And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about ~ Luke 4:14.
Introduction:
Many spirit beings, good and bad, inhabit the unseen realm. The good ones are the angels of goodwill, but the bad ones always seek advantage to do maximum damage to God’s people in general (Ephesians 6:12-13).
Only Christians who carry a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit are positioned well enough and mightily weaponized sufficiently to mitigate this satanic operation on earth, and are, therefore, God’s relevant agents upon the earth (Luke 10:19; 2 Corinthians 10:4).
In order to perform and excel in this all-important spiritual art, you definitely need Someone bigger than you — the Holy Spirit Himself (John 16:7). You must be anointed to be relevant to God’s agenda in your generation.
Understanding The Messianic Anointing
Essentially, the messianic anointing is all about standing fiery in Christ’s anointing as His witnesses, and touching lives in every generation (Acts 1:8).
Messiah (Hebrew, mashiyach), meaning “the anointed one”, is a title given to the Promised Deliverer of the Jewish nation as prophesied in the Hebrew Bible.
At various times in the history of the Hebrew nation, we had some individuals, who were anointed to bring deliverance to the Jewish people. But, these were just “messianic figures” — Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, Samson, Deborah, etc.
However, in the New Testament we find the consummation of this anointing in One who is called the Anointed One (Christos), Jesus Christ (John 4:25). Andrew exclaimed to his brother Peter “We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ" (John 1:41). So, when we speak here of Messiah, we are speaking of Jesus the Anointed One (Luke 4:18).
When Jesus walked upon the earth, His anointing was evident by the miracles He performed, and the lives He touched. From demons to diseases, and from stormy gales to depression and death, no malady or evil presence could withstand the power and virtue that flowed from Jesus Christ.
The most amazing truth here is that we as followers of Christ now have access to the same messianic anointing. This is a dizzying fact; it sounds very incredible, and somewhat unbelievable, but it’s the truth (1 John 2:20, 27).
Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One), and we Christians are the Anointed Ones. As he is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). He said the works He did, we shall also do (John 14:12-14).
Choosing To Re-Ignite the Fresh Fire of the Holy Ghost
When believers are remarkably anointed by the Holy Spirit, God’s presence and His real power become manifest. Supernatural things begin to happen, with testimonies of strange victories all around as we take our stand as authorized witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:19). However, the degree to which we operate in this power is completely left to us.
Today, many people live like spiritual weaklings, constantly falling and failing to utilize the enormous gifts of the Holy Spirit available to the believers (Ephesians 3:7, 20). But, any believer can choose to be a walking spiritual dynamo, flowing in the anointing, full of power, performing miracles and operating in the manifestations of Holy Ghost wherever he goes.
Even then, this calls for fresh fire of the Holy Spirit. Thus, it is very compulsory for us as Christians that we crave to live and walk daily in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Fire is a mainstay of life. Fire generates motion. Fire is a purifier. Fire is a common emblem of the Holy Spirit. The fire of the Holy Spirit signalizes the majestic presence of the Lord in our lives, and when it is ignited within, it brings divine protection and guidance (Exodus 13:21).
The fire also establishes in us power & passion for the things of God. It burns in our hearts and inside our bones with the Lord’s zeal, sustaining winning strength of the Holy Ghost in our lives and consuming the stubbles of the enemies. Indeed, He is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29).
When the heart is cold of love and passion for the things of God, any evil can set in, and Satan can easily seize the advantage to engage such a heart as his workshop. When fire is gone, power over sin, sickness, challenges, demons, etc., is equally gone.
It is cold stoves that unwanted insects usually take over for a haven. We all need that fire, and it must be constantly fresh within us (Acts 4:31).
This fire is highly contagious, touching lives in its course, and it naturally commands attention. John Wesley used to say, "I just set myself on fire and folks come to watch me as I burn".
Provoking The Fire In You
Moses contacted the fire, and he divided the Red Sea. Joshua operated under the fire, the sun and moon obeyed his voice. Elijah spoke in this energy of the Holy Ghost, and the heavens seized rain; he spoke again and the heavens heard his voice and gave rain.
Under the banner of this same fire, John the Baptist spoke a dead nation back to life, Peter’s shadow healed the sick, Paul’s handkerchiefs performed wonders, and even a viper died after wrapping itself around his arms (Acts 19:11-12).
Time will fail me to tell of Kathryn Khulman, Mary Woodworth Ether, Ayo Babalola, TL Osborn, Benson Idahosa, John Sung and many others who operated under the unction of this fire, and had incredible testimonies of great exploits. Beloved, this is your day!
The Holy Ghost wants to do wonders again in our time! Let’s get more seriously devoted to Him. The fire of the Holy Ghost wants to distinguish us in our generation, let’s embrace the honour and the responsibility of cultivating this awesome power in us. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, totally yielded and relying implicitly on Him in faith.
Yes, the fire of the Holy Ghost can still provoke answers to this halting, doubting and sinful world as it was in the days of Elijah (1 Kings 18:21, 24, 38). Let’s focus upon the Word, and honour it as He speaks it (John 6:63; Ezekiel 2:2). Let’s begin to walk it out by operating in love and compassion, daily. That’s the platform for an unfailing flow of Jesus’ anointing (Matthew 9:36; 20:30, 34).
This same fire descended upon the early Apostles on the day of Pentecost; they were filled with the Holy Ghost, strangely empowered and were even enabled to speak in unlearned languages (Acts 2:8-11). That experience did much more to further the spread of the Gospel than any other single event in Church history.
Brethren, we must catch this fresh fire, today. We must go for whatever it takes to get the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 1:9; Psalms 89:20). In this essential power encounter, may you never miss out, in Jesus name. Amen. Happy Sunday!
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bishopakinola
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola