MauriceStargell.com

Neill Faucett

The next morning I emailed thank you notes to Neill, Al, and Ben, and about an hour later I got this reply back from Al… it really moved my heart! I shared it with Damita immediately, and now I’m sharing it with you. Here’s Al’s message…

Al & Ben Whittinghill

Dear Maurice,

It was a pleasure to meet you and to hear the wonderful way that the Lord has been giving you His vision for HIS church. Praise Him! Oh, how we need to see Him enthroned in His people….a glorious exhibition of His character and ways. The real litmus test of the local church is the prayer life that is expressed (a burning passion and a united intimacy with the Risen Lord) and the heart for missions as the outflow of it. Glorious balance. I personally long to see the church recover the vision for authentic corporate prayer, and live in the glorious bounty of what that brings. Active FOR Him is NOT the same as occupied WITH Him.  The glorious promises in John 14-16 are still before us for the taking….we must see the church of our day REALLY come to lay hold of what it means to corporately lay hold of “Ask in my Name”. What an exhibition it is to us  in Acts  4 as one reads the first recorded corporate prayer of the gathered church….so instructive. 
And John 14:12 is a promise to encourage us….“Greater things than I have done will  you do …BECAUSE I go to the Father…”   The next two verses connect the heart of this promise directly to prayer in His Name. We have a glorious High Priest, and we need to make full proof of our ministries as His “Royal priesthood.”  But who do we see doing this as a congregation? 

Do it brother! Dare to learn of it directly from Him as He pours it in the mold of His Word….and walk in it. Lead the way and be a Biblical model for the others to behold. He is Lord of all.

Without authentic prayer we are only shadow boxing. As S.D. Gordon said, “Prayer is THE winning blow…all service is just picking up the spoils of answered prayer.”

He says “Call upon Me and I will show you great and mighty things which you (in your natural thinking) know not….” Again…let us ask ourselves who is really doing this? The greatest need in the world is for a praying church. I believe that all true believers instinctively know this from the Spirit of God. But will we “take time to be holy”?

That kind of congregation will get the attention of the world, and that church will not have to sell her birthright trying to lure people in by gimmicks and activities that mask a deep need for authentic intimacy with Christ. Oh, for a church clothed with the resurrection life of God! The world will come to watch her burn when the fire of God is burning. It is not Madison Avenue…but Damascus Road that God will use to beautify and empower the saints.

In His glorious sovereignty He is bringing all this together “for such a time as this.” 

The world is teetering on the very precipice of active judgment…and the process surely is beginning “at the house of God.” Words like repentance, brokenness, desperation do NOT seem to draw in the lost to the meetings…BUT it will draw the heart of God to His people. And He is what the Church needs. He stands at the door and knocks on the door of the lukewarm lover and waits to be gracious. Is 30:18 He is waiting for us to wait upon Him.

Let our energies be balanced, with the greater part  of our passions being given to what brings pleasure, glory and honor to HIM (to glorify God , not just satisfy men).  May it become our united passion to draw His heart to the people of God in authentic revival. Yes…He surely is sovereign in the things of revival…but Who wants revival for the church more than He? How silly to think that He would not be longing for the church to put on her wedding garments and worship Him in the beauty of Holiness! Today is the day! It is only the glowing church that will be an effective going church. Then she will become a growing church….Deeper and not just wider. Roots downward…fruit upward. Then our outreach and service  will all be overflow…not just overload. Let us press in to all that is on His heart.

Maurice, what you shared with us sounds thrilling…with so much potential for the Lord to move in glorious ways. He will bless what He initiates.  It seems to be, as you said, the day of new wineskins. We must make sure that the wine in them is the kind that is made by Jesus. He always saves His best wine for last.  It pleases God to use the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe……and the preaching that saves is Christ, and Him crucified. I sense in you the heart and desire for this. Hallelujah!

He is glorious,
Al

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