FAITH FOR THE FIERY TIME – 2021 FIRST FRUIT FASTING EXERCISE (Day 18 Outlines)

Text: Acts 20:20 We remain grateful to the Almighty for His faithfulness in releasing grace for the exercise, and anointing to break yokes. We shall continue with the nuggets that aid conceptions, gestation and parturition. We dwell at a time when there is a global decline in the value of life. The dailies are saturated with headlines on abductions, assassinations, ritual murder, vicious armed robberies, gang raping, brutality of paramilitary and military officers, banditry, medical politics to the detriment of the diseased (COVID-19), terrorism etc. It is worthy of note that at this time of escalation of evil, did the Almighty ordain the out-pouring of His Spirit and Power.- the day of the Lord proper. It a time of clash of forces. At battle grounds, all soldiers stay vigilant with all necessary weapons to emerge victorious. Today, we are looking at one of the weapons called Faith. We shall looking at (A) Faith Described (B) Faith Deployed (C) Faith Development. (A) FAITH DESCRIBED The dictionary defined faith as Complete Trust or Confidence in someone or something. Strong belief in someone or something. What does the Holy Scripture say? Heb.11:1. Amplified: Now faith is the ASSURANCE (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the CONVICTION of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses) Faith is all about trust in God, and in His word: that in all situations where God’s word is invoked or relied upon, God promptly act and actualizes the desired. There is a base upon which the faith stands, and without which any developed confidence abbs away with time. It is based on knowledge (Heb.11:6, Jn.8:32, 1Cor.8:7-11, Rom.10:17). (B) FAITH DEPLOYED *Faith is a versatile weapon of defense and offence, and a sure vehicle of victory (Eph.6:16,17b, 1Jn.5:4, Heb.10:22, 1Tim.6:12, 1:19). * It was successfully deployed by many Bible times gladiators to secure a place in the annals of history: Jonathan (1Sam.14), David (1Sam.17:39), Job (19:25,26), 3 Hebrew young men (Dan.3:17), the sinner woman (Lk.7:36-48, 50), Jesus (Matt.14:25-31). *Faith beholds the incontestable power of God in all threatening situations (1Sam.17:4-11,26-29,32-37,40-50). *Knowledge of God (Omnipotence, Omniscience) actively foster faith (Dan.11:32). People of faith only see possibilities (positive) in all situations of life. * Faith is the currency of the kingdom; and determines how much of Kingdom wealth people possess. The recorded events of the Bible times are allegories of the modern day challenges so we must be ready to say to the mountains “Be thou removed” speak to the figs “, no man eat any fruit of thee”, sack evil spirits, succour the sorrowing, silence storms, seek lost sheep, and show signs. The mustard seed group of faith explorers have the capacity to move mountains, and the faith possessed, determines the amount of faith deployed (Matt.17:20). (C) FAITH DEVELOPMENT *To grow faith, one must (i) feed on the word (Rom.10:17, Jn.8:32), and (ii) Make friends with God’s children that exercise faith (Prov.27:17). (iii) Prayer and fasting intensify the potency of faith (Matt.17:21). * Faith exercise is important in these fiery times (Isa.43:1-4, Ps.91:1-12, 23:1-6).1 WATCHMAN CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL MOVEMENT 2021 FIRST FRUIT FASTING EXERCISE 20th Jan. – 9th Feb. 2021 (Day 18) Theme: IDYLLIC ERA OF CONCEPTION AND PARTURITION Topic: FAITH FOR THE FIERY TIME – 2021 FIRST FRUIT FASTING EXERCISE (Day 18)