I'm Taking a Risk...

I am going to talk about something today that some may think is controversial. It's about God and His holy presence and how it's moving in a town in Central Florida. If that will offend you, I'm so very sorry and you probably won't want to read anymore. But if you're curious or want to know more, please continue reading!

About 3 weeks ago after dinner I was sitting in my scrapbook room. Steve was watching TV. Every night from 7 PM to 11 PM he would watch this live broadcast from Lakeland, Florida of a healing outpouring revival on God TV. For a week I sat in my room and listened, very skeptical. We are Christians and have been for many years. We have been actively involved in revival meetings for over 15 years and are usually pretty excited when something big like this happens. But I wasn't sure about this man who was preaching and praying. He's covered in tattoos and piercings, and he yells. I don't like yelling preachers. But after a week of listening and hearing Steve talk about what was happening I began to get curious.

You see, in September 1999 I seriously injured my back at work. I was on Soma, Vicodin and anti-inflammatories constantly just to survive. I had surgery Mother's Day weekend in 2000. It helped a lot, but I still used a TENS unit every time I went anywhere, and basically just existed. I would have to stand through most of the church services (IF I was even able to go at all) because sitting was so very painful. I couldn't even sit through a meal without major pain.

Then we went to a revival meeting. It was Wednesday night, November 13, 2003. Worship was REALLY good that night. We were on the front row and having fun. Then the minister said "How many here have pain in their bodies?" My hand shot up in the air. "Put your hands on the part of your body that hurts." I did. The next thing I knew, a very strong heat went through my body and the PAIN WAS GONE!!!!!!! I hadn't been pain free for YEARS!!! But it was gone and it hasn't come back at all since that night! I can lift anything I want (carefully of course), I can sit as long as I want, I can walk and stand and do anything else I want to!!! PRAISE GOD!!!

So when I began to see healings happening at these meetings in Lakeland, I was fascinated. And tonight will be the 37th consecutive day of meetings!!! Now many of you may say "God doesn't heal today." I'm here to say that HE DOES TOO! And many may say that the book of Acts in the Bible was just for those times and it doesn't happen today. (Or at least not in America anyway.) But IT DOES happen! It's been happening all over the world ever since Jesus walked the face of the earth! We as Americans, however, haven't seen these things much because we aren't willing to sit and soak in God's presence and wait on Him.

And that's why Canadian minister Todd Bentley is seeing the miracles in his meetings. He isn't afraid to lay on the platform and let God minister to him. He isn't afraid to tell people in the audience or on the TV or on the live streaming Internet feeds to pray for each other. He isn't afraid to say "Take this back to your home church or town and pray for people!" Those things alone are enough to set him apart from most of the other preachers out there. He doesn't spend half his ministry time asking for money. He says he doesn't even take money from these meetings. He collects "a modest salary" from his ministry. He was scheduled to do a women's conference somewhere this weekend. He's staying in Lakeland and sending his wife instead. He was scheduled to do a big set of meetings in Korea. He's sending one of his itinerant ministers instead. In fact, he's not going anywhere until God tells him to. Yes, he's radical. Yes, he's a bit odd-looking. God uses the foolish things to confound the wise.

But people are getting radically healed! We've watched tumors shrink live. We've watched people get out of wheelchairs after many years and walk. We've seen a guy we know from church who is partially paralyzed move his limb. His healing is progressive rather than instantaneous. The blind can see, the deaf can hear. Cancers are healed with medically proven documentation. MS, scoliosis, fibro myalgia and arthritis have been healed! And on and on it goes. A local TV reporter interviewed Todd and posted the video on their website. You can see it here: http://www.tbo.com/video/xml/MGBUNESXPFF.html. You can watch the meetings live for yourself on God TV which is broadcast through Sky Angel and Direct TV (channel 365). Or you can watch them live on the internet through these websites - www.god.tv OR www.freshfire.ca OR www.ignitedchurch.com. They air from 7-11 PM Eastern time and then are re-broadcast at later times.

If you're still reading this maybe you don't think we're all crazy people. If you do I'm sorry. But I just couldn't let any more time go by without telling people. God is REAL and He's healing people today!!! There are many other places where this is taking place, but because these meetings are being televised and streamed live they are historic. We only live about 3 hours away and are planning to go up to Lakeland on Tuesday night. We can't stay and will have to drive home again after the meeting, but it's well worth it! We wouldn't be able to sleep anyway from excitement!

So check them out for yourselves. If you need a miracle in your life whether it's financial, emotional, mental or physical ASK GOD for it! SEE if He's real for yourself. That's what I did almost 20 years ago. No life won't get easier. He doesn't promise us an easy life. BUT it will be easier to deal with life's issues. And you will feel a love like you've never known before. It isn't about a man. It isn't about what people may or may not have done to or for you. It's about a relationship with Jesus. That's it.

And now I'm off my soap box. If you've made it this far, good for you! God bless you! And if you'd like, post me a comment. Feel free to say whatever you like. I'll understand. It's okay. And if you don't want to be my friend anymore, I'm sorry. But I'll understand. I was there once too. I'll miss you terribly! And when I think of you I'll bless and pray for you. God loves you and so do I!

If you do get touched, though, PLEASE let me know! I'd LOVE to hear from you!