Last Monday night, I attended the ordination service for Todd Bentley in Lakeland, Florida.  It was exciting to see a move of God that cut across demoninational lines and brought unity to the body of Christ as a number of major leaders publicly endorsed what is happening in Lakeland, Florida.  Key leaders were present - Che Ahn, Bill Johnson, Rick Joyner, John Arnott, Peter and Doris Wagoner, Sharon Stone and Stacy Campbell were among those present.  This ordination service was to show support for what is happening, bring leadership and oversee Todd's ministry in Lakeland. 

The Lakeland Revival is now a world event.  Forty seven nations were present while I was there and 214 nations watch it each night on God.tv.  I spoke to a woman from South Africa who says she and her husband set their clocks every night to midnight so they can watch the revival from 1-5 a.m. every morning.  What hunger!  They flew 32 hours to reach the revival along with eight other church members.

We sat with a pastor and his wife from New Zealand, who had been there for eight nights in a row before flying to another conference, then came back to be there another week.  Their church had paid for them to fly there so they could bring the anointing back to their church.

The persecution that has accompanied this move of God is evidence that it is of God.  Religious spirits cannot tolerate healing miracles, resurrections and deliverances, and has been very mean-spirited.  Todd Bentley even received death threats because he has been faithful to do what God has asked him to do - hold a revival in a foreign country, move his family and dog to one of its hottest states, and preach and heal and deliver for seven hours straight each evening.  To top it all off, he is doing it without receiving any income from the event. 

I have been following Todd Bentley's ministry for years.  The revelations, spiritual depth, and prophetic and supernatural healing gifts that he has demonstrated over the years has been phenomenal.  The amount of time he spends sitting in the presence of God is astounding.  He has spent the same amount of energy preaching in convenience stores, prisons, prostitution houses, and coffee houses as he has to stadiums and churches.  This man wants everyone on earth to receive the same miraculous salvation he received when he was supernaturally delivered from drugs, sex and alcohol in one encounter with Christ.

What blessed me the most about the ordination service was to see this young man receive the Father's blessings from so many important spiritual leaders in the body of Christ.  It was touching to me because this man was once a young boy who desperately wanted his father's attention.  Through these mighty men of God, he received the best blessing of all.  He was told His Father was pleased with him.  Nothing else matters to Todd like the Father's blessing.  No ring, no adulation, no fame can mean as much to him as the love of His Father. 

Todd is the first fruit of what God plans to pour out on this earth.  Soon, revivalists will be raised up all  over the world who will walk in amazing signs and wonders as Todd does today.  Todd is pleased to be the first fruit of this move of God, but he is the first to say that he is one of many who will walk in amazing signs and wonders in this end-time age.  Christianity should be marked with demonstrable signs and wonders.  It is time for the body of Christ to arise and shine with the glory of the Lord so God can be revealed to the Gentiles.  The signs and wonders are only meant to point to Jesus Christ and the Father.  They are not meant to be worshiped in and of themselves.  They demonstrate the Father's heart to His people.

Jesus said He had to leave the earth so the Comforter could come in powerful signs and wonders.  He told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until the power came upon them.  They waited and it came on the day of Pentecost, with the manifestation of speaking in tongues.  Peter told the people that these who were speaking in unknown tongues were not drunk but were doing as Joel prophesied when he said the Spirit would be poured out on all flesh.  After the power of God fell on them, they went about doing signs and wonders everywhere they went.  Twenty-two demonstrations are recorded in the book of Acts.

God is once again pouring out His Spirit on all flesh and a new release of signs and wonders is the visible demonstration of God's presence on earth.  He is revealing to His people His power so they can desire to walk in visible signs and wonders themselves.  Soon, a nameless, faceless generation will arise with God's glory upon them and move in the most remarkable signs and wonders the world has ever seen.  Then the Gentiles will come to their arising and whole nations will be saved in the name of Jesus Christ.  When the fullness of Jesus is upon His people, the world will be full of light.  

Creation has been expectantly waiting for this time period.  It is time to press into the heart of God, to enter into intimacy with Him, to want Him more than eating, drinking and breathing.  This is what Todd did.  He pressed in day after day, begging the Lord for His presence, until He came with power.  A holiness and purity came with that power.  It's about time for Christians to begin to move in a holiness and purity that looks visibly different from the rest of the world.

It's time!!!