Staying With Your Anointing (PDF)

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STAYING WITH YOUR ANOINTING

God anoints His people for specific purposes and different ministries. I have seen ministers and some laymen become frustrated in life because they leave their anointing and try to be like someone who was called to and anointed for a different purpose. If you don’t wait on the anointing to give you direction in life, you will be frustrated and misdirected by your own desires. Paul put it this way: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we 3

Staying With Your Anointing have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching. (Romans 12:3-7)

Paul told us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. For instance, I am an ordained minister, but I mostly operate in the office of a teacher. Over the years, I’ve had some say that I am a prophet, but I’ve stayed with what I know God has called and anointed me to do. So I always caution people to be careful that they shouldn’t allow someone to prophesy over them and get them out of their anointing and 4

Staying With Your Anointing

God’s timing. Many years ago, a man even tried to convince me that I was Elijah. No, I’m not Elijah, but I am a son of God, and I am anointed of God to teach His Word. I operate on the edge of some of the other ministry offices from time to time, as the Spirit wills, but my anointing has been in the office of a teacher for more than 30 years. God created in me a desire to teach the revelation of His Word.

HAPPINESS IS DOING GOD’S WILL If you’re willing to do what God calls you to do, God will not only create in you the desire to do His will, but He will also furnish the anointing to get the job done. God told Israel, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land... (Isaiah 1:19)

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Staying With Your Anointing

willing, but have never been obedient, and there are others who are obedient, but they have never been willing. They drag their feet all of the way. Both of these individuals will be miserable in life and will never enter into the full blessing of the promised land of God’s perfect will. If you are willing and obedient, you will have confidence that God’s calling will supply the anointing that will guide you into His perfect will. In Psalm 37:4, David said, Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Now, you could take that two ways, but I’m convinced that this verse is saying: If you'll delight yourself in the Lord and His Word, THEN He’ll create the desires in your heart that are of God. In other words, your desires will be 6

Staying With Your Anointing

directed by the Holy Spirit rather than by your own fleshly desires. Paul said, ... let us wait on our ministering.... (Romans 12:7)

I believe there are some who have billed themselves as apostles and prophets prematurely. This may have been what Paul had in mind when he said that people should not think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. If that kind of calling and anointing is upon a minister, others will be aware of it. They won’t have to advertise it. Then, on the other hand, if they are not called and anointed for what they are trying to do, that is very obvious also. John gives us some insight on this matter, Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have 7

Staying With Your Anointing heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. (I John 2:18, 20-21)

John states that you have an unction of the Holy One, and you have the ability in you to know your calling. God wants you to think highly of yourself. Don’t be deceived into thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think; but think soberly. In other words, use some spiritual common sense and think in line with your calling and anointing. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in 8

Staying With Your Anointing you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (I John 2:26-27)

The anointing within you will teach you about your calling in life. You don’t have to have someone prophesy over you to know what to do. However, sometimes God will use a prophetic word to confirm the calling that He has already revealed to you. But personal prophecies are not to guide or direct your life. I think most of us know that, but it’s good to be reminded of these things. There are some who have said: “Thus saith the Lord,” when the Lord didn’t say it. Learn to draw from the anointing that abides in you, and you won’t be deceived. When someone speaks a word over you 9

Staying With Your Anointing

about something God hasn’t talked to you about, and it doesn’t bear witness with your spirit, just forget it! You have an anointing to know on the inside of you ... in your spirit. You may not know it in your head, but you will in your spirit. Draw from that anointing by confessing daily that you have the wisdom of God until you know beyond any doubt what is of God and what is of man. James said, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask...” Jesus said, “... ask, and ye shall receive...” John said, “... the same anointing teacheth you all things...” So draw from that anointing. Start confessing you have an anointing to know, and trust in that anointing to give you insight. When it is time to make decisions, even if you don’t have any great revelation concerning the matter, just stop and ask 10

Staying With Your Anointing

yourself, “What is it that I really feel deep down in my spirit?” If you are sold out to God and are willing to trust the anointing, many times the desire you have in your heart is the wisdom of God. It will work for ministers and laymen alike. A God-called business person has an anointing to know what to do in business. Not everyone is called to be a pastor, teacher, or a public minister. There are some who are called to be business people. They have an anointing, and if they’ll trust in that anointing, and develop a sensitivity to it, they will be successful and fulfill their calling in life! Over the years, I’ve had as many manifestations of the Spirit in everyday business affairs as I have had in spiritual things. (I Corinthians 12:7-8) We miss it when we think manifestations of the Spirit and 11

Staying With Your Anointing

anointings are only available concerning spiritual matters of ministry. You are anointed to know God’s direction in your life. Learn to draw from that anointing. Stay with what God has anointed you to do. Stay with your calling in life. A young pastor once told me that he wanted me to pray that he would have the boldness of another minister. I said to him, “You better stay with the anointing and temperament that God gave you. If you get the other minister’s boldness with your anointing, it may do more harm than good.’’

BE YOURSELF Don’t get caught in the trap of trying to be someone else. This one thing causes much frustration in the Body of Christ. God knew you when He called you, and He anointed you accordingly. Stay with and trust that anointing to give direction to your life. 12

Staying With Your Anointing

Don’t give up when things go wrong ... and situations seem to get out of hand. Pray in the Spirit as Paul said in Romans 8:26-27. God wants you to draw from His wisdom. (I Corinthians 2:4-6) Learn to draw from God’s wisdom by confessing the Word daily. Then allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you, even in small things. That is how you develop a sensitivity to your anointing so that it will give you direction in life. A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

The apostle Paul gives us a fitting conclusion to this subject, Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God ... he that is spiritual judgeth all 13

Staying With Your Anointing things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:12-16)

Make a decision to be willing and obedient to God’s calling and experience the good of the land until He comes. MARANATHA!

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