The Anointing

[countmeworthy]

TLG wrote:
Not to get too far off the subject, but just prior to this post you wrote that we are "called to be Bereans." Without disputing your understanding of whether we are all called to be Bereans or not, I am wondering where, given this claim, it can be found in Scripture that "the anointing and Presence of God" can be lost......"The anointing" is sometimes referred to as "dripping" or "pouring out" of the person/preacher/pastor to whom it has been imparted.

With regard to "the Presence of God." If it is as I understand it, the presence of God is His, "literal presence of Person in every aspect and degree, freely given without precondition," how is it that such can be removed?

First off, I don't know if Witness Lee ever taught, really taught on the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. My guess is he didn't, 'cause I never hear the saints in the LC talk about anything but 'the body'. I would be interested if he did.
So with that, I'm going to attempt to answer TLG's questions by giving everyone and anyone some insights on this subject. I'm not going to make it too long, and it will be in 3 sections too.

I pray my explanation will be ANOINTED...that we would all be blessed and receive a greater anointing on our lives.
-------------------------------------

3 Questions will be explored as I give an explanation on 'The ANOINTING'.

1) What is it?

2) How many anointings are there?

3) Can we lose the anointing?

[Suannehill]

Hi CMW,
I was taught in LSM that the anointing was on the head of the Body and fell to the members.

My experience was that I sensed the anointing rarely in "meetings".
It was occasional in private prayer and occasional with women I fellowship with in the home.
It seemed to come from the Father but it depended upon my confession and and cleansing.
The other women I meet with come from many different backgrounds. Two of them pastor congregations. So, they are not bound by the teachings of the LSM.
Then... there were the random times that I just wanted to jump up and down and my face was a huge smile...just a sweetness from the Lord.
Sue

[countmeworthy]

What is the Anointing?

Simply put------It is the Power of the Holy Spirit in us and on us. The Resurrected Messiah told His Apostles they would receive Power when the Holy Spirt came upon them (Acts 1:8) to empower them to preach the gospel, to heal the sick, to speak boldly, just as Jesus did during His Ministry. (Luke 4:14 The Anointing is the Power of the Godhead, coming through God the Holy Spirit, the third Person, equal to the Father and to the Son. (Genesis 1:26)

We need the Anointing of the Holy Spirit to accomplish what God wants us to do. Even Jesus operated His Ministry through the Anointing, that is the Power of the Holy Spirit. The source of His Power came from the Holy Spirit. (Acts 10:38) Without the Anointing, there is no growth, no blessing, no victory in our lives. The evidence is all around us. Look around. Ask yourselves why are there Bold, Steadfast believers & followers of the Lord Jesus Christ ? While others are weak & carnal and yet are born again believers.

Note: When the disciples were WITH Jesus, though they were learning, observing, loving Him, they were NOT EMPOWERED. Peter, the classic example to us all, tried to be bold and strong in his flesh but it kept failing him. The Lord even rebuked Satan in Peter who was annoying the Lord. Remember those famous last words "Get thee behind me SATAN!'. WOW! Them harsh words to someone who Loved the Lord! Peter cut off a soldiers ear in defense of the Lord but Jesus told Peter he was going to deny Him 3 times.

However, on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, Peter was suddenly filled with Boldness to preach the gospel. He was empowered to heal the sick...even with just his shadow..because He was filled with the Anointing, the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Luke 4:14
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Genesis 1:26a
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness

Acts 10:38
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.

[countmeworthy]

[QUOTE=Suannehill;5844]Hi CMW,

I was taught in LSM that the anointing was on the head of the Body and fell to the members

.

That's partly true Suanne if that's all that was emphasized. That partial teaching comes from Psalm 133..a Psalm we all know so well.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

The Precious Ointment is the Holy Spirit..anointing the Head (Christ is our Head..and the Great High Priest (Aaron). The Holy Spirit anointed the Lord Jesus (empowered Him to preach the gospel and minister to the people). After the Lord Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit came into us when we got saved and received the Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. God the Holy Spirit anoints the Head (Christ) first and then the body of Christ. The Power of God is poured on the top of the Head and it runs down to the skirt of His garment (the church).

(I will be talking about THAT anointing in my next post (Part 2). There are 3 anointings I will be sharing on.

My experience was that I sensed the anointing rarely in "meetings".

You're probably right. In most LC meetings, there was no anointing. I'll explain further in my next 2 parts.

It was occasional in private prayer and occasional with women I fellowship with in the home.
It seemed to come from the Father but it depended upon my confession and and cleansing.

Yup! I'll go into that also.

The other women I meet with come from many different backgrounds. Two of them pastor congregations. So, they are not bound by the teachings of the LSM.

Have you learned anything from them? ..regarding the Anointing of the Holy Spirit? Are they good teachers? Just wondering. Some are..some not.

Then... there were the random times that I just wanted to jump up and down and my face was a huge smile...just a sweetness from the Lord.
Sue

The Joy of the Lord will do that to you !

[countmeworthy]

In understanding the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, I learned there are 3 Anointings.

1) The Lepers Anointing

2) The Priestly- Anointing

3) the Kingly Anointing.

The Lepers anointing is the anointing every born again believer receives. This anointing is a one time anointing. It comes to us by means of our Salvation in Christ Jesus. This is the Free Gift from God.

It is called the Leper's anointing because in our filthy sin condition, the Blood of the Lamb cleanses us. Leprosy in the bible was incurable but by God. Leprosy was a picture in the OT of our condition before the Lord.

That's why we see in Leviticus 14 that the leper remained outside the camp and that the priest was to go out to him and apply the BLOOD of the Sacrifice (a picture of Jesus) and apply Oil (a picture of the Holy Spirit). It was the blood first followed by the oil.

When we got saved, we asked Jesus to forgive us of our sins, to wash us in His Blood, to come inside of us to be our Lord. At that moment, we were washed in the Blood of the Lamb and were anointed with the Oil of Joy. We received the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...all at once.

Now. Unless we are washed and cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb first, we cannot be anointed with the Oil of Joy, the Oil of Gladness.

When we repent, we are cleansed and we are then we are anointed with the Power of the Holy Spirit. We want to tell everyone about Jesus..and the power of His Blood. We want more of Jesus. We cannot get enough of the Word of God into us. We want to learn more about the Bible and what it has to say about Jesus and how He fixes our lives.
The veil has now been lifted and we can see how the yoke of bondage weighed us down. We are soo overjoyed when that yoke fell off and we know in spirit, the yoke fell off because we repented and washed ourselves clean with the Blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit then anoints us with His Presence and with His Power.

This is the First Anointing, the Leper's anointing.

Sadly many Christians don't move up to the next level which is the Priestly Anointing. That is why there are so many carnal Christians, luke warm Christians, baby Christians, confused Christians.

[tasteslikegold]

Thus far I only see extra-Biblical teaching. I will wait until you are finished with your discourse before commenting further, however.

[countmeworthy]

Hi TLG...Nothing I'm sharing on is extra-biblical. As a heads up..I may get back later tonight...I gotta get my taxes out of the way today. UGH.

I look forward to our discussion..and may it bring enlightenment to both of us....that is if the Lord is showing you something I don't see, I hope the Lord will enlighten me..same goes with what I share with you.

Thanks

[tasteslikegold]

One word: TurboTax. I filed mine last week, and anticipate my refund by next Friday.

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by tasteslikegold

One word: TurboTax. I filed mine last week, and anticipate my refund by next Friday.

I finally finished. I don't get a refund. BUT I don't owe anything either..zilch..nada..zippo.

I owed last year..I was hoping I'd get a nice return this year. Oh Well..I have a very Rich Father. He provides not just for my needs but grants me the desires of my heart because I delight in HIM...and the desires of my heart are aligned with His Word.

And He'll never forsake me or leave me!...and I'm marrying His Son... but it's a special wedding...'cause I'm sharing Him with all those who love His Appearing. My bridegroom is coming..OUR bridegroom is coming...soon. Can't wait to behold the Beauty of the Lord face to face and to enquire, that is to meditate in His Temple!

Come Lord Jesus. Come. The Spirit and the Bride say "Come".

[countmeworthy]

Before I expand on it, I was giving this topic a little more thought..asking the Lord to help me explain it..so we can get insight & understanding on the levels of the Anointing from God.
It dawned on me, that the anointing can be likened to walking in the spirit. We were taught to 'turn to our spirit', to call on the Lord from our spirit. But from my recollection, boy oh boy, we really all needed the Holy Spirit to reveal to us individually just what this really meant.

So let me see if this will explanation will help some. I hope so.

Take 2 persons side by side...both are born again believers..both know the Word of God. Both share the same exact message on the Blood of Jesus for example...or any subject matter.

Both are charasmatic in their presentation...but one did not pray for the Lord to anoint his/her speaking. Didn't pray at all before giving the message. The other person did. No one knows if the 2 'speakers' prayed or not.

There's something 'different' about the person who prayed. When listening to the person who prayed, you get a sense God is speaking to you through him/her. You just know they're filled in their spirit..their cup runneth over, & you are being drawn into the Presence of God. You are hungry for more of God's Word. You want to get closer to God...to KNOW HIM.

The person that didn't pray gives a 'good' message...and that's all it was..."a good message". Nothing sanctified..nothing holy..and certainly no Presence of God during his/her message.

The person who prayed and drew you to the Presence of the Lord, was the anointed one.
When I came to the Lord, a brother..actually a brother shared the gospel with me that drew me to Jesus...like a magnet. Why? Because that brother spent a lot of time praying, spent a lot of time in the Word of God...that brother had the anointing of the Holy Spirit on him. He had a Priestly and a Kingly anointing, for he was being used by God. The brother spent a lot of time praying for souls to get saved. Thus he was of the Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation & was able to serve God as a priest & king unto HIM.

I was a leper..my sins were not washed but this priest of God came to me & anointed me with oil..the heavenly oil...because he was anointed with the Presence of God & when he shared the gospel with me, he was full of the anointing..which is why I was drawn to Jesus.

When I received Jesus and made Him my Lord, repenting of my sins, washing me in His blood, I received the anointing for now that I was cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb, The God of Heaven & earth came inside of me. I entered into the Presence of God & everyone around me suddenly saw a new me.

I had received Eternal Life..and this leper was anointed now with the Oil of Gladness, the Oil of Joy...and I was no longer a leper. I was made clean by the Blood of the Lamb.

This is all of our experiences.

There is nothing 'extra biblical' here.

As a post script, the word 'anointing' is being tossed to & fro carelessly all over the place...just like the Name of Jesus is used carelessly. Satan does not want us to know the Power of the Anointing nor the Power of Jesus' Name. Hmmm.. I wonder why?

[tasteslikegold]

My response:

According to the Old Testament type, anointing accomplished two things: These two items can be found in Exodus 30, when God gave Moses the ingredients for the oil of anointing, and then commanded him in the manner of its use. First, all of the items related to the tabernacle, and the tabernacle itself, were anointed with the oil. Second, in Exodus 40, when God established the priesthood in Aaron, Moses poured the oil of anointing upon his head. In these two acts the purpose of the oil was to consecrate– to set apart for God’s purpose), to make holy, the thing or person that the oil was poured upon (Exo. 40:9; 15).

A thing that is consecrated is firstly “set apart” for a specific purpose. At the time of consecration it ceases to be a common item, and hence, it becomes holy. When God commanded Moses to anoint all of the items in the tabernacle, he said, “…it shall become holy.”

A thing that is consecrated is made holy and thus becomes uniquely qualified to be used by God. It is for this reason that Aaron and his sons were anointed (Exo. 40:15; Lev. 8:12; 30). When Aaron and his sons were anointed they were qualified to administrate as priests in the tabernacle. Thus, the anointing is also in a sense a “seal of commission,” for the carrying out of God’s purpose on the earth.

In the Old Testament example when a person or thing was anointed it was first, set apart, then it was made holy, then that which was anointed became fully qualified for God’s use. However, that was only the outward example.

In the New Testament reality the anointing is referred to as being inward: “And as for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and not a lie, and even as it has taught you, abide in him.” (John 2:27).

So if the anointing “abides” within the believers (all believers according to John 2:20), then we must ask ourselves, what, or more specifically who the anointing is, or is related to. Well, according to John’s epistle, the entire Triune God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit abide within the believers (John 14:15-24). There is no other element, no “extra” element abiding within all believers making them holy, there is only the Triune God. Therefore the anointing must be a Person.

That the anointing is a Person is confirmed in the language of John 2:27, “….but as His anointing teaches you…” This follows the same line of thought as John’s gospel, which records the Lord’s words concerning the Holy Spirit, “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…”

As in the Old Testament example, the reality of the anointing serves two purposes: Consecration and commission. But rather than an outward anointing, the anointing in the church is inward; it is through the indwelling of the Triune God. First, through the blood of Christ we have been sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11: Heb. 10:10). This sanctification is firstly a “setting apart,” it is a separation from the common things (Heb. 10:29). Secondly, this sanctification is a process by which we are made holy (Heb. 2:10; 10:14).

According to Eph. 1:13 all believers were, “sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise”. This word corresponds with 2 Cor. 1:22, which connects the sealing of the Spirit with the anointing of God. The Greek word for “sealed” in 1 Cor. 1:22 is “sphragizō” which means, “To set a mark upon. When Paul wrote his epistles to the churches he likely placed a “sphragizo” upon the letter in wax. These wax seals were commonly used, and stamped with the insignia of the person who wrote the letter (often with a signet ring). The seal “bore the mark” of the person sending it, and therefore had the full authority of the sender.

In conclusion, the anointing is the very Person of the Holy Spirit coming to the believers by the Son and with the Father to sanctify them and commission them through the sealing of the Spirit to carry out God’s divine administration on the earth (Which would include all the functioning of the members in their respective functions in the Body of Christ).

In response to your points above I would also have to conclude that your teaching on “the anointing” is extra-Biblical. The Bible does not identify or teach three anointings as you have done above (I also found this teaching on another website: http://www.lifeinjesus-ministries.com/THEANOINTING.html ). The Bible does not refer to the power by which Christ operated in His earthly ministry as “the anointing.” The Bible does not refer to the power the apostles received on the day of Pentecost as “the anointing.” One does not have to pray for a special anointing by God because every believer has already been anointed by God to carry out His divine purpose on the earth. As you pointed out, however, some of us are lukewarm. The sons of Aaron had been anointed by Moses, yet they offered a “profane fire” before the Lord. They were therefore consumed. We can learn from this that, although every believer has the anointing, not every believer is obedient to it. It is not that we must pray for a special anointing to be qualified to preach the gospel; or to be the most effective gospel preacher. It is simply a matter of love and obedience.

In my experience, and from what I have learned of the charismatic movement (Which includes much of Pentecostalism and the “Word-Faith” movements), teachings regarding “the power of the Holy Spirit” tend to, in my opinion, stretch the truth of Scripture to unreasonable extremes. For example, while it is true that God enables us by His Spirit to perform various works of power, it is not the works themselves which God desires to be emphasized in the church. Certainly teachings on word-faith and various anointings take works of power, which are by design supposed to be ordinary functions in the Body of Christ, and turn them into the extra-ordinary. In charismatic circles it is common to hear prophecies of a coming “revival” in which a “pouring out of God’s Spirit will be unmatched in human history,” and teachings concerning such a revival are commonly promoted by those who claim to “have the anointing.” The anointing is another common theme among the charismatics. It is described in some pretty strange ways too. A charismatic preacher can “feel the anointing,” or “see the anointing move” in a crowd. I even watched one preacher claim to have experienced the anointing like water flow over him, and upon receiving it he waved his coat at the crowd, at which time scores of people fell backward as the were “slain in the Spirit.” Yet all of this is foreign to the Bible, to the apostles’ teachings, and to sound Biblical principals.

[countmeworthy]

In response to your points above I would also have to conclude that your teaching on “the anointing” is extra-Biblical.

Hello TLG...good to see you again.
I wasn't sure if you were returning so I hadn't posted yet. Whether you were going to or not..I was going to post some pointers this week nevertheless.
The Priestly anointing is Biblical...but just like those who argue, the 'Triune God' is not mentioned in the Bible...You have to search deeply. It's not 'point blank.' (I'll speak of this in a separate post)

The Bible does not refer to the power by which Christ operated in His earthly ministry as “the anointing.”

It DOES to! When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the Holy Spirit fell upon Him and thus anointed Him with POWER to begin His Ministry. (The Bible does not speak much about His childhood or teenage years or His life while in His 20s but I'm sure Jesus was Anointed then too. Or do you suppose Jesus 'disappeard' between the age of 13 and 30 since what He did or how He lived was not mentioned? Maybe Jesus wasn't around since it's NOT MENTIONED in the BIBLE what HE did between 13 and 30. Ya think?
(Just messing with you TLG)

The Bible does not refer to the power the apostles received on the day of Pentecost as “the anointing.”

WHAT !! Ya gotta be kidding me! Have you not read Acts 1:8?
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The Amplified states it like this:
8 But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

The Anointing of the HOLY Spirit (the Presence of God) is first on us. Then comes the Power of the Anointing UPON us..and the reason for this is so we will be fully equipped to be witnesses for the GOSPEL!

The Holy Spirit first came on them, entered them and then they received the Power of the Anointing of the Holy Spirit as evidenced in their speaking, their boldness, their ability to heal the sick...all for the sake of the Gospel...so they would be effective witnesses of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Other than this..what you wrote concerning the OT is correct.

One does not have to pray for a special anointing by God because every believer has already been anointed by God to carry out His divine purpose on the earth.

TLG, Do you not EVER PRAY that the LORD will go before you..to anoint you, to saturate you with His Presence when you know you are going to share the gospel to someone or minister to someone?

Don't you think the 'brothers' PRAY for the Lord's SPEAKING before they give a message? Why do you think we used to pray before the messages were given before the elders walked in to start the meetings?

They/WE WOULD PRAY FOR THE LORD'S ANOINTING, that is HIS PRESENCE to be in our midst!!
IF we're already anointed from the get-go why even PRAY for the Lord to be in our midst?

As you pointed out, when we are sanctified and set apart unto the Lord...living and walking in His Ways..Fellowshipping with HIM, being transformed by His Presence which comes through the Word of God and a Prayerful life as instructed to us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, to PRAY without ceasing PRAY, the anointing, that is the Presence of the HOLY SPIRIT will be operating in us.

I 'feel' like saying to you 'GET OUT OF YOUR MIND...get YOUR S/sPIRIT in gear!'
(Don't know if you were in the LC back in the 70s but that was what we used to hear. There was even a song with those words we used to sing.)
And you know, it is really is a correct teaching..that we walk in our spirit...We just didn't know HOW to. We were programmed to behave, talk, walk, look a certain way. That to many of us was 'being in spirit'. Some of us tapped into walking in the spirit but many, many did not. Most I believe, followed a formula..Brother Lee's formula..and that's where they got in trouble. They looked to HIM as the Oracle of God...instead of the Holy Spirit leading them. (see the topic of Group think)

As you pointed out, however, some of us are lukewarm.

And these poor folks will never get to know the POWER of the Anointing in their lives because they don't know the Ways of the Lord. They are beating the air with their prayers and their prayers are never reaching the Throne Room.
They don't spend time in His Presence...where there is fullness of Joy...and that does NOT mean..lots of noise and jumping up and down. Quite the opposite in fact.

In my experience, and from what I have learned of the charismatic movement (Which includes much of Pentecostalism and the “Word-Faith” movements),

FORGETwhat you THINK Pentecostalism or Word-Faith 'teaches'...do YOU walk in the ANOINTING? Do YOU know what that really means...Have YOU experienced the MIGHTY PRESENCE of GOD. (and by mighty..I don't mean 'superhuman strength.)

Tell me about experiences you've had under the Anointing. And I'll tell you mine. :-) I'll give YOU specific instances that I had of the Anointing on me when I was in SAN DIEGO in the CHURCH there!
YOU FIRST though.
OK?

[tasteslikegold]

Originally Posted by countmeworthy

Hello TLG...good to see you again.
I wasn't sure if you were returning so I hadn't posted yet. Whether you were going to or not..I was going to post some pointers this week nevertheless.
The Priestly anointing is Biblical...but just like those who argue, the 'Triune God' is not mentioned in the Bible...You have to search deeply. It's not 'point blank.' (I'll speak of this in a separate post)

The comparison is not quite the same. That the Trinity is described in the Bible but not specifically taught as a doctrine is related to our experience of the Trinity. All who are genuine believers experience the Father, Son and Spirit, and are not needed to be taught the Trinity; nor do they require an explicit theology concerning the Trinity. Certainly the doctrine of the Trinity may help a believer to coalesce that which he has seen in the Scripture, but it is not essential.

On the other hand what you are essentially advocating is an interpretation of doctrine as Scriptural truth. This essentially amounts to a deviation from Sola Scriptura. Rather than starting with, "The evidence from various parts of Scripture appears that the anointing is X," and then going to, "Let us search the Scriptures to more clearly see this truth and develop our theology;" your argument begins with, "My supposition is that the anointing is X, Y and a little of Z." then goes to, "Here are the Scriptures that appear to support my supposition." By such reasoning any number of doctrines may created purely from thin air and then forced into Scripture. Any number of doctrines have been created this way historically. Take the Roman Church's doctrine of Mary's perpetual sinlessness for example. It starts with a supposition based upon reasoning that, "In order for Christ to have been born sinless He must have been born to a woman without the stain of sin. Therefore Mary must have also been born without sin." Then after searching for evidence from Scripture which supports the supposition (however thinly) the conclusion is arrived at: "Because the Archangel Michael told Mary that she was 'full of grace' and 'blessed among women,' it therefore stands that Mary was born without the stain of original sin.

Your argument is essentially the same. You began with the premise that the anointing is, "the power by which Christ carried out His ministry," and then "the power which fell upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost." Then you went to the Scriptures to find out if those suppositions were true. Not only so, but you then further pushed the supposition to include various "types" or "levels" of anointings, forcing such concepts upon Scripture.

Therefore your teachings concerning the anointing is extra-Biblical inasmuch as it is a deviation from Sola Scriptura.

~~~~

Now, concerning the exercising of the Spirit, praying for God's speaking, and living and walking by the Spirit, such things are absolutely Biblical concepts. We find these concepts intertwined with Scripture in just about every facet. I do enjoy very much exercising my spirit, but that is altogether related to the divine life, the Spirit mingled with my spirit, to produce the fruits of the Spirit. It is altogether right to pray for the Lord's speaking before entering into a meeting with the saints. This type of prayer is exemplified many times in the Scripture. Yet nowhere in Scripture have I ever found a person praying for the anointing. We may also, I believe, pray for the Lord to "anoint our tongues," for such indicates our desire for the Lord to restrain us only to His leading, to His speaking. But that is a diverse concept from praying for an ethereal "power" to fall upon me, anointing me with "fire," etc.

[tasteslikegold]

Originally Posted by countmeworthy

And these poor folks will never get to know the POWER of the Anointing in their lives because they don't know the Ways of the Lord. They are beating the air with their prayers and their prayers are never reaching the Throne Room.
They don't spend time in His Presence...where there is fullness of Joy...and that does NOT mean..lots of noise and jumping up and down. Quite the opposite in fact.

I found this statement interesting for a couple of reasons. First, as I recall a previous conversation, you were arguing against brother Lee for openly criticizing other believers, for calling them poor, blind, etc. How is your implied assertion here that "these poor folks" who never know the power of the anointing, who are "beating the air with their prayers" any less critical? How are you to know whether one believer's prayers are reaching the throne and another's are not, strictly based upon their knowledge of the anointing? See, as I pointed out in the thread in which we discussed the issue, neither Nee or Nee are any different in reality in their criticism of other believers, than any other ministry, or, in fact, person.

Second, your claim is that, unless a believer "knows the anointing" (The way of the Lord), they do not spend time in His presence. This is an enormous charge in and of itself, and one I wish for you to clarify. However, with regard to "fullness of Joy," where are you finding that "fullness of Joy" is the opposite of jumping up and down? What, then, is the fullness of Joy, and how should we respond to an infilling of joy from God?

I'm thinking of a son who arrives back home from Iraq after a number of years, his family - perhaps his mother or his wife or his children - waiting for him on the tarmac. As the son approaches his family they are so filled with joy that they begin to jump up and down with their arms outstretched toward him. As he approaches their embrace there are tears and exited talking, even some shouting as their joy bubbles over. Now, that is a natural kind of joy, and a natural reaction to that kind of joy. It seems to me that, while some people may experience joy as a kind of "peaceful revelation," for the most part joy is experienced and reacted to in a multitude of ways, including jumping up and down.

[countmeworthy]

[QUOTE=tasteslikegold;6022]

I recall a previous conversation, you were arguing against brother Lee for openly criticizing other believers, for calling them poor, blind, etc. How is your implied assertion here that "these poor folks" who never know the power of the anointing, who are "beating the air with their prayers" any less critical?

The problem I had...and many of us had with Brother Lee's criticism of Christianity is he rarely had any good words to say about Christians outside 'the recovery'. Oh..he'd say, once in a while, there are true believers outside 'the recovery' but they didn't see the matter of 'the Lord's move' today.

By & large, Lee had a way of disassociating the 'lord's recovery' from fellowshipping with other Christians. When people came into the 'lord's recovery' from a denomination or a Pentecostal church, they jumped in to criticize where they came from...much like I did ..having come out of Catholocism. Criticizing the SYSTEM is not bad but my point is, I never had the liberty...nor did anyone else have the liberty to listen to Christian radio, to attend Christian conferences not having anything to do with the 'lord's recovery'. Lee had a way of making sure the 'lord's recovery' was elevated above everything else and thus developed a spirit of arrogance and pride.

We were never FREE to share with each other about what we learned elsewhere. Because Lee told us 'speaking in tongues' was something that was done back in the day and no longer for today..and people speaking in tongues was carnal because the Corinthians prayed in tongues and they had a lot of problems, it took me years to believe praying in tongues is for today. It isn't the all in all nor does it replace the Word of God but praying in tongues is a heavenly, mysterious prayer language. It IS a gift. And God doesn't force it on anyone.

This post is NOT about tongues whatsoever. I am emphasizing..."If Brother Lee said it and wrote it...then it's 'gospel truth'. NOT SO! These forums are here to help people see the TRUTH behind Witness Lee's ministry.

I DID get help from his ministry but it wasn't so much because of 'brother Lee' as it was from my pressing in..into the Word of God and praying with the saints and fellowshipping with each other. My most blessed time in the LC was when we were Praising the LORD...not brother Lee. When the meetings became "I thank the Lord for Brother Lee, the Spirit began to leave the meetings. I thank God for my spiritual parents in the LC..and the saints the Lord placed me with to help me grow in the Word of God and grow in Christ. For me, Lee was never the all in all.

"WE ARE 'the Lord's move today" was the mantra...but it never was the Lord's move. The Lord's move has always been the GOSPEL and the building up of the Body of Christ through the Word of God, through fellowship. The Bible has always been there for all to read and study. Yes, the Lord uses certain people to reveal TRUTHS..but Nee and Lee and those THEY looked up to were not the only ones God used. Yet talking to the LSMrs, you'd think God has never ever used anyone but them..especially Lee.

Had the attitude had been different, I wouldn't doubt God could have used Nee & Lee's ministry mightily. However, pride and arrogance and sin were hidden in Lee and the saints were deceived to thinking he was the all knowing and the deputy authority, the oracle of God on the earth today.

Shame--shame.

Point 2 to your question....The bible, especially in the NT does caution us and warn us about wolves in sheep's clothing. We are taught to be discerning. I talk to a lot Christians...there are Christians who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. There are some who 'fall off the wagon' because they don't know how to surrender all to Jesus. They don't know how to live sanctified, set apart lives. They don't know how to die to self..how to be crucified with Christ.

Some you can help through encouragement of the Word of God. We are instructed to feed the sheep, to help 'the poor'...the poor who are struggling in the walk with the Lord.

But there are others who don't want to be helped...who are turning their backs on the Word of God. There are others who 'know it all'. "Yes, yes-that's how I try to live". But there is an invisible wall and they don't want to really fellowship.

There are some in the LSM/LC I'm sure who are truly open to receive the brethren...not by reeling them into the LSM/lc but in receiving what they share from the Word of God...how they witness, how they live in the Presence of the Lord.

For the most part, the LSM/LC has the attitude "the Lord wants a body". What they really are saying is 'the Lord wants everyone to be in the lord's recovery under Witness Lee's ministry...no other ministry matters.'

We mature believers and followers of the Word of God KNOW the LORD has ONE BODY. It's all over the pages of the BIBLE. And many, many people are building the body of Christ according to the Word of God....but not according to the Living Stream Ministry. Not according to Lee's way of doing things.

That said...there are many 'ministers' of the Word of God who don't have it right either! I know what's out there! And if you had or have problems with the 'Pentecostals' or the Word-Faith people....the group you better check out is 'the emergent church'. Now THAT'S bad news!!!!

How are you to know whether one believer's prayers are reaching the throne and another's are not, strictly based upon their knowledge of the anointing?

If a person is praying according to the Word of God and his/her prayers are aligned with the Word of God, and he/she is praying from his/her spirit not from the carnal mind, certainly they are reaching the Throne room.

Second, your claim is that, unless a believer "knows the anointing" (The way of the Lord), they do not spend time in His presence.

Do you think a person who prays 'the rosary' daily...who prays the 'Hail Mary' even 'the Our Father' is under the anointing? Do you think their 'prayers' are reaching the throne room? Do you think any religious prayer is anointed?

James 4:3 tells us something about our prayers: You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.


It takes personal revelation from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to teach us to pray effectual prayers as stated in James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

This is an enormous charge in and of itself, and one I wish for you to clarify.

I think I just did. Any prayer that is religious is not anointed...catholic or non-catholic. Sometimes you can hear a person pray the Word of God and you know they're not praying from their spirit..it's coming from the mind. It's not anointed.

However, with regard to "fullness of Joy," where are you finding that "fullness of Joy" is the opposite of jumping up and down? What, then, is the fullness of Joy, and how should we respond to an infilling of joy from God?

The Peace of God...the Inner Peace of God is also the Fullness of Joy.

Psalm 16:11 tells us In His presence is fullness of joy;

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

I don't think when we are in the Holy of Holies, we are jumping up and down. The Praises and the Jumping and clapping is taking place in the inner court. Psalm 100:4 tells us we enter into HIS GATES with Thanksgiving and into HIS COURTS with Praise.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name.

The entrance into the Holy of Holies where the Presence of God resides first comes through entering the Gates with Thanksgiving.The gates of the outer court then open so we can enter into the inner court with Praise. We first give Thanks to our God for all He is doing..for all He has done. We then begin to give Him Praise..with cymbals and dance..Clapping and singing with Joy. (This is where many, many believers stay.) To enter into His Presence, a person cannot be carnal or soulish. The person must live a sanctified and holy life.....which comes through the washing by the Word of God and by the BLOOD of the Lamb on us.

That's why people can still thank God and Praise the Lord while holding on to sin. But they'll never enter into His Holy Presence without letting go of the sin, without Repentance, without paying the price of dying to self & crucifying the flesh.

I KNOW...been there. It took me a long time to GET IT. I thank God with a humble and a contrite heart He revealed His Mercy, His Patience, His Kindness, His Love, His Faithfulness, His TRUTH to me.

You should know these scriptures by heart, TLG.

[KSA]

Originally Posted by tasteslikegold

The Bible does not refer to the power by which Christ operated in His earthly ministry as “the anointing.”

I do not think it is true to the Word :

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has ANOINTED Me to preach the gospel to the poor..." (Luke 4:18).

So the Lord's ministry on the earth was under anointing. Moreover, even His name Christ means the anointed one!

In the Bible anointing often refers to the authority and power to fulfill the ministry.

CMW, excellent job! I like what you wrote on the anointing. I do not have much to add!

[aron]

Originally Posted by countmeworthy

The problem I had...and many of us had with Brother Lee's criticism of Christianity is he rarely had any good words to say about Christians outside 'the recovery'. Oh..he'd say, once in a while, there are true believers outside 'the recovery' but they didn't see the matter of 'the Lord's move' today.

By & large, Lee had a way of disassociating the 'lord's recovery' from fellowshipping with other Christians. When people came into the 'lord's recovery' from a denomination or a Pentecostal church, they jumped in to criticize where they came from...much like I did ..

Remember the Lord's word in Matthew 5:23-26: "If you have anything against your brother, leave your gift, first go and be reconciled, and then come forward to offer your gift."

I think that there is a two-fold problem with the 'anointing' here, as it relates to our history among the local churches. First, we can pray and praise and minister, and surely we desire God to add His anointing to our efforts. But if we are critical of our brethren in faith, pointing out their faults and begrudging their gifts, then it becomes problematic for God to anoint us.

And even moreso, secondly, if we refuse to be reconciled with our former fellow-workers who are not 'absolute' enough for our present doings, which we assume to be God's sole move on the earth today, and instead we come and offer our gift (of praises) with a line of unreconciled brethren outside, I don't think God can really accept that gift.

This (LSM) ministry, in my view, has a legacy of unreconciled relationships. My thought is that if we really desire the anointing, we must first be reconciled with our brothers and sisters. I know that I myself can be tempted toward inflammatory rhetoric. It is soooo easy to see the splinter in the others' eyes! But instead we see 2 Tim. 2:25 "...in meekness (gentleness) correcting those caught in contradiction..."

I hope that I will remember to discuss the truth like a lion (strongly) but behave towards others like a lamb (gently). Then, I hope that the blessing (anointing) might be there. To strive with one another over anything, however biblical or scriptural it may seem, is vain.

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment than ran down..." (Ps 133). In spite of the many "turmoils" and "rebellions", in spite of the dissociations from the GLAs and now the Brazilians, this promise still holds.

In my time among the LCs, I don't remember very much a spirit of reconciliation towards those who are 'different', or thos who oppose, but rather a pronounced 'adversarial spirit'. However, when I observe that those meeting there are afllicted thus, I myself must beware, lest I become adversarial, as well.

[countmeworthy]

[QUOTE=aron;6552]

I think that there is a two-fold problem with the 'anointing' here, as it relates to our history among the local churches. First, we can pray and praise and minister, and surely we desire God to add His anointing to our efforts. But if we are critical of our brethren in faith, pointing out their faults and begrudging their gifts, then it becomes problematic for God to anoint us.

Excellent insight and posting Aron. At one time, or in separate 'localities' while Brother Lee was on the pulpit, the anointing of the Holy Spirit was with the LC as a whole (I'm guessing). But as the spirit of arrogance and pride slithered it's way in through the famous sayings: 'we ARE the Lord's RECOVERY. We ARE -God's move on the earth today-, the Spirit that had anointed the LC ministry departed.

In my naiveness, I thought the same GLORIOUS 'church life' we experienced in San Diego was throughout the entire LC. Most likely, it was not the case. Many former co-workers who knew Brother Lee probably saw the writing on the wall way before any of us in the U.S. did. Many nonetheless, KNEW the LORD & listened to HIS VOICE not to interfere. For GOD is ALL knowing and knew how everything would pan out. That's why to my knowledge Lee never talked much about T Austin Sparks if he ever did.


Side bar here: Witness Lee should have dropped his first name from Witness and changed it to 'Brother' because that is how he is known. Rarely does anyone ever refer to Watchman Nee as BROTHER NEE...not so with Lee. He was NEVER referred to WITNESS LEE other than his books/messages were penned using the name WITNESS. Think about it. How ODD does it sound for anyone to say 'Witness LEE' said. It was always 'Brother Lee said'... So legally, he should have changed his name from Witness Lee to BROTHER Lee.

Aron wrote: And even moreso, secondly, if we refuse to be reconciled with our former fellow-workers who are not 'absolute' enough for our present doings, which we assume to be God's sole move on the earth today, and instead we come and offer our gift (of praises) with a line of unreconciled brethren outside, I don't think God can really accept that gift.

HE CAN'T !!! And the LORD will have to refine the gold in them/us by FIRE. Can't be a speck of dirt on the GOLD. Going back to the 3 main parts of the Temple. In the TEMPLE, we have the outer court, the inner court and the Holy of Holies. In our human makeup, we are composed of the Flesh, the carnal makeup (the outer court), the soul (the inner court) and our spirit (the Holy of Holies). I guess we all know this...but thanks for indulging me.

Outside the gates & in the outer court, people saved or unsaved give thanks. A non believer even gives THANKS. (Someone gives a good speech and a round of applause is given to the speaker. And the speaker then Thanks the crowd.) That's easy to do.
Psalm 100 speaks of entering the GATES with Thanksgiving. Lukewarm, Carnal Christians, nominal Christians,, Christians by NAME only all give thanks to God entering the outercourt through the gates...but most just STAY there. Then those with a real born again experience but not yet sanctified, enter the inner court with Praise. They make a Joyful noise unto the Lord. They are able to give Thanks and Praise. But because they do not live Holy, Sanctified lives, they can't enter into the Holy of Holies, in spite of all the JOY and Clamor they make with their sounding cymbals.

The only way to enter into the Holy of Holies is being sanctified...which is a process of crucifying the flesh...and we cannot even crucify the flesh in our FLESH!! Only JESUS in us is crucified THROUGH the POWER of the Holy Spirit that works IN us. It is NOT of ourselves whatsoever. This is not about living the life of a monk. It is not an outward form of 'sanctification' as many of us looked to have while in the LC with our uniform look. Sanctification from the SPIRIT changes our tastebuds, our inner lives, our thinking, etc.. This is in many ways a very personal, subjective thing. I KNOW I'm 'preaching to the choir here'. Thanks for humoring me all the same.
And WITHOUT giving THANKS and PRAISE, we cannot enter in either. We HAVE to give THANKS. We HAVE to PRAISE our GOD. We need those 2 ingredients to enter into the HOLY of HOLIES. We have to enter through the gates. Once in the outer court, we have to enter into the inner court and THEN we enter into the Holy of Holies.

Once we enter the Holy of Holies..the deepest part of our being, man...we never want to leave. For that is where the Presence of GOD is...His GLORY, the PEACE of GOD which surpasses ALL understanding. He fills our cup and our cup runneth over. That is when we cannot help ourselves to talk about the things of GOD..to present CHRIST JESUS to unbelievers because we are sooo filled with HIS LOVE, with HIS PRESENCE, with HIS ANOINTING.

Aron wrote: This (LSM) ministry, in my view, has a legacy of unreconciled relationships.

And it's gotten WORST through the years with all the quarantines and lawsuits!

Aron wrote: My thought is that if we really desire the anointing, we must first be reconciled with our brothers and sisters.

ABSOLUTELY right ON ! We are instructed in James 5:16 to confess our faults one to another. The result will be HEALING. We ain't gonna be healed if we don't confess our faults one to another...and again we can only confess from the HEART...with a repentant spirit for a broken and a contrite heart GOD will not despise. It cannot simply be WORDS without heartfelt contrition.
From James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

This is NOT an easy thing to do because the flesh, our carnal mind will think up of every reason why it's THEIR FAULT...THEY have to repent. NOT ME! THEY have to apologize. NOT ME!

For the sake of the LC discussion, a HUGE problem there is we have never WITNESSED an apology from the leadership to ANYONE. Now the leadership has been instructed to shepherd the sheep and to be an example. So if the leadership criticizes and never apologizes with a broken and a contrite heart via the enlightenment of the Word of God through the Holy Spirit, how do they expect the SHEEP to follow suit ? Sheep are mostly dumb. Those who remain steadfast in the Word of God, seeking HIM in all of HIS WAYS, dying to self, washing themselves with the Water by the Word and cleansing themselve with the BLOOD of the Lamb, will grow up to be shephards. We may be shepherds of just a few little lambs but if we're faithful in shepherding a few, we will be rewarded in the Kingdom to rule and reign over many with GODLY dominion.

The scriptural references are:
Ephesians 5:26

That HE might sanctify and cleanse it (the church)with the Washing of Water by the Word

. It goes without saying the Blood of Jesus Cleanses us, Sanctifies and draws us NEAR to HIMSELF...and HE even does the Washing and Cleansing and Sanctification...NOT us in our own natural carnal SELF!!!

Aron wrote: I know that I myself can be tempted toward inflammatory rhetoric. It is soooo easy to see the splinter in the others' eyes!

Yes...and I too TRY to be cautious of how I write, how I speak. We are living in the hour of apostasy & it is spreading like a wild fire out of control....everywhere there are believers. So we have to exercise discernment with Wisdom from the Anointing within us to speak with the boldness of a LION King and the gentleness of a Lamb. Not always easy!

Aron wrote: "Behold how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment than ran down..." (Ps 133).

And THERE the LORD COMMANDS the BLESSING....even life forevermore.
THE LORD COMMANDS the BLESSING when we dwell together in unity. MAY THE LORD extend His MERCY on us, His MERCY which endures forever!!!

Aron wrote: In spite of the many "turmoils" and "rebellions", in spite of the dissociations from the GLAs and now the Brazilians, this promise still holds.

Indeed it does. Amen to that.
Thanks for replying to my post(s) Aron...and for reading mine.

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by KSA

I do not think it is true to the Word :

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has ANOINTED Me to preach the gospel to the poor..." (Luke 4:18).

So the Lord's ministry on the earth was under anointing. Moreover, even His name Christ means the anointed one!

In the Bible anointing often refers to the authority and power to fulfill the ministry.

CMW, excellent job! I like what you wrote on the anointing. I do not have much to add!

Why Thank YOU KSA ! I am 'curtsing to you...a lady like bow with a humbled heart. I would also like to add that it was GOD the HOLY SPIRIT who anointed JESUS, not GOD the Father. God the FATHER was well pleased with HIS Son Jesus. But it is the HOLY SPIRIT who anointed JESUS to begin His MINISTRY. It is the HOLY SPIRIT who is the Anointing. Christ IS the Anointed ONE anointed by the HOLY SPIRIT!!!
When the Anointing fell on HIM, the POWER of the Holy Spirit, the HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF carried the LORD to the top of a mountain for JESUS to fast and pray for 40 days & nights. Interestingly enough, now that JESUS was empowered and gave Himself to fast and pray before beginning to preach and teach and HEAL using the GOSPEL, Satan tempted him. But JESUS kept answering him with the WORD of GOD for the Word of GOD was WRITTEN & set in STONE. Jesus was tempted but never gave in to the liar who quoted the Word.

Satan 'knows' the Word of God...can quote it but he has no REVELATION of the Word. That REVELATION is reserved for the Born Again BELIEVERS only! By Faith we believe...hearing the Word of God. By FAITH we become born again surrendering our lives to Jesus making Him LORD & KING of our lives and then WHAMMO! THE WORD BECOMES ALIVE in us and the LORD GIVES US WISDOM and REVELATION in HIS KNOWLEDGE! He enlightens our understanding so when we tell people about this LIVING JESUS, they can 'see' HE indeed IS ALIVE, living and operating in US for the WORD of GOD is LIVING and operating in our spirit.
Watch how the AMPLIFIED translates Hebrews 4:12!!!

For the Word that God speaks

is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective];

it is sharper than any two-edged sword,

penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and

[the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature],

exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Cool huh ?

[countmeworthy]

Wow...whoever brought up this thread, THANK YOU soo much! I love the HOLY SPIRIT sooo very much, as I do the Son, JESUS, my LORD, MY King, my Redeemer, as I do My Abba Father, my Creator.
It's only in the last year or 2, I have truly become acquainted with the HOLY SPIRIT and have gotten to KNOW the Third PERSON of the Godhead. I took it for granted I KNEW HIM when I never really did. I'll explain later in a different post.

I looked over this thread & I mentioned an experience I had in San Diego regarding the Anointing that fell on me in a very 'special' way. I never shared it so I'll share it now.
It was during the Hebrews training. I did not go to Anaheim for it but in San Diego, wewent through the book of Hebrews while the training was taking place.
I recall pleading with the LORD with an earnest heart to give me UNDERSTANDING of the book of Hebrews. I was still a babe in Christ and Hebrews was over the top for me, as was much of the Bible.
The elders there came up with an idea for the saints to share portions of the messages we were receiving. They asked us to read a life study message for a week and to be prepared to be called on to share what the LORD had shown them. Whoever was called was going to stand in the middle of the room and give a short 'message' on that life study.
This may come as a surprise to whoever is reading this post, but I do not remember the life study message we were reading from.
I do know Hebrews 10 was in it.

The scriptures that spoke to me were vss 15-17, ch 10:

Whereof the Holy Spirit also is a Witness to us: for after that He had said before,

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

So like a good little LCr, I studied the life study message assigned to us.

When we gathered together for that 'training' meeting, the elder Willie Samoff, shared some and then UNDER the Anointing himself, selected a person to stand up and share as the HOLY SPIRIT led him to. And so the sharing began by US one by one. After a person finished speaking, he would look around the room & picked someone else. As he was moving his 'anointed' eyes, he fixed his gaze on my row. Suddenly, this 'heavy' CALMING Peace came over me. I stopped wondering who he was going to pick next. I was not wondering if he would pick me. I was not wondering ANYTHING. My mind was perfectly still.

Of course, you guessed it, his gaze locked in on me and I was picked. I calmly, full of the Peace inside of me, stand up and begin to share on Hebrews 10:15-17. It was NOT me speaking I tell ya!!! I saw people and yet I didn't. I don't know how long I went when I 'felt' the 'anointing' LIFT. I still had the Peace of God on me & in me but the 'heaviness' was LIFTING. I knew I was ending 'my' message. This expeience lasted probably 2-3 minutes at best. [HONEST!!! ] I did NOT know the meaning of the WORD -anointing-. But that was what I experienced. Actually, what I experienced was the POWER of the Anointing of the Holy Spirit ON me. In looking back, I am more than certain, Willie too was under the anointing. He was not just picking people whom he wanted, he was picking people the Holy Spirit was leading him to choose.

See, the Anointed ONE is in us , thus we are all anointed. But when the POWERFUL PRESENCE of GOD is on us, that is what we refer to as the Anointing.

I am MORE than positive, every single person on this forum has experienced this POWERFUL PRESENCE OF GOD the Holy Spirit on them at one time or another.
There are several levels and that is what I was trying to bring out in this thread. Some people have a 'special' anointing to evangelize in the streets for example. I have a friend who LOVES going out every weekend with her husband to the malls and stop people specifically to share the gospel with them. I can't do that. BUT I do talk to people all the time about the LORD in one way or another. A couple of weeks ago, I went to visit a friend of mine & her family. They're saved but live struggling carnal lives. When I walked in the house, they told me they jokingly quipped, I probably drove around the block a few times praying for them ! LOL!! See...they know I pray all the time and they know when I go over there, I'm gonna talk about the LORD. But I do NOT talk to them in an overbearing way. I yield to the SPIRIT...or at least TRY to. Because when it's HIM speaking, everybody else shuts UP and listens! Really. They DO!

Not everyone is equipped with the SAME anointing. Some are equipped to evangelize with a passion. Others are called to passionately build up the Body of Christ. Others to be mighty prayer intercessors, prayer warriors, others to teach. But whatever it is, it is simply to GLORIFY GOD, not for us to pat ourselves on the back. The end result is we're doing it together as the BODY of CHRIST with CHRIST JESUS as our HEAD.