“Thou anointest my head with oil.” Psalm 23:5
In the last two days we have discussed that when God anoints a person for something, life gets complicated AND full of assurance. Battles arise but so does victory because the anointing makes it so!
You might remember that we are using the acronym C.A.R.E. to discuss how the Holy Spirit manifests anointing in a person’s life. When you are anointed, and if you believe and are born-again you are anointed, then life will get complicated; But you will also succeed in life through the anointing, if you follow the requirements of the anointing. You see the anointing requires something of us.
This is where so many Christians fall off the road and end up swimming in a sea of half-believing misery. I have so often heard it preached that “There is no one so miserable as a half-hearted Christian.” It’s true! Many of us have “just enough of the truth to keep us out of Hell but not enough to make us happy or victorious on Earth.”
These statements paint the picture of Christians who have received the anointing but refuse to walk out the requirements of the anointing. I know as soon as I start talking about God requiring something of us a whole segment of the Christian population begins to wrankle, feeling I’ve just done away with grace. Listen, I’m not talking about eternal destinations here. I leave that with the Judge of all the Earth who penned John 3:16-18. I am however talking about our level of joy.
No one can deny that many Christians heading for eternal life live as though that’s more a punishment than a gift. So many of my brothers and sisters just seem stuck in a cycle of negativity they cannot break. The cause of this is a life out of harmony with the anointing. Holy Ghost promises joy unspeakable and full of glory. Holy Ghost promises peace that passes understanding. Holy Ghost also promises that if we live in ways that quench or grieve Him we’ll have none of that (even though we retain our salvation).
I’m not a legalist friends but I will say that the degree to which we conform to the patterns of the Word or to the patterns of the World to that degree we will increase or decrease joy, victory, and success.
Reinventing the We'll 
Thank you for teaching us! May we not shy away from whatever is required of us and pray to know where and when we grieve or quench Him. I know that unforgiveness is one that I feel the affects of right away. No joy or peace when I am in the middle of that.
God bless you and this Psalm 23 study!
It is true. God has granted us the ministry of reconciliation and so in the midst of that when we harbor unforgiveness we shut down the work of God in our lives and the anointing and our joy suffers. I too have known this difficulty but God has been gracious to deliver me out of it when I called! 🙂
Very well said Jay! I agree that we cannot control “what happens to us and from whom the affliction comes” but we can choose to press in to God and allow the annointing to flow. I faced a situation last week where I was “set up” to come face to face with someone who hurt me tremendously. (neither of us knew each other would be invited to this dinner of only 9 people until we had both committed to going) I awoke the night prior with the scripture saying “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you annoint my head with oil and my cup overflows”. I knew then God was in control of setting this up and I could trust Him to not only get me through it but to also shine through. He truly lifted my head in confidence and used it to set me free. The face to face that I so dreaded, God in turn used to set me free! I wish I could tell you the other person was willing to repent but that was not the case. BUT,neither did it dampen WHO God was in me during that dinner. He is good and can accomplish through us the “impossible”. I came to realize when we truly want His witness in our life to bring glory to Him greater than we want “justice or vengeance”, He becomes greater in us to accomplish just that! Tr
A-men Joni! THanks so much for sharing this personal example of God’s grace to us in the presence of our enemies! I worship Him for the way He gives us victory!
Lovely teaching!! I enjoyed reading your post!
I specifically enjoyed the part where you said that “There is no one so miserable as a half-hearted Christian.” …
Do you believe these are who God called Lukewarm (Rev 3:16)?
Thanks for showing that anointment has requirements and needs work; I totally disagree with those who say that only faith is needed. Works is the counter-part of faith, it’s the reflection and the normal consequence of true faith.
Thanks and again, and a truly lovely post! Pray for me!
Hi Mike, Thanks for stopping by! the Word of God teaches that salvation is by faith alone through grace alone. Only Jesus can get us to Heaven and only Jesus can perfect us. We cannot earn our way in or for that matter unearn it. You are right works are a reflection of true faith. They are a by-product of true faith and thus go along with it. That said if we want to walk in the anointing we must be walking in faith and in the Spirit. The requirement is faith that allows God to produce the righteousness in us that we cannot produce within ourselves. This requires our attention to God even more than it requires our attention to behavior! Looking forward to your next post!
I love how you said it “conform to the patterns of the Word,” and that’s what will increase our joy, victory, and succuss. Thanks, Pastor J, this is some good teaching. This would make a great message (C.A.R.E.) for the whole church body.
Perhaps I shall be graced with the opportunity to share it someday! 🙂
Thanks again Pastor J. May I not become conformed to this world, but transformed, by the renewing of my mind! Lord, please also renew my spirit daily! May I do what is required of me, that I may be anointed to walk in the steps which have been ordered by the Lord!
God bless!
Paulette
And this is my prayer as well Paulette. I receive it in Jesus name!
On the last post, there was an individual who mentioned “a double anointing.” It is unnecessary for a new covenant believer to ask for a “double anointing.” I understand the heart behind such a request, but a lack of understanding of Scripture on this topic leads the children of God to feel like God is holding out on us and that there is something left for us to receive from God. Then when we don’t get this “special anointing” we feel guilty and look to ourselves wondering what is wrong with us…reminding ourselves of all the sins we committed that must be stopping God’s blessing. Whenever we have a theology that says we must behave or act in a certain way for God to accept us, love us or bless us, then we are operating from a legalistic, Old Covenant mindset.
How do you receive more than everything? He has already given us EVERYTHING. I humbly ask you to search out the Scriptures to see what has already been given to you as a result of your new birth. You will see that there is nothing left for God to give you that He hasn’t already! That’s good news!
Are there any consequences then to our actions? Most definitely! Someone mentioned unforgiveness. What a great example of how that affects our joy and many other things! Under the New Covenant we don’t need to forgive others in order to receive our own forgiveness from God (as we did before the new covenant was instituted). This however does not make it right to walk in unforgiveness. In the ancient times of the Romans, when a person was murdered, the dead body would literally be tied to the murderer’s back with ropes and left to rot. The decomposing flesh would then begin infecting and poisoning the flesh of the living person and the murderer would die a horrible death within a few days.
When we carry around offense in our hearts, it does not affect to a great degree the person who has offended us. It does however eat away at us like a cancer, and that’s why we need to forgive: not so that God will forgive us, but because it’s for our own good. There are consequences if we do not which most definitely affect our joy!
An important reminder for me…and maybe for us all…is to say that joy and peace are primarily found in a Person. The Person of Jesus Christ. HE is our joy. HE is our Peace. God doesn’t dispense joy and peace like candy…a little here and a little there. These are fruits of the Spirit which comes from personal knowledge of Him.
*Grace is not just my ticket into heaven given to me upon my moment of “receiving Jesus.” I don’t receive His grace at conversion and then spend the rest of my Christian life after that relying on my own will power to adhere to the principles and laws of Scripture. As Paul says, “as you have received Him (by faith) so walk in Him.” We walk the walk of our Christian lives by faith…depending on the indwelling life of Christ.
I agree, that to the level we believe in the Gospel, our joy and peace will be affected. That is, if our understanding of the Gospel is that of “Good News” which sets us free from Sin and the legalistic bondage of the law. We can then use our freedom to truly love both God and man.
Hi Matt,
Hello Matt,
I believe I am who you were speaking of, because I spoke of a double anointing. I understand that it is not a necessity to request that the Lord grant a double anointing, but it is an expression of my desire to be anointed and used by Him! The anointing is the “enabler.” it is the power of God resting upon us and in us, to work the works the Lord has assigned to our hands. I definitely do not believe the Lord is “holding out on me.” I believe He gave His all, and held back nothing from me. You are absolutely right. He has definitely given us EVERYTHING already!
II Kings 2:9-10 says, “And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. Verse 12 says Elisha saw it. Verse 13 says, “He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan.” Here, Elisha was asking to be “enabled” to do “twice” as much as Elijah had done during his lifetime. Elisha’s request was granted.
This was my two cents added to the conversation. God bless you!
Paulette
And a good two cents it is sister!
Dear dear Matt, I do agree that Christ has given us everything. However we have not received everything and that is where the asking comes in. By asking, requesting, confessing I initiate the receiving. Christ has indeed given but we must still receive! A double portion is simply more than what I have now and I have to admit that I need still…. 🙂
Mike, here are my two cents in regards to your post.
1) Rev. 3:16. Those who are “luke-warm” are those who do not realize their “need” and believe in their own self-sufficiency. Look at the following verses. Verses 17 and 18 seem to clearly state that the luke-warm are those who are looking to themselves and in their own works. They aren’t trusting in the sufficiency of Christ and the righteousness that only He can offer. An important lesson for us all. Learning to trust in His GIFT of righteousness vs. trying to earn our own righteousness (which is as “filthy rags” — Is. 64:6).
2) I have often heard people talk about the book of James. They quote, “faith without works is dead.” I want to reply, yes…but works without faith is a dead religion. There are “dead works” which are things that we do (even “good things”) in our own self-effort. Then there are works that are produced as a result of our faith. What James is talking about is that works come as a result of our faith. We try to separate faith and works as if you can truly have one without the other. Works isn’t a counter-part to faith…it is a result of it.
I have faith in the finished works of Jesus on the cross. What He did was more than enough and I can’t add to it. But I sure can reap the benefits of it!:)
Teaching this type of grace will cause some to say (like they did to Paul)…”well, then can I just sin so that grace may abound?” “Are you giving us a license to sin?” People who ask this question fail to recognize that Christians have been given a new nature. We are not looking for a loop hole so that we can sin. We desperately want a way out so that we don’t have to sin. He has freed us from the clutches of sin! We have been given freedom! Yes, we have the freedom to sin (walk after the flesh) but we also have the freedom to walk in the spirit. The good news is that we now DESIRE to walk after the spirit…and we can!
J,
As much as I hate to do it…I must praise you for a great thought! You said:
“The requirement is faith that allows God to produce the righteousness in us that we cannot produce within ourselves.This requires our attention to God even more than it requires our attention to behavior!” That is very well said. I wish this truth was taught more in churches…
Matt,
I apologize. Initially I thought this was Pastor J responding to you. I thought I was repeating Pastor J at the end of my post.
Paulette
Well, I believe that both Faith and Works save … The verse you wrote from James is a valed evidence, but also check Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”
I’m not the judge of the universe, but just to give an example of what I mean; if I truly believe that Jesus is God, and He’s my personal savior, but in the meantime never help those in need, or don’t have a capactity to forgive and love, how could I inherit the Kingdom of Heaven?
On the other hand, I don’t believe that Works alone could save, I could be the world’s most active philanthropist, but don’t know Jesus and will surely not see the Kingdom of Heaven!
I have a feeling that you believe in the same thing I’m saying, but we’re just arguing the phrase Faith and Works save, or Faith, which is reflected through works, saves.
My faith would be fake if it weren’t reflected through action, and that’s why I believe that Faith and Works save.
” Faith, which is reflected through works” ! What a good statement! I hold the truth that even my works are a product of my salvation.
I chuckle at the thought that you hate to praise one of my thoughts. 😉
Thank you for sharing, Pastor J
“the degree to which we conform to the patterns of the Word or to the patterns of the World to that degree we will increase or decrease joy, victory, and success.”
I am chewing….
Blessings
ann
Chew away dear sister! I do hope it blesses the digestion 😉
Hi Paulette. Thanks for the clarification. I agree with you and well said. As it sounds by your post, your desire for “increased anointing” is simply an expression of your heart. I can certainly appreciate that. I’m familiar with the II Kings Scripture. It’s the only scripture i know on the topic. I think that scripture can be confusing (for me anyways) if used without your explanation. Why?
Because it doesn’t address believers who already have the indwelling Spirit of Christ. It addresses one man who wanted the mantle of another man. These men operated in a different covenant and asked for silly things like this because they didn’t have access to the overflow of sugary goodness that we do now:) We possess the Spirit who doesn’t come and depart as in the days of old, but takes up residence in our bodies. We don’t need a double portion of anyone’s spirit…for Holy Spirit Himself has come and joined Himself to my spirit. That’s enough for me:) Bless you as well sister. Thanks again for your gracious post.
Matt, I am glad to have you among us sharing in these discussions!
Jelillie, thank you for your prayer retreat and I sense Gods breath of the Holy Spirit upon this study. We are required to certain things. I have lived the life of “hedging my bets” by trying to have the things of this world like the rich young ruler. Sadly have walked away too many times. I am thankful for God’s grace and His call. Blessings to you. We are called and it requires us to love as Jesus did. Thanks
A-men “Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength and love your neightbor as yourself!” Good reminder Tom of where the requirements lead us!
Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves this question…Will we trust in our flesh for our sanctification or in grace? Most of us have probably already trusted in his grace for our salvation. Personally, I don’t trust my flesh enough to put any faith in it:)
I am with you brother. I do not trust in the flesh for in my flesh dwells no good thing. I trust in Jesus for my sanctification and that is the requirement…to have a trust that leads me to work and live in such a way that the anointing may flow unhampered in my life. When I activate that trust through prayer then the hindrances to anointing are removed.
Thanks everyone for sharing. I have enjoyed this. I think the biggest thing that causes a Christian to backslide or stay away from the church is his feeling of inadequacy or not being good enough. the commandment “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength” is pretty scary and how is it possible? I love the Lord and am so glad he saved me back in 1978 as a teenager that was following the wrong path.
Not good enough can result in depression, divorces, loss of ambition, etc. It is a lie to steal our joy and get us off the path we are to follow “the straight and narrow”. Am I saved by works….NO…..do I produce good works…Yes. Am I deserving. No. thank God for his mercies.
For so long I have wanted to serve God in some way. I am so glad I have finally found that in the health and wellness industry as a Wellness Coach and Herbalife Distributor. Now I am a sower with good seed. I am an ambitious sower with good seed. I love the parable of the sower. He goes through many trials and doesn’t always see the reward but if he keeps on sowing eventually his seed will fall on good ground. Keep on Sowing. God Bless.
“Am I saved by works….NO…..do I produce good works…Yes. Am I deserving. No. thank God for his mercies.”
This is really good Sheila! The balance between these two things (faith and works) causes many to stumble. Does God require something of us?…Yes. Does He expect us to prodice it on our own?…No! Does He give up on us when we fall short of His expectations?…No! Do we need to seek His forgiveness when we sin against Him?…Yes! Thanks for this awesome comment!
Very well said! Thanks ..
Thanks Mike! Hope your day is greatly blessed!