Teresa Neumann - BCN Exclusive (April 11, 2008)

Word has spread so fast of the many salvations...and healings and deliverances from drugs, etc., that nearly 200 pastors and leaders of other ministries have come to be a part of what is happening there.

(Lakeland, Florida)-Sporting tattoos, spiked hair and a sold-out to Christ, "I am who God made me to be" attitude, Canadian Todd Bentley, founder of Fresh Fire Ministries, is a young, highly provocative evangelist, who has long invited the presence of God to accompany him as he ministers around the world.

While the Holy Spirit regularly "shows up" in his meetings-performing healings, sometimes miracles, and almost always dramatic salvations-there seem to be appointed times where a spiritual breakout occurs on the scale one could call an actual revival. His current series of meetings in Lakeland, Florida, appear to be heading in that direction.

According to reports out of Ignited Church in Lakeland, since Bentley began his Healing Meetings there several weeks ago, the town has erupted with revivalistic manifestations; the unsaved are being drawn to the meetings inexplicably, the lost are getting saved in growing numbers, repentance is breaking out among those bound by sin, healings are increasing, people are wanting to get baptized, etc.

I spoke with Bentley over the telephone about the meetings and asked him how it was that the initial conference at Ignited Church, scheduled to last only five days, has now turned into extended meetings. Todd replied that weeks ago, while he was doing some healing meetings in Australia, a man from New Zealand called him saying he had "seen" the tent peg of the Lord's being driven into the soil of Florida and that somehow he felt God was going to use Todd to facilitate that.

Bentley remembered the man's word, but didn't think anything of it until the second night of the Lakeland meetings when he said he saw an angel he described as carrying the "Winds of Change."

Asking him to describe this angel, Bentley replied that those familiar with the life of William Branham would recognize the angel from being a relevant factor in his healing ministry. He felt that this angel's appearance signaled a "shift in the atmosphere" for the meetings and felt that an openness for revival had been ushered in.

When asked for specifics, Bentley said an "awesome, heavy, somber and weighty" presence of God has descended on the Church. People are going out into the streets and marketplace boldly sharing the Gospel with strangers. Word has spread so fast of the many salvations (one woman who had requested prayer for healing changed her mind when convicted by the Holy Spirit and cried out that she wanted to repent and get saved first) and healings and deliverances from drugs, etc., that nearly 200 pastors and leaders of other ministries have come to be a part of what is happening there.

Anyone curious about revival news and open to observing Todd Bentley's unique style of ministry can log on to Bentley's website at FreshFire to view the meetings being taped live daily at 7:00 EST and 4:00 PST. GodTV will reportedly be covering the meetings next week.

There is also a continuous chat room, made up of internet users from around the world who have logged on to watch the revival meetings.


Teresa Neumann
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