THE SURE SIGNPOST TO SIGNS AND WONDERS Acts 2:22,43; 7:36; 4:29,30; 5:12; 14:3; Romans 15:18,19; John 4:48; Isaiah 8:18 Miracles, signs and wonders characterise as well as summarize the ministry of Christ on earth. Prior to His ascension, Christ commissioned His apostles to continue with the work of soul-winning. His ministry of miracles, signs and wonders was also replicated in theirs. During the time of the children of Israel, God wrought miracles, signs and wonders through Moses, their leader. He was indeed a great Old Testament prophet and a law-giver. But the New Testament started with Christ’s miraculous conception, life, ministry, manifestation and operation of the Spirit. After His ascension, the apostles realized that the miracle ministry of Christ must continue and therefore prayed to God to “grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus”. God answered their prayers: “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people”. Aside Christ, Moses and the apostles, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles also had a record of signs and wonders in his ministry. Thus, whenever God raises His servants to minister to Jews or Gentiles, He also grants them manifestation of signs and wonders. And what God did in the past, He is still doing today. He has opened the gate of miracles, signs and wonders to bless us in fulfilment of His promise in Scripture. The days of weeping, sorrow, joblessness, delay in marriage, barrenness, etc. are over as we bring our problems and people with various forms of infirmities before Him. As others see God’s miraculous intervention in our lives, they will also believe and His church will grow. The sure signpost to signs and wonders is that God is unchanging in His resolve to fulfil His promise in our lives. 1. CHRIST’S SEVEN-FOLD “I WILL” Matthew 8:7,8; 11:28; 16:18,19; Luke 21:15; John 14:12-14; 15:26;17:24. “I will come and heal him” is Christ’s promise to the sick. There is provision of healing for every member of our families. The Lord has also promised to give us rest from anxiety, panic, fear, worry and perplexity. He says, “I will give you rest”. We also have the promise of the keys of the kingdom to unlock every closed door. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven”. Because we have the keys of the kingdom, we can surmount every challenge in our lives, families, business, neighbourhood, church, etc. Whatever we say or decree will come to pass because we have the key to our desired destiny, prosperity, the joy of the Lord and His power. It is also part of God’s provision to give His children wisdom that their adversaries will not be able to withstand. “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.” To receive from God, we must believe that Jesus is our Saviour, Sanctifier and Baptizer in the Holy Ghost; that He is our Redeemer, Deliverer and the One who gives us dominion; that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; that He is our Supporter, Supplier, Rock of ages and Refuge which the righteous runs into and is safe. Therefore, healing, prosperity, better future, total deliverance, dominion, success are part of Christ’s seven-fold “I will” for His children. “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it”. The Lord does not want His children to remain comfortless in a troubled world. Thus, He promised us the Holy Spirit who will guide us in all things. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you”. Besides, the ultimate goal of Christ is that we finally make it to heaven. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory”. 2. HIS COVENANT SEVEN-FOLD “I WILL” Hebrews 8:6,8,10; 6:14; 1:4,5; 2:12-15; 10:30; 13:5,6; 10:16-23. The Lord has promised to make a better covenant with us than the one He had with Abraham. “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.” God never reversed or reneged on His promises to His people. His covenants with Abraham, Israel, David etc., were all fulfilled to the letter. And if the Lord was faithful in keeping His covenant to Old Testament believers, He will also be faithful in keeping the better and greater covenant He has made with us. His promise in this covenant is, “I will bless thee”. Through this better covenant, the Lord will perfect everything concerning us. As a believer, you are no longer a beggar but a son or daughter of the Most High God as He has promised that, “I will be to him a Father”. The covenant Christ has made with us is very sure because He has an intimate relationship with the Father and whatever He requests from the Father, that will He do. Christ promises to reveal God to us. He says, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren”. The Lord also promises to preserve and keep us from the power of darkness under the better covenant. It is time for us to forget the past and forge ahead with the Saviour under the new and better covenant. Enemies cannot stop the progress of God’s people. We should therefore not worry about what they are doing to hinder us. With the better covenant, the Lord has promised to fight our battles: “I will recompense, saith the Lord”. In moments of trials and afflictions, God, the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, the Creator of the universe, our Supplier, Healer, Deliverer and Helper will not forsake us. His promise is, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”. What a joy it is also for us to know that our guilt and condemnation are all taken away under the better covenant when we believe! “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. The Lord who has promised us this seven-fold covenant will not deny us His blessings. 3. THE CONCLUSIVE SEVEN-FOLD “I WILL” Luke 5:4-6; 9:57; 15:18-24; Psalms 18:1-3; 77:11,12; 101:1-3; 55:16-19; 71:7. Though God is determined to bless us, our faith must agree with His pronouncement before we can have the promised explosion of miracles, signs and wonders. When we forget our past experiences of failure and obey the Master’s instruction like Peter did, we shall enjoy manifold blessings. He said, “At thy word I will let down the net”. We experience success, progress, courage, healing, deliverance, dominion and multiple blessings when we follow the Lord’s instruction. The Lord has promised to give people who believe His promise a net-breaking miracle. Every believer needs to make commitment to the Lord by declaring that, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest”. Commitment to follow Christ through is the secret of blessing because He leads to the land of victory, promise and everlasting joy. This requires that the prodigal return to Him in penitence. The prodigal son or daughter needs to say, “I will arise and go to my father”. Our God is a compassionate Father who will not forsake or reject anyone who comes to Him with a sincere heart. When sinners and backsliders return to the Lord, He restores all that they had lost. We continue to enjoy explosions of miracles, signs and wonders with the following scriptural attitudes and affirmations: “I will love thee… I will trust… I will call upon the LORD”. “I will remember the works of the LORD… I will meditate also of all thy work”. “I will behave myself wisely… I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes”. “I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me”. * * * * * * * Congregational Song: WITH SIGNS FOLLOWING 1. When first the risen Lord of pow’r His chosen ones sent forth, A charge He gave, that solemn hour, To preach His saving worth. “Go ye,’’ said He, “to all mankind; Declare My Word, and ye shall find: These signs shall surely follow them Who on My Name believe.’’ 2. “No demons shall before them stand, No poison do them harm; Nor subtle serpent in their hand Cause pain or dread alarm.” For Satan’s kingdom He o’ercame, To give His people right to claim: These signs shall surely follow them Who on My Name believe. 3. “They shall with other tongues declare The wonders of their God: The sick beneath their hands, by prayer, Shall rise, to prove My Word,” So let it be ! Firm as His Throne Stands this clear promise to His own: These signs shall surely follow them Who on My Name believe. 4. Crowned with the flame of Pentecost, A faithful, fearless band Proclaimed His Name: a ransomed host Arose from every land. The Lord worked with them from on High, His proven Word could none deny: These signs shall surely follow them Who on My Name believe. 5. No word of Thine is void of power; No promise, Lord, is vain. Be this a Pentecostal hour - Confirm Thy Word again ! Nor can’st Thou fail ! Thou art the same As when of old Thou did’st proclaim: These signs shall surely follow them Who on My Name believe.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:08:52 +0000
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