You Have An Anointing

Today’s Bible readings are Numbers 30:1-31:54, Luke 4:1-30, Psalm 63:1-11, & Proverbs 11:20-21

Luke 4:18-21

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free, ⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

This was when it all changed for Jesus. His ministry took a turn into the supernatural from this day forward. He went from an ordinary carpenter to the Builder of the greatest building of all time—The Church. He went from doing natural things to doing SUPERNATURAL things. What was it that brought about this change? Why did things take such a drastic turn so quickly? The answer is:  The anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had just been baptized & the bible tells us that the Spirit came to rest on Him. He was anointed at that very moment. From the moment that He realized HE was anointed He went about doing good & healing ALL who oppressed of the devil for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)  How was God with Jesus:  In the form of the anointing. God was with Jesus through His Spirit.

The same is true for us today. Jesus declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. That is the power that God the Father sent Jesus out in. Remember, Jesus came to show us who He was & to show what He was like. He came to show us how to do life. He came to show us how we were to live under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

This was always what God wanted from the very beginning. He spoke of it through the prophets throughout the ages. He sent His Son to be the first fruits offering to ensure us the same provision. That is why upon Jesus’ ascension He made this declaration to the church:

John 20:21-22

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

This was the born again experience that we needed in order to have the life of God in us. Jesus was sent in the power of the Holy Spirit. HE WAS NOW SENDING US IN THE POWER OF THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT. He made further arrangements for us to receive AN EVEN GREATER MEASURE of Spirit to help us when He said:

Acts 1:8

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Now this truly equips us to fulfill the mission He gave us. My word for you today is simple: 

YOU HAVE AN ANOINTING.

 

1 John 2:20

²⁰ But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

This is what the anointing is:  “God on flesh doing what flesh cannot do.”

•        The anointing is given to enable, empower, & equip us to:

1.      Do the work of ministry.

2.      Lead.

3.      Build the kingdom of God.

4.      Break yokes & remove burdens.

5.      To be used in the supernatural.

“God on flesh doing those things that flesh cannot do.”

The greatest things that can happen in your life as a Christian is for you to realize that YOU have an anointing from the Holy One. You have been anointed to:

1.      Preach the gospel.

2.      Set prisoners free.

3.      Give recovery of sight to the blind.

4.      Deliver the oppressed.

5.      Heal the sick.

This is what your everyday life should consist of. This is what it is to BE THE CHURCH. I pray for you what Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 1:16-23

¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Pastor Richard Schlotter

Never Be Shaken

Today’s Bible readings are Numbers 28:16-29:40, Luke 3:23-38, Psalm 62:1-12, & Proverbs 11:18-19

Psalm 62:1-2

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. ² Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

This is a psalm that we all need to get an understanding of. The content of this psalm came to David because he was a man who had to endure adversity. There were many times in his life when the enemy raged against him. There were numerous times in his life when the odds were against him. Things happened in his life that would have caused most people to walk away & quit, but not David. He was a man after God’s heart. He learned that with God on his side he would never be shaken.

The day & age that we live in we see that nothing is constant. Gas prices are always changing. People are always changing. It is rare that anything lasts in our generation. Truly we live in a world that is unpredictable.

•        Economy

•        Jobs

•        Family situations

•        Personal struggles

•        Relationship tension

•        Health issues

•        Natural disasters

These things can cause a lot of pressure in people’s lives. Many people are so centered in these things that they cannot find any stability themselves. They have far to much trust in things that are only shifting sand. The problem is that when these things change—SO DO THEY. Their lives are turned into chaos. I have a word from God for you:  “YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SHAKEN!!!”

Psalm 16:8

⁸ I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

I don’t want to get all doom & gloom on you, but I believe that things are going to get worse in our world. Sin is increasing, wickedness is getting more bold, God is dishonored at so many levels. Listen to these words:

Hebrews 12:25-29

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? ²⁶ At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷ The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Jesus also said these words:

^{Matthew 24:4-8 (NLT)}

^{4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.}

Things may get difficult but we have a promise from God. That is why we don’t have to be shaken.

Isaiah 43:1-3

¹ But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. ² When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. ³ For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Here are 3 reasons why you don’t have to be shaken:

1.      We serve an EVER-PRESENT (omnipresent) GOD.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NLT)

²³ Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the LORD. “No, I am far away at the same time.  ²⁴ Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?  Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”  says the LORD.

God is always watching out for those who are His. As long as you remain in the Vine you have nothing to fear. God sees you & He will help & deliver you.

              

2.      We serve an ALL KNOWING (Omniscient) GOD.

Isaiah 40:13-14 (NLT)

¹³ Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD?  Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?  ¹⁴ Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice?  Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice?

God know how to deliver you while He administers His justice. We may not know how He is going to do it but that is ok. God knows the beginning from the end. We can trust is Him.

3.      We serve an ALL-POWERFUL (omnipotent) GOD.

Revelation 19:6 (NLT)

⁶ Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the LORD! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Our God is greater than anything. We don’t trust in the things of this world. We trust in Him. When the things of this world are fading away, we trust in a God who NEVER will. When the things of this world are falling apart, we trust in a God who NEVER will. This is our God. This is why we will NEVER BE SHAKEN!

Pastor Richard Schlotter

Time To Grow Up

Today’s Bible readings are Numbers 26:1-51, Luke 2:36-52, Psalm 60:1-12, & Proverbs 11:15

Luke 2:51-52

⁵¹ Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

⁵² Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

These verses unfold at a very interesting time in Jesus’ life. Jesus was pretty young still. He was 12. It was the time of the Passover. They journeyed to Jerusalem as usual. This time was different. This time Jesus found His way into the temple. He had been there for approximately 3 days.

The temple was a place where many religious people would gather, for what we might call small group. They would read a portion of the Torah & then discuss it. Each Rabbi would give an interpretation of what the text meant to them. This particular day was a different because a 12 year boy had stolen the spot light.

Every child was taught the Torah, or the Law, as they were growing up. It was God’s instruction to His people after He delivered them from Egypt.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19

¹⁸ “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

In fact, it was customary, & not uncommon, for children to have the entire 5 books of the Law memorized by the age of 12. They would memorize it in song format so that it became easier for them. But what was different about Jesus was His understanding of what the scripture really meant. He didn’t just know the letter of the Law, like most of the Rabbi’s did, He knew the Spirit of the Law. He didn’t just spend time memorizing the bible, He spent time in prayer & meditation to UNDERSTAND the whole counsel of what the Father was communicating & why. This caused others to be amazed at His answers.

Luke 2:45-47

⁴⁵ When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. ⁴⁶ Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. ⁴⁷ All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

This brings me to my thought for the day:  “We must take notice of the fact that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, & favor.”

I don’t know what you think about this, but I clearly see that Jesus was a grower. He knew that He needed to grow. I believe that this is God showing us what He really wants from all of His children. Let me ask you a question. Does anybody else think that a lot of Christians act like 12 year old? I mean that in a spiritual way. It seems to me that the norm in the Body of Christ is that not very many mature in the faith beyond what a 12 year old matures in the natural. This is troubling to me.

Let’s talk about the behavior & attitude of 12 year olds.

1.      They are very moody.

2.      They are emotionally unstable.

3.      They throw temper tantrums.

4.      They think that the world revolves around them.

5.      If they don’t get their way they pout & withdraw from the one who didn’t give them what they wanted.

6.      They seem to think that they don’t need to mature because they already know it all.

7.      They have a lot of information but lack the ability to know what to do with it.

This list is very easy for me to make. We have a couple kids in our family right now who are at that age. I am thinking of all kinds of stories that I could tell to support each of these characteristics, but I won’t. Sadly to say, as a pastor I could tell stories about adults in the kingdom of God who spiritually behave in many of the same ways.

God wants us to grow. He shows us this by teaching us that His Son even needed to grow. This speaks volumes to me. Let’s talk about some ways that we can promote growth in our lives.

1.      Read the bible.

This is a no brainer. We all know that God’s Word is seed. Seed brings about a harvest. A harvest is a sure indicator of growth. Those of you who have been keeping up with this blog know of the growth that occurs when we read the bible consistently. But let me add, it is not reading the bible alone that gets it done. We must spend time in prayer & meditation seeking the heart & mind of God on what we have read. This will increase the growth in our lives.

2.      Read other books written by Holy Spirit inspired men & women.

Many people use the EXCUSE that they don’t have time to read. Let me ask you a question. Do you have time to eat? Of course you do. You make time for what you feel is important. Reading books that have come from anointed men & women IS VERY IMPORTANT. God will share insight & revelation with people in His body. Take advantage of sharing in what He has given to others. This concept is much like sitting under an anointed preacher. Wisdom & revelation can be transferred.

3.      Listen to anointed preaching.

We live in a world of instant media. A person can go to ITunes & subscribe to some of the best preaching that is available today. Podcasts are such a great blessing to the body of Christ. There are those supernatural moments in churches all over the globe that come through the preaching of God’s Word. Those moments are recorded & offered to others around the globe so they can be blessed by them as well. Only a FOOL, or a 12 year old, would neglect taking advantage of this opportunity.

These last 2 things that I have mentioned greatly shaped my life. I read & I listen to podcasts. I want to give you a few recommendations for podcast listening.

·        Keith More—Faith Life Church

·        Jentzen Franklin

·        Steve Hill—Steve Hill Ministries

4.      Serve in the kingdom & your local church.

I also want to strongly encourage you to serve. You only grow when you pour out what has been given. Never fail to realize this. People who are growing are people who are going. I have seen an observation in my life; as people stop serving in the local church, THEY STOP GROWING. I’m sure you have heard this saying:  “You only keep what you have by giving it away.” This is very true.

I hope that you will take you own personal growth serious, In every major profession on the planet they REQUIRE ongoing training.  This is because they know that if we aren’t growing we are dying. Choose life & choose growth.

Pastor Richard Schlotter