THE ANOINTING (I)

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Luke 4:18 (AMP)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (the Messiah), 

Because He has anointed Me to preach 

the good news to the poor. 

He has sent Me to announce release 

(pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, 

And recovery of sight to the blind, 

To set free those who are oppressed 

(downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy)."

The Holy Spirit is the one who anoints men for His work; and when the Holy Spirit anoints you, it's for a specific purpose and for a designated time frame. He anointed Jesus for a specific mission at a specific time as seen in the scripture above. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and there are signs that can show whether the Holy Spirit is within you:

1. There is conviction of sin 
Conviction is that urge that makes you lose your peace and drives you to repentance. Without the Holy Spirit there is no conviction of sin, and when ones sins he has no remorse at all for his or her diabolical acts or thoughts. Jesus taught His disciples the work of the Holy Spirit in John 16:7-8 (NKJV) that; 
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgement" 

2. The fruit of the Spirit is evident
When the Holy Spirit dwells within a Christian, it gives birth to fruit of the Spirit as seen in Galatians 5:22-23 (TLB); 
“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control”

How Do You Tap into the ANOINTING?

1. Have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. 
Having a relationship with the Holy Spirit is key to receiving the anointing. You always have to be in oneness or fellowship with the Holy Spirit always (2 Cor 13:14). Why? When Jesus was leaving this earth, He promised to live us with the Advocate (John 14:16) who will guide us in all truth. John 16:13 (NIV) says; 
" When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will you guide you in all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." 
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is driven away by the presence of sin. The Holy Spirit is like a dove, He doesn't sit where there is sin. Joel 2:12 (AMP) says;

“Even now,” says the Lord, “Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance], With fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]"

2. Submit and Associate with the Servant of God. 
The anointing is always upon covenanted people; and when submit under and associate with the anointed servant of God, the anointing comes upon you. And in order for us to tap into it, we need to submit under the one with a covenant because the anointing flows from the head down to the subordinates - "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." - Psalm 23:5 
Association is a heart to heart connection which is driven by love; for love makes the anointing flow forth. Sometimes the anointing will direct itself to the one who loves it without human intervention. Jesus did not touch the lady with the issue of blood, but He felt power leaving him and, the lady was healed (Mathew 9:20-22) 
When going through trouble and confusion you need an anointed servant of God who can speak a Rhema word in your afflicting situation. For when a widow whose sons were being taken because of a debt ran to Elisha, he spoke a Rhema word and she was able to pay the debt (2 Kings 4:1-7).   

3. Serve Wholeheartedly. 
Serve without a cost in the house of God. You don't need to charge for your professional services in support of advancing the kingdom of God especially if you a church member. (2 Kings 4:8-17, 2 Kings 2:2)

4. Sow into the Anointing. 
You cannot tap into the anointing without seeding and tithing in the ministry. When you sow into the anointing, your granaries will never run dry (1 Kings 17:8-16). Paul enlightens the believers in Philippians 4:17 (AMP) that; 
"Not that I seek the gift itself, but I do seek the profit which increases to your [heavenly] account [the blessing which is accumulating for you]."

5. Be Obedient. 
Anointing works for only those who are obedient and submit to it. The anointing you don't respect can't work for you. Jesus did not perform many miracles in His hometown because of the peoples' disrespect and unbelief (Mark 6:4-5, Mathew 13:58). 
The anointing is not mindful of the physical relationship; you can be the wife or mother of the servant of God but if you don't submit, the anointing won't work for you. Matthew 12:48-50 (NKJV) says;

"But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Tap into the anointing