Operating in The Anointing

Acts 1:8 promises that we will receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon us. This promise is essential to understanding the anointing. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we are in God’s presence. But God’s presence is not the same as His anointing. God’s presence is His glory and His person; His anointing is His power. In Hebrew, the word “anoint” is mashach, which means “to rub in.” The Greek word is chrism and means “to smear.” When we receive the anointing, we are, in a sense, “smeared” with His power, which means that He is not only upon us but within us, as oil would be rubbed into and absorbed by the skin. Simply put, the anointing is God’s power. It is the manifestation and the result of his presence. Without God’s glory, we will never have His power. At the same time, the power without the presence will destroy a person; it will become an enemy. So we must have the presence with the power. The glory is given as long as a person is faithful. The power is the gift we receive as a result of the glory of God. Thus, a person can lose the glory and keep the power (for example, Sampson and Saul).

The anointing of the Spirit of God is a must in the life of every believer. Every work done without the Spirit of God and without the power of God is rejected.We must be anointed to be accepted. The anointing is upon every believer, according to the following scriptures:

2 Corinthians 1:21: “Now He Which Stablisheth Us With You In Christ, And Hath Anointed Us, Is God.”

1 John 2:27: “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 Hath Taught You, Ye Shall Abide In Him.”

According to Numbers 18:8, all we have, we have because of the anointing:

“And The LORD Spake Unto Aaron, Behold, I Also Have Given Thee The Charge Of Mine Heave Offerings Of All The Hallowed Things Of The Children Of Israel; Unto Thee Have I Given Them By Reason Of The Anointing, And To Thy Sons, By An Ordinance For Ever.”

The anointing can increase on your life. God’s multiplies itself and increases, as the Scripture

“He That Believeth On Me, As The Scripture Hath Said, Rivers Of Living Water” ( John 7:38). “When I Washed My Steps With Butter, And The Rock Poured Job 29:6).

God promises rivers—not a river—of His power.

The anointing of God is unspeakably precious and valuable.When we have the anointing, we must protect it.

“Dead Flies Cause The Ointment Of The Apothecary To Send Forth A Stinking Savour: So Doth A Little Folly Him That Is In Reputation For Wisdom And Honour (Ecclesiastes 10:1).

Talking about demons continually weakens the anointing upon our life. Honoring the works of the enemy weakens our walk with the Lord, and, as a result, the anointing is lifted. Joshua 7—8 gives us a detailed account of Achan, the son of Carmi, who disobeyed the Lord and stole a Babylonian garment, some silver, and some gold. These items were forbidden by the Lord because they had been used in idol worship. By his act of rebellion, Achan brought a curse on Israel so that they were not winning their battles. Bringing objects which honor the enemy and rebelling against God’s Word will also cause God’s anointing to be lifted off an individual or group.

The anointing on you is the overflow of the Messiah’s life into yours. Second Corinthians 1:21-22 affirms this:

“Now He Which Stablisheth Us With You In Christ, And Hath Anointed Us, Is God; Who Hath Also Sealed Us, And Given The Earnest Of The Spirit In Our Hearts.”

The anointing can be transferred—and it can be transferred by you and me.We are vessels of God.We must accept that we are vessels and be honored by this wonderful privilege. The Bible does not say that nothing is impossible to God but that nothing is impossible with God.Therefore, God is looking for vessels to use. But do not allow your vessel to be weakened.You cannot put new wine in old bottles.Make sure your vessel is fit for God’s use. The anointing is transferred in strength to the strong. God told Moses to give Him the best, not what was flawed. God’s abiding presence is for fellowship, yet His power is for service. The presence is given that we might know Him, while the power is given that others might know Him through us.The power is for service, not fellowship.The presence is for fellowship. The presence affects the human spirit; the power affects the human body, and it can be transferred.

In this lesson, we examine the anointing as it relates to ministry. The anointing of God will not flow unless we are in fellowship with God and His people. Unity is essential. Scripture tells us:

“Behold, How Good And How Pleasant It Is For Brethren To Dwell Together In Unity! It Is Like The Precious Ointment Upon The Head, That Ran Down Upon The Beard, Even Aaron’s Beard: That Went Down To The Skirts Of His Garments; As The Dew Of Hermon, And As The Dew That Descended Upon The Mountains Of Zion: For There The LORD Commanded The Blessing, Even Life For Evermore” (Psalm 133).

Before we look at the purposes of the anointing, let’s be reminded of the importance of dying to self if we want the anointing.

The anointing brings countless blessings, according to Psalm 89:19-29:

Then Thou Spakest In Vision To Thy Holy One, And Saidst, I Have Laid Help Upon One That Is Mighty; I Have Exalted One Chosen Out Of The People. I Have Found David My Servant; With My Holy Oil Have I Anointed Him: With Whom My Hand Shall Be Established: Mine Arm Also Shall Strengthen Him. The Enemy Shall Not Exact Upon Him; Nor The Son Of Wickedness Afflict Him. And I Will Beat Down His Foes Before His Face, And Plague Them That Hate Him. But My Faithfulness And My Mercy Shall Be With Him: And In My Name Shall His Horn Be Exalted.

I Will Set His Hand Also In The Sea, And His Right Hand In The Rivers. He Shall Cry Unto Me, Thou Art My Father, My God, And The Rock Of My Salvation. Also I Will Make Him My Firstborn, Higher Than The Kings Of The Earth. My Mercy Will I Keep For Him For Evermore, And My Covenant Shall Stand Fast With Him. His Seed Also Will I Make To Endure For Ever, And His Throne As The Days Of Heaven.

And It Was So, When Elijah Heard It, That He Wrapped His Face In His Mantle, And Went Out, And Stood In The Entering Of The Cave. And, Behold, There Came A Voice Unto Him, And Said, What Doest Thou Here, Elijah? And He Said, I Have Been Very Jealous For The LORD God Of Hosts: Because The Children Of Israel Have Forsaken Thy Covenant, Thrown Down Thine Altars, And Slain Thy Prophets With The Sword; And I, Even I Only, Am Left; And They Seek My Life, To Take It Away.

And The LORD Said Unto Him, Go, Return On Thy Way To The Wilderness Of Damascus: And When Thou Comest, Anoint Hazael To Be King Over Syria: And Jehu The Son Of Nimshi Shalt Thou Anoint To Be King Over Israel: And Elisha The Son Of Shaphat Of Abelmeholah Shalt Thou Anoint To Be Prophet In Thy Room. And It Shall Come To Pass, That Him That Escapeth The Sword Of Hazael Shall Jehu Slay: And Him That Escapeth From The Sword Of Jehu Shall Elisha Slay.

Yet I Have Left Me Seven Thousand In Israel, All The Knees Which Have Not Bowed Unto Baal, And Every Mouth Which Hath Not Kissed Him. So He Departed Thence, And Found Elisha The Son Of Shaphat, Who Was Plowing With Twelve Yoke Of Oxen Before Him, And He With The Twelfth: And Elijah Passed By Him, And Cast His Mantle Upon Him. (1 Kings 19:13-19)

And It Came To Pass, When The Lord Would Take Up Elijah Into Heaven By A Whirlwind, That Elijah Went With Elisha From Gilgal. And Elijah Said Unto Elisha, Tarry Here, I Pray Thee; For The LORD Hath Sent Me To Bethel. And Elisha Said Unto Him, As The LORD Liveth, And As Thy Soul Liveth, I Will Not Leave Thee. So They Went Down To Bethel. And The Sons Of The Prophets That Were At Bethel Came Forth To Elisha, And Said Unto Him, Knowest Thou That The LORD Will Take Away Thy Master From Thy Head To Day? And He Said, Yea, I Know It; Hold Ye Your Peace. And Elijah Said Unto Him, Elisha, Tarry Here, I Pray Thee; For The LORD Hath Sent Me To Jericho.

And He Said, As The LORD Liveth, And As Thy Soul Liveth, I Will Not Leave Thee. So They Came To Jericho. And The Sons Of The Prophets That Were At Jericho Came To Elisha, And Said Unto Him, Knowest Thou That The LORD Will Take Away Thy Master From Thy Head To Day? And He Answered, Yea, I Know It; Hold Ye Your Peace. And Elijah Said Unto Him, Tarry, I Pray Thee, Here; For The LORD Hath Sent Me To Jordan. And He Said, As The LORD Liveth, And As Thy Soul Liveth, I Will Not Leave Thee. And They Two Went On. And Fifty Men Of The Sons Of The Prophets Went, And Stood To View Afar Off: And They Two Stood By Jordan. And Elijah Took His Mantle, And Wrapped It Together, And Smote The Waters, And They Were Divided Hither And Thither, So That They Two Went Over On Dry Ground.

Behold, I Pray Thee, The Situation Of This City Is Pleasant, As My LORD Seeth: But The Water Is Naught, And The Ground Barren. And He Said, Bring Me A New Cruse, And Put Salt Therein. And They Brought It To Him. And He Went Forth Unto The Spring Of The Waters, And Cast The Salt In There, And Said, Thus Saith The LORD, I Have Healed These Waters; There Shall Not Be From Thence Any More Death Or Barren Land.

So The Waters Were Healed Unto This Day, According To The Saying Of Elisha Which He Spake. And He Went Up From Thence Unto Bethel: And As He Was Going Up By The Way, There Came Forth Little Children Out Of The City, And Mocked Him, And Said Unto Him, Go Up, Thou Bald Head; Go Up, Thou Bald Head. And He Turned Back, And Looked On Them, And Cursed Them In The Name Of The LORD. And There Came Forth Two She Bears Out Of The Wood, And Tare Forty And Two Children Of Them. And He Went From Thence To Mount Carmel, And From Thence He Returned To Samaria. (2 Kings 2:12-25)