One week ago, Nancy included a report from Pastor Bill Elliff of God moving in an unusual way at The Summit Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. We were so encouraged by your response, and wanted you to know that God hasn’t let up this past week! Here’s another update from Pastor Bill Elliff:
Many people have been asking about what the Lord seems to be doing in our midst in these days. Who knows all God has in His matchless mind for these days? But there are some things I do know.
I DO KNOW the Lord graciously awakened our church two weeks ago. Our city pastors have been praying for 15 years, but what the Lord did last Sunday was taken completely out of our hands as we yielded our TIME and the CONTROL of the service to Him.
I DO KNOW that He has done acts of wonderful redemption in more lives than we can count. Marriages are being healed, sin is being gladly released, adultery confessed and forsaken, forgiveness is happening, consciences are being cleared, children are being saved, and adults are being redeemed (50 spontaneous baptisms in the services so far). Homeless people are being reached as our people are going to where they are and feeding them, letting them sleep in their own homes, and leading them to Christ. A deeper burden than we have ever had (by a LONG SHOT) is descending on our hearts . . . we will never be the same.
I DO KNOW that a spirit of INTERCESSION has settled over our people. When was the last time anyone said to you, “I can’t wait till the prayer meeting starts!” . . . and then kept saying that for 14 continuous nights? The LORD—no preacher or phenomena—is calling us to prayer.
I DO KNOW that there are two primary things God is putting on our hearts: 1) revival in churches across the city and 2) a great spiritual awakening among the lost. These two prayers are overwhelmingly strong in our minds and keep surfacing in numerous ways night after night. The Lord has awakened us to intercede in ways that we should have been doing all along.
I DO KNOW that the primary thing God has said to us is, “Do not quench the Spirit.” We believe that means that as the Lord speaks His truth to us through His Word and Spirit, we are to examine everything carefully (Is it biblical? Is it consistent with God’s Spirit?). As God speaks, we are seeking not to despise or minimize His voice by disobedience. Simply obey. Instantly obey. Gladly and expectantly obey. As hundreds do that, God’s Spirit is released in witness, praise, and proclamation in ways that He has been longing to do for years.
I DO KNOW that what He is doing is marvelous, glorious, refreshing, and unexplainable. “Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” One of my dear friends, Del Fehsenfeld, used to say, “God can do more in five minutes of His manifest presence than what we can accomplish in 50 years of our best human activity.” He’s right. Biblical and church history proves it.
I DO KNOW that God longs for so much more. A sweet, senior adult lady in our church, who is not in the least given to the fantastical or to visions wrote me today to say that the Lord had awakened her at 5 a.m. to pray for her lost brother in California. She went on to write:
“As much as I need and cherish my sleep, I now am willing to have this happen every night if that is what it will take. As I was trying to get back to sleep, I had this amazing vision. It was as if I were in the air looking down on central Arkansas, which was darkened except for a little light on here and there. Then gradually, lights started to come on, one by one, until the entire area was brightly lit! The brilliance rose to heaven and the Father was very pleased.”
I don’t know what to make of her vision, but I do know that this widespread revival is certainly my desire . . . and I suspect yours if you are reading this. I also know that it would please the Father, and I am asking Him, “Lord, why would you wait to purify and unleash Your Spirit through your Bride in this city so the lost could be brought to you?”
Will you join us as we continue to pray for God’s Spirit to descend upon our whole city and nation so that God will be glorified, and His great missionary purposes through America will be fully accomplished.
“Make them remember that HIS NAME is exalted!” (Isaiah 12)
(For daily reports and information, visit www.thesummitchurch.org.)
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