Jesus is Our Anchor

Scriptural Foundation:
2 Timothy 4:3-4 New James Version (NKJV)
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Jeremiah 23:1-6 New James Version (NKJV)
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. Therefore, thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,
“That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the [c]earth.

In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Reflection:
No physical church body is perfect. Instead it is a gathering of imperfect people striving for the prize.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippines 3:13-14

We all approach our faith journey a little differently, but we all have the same Spirit within us bearing witness to what is truth.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. – John 16:13

We are going on two months now of living in isolation from our physical church body. Although most have adjusted to the new streaming platforms like YouTube and Zoom, it at times, still feels disjointed considering the Word.

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. – Hebrews 10:23-24

This Holy Ghost pause is to get the Church’s attention. Given our time back, how are individuals managing that time? Are the same things that we are pursuing and dominating our thoughts, still the same things we are thinking about now? In Revelations, John was taken up in the Spirit and the Lord revealed many things. During this pause I have been studying out the seven churches. One thing that has jumped out at me is how the Word repeated saying “Whoever has ear let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” and “him who overcomes”.

 Church of Ephesus – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” – Revelations 2:7
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Church of Smyrna – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” – Revelations 2:11

 Church of Pergamos – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” – Revelations 2:17
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Church of Thyatira – And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations – ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. – Revelations 2:26-28

 Church of Sardis – He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Revelations 3:5-6

 Church of Philadelphia – He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Revelations 3:12-13

 Church of Laodicea – To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Revelations 3:21-22

I encourage you to do your own study of each church body. Each of them had something that they could be doing better or different, in the end only a few in each body would overcome and qualify to hear what the Spirit of the Lord had to say. It reminds me of the scripture:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ – Matthew 7:21-23

What an eternal tragedy to have gone through this life doing what is right and still have the Lord say that He does not know you! In our remaining time we have left, use it to hear what the Spirit is saying. What strongholds in your life have you been ignoring, what habits have been a stumbling block to your relationship with the Lord, without the excuse of being too busy there is no reason why you can’t and won’t be the remnant of the Lord after this season is over!

Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
Kenneth E. Hagin has been quoted as saying he tried to “live a fasted life”. This didn’t mean that he fasted every day from food, but fasted from things that may be taking his attention away from his relationship with the Lord.
o How has your priorities changed during this time?
o Has your intimacy with the Lord grown?
o What have you given up during this time that previously you could not?
o What are some of the things you have been hearing from the Spirit during this time? (Write it down and reference it often.)
o Which of the churches in Revelations, describes your relationship with the Lord right now? What are some adjustments that you need to make to overcome?

Remember Beloved, your sanctification walk is not a contest with others, but a race that you are running with the Holy Spirit as your conditioning coach. The ministry of Prayer Warriors Advance is to encourage and support you as much as we can while keeping you accountable as you apply the Word of God to your life. We are all in this together!