OBEY INSTRUCTIONS!

Today, we want to look at the sixth step to receiving your miracle - “OBEY INSTRUCTIONS!” 

For God to supernaturally intervene in your case, He demands your (1) cooperation and (2) participation.

In Ezekiel 22:30 God said, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 God said, “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

That is to say, “If you play your part, God Almighty will certainly play His own part .”

Whenever you need a miracle form God, realize that you have a definite role to play. When you ask God for a miracle in any area of your life, He will give you an instruction. For you to receive the miracle you need you must obey that very instruction given to you by doing what God instructed you to do concerning your predicament. Miracle is the harvest of your obedience to the instruction given to you. The instruction you choose to obey determines the future you create. To obey means to do as you are told.

In Luke 11:28 Jesus said, “But even more blessed are all who (1) hear the Word of God and (2) put it into practice.”

Job 36:11 says, “If you obey and serve Him, you shall spend your days in prosperity, and your years in pleasures.”

Isaiah 1:19 God said, “If ye be (1) willing and (2) obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land - you shall eat the good of the nations; you shall have the wealth of the sinners transferred to you and the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto you.”

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 says, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the VOICE [instruction] of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments [instructions] which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee…”

Do you want to be set on high above all others? Then obey the instructions that God gives to you. Failure to obey the instructions God has commanded in His Word concerning your situation will prevent you from receiving the miracle you need. The Word of God never fails (Isa. 55:11). The Word of God will always work if you work it. It won’t work if you just dream it or know it. It will only work if you work it.

How do you work it? You work it by obeying the very instruction God gave to you in His Word concerning your situation. You don’t obey instruction by knowing about the instruction, but by DOING what the instruction says.

Examples of people who received their miracles by doing what God instructed them to do abound in the Scriptures:

1. God instructed Noah to build an ark to specification. He obeyed the instruction God gave him, and he and his entire household were saved from the destruction that came upon the whole world (Gen. 6:14-7:1).

Remember the case of Lot’s wife. She disobeyed the instruction from God, and got destroyed. She instantly turned into a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19:26 says, “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

2. Moses got specific instructions from God. He did exactly what God instructed him to do. That was why he received the miracle he needed (Ex. 14:10-31).

In Exodus 14:16 God instructed Moses saying, “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”

In Exodus 14:21 Moses obeyed the instruction. “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.”

Notice that when you do what God has instructed you to do, the LORD will then bring about the manifestation of the miracle you desire.

3. In Genesis 22:15-18, God gave a specific instruction to Abraham. He instantly obeyed what he was instructed to do.

4. What of David? When he had a problem, he inquired of the Lord about what to do. He obeyed what God instructed him to do and he recovered all that were taken away from him (1 Sam. 30:8-9; 17-19).

5. What of Prophet Elijah? He obeyed the voice of the Lord and received the miracle he needed (1 Ki. 17:1-16).

6. The Zarephath woman also received her miracle of divine provision because she received the instruction from the LORD and did as she was instructed.

1 Kings 17:15-16 says, “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the Word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah.”

7. What about the man that was born blind? He got his sight simply by obeying what Jesus instructed him to do.

John 9:1-7 says, “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth…5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And [Jesus] said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”

8. What of the man that was paralyzed and bed ridden in Mark 2:1-12? In Mark 2:11-12 Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.”

9. What of the widow woman whose husband was a Bible school student? She received the miracle of divine provision by obeying the instruction the Lord gave to her through Prophet Elisha (2 Ki. 4:1-8).

10. Another example is the case of Namaan in 2 Kings 5:1-15. Elisha instructed Namaan to go and jump into the River Jordan seven times and he’ll be made whole. He obeyed the instructions the Holy Spirit gave through the prophet of God, Elisha, and he instantly received the miracle he needed.

11. What of the man with a withered hand? He just obeyed the instruction given to him by Jesus and instantly received his miracle.

In Matthew 12:9-13 the Bible says, “And when Jesus was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: 10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? That they might accuse Him. 11 And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. 13 Then saith He to the man, STRETCH FORTH THINE HAND. AND HE STRETCHED IT FORTH; and it was restored whole, like as the other.”

12. In John 2:1-11, the disciples obeyed the instructions Jesus gave to them, and the water became wine.

Beloved, to receive your miracle, you MUST obey the instruction God has given to you concerning that your situation. If you don’t, there will be no result.

Knowing this principle, Virgin Mary said unto the disciples of Jesus, “Whatsoever He says [whatever instruction He gives to you] unto you, do [obey] it” (Jn. 2:5).

13. Peter obeyed the instruction Jesus gave him, and experienced a miracle. In Luke 5:1-7 Jesus instructed Peter to let down his nets for a catch. In spite of all contrary evidence, Peter obeyed the instruction by letting down the net. Peter said, “But at thy Word [instruction, command], I will let down the net.” I will act on Your Word. I will obey Your instruction.

14. Peter experienced the miracle of walking on water by obeying the instruction that Jesus gave to him. In Matthew 14:28-29 Jesus said to Peter, “Come.” Peter immediately obeyed the instruction Jesus gave to him and truly walked on water. He broke the law of flotation.

15. A certain woman Evangelist was ministering to four people in wheel chairs. In a very quiet voice, she said, “Rise and walk, in the Name of Jesus.” Three of these people got up and walked. The fourth said, “I can’t walk.” The others couldn’t walk either the Evangelist said, “But they did.” I know they did, the crippled replied, “But I can’t. You see I have not walked in 3 years.” At that point, the Evangelist walked away and left her sitting there in her wheelchair. What happened, someone may ask? The other three obeyed the instruction given and received the miracles they needed. They simply acted on the words the Holy Spirit spoke through the Evangelist. Acting on the Word of God you believe will yield the result you expect. The one that remained in the wheel chair did not trust God enough. She was not fully persuaded that God was able to make her walk just like that.

Beloved, it is time for you to receive your own miracle. Do you want to come first in life – business, career, finances etc.? Then put God first in everything you do. You can’t put God first and not come first.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

1 Samuel 2:30 says, “…for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”

a) Do you need a financial miracle in your life? Then you MUST obey the following instructions: 1) Pay tithes of all your increase (Mal. 3:6-12; Prov. 3:9-10), and 2) Give (Lk. 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6-8)

b) Do you need the miracle of healing? Then you should call the elders of the church (Jam. 5:14-16; Isa 53:4-5; Matt. 8:17; 1 Pet. 2:24);

c) Do you need the miracle of admission or expansion in your business or promotion in your place of work? Then you should sow a quality seed for the miracle you need because your seed will always produce the harvest you need (Gen. 8:22).

Beloved, are you prepared to obey the instructions from God right now concerning your predicament so that you can receive the miracle you need? Until you act on God’s Word, it will never become a reality and there will be no change in your situation. It is not praying or crying, but it is acting on what God has spoken concerning your situation that brings results. Rise up and receive your miracle today by obeying that specific instruction God has given to you!

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!

• Your friend, I. I. MADUBUNYI (Head Pastor).                                10.03. 2019 .

Promise of God for the week: “God will enlarge you (Gen 27:9) … and perfect all that concerneth you” (Ps. 138:8).