Fountain of Living Waters Ministries (FOLWAMS)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

THE CONCEPT OF ANNUAL WATCHWORD

NUMBERS 23:19

As we grow in God, a time comes when we are separated from general things and given specific things.

It doesn't mean we don't participate in general things again but we begin to come into awareness of the specifics of our destiny in God.

At such times, apart from what Jesus is saying to the general congregation in a local assembly (Revelations 1:11) He can tell you specific things that He will be doing for you in a particular year.

For this reason you can have a general watchword and a specific watchword for a year.

However, that God gives you a specific watchword for a year does not mean He will always give you like that every year.

If you receive a specific watchword last year but you don't receive anything specific this year, nothing has gone wrong with you, what that means is you should go with the general.

The general becomes the specific for you that year, just go your way forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed your kids beside the shepherds' tent, SOS 1:8. This is a word for someone in particular.

I will be talking this morning on understanding the concept of yearly watchword.

When Jesus as the Head of the Church gives a watchword for a year, everybody interprets that watchword according to their expectations.

For some their expectations and Jesus's expectations coincide and at the end of the year, they affirm that the year has indeed been an expression of that watchword.

However for some, they check and check and don't see anywhere or anyway that the watchword match their expectations at the end of the year.

Does it mean Jesus fail them or the watchword did not work? No!

There is something very important we must understand about yearly watchword.

Watchword is not what we want Jesus to do for us in a year, it is what He wants to do in a particular year for His children. He has gone ahead of us into the year.

He knows what the year holds, then He holds us by the hand and walk us through the year by the word He has given ahead, Psalm 119:105.

Jesus is the one doing something when He gives us watchword for a year and we should be the one to ask Him to show us what He is doing coperately and individually; not according to our expectations but according to His own expectation.

For example, if the watchword for this year in a particular local assembly is "Awesome Wonders".

Immediately the Pastor declares that word, everybody begins to interpret it according to their own expectations.

For a student in that assembly it may mean a CGPA of 4.5 that session. To another student, what it means is no carry over that session. To yet another student it may mean that her school fees got miraculously paid that session.

Out of the three of them, only one at the end of the year may have his expectations match Jesus's expectation for him for that year.

So, he is the only one that sees that year as the year of Awesome wonders out of the three of them.

Whereas, Jesus did awesome wonders in the lives of the remaining two too but it wasn't just according to their expectations.

For one, it could be God spared him from getting involved in a fatal accident that would have claimed his life or maim him for life.

But that accident never happened or it happened but he came out with just a scratch, so he didn't really realize the magnitude of what Jesus saved him from.

Just because it was not according to his expectations, Jesus did no awesome wonder that year.

For another one, the awesome wonder that Jesus is doing in His life that year is that he will get born again or get joined to a church that will give him the solid foundation for the destiny that Jesus is preparing him for in the future.

However what he is expecting as awesome wonder is that the scholarship he has applied for to study abroad come through.

But because it didn't happen he considers at the end of the year that God did not do any awesome wonder in his life that year.

What this means is that when Jesus as the Head of the Church gives a watchword for a year, it is our responsibility as a church, fellowship, ministry and as individuals to find out from Jesus what He is doing and at the end of the year ask Him to show us what He has done according to the watchword He gave us at the beginning of the year.

Sometimes it will be so obvious but at other times it will not be so obvious, so we must ask Him to show us.

There is a place to ask for our expectations from Him, but not under the guise of watchword.

Watchword is God doing something, not necessarily according to our expectations but His.

Your expectations are the things you want God to do for you. Watchword is what God is doing for you, it may or may not match with your expectations.

Let me share my personal experience with us.

There was a year the Lord did not give me a particular watchword, so I went with the general Watchword for the church.

The Watchword for that year was 'Marvellously helped'. But that year I had challenges like I have never had in other years.

As I was coming out of one I got into another and it was like that all through that year. At the end of that year I began to wonder if I have really received any marvellous help from God.

As I was pondering on the events of that year, the Lord began to show me that the word he gave at the beginning of that year was what kept my faith from being overthrown by those challenges.

I was still in faith at the end of that year because I was marvellously helped by the Lord.

The Lord showed me that He helped me the way He helped Uzziah until I became strong. He showed me how He built towers in my spirit to fortify my spirit against the attacks.

Left to me, I interpreted that watchword according to the physical exploits I saw in the life of Uzzah, 2Chronicles 26:8-15.

But that was not what that word meant to my experience that year. What it meant was in 2Chronicles 26:6-7(spiritual exploits) and then, verse 15b.

This message if well understood will do two things to you. First, it will keep you from getting discouraged or disappointed because some of your expectations for last year were not met according to the word the Lord gave you.

Secondly, it will help you as you walk the journey of this new year to seek what He meant by the word He has given you and not just what you expect Him to do according to your own interpretation or expectation of the word He gave you.

This does not mean you shouldn't ask God for your expectations this year. If they are according to His will, He will do them for you.

But don't mix the two(Your expectations and Annual watchword) together as they may or may not match at the end of the year.

Whether our expectations are met or not, God will always be faithful to His Word, Numbers 23:19.

I pray for you, as you go into the year, the necessary equipping and resources you need in all ramifications to face the journey of this year, God will give it to you in Jesus name.

GO AND WIN WITH JESUS!!!

PEACE

SALVATION PRAYER

Anything short of you being born again and living a life of holiness and purity hurt Jesus so much. But you can make things right here and now by saying this simple prayer and mean it genuinely from your heart:

Lord Jesus I come to you today. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I cannot help myself. I repent of all my sins and I forsake them. Jesus, I invite you into my life, be my Lord, be my Saviour.

Wash me by your precious blood, forgive my sins and write my name in the book of life. From this day, I promise to follow you all the rest of my life. Help me Lord, in Jesus name, Amen. Congratulations you are now born again!

PEACE

CONTACT US:

folwams@gmail.com

+2347033299066

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES

Twitter account: @OTEGBADE OLAYIN8

Facebook: Otegbade Olayinka

Whatsapp: +2347033299066

Instagram: Otegbade Olayinka

Telegram: FOLWAMS

Call: +2348052105284

Blog site: folwams.blogspot.com