5+ME: THERE'S AN UNANTICIPATED INCREASE IN THE INSTRUCTION

04/21/2023

"Then he said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped." (2 Kings 13:18)

Today's theme scripture is instructive of how parallel blessings are almost always tied to divine instructions. Elisha was in conversation with Jehoash, King of Israel when he gave him an instruction to strike the ground with arrows. The king struck it three times, and Elisha's response told us two things about the instruction. But first, pay attention to the Prophet's response. Elisha's response was, "...You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times" (2 Kings 13:19). 

The first thing that the instruction gave was an opportunity to increase and the second thing you notice was that the opportunity had a shelf life. The moment the instruction was executed, a divine verdict was announced. Israel could have decimated Syria forever if the King had continued striking the ground with the arrow until another instruction was issued. 

When God asked Solomon what he wanted, and Solomon requested wisdom, based on the instruction his father, David, had given him, the Bible says, "The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing" (1 Kings 3:10), The Lord didn't just give Solomon the thing his father, David had instructed him to ask, He gave Solomon more. In 1 Kings 3:12-13, God said, "...behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honour, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days." There was an unanticipated increase in both the cases of Jehoash and Solomon. 

That said, when God gave us the 5+ME instruction, there was lodged in it a minimum five-fold increase in the time span of this year. Obedience to this instruction will directly reflect in the form of increases in other aspects of your life that you have not yet anticipated. This is why you cannot be casual with engaging in this church-wide campaign. And if this is perhaps your first time of engaging with the 5+ME campaign, it is simply an initiative to personally pray for, reach and invest in the salvation of five new converts that will join the Grace House Church family as disciples of Jesus Christ. 

What I am saying to you by the Spirit today is that there is an unanticipated increase in that instruction if you execute it. 

God bless you, today!

Faith-Filled Confession

I am perceptive of the increase in the 5+ME instruction and motivated by the Spirit to partake in it. I refuse to be slothful in business but I am fervent in the Spirit to discharge my duty in adding five new souls to our ranks. In Jesus' name, I declare. Amen. 

One-Year Reading Plan: 1 Samuel 30-31; Luke 17:20-37