Prophecy

The Anointing

by Terry Barlow
06/14/24
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The anointing upon us is more than us or any one of us even at our best. The anointing works through our experience,  and personality,  and gifting, but carries us well beyond those things.  It may come with the sound of my voice or yours but it is Christ speaking with the sound of a familiar voice such that others recognize, "that is not just him speaking, that is obviously God speaking."  What a privilege it is to be used of God that way! It is the highest of human privileges to minister under a strong anointing where Christ is plainly manifesting in a supernatural way. It may occur in prayer, or music and song, or in the ministry of the Word, or in the operation of any of the spiritual gifts. And it is very encouraging, even humblingly so, for the one being so used, because it makes them seem better at what they are doing than they actually are, so they must remember to turn and give the credit and glory to God, openly or privately.  
  In 1 Samuel 10 v6-7 we read that the Holy Spirit would come upon Saul and he would "become another man." The other man he would become in those moments was Jesus Christ Himself while mysteriously still being Saul. So it is with us under the anointing. "I was crucified with Christ. nevertheless I live, yet yet not I but Christ in me." (Galatians 2 v20)  While we are still ourselves,  Jesus Christ is manifesting Himself through us. WOW!!  The anointing is something so worth cultivating.  As we do it we are also maintaining our spiritual edge, and, with each other's help in fellowship,  keeping that edge sharp. Every little godly choice we make helps to maintain that sharpness. Every little ungodly or fleshly choice,  on the other hand, blunts that edge as it reduces or deadens our desire for God and our appetite for His word. What a tragedy!  We need instead to lean into God and not be leaning in the other direction.  Paul told Timothy to flee youthful lusts. Joseph literally ran from Potiphar's seductive wife. To merely walk away from lust may be moving in the right direction, but it is not moving fast enough, and can too easily be overtaken. To what and what kinds of stimuli are we daily and habitually giving our attention? That is the key 🔑 question.