Anna: Prophecy for Today's Church

And there was a prophetess, Anna … She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38

            Anna was a prophet. Paul tells us in 1Corinthians 14 that a prophet is one who discerns God’s movement for the purpose of building up, encouraging and consoling the church. Anna spent her days and nights in worship. Through prayer and fasting she continuously sought the Lord’s Presence and indication of where He was working, never leaving the Temple.So when Joseph and Mary brought the Christ babe into the Temple, Anna recognized Him at once.

            Years later when their young son went “missing,” Jesus’ parents would find him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers. When they expressed their concern about it, he replied, where else would I be? You know that I must be in my Father’s house. (See Luke 2:41-50)

            Sometimes we get frustrated with “church” and think we can worship and serve God on our own. But the church must be a necessary part of our life if we are truly going to be Christ followers. Yes, the church can be filled with disappointment, strange agendas, hypocrites, and hurtfulness, but as someone once said, if you find the perfect church don’t go there – you’ll ruin it!  Maybe instead of looking so hard at the problems in our churches, we should start looking harder to find Christ going about His Father’s business in His Father’s House.

Let’s Do Something About It:

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians,

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. … the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation... So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.  1Corinthians 14:1,3, 12

·      Spend some time today asking the Holy Spirit to show you where your attitude regarding the condition of The Church may be out of line with God’s Will for His Body.

·      Ask God to show you how you can be a source and presence of love, mercy, and healing in your church today.

The Prophet’s Calling; the Messiah’s Mission

Pro Clarity of Purpose

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days… Luke 1:68-69; 74-75

Zechariah’s prophecy states that God had visited and redeemed his people so that they might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, and that his own son John would be a prophet to prepare the way for the fulfillment of that cause;

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins… Luke 1:76-77

and that the Messiah was coming to bring light into the darkness of their lives.

…because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78-79

Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Zechariah saw that God’s plan was not to bring fame, fortune, or affluence into their lives. God’s movement, born from His tender mercy was to provide a way to peace. John's calling was to bring the truth of God's plan to people who were living in the shadows of false expectations so that the Messiah could bring light into their darkness and peace to their souls.

When we acknowledge God’s plan and perceive His movement in our lives, and then follow through with our own attitudes and obedience, we begin to comprehend the ways of the Messiah in our world and to see with clarity our own personal calling. Who is God sending us to? Who do we know that needs to hear the truth of God's tender mercy and experience the light of forgiveness, the light of hope, the light of peace?

Let's DO something about it:

Are we looking for the fame, the fortune or the affluence of false promises in our own relationship with Christ, or are we looking for the light so that we can shine that light in the way of service to others?

• Prayerfully consider how clearly you perceive your holy and righteous calling to serve God by serving others. Then consider how fully you are fulfilling that calling.
• Ask God to show you one person you can reach out to today who may be hidden in the shadow of regret, hopelessness, or anger. Ask the Holy Spirit for one specific way that you can bring the light of forgiveness, hope, or peace into that person’s life. Now go do it!