“WOE IS ME”

I have felt during worship for the past several weeks that we, as a corporate body, are attempting to enter the manifest presence of God without the clean hands and pure heart God expects of those who climb His Mountain. This scripture keeps finding my mind: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Change your mind and purpose, turn away from the glitter of the world and turn your mind to Me, that I might refresh and revive you in My presence. I think it is good and appropriate to recognize our uncleanness any time we attempt to enter the presence of God, much like Esther’s preparation to enter the King’s presence, or Isaiah’s self revelation when he entered the temple and saw the Lord. Perhaps we take for granite that which we received at so great a cost? Perhaps, after so many years of traveling God’s road we have forgotten our unworthiness, our utter filthiness, how to say... “Woe is me.” Perhaps we have forgotten the Cross? Repentance and conversion are more than elements of salvation; they are the on-going demonstration of a willing and humble heart, a contrite spirit. And perhaps, they are the price of admission into God’s presence.

GOD’S PRESENCE IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT

SPIRITUAL GLUTTONY

Hurry, the sale ends Saturday: Three tubs of anointing only $20.00; guaranteed non greasy. If you take the time to goggle “The Anointing” under brand name TV ministries you can find “Deals” for special spiritual impartations, double or even triple portions, transfers of personal anointing, and even Elijah’s mantle is up for grabs. Books providing “The Three Keys” or “The Four  Steps” to acquiring “Fresh Oil”, ‘Unlimited Anointing”, ‘Overflowing Anointing”, “The Anointing Without Measure”, etc., abound and an endless assortment of cloths, trinkets, oil packets, mantles, etc, including such creative items as a plastic replica widow’s mite, a miracle popsicle stick, and a little sack of corn, have been ”anointed” and are being sold to God’s gullibles as a “point of contact” to supposedly augment the transfer of The Anointing. Popular teachings on The Anointing include the concept of “layers of anointing”, sort of the layered look in the spiritual realm, “spiritual covering”, the necessity of submitting to an anointed leader in order for one to become anointed, The Anointing as a physical substance, and teachings on how The Anointing can restore relationships, bring prosperity, heal diseases, and save lost love ones, to mention only a few. In the fast paced world of televangelism The Anointing has become a hot commodity.

There are six different Greek words translated anoint (ed) (ing), used a total of 19 times in the New Testament. Five of these words, either in meaning or textual applications, have nothing to do with this concept we call The Anointing. This leaves only the noun Chrisma, which means “an unguent (ointment) or an anointing”.  The specially prepared anointing oil used in the Old Testament was called “Mishah godes” in Hebrew and “Chrisma hagion” in the Greek Septuagint, both meaning “anointing holy” oil (Ex. 29:7, 30:25).  The word refers to that with which the anointing is performed, the substance used, and not the act of anointing.  Chrisma is used three times in 1 Jn. 2:20, 27, which, contextually, paints a very specific descriptive picture of what The Anointing is: So what is it that saints receive from Jesus, that dwells continuously in saints after reception, that is a person, that has the nature and character of Jesus, that knows and imparts absolute divine truth, that imparts intuitive knowledge and teaches the saints all (spiritual) things?   It is clear that the use of “Chrisma” in these passages is not referring to an anointing oil or substance, or metonymically to a “feeling or sensation” or “spiritual anointing”.  The Anointing, as used in 1 John 2:20, 27 is none other than the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of the living God, indwelling His children, it’s just another name, a synonym, for the Holy Spirit. Some may think it is insignificant if we refer to the works of the Holy Spirit as “The Anointing”, but the difference is very significant when one deprives the Holy Spirit of recognition, implies man can control and impart His “dumanis” power, and barters His works as common market place wares. We should be hearing the ice cracking for we are surely on “Thin Ice” when we treat God’s Spirit as a commodity, insulting the Spirit of grace. It is very significant... not to mention dangerous, to focus on anything besides the Holy Spirit as the operational power behind all that God does on planet earth.

ANOINTING  HOLY SPIRIT

MEANDERINGS ON GOD’S WILL

Case Number One: Some saints see God’s will as all inclusive, where every life choice... every decision great and small, is fore-ordered by God who moves us by His Spirit in everything we do. Some see the command to “walk in the Spirit” as a mandate supporting God’s all inclusive will... but the context in these passages is clearly the enmity and warfare between one’s old carnal fleshly nature and the new indwelling “Spirit” nature of our Lord. This case presumes we are hearing the voice of the Lord 24/7, and differentiating distinctly His voice from the din that surrounds us. Case Number Two: Others see God’s will as a series of parking lots where every major life choice has spiritual parameters defining God’s will... the parking lot boundaries, and once entered God’s will is satisfied and the choice of parking spots is left to us. Case Number Three: And still others see God’s will more in a spiritual sense, involving one’s calling, ministry, and spiritual gifts.

For example, does God want to choose our city, house, occupation, job, church, car we drive, where we have lunch, etc., or does He want to choose the city we live in, the parking lot, and allow us to choose the house... the parking spot, or does He want to choose our occupation, the parking lot, and allow us to choose our job... the parking spot, and so on. Or, does He only concern Himself with our ministry, leaving all other choices up to us?

Every saint has righteous works foreordained by God: In the first case these works would accompany the choices God makes for us, so anytime we missed God’s choice we would miss the kingdom works He had planned around that choice. In the second case God, in His infiniteness, would assign righteous works to our parking choices within the parking lot boundaries He establishes for each of our major life choices, to fulfill His purposes. Of course, this is not a challenge to our multitasking Father, who knew the choices we would make before the foundations of the world were laid.  In the third case, if we miss God‘s will concerning calling, ministry, or gifting, we would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle. But Case Number Three is really a subset of Case Number Two, another major life choice... another parking lot. If we use God’s word as a roadmap for our life we will fine all His parking lots and be at peace with the parking spots we choose... even if we have to walk a little further then needed at times... that’s OK...

FIND GOD’S PARKING LOTS