Count on Being Let Down

I have gone to several events hosted by The Last Reformation, the organization headed by Danish evangelist Torben Sondergaard. They did a very good job. They baptized people. They healed people. They cast out demons. They didn’t beg for money or tell people what to do. They told people a lot of helpful things about God.

I have recommended TLR to people because TLR does a good job of the things I listed above. I have always told them TLR was not perfect. I told them it seemed to be headed in the direction of becoming a denomination. But it was still useful.

I just got a mass email from Torben, and it looks like the things I thought might happen have happened.

I know that there are too many lone rangers running around in our network or people who are claiming to be part of our network but are not. They have not always acted in a good and biblical way, and this has given TLR a bad reputation. I am sorry every time I hear bad testimonies coming out in this way.

But I also recognize that we/I could have done many things better. A big problem we have in TLR is a lack of structure, leadership, and accountability. Not accountability in a negative controlling way, but a healthy submission to one another and the elders in the fellowship.

When I look at the more than 3 years we were in the USA, I can say we saw God do amazing things. However, we never really reached the point of having strong leadership like we have in other countries in Europe, where we have walked with people for years. It has also been more difficult in America due to its size and the fact that many people are spread out all over.

My heart, and those closest to me, share the same desire. We truly want to see a mature body with sound doctrine, healthy families, and strong leadership. We want to see people grow in all aspects of life to bring honest glory to our God.

Are we there yet? No. We are not. Will we ever get there? I’m not sure. But I recognize that we can do much better. I write this as a plea to all of you out there in our family to help. This is not something that I or a few individuals can do alone. We need everyone to take part in the work that lies ahead of us. We need to grow up in so many ways. There is so much more God has for us.

These days, I am talking with different leaders and mature individuals about how we can move forward and what needs to happen.

Years ago, God told me the age of the church was over. He meant the age of big organizations with big buildings and lists of beliefs somewhat like the catechism. He meant the big hats, tacky robes, TV cameras, real estate empires, lawyers, and PR people. When I discovered TLR, I liked it, but I thought it would do what every Christian movement does: turn into a big church with the kinds of problems big churches have. And it’s doing just that.

It’s too big to control. There are too many gates to keep track of, so jackals and fools can come in.

I don’t know what specific events spurred Torben to write his email, but I had my own disappointing experience with TLR. I took my friend Mike there, thinking he would be baptized and move on.

Torben has a young friend named Jon Bjarnstein, and he was featured prominently at TLR meetings back then. Jon spoke for a while, and while he was speaking, he made jokes. Not really his forte. He joked about speaking in tongues, and while he was joking, he did what he thought was a funny imitation of tongues.

Mike was so put off, he insisted I baptize him at his hotel. He didn’t want anyone from TLR to do it. I had to admit, it seemed like Jon was blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and that’s a big sin. You should not mock the sound of the Holy Spirit.

I had dealt with Jon myself when I had TLR baptize me, and he seemed very full of himself, which was unseemly in such a young man, especially given my age. I felt he was dismissive when I spoke with him, as though he were talking to a kid. He was in a big hurry to make a decision for me and move on to the next person. He seemed crabby, like he was crashing after several espressos. He was assertive.

Christians in their teens and twenties often get the feeling they invented God and have all the answers. It’s a real problem. I think we don’t teach enough about pride. Many Christians think it’s a good thing, and many don’t recognize pride when they see it.

I’m sure he’s a faithful servant, but he needed someone older to sit him down and give him some tips, and Torben should not have put a microphone in front of him without fixing his manners.

My feeling is that TLR is not going to shape up. They are good at getting people up on the bike, but they don’t teach them how to get rid of their training wheels. Baptism and repentance are very important. Casting demons out is very important. But you have to teach people how to converse with God every day and be transformed continually by the Holy Spirit.

I think they will focus too much on becoming organized. Well, the Catholics did that, and look at them. Saint-worshiping heretics who may not even be Christians.

I would still recommend TLR to anyone who wants to get started with God, but after that, you need to pray in tongues every day, read the word, pray for correction, and learn how to do supernatural warfare. You have to keep moving forward.