ANOINTING FOR THE NEXT LEVEL
Study Text: I John 2:27
Introduction:
- According to the word of God, every born-again, Spirit-filled child if God has the anointing in His life. But every child of God is responsible for keeping and increasing the level of anointing. That is why some walk in a greater anointing than others within himself.
- One of the wonders of anointing is that it can make a man do supernatural things. In 1Sam 17:34-37, David destroyed a lion who tried to attack him and that is a wonder.
- Anointing enables you to fulfil God’s purpose for your life. According to John 15:16, one main purpose of the anointing is to win souls.
- In Acts 1:8, the bible says”But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
- After you receive the Holy Spirit, the anointing comes upon you, you receive the power to be an effective soul winner and also fulfil other purpose in life.
- Another wonderful thing about the anointing is that it does not discriminate. Whether male or female, poor or rich, young or old, the anointing of God can come upon you. Joel 2:28-30.
- We shall discuss under four sub-headings:
1. Receiving The Anointing
2. Releasing The Anointing
3. Resisting The Anointing
4. Responding to The Anointing
1. Receiving The Anointing:
- Anointing can manifest as wine, we get that through the Holy Communion.
- Anointing can manifest as oil, we get that through the anointing oil. Psalm 23:5 says ”Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over”.
- The Holy Communion is also called the Lord’s Table, when you drink the wine from the Lord’s table during holy communion, you are taking in the anointing.
- When your head is anointed with anointing oil, you have joy within combined with the fire of anointing outward and your cup will begin to run over.
- When you are filled with the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you receive the anoiting.
- Hebrews 1:9 says “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” When you love righteous and hate sin, you will be filled with anointing.
2. Releasing The Anointing:
And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters, the water came up to my ankles.
Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters, the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through, the water came up to my waist.
Again he measured one thousand and it was a river that I could not cross for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
Ezekiel 47:3-5.
- There are levels or degrees of the anointing. Some walk at the ankle level. Some at the knee level. Some at the waist level, and some swim in the deep.
- This is due to the degree they dwell in the presence of Almighty God. They are carrying high levels of El-Shaddai's power.
- Because of the authority entrusted to God's called apostles and prophets, they are the ones who walk in a stronger anointing. They are always a threat to the kingdom of darkness.
- Every church or ministry who relates to the apostolic and prophetic ministries will also carry a strong anointing.
- In these last days God is restoring and sending His called apostles and prophets to restore the right pattern to His church so that He may release the highest level of His anointing that any other generation has ever received.
- We can see that in the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, God says that the five-fold ministry will equip the saints.
- The word equip from the Greek word katartismos means making fully qualified for service.
- The church must come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
- The word unity means oneness. It means having a common goal of doing God/s will on planet earth.
3. Resisting The Anointing:
- Our relationship with the God must be a perfect one through the Holy Spirit, because the anointing upon our lives depends on that relationship.
- Like a husband and wife, there is only one thing that can break the oneness between them and that's adultery.
- So the oneness between the Holy Spirit and a child of God in the same way can be broken through sin and ungodly living.
- Satan will try by any means to break this oneness through any open door in order to stop the flow of the anointing in our lives.
- Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we can know what can stop the flow of God's anointing in our lives.
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
Yet they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; only then was he changed into their enemy... Isaiah 63:10
- In grieving the Holy Spirit, you make the Holy Spirit your enemy.
- When one gives his/her body in intimate relations to another person other than his/her legal partner, it causes grief, sorrow or sadness and separation.
- How can one grieve the Holy Spirit? Neither give place to the devil. Eph 4:27
- Therefore, giving a place to the devil for occupying rather than to the Holy Spirit, we break our intimacy with Him. This is committing spiritual adultery.
- How does someone give place or access to the devil? Rom 8:5 -7
- In the book of Romans, Galatians and Ephesians, etc., you have a long list of how many Christians nourish and affectionate their carnal nature and walk.
- There is also a long list of how we as Christians are advised to affectionate our mind with spiritual things.
- Idleness is causing Christians to abstain from Bible study and meditation on the word of God.
- There wasn't a man or army strong enough to stand against Samson as long as he carried God's anointing upon his life.
- But Satan was watching and looking for a place in the life of Samson to occupy, and he found a place.
- In losing his seven locks of hair on his head (a symbol of his consecration unto God), Samson lost his anointing. He was defeated.
- Character building goes hand in hand with the anointing. You build your character in the school of the Holy Spirit, not human made school.
- Character makes you stand, and the anointing is for effective service. Many precious servants of God have the anointing, but not Godly character. You must have both.
4. Responding to The Anointing:
- There are several blessings of walking in the fresh anointing:
i. Promotion
But my horn shall thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Palms 92:10
- The word promotion means to rise or raise, to bring up or to exalt. This is what God wants to do with His children.
ii. Perception
Mine eyes also shall see my desire on mine enemies. Psalms 92:11
- The word perceive means to have insight, to discern, to see, to consider, to give ear, to understand and to hear intelligently.
- The church of Laodicea had become self satisfied. They were blinded and self-satisfied with material wealth.
- They said that they now needed nothing. They became lukewarm without the fresh anointing. Rev. 3: 17-18
- Walking in the fresh anointing will allow the children of God to have insight on what is going on and discern between the genuine and the counterfeit.
iii. Productivity
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing. Psalms 92:12-14
- Another blessing of the fresh anointing is that you will become fertile and able to produce.
- Too many children of God are not reaching their potential to produce for God's glory, and they remain sterile.
- Jesus says, those who do not produce fruit are cut away by His Father, and He purges those who bear fruit. John 15: 1-2
- We can conclude that our Father does not tolerate non-productivity because He has provided everything needed for His children to be productive.
iv. Proclamation:
Eager to declare that the Lord is just, the Lord my rock, in whom there is no unrighteousness. Psalm 92:15
- There are too many ‘mouth-closed’ Christians nowadays. They are afraid to open their mouths to speak about Jesus, but when they gossip, then their mouths are "wide-opened" by a counterfeit "anointing."
- This is why the harvest is being delayed. When one is anointed with fresh oil, he will not be able to close his mouth. He will speak about the grace of the Almighty God. John 4:39
- To proclaim means to make known, to announce openly. Too many ministers are busy making themselves well known and are making Jesus unknown.
- We, as God's servants, must not become celebrities, but we must celebrate Jesus. If not, the Lord will stop the flow of His anointing on our lives and all resources will be bankrupt. 2 Corinthians 1:21
