Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine, in "LIFE AFTER LAKELAND: Sorting Out the Confusion" writes about the false Lakeland revival led by Todd Bentley (with emphasis added):
Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the beginning?
To put it bluntly, we're just plain gullible.
From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning Christians raised questions about Bentley's beliefs and practices. They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.
But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: "This is God. Don't question." So before we could all say, "Sheeka Boomba" (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.
I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We're spiritual hungry – which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything.
Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It's way past time for us to grow up.
FWIW Lee Grady has apparently learned from the Todd Bentley saga. On 27 October 2009 he wrote about John Crowder, saying "Let's put the childish things behind us. It's time for us to grow up and sober up." (More of his article is quoted in the Drunken Revival Movement listing.)
Sadly, since Todd Bentley's fall from grace the Stradwicks have continued to support the false revival he started and the false miracles Todd Bentley claimed to perform, continue to support other False Revival Movement teachers and Extreme Prophetic, and continue to encourage a lack of discernment.
Update May 2012: Gaye Stradwick has contacted us with a promising-sounding claim.
Over the past year, our focus at Fusion has shifted and is now totally on the finished work of the cross. [...] Could you please remove these references to us on your site as the information there is no longer applicable.
We had been aware she had been making a similar claim for at least a couple of months, and were encouraged by the prospect of this change. However, the NZ Cult List has been unable to verify any genuine change. We asked her for clarification about the information we list and Gaye's response made it clear that her change in focus would be better described as a change in emphasis. There is no change in belief evident. She still believes the things mentioned in this listing all grew out of genuine moves of God. Compare the Bible with Gaye Stradwick's teaching:
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
– Ephesians 4:14.
Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22.
This [Todd Bentley] revival was 100% God ordained and birthed. The salvations, healings and miracles were real, [...] This is God’s revival. It will therefore continue, and spread around the world.
– Jack and Gaye Stradwick, Sep 2008.
But when a new season is here, you move with it, [...] To camp around an experience once the cloud has moved on is denial. [...] While we have shifted focus, it is obvious you are as stuck as ever in your role as the error police.
– Gaye Stradwick, Apr 2012.
As Christians we should not be camping around an experience; we should be camping around the truth. The Todd Bentley revival claimed at least 21 resurrections. Not one has been verified. We should test everything. People make mistakes, but acknowledging our mistakes is the first step of truly moving forward. Gaye Stradwick has not admitted that any of her very public and very enthusiastic endorsements of Todd Bentley were wrong. In public statements and in correspondence received from her it doesn't appear that Gaye Stradwick has learned anything except to control and restrict where she publicly posts their false teaching. Compare the life of Jesus Christ with Gaye Stradwick's actions:
"I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret."
– John 18:20.