We knew that our gathering on 8/8/08 would be significant, and we were not disappointed. Eight is the number of new beginnings, and we had many prophetic indications that this day was going to release a new beginning for us. It did.

The night before this gathering in our Breakout Meeting, there was an unusual and high level anointing. We later realized that 8/8/08 had already begun in the Lord because He starts His days on the evening before. Through the summer we have had extraordinary meetings, with exceptional healings, miracles, signs, and wonders. Even so, much of what has been happening at MorningStar has come through our youth and students, and we have been greatly looking forward to them returning in September from summer vacation. But on Thursday night, August 7, it was electric, and it felt like one of the meetings filled with the youth and kids even though many were not there. There was a renewing, and everyone was seemingly feeling and acting younger. This too is a sign. This anointing for renewal is for body, soul, and spirit. We are going to be getting younger rather than older in many ways.

The bride of Christ is called to be without spot, which speaks of her purity. That she will be without wrinkle speaks of her perpetual youthfulness. Because eight is the number of new beginnings, there was a spirit of renewal present here and it is manifesting in us in many ways. Of course, renewal and refreshing come from the presence of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit will quicken our mortal bodies. Not only are people having their visions and hopes renewed, but many have been feeling and even looking much younger after being in our meetings for a time.  

These are also the times when we can expect “signs in the heavens and on the earth beneath” as prophesied in Acts 2:19. The thousands who came to our gathering on August 8 witnessed a significant one. Days before, a high pressure system had been sitting over the area, and the temperatures had been as high as 100 degrees. The night before our gathering, a low pressure system moved through, and cleared the air. When we began our 8/8/08 meeting at 5:00 p.m., according to the weather report, it was 88 degrees, and the wind was blowing at 8 mph. Though this is what we prayed for, it is of course far beyond our ability to do something like this. It was a sign from heaven.    

August 8 is a special day for my family and our ministry. My daughter Amber’s birth was prophesied by Bob Jones in 1988 to come on August 8 and that she would weigh 8 pounds. Bob prophesied this two years before she was born on August 8, 1990, at about 8:00 a.m. She weighed 8 pounds just like we had been told. The prophecy was that she would be a sign of a new beginning that was coming to the church. That new beginning is here! Amber turned 18 on 8/8/08, which is the age of maturity, and we can expect to see the new breed of ministry that the Lord has been promising to now begin to emerge into their purposes.

It was also in 1988 when Bob Jones was told by the Lord that he had “lost his marbles in the garden,” as a metaphor of how mankind had lost its mind at the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Bob was also told that he would begin finding marbles in his literal garden that he planted each year, and they would each be a prophecy. On the day of Amber’s birth, Bob found marble number 8, and it was amber in color. Amber is the color of the glory of God and represents the coming of His glory to His people. In fact, we need to see His glory to get our sanity back and that is precisely what this new beginning is going to reveal—the glory of God.

When we were given this prophecy, Julie and I were not expecting to have any more children. Many Christians have likewise ceased to expect any more from God, but He has other plans! You may think your time of bearing fruit is over, but it does not matter how old you are because we have been given a new beginning. You have been given a new beginning. This is a new day! We, the church, are not going to be the same from this time forward. A great change has come, and though it may take some longer than others to recognize it, with some resisting it (as is always the case), a new thing has been released, and we will not be the same again.

Greater Signs and Wonders
We have seen more healings, miracles, and supernatural signs in the last sixteen weeks than we have in the last sixteen years—and we have experienced a lot in the past! We continually walk around in awe now, and this is without question a new level for us, but I also think it is just one more step back to what should be normal church life. This “new beginning” is actually a return to the “ancient paths,” the path of life that the church in the first century began to walk on before it was diverted from its course.

Nothing on this earth is as wonderful as knowing the Lord and watching Him do the wonderful things that He does. These are truly the days of miracles and wonders. As awesome as 8/8/08 was, and as our nightly Breakout Meetings are, He keeps on telling us to get ready for more! We still have not seen the birth, but what we have been experiencing are the last spiritual contractions, or birth pangs, before the birth. Again, this is not just about MorningStar or the Lakeland Outpouring, it is far bigger. True revival is coming to America!

This is about the harvest that is the end of the age. We need to have a clear perspective of what is coming so that we can be used in it. Every one of His people on the earth at this time has a significant calling to fulfill. For this reason it has also been our purpose from the beginning of the Breakout to equip the people who come to go home and release healing and miracles into their families, their churches, and their communities.

Todd Bentley’s Ministry on 8/8/08
We were very excited about having Todd Bentley back with us for the gathering on 8/8/08. Todd has stirred up the church like few others in recent times. There are also very few who are neutral about him. Immediately, unprecedented excitement and threats about Todd were coming. The threats encouraged us even more that this was from the Lord, but in these times, they must be taken seriously, and we prepared for a move of God and attacks from the enemy. As most of us have learned, the greater the move of God, the greater the attacks usually are.

We had food vendors, different exhibition tents, and bookstores set up and ready early in the morning, and people started coming just after 9:00 a.m., even though the main service was not scheduled to start until 5:00 p.m. By noon, the crowds were getting large, and everyone seemed to be having a great time in the festival atmosphere and the incredible weather.

When the meeting began, the presence of the Lord was heavy, and as often happens in our meetings, many people’s eyes were opened to start seeing things in the spiritual realm. To see the energy and zeal on the crowd was most encouraging, and though there was plenty of room for everyone to sit, thousands actually stood for the entire five-hour meeting.

I have known Todd for years and have spoken at his conferences just as he has spoken at ours. However, he was as anointed that night as I’ve ever seen him, and he said it was the strongest he had felt for some time. His message was both profound and anointed. The ministry time was powerful, and many people, some of whom we knew, were healed. There were also what the Scripture calls “noteworthy miracles” (see Acts 4:16). When it was over, everyone on our team and everyone I talked to afterward said that the day had exceeded their expectations. God had no doubt smiled on this gathering in a remarkable and prophetic way. The DVD sets from that night will be classics.

Todd Bentley’s Personal Problems
I did not hear that Todd was going through a personal crisis until the day before our meeting with him here. When I saw him Wednesday night, he immediately wanted to share with me about his personal problems—especially about his recent separation from his wife. Todd did not share this in a way to try and justify himself, but he wanted me to know what was going on with him to give me an out if I did not think he should minister the next day. I greatly appreciated this.

I still do not know all of the details of his separation, but I did ask him if there had been any immorality on his part, or if he had affections for someone else that was causing this. He assured me that he had never committed adultery, and that there was no “other woman” that caused his separation. Some of his leaders who I talked to also confirmed that Todd had not been in any immoral relationship, though they were all grieving over Todd’s marital problems.

The problems Todd and his wife have had getting along have been public knowledge for several years. I don’t know enough of the details to blame anyone, but I know Todd quite well, and being married to him has got to be like being hand-cuffed to a hurricane. Todd is so intense he makes Mike Bickle and Bob Weiner seem laid back. I think he is very much like the Apostle Peter. What makes him capable of such extraordinary faith also makes him prone to extraordinary blunders. Todd is an extreme manifestation of an emerging extreme generation. His wife may deserve to sit at the right hand of the Lord in the kingdom, and anyone who has worked with him should be up there close somewhere too.

Like it or not, that is often the nature of those who accomplish some of the greatest spiritual exploits—they also make some of the biggest bloopers. Hearing about these problems did not surprise me at all. Since I have now heard about more details, I’m still not shocked. These are problems, and they need to be fixed, which includes repenting and turning around, but if we want the victories and breakthroughs we all hope and pray for, they usually come through people with the same kind of nature. Right after Jesus gave Peter one of the greatest commendations in Scripture for the receiving the greatest of all revelations, that Jesus is the Christ, and then gave him the keys to the kingdom, He had to give Peter one of the greatest rebukes in Scripture by calling him Satan! (see Matthew 16:18-23)

However, the Lord did not take the keys back from Peter, even after he later denied the Lord, and even later in his life when the youngest apostle, Paul, had to publicly rebuke him (see Galatians 2:11-15). It seems that most of those who are given these keys to unlock the spiritual doors to the kingdom will also be prone to make major blunders. This type of person is simply not going to do anything small—they will have great victories, and when they have defeats, they will be great too.

When I was in Lakeland a few months ago, I was told that Todd had been making a real effort to patch things up and heal their relationship, but in June she had left and refused any contact. Todd has now lost hope that it will be worked out, especially now that she has made it clear that she will not even see him. Todd is obviously frustrated and just wants to resolve this situation that has been so hard for so long.

In marriage, I have learned there are those who admit they have been through times when they wondered if their marriage would make it, and then there are liars. Relationships are hard, and the closer they are, the harder they can be. I tell everyone that I give premarital counseling to that the Lord has ordained their marriage in order to kill both of them! That is true. It is also worth it! The greatest gift He gave to man was marriage and family. However, to have a marriage that is good, both will have to die to themselves. If either one does not make the commitment to lay down their life for their mate and their family, then what was meant to be heaven can be hell.

Family is the foundation of society, and the weaker the family is, the weaker that society will be. The weaker the families are in the church, the weaker the church will be. That is why the family life must be strong of those whom the church accepts as leaders, and there are clear biblical standards for them. If we start compromising the clear biblical standards for morality, integrity, and relationships, we will fall, and we will fail at all that the Lord has called us to. Compromising clear biblical standards can never be on the table—for anyone, regardless of how much power they walk in, how great they can preach, or how they can mobilize people.  

We are also living in a society where about half of the people have now been divorced. Many more are refusing to get married because of the problems they have witnessed and the pain they suffered when their parents went through a divorce. The children are always the biggest victims of a divorce, and the meltdown in family is one of the great tragedies and great emergencies of our times. It is therefore understandable that some want to make a big deal out of Todd’s marital problems—it is a big deal.

So, should someone who is divorced be disqualified from ministry or from leadership in the church? How can we disqualify someone from ministry or leadership for something that would disqualify God? In Jeremiah 3, we are told that God gave Israel a certificate of divorce. God is divorced. Nearly half the people in our churches have been divorced. A good many Christians now stay away from the church because they have suffered a divorce, and they feel condemned by the church for it. This is an issue that we need to address for the church, not just Todd.

When God got a divorce, was it His fault? Of course not! He was the most perfect Husband there could ever be, but He had a wayward wife that He finally gave up on. That is what happened, and if you do not believe me, go read it yourself. There is a limit to what even God will put up with and rightly so. There are things that justify divorce. Even so, I think it is because the Lord Himself went through a divorce that He hates divorce so much. Divorce is always a tragedy and usually even more for the children than for the parents.

I am not at all saying this to justify Todd or condemn him. At present, I still do not know enough about his situation to condemn or justify anyone. Unrighteous judges, who are often those who rush to judgment, are also condemned in Scripture. I am writing this to try to keep some from stumbling by jumping to conclusions. We have a brother, a sister, their children, and a ministry that is really hurting right now. I greatly appreciate Todd’s willingness to keep ministering and praying for the healing of those who are afflicted and hurting, but he, his family, and his ministry need much healing right now. One thing that would help them and the body of Christ, possibly more than anything else, is to see some real Christian charity expressed in this situation and some righteous judges stand up, which is the duty of true elders in the church.

It would be one of the great tragedies to the body of Christ in our times to lose a ministry like Todd has. He is called to start much more than the Lakeland Outpouring, and just as the Lord went around destroying the works of the enemy by healing the sick, casting out demons, and demonstrating the power of the kingdom, Todd is doing that. He is taking ground in real power ministry on a level that has not been seen in decades. To lose Todd, and to lose Fresh Fire Ministries, would be a major defeat for the body of Christ. We would survive, and we would still ultimately prevail, but the cost of this defeat would be great.

So what do we do? First, in all things we must keep in mind that “love never fails” (see I Corinthians 13:8). How would the Lord respond to this? How can we see this through His eyes? We already know because He showed us. In II Corinthians 5:14 Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ controls us.” How would we behave if Christ’s love was controlling us? When mankind fell, He did not criticize, gossip about us, or condemn us—He laid down His life for us.  

The world will never believe our gospel of redemption and restoration until we learn to redeem and restore. Let’s take a worst case scenario here and say that Todd was guilty of terrible things and is the one at fault in the separation—what should our response be? We are told in Galatians 6:1:    
 

So, if anyone has been “caught in any trespass,” those who are “spiritual” must restore them. Those who are truly spiritual approach every situation with that goal—redemption and restoration. This is more than just forgiving them—it is getting them back to the place they were. The next verse says, “Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Already there is some gloating over this situation. Some are trying to use it to promote themselves. Every situation like this is a test for everyone. Some will pass and some will fail, and the nature of everyone will be exposed. Those who truly walk in the Spirit of Christ will be obvious. The Holy Spirit is the Helper, and those who truly walk by the Spirit will be trying to help, because they love Todd, his wife, the church, and most of all, the Lord who already laid down His life for them.

This is a real opportunity for the church to show some maturity and Christian love. This does not mean compromise, but it does mean addressing this situation in an almost opposite way that we have tended to do in the past. We will all reap what we sow, and if we want to reap grace, we must learn to sow grace every chance we get. If we want to receive mercy, we need to learn to sow mercy every chance we get. Here’s a good chance!

So what does this mean for the Lakeland Outpouring? I will address that in a bit more depth in the next Bulletin, but for now, it can continue and it can get even stronger. A well has been opened there that does not have to be shut again. However, it does depend on a lot of decisions made by the church there. We should be praying for them and asking how we can help them because they were used to release something very important to the worldwide body of Christ. Todd had already decided to turn the Lakeland meetings over to Stephen Strader and to only take a couple of other meetings over the next few months to rest and sort out his life.

What will be happening at MorningStar? I will address that in a bit more depth also, but we received a new commission on 8/8/08, and we are going higher, deeper, and further. We are close to the birth of something we were created for, that we believe will begin this fall, around September 21. We have been given that date like we were 8/8/08 and it is not a coincidence that this date is exactly six months after the Honoring the Father’s Conference we hosted with WhiteDove Ministries. Because of this, we moved our Harvest Conference to begin on September 18, and the Worship & Warfare Conference to begin on September 22, so September 21 will be the Sunday in-between. Come to either or both of these if you can, and you may be a part of history.

For information about these conferences, there is a blurb at the end of this Bulletin. More information is available on our website at www.morningstarministries.org. Because this will be a large outdoor event, we are also making a place for dozens of ministries, churches, Christian artists, publishers, etc., to lease a tent at a nominal charge so they will be able to share about their ministries and resources. We will have midnight bonfires, roaming worship and ministry teams, and other events that will create a festival atmosphere that is conducive to members of the body getting to know one another. Many important bonds between them will begin at this event. This one really could be historic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were 8,888 that come.

By the way, did you notice that this is Special Bulletin #8? I didn’t plan that, and I just noticed it myself. This is just the year of eight for us. Even our NFL team, The Panthers, finished 8–8 last year. For us that was a perfect season!