Acts 10:37-38 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached — [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
Isaiah 10: 27 says; “It shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck. The yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing”.
We live and function under God’s supernatural spiritual laws. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, we should not suffer from stress, burnout, depression and oppression. God has provided us with the anointing which destroys the yoke of the enemy.
The anointing destroys the yoke, the yoke of poverty, yoke of sickness, yoke of sadness, yoke of depression, yoke of oppression and many more bondages.
The New Testament Greek words for “anointing” are chrio, which means “to smear or rub with oil” and, by implication, “to consecrate for office or religious service”; and aleipho, which means “to anoint.”
To consecrete an individual unto Jesus and furnishing him with the necessary powers for its administration (anointed for a particular ministry gift, office, or calling)
The anointing is the manifest presence of God. It is tangible and when it manifests, something supernatural happens.
In Bible times, people were anointed with oil to signify God’s blessing or call on that person’s life (Exodus 29:7; Exodus 40:9; 2 Kings 9:6; Ecclesiastes 9:8; James 5:14).
Very few Christians have a true understanding of anointing. What they have been taught may not be exactly right. They probably know that the anointing involves power, that it has something to do with Holy Spirit, and that’s about it.
The anointing equips a woman or a man of God supernaturally to perform supernatural things. God’s anointed vessels are clothed with a mantle of God’s supernatural power. The Word teaches us that it is not our might, or our power but it is the power of God’s Holy Spirit that enables us to perform mighty deeds.
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.••
In the above verse five purposes of the anointing, five aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit in us, are revealed:
The main purposes of the anointing in the 21st century
(1) to enable one “to preach [the] good news” effectively. The news we share about Jesus is “good”. The anointing will enable you to share it with impact.
(2) to make one a Spirit-filled messenger, a “proclaim[er of] freedom for the prisoners” — freedom from the prison of sin, of drugs, of depression, of life-dominating habits.
(3) we are anointed to bring “recovery of sight for the blind” — both physical and spiritual healing, as Jesus did. Not only healing, but other gifts of the Holy Spirit begin to flow from the powerful anointing of the Spirit of God in your life.
(4) we are anointed “to release the oppressed”. All around you are people oppressed by sin, by sickness, by demonic attacks, etc. You have a message of release for them.
(5) we are anointed “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” to people ignorant of the comforting message of God’s grace.
It is NOT by might or by power but by the Spirit of God
Let us look at Zachariah 4:1 declares; “So he said to me, This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. New Living Translation. Then he said to me, This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies”.
Many ministers and Christians try to live their lives without the anointing, or they try and minister in the flesh. That places a tremendous burden upon them and that is why they feel so burnt out after a while and their ministry or Christian walk is an uphill struggle. Jesus said to us to take His burden and to put on His yoke, because it is easy, it is light.
- Matthew 11:28-30 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Isaiah 40:25-31 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Philippians 4:13; “I can do all this through him who gives me strength”. Acts 15:10; “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?
There are two ways of doing the ministry –
- By the arm of the fresh – the hard way or
- By the power of Holy Spirit – the easy way.
Choose the easy way. The easy way is to ensure that God’s power and presence is upon you at all times. That means you are sensitive to Holy Spirit Leading and guidance. (The anointing)
The purpose and the types of the anointing
The anointing enables a believer to live a supernatural lifestyle
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. But now, a new set of rules apply which enables you to function on a greater level of ability, success and power. (anointing)
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”.
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.
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 types of anointing as in the old Testament
In the Old testament, there were only three type of people who were anointed. They were:
- prophets
- priests
- kings
If you were NOT one of these three, you were excluded from the manifest power and presence and anointing of God.
The priests, prophets and kings were each anointed for a specific function.
Let us look at some of them…
1. The Anointing of David
In Revelations chapter 5 and verse10, David was anointed as King over Israel. The Bible says that he was a man “after God’s own heart”. We need to walk in the David-type of anointing, because God “has made us kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth”
2. The Anointing of Samson
See Judges 14 verses 5 – 6 “And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him”.
Samson was anointed to overcome the enemy. The Philistines had mighty armies which continually waged war against Israel. The Spirit of God anointed Samson to supernatural defeat the enemy.
We need to operate in the anointing of Samson. We have been empowered to defeat every work of the devil.
3. The Anointing of Gideon
See Judges 6 v 4 & 6, “And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD”.
See Judges 6 v 3, “But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was gathered after him”.
God anointed Gideon to release the Israelites from poverty and bondage. The Mideanites systematically destroyed their crops and livestock, causing poverty and hunger.
I believe God anoints us with His Spirit so that we are able to overcome the curse of poverty and to set those who are bound free from bondage.
4. The Anointing of Elisha
1 Kings 19 v 16 – 2 Kings 13 v 20 “Elisha received a double portion of God’s anointing. When you read about his mighty exploits, it is clear that he operated supernaturally in signs and wonders. God has anointed each one of us to perform similar exploits in the mighty name of Jesus, by means of the gifts of the Holy Spirit..”
5. The Anointing of Elijah
1 Kings 17 v 1 – 2 Kings 13 v 20, “Elijah was anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach repentance. When God raised up John the Baptist, who preached repentance, Jesus referred to him as Elijah”.
Malachi 4 v 5 – 6, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse”.
However, on the Day of Pentecost, all that changed. The Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh – men and women, Jews and gentiles, rich and poor, free and slave.
The New Testament anointing
Not only does God want you to live in prosperity and blessing, but He also wants you to live victoriously as overcomers. That is possible by an impartation of God’s anointing upon our lives.
Not even Jesus could function supernaturally whilst on earth, without the anointing. Before He could heal the sick, raise the dead or perform any miracle, he had to be anointed for the task. How much more is that applicable to you and me today!
Isaiah 61 and verse 1 declares; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (Jesus) because He has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor, he has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound”.
Acts 10 and verse 38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him”.
I believe the power of God’s Spirit if the missing ingredient in the lives of God’s people. From the above verses, it is clear that Jesus has given us authority over:
- Sin
- Poverty
- Sickness
- All the power of the devil
This is what enables believers to function supernaturally. Jesus tells us that we are to do greater works than He did. The question is – what are we doing?
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