Jesus is Our Anchor

Scriptural Foundation:

1 Peter 5:8-9 New King James (NKJV)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

1 Peter 4:12-14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].

If you are censured and suffer abuse [because you bear] the name of Christ, blessed [are you—happy, fortunate, to be envied, with life-joy, and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward condition], because the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, is resting upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 New King James (NKJV)

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Reflection:

One particular church service there was an alter call, I witnessed as one by one several teenagers and young adults came forward for prayer. The call was for anyone feeling depressed to the point of considering suicide.  You could feel the anointing heavy in the room, as the Lord ministered to them through the prayer warriors standing behind them.  My eyes over flowed with tears and my heart ached because I could remember being that age and hearing those whispers in my thoughts.  “Why am I so different?”; “I don’t really fit in anywhere?”; “Is there something wrong with me?”; “Why is life such a struggle when the Lord is one my side?”, etc.

As a Body we need each other to fight this fight together. We may not be going through the same season of struggle, but we have all been through something that we can help each other. If these young warriors in the faith at the alter are struggling and they are doing things “the right way”, how much more at risk are the mature in the faith that forsake the assembling of the church assembly because of past hurt and/or disappointment.  They are putting themselves and their families in harm’s way spiritually. People are not perfect, Jesus is. If we seek Him, we will all ultimately come together as notes in a worship song – a wonderful fragrance unto the Lord.

Like myself, many of these precious souls at this altar have been in church all their lives. On a daily basis their parents have diligently poured the Word into them.  As a result, we have one of the most vibrant and multi-talented youth ministry I have ever seen.  Over flowing with gifts from the Lord, these children are on fire for the Lord and their energy is infectious.  So then why do we as Believers that are a little farther down the path forget and tend to minimize their struggle?  Isn’t that a form a judging? Am I stepping on some spiritual toes? If it is for your betterment, I am challenging you to reflect.

Let us turn to the Word for a sobering reminder. The enemy of our soul, attempted to snuff out our Lord Jesus Christ as a baby.  A baby!  Through Herod, the devil’s second attempt (the first being Joseph considering not marrying Mary) trying to kill Jesus, was under the guise of worshiping the King of the Jews. When we as Believers commit to our sanctification walk, at times it will feel like we are the only ones going through the struggle.  That is why it is paramount to fellowship with other Believers.  To come together as one Body to worship and pray for one another.  If we don’t, we are just putting ourselves on the outskirts and that is where the enemy wants us, so focused on ourselves that we don’t notice that we have drifted away from the Lord’s commandment – “This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends. You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you.”

Remember Saints, we are all warriors in the Army of the Lord, we lay our lives down willingly. If not you, then who…

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” – John 10:17-18

Seeking Revelation:

Grab your notebook:

• Is there someone the Lord has put on your heart? Someone you haven’t seen at church in a while?

• Reach out ask them if you can pray with them.

• Repeat

Scriptural Foundation:

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Luke 6:41-43

Reflection:

The arrival of ‘Fall’ means it’s school time again! Hence the resumption of team practices.  And the all too familiar smell that stubbornly fills the car every school day afternoon.

Me: Did either one of you put on deodorant this morning?

Son: I don’t smell anything!

Daughter: I did!

Daughter #2: Hey, It is not me!

Me: Hold on a second. (I close all windows in the car.)

Son: Oh I smell it now.

Daughter: I can’t breathe!

Daughter #2: It is not me!

Me…Silence: Point proven.

Have you ever noticed while you are working out you don’t smell your own body odor until you are done? The same is true when running through your spiritual life, you can’t smell the “sin” of yourself, but you will certainly turn up your nose at others.  Renewing your mind daily is like giving your spirit and mind a well needed bath.  Keep in mind that people can still become nose blind to their “conditions”…aka short comings.  It is when you stop moving in both the natural realm and spiritual realm that things start getting real stank, real fast.  Once you are aware of your own, sin, the stench of sin around you from others, at times become unbearable.  In Luke 23:34 – Jesus says “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  It is only when we acknowledge and address our sins’ odor that we encourage others to smell the fragrance of the anointing on us and let them be drawn to the Lord in us.

Seeking Revelation:

Grab your notebook.

• List the most annoying things you can think about your spouse, family member and/or friend. (please don’t share)
• Then list the things that you have been told that are annoying about something you do.
• Pray and ask the Lord to reveal your true list of sins/short comings.
• Start working with the Holy Spirit on these items and leave your original list to the Lord. You will be amazed at the change that happens from the inside of you toward your loved ones.

Scriptural Foundation:

2 Kings 4:1-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Now one of the wives of a man of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha [for help], saying “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant [reverently] feared the Lord; but the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves [in payment for a loan].”  Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have [of value] in the house?” She said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a [small] jar of [olive] oil.”

 Then he said, “Go, borrow containers from all your neighbors, empty containers—and not just a few. Then you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out [the oil you have] into all these containers, and you shall set aside each one when it is full.”  So she left him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing her the containers as she poured [the oil]. When the containers were all full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” And he said to her, “There is not a one left.” Then the oil stopped [multiplying].  Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

Reflection:

I have always done what was expected of me and followed the formula that allegedly ensured success. Went to school, got good grades, obtained my masters, and got a job.  It wasn’t until I worked a while I noticed that “formula” seems to be bias.  Despite doing what was right, I was treated unfairly.  It was easy to blame individuals that administrated the unfairness, but the defeat had spiritual origins. The world system is not there for your benefit if you are a child of God, but a mechanism to crush you.  The Word says: (1 Peter 4:12 – Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you and John 3:13 – Do not be surprised, believers, if the world hates you.).

What we are doing is striving in our own strength on the outside, when we should be attacking the thing from the inside out through prayer. In our focus scripture the wife of the son of the prophets said her husband was dead.  Elisha asked what did she have and she replied with something she thought was small and insignificant. Elisha gave her specific instructions, one of which was to close her door on her and her children. By obeying the Word of the Lord through the prophet she was asked to take that insignificant thing….and lean on it to supply all their needs. Not only did that little bit of oil cancel out all their debt, or obligation to the outside world – there was provision left over.

I have always loved to encourage people through little notes. Something I thought was insignificant the Lord has asked me to do it in a different medium.  Is it stretching my capacity as a handmaiden of the Lord?  Absolutely, but instead of striving for something that in the end is not worth anything in eternity, I am leaning on the Lord to provide.  My heart’s desire is to be a gold vessel for the Lord.  (2 Timothy 2:20 – But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor….)

Seeking Revelation:

Grab your note book:

• List out the thing or things in or around your house
  • For example art work you have created, short stories you have written, a piece of furniture you have created, you may have an abundance of natural resources on your land like sand.
• Ask the Lord to reveal to you how you can use them for His glory.
• Now baby steps identify small changes that you can make daily to support the vision that Lord had given you for that thing(s).