Tuesday, December 1, 2015

#117 The Pitfall of Poor Timing




C. Peter Wagner: "One of the local pastors working with me in the Pasadena for Christ project is my friend, Che Ahn.

He told me how his church went through a very significant month of prayer and fasting not long ago.

One of the many things they received from God that month was the revelation that some of the most powerful territorial spirits over Pasadena were centered in City Hall.

So they gathered a team of 30 one evening and went to City Hall to tear down strongholds.

They had not prayed long when they realized they were in high- level warfare. The counterattack came. When Che got home that night he suffered the most severe attack of hay fever he had experienced since he was a child.

His children began having nightmares every night. They dreamed of horrors such as people being decapitated, limbs torn off and their father being murdered.

Che explained that since they have no television his children would have no way of being mentally programmed with such things in the natural. It had to be spiritual.

As we talked we agreed that although the revelation had undoubtedly been accurate, the timing of the public warfare might have been off. It may not have been God's kairos or strategic time for the encounter to take place.

In the neighboring city of Monrovia, a similar incident took place where the timing was not right. Leigh Jackson, an intercessor, had been burdened to start a prayer movement for her city in 1985.

In April of 1988, after other successful prayer meetings, she called together the pastors of the city to pray within the council chambers of the City Hall. 

Much to her consternation, one of the pastors usurped control of the meeting and turned it in a direction contrary to the vision she had received. Leigh, as a woman, didn't feel she could exercise authority and do anything about it. The prayer movement stalled.

She tried it again in 1989, and this also turned out to be a false start. It wasn't until late 1990 when she finally heard from God about the timing, and at this writing the prayer movement is getting underway as she hoped.

Many of us, including me, have a tendency to be impatient. Once we know what needs to be done, we want to get it done now. But if we get ahead of God we might as well forget about anything significant happening because it will be done in the flesh and not in the Spirit."

(Google image and my emphasis added)


#117 The Pitfall of Poor Timing
By C. Peter Wagner
(pp. 191,  192) Regal Books






Father, may we understand that Your timing 
for us to act is best. Help us to wait on You,
and to seek the time for when we're to make any 
moves that are planned for Kingdom advancement.
Your encouragement for us is, to not be impatient.
May we be successful in our efforts to move with Your
blessings, as we attempt what we believe to be Your will.
I ask this in the Name of Jesus.
Amen.

Today’s Bible verse: 1 Peter 3:15 KJV "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
Pray for your pastor: "Pray that your pastor will use wise time management and that he will seek God's perspective for his schedule, guarding his time against unnecessary interruptions. (Eph. 5:15-16Col. 4:5Ps. 90:12John 9:4)

Today’s quote: Dr. Charles F. Stanley - "When we understand that true conviction is the Holy Spirit's loving pressure on our spirit to correct a specific wrong, we can reject Satan's attempts to distract us with lies. Whatever the cause of false guilt, it must be unearthed and removed from the believer's life." (Taken from p. 31 of IN TOUCH Daily Readings for Devoted Living / July 2015)

Some thoughts today: A person's lifestyle may need disciplining. The incidences of failure will need mercy.

~ We live at the consequences of others bad choices, but we can choose to rise above them with Christ's help. Let God lighten your load (your burdens). He is well able to do it. Release them into His capable hands.

~ We're human, and there'll be times we will feel bogged down with our concerns. But God doesn't mean for us to carry them. His plan is for us to pray, and then allow Him to deal with each one. He desires to bring a good outcome for us. 


3rd- Thursday’s post: #118 The Pitfall of Empty Rhetoric                   C. Peter Wagner
5th- Saturday's post:  Of Geese and Difficult People
Randy Kilgore
6th- Sunday evening's post:  Be a Witness
Butch Dias
8th- Tuesday's post:  #119  The Pitfall of No Covering
C. Peter Wagner


A popular post:   #67 Relationship and Rules C. Peter WagnerThe two major facets of Christian holiness are (1) relationships and (2) obedience. Both are prominent in the book of Galatians, a book written for the express purpose of helping Christians live the Christian life in God's way. The churches in Galatia were a mixture of believers..."


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