~ TIMING IS EVERYTHING ~

[And Pay Day is Coming]

4/13/01

Hi Loved Ones,

My birthday was one week ago and today as I was taking down birthday cards, my husband said, "Happy Birthday!" I thought that kind of strange, but when I looked at him, he was grinning. One hour later I received a belated birthday card in the mail. (How did he know?) Now this particular birthday card, ($) I had been expecting and dreaming about for a few months. When it didn’t come, I have to admit I was disappointed. In my mind I had already spent that money several times.

So today, I had just begun to write this post about how God speaks to us through clock times and numbers -- and -- my husband drops this birthday card on my desk. My heart is thumping as I open that card. The outside says, "Timing is Everything..." Before I tell you the rest of this prophetic story, please hit ‘pause’ . . . because that too is a part of this encouraging Word from the Lord . . . .

The following story is an excerpt from my book, "101+ Ways God Speaks (And How to Hear Him)."

# 80. HE SPEAKS THROUGH NUMBERS AND CLOCKS

I have a pastor friend who had a most interesting experience with numbers. It all started the year before when he prayed, "Lord, please come and pour out Your Spirit upon us. Do anything You want, I just want to know that it is You and not some deception of the enemy." About the same time he noticed every time he looked at a digital clock the time would consistently be 11:11 (AM and PM). This continued for several weeks.

Then one morning when he was rushing to get ready for an appointment he looked at the clock - 11:11. He said, "Lord?" Immediately he had a sense it was a scripture, but determined not to look, lest he select the one that suited him. At the end of the day as he rolled into bed he glanced at the clock to see what time it was. You guessed it — 11:11. The next morning, again 11:11. "Lord, which scripture?" Finally He heard the Lord say, "Luke!" This was the verse: "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?" (Luke 11:11) At last he understood.

The Lord was answering his prayer by saying He had given him a written guarantee that if he asked God for something he would not get a counterfeit. That night as he went to bed he again glanced at the clock - 11:11 pm. The next day he shared this with his leaders and after the meeting an elder’s wife walked into her bedroom and glanced at their clock. It was 11:11.

That Saturday he prepared a message that would end with the 11:11 message and when he went to bed that night he looked at the clock — again it said 11:11. Smiling, he went to sleep. Sunday he preached the message and glanced one time at the back wall of the church. It was 11:13 which was significant to him because the Lord had said He wanted to pour out His Holy Spirit that morning. Luke 11:13 says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" That night when he went to bed the clock said 11:13! From this, he was absolutely convinced they had received the move of the Lord which was the outpouring of His Holy Spirit!

The story doesn’t end there. After I had heard about the 11:11 message, we had a fun confirmation to the above story. My son said, "Hey look!!! Our clock says 11:11!!!" I started laughing, and said, "I gotta write this down!" Knowing nothing about 11:11, he asked me, "Why? Is that another parable?" (I am always noticing allegorical parables, and he knows that.) I said, "Yes." He wasn’t satisfied with that answer and was curious. So I told him the long story about 11:11’s. When I finished he couldn’t run fast enough to look up Luke 11:11.

Shortly after that, he and I started noticing 7:11’s. It became so frequent we were both wondering what it meant, just like Pastor. We saw 7:11 in our bedrooms, on the TV, on the microwave, on his wrist, in the car, on the computer. 7:11’s were popping up everywhere. My son was reading the Bible through for the first time, and the first day he read the New Testament his eye immediately jumped to 7:11. He could hardly believe his eyes! "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11)

After that the Lord started using 11:11 and 7:11 to confirm things He was sharing. One in particular was that He was promising the body of Christ an entire season of 11:11’s! YES LORD! Then one night I had a dream that many people’s journals were sprinkled with 11:11 on lots of pages. When I woke up from the dream I heard the Lord say, "11:11." Immediately following, I glanced at my clock — it said 11:11.

Then an amazing thing happened. One night in the car our son started counting 10, 9, 8, etc. I looked at the digital clock and it said 7:10. I realized what he was doing, so I started at 19, 18, 17. etc. After doing my countdown very methodically and in perfect rhythm, when I got to 4, I slowed and said, "fooouuurrr, thhhhrrreee..." and then it turned to 7:11. If I had not stalled out the 4 and 3 it would have been absolutely perfect on the dot! From that day on, I understood that we were in a season of "countdown" towards 11:11-7:11. And of course, the Lord confirmed that understanding with more you-know-whats.

Right before I added this 11:11 story to this section in this book, I was going through my journal to find more stories or examples I could add. When I searched, I was happy to find 26 more tid-bits. As I sat in my car at a stop light, I thanked the Lord for giving me so many and then I was reminded that part of my promise was that I was going to be a food gatherer for the body of Christ. I realized that was what I was doing, collecting stories for hungry people. I was feeling kind of silly, and somewhat jokingly I said, "OK Lord, I’m supposed to gather food, so let’s gather some!" As soon as I said "some," I glanced up through the windshield. There looming directly above me was a 7-11 grocery market sign. (He had the last Word on that one!)

Between digital clocks, car odometers, wrist watches, video camera timers, VCR’s, computers, microwaves, score boards, exercise bike timers, signs and broken calculators — for all the trouble the Lord has gone through, all I can say is THIS SEASON IS REALLY GOING TO BE GOOD!

[end of excerpt . . . and Hallelujah, end of pause!!!]

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. . . So let me tell you about that birthday card, "Timing is Everything." On the outside there is a pair of trapeze artists. She is hurling through the air and due to timing, misses her catcher. There is a file at my site called, "Transition" and in that file is an excellent story from an anonymous writer about transition being just like flying through the air on a trapeze. It is a most unstable time when you don’t know where you are going to land. So I am thinking about transition as I notice on the card that there is a net below to catch this trapeze artist in case she falls.

I think, "At least she wont splat on the ground!" as I remembered a vision the Lord gave me a couple months ago. This is an entry from my journal: 2/19/01: I went to bed very weary about every area in my life. I prayed, "Lord not one sparrow falls to the ground without You noticing." I was thinking of a sparrow taking a dive bomb and falling in a splat. I kind of grimaced at the thought and then kiddingly said, "Lord could we try that one more time?" I suddenly saw a vision of a big giant hand reaching out to catch a little tiny bird as it was falling from the sky. I saw dust being blown off the bird, then its feathers were being smoothed. The bird began to eat sunflower seeds in the giant hand, and when the seeds were gone the hand filled with water like a bird bath and I watched the bird frolic in the water. The final scene I saw the bird rub its head against this caring hand in a loving nudge. ("Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." Jude 24 KJV)

Turning to the inside of this prophetic "Timing is Everything" card, I read, "Sorry mine was off! Happy Belated Birthday. Next time I will try to turn my calendar when March is over!"

Beloved of the Lord, God’s calendar is turning! We may think He is really late and His timing is off. We may think everything in our lives has fallen apart while we were waiting, but God says, TIMING IS EVERYTHING. He has a season for everything and we have been in a divine pause for His perfect purposes. (John 11:40)

Was there a check inside that card? OF COURSE there was a check. Am I glad it arrived one week late??? Yep. Now why would I be glad about that? Because since I had been expecting it and had spent that money in my mind several times already, I would have spent it that very day of my Birthday. But what I didn’t know was that when one is in transition, sudden events can change in a moments time. I hit a sudden event a couple of days after my BD, and the circumstances around what I wanted changed drastically. I didn’t know this, but the Lord knew. Now I am so glad I did not spend that money.

We have been in a divine delay for 11 years and PAY DAY IS COMING. What the enemy has meant for your harm, God meant for your good. What the enemy cursed, robbed and stole, the Lord will turn around for blessings, gifts and recompense. What you died to and gave to the Lord, will be multiplied over and over again. Wherever you cast your bread upon the waters, it is about to come back to you in a tidal wave. Why? Because God always repays with interest. We have been storing up a lot of promises and good gifts in our spiritual banks. And in that divine delay towards their fulfillment, we have been accruing spiritual interest on those promised good gifts. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life." (Prov 13:12 NKJV)

On the back of the card is a Pinwheel, and on the back of the card envelope are 2 pinwheels and some swirls as though the wind is blowing. We are now coming into a season when the Lord breathes life upon our circumstances, everything can change SUDDENLY. Yes! We are entering the days of suddenlies. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8-9 NKJV)

I will close with a Word to Ponder the Lord gave me in the 80’s. The Words to Ponders that He gives me are prophetic, based upon visions, dreams, scriptures, and His still small voice.

Oh and by the way… today when I woke up and turned over, the clock said 7:11. :)

Lovingly,

Sandy

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Suddenly

A season of "suddenlys." Long you have waited for this fulfillment. Now you are confirmed. I have promised it, I am doing it. Suddenly, all at once, what was not, is.

Have hope! Years of prayers are not lost. Why so long? Because the battle was greater than yourself. Great warfare has taken place in the heavenlies and worldwide strongholds have been broken. Your portion is coming. Give Me time to set things in order. Be prepared. Even now the prey is being divided and sent on its way.

Flood waters covered the land, but now they are receding. With each new day, new land is emerging. Inheritance free and waiting to be occupied. Yes. Go for it.

"...So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly." (2 Chronicles 29:35-36)