|
1 John 2:20
“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye
know all things.”
2 Timothy 3:5
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof: from such turn away.”
It is impossible to turn people away from worldliness without
a powerful anointing at work in your life. Today, more than
ever before, people are consumed with their own pleasure.
It is our job to turn them around and get them to follow
Jesus. However, Satan opposes those who would seek to gain
access to this heavenly endowment. Therefore, as we begin
our study in the anointing it might be best that you immediately
put on the whole armor of God and prepare yourself for the
battle of a lifetime.
Every force that opposes us can be reversed and its effect
is made to work for us. The best example of this can be
found in the Old Testament when Jehu was anointed. His anointing
was specifically designed to turn things around.
In the New King James Version, 2 Kings 9:18 reveals exactly
what affect his anointing had on the opposing forces. “Then
he sent out a second horseman who came to them, and said,
"Thus says the king: 'Is it peace?' " And Jehu
answered, "What have you to do with peace? Turn around
and follow me."
It is time for us to develop the Turnaround Anointing.
We must evangelize our world with the only message that
can save. Before your ministry can be used by God to reap
the end-time harvest of souls, you must learn how to recognize
the anointing. You must discover your “unction.”
The word “unction,” actually means “ointment
that is rubbed in.” This New Testament anointing is
much different than the Old Testament one. In the Old Testament
the anointing was poured out – in the New Testament
the anointing was rubbed in. Your effectiveness will never
be determined by what is poured out in a single moment.
It will be determined by how much you linger and by how
much you soak in the glory.
Jehu received his anointing so he could cast down the
spirit of Jezebel that had crippled Israel with her wicked
cruelty. Three things had to happen to Jehu before he could
be so anointed. Read 2 Kings 19.
First, he received the messenger as from God. Even though
the messenger wasn’t the prophet, he was still considered
to be from God and the anointing just as valid. Too many
people don’t want anybody telling them what to do.
You need a preacher that can instruct you in the ways of
anointing. You must submit to a unique set of orders that
may not make sense all the time, but will reap great spiritual
dividends if carefully followed.
Second, Jehu allowed himself to be taken to an upper room
where the messenger poured out the anointing. He separated
himself from the crowd and got alone with God. If you haven’t
discovered your unction, maybe it’s because you blend
with the crowd too much. Maybe you are more interested in
a party than in a prayer meeting. Perhaps if you denied
yourself some pleasures and got a little more serious about
seeking God for His favor, you too would be powerfully anointed
to help win the lost today.
Third, Jehu made no attempt to hide the change that the
anointing brought him. He didn’t try to clean
it up. He let it stick. He was literally soaked in the anointing,
which was equal to about 21/2 gallons and probably cost
around $2000. Expensive and messy. Yes, that pretty well
describes exactly what an anointed ministry really is. It
will cost you and sometimes it gets messy. But it’s
worth it.
Let’s take a look at the Book Acts for a moment. The
beginning of the book of Acts states its purpose and reveals
what Jesus began both to do and to teach. The apostles’
ministry was simply a continuation of what they saw Jesus
say and do. So must yours. When it ended, it ended with
Paul preaching the kingdom and teaching those things which
concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man
forbidding him.
There is no doxology, no benediction, not even a good ole
AMEN. The only appropriate ending would be three words:
TO BE CONTINUED. I trust that through this mentoring process
you have been made to continue the revival that was started
many years ago on the Day of Pentecost. We must not
let revival fires die. Shall we begin in the spirit and
end up in the flesh?
The book of Acts teaches us to save ourselves from this
untoward generation. The word “untoward” means,
“without direction.”God is asking us to set the
direction. The Holy Ghost is giving us four prime directives
for this generation. Does your preaching set direction or
do you just ramble?
1.
We need an awesome sense of God’s presence and glory
in our midst.
2.
We need to respond to God’s call to prayer and repentance.
3.
We need to respond to God’s call to unity – the
word, “accord,” is actually a compound word which
means, “like passion.” People who carry the same
passionate longing.
4.
We must hear the voice of Jesus before we can receive the
power of God (Acts 1:4-8).
. . . but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith
he, ye have heard of me” (Acts 1:4).
If we are to continue the turnaround anointing we need to
understand the three anointings that are available to us.
The anointing is always given for a specific purpose –
not just to feel good. It’s not for personal use.
If the anointing came in a bottle its label would read --
For Divine Use Only. Let’s look at the three anointings.
The First Anointing – A Leper’s Anointing:
anointing for atonement given to a cleansed leper. “And
the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall
put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make
an atonement for him before the LORD” (Leviticus 14:29).
The anointing was reserved only to anoint a priest or a
king – except for the cleansing of a leper. Strange,
isn’t it? To find an anointing on a leper. Atonement
carries its own anointing.
The new birth experience of water and spirit is in and of
itself an anointing that every believer possesses. It produces
a freshness and creates an attitude of power and thanksgiving.
God has anointed us to create an atonement in peoples’
lives, but there are hindrances to this atonement. We must
possess wine and corn to help deliver people from their
sins. Hence the expression – “He has corn in the
crib.” That simply means things happen when he
preaches. People are saved, healed and delivered. He’s
done something!
Lamentations 2:12 says the children swooned as the wounded
in the streets pouring their souls out to Mama saying, “Where
is the corn and the wine?” Do you have any corn and
wine? If not, it’s time you get it.
The generation we are preaching to is a wounded generation
– and they are coming to Mama saying, “Where
is the corn and the wine?” In verse 13 there was a
breach created because there was a gap between the way they
lived and what they preached. Ask yourself the question,
Is there a gap between what you preach and the way you live?
Close that gap and immediately your corn and wine will increase.
Mama didn’t have any corn or wine because (in verse
14) the preacher never discovered her iniquity. She wouldn’t
let the vision correct her sin. The preaching of their prophets
never revealed the real reason why they were in captivity.
If we can’t find out the real reason why we are not
having revival, we will flounder and wander without ever
hitting the mark. Our reserve of corn and wine becomes depleted
when we miss our goals. If Pentecost is to be continued
we must preach against sin.
David prayed concerning Solomon in 1 Kings 2:4, “That
the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning
me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk
before me in truth with all their heart and with all their
soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne
of Israel.”
We must not fail this generation – we need anointed
men of God to preach the gospel. The word of promise can
only continue when the right man is in the right place at
the right time. We need to make sure we are in the will
of God. We can not afford to be traumatized by every battle,
we must learn to rise above the crisis. We shouldn’t
need therapy every time we come to church.
We should release the power of our anointing to minister
the word of God in the Holy Ghost. God is wanting
His church to awaken to her spiritual authority in Jesus
Christ. God wants His word to be continued.
The Second Anointing – A Priestly Anointing (the anointing
of relationship). This anointing comes so that we can minister
to the Lord. “And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy
garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may
minister unto me in the priest's office” (Exodus 40:13).
If you do not know how to minister to the Lord, all the
preaching against sin is useless. We don’t convert
people to ourselves; we convert people to Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we must internalize our desire to serve the Lord.
We cannot always depend on external stimuli to motivate
us in the pulpit. What is happening in the congregation
should not affect what we preach, because we have heard
from God and know exactly what we need to say to the people.
The only way to deepen your relationship with God is learn
how to minister to the Lord – learn how to bless him.
Say along with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul and
all that is within me. Bless his Holy Name.” When you
learn to be a blessing to the Lord he will in turn give
you an anointing that will turn the meanest devil around
and have him follow you as you follow Christ.
The Third Anointing – A King’s Anointing. Notice
the question mark in 1 Samuel 10:1. This is the first example
of a King being anointed in scripture. The law of first
use teaches us to pay very close attention to things that
happen for the first time in the Bible. The question mark
definitely captures my attention.
It’s as if Samuel was asking Saul, What will
you do with your anointing? What is your anointing really
for? Samuel didn’t answer the question for him. He
let Saul determine for himself what his anointing would
do. Will you hurt others or heal them?
“Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon
his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the
LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance”
(I Samuel 10:1)?
This anointing also comes with a kiss. The Bible says, “Kiss
the son lest he be angry with you” (Psalm 2:12).
The whole second chapter of Psalms speaks of the rulership
of the Son and this verse refers to our acceptance of His
authority – where we acknowledge our submission with
joy to His rulership. That’s the only way our anointing
can be used properly. We must be totally submitted to Jesus
Christ. Then our anointing will turn people around. The
only instance in scripture where Jesus was said to dance
was when his disciples began to use their authority to take
their cities back for God.
Luke 10:17
“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord,
even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread
on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding
in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you;
but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank
thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good
in thy sight.”
In Luke 10:21 when the disciples returned with a victory
report of how they had gained power over all the power of
the enemy. Jesus "rejoiced in the spirit" which
actually means "to leap or jump for joy". It was
at this time that Jesus saw Satan falling out of heaven
like lightning. Jesus saw this vision at this time
because the disciples had realized who they were in Christ.
1.
First, they began to exercise their authority over the enemy.
2.
Second, they took the gospel of the kingdom to the cities.
These were the seventy, not the twelve.
3.
Third, they had to receive power over all the power of the
enemy.
Jesus gave them power to tread upon serpents and scorpions.
When they began to exercise this authority coupled with
the knowledge that they had their names written in the Lamb's
book of Life, Jesus began to dance or jump for joy.
Here we see the new birth is the real cause for celebration.
Not just the work we do for him, but the work he has already
done in us. Once we connect our passion to our new birth
experience, the work of the Spirit flows freely and naturally
from the life of a believer. Is Jesus dancing over your
ministry? If he is it’s because you just realized you
are anointed. Let’s take our cities back for Jesus.
Here is a poem found in a Catholic Hymnal at a funeral home
in Shreveport, LA. I have used this many times in various
services across our fellowship. When you read it you will
know why.
LORD OF THE DANCE
I danced in the morning when the world was begun, And I
danced in the moon and the stars, and the sun. And
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth;
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
I danced for the scribe and the pharisee, But they would
not dance and they wouldn't follow me; I danced for the
fishermen, for James and John; They came with me and the
dance went on;
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame; The holy
people said it was shame. They whipped and they stripped
and they hung me on high, And they left me there on a cross
to die;
I danced on a Friday when the Sky turned black; It's hard
to dance with the devil on your back. They buried my body
and they thought I'd gone; But I am the dance and I still
go on;
They cut me down and I leap up high; I am the life that'll
never die; I'll live in you if you'll live in me; I am the
Lord of Dance, said he.
Dance, then wherever you may be; I am the Lord of the Dance,
said he, And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be, And
I'll lead you all in the dance, said he. Dance said
he.
| 
