Part 3 (1/2)
So one function of a priest is to pray for others. What is another function of a priest? As New Testament priests unto our G.o.d, we are to continually offer up praises unto the Most High G.o.d. (We will look at this in more detail in Chapters 6 and 8.) The Anointing on Believers To Be Kings
G.o.d is not only anointing priests, He's also anointing kings. Who is G.o.d anointing to be kings? Every member of the Body of Christ! That means all of us!
ROMANS 5:17.
17 For if by one man's offence [Adam] death reigned by one [spiritual death]; much more they which receive abundance of grace [the Body of Christ] and of the gift of righteousness SHALL REIGN IN LIFE by one, Jesus Christ.
This verse shows us an area where the Body of Christ is missing it. Most Christians have put off all the reigning until the millennial reign! Thank G.o.d, we're going to reign in the Millennium, but on the other hand, the Bible says we are going to reign as kings now in this life.
In Revelation 5:10 it says, ”And hast made us unto our G.o.d kings and priests: and we shall reign ON THE EARTH. ” That not only refers to our reign with Christ in the Millennium, it also refers to our reign on the earth in this life. As we read before, Romans 5:17 says: ”. . . We shall reign IN LIFE by Jesus Christ”!
We can see something else about reigning as kings in this life by looking at King David's reign. David as a king living under the Old Testament or Old Covenant didn't try to reign without the anointing.
Remember we read that when the priest anointed David to be king, the Bible says the Holy Spirit came on him from that day forward (1 Sam. 16:13). The Spirit of G.o.d that came upon David to enable him to reign as king in the Old Testament is the same Holy Spirit that lives inside believers in the New Covenant and enables them to ”reign in life by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 5:17). The Spirit of G.o.d came upon David for a different purpose - to enable him to rule as the king of Israel, but it's the same Holy Spirit that lives inside believers under the New Covenant.
Many times people get into trouble by trying to reign in the natural. In other words, they try to reign without the anointing. But, you see, G.o.d is the One who anoints us to reign! Just like He did in the Old Testament, G.o.d anoints those of us living under the dispensation of the New Testament too. After all, the Word of G.o.d plainly tells us that what happened in the Old Testament is a type and shadow for us in the New Testament, and that we have a better Covenant which is established upon better promises (Heb. 8:6).
How do people try to reign without the anointing? One way is that many people try to live the Christian life without the help and the aid of the Holy Spirit. They try to live the Christian life without the anointing! But, first, a person has to be born again in order to live the Christian life. Then as we've seen, Christians need to be endued with power from on High. We will also see that there are fresh anointings that all believers are to receive which will enable them to fulfill G.o.d's purpose for them on the earth.
Trying 'To Reign' Without Being Born Again!
Over the years, I've had people tell me, ”I just can't live the Christian life. I tried it out to see if I could live a holy life, but I can't.” Some of the people who said this to me were men whose wives were members of the church I pastored. Their wives had been after them to get saved, so these husbands tried, for example, to quit smoking or drinking for a month or two. Many of these unsaved husbands came back to me and said, ”I just can't live the Christian life! There's just no use in me trying to be a Christian.”
I've told every single one of them, ”You don't have to quit anything in order to become a Christian.” ”I don't?”
”No! Just give your life to Jesus!”
”It couldn't be that simple,” some have said.
”Yes, it is,” I've replied. ”When you are born again, G.o.d will change you on the inside!”
We need to be born again by the Spirit of G.o.d! And we need the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon our lives! It's the anointing that will put us over in life.
G.o.d is still anointing prophets, preachers, priests, and kings unto our G.o.d, and He's still anointing His people to be witnesses for Him!
<btt:accented>Chapter 4 Empty Cisterns or Full Reservoirs:
We've looked at the anointing in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. We've seen the anointing with oil in the Old Testament on the prophet, priest, and king. We've looked at the anointing in the New Testament in the life of Jesus and also in the life of the believer. We've seen that G.o.d is still anointing all believers with His Holy Spirit to go into all the world to preach the gospel, to witness about Him, and to be New Testament kings and priests unto G.o.d.
Now we need to look at another aspect of the anointing.
JEREMIAH 2:9-13.
9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead.
10 For pa.s.s over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
11 Hath a nation changed their G.o.ds, which are yet no G.o.ds? but my people have changed their glory FOR THAT WHICH DOTH NOT PROFIT.
12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.
13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, BROKEN CISTERNS, that can hold no water.
In this pa.s.sage of Scripture in Jeremiah, G.o.d was speaking to Israel. However, there is also a message in these verses for us, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here G.o.d is saying that Israel committed two evils: One evil was they forsook G.o.d, the G.o.d of living waters. The second evil was they hewed out for themselves cisterns - 33 broken cisterns which could hold no water. In other words, they left G.o.d's plan and made their own plans. And because their own plans were man-made, they couldn't prosper.
According to the dictionary, a ”cistern” is an artificial reservoir or tank, often located underground for storing rain water. A ”reservoir” is a place where water is collected chiefly in large quant.i.ties so as to be able to supply the needs of a city or a community, and is kept for use when wanted or needed. In other words, a reservoir is a place where something is collected and stored in large quant.i.ties to meet the needs of people.
The Bible is saying in these scriptures that by following man-made plans, Israel hewed out for themselves broken cisterns which couldn't hold water. That is, they exchanged G.o.d's glory for that which couldn't profit - their own plans and their own way of doing things. They couldn't prosper because they didn't have G.o.d's plan. Therefore, we as New Testament believers need to take a lesson from this, and get G.o.d's plan so we can prosper! G.o.d doesn't want His people to be empty cisterns; He wants them to be full reservoirs. However, it's up to each one of us in the Body of Christ which one we will be - an empty cistern or a full reservoir.
If we get G.o.d's plan, we will be full reservoirs, not empty cisterns which contain nothing but our own plans! Therefore, we need to see what G.o.d's New Testament pattern and plan is, so we can get G.o.d's plan and prosper. Let's get G.o.d's plan! Let's find out what G.o.d's plan and provision is for His people to be full reservoirs! I believe G.o.d wants every one of His children to be a full reservoir to His glory, don't you?
PSALM 92:10.
10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I SHALL BE ANOINTED WITH FRESH OIL.
Believers won't be able to be full reservoirs for G.o.d's glory without the anointing of G.o.d upon their lives. They need to be anointed by the Holy Spirit so that everything they do will prosper as they fulfill G.o.d's plan for their individual lives.
How can believers maintain the anointing of G.o.d on their lives so they can prosper? The answer to this lies in the fact that believers are to receive a fresh anointing to equip them to fulfill G.o.d's purposes for them in the earth. The psalmist said, ”... 7 shall be anointed with fresh oil.” G.o.d wants His people to continually receive a fresh anointing so they won't be empty cisterns. And G.o.d has made provision for all believers to be full reservoirs at all times, even in the midst of tests and trials. Continually receiving a fresh anointing will enable G.o.d's people to be full reservoirs to His glory.
How can we receive a fresh anointing from G.o.d, so we won't be broken, empty cisterns, but we can be full reservoirs unto G.o.d's glory? Also, what are the characteristics of those who are full reservoirs - those who maintain a fresh anointing upon their lives? We will be looking at these aspects of the anointing in the following chapters.
If G.o.d wants us to be full reservoirs, what does He want us to be full of? First of all, He wants us to be full of the Word of G.o.d.
Full of the Word