Anointed and Healed

09/20/2009 Anointed and Healed Knox 16 PC

410/485/352 Psalm 16 1 John 2:20-27 Luke 7:44-50

OOPS! The man at left his house to carry out an errand. He left his pet parrot in charge of the place. A short time later the plumber showed up for his appointment to fix the plumbing in his house. He rang the doorbell. The parrot said who is it. The reply came back it's the plumber. To which the parrot replied who is it? To which the reply came it's the plumber. To which a reply came from the parrot who is it. To which the plumber replied it's the plumber. This exchange went on for several minutes back and forth. Finally, the plumber became so frustrated that he went into hypertension had a heart attack and dropped dead on the front porch. A short time later the man returned home to his place. He looked down and wondered who was this person laying on his doorstep. He did this as he opened the front door. The parrot replied it's the plumber.
	UGH! Aggravation is one of the primary needs for the anointing oil to be poured onto the heads of the sheep. Despite the new life they have and the good care of the Shepherd, the sheep pick up all kinds of illnesses. Some of those illnesses can cause acute pain that would drive one to bang their head against the wall several times, even to kill oneself.
Keller Sheep are especially troubled by the nose fly, or nasal fly. These little flies buzz about the sheep's head, attempting to deposit their eggs on the damp, mucous membranes of the sheep's nose. If they are successful the eggs will hatch in a few days to form small, slender, worm-like larvae. They work their way up the nasal passages into the sheep's head; they burrow into the flesh and there set up an intense irritation accompanied by severe inflammation. For relief from this agonizing annoyance sheep will deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts, or brush. They will rub them in the soil and thrash around against woody growth. In extreme cases of intense infestation a sheep may even kill itself in a frenzied endeavour to gain respite from the aggravation. Often advanced stages of infection from these flies will lead to blindness.
	There is no guarantee of an easy life while we become Christians. The only promise we have is that God will be with us all the way. There are still many, many challenges to be met, including sickness, bad decisions, and wanton disregard for others in the sheep fold. Some sheep were rather scurrilous and attack other sheep in the sheep fold. The Shepherd has to do something to alleviate this problem so that the sheep will not hurt each other.
Only the strictest attention to the behaviour of the sheep by the shepherd can forestall the difficulties of "fly time." At the very first sign of flies among the flock he will apply an antidote to their heads. I always preferred to use a homemade remedy composed of linseed oil, sulphur and tar which was smeared over the sheep's nose and head as a protection against nose flies.
	AHA! Persons and things were anointed in the New Testament and the Old Testament to signify holiness, or separation onto God. Fundamentally the anointing was an act of God, and the word anointed was used metaphorically to mean the bestowal of divine favour as in psalm 23 and also psalm 92, or as an appointment to a special place or function and purpose of God.
WHEE! In the NT, the banqueting table is a sign of salvation. Oil is a sign of celebration. The anointing “oil” is often related to the gift of the Spirit. When Samuel took oil to anoint David king over Israel, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (1 Sam. 16:13). A full “cup” is another sign of God’s fullness and blessing. This party is a genuine celebration. Such celebration will never end as David affirms in verse 6: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life.” “Goodness” is the fulfillment and perfection of God’s will. “Mercy” is His covenant-love, redemptive power, and faithfulness. The goodness of God and the love of God will “follow” or “pursue” David throughout his lifetime.
	This was a common practice, that is, the anointing of one's head with oil when they came in as a guest into your household. But, listen to the words of Jesus in Luke's gospel in chapter 7.
"Do you see this woman? I came into your house, you did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss. But this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."
	Bad things will continue to happen even after we are Christians. The God brings the anointing oil of the power of his Spirit upon his people to bring healing from the brokenness, the sorrow, physical illnesses. And more.
Once the oil had been applied to the sheep's head there was an immediate change in behaviour. Gone was the aggravation; gone the frenzy; gone the irritability and the restlessness. Instead, the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment.
	The anointing oil of God can solve a breach in the body where there is a difference or a disagreement between some believers. It is both a logical and legitimate desire for us to have the daily anointing of God's Spirit upon our minds. God alone can form in us the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit alone can give to us the attitudes of Christ. He alone makes it possible for us to react to aggravations and annoyances with quietness and calmness.
When people or circumstances or events beyond our control tend to "bug" us, it is possible to be content and serene when these "outside" forces are counteracted by the presence of God's Spirit. In Romans 8:1-2, we are told plainly it is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that makes us free from the law of sin and death.
	It is this daily anointing of God's Spirit upon my mind which produces in my life such personality traits as joy, contentment, love, patience, gentleness and peace. What a contrast this is to the tempers, frustration and irritability which mars the daily conduct of so many of God's children.
Our thoughts, our ideas, our emotions, our choices, our impulses, drives and desires are all shaped and moulded through the exposure of our minds to other people's minds. In our modern era of mass communication, the danger of the "mass mind" grows increasingly grave. Young people in particular, whose minds are so malleable find themselves being moulded under the subtle pressures and impacts made on them by television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and fellow classmates, to say nothing of their parents and teachers.
	God, by his Spirit will lead those who receive his anointing into his truth. It says that for us in John's first letter here. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit, just as it has taught you, remain in him.
We're given the ongoing anointing in the body of Christ to be drawn together as one in Jesus Christ and to exhibit the love of God in Jesus Christ. Even churches in rampant conflict can be healed from the pettiness that arises of petty things that people find wrong.
	Healing was an important part of the Ministry of the early Church. Anointing oil was used to make the mark of the cross on the forehead of a believer followed by the laying on of hands for the healing power of the Holy Spirit of God.
In some cases for some internal things, be they psychological or physical, people would actually drink some of the oil as part of the ritual and with the laying on of hands symbolising the receiving of the Holy Spirit to anoint the oil and to anoint this person to bring healing and wholeness.
	The body of Christ is designed to be a meeting place where there are healings and reconciliations going on all the time. Just like those flies would do to the sheep, there are people in the body who can aggravate other people. We need to pray for the Holy Spirit to deal with this aggravation. As we do we will have an understanding of what we need to do in that situation.
We are designed for life together and it is not always easy. Only as a community submits to the anointing power of the Holy Spirit does it find healing and abundance. We are not created for mediocre life here. We are created for abundance in all things.
	Healing is a process and it is a gift of God. In the letter of James it is written, if anyone here is sick let him approach the elders of the church so that they may anoint him with the oil of healing and lay hands on him for healing. You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.
Margaret Murray writes: "In September, Uncle Wilson, my mother's only brother, underwent surgery for an intestinal tumour. The doctors, discovering a tumour too large and complex to remove, gave him from four to six months to live. Uncle Wilson was brought home to spend his remaining days. With no wife to see to his needs, his care fell to my mother, her two sisters, and us nieces and nephews. "We all worked hard to make Uncle Wilson comfortable, but he was bedridden, helpless, and in great pain. Day after day we tended to his needs, tried to soothe his fears. And every night before bed I knelt and asked God to heal this good, kind man.
	YEAH! "In July, ten hard months having passed, Uncle Wilson took a turn for the worse. I was called and told to come at once. I stood by his bed, waiting for the ambulance to come, and even in his pain Uncle Wilson tried to communicate his love and thanks by kissing my hand. "By now I was no longer praying for his healing, but simply asking that God take my uncle to be with Him. And then, early in the morning of his third day in the hospital, my sister and I were with him when Uncle Wilson suddenly opened his eyes, and in a loud clear voice cried, `My God! My God! My God!' My sister and I were wonderstruck. "Uncle Wilson died soon after, but my family was sustained by his words. My uncle, you see, had been deaf and mute since birth. These words were the first he had ever spoken."