15 June 2008

Healing Series No. 4. Having Confidence in the Anointing.

What is anointing?
Equipping, empowering , the ability from God to do something we could not do.

1. Old Testament.
There was a special ceremony involving anointing with oil, made to a detailed recipe of spices, to signify God’s empowering for a particular task. Kings, priests and sometimes prophets were anointed.
OT anointing was for special people for a special purpose for a particular time.
Examples. A. Aaron. Leviticus 8 : 1-12. It was for consecration / setting apart.
Psalm 133. It was a pouring out – not a dribble.
B. David. 1 Samuel 16 : 1, 6 – 13. David was not the obvious choice.
Anointing is a heart thing.
Anointing brings power. The “dunamis” of God.
C. Isaiah 61 : 1 – 4. What God’s anointing empowers His servants to do.
It is powerful, gentle, caring, releasing, exchanging, gathering.

2. New Testament – Jesus.
A. Luke 4 : 14-21 (Isaiah 61) Jesus did not minister out of His divine sonship but as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit.
B. Acts 10 : 37-38. The anointing brings power to destroy the devil’s power. The conflict of the kingdoms of light and darkness is here revealed.
C. Luke 4 : 28-29. The anointing provoked hostility. See Isaiah 53 : 3. Never think that the anointing will usher us into a day of peace and goodwill.

3. What about us?
We have a calling that is clear too. John 20 : 21-22. We too are sent.
We need to make sure that the Spirit of the Lord is on us by getting low enough.

Hudson Taylor. “God chose me because I was weak enough. God does not do His great work by large committees. He trains somebody to be quiet enough and little enough and then uses him.”
Pollock, Hudson Taylor and Maria, p 130
A. The anointing gives power to the powerless. It gives heavenly ability to those who have no ability. We need to come humbly before God like the neighbour in Luke 11 : 6. I have nothing to set before them.
Total dependency on God.
B. The anointing breaks the yoke. Isaiah 61:1.Freedom for the captives.
My experience at the last prayer meeting – freed from oppression.
C. There is a price to pay.
Is 53:10. Jesus was despised and rejected. Luke 4:1-3. Wilderness time.
To say yes to the anointing you have to say yes to God’s dealings with you – with your heart, your pride, your self sufficiency. You have to be willing to be crushed. Even Jesus was crushed and he had no pride!
Luther. “The flesh ever looks to be glorified before it is crucified.”

Arthur Wallis. “It must be --- a life of renunciation of ourselves, our abilities, our resources. We have to come to the place of weakness and emptiness that his strength may be made perfect in us.”

Robert Duncan, 16/06/2008