FIRST FRUIT FASTING FELLOWSHIP (SEPTEMBER EDITION) Day 2

  Click to Download:👉 FIRST FRUIT FASTING (September 2023) – DAY 2 EDITED   WATCHMAN CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL MOVEMENT FIRST FRUIT FASTING FELLOWSHIP (SEPTEMBER EDITION) Day 2   Theme:      GRAVITATING TO EVER-INCREASING GLORY Texts:                            2 Cor.3:7-18; Col.1:21-27   In the opening message, we defined the goal of the message which is to creating an understanding of the concept of growth in glory and pursuit of the ultimate glory. The Apostle Paul revealed that we grow from a degree of glory to another as we get changed by the Spirit of God (2 Cor.3:18). He also revealed the mystery of Christ’s habitation in people being the hope of glory (Col.1:25-27). We concluded with the topic “Teeming with glory” where we defined glory as the character and ways of God as exhibited through Christ to and through believers (2 Cor.4:6). The message posited the place of having a glory-filled life and or congregation, which is the yearning or expectation of the creation (Rom.8:19). Such Christ-like lives will be free of sin and full of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Jn.2:5-10; Gal.5:22-24; 1 Cor.12:4-11). We concluded that such will be a bastion of love which is the inherent nature of God and the ligament (bond) of completeness.   Today, we shall be looking at the:   Topic: TACIT TRACK TO SUPERLATIVE SPLENDOR Subtexts: Exo.33:10-23; 34:1-6, 27-35; 2 Cor.3:18   Moses desired to see God’s glory and the Lord privileged him; the man of God got so transfigured that a veil was needed to give convenience to those who would behold his face. Though later on, Apostle Paul used the happening as a metaphor for the Old Testament’s hindrance to the perception of spiritual realities, he tacitly indicated that there is an ever-increasing change that goes with continual encounter/experience with God (the Holy Spirit in the New Testament).   It must be noted that only the Divinity has absolute perfection; all creatures including heavenly angels are sustained by the beholding of the Perfect God (Job 4:18; Rev.5:2,4). Lucifer in all his pre-fall glory discovered late that he could lose his nature and splendor (Ezek.28:12-15,17).   The Divinity enjoys absolute eternal freedom from iniquity (Ezek.28:15; 1Cor.9:27; 10:13; Jas.1:20). However, the previous experiences of angels and victorious saints will make them never to rebel in heaven (Rev.12:4a; 7:17, 21:4)   Now, let’s consider the revelation of the Scriptures in 2 Cor.3:18 “But we all with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are CHANGED into the same IMAGE from glory to glory, even as by the SPIRIT OF THE LORD.” This Scripture asserts that when we behold the glory, we are CHANGED (Gk mӗtamŏrphŏō means to change from one form to another; to transform or transfigure as in Matt.17:2).   There are tracks left behind by successful men of old that led to their metamorphosis. They include:  

1. Walking With God (Gen.5:24; 12:1-4; 15:1; 17:1-5)

This is a compound exercise of living in obedience to God: seeking His face; listening to His directions/instructions and obeying such; regularly waiting upon Him (Isa.41:30; Ps.62:5; 37:34, Lk.2:25,26) and making time to stay still before His presence (Ps.4:3,4; cp. 1 Kgs.19:12).  

2. Worshiping Intensely (2 Chro. 5:13-14; 7:1-3; 20:21-23; Isa.6:1-4)

Here, a participant(s) free themselves of the distractions of this life and engage in profound appreciation and expression of God’s worthiness to be thanked, appreciated and extolled (Rev.4:8-11). NB: True worshippers hate iniquity (Heb.1:8,9).  

3. Profound Praying (Matt.26:30, 36-46; Lk.2:36-37, Rom.8:26-28; Jas.5:16-17)

Prayer causes metamorphosis of the mind to align with God’s will irrespective of the difficulty. Deep communion with God energizes the spirit of man which leads to the strengthening of the soul and ultimately reinvigorating the body (Pro.4:23; Rom.8:11).  

4. Eating The Word (Jos.1:8; Ps.1:1-3; Jn.6:63; 1Tim.4:15)

Meditating on the word is akin to rumination that infuses the “spirit” – content of the word into the meditator thereby increasing divine life (zoe) in him (Gal.6:7).   Whoever habitually deploys these instruments cannot remain at a level nor decrease in glory.   They create room for the Holy Spirit to transform the believer and move him from splendour to splendour (2 Cor. 3:18)   You may henceforth go into the exercises with intentionality.