Theme Scripture: Ephesians 5:14-27 (KJV)
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Every born-again, Spirit-filled child of God has the anointing upon their life. However, each individual is responsible for keeping and increasing the level of anointing. That is why some walk in a greater anointing than others. The Word teaches Christians to be filled and continually filled with God’s Spirit, thus ensuring a fresh outflow of the anointing (Eph. 5:18). It should be noted that after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost recorded in Acts 2, the disciples experienced another outpouring soon afterwards. (Acts 4:31)
Believers are anointed by God to live a supernatural lifestyle on the earth
From the day you were born again, you were adopted into the Kingdom of God. From that day, a different set of rules applied to your day to day life on earth. In the past, natural laws applied, and it was those laws that determined your success or failure.
These rules are called supernatural laws, which are not understood by ordinary people. Unfortunately, they are also mis-understood by Christians, who are the very people whose lives they are intended for. They are labeled as “foolish” by the world, because they are so different from other natural laws.
Let us look at 1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy”.
The new set of rules enables believers to function on a greater level of ability, success and power. (anointing)
For example, the principal of tithing entails living more successfully and victoriously on 90 % of your income that on 100 % of your income. Try and explain that to a carnal person and you will probably be scoffed at. However, by simply applying that supernatural principle by faith on the grounds of God’s unfailing Word, prosperity, health, favor and many other blessings are imparted to you from God’s kingdom.
Many Christians fail miserably because they are not prepared to live by these supernatural laws. The anointing is God’s mandate for you and I to function in the supernatural.
The THREE Levels of the anointing upon believers
We need to understand that Holy Spirit is received in measures. The amount and the level of anointing that operates in a believer can be measured. There are different degrees, different measures of the anointing. Let us look at each one of them now…
- The Anointing with Measure
The anointing can be measured. The anointing enables one to do the works of Jesus. The anointing can be increased. Just as believers grow from faith to faith, from glory to glory, and from grace to grace, so do they also grow in the level of anointing in their lives.
There are principles to move into that measureless anointing. It all start with a measure of anointing God placed on our lives upon being born again. God does not give an anointing without measure immediately. There must be testing; there must be proving and there must be faithfulness shown.
God will give a deposit of anointing upon a believer’s life up to a certain level. As they are faithful in it and function effectively in it, then God gives another measure. Then at that greater measure God will tests their faithfulness.
The Corinthians had the gifts of God, but they were not operating them perfectly. This shows us that the operation and perfection of the gift depend on us not on God. Paul never question that the gifts that the Corinthians had were not from God. He acknowledged that they were from God, but he wrote that he would show them a more perfect way to operate those gifts. The operation and perfection of a gift depends on us not on God. It is our responsibility.
- Measure Upon Measure
The anointing upon the lives of Christians is increased measure upon measure, as they grow and prove their faithfulness to the anointing. Luke 16:10; He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Believers must honor and learn to be sensitive to the anointing they receive if they want more. It is the responsibility of each individual believer to grow / develop their anointing.
As we studied the anointings according to prophet Ezekiel, the fullest potential of the anointing is the anointing without measure (immersion anointing) which is the same as the anointing that operated on Jesus’ life. God anointed Jesus without measure, but He gives the anointing by measures to believers.
The potential is there but can only be attained only through effective growth of living a pure life.
- Anointing Without Measure
Believers will do greater works than what Jesus did (John 14:12). This implies that now the Holy Spirit is sent without measure. The Holy Spirit has been sent in Acts 2 as prophesied without measure. He is now pouring out on all flesh. The potential is there for people to reach into that measureless anointing that Jesus had. Some people have moved in their respective office to a realm quite close to that. As they move into the anointing, they must move exactly as God shows them. No more and no less.
There have been men and women who have moved into immersion levels of anointing close to the level of Jesus Christ in the office God has called them. Every minister called by God should aspire to reach into that anointing without measure.
Factors that affects the Level of the Anointing
- Preparedness
The level of the anointing will vary according to a believer’s preparedness. Sometimes, Christians are more prepared than at other times. Sometimes they may be able to spend time waiting on God more than other times. It is important to spend time in fellowship and intimacy with God in order to build up a preparedness to move when the Spirit moves. By being prepared, Christians are more able to tap into the full measure of the anointing upon their life.
There is a price to pay in anointed ministry, such as waiting upon the Lord, praying, fasting, studying the Word and seeking the mind of the Spirit. There are sacrifices that have to be made in order to walk in God’s fullness. Preparedness affects the anointing of God upon an individual’s life. When God places a call upon a person, he expects total submission. This almost always means turning off the voice of the flesh. Jesus said that He sanctified Himself for the purpose of anointed ministry (Jn. 17). He consecrated Himself because He had such a high mission for the sheep. He gave Himself entirely to the Lord.
- Your Expectancy Level
When people are expectant, there is the potential to operate at a higher level. Jesus could do no mighty works in His own city, because the people there did not receive Him. They were offended at Him and that stopped the flow of God’s anointing (Matt. 13:58).
Many people were healed when the expectancy was high and the power of God was present to heal them (Luke 5:17). Some people pay a high price to receive their miracle. They may have to push through the crowd like the woman with the issue of blood (Matt. 5:25). Or they may have to shout to draw attention to their plight (Matt. 20:30). Some may have traveled long distances with the hope of receiving a touch from God.
3. The Will of God
When the anointing upon is not functional upon a Christian’s life, it will be lifted off. It will not be present all the time.
The anointing functions according to the will of God or as the Spirit wills. It depends on the will of God whether God wants to manifest supernaturally at that moment in time or not. If there is no need for the anointing to manifest, then the anointing will not manifest.
The anointing comes only when there is a need for it. It depends on the will of God to manifest the anointing although the fullest potential is available.
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