The Radical Anointing of God

Art Katz “…The issue of anointing is the issue of truth – the issue of authentic relationship with God, because if we are not authentically related to Him in truth moment by moment, how can we relate to men? And if we are not authentic with ourselves, with those of the same race, same religious persuasion, what shall we be expressing to those who are outside of our orbit and to whom we need to bring a greater reality?”

Smith Wigglesworth “…The measure of power is in exact proportion to the measure of holiness.”

Smith Wigglesworth “…I know this that the man who is to be possessed with a zeal for God’s work can only possess it, as he is thirsty after God.”

Smith Wigglesworth “…We are a back number if we have to pray for power, if we have to wait until we feel a sense of His presence. The baptism in the Holy Spirit should empower you for any emergency.”

Joseph Cook (1800’s) “…The great need of the world is the Christianising of Christianity.” We do, indeed, sorely need to get back to the Pentecostal experience with its subsequent holiness and power."
Scriptural References

Isaiah 10:27, Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38 and 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I want to talk about the radical anointing of God, which must be allowed to cause sweeping change in us.

To be radicalized means – to undergo fundamental change, or introduce sweeping change in something.

To be radicalized can be seen as both a good thing as well as a bad thing;

Good for the Christian because it is spiritually driven when we give the Holy Ghost the right to move in our lives; it causes us to desire more of God (fellowship, life, pray etc), to desire more of the anointing, to desire to walk more in the spirit, it enables us to lay down our life (figuratively or in reality) for another because of Hope, Faith and Love.

Bad for some religions and movements because it is flesh and evil spirit driven; flesh because it is about what men can convince others to do out of fear and hate; spiritually driven because of the evil spirits behind what they ultimately do after they are radicalised.

Smith Wigglesworth “…The baptism in the Holy Spirit has come for nothing less than to eat up the whole of my life. It set up Jesus as King, and nothing can stand in His holy presence when He is made King.”

Revelation S. A. Keen, D.D., the mighty advocate of holiness and Spirit power of the Methodist Episcopal Church wrote in the 1800’s, in his “Pentecostal Papers” the following. “…How presumptuous for us to attempt our mission without the anointing, when Jesus did not venture to enter upon his without the aid of the Spirit. How careful he was to guard his first disciples against venturing to their mission — even after their commission was given, and the gospel message all ready for the mouth of its heralds — without the anointing of the Holy Ghost! He said: ‘Tarry till ye be endued with the power from on high.’ Yet how many ministers, teachers, missionaries, evangelists, and workers have gone to their mission without this power to achieve it! The great blunder of the Church today is, that so many are attempting to do God’s work, and to save souls, without the power of the Holy Ghost. Then we wonder why, for so much giving and doing and going, there is so little fruit and so little salvation. If the column of the Church would halt a few moments, get on its knees, look up, and receive the Holy Ghost, without stopping long enough to go into camp, it would push on the campaign so successfully that it would be the surprise of this century.”

The anointing of God is here so that we are radicalized in order that we “…undergo fundamental change, so that we have sweeping change introduce into our lives.”

The anointing of God is here in order that we become those who are willing to give our lives for others to bring them to new life in Christ.

Remember this kind of radicalization is spiritual and is based in the anointing, faith, hope and love.

Isaiah 10:27, Romans 14:17 and Romans 15:13 remember it is the anointing which destroys the yoke of bondage, it is the anointing which lifts the burden off our lives and sets us free in the kingdom of God through righteousness, peace and joy; through the power of the Holy Ghost.

What is the anointing

We often preach about it, we talk about it and we even sing about it; sadly though very few believers actually understand the anointing. The anointing is another way of talking about God's supernatural enabling, God's power, God's Spirit, the finger of God, God's living water, God's virtue and God's kingdom functioning etc.

To often people try to understand the anointing based on their feelings or experience whether this one falls or that one laughs or that one shakes. These are some of the effects of the anointing or the ripples of God's presence with us if you like. Often we say this one is anointed or that one is anointed based on what we see and hear coloured by our good or bad experiences. The problem is that what we see and hear to often colours what is actually true of the anointing.

Christ was and is the Anointed One

1 Corinthians 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 6:19 we have the Holy Ghost (the Anointing) dwelling within us we are the temple of the Holy Ghost. When we speak of a person who is anointed, we acknowledge the hand of God on that person.

We are to walk in the Spirit, in the anointing, the pouring out of the Holy Ghost like the anointing oil, not just a little dab or touch on our fingers, but we are to be fully immersed in the Holy Ghost. God desires each one of us to walk continually in His anointing or in the spirit.

The anointing is – Going and doing

Luke 4:18-19 and Acts 10:38 it anoints us to preach good news, to bring healing to the broken hearted, to bring deliverance to the captives, to bring sight to the blind and freedom to those who are crushed.

Joel 2:28-29 (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) we begin to prophesy, to dream dreams, to see visions to have the gifts of the Spirit in operation.

Luke 7:22 the blind will see, the lame will walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and those who are poor are told how to come out of poverty.

The anointing is – The burden removing yoke destroying power of God

Isaiah 10:27 tells us it is the anointing which destroys the yoke. We have always looked at this Scripture from the perspective of just when the minister of God lays hands on someone or when we are specially anointed this Scripture comes to pass. What we must see is that we are anointed by God to live this life in victory. It is the anointing of God that breaks the yoke of bondage.

Zechariah 4:6 the anointing is a Divine enablement for us to accomplish God’s purposes on earth. God’s work can only be done by His Spirit and cannot be done through human might and power.

1 Corinthians 3:9 we are co-labourers with Him. His Spirit works in us and through us by anointing us.

C. Campbell Morgan said – Not by resources, nor by resoluteness. These may be high, pure, and mighty; but in so far as they are human they cannot accomplish the work of God in the world. By might and by power, by resources and resoluteness, we may be able to legislate for [ourselves]… we can do much on the human level; but by these things we cannot shine as lights in the world… We are very far from believing that. If I were asked today to give what I think to be the reason for the comparative failure of the Church of God in missionary enterprise, I would say that we are terribly in danger of imagining that by our own splendid resources and resoluteness we can accomplish the work.

Romans 8:28-39 the anointing has a two-fold purpose.

• Firstly the anointing works in us by teaching us God’s ways conforming us to His likeness.

• Secondly it works through us by giving supernatural ability to do God’s work (witnessing, preaching, teaching, laying hands on the sick etc).

Luke 4:18 He hath anointed me – I have been designed and set apart for this very purpose; my sole business among men is to proclaim glad tidings to the poor, etc.

Acts 10:38 many in the church today don’t really realise that they stand in the anointing today nor do they realise the power of that anointing.

There are two things Jesus had;

The Holy Ghost.
The power of God or a readiness to act along with the ability to act.

Please don’t misunderstand these two things are from the one source. They cannot be separated they work in unison if you are anointed with the Holy Ghost you are also anointed with power. They are always working together to bring about God’s desire in the earth; that all may know Him by experience.

Romans 15:29 “…I am certain when I come to you I shall come filled with the presence, power, agency and riches of the benefits of the gospel of the anointed One and His anointing.”

Paul was going to come to them “…filled with the presence, power, agency and riches of the benefits of the gospel of the Anointed one and His Anointing…”

Fullness – In the NT, the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ; fullness, abundance.
Blessing – A (concrete) blessing, benefit.

Wherever Paul went he wanted to show the fullness of the gospel that is seen in the Holy Ghost (the utterance gifts) and power (the power gifts) or the anointing.

Romans 15:13 we see here that Paul understood that the power of the Holy Ghost brings hope, joy peace in your belief and you begin to abound in hope. When anyone is touched by the anointing the power of God or touched by the Holy Ghost people’s lives are forever changed. They truly taste and see that the Lord is good and hope is birthed and renewed, joy comes bringing with it peace and faith begins to flow.

The anointing is – Our reality

Ephesians 3:20 “…Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].” (Amplified)

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 the idea is that the anointing will create a reaction of awe and amazement at the supernatural and men’s hope and faith is turned toward God. It is not the case that the anointing is something so deep and unattainable that only great ministers and prophets can operate in it. The anointing is for every child of God. The anointing equips you for everyday life; what we need is an understanding of the anointing so that we begin to live in the anointing.

Neil Davis, 16/05/2010