The Anointing
Scripture: 1 John 2 v 27:
"But the anointing which ye have received of Him
abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as
it has taught you, ye shall abide in Him."
Luke 4 v 18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel, ......"
In the Old Testament Kings and Priests were anointed with
a special oil which set them apart to God for a special office. Old Testament
prophets were anointed by the Holy Spirit for the time that they prophesied,
but the Holy Spirit did not remain on them continuously.
The Holy Spirit is also known as the Holy Ghost; the
Spirit of the Lord; the Angel of the Lord. The word spirit and angel are
interchangeable.
The first person upon whom the Holy Spirit came and
remained was Jesus Christ. His whole life was separated to God's plan and
purpose.
In John 1 v 32 - 34 John the Baptist confirms that when
he baptized Jesus, he saw the Spirit descending and remaining on Jesus and he
repeated it twice as something very unusual. He knew that Jesus was He who
would baptize people in the Holy Ghost and he bore record that Jesus was the
Son of God.
After Jesus' resurrection and just before His ascension
to Heaven in Acts 1 He told the apostles - His chosen followers - to await the
promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which came ten days
later. It fell upon 120 of them in Acts 2 and they spoke in tongues and
prophesied. As with Jesus, the Holy
Spirit stays, or abides, with us forever.
This turned Peter from a guilt ridden man who denied
Jesus into a powerhouse filled with the ability to preach and convert 3000
people. The anointing of the Holy Spirit empowers people to witness for the
kingdom of God and Jesus in a dynamic way with signs and wonders following.
The anointing is most precious. The oil of the Holy
Spirit is invisible but powerful. It transforms lives. First your own as you
are now under new management in a beautiful way. Your life becomes ordered and
there is a flow that was absent before. You speak in tongues and your spirit is
edified; your mind is vibrant with ideas; you are energised to be proactive
with Jesus; you are filled with love, joy and peace from a well that never runs
dry.
The more you yield to the Holy Spirit of your life and
desires, the stronger the anointing becomes, the deeper the guidance becomes
and your prayer life intensifies. You hear the Lord's voice and its easy to
obey Him. You begin to leave all planning to Jesus and to just follow Him. He
is the only Leader you need to follow. He appoints and anoints those who will
deliver His Word and minister to those in need but we are all Kings and Priests
in His Royal Priesthood - 1 Peter 2 v 9.
The Holy Spirit is our teacher and the anointing is fresh
every morning. In your morning devotions expect your cup to be filled to
overflowing. Let it flow into your family first in love and attention to their
needs. Pray for them to be blessed. Let it flow in your business and towards
your colleagues that all around you receive the peace and joy as you treat
everyone with respect.
Let it flow in the Church as you heed the Lord concerning
the ministry of the Word according to 2 Corinthians 4 v 1 - 2. Do not handle
His Word deceitfully. Check everything with His Word so that false doctrines
are choked and only the pure truth is delivered to His followers.
The Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of Truth and
He cannot bless lies or any falseness. If you continue to disregard His promptings
He will quietly withdraw and you will not even know that your candle has been
extinguished. Revelation 2 v 5 Jesus says "Remember therefore from whence
you are fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I will come unto
thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except though
repent."
So do not grieve or offend the Holy Spirit because it
will result in a departure from the intimacy of fellowship and a blockage to
the flow of the anointing.
Some things to be mindful of are:
- harsh criticism or judgment of others
- twisting the Word to fit your beliefs
- blocking other's who are anointed
- departing from Grace back to Law
- not discerning a false anointing or doctrine and
allowing it to invade your ministry.
These five things have brought the Church into disrepute
in many places. Do not follow willy nilly after things that look like they
might enliven your meetings. Follow Jesus who is the Way the Truth and the Life
with all your heart, mind and strength and you will have a beautiful anointing
of the Holy Spirit forever.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we rejoice that we can be
baptized in the Holy Spirit to be fruitful and blessed with gifts. Thank You
for the precious and powerful anointing on Your Word and on Your children. Keep
us faithful to the anointing of the Holy Spirit to learn and grow and teach
others the truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.