Spiritual Timing

Discerning Seasons of Change in

the Realm of the Spirit
by
Roberts Liardon
Albury Publishing
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken
from the King James Version of the Bible
Some Scripture quotations are taken from The Amplified Bible,
New Testament. !opyright " #$%&, #$&' by The (ockman
)oundation, (a *abra, !alifornia Used by permission
8th rinting
!"er #$,$$$ in rint
%pirit&al Timing
+SB, #-&&..&-$'#-&
!opyright " #$$. by /oberts (iardon 0inistries
PO Bo1 2.'#.
(aguna *ills, !alifornia $34%5
Published by A(BU/6 PUB(+S*+,7
PO Bo1 5'.5.4
Tulsa, Oklahoma '5#5'-.5.4
Printed in the United States of America All rights reser8ed
under +nternational !opyright (aw !ontents and 9 or co8er may
not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the
e1press written consent of the Publisher
Contents
# Time !an Be 6our )riend4
3 :iscerning Times and Seasons#3
2 A Time for 7ifts, /e8elation and Offices 35
5 Pitfalls of the ;rong Timing 2&
% Blessings of the /ight Timing%3
4 /ecei8ing /emedy and /estoration 42
Roberts Liardon was born in Tulsa,
Oklahoma *e was born again, bapti<ed
in the *oly Spirit, and called to the
ministry at the age of eight, after being
caught up to *ea8en by the (ord =esus
/oberts was powerfully commissioned
by the (ord to study the li8es of 7od>s
great ?generals?@men and women of faith who were
mightily used by 7od in the past@in order to learn
why they succeeded and why they failed
At age fourteen, /oberts began preaching and teaching
in 8arious churches@denominational and non-
denominational alike@Bible colleges and uni8ersities
*e has tra8eled e1tensi8ely in the United States and
!anada, and his missions outreaches ha8e taken him to
Africa, Aurope and Asia 0any of his books ha8e been
translated into foreign languages
/oberts preaches and ministers under a powerful
anointing of the *oly Spirit +n his sermons, /oberts
calls people of all ages to sal8ation, holiness and life in
the *oly Spirit
Through /oberts> ministry around the world, many
people ha8e accepted 7od>s call to yield themsel8es as
8essels for the work of the Bingdom
1
1 Time Can Be Your Friend
That he [we no longer should li!e the rest of
his [our time in the flesh to the lusts of men" but
to the will of #od$
1 %eter &'(
;e need to understand as the Body of !hrist, that
7od has a central point from which e8ery arena of our
life operates, whether indi8idually or corporately +t>s
called )time$)
)rom the operation of that one word, li8es can
mo8e forward with 7od or be hinderedC nations can
ad8ance spiritually or regress +t all depends upon our
understanding and cooperation with the timings of
7od One of the greatest needs we seem to ha8e is how
to understand and operate with spiritual timings
As soon as you are born again, the sensiti8ity to
the timings of 7od should operate in your life A8ery
moment from that point forward is meant to be li8ed
according to the will of the )ather
The world has made an attempt to harness time
They ha8e created time-management seminars and
ha8e tried to teach millions how to sa8e time and be
more effecti8e with it + am not against time
management by any means Some ha8e become so
time-consumed, they will e8en allow their 8alues to
4
Time 'an Be (o&r )riend
deteriorate as long as it sa8es some time
Aarth time usually means ?rush? ;e ha8e fast
food, rush hour traffic, instant this and instant that
People in the natural fight with time +t frustrates them
and produces anger They don>t like the pace of it
They either want things to slow down or to speed up
To the world, time is an enemy
The onl* place that time becomes *our friend is
in the Spirit realm$ People who li8e in the Spirit
know how to work and walk with time
7od introduced *is timing to us in 7enesis
chapter #
+n the beginning #od created the hea!en and
the earth$
#enesis 1'1
That 8erse, the 8ery first in the Bible, points out
7od>s timing A8erything *e did was based on timing
;hen the uni8erse was created, each part of it was
made on a certain day, in a certain time *e formed
e8ery part of the gala1y to operate in *is timings
)irst, *e created the earth and e8erything surrounding
it Then, 7od created all of the plants, fish, animals
and birds )inally, in *is perfect timing, *e created
man At mis point, all of 7od>s creation walked
harmoniously with *im
But in 7enesis chapter 2, man>s timing began
with the )all ;hen man fell, he lost his ability to hear
and follow 7od without a special endowment from
'
%pirit&al Timing
hea8en *e no longer had the ability to operate in
7od>s timing on his own 7eneration after generation
produced only trial and trouble unless 7od inter8ened
All through the Old Testament days, 7od ga8e
information to the people concerning *imself, through
the prophets *e still pro8ided them with the ability to
know *im and ser8e *im The understanding of
spiritual times, e8en in those days, came from being
committed to 7od
One of the things that =esus came and produced
for us at !al8ary was the ability to percei8e and regain
the correct timings of 7od By recei8ing *is
redemption and walking in the Spirit, we can come
back into it ;e can fine-tune our spirits to know when
to be in the right place at the right time, or to stay out
of the right place at the wrong time Through knowing
7od and *is ways, we can build the character within
oursel8es, that will position us strategically in the
proper season
;hen you li8e in the spirit, time is lo8ely Time
is a blessing A Spirit-filled man can walk in step with
7od and work the works of 7od without stress or
strain *e understands time
To a Spirit-filled man, time means stability and
nurturing Time matures and heals +t brings
understanding and abilities Time e1pands and deepens
our insight ;hen we walk with time, we walk with
patience As a result, we ha8e the ability to possess our
whole man, physically, emotionally and spiritually
&
Time 'an Be (o&r )riend
;alking securely in the timing of 7od alle8iates
fear There is no fear or doubt in the proper timing of
7od 7odly timing produces courage, boldness,
security and strength
7od>s clock is always ticking, but it>s not like
man>s clock +f we follow man>s clock, by what some
men say some of us would be in the millennium by
now
,h*" seeing times are not hidden from the
-lmight*" do the* that .now him not see his
da*s/
0ob (&'1
=ob is the oldest book in the Bible By reading the
statement he made, we can see the wisdom and
understanding =ob had, e8en in his day *e li8ed long
before 0oses came, and still he knew that those who
truly know 7od know *is ways and *is timing
(ife in the spirit realm has a timing to it Dust as
life in the natural +f you stay close to the (ord, you
will be able to mo8e according to *is seasons
+t is important for us to follow the leading in our
spirit ;e must learn that it>s not always right to mo8e
into action because it seems like the thing to do This
kind of obedience only comes from seasons of prayer
and intercession
Prayer alerts your spirit to the commands of
hea8en +t causes your inner man to take precedence
o8er your mind, resulting in the right action at the right
time
$
%pirit&al Timing
+f you will walk strongly in the Spirit, you>ll be
able to mo8e according to 7od>s clock in e8erything
you do 6ou will know how much time to spend with
certain people, when to build relationships, when to
speak and when to withhold 6ou will know when to
mo8e out on the plan of 7od for your church, your
community and your nation
+n 0ark #5E5#, after much prayer, =esus stood up
and told *is disciples
$ $ $ ta.e *our rest' it is enough" the hour is
come $ $ $
=esus knew by the timing of the Spirit that *e
was ready to fulfill the greatest work to e8er be done@
the redemption for all mankind at !al8ary
6ou don>t ha8e to miss the correct timings of 7od
in your life Some people miss the accurate time to
enter the ministry They know they are called, but their
time is not yet come because of preparation purposes
and they launch out too soon 0any ha8e aborted their
entire ministries because they were not equipped to
handle the trouble they encountered
The Bible says )a wise man1s heart discerneth
both time and 2udgment) FAccl &E%G ;e must be
able, as the Body of !hrist, to know when to go and
when to stayC when to speak and when to remain silent
+t is our goal to hit accurately the timing of 7od so that
hea8en can reap the benefit of a full and bountiful
har8est +t is the will of 7od that we not only be
sensiti8e to the leadings of the *oly Spirit, but that we
#.
Time 'an Be (o&r )riend
operate effecti8ely in them Time is designed by 7od,
to be called one of our dearest friends
##
(
( Discerning Times and Seasons
-nd he said also to the people" ,hen *e see a
cloud rise out of the west" straightwa* *e sa*"
There cometh a shower3 and so it is$
-nd when *e see the south wind blow" *e
sa*" There will be heat3 and it cometh to pass$
Ye h*pocrites" *e can discern the face of the
s.* and of the earth3 but how is it that *e do not
discern this time/
Lu.e 1('4&546
+f we did not understand natural times and
seasons, we might go out in the dead of winter in tee
shirts and shorts@and free<e to death On the other
hand, we might go outside in the tropics during the
summer, wearing o8ercoats and thermal underwear@
and ha8e heatstrokesH
=esus addressed this spiritual principle to his
disciples, the e8er-present Pharisees, and an
innumerable multitude of people F8 #G on this
particular day in 7alilee
,otice that *e was fer8ent on *is illustration and
did not gi8e *is listeners any e1cuse for ignorance, but
called them hypo*rites. That was a 8ery bold
statementH
#3
+is*erning Times and %easons
=esus> implication was that *is hearers should
ha8e ,nown from Scripture Fthe Old TestamentG that
they were li8ing in the time of the 0essiah *e did not
confine *is remarks, as *e sometimes did, Dust to *is
disciples or to a small crowd This was an innumerable
multitude that *e chastised
+ belie8e if =esus were walking on the earth today,
so that all the !hurch could see *im with natural eyes,
*e would be saying something similar to many of us
*e not only wants, but e1pects, those who are faithful
to discern spiritual times
;e li8e in a new day, a new spiritual time ;hen
=esus said, 1let the dead bur* their dead) F(uke
$E4.G, *e meant, ?(et the past be the past? 6ou cannot
make spiritual progress li8ing in past times and mo8es
of 7od any more than you can ha8e growth in your
natural life while li8ing in the past
=esus said to the multitudes that day in 7alilee,
?*ow is it that you know all about the natural side of
life, but you cannot tell what times you are in on the
spiritual sideI?
7od does not li8e in the past +t is always today
with the (ord *e li8es in the now The greatest results
you will ha8e in your life or ministry will come when
you walk in the spiritual time in which you are li8ing,
when you walk in the present anointing
;e are to learn from the past, but we are not to
li8e there ;e are to li8e in the present and lock into
the future
#2
%pirit&al Timing
!hristians must learn to think in the now, or we
will not see 7od>s glory as we should, nor be able to
mo8e with *im when *e mo8es 0any churches
cherish a time in the past so much that they build a
memorial in their minds to it and li8e there The best
way to respect the past is to build on it for the future
The great men and women of the !hurch>s past
would be the first to push us on out today Those
people who laid the path on which we walk would not
be happy to think the !hurch was li8ing on past glories
of what 7od accomplished through them
Of course, we need to honor past men and women
of 7od ;e need to appreciate and learn from what
they accomplished for the Bingdom But we cannot
li8e or mo8e or ha8e our being in what they did, only
in 7od The past reputation of the !hurch, no matter
how great, is not the /ock on which we are to stand
To recei8e today>s blessing, we must mo8e in what *e
is doing today
+t is not the season right now to act like we are
about to lea8e the earth +t is the season to reap the
har8est +t is the season to hear from hea8en so that we
can reap the full potential of souls in all the earth +t is
the season to declare the works of 7od in the nations
+t is the time for the !hurch to regain their sensiti8ity
to repentance
The trumpet has not yet sounded and we are not
in a season to put on the wedding gown ;e are
betrothed, but we are still wearing army clothes
#5
+is*erning Times and %easons
;earing a wedding gown in a season of war and
har8est makes you stand out as an easy target for the
enemy ;e must set oursel8es to hear accurately what
the Spirit of the (ord is doing in the earth today
The subDect of ?warfare? should not make you
ner8ous Those who do not understand the season of
transition get 8ery touchy about spiritual warfare They
do not understand that a time of transition, a day of
8isitation from the (ord, always means spiritual
warfare There is always hard work before the har8est
+n =esus> day, Satan himself came to war against
the 0essiah :emons were stirred up e8erywhere =esus
went +t was a time of transition *e cast them out,
taught *is disciples to cast them out, and then made
deli8erance part of the 7reat !ommission F0ark
#4E#%-#&G@*is final instructions of war to *is
?soldiers>>
/e8i8al is in progress worldwide /e8i8al is for
the !hurch, not for sinners +t means ?restoration? and
you cannot restore something that has ne8er been
The Body of !hrist always needs refreshing and
restoration before the great mo8es of e8angelism and
har8est 7od uses those times to prepare the ?soil? in
our hearts before *e gathers in the lost ;e must be
sensiti8e in this time and understand that ?re8i8al? is
not to be confused with ?e8angelism?
(ocal churches are re8i8ed, then they go out and
e8angeli<e, gathering in the har8est A8angelism is the
offspring of a church whose heart has been re8i8ed
#%
%pirit&al Timing
The time of preparation for 7od>s mo8e has been going
on for se8eral years now
+f you are li8ing in the past while hearing the
message for today, the message will not make any
sense to you 6ou will think it is false or confusing,
and you will probably want to come against it@Dust as
the Pharisees did in =esus> day
They were trying to li8e in the past glory of
+srael They had built a memorial to 0oses and the
(aw and were looking backward instead of forward to
the ,ew !o8enant whose time had come
6ou can choose to li8e in any time <one you want
to li8e in as a !hristian 6ou ha8e the choice to li8e in
the past, if you so desire 6ou ha8e the opportunity to
sit by and wait for the coming of the (ord, if you so
decide But to li8e on the cutting edge, to be full and
ali8e with the Spirit of 7od, is to be mo8ing with what
7od is doing in the earth right now@today
The Pharisees did not hear the message
proclaimed in their day Although they were to lead the
people, they did not know the season and timing of
7od
*owe8er, the demons knew the spiritual time
+n 0atthew &E3$, the Apostle relates how =esus
cast a legion of demons out of a ?cra<y? man The
demons talked to =esus
-nd" behold" the* cried out" sa*ing" ,hat
ha!e we to do with thee" 0esus" thou Son of #od/
#4
+is*erning Times and %easons
art thou come hither to torment us before the
time/
6ou see, e8en demons are aware that 7od has a
time to do certain things They knew it was not *is
time for them to be shut up fore8er in the lake of fire
:emons who operate in the low, carnal area are
not 8ery intelligent They do not think or reason
*owe8er, those workers for Satan who are part of his
hierarchy@the principalities, powers and rulers of
darkness FAph 4E#3G@know what is going on with the
Bingdom of 7od
+f the de8il, his angels and demons know about
time, then certainly the Body of !hrist should set
themsel8es to know
7ew Testament Transition
The three years that co8ered the ministry of =ohn
the Baptist and =esus, were a time of maDor transition,
from the Old !o8enant to the ,ew That is why =esus>
first@and only@message in *is hometown of
,a<areth made a clear statement of the spiritual season
they were in
88as his custom was" he went into the
s*nagogue on the sabbath da*" and stood up for
to read$
Lu.e &'16
,otice that =esus was accustomed to going into
the synagogue and reading the te1t for the day The
people knew *im This was not the first time *e had
read the scripture +n 8erse #', the Book of +saiah was
#'
%pirit&al Timing
gi8en to *im to read
7od arranges situations in *is timing, if we do
not get in *is way This was the 8ery day that 7od had
appointed for =esus to declare to *is family and
neighbors ;ho *e was 7od had witnessed in the
heart of the synagogue leader, to ha8e *im read from
the prophetic Book of +saiah
Because they had known =esus all of *is life, they
got the first chance to hear that the day of 8isitation
was at hand 0any times, when 7od sends a person
out, *e sends them first to their family and friends
So =esus, sensiti8e in *is spirit, followed 7od>s
timing, although *e must ha8e known it would make
the religious crowd angry *is e1ample is what we
must still follow today
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" because
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor3
he hath sent me to heal the bro.enhearted"
to preach deli!erance to the capti!es"
and reco!ering of sight to the blind"
to set at libert* them that are bruised"
to preach the acceptable *ear of the Lord$
Lu.e &'19"1:
)The acceptable *ear of the Lord) was an
e1plicit statement of the time it was on 7od>s clock *e
went on to speakE
#&
+is*erning Times and %easons
$$$ This da* is this scripture fulfilled in *our
ears$
Lu.e &'(1
Those words were prophetic for the coming
0essiah, and the listeners knew it But they missed
their day of 8isitation because they clung to the past
time of 7od They had grown to understand the past
and were comfortable there
=esus tried to tell them, ?These things were
foretold for a certain day ,ow that day has arri8ed +t
is today? But, they would not hear They could not
sense the appointed time and season of 7od
=ohn the Baptist was also a proclaimer of the
timings of 7od in that day *e saidE
Repent *e' for the .ingdom of hea!en is at
hand$
;atthew <'(
+ indeed bapti=e *ou with water unto
repentance' but he that cometh after me is
mightier than +" whose shoes + am not worth* to
bear' he shall bapti=e *ou with the >ol* #host
and with fire$
;atthew <'11
Then the 8ery ne1t day, he saw =esus and saidE
This is he of whom + said" -fter me cometh a
man which is preferred before me' for he was
before me$
0ohn 1'<?
After =esus was bapti<ed, =ohn knew *im
#$
%pirit&al Timing
because of the *oly Spirit>s descending on *im like a
do8e That was the sign 7od had gi8en him by which
to recogni<e the Son of 7od F=ohn #E2#-25G
=ohn was aware that he had a work to fulfill
before =esus would come *e knew that his ministry
was going to be short *e did not try to minister, or
e8en to li8e, longer than 7od needed him to ;hen
=esus showed up, =ohn said, )>e must increase" but +
must decrease) F=ohn 2E2.G
=ohn the Baptist did not fight to stay in charge of
the hour *e let =esus take o8er ;e need to ha8e an
awareness not only that times and seasons do change,
but we need to know when they change and whether it
means we are to increase or decrease
#od Changes the Times and Seasons
+n :aniel 3E3#, the Bible says 7od )changeth
the times and seasons$) ;e must become mature
enough in the spirit so that when 7od changes the
times and seasons to which we are accustomed, we do
not get angry or upset ;e must get to the place where
we can see the hand of 7od mo8ing and mo8e with
what *e is doing, not against it
;e cannot change times and seasons ;e cannot
e8en rearrange them ;e cannot hold them still,
because 7od raises up and brings down *e is the One
;ho does that
;hen :aniel found himself in capti8ity in
Babylon, *e knew it was 7od>s season for pruning
3.
+is*erning Times and %easons
rebellion and idolatry off *is people through e1ile and
life in a strange land 6ielding to the Dudgment@as
7od told them to do@would ha8e allowed them to use
the time of capti8ity for genuine repentance and
changing of their ways They could ha8e been blessed
in Babylon, and many were F=er 3$E5-#5G
+n the Book of Acclesiastes, chapter &, 8erse %, we
readE
,hoso .eepeth the commandment shall feel
no e!il thing' and a wise man1s heart discerneth
both time and 2udgment$
A wise man knows both the timing of 7od as
well as the Dudgment of 7od A foolish person knows
either
An immature !hristian will cherish something
beyond its time A mature spirit will be Doyful o8er the
changing because it is according to 7od>s will A
mature !hristian knows 7od ne8er brings us down@
no matter how it looks *e always brings those who
lo8e and ser8e *im up to a better place
Spiritual >unger
An important characteristic that causes 7od to
take us from one season to another is spiritual hunger
+n =esus> day, Dust as in our day, there were many
that were caught up in a past time But on the other
hand, there were also many who had a dissatisfaction
in their hearts They knew, because of the sensiti8ity to
the things of 7od, that it was time for a change
3#
%pirit&al Timing
There was no longer the peace of relying on the
letter of the law that there had been The desire for the
0essiah to come had intensified in their hearts The
Pharisees also intensely wanted 0essiah to come, but
their desire was in their minds Their ?0essiah? fit
their own scenario and not 7od>s So they missed *im
Today, there is a hunger for the ;ord There is a
hunger for the fullness of the fi8e-fold offices Physical
hunger is one of the most powerful dri8es on the earth,
because it is directly related to sur8i8al of the body +n
the same way, spiritual hunger is one of the most
powerful instincts in the spirit realm because it is tied
to the sur8i8al of our spiritual walk
;hen people are star8ing, they will do things that
otherwise they would not do They will eat things that
in better times would not be acceptable at all
The same is true in spiritual hunger People are
hungry for the written ;ord and for a direct, personal
word from 7od They are so hungry to see 7od mo8e
and the prophetic, that in many places, if they are not
fed, they try to fill their hunger through false
prophecies and false prophets Some are trying to do it
themsel8es, trying to take hold of the prophetic
anointing and they are making big mistakes
A hunger for anything spiritual is a sign that
7od>s time has changed 7od>s answer to the spiritual
cra8ing in the earth today is on its way The truth is
coming in stability and accuracy
As we continue to prepare our hearts, 7od will
33
+is*erning Times and %easons
continue to mature *is leaders and proclaimers By
staying in the ;ord of 7od and prayer, we will
continue to sharpen our sensiti8ity so that we can e1cel
into maturity
The changing of times and seasons is e1citing to
those who are hungry for the Spirit of 7od
32
<
< - Time for #ifts" Re!elation
and @ffices
- man hath 2o* b* the answer of his mouth'
and a word spo.en in due season" how good it isA
%ro!erbs 14'(<
+n this time of spiritual transition, the !hurch
should be seeking 7od to find *is timing The
belie8ers, and particularly those who minister in the
name of the (ord, should find out the times and
seasons, for there are certain times that certain things
are to be spoken
A word spoken out of season brings more
confusion than blessing But a word spoken in season
brings Doy and clarity
+n +saiah %.E5, the prophet saidE
The Lord #od hath gi!en me the tongue of
the learned" that + should .now how to spea. a
word in season to him that is wear*$
;e ha8e the ability, by our spirits, to speak the
correct words, at the correct time By speaking the
right words at the right time, it will refresh, rearrange,
and encourage those who hear That is our purpose
6ou see, the right timing of 7od will produce an
35
A Time for -ifts, Re"elation and !ffi*es
atmosphere in which we can release the re8elation
inside of us But if we speak out in the wrong timing,
our words produce a counter-reaction in the hearts and
minds of the people
;hen a re8elation is spoken and deli8ered at the
right time, it spreads like wildfire and goes
e8erywhere 0any people speaking true words from
7od ha8e gone through unnecessary persecution
because the person deli8ering the message didn>t
understand the timing to it A8en a true word, gi8en at
the wrong time, can do much damage
One thing that belie8ers, and in particular, those
in the ministry, must learn, is how to know when a
word is ?in season? So many Dust hear something and
?run with it,? causing a negati8e reaction e8erywhere
they go Those people need an understanding of time
=ust because we ha8e a ?word? doesn>t mean it is to be
deli8ered at that moment
0any belie8ers and ministries li8e in frustration
because they try to analy<e the timing of 7od through
public opinion, intellect or organi<ation As a result,
they wear themsel8es out physically, emotionally and
spiritually The ministry suddenly becomes a dreaded
chore, followed by disillusionment and sin Some ha8e
e8en left the ministry, e1hausted and seared
;e need to know when to mo8e and when to rest
)aith is nowC but results are birthed from accurate
timing
The sign of a mature !hristian is his ability to
3%
%pirit&al Timing
walk accurately in 7od>s timing A young !hristian is
characteri<ed by his mistakes with timing That does
not mean he is in deep trouble +t simply means he is in
a learning process
+ remember when + was learning this + would get
a message in my heart and hold it +t was so much
inside of me that + would stand in front of my mirror
and speak it out to myselfH
That is hard 6ou ha8e this strong message inside
of you, and it is ali8e, almost like a baby +t is
?kicking? and mo8ing, and you want it to come forth
and be born 6ou begin to say, ?;hen is it going to be
timeI? +f you are not careful, the message can become
an irritation to you instead of a blessing
But when that message came out in 7od>s timing,
it was wonderfulH +t went all o8er the country when +
preached it, because + hit the right time with it
/e8elation must be released in accuracy of time
A8erything the *oly Spirit gi8es you belongs in a
sequence of *is timing
Bnction or Cmotion/
+>8e had prophecies for indi8iduals that + wanted
to gi8e them right then 0y soul said they needed to
hear it, but in my spirit, + had no release to gi8e it So +
had to wait
;e must learn the difference between emotion
and unction 6ou do not gi8e a word from 7od without
the unction An attempt to mo8e in the Spirit by
34
A Time for -ifts, Re"elation and !ffi*es
emotion will pull you out from the correct timing of
7od e8ery time (earning and operating with the
unction in our spirit will keep us in step with timing
;e must speak out of the unction of spirit, not the pull
of emotion
The 7reek word ?charisma? means ?an unguent
or smearing?
#
with oil or a sal8e, and it is usually
translated as some form of the word ?anoint? The
scholars who translated the King James Version of the
Bible used ?unction? only as an Anglish translation of
?charisma? one time in the entire Bible That is in #
=ohn 3E3.E
But *e ha!e an unction from the >ol* @ne"
and *e .now all things$
Unction simply means ?anointing? :o not gi8e a
prophecy to anyone unless you ha8e the anointing
from the *oly Spirit to do so There must be a di8ine
stirring inside of you +t is not emotionC it is not
reDoicing
+t is not a ?good idea? because it would make the
person feel better That unction from 7od literally
draws it out of you, for it is the unction, or anointing,
that brings it forth in power
Sometimes + ha8e a prophecy in my spirit, and +
walk into a meeting where the people seem to be really
reDoicing, praising 7od, and ready to recei8e But there
is no unction on me to gi8e forth the word Then + go
into another meeting where it did not look as if
# Strang1s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, )unction") reference D44&4$
3'
%pirit&al Timing
anything was happening And, boomH There comes the
prophecy
+ used to wonder why 7od would gi8e it to those
people and not the ones at the earlier meeting Then +
began to see that only 7od knows the heart and le8el
of maturity *is prophecies are meant to begin a work
immediately when they are recei8ed
:uring this time of prophetic transition, we must
be 8ery sensiti8e to this fact, especially someone in the
fi8e-fold office of the Prophet +f he is not aware of the
timing of 7od, he can get in8ol8ed in self-inflicted, or
self-caused persecution by releasing and doing things
without an anointing or before the time Prophets are
8ery aware of what 7od is doing today and in the
future =ust because they ha8e the ability to ?see? what
7od will do, doesn>t mean it is time to announce it or
to try to bring it into manifestation +t is of the utmost
importance that Prophets remain sensiti8e to the
timings of 7od
,ot long ago, + became so tired of hearing ?dead?
propheciesH + thought if + heard another one, + would
scream ?:ead? prophecies are e1hortations out of
someone>s soul They may e8en be heartfelt, but they
are not prophecies and should not be gi8en forth as
such
,o matter how good they sound or how scriptural
they are, there is no anointing to prophesy on those
words +f people are learning how to operate in the
gifts or in the prophetic office, that is one thing But
3&
A Time for -ifts, Re"elation and !ffi*es
there are people who ha8e been gi8ing out ?dead?
prophecies for years
The unction gi8es you power to speak out the
word of 7od in a high-ranking force +t carries weight
and rearranges the thoughts and the direction we are
walking Our emotions say that an e1hortational
prophecy means ?pat me? But Biblical e1hortation
means to urge, admonish, push on, warn
The Apostle Peter wrote that, in old times, men of
7od spoke by the *oly Spirit not by the will of men F3
Pet #E3#G The ,ew Testament times or present-day
times are no different ;hen a word is spoken in the
correct timing with unction, it will come with weight,
power and force The *oly Spirit knows the perfect
time
;e must learn not to gi8e forth a word because
an auditorium is full or the conditions seem right +t
would be easy to release a word from the (ord when
e1citement is high But we must train oursel8es from
the unction within us, not by the e1citement le8el
around us The unction within will direct us into the
appointed time
Time for %rophetic -nointing
One of the main reasons we must be sensiti8e to
the timings of 7od is because there is coming the heart
and thrust of e8angelism with a prophetic anointing
To me, the greatest e8angelists + ha8e e8er seen are the
ones with the prophetic anointing They are prophetic
3$
%pirit&al Timing
e8angelists They understand the times and seasons of
7od and they also understand the workings of the
prophetic office
+n fact, it is like two streams that are con8erging
together from different directions to form a mighty
ri8er The prophetic stream and the e8angelistic stream
are meeting head on and will merge They will not be
in conflict
+n the latter part of #$&$, the Spirit of 7od began
to bring out of me in prayer a call for the prophetic
e8angelist to come into the earth, to go through the
nations, reaping a har8est by saying and doing things
as 7od directs
+ began to see the prophetic anointing come on
some e8angelists But some that + saw it come upon
tended to be afraid because they were mo8ed to step
out in arenas they were not used to Some things you
learn simply by mo8ing out in faith *owe8er, the
natural side of man always wants to understand what is
happening before stepping out
But one particular e8angelist + saw mo8ed out
with the prophetic anointing, and the manifestation of
7od was so strong it is hard to describe
This e8angelist was sensiti8e to changing and
timing of the Spirit, and he began to preach on the
glory of 7od As he began, what he preached started to
manifest in the room + belie8e that is characteristic of
the accurate timing with prophetic anointing ;hat is
preached or taught will come into the room as the
2.
A Time for -ifts, Re"elation and !ffi*es
ministry gift steps out in faith
As this e8angelist preached, + was sitting on the
front row, and + could feel the glory of 7od come in
behind me The stronger he preached, the stronger the
glory became
*is preaching was like prophesying the whole
time, without saying, ?Thus saith the (ord? in the
middle of his sermon *e began this wayE ?The word
of the (ord is ? Then the rest of the sermon was the
word of the (ord
Soon, people all o8er the room began to weep
All of a sudden, they began to come down the aisles
without an altar call Some of them ran to the altar The
glory of 7od and the con8iction of the Spirit was so
strong that e8en those already sa8ed wanted to be
sa8ed againH +t was one of the most anointed meetings
+ had e8er been in
All of the fi8e-fold offices are coming into a new
day, and a prophetic anointing is going to rest on all of
them to a certain degree There will be prophetic
pastors, prophetic teachers, and prophetic e8angelists
They are going to operate differently than we are
accustomed to seeing
There ha8e been prophetic e8angelists before,
because 7od>s ?new thing? usually is a restoration of
something that has been lost or forgotten by the
!hurch
=ohn the Baptist was one who preached under a
2#
%pirit&al Timing
prophetic anointing, telling of things to come and
warning of Dudgment at the same time he called the
people to repentance The anointing was what brought
con8iction Otherwise, =ohn the Baptist was no
different than other ?wild men? of his day, who spent
solitary time in the desert and came out preaching
*is sensiti8ity to time, the presence of the *oly
Spirit and the prophetic anointing, is what made him
different
Timing ,ith %raise and ,orship
There is e8en coming a prophetic anointing on
praise and worship Tradition is 8ery strong in that
area 0any churches got deli8ered from the hymn
book, but then became stuck on transparencies Some
are still at the mercy of the machine that throws lyrics
on the wall, or to a certain systematic song order
+t was not the old songs that were the problem
?/eligion? had crept in through routinely singing the
same old way in the flesh The newness of the songs
fooled us Because they were fresh, we could really get
in8ol8ed singing them
But new songs are no substitute for the *oly
Spirit anointing, nor are they a sure sign of it ,ew
songs or old songs, it is the spirit we sing them out of
that counts
Some churches ha8e set their entire congregation
backwards because of the songs they sang before the
message The ministers lea8e frustrated because they
23
A Time for -ifts, Re"elation and !ffi*es
can>t understand why the people couldn>t grasp what
they deli8ered to them The song ser8ice left the people
stagnant and crusty, making it difficult to recei8e the
full impact of the message
;e need to quit holding on to something because
we are comfortable with it and mo8e out with the
timing of the Spirit
Sometimes, Dust an obedience in action will
change the flow
+ was scheduled to speak at a certain church on
0other>s :ay Usually, + ha8e a word or a stirring in
my spirit, but + could not get anything for the ser8ice
Before + left for the church, + looked up scriptures
about mothers, and none of them were anointed to me
+ walked into the pastor>s office and said, ?Pastor,
+ don>t ha8e anything for mothers today?
*e said, ?That>s good, because + preached about
that last week?
+ thought, ?*alleluDahH + don>t ha8e to worry
about that? But then the real problem came@+ did not
know what to preach
So + said, ?+>ll Dust go by faith?
The music started and they were singing the usual
!harismatic9;ord-)aith songs + was being nice and
preferring my brethren, being 8ery sweet and
respectful
22
%pirit&al Timing
Then the (ord said to me, ?+ want you to dance?
So + began dancing 8ery easily, when the (ord
said, ?,o, no, noH?
+ said, ?;ell, what do 6ou want thenI?
*e said, ?+ want the old combined with the new?
+ said, ?Oh 6ou mean, don>t >wiggle> but
+AN'./0
And *e said, ?6es?
,ow + am coming out of tradition as fast as + can,
but there is a little bit left + am looser than some
people, but there are still things + am dealing with
+ said, ?But, (ord, it>s 0other>s :ayH A8eryone is
wearing flowers? + knew 7od was going to do a work
in that place, but + also knew that e8eryone was
dressed up with flowers and with 8isitors there, no one
wanted to sweat@it was 0other>s :ayH
6ou see, when the (ord says ?dance? to me, that
does not mean your normal two-step That means
:A,!A ;hen + dance, + get into it all o8er + am
e8erywhere
;ell, + started to dance
On the way up into the spirit realm, you ha8e to
fight demons, whether it is through prayer or praise
and worship *alf of the front row went with me
A member of my staff also mo8ed with me As
25
A Time for -ifts, Re"elation and !ffi*es
soon as + began to really dance, + was in a fight +t was
not one of those bringing-down-the-glory dancesC it
was a we-are-going-to-win dance There was a
controlling spirit dominating that church and 7od
wanted them free
Sometimes we get into places that we know 8ery
little about ;e must know the accurate timings of
7od in order to mo8e correctly with what the Spirit of
7od intends to do
;e were singing a praise song, full of <eal The
atmosphere was being hit by the praises of the people,
when suddenly the musicians started to change o8er to
a worship song
+t was not the time to mo8e from a praise song
into a quiet, worship song
The unction was strong in me, and + said, ?:on>t
do itH 7o back to that other song and let>s sing?
;e went back to the first song, and people all
o8er the building began to enter in with us But the
musicians were not entering into the mo8ing of the
Spirit Because they hadn>t been sensiti8e to the timing
of 7od, they remained startled that the systematic
order was changed They kept trying to be nice and
sweet The *oly Spirit wanted to mo8e among the
people, but the musicians were hindering *im
+ finally mo8ed o8er and stood right in the middle
of the instrumentalists They looked petrified, but +
kept saying, ?Play with forceH Play with forceH?
2%
%pirit&al Timing
)inally, they hit it with force
Because the musicians had not prepared
themsel8es to be sensiti8e, we didn>t go as far into the
realm that 7od had intended, but it became enough to
win That controlling spirit came down that day, and
that was the way it was brought down )or two and a
half hours, we sang, danced and sweat
The ser8ice was noisy, yet decent and in order
;hat most people call ?decently and in order? means
organi<ing the *oly Spirit out
)reedom to that church did not come by
preaching or prophesying +t came by being sensiti8e to
7od>s chosen way of the hour +t came to them by the
minstrel and by the dance
;e must be careful not to learn from a ?system?
;e must learn from the unction, or we become
religious
7od wants us to mo8e under *is unction, not by
performance, nor by ?working tilings up? through
emotion and the flesh
A8ery time + dance and wa8e my arms under the
anointing, the nations are inside of me ;hen + scream
and yell, it is not for those around me, but for the
nations
:ancing without the Spirit is wasted effort and is
flesh, but there is an anointing for certain actions and
operations +t comes by knowing the accurate timing
24
A Time for -ifts, Re"elation and !ffi*es
Some musicians and song leaders are not
recei8ing this message because they sing and play out
of their heads, not out of the Spirit 0any of their gifts
are being aborted because they choose to operate
completely in the flesh through intellect and
organi<ation +t is so sad to see a prophetic worship
leader in bondage to a system
+ do not know music, but + do know how to lead
praise and worship in the Spirit At times there is an
anointing, an unction that comes on me for those
things + must hear the timing of 7od in each ser8ice
that + minister in ;e must learn to operate from that
unction, for it will lead to godly results e8ery time
2'
&
& %itfalls of the ,rong Timing
Bing :a8id was a man after 7od>s own heart, yet
he is a classic e1ample of a leader of 7od>s people who
missed the spiritual timing of the hour
+n 3 Samuel ##, there is recorded a tragic incident
in :a8id>s life +n past years, when + preached on that
chapter, + used it as a te1t for a message on se1ual
misconduct *owe8er, on an airplane flying home
from Aurope, the (ord prompted me to reread this
story Then he asked me a question
*e said, ?;hy did :a8id commit the sins that he
did in this instanceI?
+ began to talk to the (ord about it, and +
answered *im with my usual thought on :a8id>s
situation with Bathsheba
*e said, ?/ead it again?
-nd it came to pass" after the *ear was
eEpired" at the time when .ings go forth to battle"
that Da!id sent 0oab" and his ser!ants with him"
and all +srael3 and the* destro*ed the children of
-mmon" and beseiged Rabbah$ But Da!id tarried
still at 0erusalem$
( Samuel 11'1
The (ord asked me, ?;hat time was itI?
2&
itfalls of the 1rong Timing
+ said, ?;ell, it was the end of the year?
The (ord said, ?That is not the time + am talking
about That is natural time The ne1t sentence tells you
the time :a8id should ha8e been in ;hat time was it
otherwiseI?
+ said, ?That 8erse says it was at the time when
.ings go forth to battle$)
That was itH :a8id missed the timing that 7od
ordained for him to follow The sins that he is so
remembered for are only the surface of a core problem
@he missed the timing
;here was :a8id at a time when the kings went
forth into battleI ;here was the king when his men
were out fighting for the country and taking territory
that the (ord had promisedI 7od ga8e land to them,
but they had to occupy it +nstead of leading the fight
for the (ord, :a8id sent his men to fight, while he
stayed home
;hen people do not mo8e with 7od>s timing for
them, they are 8ulnerable to the traps and temptations
of the enemy :a8id ended up in this story as an
adulterer and a murderer, because he did not go with
the right time
0issing 7od>s timing is almost as dangerous as
deliberately being disobedient ;hat it means is that
7od walks on, and you are not under the shelter of *is
wings to one degree or another + belie8e the degree is
associated with how much we are aware of *is
2$
%pirit&al Timing
timings *e will ne8er lea8e us, but we quite often
walk away from *im *e is still our )ather, yet we are
not in the close fellowship necessary to be in tune with
*im ;hen we are not in tune, or sensiti8e to the *oly
Spirit, we do not hear *im as clearly when *e warns
us of things to come
*osea 5E4 speaks of 7od>s people being destroyed
through lack of knowledge :a8id>s lack of insight that
to miss 7od>s timing might destroy him almost did
e1actly that
Some may say, ?But his main problem was not
being in enough prayer or communion with 7od?
A8en prayer and studying the ;ord is not an
adequate substitute for obedience, for mo8ing out in
7od>s direction and *is time ;hat prayer and reading
the ;ord will do, howe8er, is to make it more likely
that you will hear from 7od if you are out of *is place
or time and enable you to get back in tune with the
(ord
;hy did :a8id miss the timing of 7odI *e was a
strong leader, anointed and chosen by 7od As + went
on to study this chapter, + saw some important
character-building keys that :a8id had neglected at
this particular point in his life
%ride
The main root of :a8id>s problem at this time was
pride$ Any leader that is in true, humble authority will
be with his people and not on a man-made pedestal
5.
itfalls of the 1rong Timing
:a8id placed himself on a pedestal by refusing to
be in the battle with his people After all, he was the
king and he could do whate8er he wanted, with whom
he wanted, whene8er he wanted *e could in8ent his
own rules and regulations if he desired *e had the
money, the power, the comfort, the reputation and the
respect The people already knew he was a great
warrior *e no longer felt he had to maintain it, if he
did not feel like it *is reputation was firmly
established
Although these blessings were gi8en to him by
7od, :a8id chose at this particular time to set himself
up as his own law *e chose to remain in the king>s
palace where it was nice, and easy, and safe
;alking out from the spiritual timing of 7od is
deadlier than any natural weapon on the battleground
The e8idence of pride has many faces A haughty
attitude is only one sign of it Another is immorality
and uncontrolled desire
The main reason we would knowingly walk out
from the correct timing of 7od is to get our own way
;hen we do not walk in the spirit and our heart is not
submitted to the will of 7od, the only thing left to lead
us is desire
-nd it came to pass in an e!eningtide" that
Da!id arose from off his bed" and wal.ed upon
the roof of the .ing1s house' and from the roof he
saw a woman washing herself3 and the woman
was !er* beautiful to loo. upon$
( Samuel 11'(
5#
%pirit&al Timing
;hen we are not sensiti8e to the timing of 7od,
peace lea8es and restlessness comes
:a8id>s mind was ob8iously racing with thoughts
:ri8en from sleep with his acti8e mind, he got up,
walked out on the roof into the night, and caught a
glimpse of a beautiful woman bathing
All of the men in +srael should ha8e been gone
out to battle The woman was in her right to bathe, not
knowing any man was left in the city
;hen we are out of the will and tuning of 7od,
our mind is not on the things of hea8en :a8id>s own
desire consumed him and he became obsessed to
conquer that woman
Because of his intense pride at that time, it no
longer mattered to :a8id what was right or wrong +t
no longer mattered that she was another man>s wife
:ue to pride searing his conscience from desire, it
didn>t e8en matter that the woman>s husband was one
of his most faithful ser8ants
All that mattered to :a8id was that his desire be
fulfilled, at any cost
+t is sad to say that when a person comes to this
point, they are usually capable of any and all sin +
ha8e seen friends and ministers fall to the pride of
uncontrolled desire, and some lose e8erything they
ha8e gi8en their whole li8es for
+n 8erses 5 and %, :a8id sent for the woman and
53
itfalls of the 1rong Timing
slept with her@and she concei8ed
+nstead of waking up and repenting, :a8id went
deeper into sin to co8er his pride, his own ways *e
turned into another man, one totally opposite of the
character that 7od had e1alted in him *e began to
plot, scheme and lie to co8er his error *e began to
betray his people and his household by pretending to
be something he wasn>t
;hen uncontrolled desire consumes a person,
normalcy lea8es +t almost seems as if common sense
is nowhere to be found A1treme beha8ior patterns
surface, because the desire has become so great that the
sense of right and wrong has been numbed
The people who ha8e gone to this stage of desire
will cut off association with all those around them who
ha8e a different standard They will gather others to
themsel8es to support their ways, some twisting
scripture and principles to do it Uncontrolled desire
has blinded them from the timing and relationships of
7od
0issing 7od>s timing through desire causes a
person to de8our anything that stands in the way
;hen we step out of the correct timing, it means we
step into e8ery 8ice that can accompany the wrong
;hen uncontrolled desire leads a life without
repentance, then acts of betrayal, lying, stealing,
cheating, lust, and e8entually physical death will
follow
)rom 8erses 4 through 35, you can read how
52
%pirit&al Timing
:a8id attempted to decei8e and flatter Uriah, the
woman>s husband, to go home and sleep with his wife
so it would appear the baby was his But Uriah was so
faithful and trusting of :a8id>s kindness, he 8owed
e8en deeper loyalty to his country and refused to go
home to his wife
Out of desperation, with no sense of right or
wrong, :a8id had Uriah sent to the front of the battle
and killed
Lo!ing Comfort
Another area of pride :a8id had to face in his
heart, that caused him to miss the timing of 7od, was
that he was too *omfortable.
:a8id was surrounded by people who said ?yes?
to whate8er he dictated Because his heart had become
turned by comfort, he used those that 7od had sent to
him, for his own gain and protection
+f you are not surrounded by those who can
sharpen you like iron, you are being set up for a great
fall 0any friends and ministers + ha8e seen pad
themsel8es inside a group of ?yes men? They surround
themsel8es with these people, because it comforts
them The problem is, when these ministers and friends
surely fall, those on the cutting edge cannot hear their
cry for help because the ?padding? is so thick from
those they are surrounded by 6ou cannot stay accurate
when you surround yourself with unreality
(o8ing comfort will rob us from hitting the
55
itfalls of the 1rong Timing
timings of 7od ;hen we are too comfortable, we will
lose our cutting edge
+f we run from confrontation because we are
afraid it might shake our comfort and the ?little fort?
we>8e built, then we are heading straight into defeat
!omfort <ones will not always throw someone
into se1ual sins They are the people who usually fall
prey to religious sin and can be led by religious spirits
They are the ones who are easily offended
A minister once said to me, ?;ell, /oberts, + feel
that all we need to do is Dust preach the gospel?
;ell, + belie8e that, too
But there is more to the full gospel than Dust
gi8ing it out There is an accuracy in timing we must
learn to hit, and one of the items on our checklist
helping us learn it, is in these character safeguards
0any who like comfort <ones will not like this
book (earning to walk with 7od>s timing means
responsibility and an amount of pressure, and comfort-
people ha8e put aside both of those
*ow does a person end up lo8ing comfort more
than 7odI There are se8eral reasons
One is sin in their heart )irst =ohn 3E#4 saysE
For all that is in the world" the lust of the
flesh" and the lust of the e*es" and the pride of
life" is not of the Father" but is of the world$
5%
%pirit&al Timing
The Amplified Version of the same 8erse says, the
assurance in one1s own resources or in the stabilit*
of earthl* things will cause a person to lo8e comfort
more than the )ather
Another reason is that they liked a certain mo8e
of 7od and came into an understanding of it, so they
are more comfortable with a maintenance ministry than
mo8ing with what 7od is doing today
Sometimes breaking new ground, going where
people ha8e not gone in ways that seem untraditional,
can get you into trouble with your peers Some are
afraid that being different than other churches would
hurt their church growth
There are certain areas we would all like to stay
in + ha8e my fa8orites, too But like it or not, times
and seasons all come to an end and new ones always
begin +f you get caught in the wrong time because of
comfort, capti8ity and sin will begin to settle in with
you
;hen we read the stories of the men who did
great e1ploits in the Bible, we can see by their li8es
they certainly did not seek comfort or security, nor did
they li8e in comfortable, stable and secure times +f
you begin to sense a different way than you ha8e been
used to seeing, accept it :o not reDect the calling or
hold it away from you On the other hand, test e8ery
spirit +t is not smart to go to the e1treme and think,
?;ell, this is a different thing, so it must be from
7odH?
54
itfalls of the 1rong Timing
Some of you reading this book are trying to make
your life fit the way you ha8e it planned But, to mo8e
accurately in the timing of 7od, we ha8e to be willing
to ha8e some plans turned upside down from the way
we originally thought
Although + am a young adult, the (ord has taught
me something 8ery important that has kept me out of
the comfort <one 6ears ago, *e said, ?:o not try to
li8e your life according to what other people do? +
ha8e learned to li8e my life two waysE one, according
to the timing of 7odC and two, according to the calling
upon my life
On the other hand, allowing people to think you
are special because of doing things 7od>s way is also a
trap of the de8il to hinder you Because + did go in
7od>s timing and li8e my life differently than many
others my age, people called me unique + did not
know how to respond to that, so + would agree that +
was different
Then the (ord said to me, ?6ou quit agreeing
with a lieH 6ou are ,OT a unique case That will open
a door of pride to you if you keep saying that Because
you are walking in 0y time, what is happening in your
life is normal +t is not unique nor peculiar, nor an
oddity 6our life is normal?
The people who obey 7od are normal The
people who walk in 7od>s timing are normal Those
who do not know spiritual time and walk in the ways
of the earth are the ones who are different They are
5'
%pirit&al Timing
out of step with 7od>s way
Other people used to tell me + was strange, and +
would say, ?6es, + know, but +>m not changing? After
the (ord began to talk to me about that too, + had to
stop saying that + began to say, ?,o, +>m not weird, +>m
normal + Dust know how to walk in 7od>s timing for
my life?
!hristians who are single particularly need to
look for 7od>s timing in connection with marriage
!omfort, loneliness and security can be great pitfalls in
which to miss the timing of 7od A8en if you know the
one, there is a correct timing The *oly Spirit said,
?There are going to be many people in this day who
will come close to aborting their callings because of
trying to make things happen in the area of marriage?
:o not allow people or circumstances to put you
in a bo1 or place you in a certain slot and keep you
there *a8e faith that 7od knows what *e is doing,
and keep your mind under control :o not allow your
mind to abort you from the time that 7od has placed
you in
(o8ing comfort puts us in danger of capti8ity,
coming against a mo8e of 7od, coming against the
;ord of the (ord and coming against the brethren that
might not belie8e e1actly like we do
- >eart for the %eople
The third character flaw :a8id had in 3 Samuel,
was his la*, of heart for his people.
5&
itfalls of the 1rong Timing
Then Da!id said unto the messenger" Thus
shalt thou sa* unto 0oab" [concerning the planned
death of Briah Let not this thing displease thee"
for the sword de!oureth one as well as another'
ma.e th* battle more strong against the cit*" and
o!erthrow it' and encourage thou him$
( Samuel 11'(4
;hen we ha8e a heart for the people, as belie8ers
and leaders alike, we will listen to hea8en and be by
their side, through good times and bad :a8id sent the
people out to face the times alone, because he felt
superior to them at that timeC but as he stayed behind,
he fell into sin
One of the saddest sights in the earth is a minister
who has lost his heart for the people ;hen a person
loses his heart for the human race and turns that desire
towards himself, sin will de8astate him
Throughout the Old Testament, 7od showed
*imself strong on behalf of the prophets whose hearts
were turned towards the people
Although the prophets were appalled at the sin of
the people, they would rend their own garments and
cry out for repentance with them, as if they had sinned
themsel8es
=onah was a prophet who had a difficult time
learning compassion for the people 7od taught him a
hard lesson, and we ne8er hear about him again
0oses constantly considered the people o8er
himself A8en with the great tasks he had to face, only
5$
%pirit&al Timing
once did he turn his heart against the people, reacting
in anger and accusation *e disobeyed 7od in it, spoke
what he felt and called the people some accurate
namesH But from that one, serious mistake, he was not
allowed to enter the Promised (and F,um 3.G 7od
takes the people and the representation of *is heart
towards them 8ery seriously
7ideon was a leader who had a heart for the
people =udges chapter 4, 8erse #3 saysE
-nd the angel of the Lord appeared unto
him" and said unto him" The Lord is with thee"
thou might* man of !alour$
;here would your heart be if the angel of the
(ord appeared to you and told you that the (ord was
with youI (ook at 7ideon>s heartE
-nd #ideon said unto him" @h m* Lord" if
the Lord be with us, wh* then is all this befallen
us? and where be all his miracles which our
fathers told us $$$ /
Ferse 1<
7ideon did not single himself out from the
people *e did not stick out his chest, puff himself up
and say, ?+ ha8e got it + ha8e arri8ed 6es, + am
chosen, 7od is with me. Stick with me and you will
make it? ,o, he answered with his heart, and it
showed where it was *e had a heart for the people
+n 8erse #5, the (ord said something 8ery
significant to him
-nd the Lord loo.ed upon him" and said"
%.
itfalls of the 1rong Timing
#@ +7 T>+S T>Y ;+#>T" and thou shalt sa!e
+srael from the hand of the ;idianites $ $ $
;hat was the might of 7ideon that the (ord was
referring toI *is heart for the people and his heart for
miracles The two ingredients added together produce a
sensiti8ity to the correct timings of 7od
The (ord went on to tell him in 8erse #4, that
7ideon and the people would smite the enemy ?as one
man?
;hen leadership and belie8ers ha8e a heart for
one another, a unity comes that cannot be penetrated
by the work of darkness The Body of !hrist, when
unified in heart, is in8incible
Of course, there are many 8erses that show the
heart of =esus while *e walked on the earth But one in
particular e1presses how tuning and a heart for the
people walk hand in hand According to =ohn chapter
#2, 8erse #, =esus knew the timing had come to lea8e
this world But a 8ery significant part of that 8erse
states, ? ha8ing lo8ed his own he lo8ed them unto
the end?
Although *e was betrayed by those closest to
*im, persecuted, misrepresented, lied about and
beaten, *is heart remained fi1ed for the benefit of all
mankind, to *is death As a result, *e triumphantly
fulfilled the plan of the )ather for all eternity
;hate8er 7od has called you to do, be it to lead
or to follow, do it with a heart for the people
%#
4
4 Blessings of the Right Timing
The most important thing in all these days is to
find the correct timing of 7od in your life, and to walk
with it
One of the most successful stories in the Bible
concerning two people who operated in the correct
timing of 7od, was Asther and 0ordecai Asther>s
name means ?star?,
3
and as far as + am concerned, she
gets one in my book
=ust as we ha8e discussed character flaws that
cause one to miss the timing, we need to discuss some
attributes that cause us to come into the right timing
#odl* -uthorit*
+n the Book of Asther, in the Old Testament, an
interesting story unfolds Bing Ahasuerus has Dust
alle8iated Jueen Kashti of her royal duties, and the
call for a new queen was proclaimed throughout the
region
0ordecai>s uncle had died and left a daughter,
Asther, whom he had taken in and raised as his own
Asther became one of the many women taken into the
palace to stand before the king
3 Strong1s Concordance" )CCTCR") >ebrew Dictionar*" reference D6<4 persian
der$" KJV Open Bible.
%3
Blessings of the Right Timing
Although she was on her own in the palace,
0ordecai asked that she not re8eal her kindred nor
show that she was a =ew Beeping this secret was not
decepti8eC it was not the time to re8eal it and 0ordecai
sensed it *is wisdom caused him to be e1alted later
on Because she chose to submit to his authority in her
life and listen to his godly ad8ice, it caused her to enter
into 7od>s correct timing, and it sa8ed the entire
=ewish nation from destruction FAsth 3E#.,3.G
There are many good books on spiritual authority
7odly authority is designed by 7od for our protection
and co8ering )inding and submitting to godly
authority creates a strength inside of us and gi8es us
the added courage to walk in obedience +t is ordained
by 7od and not appointed by a friend or an idea
+n the Book of ,umbers, chapter #4, Borah and
those most popular in the camp, took on the fatal
assumption that they were in as much authority o8er
the people as 0oses and Aaron They 8oiced the same
murmur we still hear today from those who know no
better, ?;e are Dust as holy as you and we can hear
7od for oursel8es ;ho do you think you are trying to
be the leaderI? F8 2G
+t is true that e8ery ,ew Testament belie8er has
the unction within and has the ability to hear from 7od
for themsel8es concerning themsel8es But all
belie8ers are not the same in one sense@7od has
ordained for some to be endowed in the fi8e-fold
ministry, a ministry of leadership and training for the
Body of !hrist FAph 5E##-#4G *e ga8e them titles@
%2
%pirit&al Timing
Apostle, Prophet, A8angelist, Pastor, and Teacher
Their function is to mature the saints and teach them
how to hear 7od for themsel8es, so they will not be
decei8ed These are gifts gi8en by =esus and the
responsibility and pressure that accompany them can
be staggering at times 0ost of those called into the
fi8e-fold ministry ha8e ne8er sought those gifts
The Apostle Paul goes on to write in 8erses #'
and #& that once we understand the function of the
fi8efold, then we shouldE
wal. not as other #entiles [or carnal ones
wal." in the !anit* [emptiness of their mind"
>a!ing the understanding dar.ened" being
alienated from the life of #od through the
ignorance that is in them" because of the
blindness of their heart$
:o you see what Paul is sayingI +f we walk in our
own ways, as one not under authority, we will not
know the timing of 7od for our li8es because we will
be surrounded by darkness and blindness Being
?alienated from the life of 7od? for the belie8er means
to not walk according to *is time and season There is
abundant life when we are walking with 7od As a
matter of fact, you cannot walk with 7od and be out of
*is timing
;e do not put leadership up on a pedestal, but we
respect and honor them for teaching us and gi8ing their
li8es for the ways of the (ord By doing so and
learning from their li8es and ministries, it causes our
hearts to be sensiti8e to the correct seasons of 7od As
%5
Blessings of the Right Timing
a result, maturity and blessings follow us
+t is imperati8e that we submit oursel8es to godly
authority in this hour, belie8er and leader alike, so that
the Spirit of the (ord can accomplish *is endtime plan
through us and sa8e the nations of today
;oti!es ;ust Be Right
After Asther was chosen to be a maiden in the
palace, it was time for her to be brought before the
king The palace had a set regulation, that whate8er the
maiden asked for or desired, was to be gi8en to her
FAsth 3E#2G
Such a 8ast ruling would certainly e1pose the
greed or lack of it in a person>s heartH The remaining
maidens must ha8e asked for much, for in 8erse #% it
saysE
7ow when the turn of Csther [came$ $ $ she
reGuired nothing but what >egai the .ing1s
chamberlain" the .eeper of the women"
appointed$
*ere is the result of a right moti8eE
-nd Csther obtained fa!or in the sight of all
them that loo.ed upon her$
To obtain the fa8or of 7od for the nations, we
must ha8e the right moti8es in our heart 0any people
ha8e attempted to co8er their moti8es through flattery
or deception, but the truth is always re8ealed +n this
hour, time is speeding up because the end is drawing
%%
%pirit&al Timing
near That means the works of men are re8ealed in a
quicker way, good and bad The right moti8e, e8en
when you make a mistake, will protect you and keep
you sensiti8e to the heart of 7od
To those who are called of 7od and anointed,
there is a special need to be careful of moti8es
Some time ago, + was in a meeting with pastors
and teachers, and at lunch, they were talking about
?how e8eryone thinks they are prophets today?
)inally, they asked me what + thought
+ got bold and said, ?6our moti8es are not right
The only reason one would be so touchy about
prophets is if they are ner8ous for their own ministries
and pastorates
?+f you talk about something happening in the
!hurch in the right spirit, there is no criticism 6ou can
be cautious, but you will not be Dudgmental nor coming
against something 7od is doing or against some other
person in the Body That kind of discussion with the
right moti8e is led by the *oly Spirit +t brings truth
and an earnest seeking of 7od>s help
?There is something wrong with the way you are
talking about prophets and the restoration of that
office /emember the healing re8i8alI /emember how
many people misused the giftsI /emember the
e1tremes that came@no doctors, no medicine and so
forthI
?;hy didn>t you throw out all the healing when
%4
Blessings of the Right Timing
those errors and false manifestations began to occurI
?;hat about the faith mo8ement and all of those
on the fringes who got into presumptionI ;hy didn>t
you throw out the faith messageI
?;hat about prosperity and all those who
misunderstood and ga8e money thinking they would
get a new car or a new houseI ;hy didn>t you throw
out prosperityI
?6ou didn>t do that because there was still truth in
the middle of error There was a pure message from
7od, a re8elation, in there somewhere ;ell, right now
7od is restoring deli8erance, intercession and the
prophetic 6es, some imbalance is going to be
in8ol8ed But are you going to throw out the pureness
of 7od>s truth along with the flesh and the demonic
that try to get in8ol8edI Are you going to throw the
baby out with the bath waterI?
+ hope they really heard what the *oly Spirit was
saying, or those people will miss 7od>s timing and
season for today because of wrong moti8es in their
hearts
6our moti8es must not only be right in ministry,
but also in studying and talking about the ministry
entrusted to others Pray for those in errorC but they are
7od>s ser8ants to straighten out, not yours
Asther>s moti8e was not to take and heap riches
upon herself *er moti8e was Dust to be obedient and to
respect the king and his palace As a result, the king
%'
%pirit&al Timing
fa8ored her abo8e all the women and placed the crown
of a queen upon her head FKerse #'G Because Asther
displayed a humble and correct moti8e, the fa8or she
recei8ed e1alted her to a place of position and
authority *er strong character allowed 7od to ha8e
her strategically in place when the enemy attempted to
destroy the =ewish people Asther was in her place for
the correct time
Fasting and %ra*er
Prayer is the power source to a spirit-filled life +
will not attempt to co8er all the benefits of prayer in
this book, but + do want to bring out how fasting and
prayer prepared Asther to accomplish her task
Prayer is the 8ehicle of tra8el in the spirit The
steering wheel is the ;ord of 7od and the fuel is your
persistence There is no wall too thick that prayer
cannot plow through Prayer is 8ital to our spiritual
strength
+n chapters 2 and 5 of the Book of Asther, Bing
Ahasuerus had promoted the wicked *aman o8er all
the princes of the region *aman had a pride problem,
and he did not like it that 0ordecai refused to bow
down to him Once he disco8ered that 0ordecai was a
=ew, he decided to destroy the entire =ewish nation
The king unknowingly granted his consent, and the
decree was published throughout the region
0ordecai sent word to Asther, telling her to make
known to the king of her =ewish nationality Asther
%&
Blessings of the Right Timing
replied that she had not been called for by the king in
thirty days, and anyone who entered the inner court of
the palace would be put to death unless the king raised
the golden sceptre
0ordecai respondedE
$ $ $ who .noweth whether thou art come to
the .ingdom for such a time as this/
Csther &'1&
7od will cause a particular message to rise at a
specific time There will always be certain people who
will rise at a certain time to do a certain work =ust as
Asther was appointed to arise for one Dob, so will many
be called upon today
Strong character and a strong spirit will position
you to know e1actly what you are to do and where you
are to go, and nothing more or nothing less
7ideon was a man who had Dust one Dob +n
=udges, chapter &, 8erse 32, the people pleaded with
him to rule o8er them and be their king, because of his
success But 7ideon knew his place, his position and
the season of 7od *e answered, )+ will not rule o!er
*ou" neither shall m* son rule o!er *ou' the Lord
shall rule o!er *ou) F8 32G 7ideon>s Dob was to bring
deli8erance and help, and he fulfilled it
Acclesiastes, chapter 2, 8erse # saysE
To e!er* thing there is a season" and a time
to e!er* purpose under the hea!en$
%$
%pirit&al Timing
There is a correct season and a correct time to
come forth and do the Dob you are being positioned to
do Prayer and fasting will keep you alert to 7od>s
plan
)rom 0ordecai>s e1hortation, Asther rose up in
her spirit and mo8ed to accept her position for the
hour She instructed 0ordecai and all of the =ews with
him to fast and pray for three days, no food or water
She and her maidens 8owed to do the same FAsth
5E#4G
To e1perience the realms of 7od, we must be
ad8enturous in prayer + am sure that Asther and the
=ewish nation 8entured out in a high le8el of prayer to
recei8e the understanding that came Asther, during
those three days, recei8ed the detailed instructions on
how to win the fa8or of the king for the =ewish nation
The story goes on, after the three days of prayer
and fasting, that Asther in8ited the king and *aman to
dinner The king graciously accepted and begged her to
tell him what she desired of him +nstead of blurting
out all she knew, she had built discipline through her
godly character and her prayer and fasting She knew
what she was to do She in8ited the king and *aman
back the second night
;hen they returned, the king>s heart was ready to
hear all that his queen would ask of him She e1plained
the dilemma and re8ealed that *aman had plotted the
destruction of the =ews
Because of her courage and timing, not only was
4.
Blessings of the Right Timing
*aman hung on the gallows he had prepared for
0ordecai, but so were all of his sons, and 0ordecai
was e1alted second only to the king
+n her strength, Asther went all the way She not
only rid her people of the main enemy through *aman,
but she e1ecuted his ten sons as well FAsth $E#2G
That is the anointing of those who walk in the
timing of 7od They will not stop at the first phase of
8ictory@they pursue until the entire problem is
conquered
But the story does not end there Being accurate
in the timing of 7od produces a har8est of souls After
the 8ictory was proclaimed throughout the region,
con8iction came to the people
-nd man* of the people of the land became
0ews3 for the fear of the 0ews fell upon them$
Csther 9'1H
To this day, the =ewish people celebrate the
8ictory 7od granted their nation through Asther and
0ordecai
;alking in the correct timing of 7od produces
total 8ictory in e8ery area The sick are healed, the
oppressed go free, the lost are sa8ed@the enemy is
defeated and the Bingdom of 7od progressesH
)irst !hronicles, chapter #3, 8erse 23 statesE
-nd of the children of +ssachar" which were
men that had understanding of the times" to .now
what +srael ought to do $ $ $$
4#
%pirit&al Timing
+n Strong>s !oncordance, the word
?understanding? in the *ebrew means ?to percei8e?
2
+t
is the will of 7od that we percei8e by our spirits the
time we are in, and then to know the Dob we are to do
within that timing
2 Strong1s Concordance" )understanding") reference #99 and 99!.
43
6
6 Recei!ing Remed* and
Restoration
*ow do you know what 7od is sayingI *ow can
you be sure to be in the correct timing of 7odI
By applying the spiritual principles co8ered in
this book, you can set your heart to hear from 7od and
be in the right place at the right time
(et me gi8e you some points on how to tell 7od>s
timeE
Do not see. another person1s opinion as
absolute direction on what *ou sense in *our
spirit$ 7o to the )ather in prayer and say, ?)ather,
show me the timing of these things *elp my
perception to be stronger?
Belie!e what *ou get in *our spirit$ ;hat you
hear in your head is probably wrong
See. #od on the message *ou hear or read
from ministers of the #ospel$ A few years ago, +
began to feel the anointing for warfare surfacing
again in the Body of !hrist, and + wrote a book, The
2n"ading )or*e.
3
5 "he #nvadin$ %orce, Tulsa' >arrison >ouse" 1:6H$
42
%pirit&al Timing
0any people said, ?Boy, he>s full of youthful <eal
and fire *e is so full of <eal? A8ery time + heard that,
my stomach would turn + knew the message was a
word from 7od deli8ered in *is timing + knew the
attitudes of those people were a sign of spiritual
complacency 7od>s message was being patroni<ed by
them, not recei8ed
+f that message was ?youthful <eal,? then + want it
when + am &., if the (ord tarries that long
But + heard that so often, + began to check myself
+ went back to the (ord and prayed, ?7od, tell me what
time it is Am + preaching what 6ou are doingI +s this
a time of war that we are coming intoI?
At that time, e8eryone wanted to hear about lo8e
and prosperity and nice things
:own in my spirit, 7od kept saying to me, ?A
time of conflict, a time of war has the !hurch come
into This is not a time of peace but a time of spiritual
conflict 6ou need this anointing for this time?
+ reali<ed that warfare is always a precedence for
spiritual har8est, and it was settled fore8er
One of the easiest ways to check a message or a
word is to pray and ask 7od, then stay with what you
hear in your spirit
Listen to the prophecies *ou hear$ ;hen
those things begin to be fulfilled, you know 7od>s
timing is changing
45
Re*ei"ing Remedy and Restoration
The (ord said to me once, ?;hen e8ents Fsuch as
the walls coming down in Aastern AuropeG take place
in the last days, they are not to be analy<ed but taken
ad8antage of 0y !hurch needs to quit looking and
analy<ing e8erything but see the door that has been
opened and go through it?
The e8ents o8er the past year in Aurope and Asia
ha8e shown that 7od will open the windows and doors
for the !hurch to reap the har8est before the end
comes (ook for the doors of opportunity to preach the
7ospel of the Bingdom
The !hurch of the last days is to be a !hurch that
works The !hurch will not ha8e time to write books
on endtime prophecy They will be too busy fulfilling
those endtime propheciesH ;e ha8e a duty to ?do,? not
a show to watch 7od>s clock says to me that re8i8al is
in progress and something is about to break open
worldwide
,hat if You ;iss it/
Suppose you do miss the due season ;hat if, for
some reason, you miss the entire timing of somethingI
7od can redeem the time
See then that *e wal. circumspectl*" not as
fools" but as wise"
Redeeming the time" because the da*s are
e!il$
Cphesians 4'14"16
4%
%pirit&al Timing
Redeeming the time means ?rescue from loss?
%

7od can reco8er and redeem the time through *is
grace and mercy +f you miss it, get up, repent, find out
what you did wrong, and go on Use your mistakes as
stepping stones, not stumbling blocks
+n these last days, we ha8e come so close to the
end, it seems there may be some things that cannot be
reco8ered But + also belie8e in miracles 7od will do
what *e can in the time that is left
*ow do you get to the place where 7od will
redeem the timeI
6ou pray in repentance something like this,
?)ather, +>m sorry for missing it +f 6ou arrange the
time for me to do it again, +>ll do it 6our way )orgi8e
me for making the mistake Thank 6ou for redeeming
the time for me?
Some of you may be saying, ?+ was middle-aged
or old when + got born-again + ha8e quit running and
agreed to do what 7od called me to do?
Ask 7od to redeem the time for you so that you
can do more in the latter part of your life than you did
in the beginning
+ pray this book will help each reader to better
discern the times + encourage you to seek 7od about
the seasons going on in your life, your church, your
nation and world + belie8e that many will hear from
7od and the separation of the wheat and the tares will
% Strong1s Concordance" )redeeming") reference 19?4$
44
Re*ei"ing Remedy and Restoration
find them among the wheat
4'
Boo.s b* Roberts Liardon
-od0s -enerals
-od0s -enerals 1or,boo,
2 %aw 4ea"en
A 'all to A*tion
The 2n"ading )or*e
The 5&est for %pirit&al 4&nger
The ri*e of %pirit&al ower
Religio&s oliti*s
Learning to %ay No 1itho&t )eeling -&ilty
R&n to the Battle
Kathryn K&hlman
A spiritual biography of 7od>s miracle working power
%pirit&al Timing
Brea,ing 'ontrolling owers
'ry of the %pirit
Unpublished sermons by Smith ;igglesworth
4ow to %&r"i"e an Atta*,
4a&nted 4o&ses, -hosts 6 +emons
)orget Not 4is Benefits
4olding to the 1ord of the Lord
777777777777777777777777
To *onta*t Roberts Liardon
write8
Roberts Liardon ;inistries
PO Bo1 2.'#., (aguna *ills, !alifornia $34%5
lease in*l&de yo&r prayer re9&ests and *omments
when yo& write.
Additional copies of this book are a8ailable
from your local bookstore
A(BU/6 PUB(+S*+,7
PO Bo1 5'.5.4, Tulsa, Oklahoma '5#5'-.5.4
+n !anada books are a8ailable fromE
;ord Ali8e
P O Bo1 4'.
,i8er8ille, 0anitoba
!anada /OA +AO
/oberts (iardon 0inistries +nternational OfficesE
/oberts (iardon 0inistries@Aurope
PO Bo1 3.52
*o8e, Brighton
Aast Susse1, B,2 4=U Angland
Phone and )a1E 55 #3'2 %432$%
/oberts (iardon 0inistries@South Africa
PO Bo1 2#%%
Bimberly &2.., South Africa
Phone and )a1E 3' %2# &3 #3.'
/oberts (iardon 0inistries@USA
PO Bo1 2.'#.
(aguna *ills, !alifornia $34%5
PhoneE F'#5G &22-2%%%
)a1E F'#5G &22-$%%%