It is with delight and joy I welcome you to our month of Maintaining the Anointing. We all know that the number eight represents new beginnings, and I pray that God will begin great things in your life in Jesus name. I thank God for the grace of God upon your life. I want you to know that you are where you are not because you are extraordinarily knowledgeable or supernaturally prayerful but that the grace of God has brought you thus far. I pray that this grace shall lead you on in Jesus name.
The journey of life is not just about beginning or new beginnings the journey of life is about maintaining what we have started and finishing strong and well. Between the starting whistle and the final finishing line is longer than what we think. For all us it is the long haul between birth and death. Between leaving Egypt and reaching the Promised Land - what some theologians called the wilderness experience. That is why the Holy Spirit wants to help us this month to examine how to maintain the anointing.
What is the Anointing?
The anointing is used here in a broad sense. The anointing represents all good things God has started in you or deposited in you. The anointing represents the engine of your life; the nucleus of your protoplasm. The anointing is your nervous system, the heart that circulates blood in your body through the veins. The anointing without which you have no ministry no life. The anointing that is the lubricator of your engine without which the engine knocks. The anointing is what destroys the yoke. The anointing, is what teaches you and directs to achieve success in your life dreams and goals. "But the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."1John 2:27. When Jesus was speaking about the anointing represented by the Holy Ghost he said: it is expedient (advantageous) for you that I should go, otherwise the anointing cannot come.
God wants you to maintain the anointing at all cost. Developing proper maintenance culture is critical to any society. It is the glaring difference between the developed nations and the non-developed, ill- developed, and developing nations. I was at West Minster Abbey many years ago and the tour guide told us it takes over four million pounds sterling to maintain the edifice that is over a thousand years old. Those of us living in Toronto know that summer time is road blockage time because of road maintenance. Even our road Kenhar Drive is having a facelift this summer, new curbs, refurbished drainage systems. On the flipside we know that is the major problem of Africa. No wonder people find the western world a safe haven.
But my interest is not about physical maintenance but spiritual. I want us to learn few lessons from those who refused to maintain the anointing that God graciously gave to them. The first person that comes in my mind is Saul. Saul without campaign was specially anointed King and God poured his anointing on him so much that they were asking is Saul also among the prophets? I Sam9-11 Yet the scripture says this about him:But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. 1 Sam 16:14-16
Can you imagine! The spirit of thy Lord departed from him he did not know. The servant has to tell him. How did the servant know - apparently he started misbehaving! Is that not what is happening today, there are so many preachers on the pulpit/TV/Radio who does not know the spirit has departed from them
"And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul."1 Sam 18:12
"And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do" 1 Sam 28:15.
Look at another man- Samson. That God anointed from his mother's womb Judges 13 Yet the scripture says: "And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him." Judges 16:20
Look at the man- Demas
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.@ Tim 4:10
The question is not whether you were anointed or not, all of us are naturally, spiritually financially endowed, gifted, and talented in one area of life or the other the issue is are you maintaining your estate? Anointing, marriage, business, the gift of God in you? Many have lost the anointing and unfortunately they do not know!
How We Lose The Anointing.
We refuse to value the anointing. Do you value what you have? Your salvation. You call to minister? Your spouse, your children, your in-laws? Let us explore salvation which is our basis. Salvation may be free to you but someone paid with his blood for it. Nothing is free in absolute context. Ministers have replaced searching the scripture for sermon with 'cut and paste' from Internet. In the olden days men were comparing scripture with scripture. Men of God study the bible. It was reported that Kenneth Hagin read the New Testament 150 times before he started preaching! Compare to today minister who have not read the bible through once and are already calling themselves, REV (DR) Apostle/ Bishop only You! They also read other books and sermons of God generals: D. L Moody, Watchman Nee, Leonard Ravenhill, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finley, Charles and John Wesley. How can we sustain the anointing in a culture known for not reading books? Reader, how many books have you read this month, this year?
No more praying altars either in church or at home. We replace every Friday night vigil with once in a month or no more vigils anymore. Nobody cares to attend weekly prayer meetings anymore. We replaced 6-10 hour prayer meetings with one hour prayer meetings. Many years ago fresh from Africa, a church in Fergus Ontario invited me for a night vigil. For every hour we had to break for 20 minutes to drink tea and coffee. The church among strong Freemasons died a natural death after some year!
We have lost the prayer closet and prayer warrior spirit of the likes of Joseph Ayo Babalola, Joseph Seymour, John G. Lake, Benson Idahosa, John Knox, and Kathryn Kuhlman. Today the spirit has departed from churches and pulpit and sadly like Saul we don't know it. It is not because we did not receive the same Holy Ghost as they did but we fail to maintain, nurture, water, polish and rejoice in it. Social media has replaced the bible, and morning quiet times, funny and sexy videos clips and movies have replaced anointed movies like Judah Ben-Hur, Quo Vadis, and The Passion of Christ. As Pastors we prefer today to invite comedians to church to make us laugh rather than Ministers that we share the word that will make members weep at the altar. What a travesty of faith, misuse of pulpit and opportunity to raise godly Christians and eagle believers.
We have replaced one- two hour sermons with 15 minutes to max 30 minutes sermon. We replaced proper dressing with indecent and sexy dressing. Children are no more taking to Sunday school we have replaced it with meaningless extracurricular activities. No more bible memory verse and recitation for children. Our children don't know bible stories anymore. In fact how many people have a bible today? Members come to church with digital and electronic bibles. Bible are displayed on the screen, so today's generation of Christians do not know the chronological sequence of the bible any more .Every child is now caring iPad, android , iPod to watch what they like. You can no more rebuke a child, or discipline a child it is called child abuse. Try to correct your Child he will reply- dad stop yelling. Mum stop yelling. I was told of a mother that was trying to use eye control (winking) to tell her daughter not to do something in the presence of her visitors. And she responded loudly ' mum is something wrong with your eyes?' I was listening to the radio the other day and it was talking about the establishment of a drive through marriage centre in Niagara Falls. Tell me is this how to maintain anointing?
You see corrupt politicians holding highest offices in the judiciary, legislative and the executive arm of government. You see corrupt senators writing books on anti- corruption and selling them at outrageous prices. You see law makers destroying the Mace and breaking chairs on each other's heads. Tell me how the spirit will not depart, when churches are ordaining LGBT bishops and pastors. Even today you have to be more politically correct everywhere than scripturally or spiritually correct. When the bible says evil spirit came from thy Lord and tormented Saul, it means God allowed the evil spirit, our preference to have full course. Have you noticed the rate at which so called Christian leaders are seeking occultic powers? Saul went to the Witch of Endor his argument: 'because God is departed from me, and answered me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams:" Why will God answer him when all he does is disobey God and blame it on the people! 1Sam 15. I hope you know this message is not about Saul, Samson, and Demas who are long dead and gone but for you to watch out and maintain your anointing so that the spirit will not depart from you!
HOW DO WE MAINTAIN THE ANOINTING?
1. Start Afresh. Eight is the number of new beginnings .Start a new life. You have messed up. You have backslidden. You have lost focus. You have lost all. Start afresh. Pursue and you will recover all. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" 1Cor 10:13
2. Don't Play The Blame Game. "And the man said, the woman whom thou gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Gen 3:12 God was not the problem of Adam not even Eve. He was there when Satan was having the conversation! David or the people were not the problem of Saul. Delilah is not the problem of Samson. Paul is not the problem of Demas. Your spouse is not your problem. Your parents are not your problem. Your children are not your problem. I remember the woman who was praying for blessing of the womb and was in all prayer meeting bible study and Sunday services without fail. Then after several years she had a child and stop coming to church. When they ask 'why'? She said "I don't want the child to be disturbing the service!" The President is not your problem. Your Pastor is not your problem. Church members are not your problem. Your teacher is not your problem. One boy was weak in Math in his school days and he knew it. One day he was given a problem to solve he tried and could not. He went to the teacher, "Sir, the question is wrong!" To maintain your anointing identify your weakness and correct them. See what you are doing wrong and correct yourself. Your anger, procrastination, laziness, evil thoughts, stealing, pilfering, bribing, taking bribe. Don't explain it away deal with it. Pray about it. Consult your mentor, pastor. Maybe like the Church of Ephesus you have lost your first love. Maybe in those days your first action in the morning was spend quality time in prayer, studying and meditating on the word of God. But social media has replaced it. Replace the social media! Maybe your priority was going to church and being inspired by heavenly sent sermons but now 'work' 'bill payment factor ' has robbed you of that. Maybe you used to go to the beach and as you watch the waves, God began to deposit new songs into your heart but today, no more time to watch creation .Retrace your step(s). Maintain your anointing!
3. Don't Lose Your Faith. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:2 Tim 4:7. Whether it is related to your business or marriage or academic pursuit you have to fight the fight of faith. Meaning, defend what you believe. The bible says put on the whole armour so that you can stand!
4. Embrace Tenacity Of Purpose. "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" Let's face it nothing comes easy. I remember the tenacity of many of Igbo students that came to Obafemi Awolowo University in those days. While reading some will put their legs in water in buckets and bowl so that they will not sleep off, when asked why? "You want me to come here and fail, don't you know I crossed bridges before I came here." Pay the price for what you believe. Do what it takes to get promotion in that office. Do what it takes to make the church or your business grow. Pay the price to maintain your anointing Christ.
5. Develop Sustenance Mentality. "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Act 20:24. Until you read 2 Cor 11:23-31 you will not appreciate what Paul meant by 'none of these things move me.' What are the things making you to lose your anointing? They are not worth it. Eli lost his priestly legacy, Saul lost his throne, and Samson died an ignoble and shameful death. Demas went to oblivion. You are too anointed to waste your ministry, marriage, business, exalted position and career because of five minutes of adultery!
6. See Beyond Your Present Circumstances. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.2 Tim 4:8. How beautiful will it be from generation to generation if you maintain your marriage? People divorce because they see the present pain and forget the future gain. Show me gold and I will show you raw material that fire has purified and is preserved at higher value for life. Do you know if you focus and finish your first or second or doctorate degree, it is yours forever? In Thailand, I brought out a young lady, who got her BSc at a tender age to demonstrate that. It is so easy to quit. Forgetting that quitters never win and winners never quit. Also that no quitter is decorated with gold medals in Olympics competition. Heaven is real. If you fail to maintain your anointing you will be a reproach on earth and loose eternal life. God forbid\d!
7. Celebrate Your Successes. You don't have to be depressed. Johnson Oatman, Jr., wrote a song "Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God has done" Saul instead of counting his blessings was obsessed, depressed and deranged by the women's song- Saul has killed his thousands, David his ten thousands. He forgot he was the Chief- Commanding- Officer and that David was the Chief Army Officer. He forgot that he was the king and David was his subject. He forgot that he was taller than everybody in Israel. Maybe you are not the best overall student but you graduated with honours and you are the first in your family. Maybe you are not driving your dream car, but you are driving a car, celebrate it. Maybe you are not the First Lady in your church but you are the First Lady in your home. Maybe you are not the Snr Pastor today but you are a pastor, probably the first in your family. Maybe your church is not a Mega Church, but you have a congregation. I remember going to Hawaii with my family for vacation. On Sunday it was tough to get a church near the Hotel Resort. We were told there is a service by the beach. Here was a Pastor with no constant or regular church member only occasional vacationers! That was the day I stopped complain about church members! Maybe you wanted boys and God gave you girls like me, celebrate them, some don't have either. Maybe you are not making 6 or 7 figures but you are not begging for bread, you have shelter over your head, you eat what you want, not what is available, celebrate it. Gratitude is an attitude. If you are not grateful you will be hateful! Meaning you will lose what you have. Nehemiah said "the joy of thy Lord is my strength." David said ' I was glad when they said let us go into the house of the Lord."! To maintain your anointing you must give room for joy in what God has done for you. Many of us are just thinking of what God has not done and we grieve the Holy Spirit and loose the anointing.1 Thes 5:19.
Conclusion: You must value what you have. Polish it. Cherish it. Nurture it. Water it. Celebrate it. Friend, let us preserve our values. Let us maintain the anointing. To maintain your anointing learn to appreciate the anointing. What you don't value depreciates what you value appreciates. It is said you don't value what you have until you lose it, if you don't believe me go and ask Saul, Esau or Samson! From this month God will enable you to maintain your anointing in Jesus name.
