Category: Anointed for Anointing

Let’s read aloud and receive these passages in faith together.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV –
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Isaiah 61:1-6 NIV –
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you have anointed us with your Spirit and have called us your ministers.  May you keep us firm in you so that we, your church, may “display your splendor” to all those around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song, “The Praise Is Yours” by Matt Redman (click here).

– EK

 

Isaiah 42:3 ESV –
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.

“What is weaker than the bruised reed or the smoldering wick? A reed that grows in the marshland—let a wild duck land on it, and it snaps; let but the foot of man brush against it, and it is bruised and broken; every wind that flits across the river moves it to and fro. You can conceive of nothing more frail or brittle or whose existence is more in jeopardy than a bruised reed. Then look at the smoldering wick—what is it? It has a spark within it, it is true, but it is almost smothered; an infant’s breath might blow it out; nothing has a more precarious existence than its flame. Weak things are here described; yet Jesus says of them, ‘The smoldering wick I will not quench; the bruised reed I will not break’… He has a few mighties who are lionlike men, but the majority of His people are a timid, trembling race…If temptation comes, they are taken like birds in a snare; if trial threatens, they are ready to faint…Yet, weak as they are, and because they are so weak, they have this promise made especially to them. Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and loving-kindness! How it opens to us the compassion of Jesus—so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from His touch. We need never fear a harsh word from Him; though He might well chide us for our weakness, He rebukes not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from Him, and the smoldering wick no damping frowns.” (Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, pp. 629-630 Kindle Edition)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, though I am like a “bruised reed,” you will not break me.  Though I am like a “faintly burning wick,” you will not quench me.  Thank you that in your goodness and compassion, you restore me so that I may live as a healed and whole servant of the Lord.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s praise the Lord for his goodness and compassion as we sing, “God, You’re So Good” by Passion (click here).

– EK

Luke 4:18-21 NIV –
 “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,
     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
 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.  He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

“The Messiah, Jesus Christ, the anointed One is the culmination, the fullness of God’s anointing… Today we as his followers, disciples of Jesus Christ, the anointing that is on us is much greater than what you and I may have perceived it to be. I know it is hard to see ourselves as the anointed people of God. You may not walk every day thinking like that when you go to work or when you change diapers or when you do your homework. Maybe one of the reasons is that we don’t really see the immense magnitude, because it is not a mere ‘anointing’ as in being set aside or just ‘called,’ but it is the anointing of Jesus that we have as his people, his followers. The anointing that was central to Jesus, is also ours. It is to be central to all our lives.” (Adapted from Pastor Mark’s message.)

Prayer:  Lord Jesus may your Spirit enable me to be humbly aware of your anointing in my life and how it impacts my everyday moments.  I trust in your empowering to enable me to live for your mission. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s confess how we need to depend on the Lord more and more – as we sing “I Need You More” by Kim Walker-Smith (click here).

– EK

“In Exodus 25–30, God gives Moses a lengthy list of detailed directions for how to build the tabernacle. Besides the ‘blueprints’ for the tent, God gave precise instructions for the handcrafting of the Ark of the Covenant… These instructions fill six chapters. Then I stumbled on the gem in this pile of precious stones:
 
The Lord said to Moses,  ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,  to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,  in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.  And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you… and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.’ (Exodus 31:1-6, 11 ESV)

God gave Moses the abilities he personally lacked in the form of other able people. He expanded the ‘you shall make’ into ‘they shall do.’
An impossible job just became more possible.  Never before had this text struck me with such hope and joy. God has given to all men — and women (Exodus 35:25–26) — the needed abilities to carry out every work God calls his people to do.” (Jon Bloom, “God Will Provide the Ability You Need,” Desiring God)

As we receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it is an incredible reality to know that we experience the empowering “to do” all that the Lord has called us to do, together as a church.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the anointing of your Spirit that you give to us, your church – that together, we are empowered to do all that you have called us to do. May we experience, even more, all that you make possible where it may seem impossible.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s ask for the Spirit’s filling afresh for us, his church, as we worship in singing, “Anointing” by Jesus Culture (click here).

– EK

“Someone once said, ‘Only in the Christian life does surrender bring victory.’ Judson Wheeler Van De Venter learned that for himself… Judson grew up interested in art and music. He was converted to Christ at age 17. After graduating from college… Judson became an art teacher… He was also a musician, having studied in numerous singing schools.

All the while, Judson was heavily involved in his local Methodist Episcopal Church where he sang in the choir. He found himself especially fulfilled when participating in evangelistic rallies and revivals in which people received Christ as their personal Savior. Friends encouraged him to resign from the school system to enter fulltime music evangelism, but for five years he struggled with the decision. Finally falling to his knees, he said, ‘Lord, if you want me to give my full time to Thy work, I’ll do it, I surrender all to Thee.’ For the next several years he traveled… assisting in evangelistic work… and winning men and women to Christ… he wrote the hymn, ‘I Surrender All,’ while recalling his own personal submitting to full-time ministry.

Moving to Tampa in 1923, he began teaching hymnology at Florida Bible Institute. He retired after several years, but still occasionally showed up on campus to lecture or to speak in chapel. In the 1930s, a student at Florida Bible Institute sat wide-eyed, listening to Judson Van De Venter. That student, Billy Graham, later wrote: ‘One of the evangelists who influenced my early preaching was also a hymnist who wrote ‘I Surrender All,’ the Rev. J. W. Van De Venter… We students loved this kind, deeply spiritual gentleman and often gathered in his winter home at Tampa, Florida, for an evening of fellowship and singing.'”
(Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, p. 239)

Isaiah 64:8 NIV –
Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay,  you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

Prayer: Father, I surrender all as my life is the work of your hand. I ask for your Spirit’s empowering to live in all the ways that I am to be set apart for you and your mission today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s continue in this heart of prayer as we sing “I Surrender All” by Reawaken Hymns (click here).

– EK