WATCHMAN CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL MOVEMENT

FIRST FRUIT FASTING FELLOWSHIP AUGUST 2024 EDITION Day 3

Theme:  The Great Friend From Heaven

Topic:  JESUS, THE HEAD OF PRINCIPALITIES & POWERS Texts:   Jn. 1:9-11; 5:1-7; Phil. 2:9-11, Col. 2:10,15

INTRODUCTION:

So far in this programme titled “The Great Friend From Heaven”, we have seen how the sons of men (of old and of today) had lived and are living under the power and influence of the prince of this world for want of knowledge of whom Jesus really is (cons. 2Cor.4:4; Eph.2:2). We have also seen how those who knew Him or knew Him partially achieved or have been achieving little or nothing for want of knowledge of who He is as the angels know Him (comp. Matt.8:23-27).

Tonight, the Spirit has billed to further open our eyes of understanding as we consider Jesus as the Head of principalities and powers. As usual, there is a lot to behold from this aspect of Jesus, our great Friend from heaven.

JESUS, THE HEAD OF PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS (Col.2:10; Eph.1:21; Col.1:16)

Principalities and powers in the context comprise Satan himself and all his evil archangels, who are primarily responsible for all the evil the universe and mankind have ever known (cons. Eph.2:1-2; 6:12).

Now the fact that Jesus is the head of principalities and powers must be understood very well. He is not head as a man is the head of an organization, leading, loving and ruling those under him to achieve some set goal. Rather, His leadership of principalities and powers means that:

• He is the eternal Supreme Being that existed before them (comp. Micah 5:2, etc)
• The realm in which He dwells is far above the realm of principalities and powers (Eph.1:21, etc)
• These principalities and powers are subject to His power and authority (Phil2:5-10, etc)
• He,being in bitter enmity with principalities and powers and being superior to them, suppresses their works through power that is in His name/blood/word (Phil.2:10; Rev.12:11).

THE IMPLICATION

Those who know/have these truths in their hearts (not only in their heads) are NEVER afraid of what principalities and powers can do (e.g. Ps.118:6; 23:4; 2Tim.1:7). Those of them who are ministers do not find it difficult to cast out demons. They readily knock out all such problems in the lives of people, which problems were created by those devils (e.g. Lk.10:17; Matt.16:16-18).

Those of them who are just believers and even those who are mere church members, who had been possessed/oppressed by those devils before knowing and believing these truths are usually readily loosed/delivered.

With the foregoing, it follows that all cases of possession/oppression/obsession, plus all other cases in the lives of the people identifying with this Movement should not and must not continue.

Remember, He has been earlier revealed as the Head of the church.

The inference is that, as God led Israel into defeating all their enemies and overcoming all the obstacles, through to possessing the promised land (e.g

Josh.5), so Jesus leads His hosts on individual and collective basis to overcome too, and inherit God’s promises here on earth and in heaven eventually. What each person of the Lord’s host today should do is to face all obstacles and assaults of the devils squarely with recognition that Jesus as Captain is standing by. This was how Joshua conquered Jericho. After the heavenly visitor, the captain of the Lord’s hosts had gone, he still knew He was with him.

Following this is the application of His word to whatever situations they are that arise. When these have been done., victory becomes as guaranteed as the sun.

For those who are not yet members of the Lord’s hosts, the thing to do is to enlist immediately, otherwise life will continue to be without real meaning and the soul lost at last in hell.

Let us pray.

WATCHMAN CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL MOVEMENT

FIRST FRUIT FASTING FELLOWSHIP AUGUST 2024 EDITION Day 2

Theme: The Great Friend From Heaven Topic: JESUS, THE SEED OF THE WOMAN Texts: Gen.3:9-15; Jn.1:1-4,9-11,14, 5:1-7

Yesterday, we saw Jesus, the great Friend from heaven as the Spotless Lamb of God, the Purger of the polluted and the only Way to God.

It must be noted that the argument that brought about this programme is

(i) the fact that multitudes do not know who Jesus really is, consequently they live under the power and at the mercy of spiritual wickedness in high places (2Cor.4:4; Eph.2:2); (ii) the fact that those who seem to have known Him do not know Him sufficiently, hence they are achieving little or nothing through Him (Jn. 14:12, Heb. 5:12, 6:1)

Having now seen what spurred this programme, it is left for each and everyone of us to decide to tap all the benefits of the period.

Tonight, we want to see Jesus as the Seed of the Woman (Gen.3:15)

The message shall come under 2 points (A) Jesus The Seed Of The Woman (B) Jesus The Head Of The Church

• JESUS THE SEED OF THE WOMAN (Jn. 1:1-4,14, Matt. 1:20-21)

It is common knowledge that Satan influenced the natural serpent and caused Adam and Eve to disobey the commandment of God (Gen.3:1-6). Following the disobedience, the Lord God decreed retribution for all parties to the sin – (I) the natural serpent and the spiritual serpent that influenced it; (ii) Eve and Adam. His prophetic retribution for the natural serpent and Satan (the spiritual serpent that influenced it) reads. “And I will put enmity between then and the woman; and between thy seed and her seed; it (her seed) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen.3:15). In this prophetic declaration of judgment, a number of personalities are involved. (1) The Natural Serpent (2) The Spiritual Serpent, Satan (3) The Woman; (4) The Seed of the Woman.

Let us now see how the punishment decreed against the natural serpent and the spiritual serpent (Satan) was shared to them.

It was cursed above all cattle and beasts of the field (Gen.3:14) It lost its legs and began to crawl with belly (Gen.3:14)

It was given dust for food

Great enmity was established between it and Eve (with her children). The woman’s child(ren) were to bruise its head (Gen. 3:15, 1Jn. 3:8).

Note that all these aspects of the punishment decreed that day are still operational right now. The enmity between the woman (with her seed) and the natural serpent is as strong as ever. The hatred and rage with which men and women deal with serpents is known to all. Preeminently, Jesus

bruised the head of the serpent at the cross

(B) JESUS, THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15; 5:23; Col.1:18; 2:19)

The headship of Jesus over the church is the direct opposite of the headship of Jesus over principalities and powers. While the latter is a leadership of Lording it over, of dominion, of casting down, of dismantling and of enmity against principalities and powers, the former is a Headship of friendship, loving, ruling and leading ministers and members of His house (His body) to the desired goals. It is a headship of always releasing His power and wisdom in favour of His body, the church.

THE IMPLICATION:

The church stands at a great advantage both ways. That is, whether it is that Jesus is the head of principalities and powers, the church stands to gain, or that He is the head of the church, the church also stands to gain. It is this awareness that makes the ministries of ministers and saints, as well as their prayers yield unspeakable result for the church and for others too.

Let us pray.

WATCHMAN CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL MOVEMENT

FIRST FRUIT FASTING FELLOWSHIP AUGUST 2024 EDITION Day 1

Theme: The Great Friend From Heaven

Topic:

JESUS, THE SPOTLESS LAMB OF GOD

Texts:

Matt.8:23-27; Jn.1:9-11, 19-29, 35-36

In the first edition of ‘The Great Friend from Heaven Series’ of our First Fruits

Fasting Exercise, we saw the Lord Jesus as The Friend Indeed, The One

That Spread His Hands At Death On The Cross and The Wounded For

Our Transgressions. The messages expressed the prize He paid to give us

life which no earthly being can pay.

Our message today shall come under 3 points (1) Jesus, The Spotless

Lamb of God (2) Jesus, The Purger of the Polluted (3) Jesus, The

Only Way to God

(1) JESUS, THE SPOTLESS LAMB OF GOD (Jn.1:29,35-36)

Here we trace the meaning of this great assertion to the Old Testament. God

had originally decreed death (in all its ramifications) as punishment for sin

(Gen.2:16-17; Ezk.18:20; Rom.6:23). So then, when the children of Israel

sinned, they used the lives of spotless lambs or goats to exchange the lives of

the sinners. In other words, these spotless animals carried the death sentence

due to the sinner-man or woman or priest or congregation (Lev.4:1- 35). The

spotless animals used to exchange the lives of the sinners were a symbol of a

spotless human being that was to come to fulfill the role (of remission) that

the animals were attempting. That perfect man was found in Jesus, the Son of

God, hence John’s remarks when he saw Him (Jn.1:19,35-36).

(2) JESUS, THE PURGER OF THE POLLUTED

In the Old Testament, the shed blood of those spotless animals covered the

sins of the sinners (Heb.10:1-11). So, once the animal’s blood had been shed,

the sin of the sinner was covered and the guilty became guiltless (Heb.9:13,

19-23, Ps. 32:1). But in the case of Jesus, His blood was not a cover for the

sins of those who apply it, but a blotter – blotting out the sin entirely out of

“God’s sight and out of the sinners’ heart (Heb.9:13-14; 10:4-10). This is the

reason for John’s statement, behold the lamb of God which taketh away

(purgeth) the sin of the world (Jn.1:29, 35-36). This programme was designed

before the human race was birthed (cons. Rev.13:8; Isa.46:10).

(3) JESUS, THE ONLY WAY TO GOD (Jn.14:6)

It is primarily because of these stated truths in concert with His origin and

mandate that Jesus said, He is the only Way (Jn.14:6 etc). It is also because

of them that God says Jesus is the only Way (Matt.17:5). Besides, it is

because of these truth also that all those of old and today who have the

excellent Spirit of God dwelling in them known assuredly that Jesus is the

ONLY WAY TO GOD (Acts 4:12, 1Tim.2:5-6).

THE IMPLICATION

Those who want purging, either in regeneration or sanctification can have

what they want today. Those who have difficulty believing the assertions of

Jesus concerning Himself should now be cleared of such difficulties.

THEN FOLLOWS MINISTRATION THROUGH PRAYERS TO CONFIRM THE

TRUTH (Mk.16:20).