The Ordination
This past Monday I was invited to the Lakeland Revival to be present at Todd Bentley’s ordination. For the sake of clarity, this was not Todd’s ordination into ministry, which he received long ago, but was a specific ordination by a small group including Bill Johnson, Che Ahn, and John Arnott. These three have agreed to help oversee Todd’s ministry for the “Lakeland Revival.” It was a unique and specific type of ordination that I think the Lord was in. I was asked to be there with some others who represent different streams that appreciate and support what is happening in Lakeland and Todd’s ministry in particular. I also wanted to be there to express the high degree of trust and appreciation for the three who have agreed to oversee Todd’s ministry in this way.
The Lakeland Revival is now a world event, touching many nations and denominations. As its impact has grown, so has the controversy and persecution. That is standard for any true move of God, and we should not be surprised by it. This is especially true of ministries or movements that release God’s power for healing, miracles, and deliverance. When the Lord Jesus started performing miracles, the persecution began in earnest. When the miracles became more spectacular, the persecution increased. When He raised someone from the dead, the conservative religious community of the times resolved to kill Him. That startling hardness of heart is the result of letting a religious spirit gain dominion in our lives. A main strategy of the religious spirit is to get us to honor what God has done in order to justify persecuting what He is doing.
I have known Todd Bentley for about a decade, and he is a man of exceptional theological depth, revelatory gifting, and the leader of a large and growing multi-faceted ministry that has had a significant impact on many nations. I have been to Abbotsford, B.C. a few times to speak at Fresh Fire Conferences, and I always marvel at the substance and excellence of what Todd has been able to build in such a short period of time as well as the quality of people on his team.
I am saying all of this because there is much more to Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries than has yet been revealed through what is now happening in Lakeland. I know Todd as someone who can teach or preach with a rare depth and clarity, but Lakeland is not really about that, at least not yet. It is about an impartation of faith, power, and fire. Right now we, the body of Christ, need these more than we need more teaching and strategy.
One of the basic laws of physics applies here. You cannot change the direction of an object unless it is moving, and before we need more strategy and direction, we need to wake up the church and get it moving. Lakeland is waking up the church, including the many who are naysayers and critics, but at least she is being awakened.
Now I do not want to dismiss all of the naysayers or critics too quickly. They serve their purpose and can be very helpful, even if not in the way that they presume. This is not to say that Todd or the Lakeland Revival do not need correction or cannot make mistakes. Todd is not perfect and neither is anyone else I know. However, if someone is going to criticize, we need to check their credentials. If someone has a significant healing and miracle ministry, we should listen to them in relation to the ministry of healing and miracles. If someone has been used to start and shepherd a significant revival, I would listen to him much more about his views of a revival than someone who has only read or written about them.
A Chord of Three Strands
Now let’s look briefly at the credentials of the three who have agreed to oversee Todd’s ministry in the Lakeland Revival. John Arnott was used by God to start and oversee the extraordinary Toronto Renewal. This is a move of God that has touched and helped heal and renew multitudes of believers, churches, and even whole movements and denominations, around the world. It is also a fire that has continued to burn for over a decade—a remarkable accomplishment in the history of revivals and renewal movements. With this kind of experience, it makes him a true elder in the church in the gate of renewal or revival movements.
Bill Johnson not only has a significant healing and miracle ministry, but he is one of the greatest equippers who has been used to help release and mature these gifts in thousands of students who have come through his school in Redding, California, as well as stirring them up in a large part of the body of Christ through his books, teachings, and travels. Bill has done this from and through the local church setting, seeking to release these gifts in a major way to and through the church. Throughout much of the advancing church at this time, Bill Johnson would be in just about everyone’s top few of authorities on healing, miracles, and understanding the supernatural aspects of the Christian walk.
Che Ahn is one of the emerging great church builders. He is not only the leader of a significant church in Pasadena, but Harvest International Ministries is now a network of hundreds of churches. He is a church man who loves the church, and his heartbeat message is about building the church with a kingdom perspective. Lou Engle, the leader of The Call, one of the most powerful ministries mobilizing the youth and intercessory prayer in our times, was raised up under Che Ahn. When they called together youth to the mall in Washington a few years ago, more than 400,000 responded. On August 16, The Call in Washington could gather even more. Che Ahn knows how to build healthy local churches, to raise up and release new movements, as well as help oversee huge gatherings of God’s people for important events.
My point is that the three who Todd now has as overseers have a unique and extraordinary deposit of experience and wisdom in the important areas that are being touched by the Lakeland Revival. They are also all strong and successful local church builders. It would be hard for me to think of three more brilliant choices for this, and I greatly appreciate Todd’s wisdom in it.
Does this mean that everything in Lakeland is perfect or will be perfect? Of course not. As qualified as these three may be to oversee this, they are all very busy. They cannot micromanage what is happening in Lakeland, but they will be there to step in if there are serious issues that need to be addressed. It is my conviction that this ordination can help keep the Lakeland Revival on track and help it to have much more longevity.
Stephen Strader, the pastor of Ignited Church where this revival broke out, is also a man of great wisdom and depth in all of these areas. He is a revivalist who moves in a great power ministry himself, but he is also a true pastor with a pastor’s heart. As a local church leader in Lakeland, vitally in touch with the revival from the beginning, I really could not think of anyone I would rather have on the ground there than Strader, knowing that he will not hesitate to help give input when it is needed.
I think the Lakeland Revival is now about as well-covered and overseen as I could imagine it being done. Great revivals, even in recent times, have been shut down by officials coming in to oversee and dictate policy who were not really in touch with the heart and spirit of the revival. This is always a dangerous thing for any movement or revival, but I think this one was divinely ordained and can enable what is happening in Lakeland to go to a new level.
Personal Observations from Lakeland
I was only in Lakeland for a few hours and had to leave the meeting right after the ordination. I also try to keep in mind that “we see in part.” Even so, the following is a little more from a personal perspective about what is happening in Lakeland.
When I first heard about the outbreak in Lakeland, I felt that it was the beginning of something very significant and maybe the beginning of what we have been waiting for. When I first watched some of it on God-TV, I became even more excited. After being there for just a few minutes, I was even more so. This is a major impartation from God, and it will have significant consequences for what is about to unfold.
I wanted to go to the tent before many people did so I could get a feel for the place, but there were already thousands worshiping, praying, and fellowshipping there long before the meeting was to start. The place was charged with expectation. I saw many people I knew, and everyone I saw seemed more alive than the last time I’d seen them, even people from our own congregation at Heritage. I took a seat on the second row to kind of absorb the atmosphere. The quickening was so strong that I decided if nothing happened from the platform, it was well worth coming to just sit in that quickening atmosphere.
They came to get me to sit on the platform, and it was interesting how the anointing seemed different there. It was still good, but different. Even so, I enjoyed seeing Todd and a number of other friends I had not seen in awhile. When Todd came over and put his arm around me, it was a hug, but I also felt that I kind of needed to hold him up. He is under the kind of anointing that does stagger you and actually makes you feel drunk, which is why they thought the disciples on the Day of Pentecost were drunk with wine. Under this kind of anointing, I knew Todd might not be able to do some of the in-depth teaching and preaching he is capable of, but I don’t think that is really the purpose of Lakeland anyway.
Probably the greatest revival in church history was The Welsh Revival of 1904 – 1906, and there was no significant message that came out of it other than God moving and awakening His church, which it did around the world. The Azusa Street Revival was different—it was about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Even though the main theme of Lakeland seems to be the healing and miracles, I think it may actually be about something more, but more subtle.
In studying Azusa Street and the writings that came out of the early leaders of the Pentecostal Movement, I occasionally happened upon a remarkable belief that many of them had. They were convinced that what they had received was the true baptism in the Holy Spirit, but many were still looking for another baptism to come—the baptism of fire. As is typical of this type of thing, even with the baptism in the Holy Spirit before it came, there was not much definition given to what they thought the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire would be like. Many were expecting another element (the fire aspect) of the baptism, but I never read where any thought that they had received this aspect.
Of course, the theology of this is debatable, but I have expected a baptism of fire to come upon the church that would so consume the Laodicean lukewarmness that the church would be radically transformed by it. I have prophesied it in a number of ways which has been sown throughout my writings and messages, mostly as a great passion for the Lord. I saw that this passion for Jesus would be so contagious that anyone who got close to it would be infected, and once infected could never be cured! It was a fiery love for the Son of God that would come upon the church so that she would truly do everything she needed to do to be a worthy bride prepared for the coming King. This fire would also make His messengers like flames of fire burning with passion for His gospel and His purposes.
I know that Lakeland is mostly about healing and miracles, which are crucial aspects of the Lord’s ministry that are being reawakened in the church and imparted to many there. Even so, I felt fire when I was there. I am not yet saying this is it, but I think one thing that is being released there is at least a preparation for a coming baptism of fire upon the church. We may not be able to give the true definition of this until it has come. At the very least, those who come to Lakeland with an open heart will leave with a renewed fire in their heart for the Lord.
The Lakeland Revival has already become a major infusion of zeal for the Lord that is impacting a large part of the church in a very positive way. For too many years, almost every Christian leader was saying “the Lord is about to do something.” Now almost everyone I talk to is saying “the Lord is doing something!” Where there has been hope, it has jumped into faith and expectation, and where the Lord finds this He will do wonders.
Todd has an amazing depth, maturity, and wisdom for his age, but he is still young. He might say some things wrong occasionally and say or do things that are hard to understand. His tattoos are real hard for some people to take, but those tattoos seem to be the very thing that have attracted many, especially the emerging generation, to him and his message. I have heard numerous reports of people who have become almost addicted to watching the revival on God-TV because they were channel surfing and were so captivated by Todd’s appearance when that they could not stop watching. Then they started listening. Now they are on fire for God.
Even those who would never get a tattoo at least view him as a genuine person with no facades. My opinion of Todd for the years I have known him is that he is one of the most genuine people I have ever known, still untainted by religion, but one of the greatest lovers of God and His truth. He is also deeply compassionate, and is greatly touched by people’s infirmities, which is always the foundation of a true healing ministry. Todd is the real thing, and he has many very real people around him who are true friends of God.
As stated, that does not mean Todd could never stumble or make mistakes. He could just like any of us. I think Todd is a lot like the Peter, who would either walk on water or drown trying. He will press the limits, and like Peter, be used for some of the greatest breakthroughs, but at times need a severe rebuke. People with that nature do make mistakes, but they are also the ones who do the greatest exploits, and it is obvious that the Lord really loves people like Peter. If Peter had not been there on the Day of Pentecost, there probably would not have been a harvest of three thousand souls, but maybe only twenty.
Todd has been sent to offend the religious spirit and to be an offense to the complacent, and thank the Lord it is working. Todd came to Concord, North Carolina last week to do a one night meeting. The arena was packed to overflowing with eight thousand people, and reports were that there were as many turned away as who got in. There was gridlock on Hwy 49 for over six miles. When the police drove up and down the road, telling people to go home because no more could get into the arena, crowds poured out of their cars just to worship on the side of the road. That sounds like true revival to me.
Usually your greatest strengths can also be your greatest weaknesses, and Todd is vulnerable. Everyone has blindsides, and though I appreciate Todd seeking covering from those he thinks can help him stay on track, no amount of human covering can keep us from making mistakes. It is also hard to be on stage every night for as long as he is and not occasionally say or do something wrong or foolish.
If Todd does something foolish, it will probably be in front of an international television audience. He has many critics that are waiting like packs of wolves to jump on anything they can. The more that power is released, the more vicious these attacks will become. We really need to discern between the voice of the true shepherds and the voice of the accuser of the brethren, who will use any inroad he can to get brethren to accuse other brethren. Historically, the most vicious of all attacks have come from threatened church leaders, especially the leaders of the previous move of God. This is a terrible tragedy that we really need to pray will get broken this time.
The Breakout at Heritage
The Lord continues to move in a very powerful way at Heritage. Every night is different, but every time we have thought that we might be in a bit of a resting place, it seems to go up a level. We are experiencing remarkable acts of God every night. Usually it happens in the meetings, but often some of the greatest things still happen after the meetings, in the parking lot, or in almost any place at any time. This is really keeping us on our toes and is quickening people to be far more sensitive to the Lord.
After school let out and our kids went off for the summer, we did not know if the Holy Spirit might leave with them, since they were the fire-starters and carried a lot of the fire. However, we can now say that the Holy Spirit stayed. It is a little different, and we look forward to the kids coming back to school, but the Lord is still moving powerfully. Even in the most laidback meetings it is still more intense than our best ones just a few months ago. We are also still experiencing significant miracles every night. Many are stopping by to stay a day or two with us at Heritage on their way to or from Lakeland. Most of these are now carriers of the fire, so we are getting really blessed by them too.
Even though we are having the greatest move of God we have ever had in many ways, we continue to hear from the Lord that what we are experiencing now is just the beginning, and it is not yet even the full birth of what is to come, which we are expecting this coming fall. That is why we have moved our Harvest and Worship & Warfare Conferences to September 18-24, and from what we have been shown, this will be a very important time. We would love for as many of you as possible to join with us. If you are planning to come, it would be a good idea to register as early as you can, especially if you want to stay in a room at Heritage.
To prepare for this next level that we have been shown is coming, we are calling for a 40-day consecration fast beginning this Sunday, June 29 through August 7. We were shown these 40 days that would end on August 8 in a dream, but since Todd Bentley is scheduled to be with us August 8, we decided to end the fast on that day, and prepare a feast on August 8.
We would appreciate any who want to join with us in this fast in any way that you feel led. There are many kinds of fasts—from a fast of nothing but water or juice, to fasting from desserts, television, or just about anything else. You might want to just take a day, or a few days during this time. We only ask that you do something to consecrate your heart to the Lord, and use the time to seek Him and pray for a true “Great Awakening” of the church. You can also sign up for this fast on our website so that we are praying for each other too.
If you are still looking for a place to spend your vacation, or any part of it, we would love for to come visit us at Heritage. I also highly recommend that if you can, go to Lakeland. What is happening there is already making history, and it is still building. If you can’t go to Lakeland, pray for them. Many are experiencing an impartation, and many miracles are taking place with those watching it on God-TV, so if you can’t go, watch it on TV. Also, you can web-stream our meetings at Heritage, and we now have archives for our web-streamers so you can download the meetings at your time of convenience.
These really are the times we have all be dreaming of. They are already better in some ways than we were expecting, but the promise is that they are yet to get even much better. There is just no end to the goodness of God. Regardless of whether you can make it to Lakeland, Heritage, or the other places that are now experiencing a breakthrough, you can meet with Him right where you are. Let us not be like the cripple who was sitting by the healing pool, waiting for someone to come stir the waters, when the King Himself was standing right next to him!