Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Jesus was full of grace and truth (John 1:14), but as far as we know He did not preach, perform miracles or healings until He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power (Luke 4:14 & Acts 10:38). So it is important for us to not only discover our gifts and callings, but also learn to co-operate with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The anointing is somewhat of a mystery and for years I have sought to understand more about how it works, how to grow in it, how to release it and so on. I think the best definition of the anointing is the impartation of God’s ability for doing life and the work He has called us to do.
I think of the anointing to be like currency in the spiritual realm. When you have a lot of money in the natural you can do a lot and when you have a lot of Holy Spirit anointing you can accomplish much spiritually and in the natural. John 14:12 reveals the fact that we’re called to walk in the same miracle-working power as Jesus did. And we will, when we understand, develop and cooperate in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
In the Scripture, there are primarily two types of anointing, the anointing that comes upon us and the anointing that resides within us.
The anointing that is upon is for service. We see this in the life of Jesus. He is called “the Anointed One” (Dan. 9:25). The Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jesus and anointed Him to do all the mighty works and miracles (Luke 4:18-19).
Today the anointing upon is for all believers, for all are to serve. We are “a royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9). In the Bible there is no such thing as priests who did not serve. The anointing comes with our appointing—anointing and appointing always go together; or as Arthur Burt always told us, “The anointing is pointing.” Meaning, the anointing points us to the work God has assigned us to do (Luke 24:49 & Acts 1:8).
There is also an anointing for doing life. This is where the anointing within comes into play. The anointing within resides in every born-again person. If allowed to flow it will bring us revelation and understanding concerning the will of God as it applies to every area of our life (1 John 2:20).
The anointing within plays a vital role in the transformation that is to take place in our lives (Rom. 12:1-2). We can re-phrase Romans 12:2 to say it like this, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you by an action of the supernatural (the anointing) upon your mind.” The anointing upon our mind is how our way of thinking is changed and we receive revelation of the will of God.
The anointing within will release healing, guidance and protection into your life (Ps. 23:5). It teaches you what is from God and what is not. It protects you from deception (1 John 2:26).
The anointing within teaches you concerning all things that pertain to spiritual and natural life and equips you to be a well-rounded person in body, soul and spirit (1 John 2:27).
The more sensitive we become to the anointing within, the more settled, established and grounded we become. The anointing within also enhances the ability to discern and co-operate with the anointing that comes upon us (2 Cor. 1:21).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of newness, so each day we can be renewed and refreshed in the anointing by only receiving it by faith and allowing it to flow as never ending rivers (Eph. 5:18).
Many Blessings, BW