Christian Living

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How does one hear the Word of God on Sunday and then walk out of the place of worship unchanged? If the Bible is the Word of God, why does our home copy remain unopened the majority of the time? How is it possible to not be affected by the content of God’s Word? For years I have seen preaching have little or no affect on so many. I have seen changed lives, but I have also seen indifference to His Word.

Anyone can learn a trade by reading reference materials or attending an educational facility. Anyone can acquire knowledge of a certain subject by comprehending the intent of the material. Anyone can study the Bible and learn how to promote its content. One does not have to be a Believer to present Biblical teaching! Just by placing a label before one’s name does not make one a messenger of God. If the presenter of God’s Word has only an intellectual understanding of the Scripture, the seed of the Word will have little chance to germinate into a life changing experience or fruitful display to the hearer. (That is not to say the Word is only made effective by the orator, but when the presenter of the Word is anointed, the Word will bypass the mental screening of the hearer, and go directly into his spirit.)

One of the terms that have been lost over the years is the word ANOINTING. It is not something one learns or acquires by a conscious effort, rather it is a supernatural endowment initiated by God. Jesus’ inaugural message in the Synagogue of Nazareth stated it so plainly, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach…” (Luke 4:18) The success of Jesus’ ministry was not only because He was the Son of God, but because of the anointing He received from God. When Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon Him, God said, “…This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) When one is anointed by God, the Word becomes “…sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit…” (Hebrews 4:12) As the Word leaves the lips of the anointed, it travels into the heart of the hearer. Without the anointing, the Word of God is limited to human understanding. With the anointing, the Word of God transforms the heart and minds of the recipients. The resistance factor of the recipient is a non-issue.

Where there is no anointing, there is a danger of “Christian cults.” This constitutes misrepresenting Biblical truth. It is developing a faith based on receiving instead of giving. It is keyed to the emotional and sense orientated. We find teachings of financial prosperity overshadowing spiritual growth. Personal prophesy by self-appointed prophets has grieved the Holy Spirit. Laughing and being “slain” in the spirit is sought after more than sharing one’s faith. Spiritual drunkenness has been supported by misunderstanding Acts 2:13. “Grave sucking” has been presented as a way to receive an anointing.

The world sees the “Christian cults” and judges it as the Church. The mass media attacks Believers based on the evidence that is displayed by carnal messengers and their followers. When the Church becomes like the world, its uniqueness is lost and its identity comes through works instead of faith. God’s church needs to be guided by the Holy Spirit, not by the human spirit. I am not looking for some new and exciting extra-biblical experience, for I have already been made a new creature in Christ and, with the joy of the Lord within me, I desire nothing more than to discover the truths in God’s word.

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