GALLUP, N.M. (AP) -- Under the din of high-wattage lights and against the background of electric gospel music, David Terrell thrusts his hands about wildly as his face turns red.

"We are about to go into the most horrible time since man has been created on this earth," he yells. "It's time to return to God."Terrell is a lean man whose snow-white hair is combed back neatly from his face. On stage, he wears only black: black shirt, black vest and black pants -- appropriate attire for delivering his message of doom.

According to the minister, whose "Holy Ghost Revival" made a stop in Gallup in mid-July, Jesus appeared to him and told him the world will end soon.

"God told me last night, 'I'm fixin' to do something quick. Soon I'm gonna roar like a lion,"' bellowed Terrell at a 350-person audience, most of them American Indians.

"God's judgment is fixin' to come quick. We are now facing the end of the end. God told me we're gonna have a war with China. God told me that over 100 million people in America is going to be dead carcasses."

The Birmingham, Ala., native said the United States has become a "baby-killing, pervert, homosexual, lesbian, dope-pushing, drunk nation," and "God is going to punish us."

Terrell (pronounced like terror) has many followers of all ages and descriptions who believe him wholeheartedly.

Mike Travis is a middle-aged Navajo who says Jesus saved him from alcoholism. What he and others share is their belief Terrell speaks the truth.

"What you hear from that man, he gets it directly from God," insists Travis.

Terrell agrees, saying to the crowd, "I'm speaking to you tonight as one of God's true messengers."

He does offer some hope. All one need give is a little faith -- and possibly a small donation.

"God is going to sustain and protect the righteous," Terrell said. "He's fixin' to bring us into a plan where we will be protected while he punishes the wicked."

Terrell says all things are possible through faith. Faith can change the face of reality. If one believes in the power of God, his or her ills can be cured. Crippled people can walk. Blind people can see. Alcoholics can sober up. Terrell tells countless tales of people with bad knees, bad backs, people with diabetes or other diseases suddenly cured after his healing ritual. Each night at the revival, he invites the audience up for a healing -- laying his hands on worshipers and calling the Holy Spirit into their body.

Dozens of people file through Terrell's assembly line of healing. Each is ushered on stage by a helper. Terrell then lays his hand on each person's forehead and jerks his or her neck back violently several times.

With each blow he screams the same phrase, of which only the word "power" is discernible.

From start to finish, the process takes 5 seconds, but it has a profound effect on some.

After Terrell's touch, one woman twitches violently, as if she were wearing electrified shoes. Another turns her face toward the ground and flails her arms about her head, looking as if she is being attacked by an imaginary swarm of bees. None of the faithful can explain why these things happen.

When asked, after stumbling for words and gesticulating, some describe a "cool, relaxing feeling," while others recall a "warm, electric sensation."

Though their descriptions may be different, they all end by saying, "You really have to go through it to understand," or "I can't describe it."

Not everyone who goes up has a religious experience. All of the children who receive Terrell's touch pass through unaffected, even annoyed by having their heads jerked around.

Though most people at the revival have clearly worn their Sunday best, they obviously are not wealthy. But they give nonetheless. About midway through the ceremony, Terrell calls for donations and a long procession of people files past a large bucket, which slowly fills with money.

Terrell makes sure those who have sacrificed are not forgotten.

"God, I'm asking you to bless the people who give these dollars," he implores, praying over the bucket.

Terrell has done well in his 42 years of ministry. He has permanent churches in Texarkana, Ark., and Baines, Texas, but is on the road so much he visits each only a handful of times every year.

Terrell also has two tents, which he uses in rotation.

An operation the size of Terrell's requires substantial manpower.

Before Terrell arrives from his hotel room each day, countless logistics have to be attended to: setting up the tent, cleaning up after each service, handing out prayer request cards and selling holy oil at $20 per bottle.

Most of those menial jobs are taken care of by volunteers such as Donna Hartley.

Hartley, who smiles and says, "God bless you," more times in one hour than most people do in one year, has been touring with Terrell's revivals since May.

She and her husband, who worked for Terrell previously, pulled up stakes in Arkansas, took their four children out of school and went to Memphis.

"We stepped out on faith," Hartley said. "We headed out with just $40 in our pocket and that was it."

Two weeks later, the Hartleys were working members of the revival. Hartley has no doubt about Terrell's Armageddon visions.

"By the end of this year we have, probably, 18 months," she said earnestly.

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"The mark of the beast is coming forth. Clinton, he's getting that all together. They're going to try and give each and every individual a computer chip in their forehead or their right hand. Those that don't take it, they're going to put 'em in concentration camps, you see."

Four of Hartley's six children, Toni, 16; Ashley, 15; John, 12; and Jessica, 10, travel with her. Ashley Hartley was taken out of school after eighth grade and is now home-schooled by her mother, who dropped out of ninth grade herself.

Ashley Hartley said she plans to follow Terrell for the rest of her life. But she admits his end-of-time predictions are pretty disturbing.

"The stuff he preaches is, like, kinda scary," she said, "because I barely got saved three or four months ago."

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