God is requiring change in our lifestyles, in our attitudes, in our relationships and in our ministries. This change is a drastic one, and will affect everyone in the Body of Christ to one degree or another. Some will like it and flow with it, while some will dislike it and rebel against it. God is confronting us and calling us to come higher into Him.
God is commanding us to prepare our hearts for changes that will be coming to pass both in the Church and in the world. As we do this there will come a spiritual cleansing in our lives. This will enable us to be changed from glory to glory and to be filled with His power and ability.
Malachi 3:3, 6 "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness . . . For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."
People who have been in the Church for a time seem to grow stiff. God wants us to grow in knowledge of His grace, not the works of the law. Many of us have need of an oil change, a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. Just as oil in the natural can dry up and fade away, so can the anointing fade in us if is it not properly supplied. Fresh fellowship with the Holy Spirit will produce fresh oil.
We have so many people to see, places to go, and things to do. Where are our priorities? Are these things, people, and places more important than our relationship with God? Yes, He understands schedules and needs, but He is asking, no, He's commanding us to get our priorities straight!
He wants us to fellowship with Him and share all of our lives with Him as we would a valued friend. We need to talk directly to Him, not just about Him. We can invite Him to instruct us and help us with every detail of our lives. After all, that is His ministry as comforter. He is our Companion, our Helper, Advocate, Strength and Counselor. We can watch His faithfulness and experience His love and trust His wisdom as He works in our lives.
Psalm 51:10-13 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not the Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation; and uphold me with they free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors they ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee."
A fresh anointing oil from Heaven will restore your joy. If you have lost your peace, get a fresh touch of Holy Spirit oil. The anointing oil of Heaven will heal your spirit, soul and body. It will work miracles in your home, in your job, and in your church.
Luke 5:36-39 "And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straitway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better."
In Bible times skins were used as containers for liquids. Over a period of time the skins would dry and become hard and brittle. When that happened they were dipped in water and then rubbed with oil to soften and restore them so they could be used again. If they were not processed in this way, they became useless because of their harness and lack of flexibility.
Jesus gave this example as a patter of what he wants to do in His Church. Our dried and hardened hearts must be changed into soft and pliable vessels, prepared to yield to his will and contain His new wine.
New wine represents a new move of God's Spirit or a fresh outpouring of the anointing for the plan of God. We must know how to prepare ourselves and what we must do to contain the new anointing when it comes, for it shall surely come.
The word "anointing" actually means "to rub" and can also mean to "smear with oil." The dry and brittle church of today needs a new wineskin. There are many changes that need to be made in our hearts and lives. As we prepare to receive that change from God, we can rely on His Word: "it's not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts."
Psalm 92:10-15 "But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him."
There are seven things that the anointing will do for us:
1. Mine eye . . . shall see. The anointing will give us a new vision. We need God's vision to establish goals and fulfill our destiny in the Kingdom. The Bible tells us that without a vision, my people perish (Proverbs 29:18).
2. Mine hears shall hear. The anointing will open your ears so that you can hear God's voices. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit. As we read and study our Bibles, the anointing will give you spiritual ears to hear the living Word of God, which is clear, definite and specific
3. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. Palm trees have deep roots that search out the water in desert places. If we take the time to develop a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit, it will be like "a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). This anointing will bring confidence that you can flourish and bear fruit no matter where you are planted.
4. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Cedars have long life. There are principles in the Kingdom that if we observe them, it will bring length of days, riches and honor.
5. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. It is God's desire that we bring forth much fruit and that our fruit should remain. This requires dedication and patience to commit to the task we are given and place to which we are called. The reason so many never bear fruit is simply that they run from commitment and fear the rejection of failure.
6. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Many receive their promise late in life. As God prospers us through the anointing we will live longer and be more fruitful. The promise will come at the appointed time.
7. To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. The anointing will bring a purity in your life and will reveal that purity to the world. The world will see this truth as we are changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.
In order to walk in the high calling of God for our lives, we must keep our oil thick, rich and fresh. If you start feeling cranky with folk around you, you need fresh oil. People enjoyed being around Jesus. If you need fresh oil, yield to Him right now. Let Him dip you into the Water of the Word and rub on you fresh oil so that your hard and brittle heart can hold this freshness in the anointing.
