Come and see

As I wrote last week, we decided to do something wild and crazy (for us) this week: make a whirlwind trip cross-country to Lakeland, Florida, to see what has been going on in some revival meetings hosted by Ignited Church with Todd Bentley. We are somewhat familiar with Todd, having been to some of his conferences and heard many of his messages on CD. He is always a little unconventional, but that is just part of who he is, a passionate follower of Jesus. He goes all out all the time after God, and we love that about him.

The meetings we attended were not unlike other meetings we have been to with Todd and his organization in one sense. The worship was amazing, and Todd was as bold and passionate as ever. He loves to see people meet Jesus for the first time and receive physical healing. The two nights we were there, we saw people walk out of wheelchairs for the first time in years, hearing and sight restored, backs and knees healed, and people with cancer come away pain-free, to name a few. One particularly touching testimony came from a little boy with cerebral palsy. He came out of his wheelchair and walked with some assistance farther than he has ever been able to do before the first night. The second night, he came forward to tell that he had been able to stand for at least 15 minutes; in the past, he could only stand for perhaps 30 seconds before his legs would turn inward and collapse. Is he totally healed? Not yet, but he believes he will be. For many, even most, the healing came not when Todd prayed for them but just watching at home on GodTV or the Internet, or while they were sitting in the stadium. People with addictions and demons (yes, demons in the U.S.) were set free as well, and many gave their hearts to Jesus there.

No, in one sense it was no different than other events we have been to with Todd. He still passionately follows God wherever he feels he is being led. In another sense, however, this was very different. It is hard to put into words what we experienced. The presence and power of God was more intense, more powerful, than anything I have ever felt before. Our faith was increased to believe even more to believe that God can and will do things in us and through us. There is a deeper fire and passion within to do the stuff, as John Wimber used to say (the stuff that Jesus did), and to allow God to do whatever he wants in our lives. Todd emphasized again and again that it is not him that is doing any of this, that it is Jesus, and that he can and will do it through anyone. Much like John Wimber did, Todd wants to give away the fire and the gift that he has to any who want it.

We felt that we were participating in history in some way by being there at this particular venue (Joker Marchant Stadium, spring training home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team) and this particular time. A number of people through the years have had a recurring dream about a day when stadiums around the world will be filled with people coming to hear about Jesus and to be healed. The first time we heard about that recurring dream was when Paul Cain, an unusual prophetic healing evangelist, came to speak at the Vineyard and told about it. Afterwards we learned that many other people have had the same dream. Is this the beginning of the fulfillment of that dream? Many believe that it may well be, including Paul—he came to the last meeting we attended and shared his heart as well as ministering briefly. The amazing thing is he pointed to the section we were sitting in and said that there were at least seven people in our area with diabetes who would be healed, and Dale was one of them. He has not yet been able to confirm that he has been healed (it is not wise to go off medication without confirmation from a doctor), but God definitely touched him.

Only God knows for sure if this is the start of the fulfillment of all those dreams, but whether it is or not, we know that we were powerfully touched by the experience. People from around the world are flocking to Lakeland to see for themselves and to get some of the fire that is being lit there; we met more people from outside Florida than from the local area. The testimonies that came from people who were healed just watching it over the Internet or on TV were as powerful as those who received healing while there. There are no limits for God, it does not matter whether you go in person or simply watch a screen: his power and his presence can reach you where you are. If you question whether what is happening in Lakeland is real or not, though, there is nothing quite like going for yourself to experience it in person. That is a recurring theme of the meetings; if you want this, come and see for yourself. Whether you receive physical healing or not, you will be changed by being in the presence and power of God.

May 4, 2008