THE ANOINTING

I) INTRODUCTION

Rev Julian has been teaching us on the anointing. on Wednesday and yesterday we had a glorious time in the word of God sharing on the anointing- why it is important, how everyone called in the scriptures needed the anointing to accomplish what God had called them to do. then yesterday he taught us on hindrances to the anointing, things that will stifle the anointing in us, and we finished gloriously being reminded that the anointing is given to us to finish. God loves finishers, he loves completers and we all must finish what God has called us to do.

so today. continuing in the same flow, let me continue with the anointing and i will begin by laying a little background so we piece this whole thing together. whenever we talk about the anointing we are inherently talking about the HOLY SPIRIT. The 20th and the 21st century has been called the century of the HOLY SPIRIT because with the introduction of pentecostalism the HOLY SPIRIT came to the foreground. the Holy Spirit is the most neglected person of the trinity and yet he is the most important.

A) ISSUES WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

we all have a picture of God the Father because we all have had or seen fathers so in a sense we have an idea.

we easily recognize Jesus because he became human like us, he shared our experiences so we can easily identify with him.

but the HOLY SPIRIT what should we make of him? and especially with the KJV which called him the HOLY GHOST....so is he like a ghost, an apparition, an appearance, an influence that possesses people and make them do strange things

secondly a-lot of times we read of the HOLY SPIRIT in the scriptures he is represented in inanimate terms, he is a fire, a wind, a dove, water, so we are not sure what to make of the HOLY SPIRIT.

secondly a-lot of times we read of the HOLY SPIRIT in the scriptures he is represented in inanimate terms, he is a fire, a wind, a dove, water, so we are not sure what to make of the HOLY SPIRIT.

B) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON

so let begin by saying that the HOLY SPIRIT is not an IT, he is a him- he is a person with his own individuality.

he possesses the faculties that make up a person, which are a mind, emotions and will.

he has intelligence - romans 8:27

he has emotions- he can be grieved ; he can be lied to , he can be resisted

he has a will 1 cor 12:11, he exercised his will and forbade Paul to go into Asia

C) APPLICATION

because he is a person he relates to us as a person-

we can talk to him,

we can ask him questions, we can express our concerns, he is a person.

you don’t need to exercise certain rituals, observe certain times, or go into certain postures so that you can talk to him.

you can come to him anytime, anyplace, anywhere and he hears, he understands, he responds back AMEN!!he loves and enjoys fellowship

II) THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

you know many of us have no idea what difference it would make if the HOLY SPIRIT wasn’t present, but can I tell you that without the HOLY SPIRIT there would be

no creation

no universe

no human race

there would be no bible, no faith, no salvation, no holiness, no christians, no crucifixion

we are here because of the HOLY SPIRIT.

he is the one who gives birth to us and we are born again- . and he lives in us to confirm that we the children of GOD. In the OT the HOLY SPIRIT would come upon people for service he would not come into them, but in the NT the HOLY SPIRIT comes and lives in us— 1 corinthians 3:16-17; .

A) HE IS THE ONE WHO ANOINTS US FOR SERVICE

the HOLY SPIRIT gives birth to us and then he is the one who calls us and anoints us for service to the king.

so what is this anointing- back in Israel the sheep would grow thick wool that would attract certain insects— infact pastor Liz taught us on this one- and these insects would get into the head of the sheep through the wool and eventually kill the sheep, so what the shepherd would do is he would get oil and smear the head of the sheep and this oil would cause the insects to slip or drive them away and the sheep would live.

this later came to be known as anointing, the smearing of the oil on a person to appoint them for an assignment or to appoint them for an office. this oil became a symbol of the HOLY SPIRIT. so when a pastor or someone in authority takes oil and smears you with it, it is a sign of the HOLY SPIRIT and you’re being anointed for something.

so the anointing is the divine enablement, a divine empowerment by the HOLY SPIRIT to accomplish the call he has for you.

now this anointing is specific to individuals, the HOLY SPIRIT empowers us differently and the expression of the anointing may be different but lets look at some of the anointing that we all share as believers.

III) THE GENERAL ANOINTING WE ALL SHARE

1) ALL BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN ANOINTED TO BE PRIESTS

, - all believers have been anointed by the HOLY SPIRIT to be priests. in the OT the HOLY SPIRIT anointed people for 3 offices the prophet, the priest and the King. now the NT is telling us that all believers have been anointed to be priests. the function of the priest was to offer sacrifices and prayers on behalf of the people so that they could be acceptable before God.

now we are all priests, no one needs to go to God on your behalf, you can go into the HOLY OF HOLIES for yourself and you are accepted in that place where in the OT if the high priest entered carelessly he would die on the spot and so they would have to tie a chain to his leg so he doesn’t die in there and no one can enter to pull him out.

we now can go into the very presence of God for ourselves because you are a priest anointed by the HOLY SPIRIT

secondly the priest was to offer intercession for the people and as priests before God we can plead to God on behalf of our families, our marriages, our children, our nation and GOD WILL ACT.

personally i think had the church not stood in its priestly office God would have judged this nation long ago.

and I sense that in the times to come we will need to stand more in that office for this nation

because when i look at the things that caused Israel to be judged,

Kenya has done everyone of those things and God is no respecter of people.

if he judged his chosen people for the things we are doing, he will judge us too, but we can stand in our priestly office.

2) ALL BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN ANOINTED WITH DISCERNMENT

all believers have been anointed to discern. since we are now the children of God, the HOLY SPIRIT resides in us and he teaches us- ,

Jesus said i will send you another advocate, another helper - the word stressed here is ANOTHER, that is he is another of the same kind.

he will do the very thing i am doing with you. so I am teaching you, he will teach you all things and remind you of all that i have said to you.

Jesus said he is the Spirit of Truth. so in your spirit right now resides truth and that truth helps you discern between truth and error; 1 john 2:26-27

you have an anointing in you and that anointing teaches you.....and it is true and not a lie. the SPIRIT OF TRUTH who resides in you

B) ILLUSTRATION

A pastor had invited a preacher from out of town to come and minister in his church. so when the preacher came and on the first night he preached a few things that concerned the pastor but the pastor was like let me give him the benefit of the doubt. but by the second night of preachings the pastor was gravely concerned with a lot of the teachings the preacher was preaching from the pulpit and he told him after one session- preacher you will have to give me book, chapter, verse from the bible on the things you are teaching. the preacher responded OH we are beyond that thing, pointing to the bible. #1 if you are calling the bible that thing, we are already on very dangerous ground. we are beyond that thing we walk by revelation. i wait on him to reveal to me deep revelation and then i walk in the spirit on it.

C) APPLICATION

THAT IS A LIE FROM HELL- THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS LEAD WITH THE WORD OF GOD.

Now he may speak apart from the word of God but never in contradiction to the word of God- we all have an anointing to discern

Me i believe, my personal belief is, I’ve come to believe, i believe that—

AH AH we haven’t come for your beliefs we have come for the word of the LORD. that is what matters nothing less, nothing else.

the old time preachers used to invite the speaker of the day on the pulpit with - BRING US JESUS!!!

D) SO HOW DO WE DISCERN

WE DISCERN USING THE WORD OF GOD

God is saying there are those who come with sensationalism, they have invented words, they have read the crowd, they know mass psychology and how to entertain and hype people up with so called prophetic words, but you my servant stay with my word and speak it faithfully even when it doesn’t seem to stimulate and draw people out with sensations and forensics,

even when it seems like its boring people because they want hype, stay with my word--- and my word will prove to be a fire, it will prove to be a hammer.

we discern using the word of God

WE DISCERN THE FRUIT OF THE MINISTRY

we begin by looking at the reputation of the minister- we vet them, Rev was telling us here about asking ministers who is your pastor, can we talk to him, can we investigate you? who do they associate with? we check the reputation of the minister

we then look at the fruit of the ministry-

every minister, every ministry initiated by the HOLY SPIRIT has one goal in mind- to glorify Jesus. when the HOLY SPIRIT is in something the first thing you will see is that Jesus will be glorified- i told you he loves to fellowship, but when you go to him in fellowship the HOLY SPIRIT will say, you know lets talk about Jesus, he is the one i love talking about!

ILLUSTRATION

for those of you who were there on Sunday, you saw how a spirit of praise came on the church, and i ran round the church and then Pastor Thaddeaus danced the kamba tune, then the kikuyus and people from central jumped up and started praising and then Pastor Liz took the mike and led the luo song.....the HOLY SPIRIT took over the service and got us from our different dialects, from every tribe and tongue and led us to worship one LORD, Jesus Christ --- I see the Lord.......I exalt thee.....and then the gifts of the HOLY SPIRIT started operating and freeing people....the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT came upon people....you see it wasn’t about anybody but Jesus

when the HOLY SPIRIT is in a place Jesus will be exalted, but when the place is about an individual, and the focus seems to be on that individual, and its all about that individual. that is not the HOLY SPIRIT that is possibly a charlatan. we discern by looking at the fruit of the ministry.

WE DISCERN USING THE KNOWER INSIDE

Paul and Luke are going to the place of prayer and this slave girl has a spirit of divination and she keeps crying out- that these are the servants of the most high God who proclaim the way of salvation-

now it sounds like good marketing, good advertisement, but it isn’t and he finally rebukes and casts out that spirit; now how did he know that this was a demonic spirit- with his knower.

we all have a knower- on the inside of us. the Holy Spirit resides in us and because he is in there we will know things that aren’t perceptible to our senses. something in us feels uncomfortable or you have a red light, you just cant get over something, there is a stop in your knower.

ILLUSTRATION

I was once talking to this lady who was a great intercessor and she occasionally operated in the word of knowledge and so she was mentoring younger sisters in intercession and one sister came to me and she was slightly concerned about some of the things they were being taught.

so she told me that his great intercessor was telling them that the best times to pray are between 12:00-3:00pm because that is when there are portals in heaven that are open at that time. there are spiritual highways and gates that open at that time for the prayers to make their way through speedily

she also told them that eating meat and having sex with their husbands would reduce their spiritual sensitivity and so they needed to desist from stuff like that since it dulls the spiritual man.

she also told them that eating meat and being intimate with their husbands would reduce their spiritual sensitivity and so they needed to desist from stuff like that since it dulls the spiritual man.

Now she was a strong intercessor, but results don’t always prove that what is said is true…now why did this other sister come to tell me…because in her knower she sensed somethings were just not right.

Now she was a strong intercessor, but results don’t always prove that what is said is true…now why did this other sister come to tell me…because in her knower she sensed somethings were just not right.

we discern using the knower.

WE SAID THAT WE ALL ARE ANOINTED TO BE PRIESTS

WE ALL HAVE AN ANOINTING TO DISCERN

LASTLY WE ALL HAVE A

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WE ALL ARE ANOINTED TO DISCERN

3) WE ALL HAVE A GIFT ANOINTING.

Each of us have a gift anointing from the HOLY SPIRIT- a divine enablement to accomplish the call of God for us. that call by the way is not to extend our kingdoms but to glorify Jesus and to extend the kingdom of God.

whatever gift the Holy Spirit has anointed you with it is to accomplish one of those things the Lord spoke about

the anointing on us is to bring good news to the poor, for others it may be to proclaim release to the captives,

still others it maybe to bring recovery of sight to the blind- both physical and spiritual and others it maybe to let the oppressed go free and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

still others it maybe to bring recovery of sight to the blind- both physical and spiritual and

others it maybe to let the oppressed go free and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

B) THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE MENTIONED IN A COUPLE OF PLACES AND WE CANNOT READ ALL OF THEM

In these are called the 9 body ministry gifts

in 1 corinthians 12:7-11 speaks of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit

in speaks of the Offices of the Church - that is the apostle, the prophet, the teacher, the evangelist and pastor

it is the Holy Spirit who places us in the body. we do not get to choose, he is the one who chooses and then anoints at his prerogative-

so like for which are the body ministry gifts

he is the one who chooses one to be a teacher,

another to service, another to prophesy

and another to be a christian entrepreneur- to do business and finance the kingdom.

C) ILLUSTRATION

personally when I look at our reverend I know that the HOLY SPIRIT has called him to be a kingdom financier.

one just by nature he is a giver and when he gives he does it with such generosity -

and for many of us we may look at him and want to study him and how he does business and what are the skills required, can i tell you he may teach you but most of it is an anointing. the HOLY SPIRIT has called him and anointed him for that and things will just click for him that wont click for some of us because that is not our call.

the HOLY SPIRIT by his own prerogative has called him to be that business entrepreneur to finance the kingdom and such monies will come into his life that the rest of us wont make. but that is the prerogative of the HOLY SPIRIT. the rest of us our blessings will come when we operate in the gifts that the holy spirit has called us for rather than try and concoct something we were not anointed for.

the HOLY SPIRIT by his own prerogative has called him to be that business entrepreneur to finance the kingdom and such monies will come into his life that the rest of us won’t make.

but that is the prerogative of the HOLY SPIRIT. the rest of us our blessings will come when we operate in the gifts that the Holy Spirit has called us for rather than try and concoct something we were not anointed for.

D) SO HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A CERTAIN GIFT ANOINTING

you will have a witness of that gift- the HOLY SPIRIT will witness to you about that gift.

He will first call you then with that call will come the anointing- that divine enablement to complete the assigned task the LORD has called you for

secondly there will be a witness with the church- the church will see it and there will be a confirmation from the church that you are anointed with that gift.

ILLUSTRATION

many a time people love something, or have a preference for something and feel like they can do that- for example someone may feel like they can sing in the worship and want to sing and when they are told they sing flat they get offended because i want to sing and that is my anointing. Others may want to become pastors or teach or whatever and when they try there is a deadness in the church. something is just not clicking, even after multiple times. that is the witness of the church trying to tell us something and alot of times it will confirm that the HOLY SPIRIT didn’t anoint us with it in the first place- ; kings 2:13-15

ILLUSTRATION

The young man who quoted psalms 23 and the old man who did after him. the crowd applauded the young man after he had finished, his diction was so clear, his elizabethan accent was just on point. then the old man came and started quoting the psalm and a hush fell on the church as they listened. after he finished there was no applause, just a gravity of silence in the church.....and one person commented…the young man knew the psalm, the old man knew the shepherd.

the church will be a witness when you are anointed with that gift, whichever it is.

I have said this before - MARRIAGE- sisters bring that brother to church, let the church mix with them and get to know them, brother bring that sister to church,.....there will be a witness.

THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ANOINTED EVERY BELIEVER TO BE A PRIEST

THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ANOINTED EVERY BELIEVER WITH DISCERNMENT

THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ANOINTED EVERY BELIEVER WITH A GIFT

THINGS THAT THE ANOINTING WONT DO FOR YOU

we said that the anointing is a divine enablement/ a divine empowerment to accomplish the call of God for your life. but there are somethings the anointing isnt designed for.

YOUR SANCTIFICATION

The gifts of the holy spirit, the gifts of healing and miracles and administration etc are for the glorification of Jesus, to win souls and expand the kingdom of God and mature the saints, they are not intended to assist in our sanctifcation- in our walk of holiness and christian character. just because someone is an apostle or prophet or pastor does not give them special abilities to walk the christian walk. that one every christian has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. the gifts or the anointing does not give the individual greater powers to resist sin

Samson operated in the power gifts but Samson had a weakness called Delilah

David was anointed king and Prophet, but david had certain appetites

jacob had dreams and visions and was one of the patriachs of the faith- but he was a conman, canniving and a manipulator

all of us have to crucify our flesh just as much as the next guy,

all of us have cut of things just like the next guy,

all of us have to put to death the deeds of the flesh just as much as the next guy

THE ANOINTING DOESN’T SHIELD US FROM THE TRIALS OF LIFE

prophet, apostle, miracle worker, teacher, pastor, tongue speaker - the anointing doesn't exempt us from the vicissitudes of life, the trials of this life.

we will all go through one trial or another

Elijah was the greatest of prophets but struggled with depression

Elisha had a double portion of anointing but he wasn’t well of- that is why when Gehazi his servant say that they had just let Naaman go back with all his wealth and hadnt left any of it, Gehazi was like oh heck NAW!!! i will work my own breakthrough- Elisha wasnt well off

Paul was the greatest of the apostles but he tells us in 2 corinthians 6 :4-10- he says we have commended ourselves, in otherwards you ask to see our CV whether we are men of GOD…here it is.

THE ANOINTING WILL NOT WORK YOUR FAITH FOR YOU

when going through the trials of life, the anointing will not work your faith for you, you have to work your own faith

you have to speak what God’s word says about you for you, the anointing will not do it,

you have to encourage yourself in the LORD- why so downcast oh my soul put your hope in God,

i will not die but live to declare the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living

The New Revised Standard Version Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and do not forget all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the Pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 who satisfies you with good as long as you livea

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

psalm 118

psalm 20

work your faith, work your faith, work your faith

speak his word over your circumstances, say what the word says....and let the Lord watch over his word to perform it…for he will.

WE ARE GOING TO START SEEING MOVES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR CHURCH SERVICES, IN OUR MIDST LIKE NEVER BEFORE, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOING TO START EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH GIFTS AND THOSE GIFTS ARE GOING TO MANIFEST, HE WILL DO IT BECAUSE THE WORD IS GOING OUT, OUR SPIRITS ARE BEING TAUGHT, OUR MINDS ARE LEARNING TO LEAN ON THE WORD....MANIFESTATION UPON MANIFESTATION IS COMING AND SOME OF THESE GIFTS WILL COME THROUGH THE ONES LEAST EXPECTED, THOSE THAT WE THOUGHT NOT POSSIBLE, HE WILL DO IT BECAUSE THE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE CHURCH AND GREAT SHALL BE THE REJOICING OF THE CHURCH AS BREAKTHROUGHS COME FORTH, AS RIVERS OF LIVING WATER BURST FORTH FROM THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS....AND TO THE GLORY OF THE KING IT SHALL BE DONE, IT MUST BE DONE, FOR THE TIME IS SHORT AND THE DAYS ARE EVIL.....THE HOLY SPIRIT IS BIRTHING A YEARNING IN MANY OF YOU THAT ONLY HE CAN ANSWER AND HE WILL ANSWER AS WE DILIGENTLY SEEK THE LORD IN WORSHIP AND THE WORD, IN QUIETNESS AS WE GIVE HIM THE PRIORITY AND SHUT THINGS OFF THAT ARE TAKING OUR TIME. AS WE DO THIS A GREATER SENSE OF HIS PRESENCE SHALL BEGIN AND WHAT A DAY OF REJOICING IT WILL BE AS WE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE THIS ANOINTING THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN HERE FOR US.