It is time for another episode of "Random Book Blogging," highlighting interesting passages from Chuck Pierce's book title "The Future War of the Church: How We Can Defeat Lawlessness and Bring God's Order to the Earth."
In this post, we take a look at how Pierce, along with Peter Wagner and his wife Doris, caused an earthquake in Turkey. As Pierce explained, they believe that "we must use the power of breakthrough prayer to smash the vicious cycle of unbelief and declare a breaking of the enemy's scheme" and so they decided to the city of Ephesus, Turkey on the grounds that it was once an important stronghold for the early Christian church:
In 1998, I joined Peter and Doris Wagner of Global Harvest Ministries in spearheading a mission project called Operation Queen's Palace. The primary focus of this project was to pray that the demonic entity know as the Queen of Heaven would let loose her grip over the region. The central focus of our prayer was the city of Ephesus.
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So in 1998 we began an organized thrust to pray for this region of the world, a thrust that was to culminate with Celebration Ephesus in October 1999. In preparation for Celebration Ephesus we sent 16 prayer teams throughout Europe and Turkey to pray breakthrough prayers for the area. Our last team was still in Istanbul when one of the greatest earthquakes ever recorded hit the region on August 17, 1999, killing thousands. They eyes of the world turned toward Turkey, and hearts were filled with compassion.
Almost immediately the love of God was poured out on the people of that nation! The Turkish people saw the love of Christ manifested through His people responding to their need and bringing relief. A TV reporter in Turkey quoted that proverb "A Turk has not friend but another Turk." He then stated "but with the outpouring of foreign aid, that proverb is no longer true!"
Perhaps because of this tragic event and the love of Christ that was experience in this nation as a result, thousands upon thousands will turn and come to know the Lord's saving grace.
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Could it be that prayer can actually effect such a dramatic change in the spiritual atmosphere over a region that it visible and unalterably affects the natural environment on a similar level? ... I believe informed intercession is like an arrow, penetrating a region and creating change so that the gospel can advance ... When there is such a spiritual breakthrough that angelic forces come down from the heavens and visit the earth in any region, creation responds to this visitation and the natural order is rearranged. This often produces the change necessary for the gospel to advance throughout the region.
This earthquake reportedly killed some 18,000 people, so if an army of prayer warriors suddenly show up in your neighborhood with the intention of freeing your region from Satan's clutches, you might want to stock up on supplies.
