Pastor Virgil Update 2/8/24

Moving Christians from the pew to the harvest.” Matthew 9:36-38

It’s miracle time!

We are off and running for 2024. My heart is so full I’m about to burst. I know the days seem dark and the situation impossible, BUT GOD! For the last 4 months, the Holy Ghost has been urging me and teaching me and assuring me that there is revival afoot. Let me share just a couple of thoughts:

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NKJV

It’s a great time to be alive! The world around us is going quite mad. The restraints on evil seem to be slipping away. What used to be done in darkness with a sense of shame is now boldly proclaimed and glorified. As expected, the difference between those who live in the light and those who love the darkness is getting clearer every day. Those who have chosen darkness are impervious to truth. They exert undue influence in cultures around the world, intentionally spreading darkness to others. In this pagan environment, we are called to intentionally spread light.

In the last three months of 2023, the Spirit of God began working on me in two related areas: Prayer and Miracles.

  1. Prayer. In October, the Lord started showing me things about His own prayer life while He was here on earth. He went to Heaven, but He has delegated to us the role of being God’s physical representation in the earth. If Jesus found it necessary to pray, then surely we must pray also. As the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the throne of God. We have the covenant promises and the power of the Name. We have the Holy Spirit to help us when we don’t know how to pray. It’s time to press in. We have not because we ask not.
  2. Miracles. In November, I heard the Spirit say, “It’s miracle time!” Jesus and Paul both spoke of a demonstration of the Spirit’s power confirming the message that they preached. We live in a time when people need to see something real, not just hear our pious opinions. This will require us to be people of prayer who know the leading of the Spirit, then have the courage to obey. You received power when the Holy Spirit came upon you (Acts 1:8). Now use it. It’s miracle time.

I believe that for the United States, revival is our only hope. Pray your faith, practice your faith, proclaim your faith. This is the reason we’re here in this precise hour.

There is so much going on, I can’t begin to describe it all. For now, I just want to celebrate what God is doing in Mexico.

Congreso 2024!

January 25-27 was the 2024 version of Congreso in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. This year the theme was “Preparandonos para la Batalla.” (Preparing for battle). I had the privilege of being accompanied by 3 of my favorite people, Pastor John Smith of FCF Tucson, and Pastor Randy Winkles of His Presence Church of Arizona. Both of these men were FMTI grads 20 years ago, and both are currently serving as pastors in great churches. They have been involved in Mexico with me for many years. In addition, we were blessed to have Gabriel Rascon with us for the second year. Gabe has taken a keen interest in the work and is a huge blessing. He is an FMTI student and a minister of the Gospel in music, as well as my interpreter on this trip.

Several things stood out in this conference. The atmosphere was charged from the first morning. I taught each morning from our new course on “The Tithe.” On a Thursday morning at 9:30 AM, we had 70+ students. The hunger for the word was tangible. We provided 80 copies of the 55 page course outline. This content can change the financial destiny of individuals and churches. It also offers some examples of how to read and interpret the Scriptures. The evening services were simply off the hook. Healing and deliverance and restoration just flowed. I know you have heard me say this over and over, but there is real growth in this group. God is doing something.

Pastor Randy has been involved with this group and this conference for several years. He shared some of his thoughts:

“Congreso keeps getting better and better. With the collaboration of multiple churches this ensures that no one church is carrying the weight of the entire conference. The day classes and teachings were superb and very informative. I thought that each speaker complimented one another and the transition between each one in my mind was seamless. I particularly liked the breaks during the day that gave a chance for individuals to socialize and develop relationships with those that were there.

They are doing an excellent job. It has gotten a lot better over the years and the communication and assignments for each church seem to be growing and maturing. I enjoy going down, the people, the worship and the movement of God. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this.”

Pastor Randy Winkles

Special Youth Service:

A new feature of Congreso this year was a special service for young people. Two years ago, Iglesia Cristiana Orabes planted a new work specifically aimed at young folks. Pastors Bernabe Perdomo and Consuelo Velazquez served as Assistant Pastors to Jose and Eva Santos at Iglesia Orabes for many years. (All these folks are graduates of IEMFe) The new work has blossomed. One of the results has been an excitement in the youth in the other churches as well. Gabe Rascon was asked to minister to the group. Here are a few of his thoughts:

“When I walked in I wasn’t sure what to expect, but quickly saw what we had gotten ourselves into.

Almost immediately into worship everyone was praising, jumping and dancing. Including the old guys Pastor John and myself. The fire and passion for the Lord was undeniable and unlike I have seen in a youth service. Fuego, fuego, fuego! That was the song that got me.

How do I follow that? I was ok with the session being done I was so full. But the Lord had more. He allowed me to minister in song In a manner that spoke to them and allowed me to bring a message to build them up and prepare them for battle. You could see the attentiveness and hunger on their faces taking notes of every point being shared. I couldn’t help but share more of what God put on my heart for them.

And in the end God had his way. We had a blessed time in his presence and came out more prepared. All of us did. Can’t wait till the next one.”

Gabe Rascon

New Grads: On Friday night, we honored 4 new graduates from Instituto de Entrenamiento Ministerial de Fe. This was a momentous achievement. These

are the first ones to complete the basic program being taught entirely by our graduates from earlier years. The teachers have done a spectacular job. Special kudos to Pastor Nelly Maldonado for overseeing the process.

Next Steps: I sat with pastors on Sunday afternoon and asked them for feedback on the classes we have been teaching in person. (“The Ministry of the Pastor,” “Biblical Money Dynamics,” and “Powerful Prayer” in 2023) The enthusiasm was unanimous, and the turnout has been excellent. Reading their homework makes it clear that lives are being impacted. We all agreed to go forward in 2024. We continue in March with “Church Government.”

We also discussed our monthly Zoom calls for leaders, focusing on leadership skills. Again, they were unanimous that the teaching is valuable to them. One pastor said he starts getting excited on Friday night before each call, like a hungry little bird waiting to be fed. Another said he takes his notes and implements what he learns immediately. We can see the impact when we visit the individual churches. They are applying what they learn. We will be doing a call this Saturday to discuss the role of pastoral leadership in helping people find their place of service.

Bottom line: These are just a few highlights. God is doing things that you never see on TV, but that will make an eternal difference. Thank you for caring.

Thank you for your prayers and support. You make it possible for us to continue building people of substance for works of power. When each of us does a little, we can all do a lot. I’m anticipating a great year for all of us.

Financial support can be sent to Faith Christian Fellowship of Tucson at the address below or given online at www.fcftucson.org. Make checks payable to FCFT and designate missions or pastorvirgil and it will get where it needs to go.

Here are some things you can do to help:

Cheer up, it’s miracle time!

Virgil and Judy Stokes

3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.

Tucson AZ, 85745

520-792-3238

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