Lakeland Florida Healing Revival

For those of you who haven’t heard, there is something taking place right now in Lakeland, Florida.  The meetings have grown steadily over the past four weeks from meeting in a medium sized church building to now meeting in an 8000 person stadium.  People have been flying in from all over the world to receive a miracle from God.  The meetings are moving to the a larger stadium in downtown Lakeland this Friday where I believe the crowds will only continue to gather and grow. 

I have been watching each night from 7-11 online through God TV along with tens of thousands of others from all over the world.  You can also watch it on Dish Network if you have it.  Something is definately going on there.  Evangelist Todd Bentley was praying for the terminally ill the other night.  I was moved as I heard story after story of people who only had days to a few months to live.  It just hit me in a deeper way how much our world is hurting and how many people truly need miracles in their lives. 

Todd Bentley, who is 32 years old like me, has been declaring that this healing anointing is not just for a few, but is declaring that this “nameless, faceless generation” will arise with it. Todd himself is definately not your run of the mill evangelist.  He is tatooed and pierced and admittedly comes from a bad past. (Nothing that would disqualify him from ministry per se).

Most people have never heard of him and he is not without controversy from both outside and inside of the Spirit-filled, Charismatic camp.  Alot of the controversy has to do with his emphasis on angels, mantles from past healing revivalists (Branham, Allen, Coe), and talk of conversations in the third heaven. 

Although many aspects of these themes have Biblical basis, when they become the focus, they can definately pull people in the wrong direction.  The focus should always come back to demonstration of God’s word and Jesus Christ himself.  He is who the Holy Spirit has been sent to emphasize, right?

I myself don’t know enough about Todd to make any statement about him personally.  He seems to genuinely love Jesus and want to see him glorified in his ministry.  But you can be sure I will be keeping my eyes on what is happening there in Lakeland and joining my faith with those who are believing God to come thorough for them with a desperately needed miracle.

On a side note: Alot of people who are already coming across as critical of this revival are also the ones who are not “lifting a finger” to help the burden of those who need God to move miraculously in their circumstances.  Of course, we shouldn’t drink salt water just because we are dying of thirst.  But my question is, “what are these same critics doing to see what they understand as the true “demonstration of the Spirit and power” operating in the lives of those who need it most?

Have they sought God to raise up people with character who move in the gifts of faith, healing, and miracles?  Do they struggle with John 14:12 and the needs of the world around them?  Or have they stood up on their theological perch (many of them cessationists) pointing the finger while being untouched and unmoved about seeing a true move of God blowing across America and the world? Not a revival that necessarily brings “dominion” over the whole world, but one where as darkness grows darker, the light grows brighter until the coming of the Lord.

That being said, last night Todd made a strong statement about Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.  Yes, you heard me right.  I was so shocked by the detail that I wrote down exactly what Todd said and the time he said it.  At 8:55 Eastern Standard Time on 5/1/2008, Todd gave a word of knowledge that Keith was watching the revival from a borough of London and that he was wearing a maroon colored shirt.  He said that he was caught up in the worship and something about God reaching out to him.  It was definitely a step out on the water, if you know what I mean.  This should be something that can eventually be independently verified as being true or false.

Have any of you tuned in yet?  What do you think?  Surely something supernatural is happening.  Do you have concerns?  Is there any mixture there?  Is it all God?  If you are of the opinion that it’s not of God, have you struggled with the reality of the supernatural gifts of God in scripture and the lack we see overall in the churches of America? If you believe the gifts of the Spirit are no longer for today, then don’t bother answering, I know where you stand.

If you haven’t seen any of the services yet, tune in tonight (Friday) and check it out, then let me know what you think…