By: Donna J. Kazenske
Definition of the anointing: the supernatural enablement of God which He gives to a person, through the Holy Spirit, to accomplish His purpose.
In Exodus 30:22-33, we find the recipe for the holy anointing oil as given to Moses. The oil contained five different ingredients: liquid myrrh, sweet smelling cinnamon, sweet smelling cane, cassia, and olive oil.
Even as there are different types of ingredients in the holy anointing oil, so are there different kinds of anointings in a believer’s life and ministry.
In Exodus 30:32 – “It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.”
The anointing of God is not something to be played with, nor can it be purchased with man’s hard earned money. Simon the sorcerer wanted to purchase the anointing from Peter and John when he saw them imparting the anointing to the believers in that city.
Acts 8:20-22 – “But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”
Peter told Simon that his heart was not right in the sight of God. He called this attitude of heart wickedness and told Simon to repent.
How many times has your heart not been right before God? How many times have you found yourself murmuring and complaining in God’s sight because your heart was not right? This kind of heart attitude is wickedness in God’s eyes. When our hearts are not right before God, we hinder the moving of His Spirit in our lives. Repentance must take place in order for us to be in right standing before Him.
Olive oil is one of the main ingredients in the holy anointing oil. Olive oil comes from olives that have been pressed or crushed under pressure. The oil can only flow when the olive is placed under pressure. We find this to be true in our lives as well. Sometimes, God allows us to go through some pretty intense pressure situations of which we really don’t want to be a part of. While we are griping and complaining to God about how bad our particular situation is, God is using the pressure situation to do something wonderful on the inside of us. The pressure that is being applied to our lives is causing the anointing of God to come forth in ways that it’s never been released in us before. The pressure brings the release of the anointing that is needed in our lives at this particular time.
Keeping our heart right in the times of great trial and suffering is something that does not come easy for any of us, however, our circumstances can work for our good if we will take this tiny nugget of truth into our hearts and allow God to make it revelation to us.
The children of Israel found themselves wandering through the desert for forty years because their hearts were not right in the sight of God. They could have reached the Promised Land in 11 days, but because of their continuous rebellion and wrong heart attitudes toward God and His leadership, the trip took forty long years. The whole time they were in the desert, they murmured and complained. God was doing mighty miracles in their midst, yet they neglected to praise Him and give Him glory for His supernatural provision and blessing.
Acts 16:22-24 – “Then the multitude rose up together against them (Paul & Silas); and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.”
I would like you to picture this scene in your mind for a moment. Paul and Silas were thrown into a prison with their backs ripped open and bleeding. The jailer then fastened their feet in the stocks. What a time of trial and testing for these two precious men of God! How did Paul and Silas react to this pressure situation? Did they murmur and complain to God because He messed up their anointed preaching engagement? Did they curse God and declare they would no longer serve Him because He was allowing them to go through this terrible ordeal? Did they yell at the jailer and say, “You’re going to pay for this!”?
The Scripture declares that Paul and Silas chose to pray and sing hymns to God in the midst of this pressure situation. They chose to keep their hearts right before God and man. What was the result of their decision? They were delivered by the hand of God that same night! It didn’t take forty years for their release; it only took a few hours.
I believe many of you are going through a time of pressure, a time of testing, a time of not understanding what is going on in your life. You’ve had a tendency to turn away from God in this time of great trial instead of turning to Him for strength and help. Your heart has not been right in the sight of God and you need to repent. Allow God’s mighty hand to work for you and not against you. Allow the Lord to take this time of pressure and use it to bring a new release of His anointing in your life.
God loves you more than you will ever be able to understand or fathom. He is more concerned about you than He is your ministry. He is more concerned about your heart attitude than He is about your abilities and talents.
When you are finally able to grasp this revelatory truth, you will no longer find yourself complaining when something bad is going on in your life. Instead of being negative and critical, you will find yourself turning to God in prayer and lifting your hands in worship to the One who loves you more than anyone else on the face of this earth. You will find yourself being caught up in the presence of a holy God and you will experience a new release of His anointing and glory in your life.
I believe there is a new release of God’s anointing coming upon the body of Christ in the coming year. It won’t come the way we are expecting it to come, but it will come God’s way. Many who have suffered great trials and tribulations will now find themselves growing stronger than ever in spiritual things. They will notice a new strength in God that they’ve never had before. They will experience a new anointing and they will know it’s not by their own doing, but by God’s mighty hand upon their lives and ministries. I see ministers arising out of the ash heap of destruction and despair. I see God’s glory upon their faces and a light of revelation penetrating forth from their eyes. They have been in the furnace of much affliction and have been transformed in the time of testing. God will raise them up to new levels of ministry and trust them with new levels of anointing and Jesus will be glorified.
Donna Kazenske
Sure Word Ministries, Inc.
http://sureword.faithweb.com
sureword@excite.com
