Samuel prophesied that after Saul went out onto the road, he would meet a band of prophets. A number of specific things would then take place. They all took place exactly as Samuel had said. Samuel had told Saul that after these things had taken place, the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him, and he would be “turned into another man”
That ordinary road suddenly became a charismatic highway! So, what should Saul then do? Continue on down the road and see what else would happen? No. The prophet added that after Saul became another man, he was to do whatever was in his heart, for God would be with him (1 Samuel 10).
What! No more charismatic experiences ahead along the road? Sorry, but as in Saul’s case, and as amazing as our own first experiences were, we need to set about doing whatever the Lord has put into our hearts.
Although Pentecostal through and through, I minister in faith and the Name of Jesus, and as I do the Lord speaks and ministers through me. My hands are then his hands, my voice his voice, and I preach salvation through Jesus and the message of the kingdom.
One day, soon I hope, Pentecostals will accept that the signs and wonders that God gave the Israelites in the wilderness were for their provision during 40 years of wandering through thar desolate place.
Not that those signs and wonders ceased after they crossed over the Jordan River and into the promised Land, but that those miraculous things then took place as a result of the Israelites’ obedience, as they set about possessing the promises.
No longer did they follow the signs, instead the signs followed them!
Their obedience in circling Jericho as God directed was the key to their first victory in battle in the Promised Land, and it illustrated that God had in the beginning called them to be pilgrims, not nomads. It was unbelief that caused them to wander directionless for 40 years.
But having ‘crossed over’ in faith and having begun to possess God’s promises, they stopped following the signs and the signs then began to follow them!
Signs will also follow us when we rid ourselves of unbelief and ‘cross over’ from following aimlessly, wandering, wondering, and into God’s Promises Land, which is His Promises to us in Jesus Christ. Not just into someone else’s promises but into our very own.
“There remains much land yet to be possessed.” (Joshua 13:1) Some of the tribes of Israel still had unpossessed promised lands. We too need to possess the Lord’s promises to us in Christ; promises of forgiveness and personal peace, promises of healing (both body and soul), and others that are ours in name but not in possession. We need to possess them, not in part whenever but right now, fully and finally!
Possession involves dispossession, so, any and every form of demonic power that has squatted on your personal possession needs to be run off in the Name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, which without question authorizes their immediate full and final removal.
Signs follow; they don’t lead. Unlike Routine Orders, which change daily, Standing Orders remain unchanged. God’s Standing Order clearly reads “Faith to the front, signs to the rear.” (Mark 16:17) Obey it without question!