astray in the end, they will return to Him in Whose image they have been created; for this is their final destination.” ]]
I find nothing wrong in that statement.
Every person ofcourse has a divine spark which prompts them to seek the creator. It is also true that soul cannot be destroyed. It lives eternally either in heaven or in hell. And we should never lose hope about a sinner. At any time the sinner’s eyes may be opened and he may see God.
[[He was a follower of Emmanuel Swedenborg (who taught very dodgy occultic stuff) and Singh claimed to frquently converse with Swedenborg in heaven:]]
He was a follower of God and not any man.
I do not know anything about Emmanuel Swedenborg and his teachings.If God allowed Sadhu Sundar Singh to see and converse with Emmanuel Swedenborg and if Sadhu Sundar Singh saw him as a saint in heaven, then I believe he is a saint.
[[Sundar believed that all angels and demons were once men,]]
I do not think he has said anything like that.
[[Sundar believed that those who have gone to heaven (the redeemed) can act as angels on earth. ]]
He said something like -Every Godly person doing the work of God, at times is surrounded and assisted by angels and saints from heaven whether the person sees them or not. He calls this as ‘fellowship of saints’.The Bible is deep. We may not know the real spiritual meaning of all the things written in the Bible.Some people like Sadhu Sundar Singh might have received more reveleations about spiritual things than us.
Moses and Elijah were talking to Jesus and Peter and John were watching. So God sanctioned communication with saints cannot be called unbiblical.
Sadhu Sundar Singh lived and died for God. He was not after money, fame or power. He spent ALL his time in doing the work of God, which ofcourse is preaching the gospel and bringing people to Jesus.
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