Releasing the Anointing

I smile when I look up at the title of this post because it really sounds "churchy". We work very diligently at The Creek to make the words of the Bible easy to understand, but what I have discovered through the years is that the "anointing" is not something that you can simplify.

Let me begin by trying to explain the anointing.  As I understand it, the anointing of God is that moment when God places a unique ability or a divine enablement on a person to accomplish something that he or she would not normally be able to accomplish.  

In cultural terms (I hope that this is not offensive ... not intended to be), the anointing is similar to the thing that turns Clark Kent into Superman.  In that case, it would be the the extra ability to accomplish the task. Now, I would never want to liken the anointing of God to a cartoon character or a super hero. God is so much bigger than super heroes.  There are several occurences in scripture where we see the anointing released on people and it had such an affect on them that it appeared that they were changed into different people.We see this in 1 Samuel 10:6: At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. The anointing falls on people and it changes them into effective ministers for the God.  

Let me be practical. What is the difference between the music on the main stage at Stevens Creek and the music on stage at the Imperial Theater or let's say the Bell Auditorium?  The songs may be the same but even the most casual observer can sense something different.  I cannot tell you how many times pre-Christians have commented to me about the music after a service.  They try to find just the right words to describe it, but they can't put their finger on it.  They use words like energy and professional and so forth, but what they are sensing is that the anointing or God's supernatural power is being released as that song was presented.

Let me go one more step.  It's not necessarily the song.  Over the years, I have heard many great church songs that seems lifeless.  What I know is that even though the words may have been written with special meaning, the presenter of those words did not have "it".  They did not have the divine enablement to sing the song.  So, as a result, the song was performed.  Yes, it was a performance and not necessarily a ministry experience.

The anointing changes a performance into ministry.  The anointing releases God's energy through a song or a sermon and accomplishes the very thing that it was intended to do.

You may wonder once you have the anointing, will you always have it?  I do beleive that God places his anointing on people as a trust.  At times, people walk deeper into their anointing and at other times they walk away from their anointing.  There are times when, for whatever reason, the anointing is increased for a particular event.

I believe that God has anointed me to preached the gospel, but there are times when his anointing is stronger than at other times.  It may be that I am more sensitive during those times, but for the sake of this explanation let's say that God turns up the energy.  Back to the point, let's say that I am speaking about a particular subject. Everything is going well.  People are being instructed in the ways of the Lord.  It's a normal day at The Creek. Then, the anointing is turned up and it seems as if the words that I am speaking have a new intensity.

This does not mean that I speak louder or faster or become more dramatic, but it is as if God hijacks my words and makes them His words.  During those paragraphs, some of the people that are listening feel as though God is speaking directly to them about a particular situation.  Trust me, I am as fallible as the person in the seats, but during those few moments the Spirit of God directs my vocal chords to say what He wants to be said.

To the casual observer, they see it as natural talent to speak, but to the person who is receiving the "word from the Lord", it is a life-giving  experience. Hope springs forth and encouragement covers them.  At times, some people's sicknesses go away and sometimes people open up their hearts to Jesus.  

People are anointed to do more than just pray, sing and preach.  There are people at Stevens Creek that have the anointing in their hands.  They are anointed craftsmen.There are others that sense the anointing as they work among the poor and under-resourced in our city.They feed the hungry and sense God's pleasure.Some are anointed to teach children.Some are anointed to administrate.There is one volunteer at the Creek that has an anointing with numbers.  He actually took the Creek's income and ran the last 96 months of tithes and offerings through a least squares regression line in order to forcast our budget for 2009.  God anointed him to do that. I don't have that anointing, but I benefit greatly from his anointing.There are some that are anointed in hospitality. They create spaces and events that provide opportunities for God's presence to flow.  It's amazing.

The anointing is a very interesting spiritual phenomenon. I don't always understand it. When I recognize I am awed by it.

What part do we play in the anointing?  Can we control it? In some ways, you can control it and in others ways you cannot.  Paul said that the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet.  So, in that case, I can control the anointing. But, in reality God controls it all.  God will do what He wants to do.  God is big. God is strong.  I am not. The spiritual energy that I have comes from him.  I have to pray, "God ... let there be less of me and more of you".  Yes, there are times when apparently there is more of me and less of God.  It is in those times that my ego is in the way. When I talk about E.G.O., that word stands for the moments that I "Edge God Out" of my life. 

So, this post can be summed up in the fact that the anointing makes the difference.  How to do get more of the anointing?  Whew ... that's a hard one.

You cannot buy and sell nor manipulate nor force the anointing.  Passion does not equate to anointing.Talent does not equate to the anointing.There are many singers who sing with passion.They may even sing on pitch, but they are not anointed.There are many preachers that are good public speakers, but their words don't move people into the presence of God.

How do you get more of the anointing?  Hmmm.  Could I be simple enough to say, "Just ask for it." In the Old Testament, there was a man named Elisha that worked as an understudy for the Prophet Elijah.  Elisha asked for a "double portion of the Lord's anointing on Elijah".Elisha saw what God did through Elijah and wanted it. He asked.This story also indicates that the anointing can be passed from one person to another.

In the end, I believe that God wants to anoint more people than we imagine. There could be a two-fold problem here.  

First of all, God may be anointing, but we may be clueless.  We may not recognize what God is already doing. We have to be open, be sensitive, be receptive to what God is blessing.  Instead of saying, "God bless what I am doing", we pray, "God what are you blessing and let me get in the middle of that."  

Secondly, the biggest problem is that we just don't want any more of God. We have enough of God to get us through the week and that is sufficient. We are satisfied and are stuck in a spiritual rut. I have been there too many times.  I get comfortable in my spiritual journey and lose my spiritual passion.  I don't want to be there.  I don't want my church in that place.  I want my church to be in the full-flow of God's power and His anointing.  I want my flesh to get out of the way and truly let God direct us to the place He would have us to be. 

It's my prayer that God would increase His anointing on Stevens Creek Church.Can you imagine the impact that 2000 anointed Creekers would have in this city? It would transform this place with God's presence ... now that's a vision that I will give my life to.