The Authority of His Anointing, Part 2
Most of us would agree it is a serious time for the Church and America. The Spirit is calling the Church to arise in boldness as the children of light to advance God’s Kingdom amid the darkness.
Despite the hardships and darkness, our mandate has never changed. God is not only challenging us to be His light and force in the earth, but He is requiring us to change. 2020 has been a challenging year. Through it all, the Lord has been inviting us to draw closer to Him. To grow in our trust of Him and allow our hearts to change. His intent is that we come out the other side this year’s trials stronger, looking more like Him—being the radiant Church Jesus destined us to be.
After all, He is the head, we are His body—therefore we radiate His glory!
And by the way, Jesus is not coming back for a beggarly Church. He is not coming back for a Bride barely hanging on until His second coming. He is returning for a bride who has made herself ready.
The Church must understand God’s Kingdom is advancing, and His kingdom will be the greatest Kingdom of all time; it will be greater than any other Kingdom. The Church is called to be a demonstration of His Kingdom here on the earth. Our spiritual union with Jesus, in His death, His resurrection, and His ascension to glory, became our death, our resurrection, our ascension to glory with Him (See Romans 6:3-5; Ephesians 2:6).
Yes, we are here in this earthly realm, but through Jesus and our born-again experience, we are united together with Him in His image, likeness, and His victory. Our union with Him and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit afford us a realm of living and authority that is not of this world. You and I are no longer just of this world. We are citizens of heaven, ambassadors of the King of Kings with His authority, might, and power backing us as we are busy about the Father’s business!
To those in the world and not of Christ, we seem a little peculiar, and God’s ways seem like foolishness. And that is what God has always intended—the humble will hear and receive the Good News. Many in society do not understand the Church. Right now in America, there is such animosity by many against the Church because She is peculiar and a fragrance of the beauty and victory of Christ. Some want the Church, irrespective of the pandemic, to stay closed forever. Church, keep praising, keep worshipping, keep praying and declaring His Word and purposes!
God said, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord.” The Hebrew word hallelujah means you must praise the Lord. We have a mandate: you must praise the Lord! You praise Him in good times, you praise Him in bad times, you praise Him from the rising of the sun to its setting every day. Praise Him always!
When you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, keep walking; you are just passing through! Do not camp there in this valley. Keep moving! He has given us authority in His name, the anointing of His Spirit, and the authority of His Word to be a demonstration in the earth in this hour. As we listen to the Spirit, we hear the call to arms, like those in Gideon’s day. We are called to be a demonstration of the Kingdom of God on earth.
Today in part two, I will pick up from last week in discussing The Authority of His Anointing.
Reading in the Nazareth synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus reads from Isaiah 61 about His mission and the nature of the gospel of the kingdom,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 NKJV
Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, bring sight to the blind, and set at liberty those who were bound. Jesus was anointed by the Spirit for a purpose.
Christ, from the Greek christós, is not His last name; it’s a title meaning “anointed one.” It translates from the Hebrew “messiah,” meaning “anointed one.” Hence Jesus the “anointed one.”
What is the anointing? It is both the presence and power of God. It is the power that created the universe, created man, and the power which raised Jesus from the dead.
Jesus’ defined ministry was the proclamation of the good news of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Not just a message of salvation from sin, but a message proclaimed with accompanying signs and power of the Spirit. This is the gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus presented and intended all His disciples to replicate and continue.
Jesus declared that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. In other words, it is within arm’s reach. He said the Kingdom of God is among you. He demonstrated this through every healing, every miracle, and every deliverance, by multiplying the loaves and the fishes, by calming the natural elements—the wind and the waves. Every act by Jesus demonstrated the superiority of God’s Kingdom.
Remember, we have been resurrected with Christ, seated in the heavenly realms with Him and in the superiority of God’s Kingdom. We are simply not of this world—we live in this world, but we are not of it any longer—we are in Christ and His realm.
Peter describes the anointing Jesus received from God in this way,
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did…” Acts 10:38 NKJV
The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit and is for a purpose—good works. Jesus healed all who came to Him and all manner of disease, as God in human flesh dependent upon the Holy Spirit. The healings and miracles were not just to confirm His divinity, but to demonstrate the inauguration of the Kingdom of God and God’s love for humanity in delivering us from the oppression of the evil one.
The healings, miracles, and demonstration of the love and power of God’s Kingdom have never ceased. If you believe in the expansion of the Kingdom of God, and that His kingdom will be greater than every other kingdom on earth, you should therefore believe in the continuation of the gifts of the Spirit.
In my book, Receive Your Miracle Now! A Case for Healing Today, I substantiate biblically, historically, and theologically that God has never stopped doing the healings and miracles, all throughout Church history. Some of the greatest minds in the body of Christ have confirmed through the Word, history, and their own experience that the Kingdom of God is still being demonstrated through power as well as proclamation.
For example, St. Augustine in his early years believed God no longer did the miracles as normative in presenting the gospel. However, towards the end of his life, there were so many healings and miracles occurring in his parish, that he recanted of his cessationist beliefs and changed his theology! He wrote that there were so many miracles and healings happening, he could not record them all!
Death and Resurrection of Lazarus
In John’s gospel (11:1-45), we read of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. There is much to this story; I encourage you to read it then watch or listen to my sermon from Sunday to get the entire teaching from this relevant passage for our current season and discussion of our authority in Christ. (You can view the sermon on demand below, at the end of this blog.)
In summary, Lazarus and his two sisters were loved by Jesus and lived in Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus spent much time with them; you could say they were some of His “favorite” people to be with. Lazarus becomes sick and Jesus is notified of his illness.
When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4 NKJV
Be careful with this verse. Some would read into it and assume God brings sickness at times because He must be teaching us something. That is not what that verse says. Jesus said, this sickness is not unto death; it will glorify God. In other words, God will turn this situation around and glorify Himself through the miracle. Bad things happen to good people; sometimes people get sick or have accidents—it does not mean God brought this to teach us something.
Remember, Jesus loves Lazarus, Martha, and Mary—yet He stays two more days before coming to them. By then, Lazarus has died. Some of the disciples are fearful the Jews might stone Him and them (vs. 8, 16).
We live in a moment when many are struggling with fear. While we need to be wise regarding the pandemic and COVID, we also need to live from our realm in Christ and be confident in going about the Father’s business. The same goes for reaching out to those in darkness in our nation—they need to encounter the love and power of Christ.
Many are suffering, some are saying like Martha and Mary, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!” (vs. 21, 32). We must go to them, comfort them, pray, and expect miracles! We must have the same love and compassion as Jesus did toward this family.
We also pray the light of the glory of Christ will penetrate the darkness in this hour, that those who are lost in darkness would come to the light. Jesus needs laborers in this hour who will leave the walls of the Church and go into society as the light in the darkness. Thank God some are doing it! Revival is breaking out in the streets as they worship, preach, prophesy, and pray for the sick. Right now our nation needs laborers with boldness in the harvest. I believe the Church has an opportunity and God is moving the Church to leave her comfort zone and forget about getting stoned!
God intends His Church to be His hands and feet, to carry His message and demonstration of the kingdom to them. Jesus said He must (and therefore we must) walk while it is day—use our time, talents, and treasure in our moment and this generation to reach humanity with His message.
This is how Jesus responds to their fear about possibly getting persecuted,
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” John 11:9-10 NKJV
Don’t you love how Jesus answers questions?! Some of the disciples are filled with fear. And He gives a parable. What is He saying? In summary, the answer to the darkness is to be the light! You only have a certain amount of time, a certain amount of daylight to labor.
Now is our moment people of God, now is our generation, to be the light in the darkness, to help write the history of Jesus over this nation. Be bold. Ask the Holy Spirit for strategies. What can you do to make a difference in our community, to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ with signs following in our generation? Do not hold back. The Church for too long has been satisfied with good Bible teaching on Sunday mornings with nice worship instead of being a radical militant force to impact nations.
Jesus arrives, is moved with compassion, and tells them to roll away the stone (vs. 39). It required their act of faith, despite the stench, death, and atmosphere surrounding the people. With a simple command, Lazarus come forth! he is raised from the dead! (vs. 43)
Jesus is the resurrection and the life; He is expecting us to believe and obey (vs. 25). The very resurrection power that rose Jesus from the dead was not only upon His life, but He has imparted that to us, His disciples.
The gospel commissioning accounts (Mark 6:13; Matt. 10:1, 7-8; Luke 9:1-2, 10:1-2; Matt. 28:18-20) authorize us to carry His love and power to the hurting and lost—go! Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, bring sight to the blind, and set at liberty those who were bound. And so are we!
And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matt. 10:7-8 NKJV
I remember the first Christian I met who was involved with raising the dead. A Mozambican pastor, Rego. He has a small church with a dirt floor and a thatched roof. There are several of us American pastors on this trip, and Rego brings us into his humble building. He points to the pulpit and altar area and tells us, “This is where the first person was raised from the dead!” We were impacted. We then ask, “Well, how many have you seen raised from the dead in your church?” He went on to tell us three thus far! This was 2003.
Remember, we are talking about the authority of His anointing and what He has authorized us to do.
After Lazarus is raised from the dead, the Jews and religious leaders are determined to kill Jesus. It’s funny how the powers of darkness at work in our nation, and throughout the history of the Church, want to silence the move of the Spirit. Resurrection life is happening, miracles are occurring, and people want to shut down the Church and the move of the Spirit.
Years ago, we had a brother in our church who was used by the Lord to raise a baby from the dead. He was working at home on this day from his apartment. His apartment complex had a pool, and there was a family at the pool swimming. They lost track of their toddler, who fell into the pool, drowned, and had turned blue by the time they pulled the child out. Panic-stricken, the mother began to scream for help, while another member called 911. Hearing the cries for help, he left his apartment and ran to the pool. He was new to this full gospel message, but he had enough teaching and understanding to lay hands on the child and pray. He simply commanded life into the lungs, for breath to return, and for the child to live and not die. He said all of a sudden, the toddler coughed up water, started to breathe, opened his eyes, and his color returned to normal! When the paramedics arrived, there was not a situation any longer with the child! What happened? Jesus, the resurrection and the life, responded to one of His servants as he prayed!
Listen, Jesus is still healing the sick and raising the dead today through ordinary believers like you and me who dare to believe His Word and trust the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Remember, Lazarus comes out of the grave bound in grave clothes. Jesus tells them to “loose him and let him go.” (vs. 44) Church, loose them!
Years ago, we were administering in Romania with our then-toddler daughter Hannah, and a good friend and intercessor Darlene. While ministering in a church, I noticed a young woman, Lydia, on the front row who seemed to be oppressed. I heard the Lord say, “I want you to call her forth from the dead just like Jesus called Lazarus from the dead.” I brought her to the front to pray for her before I started to give the sermon. I had Carolyn and Darlene stand with her as I simply commanded life to come into her in Jesus’ name. Again, she was physically alive, but there was something in her inner person that needed to be revived and healed. I declared, “Come forth in Jesus’ name Lydia!”
Darlene felt we needed to take Lydia and turn her several times as a prophetic act to remove her “grave clothes.” The two ladies turned her to remove the invisible grave clothes, and the power of the Holy Spirit encounters Lydia. She shrieks, falls to the floor, and is “out in the Spirit” for a long time. She is under the power of the Spirit. Do not try to put a box around God, or how God moves, or when God moves. As she continued to lay there, being ministered to by the Spirit, I gave my message and we had a good meeting.
About a year later, I was back on another trip to this church. The worship team comes out and guess who’s leading worship? It’s the young woman Lydia—she is transformed! The worship is powerful and I’m thinking to myself “this is not the same woman we ministered to a year ago.” I asked the pastor what happened to her. He explained that after we prayed over her and did the prophetic act, the Spirit encounter brought freedom and emotional healing. She was restored in relationship to her mother and unforgiveness and bitterness were gone. Her freedom from these things, combined with an empowering by the Spirit’s anointing, enabled her to become the bold worship leader she desired to be.
Church, arise and go those who need His resurrection life and power to touch them—you have His authority and anointing! Pray for them with authority, command life into them. Command life into our society. Command life over the Congress. Command life over the elections. Command life right now into our nation. Where it looks like death, declare life, He is the resurrection and the life, and you are His ambassador!
Some of you need to have an experience like Lydia’s today—cry out to God for His resurrection power to touch you! I pray and decree over your life freedom, wholeness, and new life in Jesus’ name!
For a deeper look at this topic, watch the Passion Church message, “The Authority of His Anointing, Part 2”
