Sunday 5 June 2011

The kingdom anointing - power for service


Guest contributor the Reverend John Bedford asks some questions about healing and comes back with some inspiring and encouraging answers: 

Sometimes it is helpful to ask the Bible questions – like, “Why did Jesus not heal the sick or cast out demons until he was about 30 years old?”   

The answer may surprise some people, because it is quite simple, I would suggest, he could not heal the sick because he did not yet have the power, or the gifts of the Spirit that came through the anointing, which came upon him at his water Baptism when he was about thirty years of age. See Luke 3:22, 4:1, 4:14, Acts 10:38

Jesus did not heal the sick because he was Divine but because he was a man, the Son of Man, anointed with the Holy Spirit and with Power.  Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter man.

Before we explore the Anointing, let us look at the work of the Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus, and discover a pattern for our own lives.

1.  Was Jesus born of the Holy Spirit?  -  Yes, read Luke 1:35
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you”… the angel said to Mary.
2.  Did Jesus have a Divine Nature?   - Yes,   Luke 1:35
“The Holy One to be born – will be called the Son of God.”
3.  Did Jesus live a perfect life and demonstrate all the fruits of the Spirit?  -  Yes  Luke 1:32
“The Holy One, - Son of the Most High” – “He will reign.”
“Which of you accuses me of sin ?”  -  John 8:46
His perfection guarantees our salvation, -   Hebrews 5:8-9

So now let us compare our spiritual journey with that of Jesus.
1.  Do I have to be born of the Spirit?  -  Yes,   read John 3: 5 – 8
“You must be born again…. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
2.  Do I become the partaker of a Divine Nature?  -  Yes,   2 Peter 1:4
“You may partake of the Divine Nature and escape the corruption in the world.”
3.  Am I expected to live like Jesus and grow the fruits of the Spirit. ?  -  Yes, Galatians 5:22
“The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience…..”
“Since we live in the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit,”  5:25

So our spiritual journey is the same as that of Jesus – we are born again of the Holy Spirit, become partakers of the Divine Nature and manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

But what about the Anointing of Jesus ?    Acts 10:38 makes it clear that Jesus, the Son of Man – the human being we call, the Carpenter from Nazareth, who lived down the road, God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with Power.
1.  Was Jesus Anointed with the Holy Spirit ?  -  Yes – Acts 10:38, Luke 3:22, Luke 4 :18.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to…. preach, deliver heal. ”
2.  Did Jesus receive Power to Minister? -  Yes,    Luke 4:1, 4 :14,  4:36.
“Jesus returned to Galilee in the Power of the Spirit”
“With authority and power he gives orders to the evil spirits and they come out.”
“Laying hands on each one of them he healed them.”    Luke 4:40
3.Did Jesus as the anointed Son of Man us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?  -  Yes Luke 5 :17-26
In the healing of the Paralytic man….He used the gift of the Word of Knowledge
“Friend your sins are forgiven“, Knowing that guilt was the root of the man’s problem.

The Gift of Discernment… to know what they were thinking?

Then the Gifts of Prophecy and faith and healing….

Now let us compare the second phase of our spiritual journey with that of Jesus.

1.  Do I need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and Power. -  Yes   Luke 3:16
“He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire.”
Notice Anointing and Baptism are used for the same experience.
“Stay in Jerusalem until you have been “clothed” with Power from on High.” Luke 24:49, Acts1:8
This was true for the Disciples in Jerusalem,  Acts 2:4, it was also necessary for the
Samaritans in Acts 8 v 14 – 17
“Peter and John came from Jerusalem and laid hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit.”
They had already believed the Word and been baptised in water. Acts 8:12.

This was also necessary for the Gentile believers, like Cornelius and his family as they heard the Gospel.  Acts 10: 44 – 46.  They had their own day of Salvation and Pentecost. It was also true for the Gentiles at Ephesus  Acts 19:4 – 6.   Those receiving the Spirit, usually used some gift of the Holy Spirit, like Tongues or Prophecy, when the Holy Spirit cam upon them.

2.  Will I receive Power to serve Jesus in the fulfilment of His calling on my life ?  -  Yes you will.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”  Acts 1:8
“Signs and Wonders were done by the Apostles  Acts 2:43, and by Stephen, & Philip & Paul
who were not of the 12 Apostles but called and anointed ordinary men.
We are all called to heal the sick and testify to the King and His Kingdom.  Luke 10:9,17
3.  Can I receive and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit like Jesus and the Apostles did.” Yes, you can.
“For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body…and were given the One Spirit to drink.”
Read through 1 Corinthians 12,    “There are different kinds of Gifts but the One Spirit.  1 Cor 12: 4 – 6.  “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given.”  1 Corinthians 12 :7 – 11

The Apostles used the Gifts of the Spirit in their Ministry, just like Jesus did in his Ministry.
In Acts 3, Peter heals the man lame from birth.  He uses the….

Gift of Discernment -  Look at us… and he “sees” the man has faith to be healed.

The Gift of Faith… what I have I give you.

The Gift of Prophecy… to speak it out before it happens.

The Gift of Healing…I give you in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Nothing was apparently happening so Peter uses the

Gift of Wisdom… he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up, then came the

Gift of Miracles… the man’s feet and ankles became strong…a miracle, he had never walked.
                                 and his brain had never learned, for him to be able to walk.

So we disciples of Jesus can and should be Anointed with the Holy Spirit and with Power to minister and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to encourage, to heal and deliver people from the enemies control, and destroy the works of the devil, sin, sickness, spirits, & death. 1 John 3 v 8

         So it becomes clear every Christian needs to experience these two works of the Holy Spirit.

1.                       We need to be born again of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit in us, and become partakers of the Divine Nature and Live like Jesus, manifesting the Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

2.                       We need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit, receiving his Power, as he comes upon us. (He is already in us, because we have been born again.)  He will give us power to heal and deliver the captives and receive and use all the gifts of the Spirit as we need them.  We are then to do what Jesus did and even greater things.     John  14:12

Then we can fulfil the commission of Jesus……Luke 9 & Luke 10……
“As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”  So let’s eagerly seek Jesus for His Anointing and then go and do what he said to do…. 

            That His Kingdom may come and His will be done…
“In the Power of His Holy Spirit.”                                                                          
                                                                                              
                                               

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