Why It Pays to Obey God

One day, Grandpa Buss, who couldn’t swim, fell into the water. Thankfully, he was rescued, but he and Grandma didn’t move away. Sometime later, his hand got caught in the corn cracker and he lost three fingers—but he and Grandma still didn’t move. Then Grandpa had an open vision one day while working in the gristmill. The doors opened and a coffin rolled in on a gurney. The lid opened, so he went to see whose body was in it. It was his. They moved away!

Some years later, they were living in Olivet, Illinois, associated with the Olivet Nazarene College. It was booming, and many people were moving there to participate in the move of God.

One day, the Lord spoke to Grandma that they must move. Grandpa and Grandma could see no reason for it, but they had learned their lesson and obeyed God, moving to Danville, the city to the north.

Not long afterward, a fire broke out in the administration building, and it burned to the ground. Philip’s dad was there watching and heard the pianos fall through the floor. It was a tragedy! Overnight, property values dropped 50%, and the college relocated to Kankakee. Olivet is now just a tiny community that doesn’t even make it on many maps.

It pays to obey God!

Beloved, just like the vision Grandpa Buss had of himself in the coffin, in the same way, God gives dreams and visions to people as a warning of what will happen if we don’t change our ways, if we don’t obey or if we don’t pray. It is conditional. Equally so, prophecies, visions and dreams of what God intends you to do are conditional to our obedience and cooperation in agreement with His heart.

After David obeyed God to deliver the town of Keilah from the marauding of the Philistines (1 Sam. 23), David was warned that Saul had heard he was there and was gathering the troops to besiege Keilah to capture him. David inquired of the Lord if it were true, and if the men of Keilah would turn him over the Saul. The Lord confirmed that Saul was coming and that David would be turned over to him by the men of Keilah.

Did David sit there because God said that it was to happen? No! David got up and left with his mighty men.

Jonah preached that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days (see Jon. 3:4)CE. Was it? No! Why? Because the people repented. Did that make Jonah a false prophet? No, it was destroyed about 150 years later. The mercy that Nineveh’s repentance purchased lasted about four generations. That’s about how long it takes for a family to forget the experience of great-grandparents.

We are responsible to pray, repent and act to avert the things that have been shown in prophecies, visions and dreams. I believe that intercession stopped or at least slowed the train of end-time events 40 or 50 years ago when we thought things would happen immediately.

These things are conditional, and our words, declarations and prayers will determine what will be and when.

We know that it is time for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and that the “forever loser” is trying his best to stop it. God’s righteous judgment is coming against evil in answer to our prayers, and souls will be saved like falling leaves from mighty oaks swept by a hurricane. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready! {eoa}

Sharon Buss, president of End-Time Handmaidens Inc., has served at the headquarters in Engeltal since 1977. Her vision for revival in the nations and bringing in the final end-time harvest should encourage us all to be equipped, prepared and ready to “just obey God.” Sharon has written two books: her life story, Take the Lid Off, and a devotional, In Quietness and Confidence, Keys to Overcoming.