Thoughts for Life: #22 The Living Parable

C. Peter Wagner tells us that
"One of the most dramatic visible
signs I have seen from God
occurred during the first evening
the Lausanne intercession team met
in the prayer suite of the Philippine Plaza Hotel.

On the eve of the greatest international convocation on evangelization yet held, God gave us a living parable to show us once and for all that the real battle for evangelization is spiritual.

The 50 intercessors sat around the large hotel room in a circle. They had come from 12 nations of the world, the greatest number coming from North America.

Ten of the intercessors were Filipinos and Filipinas. Although my wife, Doris, and I are not intercessors, we were invited to participate in the prayer room activities because we happened to be the originators of the idea.

Naturally, the first item of business was to introduce ourselves. As we got a little more than halfway around the circle, a Filipina named Juana Francisco, a woman in her late 50s, introduced herself and told of the ministry of intercession she had exercised for many years.

Two or three minutes later, while someone else was speaking, Juana Francisco suffered what we learned later was a critical attack of asthma. She screamed, lost color in her face, and began loudly gasping for breath. A wave of panic went through the room.

Two men took Juana by the arms and half carried her out the door into the hotel corridor. Right across the hall was the room occupied by Bill and Vonette Bright of Campus Crusade, and they managed to get her onto Bill Bright's bed.

Fortunately, one of the Filipina intercessors was a medical doctor, so she went out with Juana to attend her. Having the comforting knowledge that she was under medical care, two or three intercessors prayed for her healing, and we continued the introductions.

We had almost completed the circle of introductions when someone burst in the door and shouted,

'Who has an automobile? This is an emergency! We must
get her to the hospital! The doctor says she is dying!'

Immediately two women jumped out of their chairs and hurried out the other door into the hotel corridor. These women had not known each other well before.

One, Mary Lance Sisk, is known as an evangelical. She is a Presbyterian from Charlotte, North Carolina, and has served for years as the personal intercessor for Leighton Ford, the president of the Lausanne Movement and highest official of the congress.

The other was Cindy Jacobs, whom I have mentioned previously. Cindy is a known independent charismatic."

(Wow, be sure to get #23 post, The Voodoo Spirit, to continue this story...on the 9th.)

Warfare Prayer

#22 The Living Parable
By C. Peter Wagner

(pgs. 41-43) Regal Books

Pray with me:

Father, I look forward to seeing the
living parable You showed them once and
for all, that the real battle for evangelization
is spiritual.

May I learn quickly how to deal with times
of urgency too, by relying on You to reveal the real problem, and how to handle its solution, to bring honor to You.

I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s Bible verse: Ps. 135:5 "For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods."

Today’s quote: Cindy Sproles – “When Paul shared about his thorn of the flesh, he wanted us to see our successes weren't where God’s power would shine brightest, rather through our weaknesses. He said this gift of grace was sufficient. It’s all we really need. When hardships, decisions, and frustrations attack, God’s power becomes evident to those around us. We rest in the promise of His care because He’s got our backs. God’s might is lived out through these rough patches. From hard to difficult, to resolved, to peace -- His power shines.”
mountainbreezeministries@gmail.com

Some thoughts today: Romans 1-3 lays out the case of our being hopelessly lost through sin, and then gives God's solution: His Son Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

- God means for us to have and enjoy a relationship with Jesus through the atonement He provided. We will be transformed through walking with Him each day.

- Abraham trusted God inspite of his failures, and God said he was righteous through his faith. We become righteous through our faith in Jesus! We become dead to sin, and alive to God because of what Christ did for us. We are given a glorious inheritance, like what He received from God, His Father, because we are in Him. Amen!

6th- Saturday’s post: I am Broken
Debbie McEwen

7th- Sunday evening's post: Only Him
James Cagle

9th- Tuesday's post: #23 The Voodoo Spirit
C. Peter Wagner

11th- Thursday's post: #24 What is God Showing Us?
C. Peter Wagner

A popular post: Seeing Others Through God's Eyes Jill Savage tells us, "When talking about the challenging past year with a friend of mine, she asked me how I kept bitterness out of my heart when dealing with my husband’s depression and desert season as well as my son’s mental health challenges more recently."

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