THREE INFLUENCES THE OIL HAS ON THE VESSEL
Anytime the word ‘anointing’ is made mention of, what immediately comes into mind is the release of power and authority. It is very natural. That is how most of us see it to be. It is true however.
We see it as all that is needed to have a calm and a stable life and ministry. We see it as a tranquilizer that is able to save men from certain depression and frustration both in life and in ministry. It is very true and I’m even tempted to say it is scriptural. Of course, even Bible and history attests to that. There are countless incidents in the bible where we see the anointing operating fully in the positive power dimension.
But there were times also in the Bible including church history that the anointing was seen inviting troubles to visit the vessels upon which they were resting. This time it wasn’t operating only in the positive power dimension. It operated otherwise and created problems for the vessel.
The anointing we receive from God is dual in its operation. It can bring us relief as well as stress. It can also make us as well as unmake us. It can transform our lives and it can deform them as well.
Depending on the vessel, it can either be a blessing or a burden. It is all dependent on the character and personality of the vessel that operates it (Without character, desiring an anointing is like calling for trouble).
But irrespective of character, there are three basic troubles the anointing is likely to call for every vessel that operates it. Like I said, these troubles are irrespective of character but then it takes character to deal with them.
No matter who you are, I repeat, no matter who you are, once the anointing touches your head, there are three troubles it is likely to call for you. Irrespective of who you are, it will come. Even Jesus had them to battle with.
The anointing will call for the trouble but then it takes character to overcome such troubles.
Aside the anointing empowering us to fulfill our ministry and destiny, there are three things it is likely to do to us (that is to the vessel that carries it).
I am not trying to discourage you from desiring the anointing. I only want to inform you more on it. And I have devoted this whole chapter to do just that.
With the anointing,
a) You are opened up for attacks, temptations and scrutiny by both men and the devil
b) There is a temptation to be proud.
c) There is a temptation to misuse power.
You are opened up for attack.
Just like explained in the previous chapter, Lucifer is known for his attack on God’s anointed. He is warned not to touch them but he attacks them.
The devil does not attack anything. His targets are men and women of reputation, power, influence, affluence, beauty, charisma and so on. I hardly see him in scriptures after the oppressed, the sick and the poor. Perhaps, those are his end products so to speak.
His attacks on men are for the fulfillment of his three fold ministry: that is to steal, to kill and to destroy.
He has nothing to steal from the poor and nothing more to do to the dead. He seeks to fulfill his bloody ministry only on the rich, the healthy, the living and more especially the anointed of God who are a threat to his kingdom.
In the natural for example, I have never seen a robber in his right senses after the poor. He only targets those rich folks who have money to bury in the earth. They are also after the magnificent buildings in the city to rob and not after “summer hats” and wooden structures along the highway from Cape Coast to Accra.
It is also the same with the devil. He is after the most influential, powerful, and anointed. Your name becomes automatically shortlisted in his files once he spots you with power. At the least drop of oil on your head, he is ready to attack you.
He has been an attacker right from the pre-adamic age. According to scripture, all his attacks were on mighty men and women of God. He either attacked them himself or through men.
The people of God - the Israelites - fell victim to one of such attacks of the devil in the wilderness. The reason for such attack was because they carried supernatural strength and were a threat to Moab – a type of Satan’s kingdom.
Notice that he didn’t attack them personally. He did it through a heathen king called Balak – the king of the Moabites. What Balak did was to hire a prophet of God against them to curse them.
“And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan [by] Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all [that are] round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor [was] king of the Moabites at that time. He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which [is] by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: Come nowtherefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they [are] too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, [that] we may smite them, and [that] I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest [is] blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.” (Numbers 22:1-6)
This is how tactical and strategic the devil can be. When it comes to him attacking you, he is ready to hire prophets – servants of God as yourself-against you.
Another mighty general that fell victim to the attack of the enemy owing to his status in life was Job. The devil attacked and killed all his children including his livestock. He also destroyed all his assets and left him stricken with boils. The reason he eyed Job was simple: he was divinely blessed and protected.
For Job, the devil attacked him personally. The purpose of that attack was to get him cursing God which he never did. After the Devil himself has tried and failed, he began to attack him through his own wife. “Then said his wife unto him, dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die” (Job 2:9).
This is how wicked the Devil can be. He even uses our loved ones and close associates to attack us. But thank God that in all these moments of trials, Job never sinned.
David - a man after God’s own heart - was also attacked by the devil on diverse occasion. For David, his attacks were as a result of the oil he carried and his achievements on the battle field.
He was attacked by the devil through Saul who spent most of his years pursuing after him to kill him. Saul began this attack the very day he saw and heard David being awarded a doctorate degree in battles. He couldn’t imagine himself being awarded a diploma. It was from that very day that he sought to kill him.
“And the women answered [one another]
as they played, and said, Saul hath slain
his thousands, and David his ten
thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and
the saying displeased him; and he said,
They have ascribed unto David ten
thousands, and to me they have ascribed
[but] thousands: and [what] can he have
more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed
David from that day and forward.”
(Samuel 18:7-9)
Another strategic object that engaged the attack of Lucifer was stones. He was desperately after this lifeless objects to destroy. This sounds ridiculous. Isn’t it?
It may sound ridiculous but the bible bears that witness.
He was very much afraid of these lifeless objects – stones – and even saw them as a threat to his kingdom. I know the question you might be asking here is, “what is it about stones, and why is the devil so interested in them?” Very simple. The devil heard by reason of the mouth of John the Baptist that God was able by them to raise up children unto Abraham.
“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ”- (Matthew 3:9)
His fear for these lifeless objects became more intense when he heard Jesus also say, “. . . if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”-(Luke 19:40)
After becoming conscious of this, he began attacking stones. I presume he was shocked and surprised when he heard such testimonies given about them. “How on earth can ordinary stones worship before God and also become heirs to Abraham”, he thought.
It was then that he started attacking stones. He did that by provoking Jesus to turn them into bread. However, he failed.
“. . . If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” – (Matthew 4:3)
Not only did he attack ordinary stones, he also attacked the Chief Corner Stone - Jesus. He did that by tempting Him on several occasions. They were all because of the anointing He carried.
There are many other personalities he attacked in scriptures of which you and I know. It is only that we can’t make mention of them all.
The devil didn’t attack such great personalities in the bible just for tempting sake. He did it purposely because, he saw something unusual, powerful and threatening about them. There is no way he will leave us alone once he spots us with power, affluence, beauty, anointing and so on: he will definitely strike.
Let me step on your toes a little, my dear readers. Make a careful observation of women. You will find out that, it is the beautiful ones among them that are always fornicating, prostituting and committing adultery. Often times, those who are not very beautiful are able to stay chaste till they get married. You may ask why it is so. Very simple. It is the beautiful ones among them that are often attacked. The devil attacks them himself or does it through cunning young men to destroy them. Several temptations go their way: they receive dates and proposal almost every day. Any gentleman at all will like to stop them by the strret and ask them out. The devil is after them to destroy and it’s all because they carry influence. Unfortunately many lose their virginity thereby.
But other sisters are still virgins and perhaps it is because no man has ever proposed to them. May be no soul has ever stopped them on the street to take their address or contact before. They have little or no attack from the devil and his humanly inspired agents. They have an attack-free life till they finally get married and hence the reason for their chastity.
So you see, the devil doesn’t just attack anything. He is after men and women of power and influence to destroy. His attacks are in several ways and we have to watch out for them.
I pray that God empowers you to stand against his wiles.
Pride
One major temptation that comes with the anointing is pride. Pride is not of God. It is of the Devil. Hardly does it come by itself. It is a temptation that comes with power and virtue. Notice the scriptures below.
“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to [his] destruction . . .” – (2 Chronicles 26:16)
“. . . thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:” – (Ezekiel 28:5)
The very first scripture speaks of King Uzziah. He became proud because of his strength. The last scripture also speaks of Lucifer. For him, his pride came as a result of his riches. So you see, hardly does pride come by itself. There is always something that call for its attention and that is virtue.
Pride is one of the greatest temptations that can ever befall us. If we are able to resist or triumph over it, any other attack from the devil is likely to be fruitless.
Pride is never a trait or a character. It is a spirit. I call it the real devil. Because, that was what made the monster out of Lucifer. He is a devil today because of pride. Like the scripture says, iniquity was found in him. Pride is the most dangerous disease that can ever attack the Christian gentleman or lady.
The devil himself was overpowered by it and he fell into its condemnation. He therefore unleashes that weapon against the anointed of the Lord. He knows pretty well that he can get us out of God’s Will if he succeeds in getting it over us.
In injecting this deadly virus into our bloodstreams, He does so in three series of steps. They are;
When he succeeds in injecting these three viruses into us, these symptoms follow.
Symptoms of pride
Any time you see this symptoms manifest in your life, know that the devil is on you. It signifies condemnation is near. You may possibly have these feelings;
1. There is an unflinching desire to do things by your own power. You feel so self dependent.
There is also a prevalent use of the pronouns I and Me. Notice “the five I wills” of the devil.
“I WILL ascend into heaven”
“I WILL exalt my throne”
“I WILL sit also upon the mount of congregation”
“I WILL ascend above the heights of the cloud”
“I WILL be like the Most High”
2. There is a desire to set yourself above your fellow workers of equal rank.
“. . . for their pride . . . they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of Host” (Zephaniah 2:10)
3. There is a desire to seek equality with the high powers around you.
“. . . thou [art] a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God” (Eze. 28:2) “. . . I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14)
4. There is uneasiness in according people the honor or the respect due them.
“. . . Behold, I [am] against thee . . . which hath said, my river [is] mine own, and I have made [it] for myself.” (Ezekiel 29:3)
“. . . Thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride” (Ezekiel 16:56)
5. There is a feeling of perfection. There is also a Know-it-all attitude.
“. . . the pride of thine heart . . . saith . . ., who shall bring me to the ground”
6. There is a feeling that others can’t do without you.
7. There is a feeling to contend at the slight provocation.
“Only by pride cometh contention . . .” ((Proverbs 13:10)
8. There is a hardening of the mind and heart. You feel awful when corrected
“. . . His heart was lifted . . . and his mind hardened in pride” (Daniel 5:20)
Watch out for these symptoms. It signifies condemnation.
Always remember that pride is a spirit. It comes as a temptation to those that carry influence and power. Once you are beautiful, it will come. When you are also anointed, it will come. Unless may be you don’t want to be anointed or endued with power. Because once these are upon you, it will come. But thank God for humility. With it, we can conquer pride.
May God empower you to overcome pride as you proceed reading this book.
Temptations to misuse power.
Another strange temptation that befalls anointed men and women is the temptation to abuse or misuse the power they carry. This happens in three circumstances.
That is under;
Provocation & challenge
We live in a world today where it is very easy to take offense in people.
And in ministry today, it is not something strange. Because people will definitely provoke you. You might as well provoke others too.
The way we ministers of the Gospel deal with provocation and bitterness of late is very important. It has a lot to say about our level of maturity and knowledge in Christ.
Anytime a servant of God is angry, bitter or provoked, the anointing is automatically stirred up and fuelled to defend or attack. The vessel carrying the oil feels a great urge to demonstrate power. This is a temptation. It’s not from God but rather the devil. In fact James tells us plainly that God doesn’t even tempt us. We are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires.
There is a great temptation of you using your God given office for personal defense other than for its intended purpose: which includes the perfection of the saints, the work of the ministry and the edifying of Christ’s Body. It is very easy and seductive to deform lives with your prophetic utterance than to edify, exhort and to comfort them.
Balaam the prophet once fell prey to this attack. He was called upon and hired by Balak to curse the people of his own God. This is what Balak said to him: “. . .come now therefore and curse for me this people (the people of God) for they are too mighty for me”
As servants of God, the devil sometimes incites us against our own people at the least provocation to curse them. He just like Balak - his son according to John 8:44 - knows that he whom we bless is blessed and he whom we curse is cursed. For this reason, he incites us to curse each other at the least provocation.
Many preachers are moved to demonstrate power and ability at the slightest provocation. At the slightest provocation, they feel compelled to call down the heaven. They always end up abusing the anointing they carry.
Elijah the man of God is a perfect example of such (2 kings 1:9-18). It happened this way: Ahaziah, the king of Israel, fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber and was as a result sick in bed. Instead of him consulting any of the prophets in Samaria, he rather sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. Elijah the man of God knew this through a word of Knowledge delivered to him by an Angel. So he went to meet those messengers saying, “Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?” The man of God was Provoked because of the actions of Ahaziah. By a word of wisdom from the Lord, Elijah further said to those messengers, “Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD. . . thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.”
After these messengers had delivered the words of Elijah to the King, he became angry and as a result gave 51 soldiers warrant to effect his arrest. These messengers found Elijah no where than on a top of a hill. They stood at the base of the hill and said: “Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.”
They kept on bidding Elijah to come down but Elijah was still adamant. Then said the captain of the soldiers to him: “Are you really a man of God? If you really claim to be a man of God and are not afraid of the king, then come down. Why are you hiding?”
This is where Elijah was provoked. He couldn’t stand them challenging his authority as a man of God and of course, many preachers today can’t stand it when they are being challenged. They are tempted to demonstrate power thereby.
This is exactly what Elijah did. He said to the captain of the Soldiers, “Did you say I’m not a man of God?”
“Yes, we don’t think you are”, said the captain of the soldiers.
“Ok, you wait and see”, Elijah screamed angrily.
Very desperate to prove himself, Elijah said, “. . . If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.” After this decree, came fire down from heaven immediately and consumed the captain and his fifty.
Another bunch of Soldiers were sent to arrest Him and just like the First, he called down fire upon them. It was only the last group of Soldiers that were able to calm him down. They only were able to engage his mercy.
With a very bitter spirit, Elijah killed a hundred and two soldiers. Why? It was because of provocation. The man of God was provoked.
What Elijah did to these hundred and two soldiers was a wrong demonstration of power. He did that because of provocation. He was provoked because of the challenge that was thrown to Him. We have to be careful anytime we are provoked. Many preachers of late can’t stand the face of challenge. Challenge them or deny them their titles and they will curse you to death.
I once heard a prophet say on the radio, “I am a prophet and not an evangelist. I want you to accord me my title. Dare call one of those young prophets, evangelist and they will curse you to death. So don’t try calling me an Evangelist.” Such a prophet can’t stand the face of challenge.
There is a need to exercise ourselves to deal with provocation and challenge maturely.
Aside Elijah, Jesus was equally confronted with such temptations. But he handled his as a very mature person.
In the case of Jesus, he was very hungry as a result of his forty days and night fast. But since a hungry man is likely to be an angry man, I presume he was also angry as well.
Even if he wasn’t angry, the least provocation could get him angry because he was exceedingly hungry.
In the wilderness alone, the devil went to him to tempt Him. He did it at no other time than when Master Jesus was hungry and presumably angry. He launched this attack at the right season.
What he said to him was, “if thou be the son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Can you imagine these words being said to you on no other day than when you have completed a forty day fast and are hungry? You and I can hardly stand that.
Not only was Satan tempting Jesus, he was also provoking and challenging Him. Indirectly, what he was saying to Jesus was, “I don’t think you are the son of God or the CHRIST to come. If you were, you wouldn’t have allowed yourself to die of hunger in this lonely place. You can’t keep calling yourself the bread of life and claim to born in Bethlehem - meaning the house of bread - and die of hunger yourself. Prove me wrong by turning these stones into bread.”
That was a challenge and a provocation and we all like Elijah would have been quick to demostrate power. But maturely, Jesus refuted that confrontation and the two subsequent ones as well. The message he painted to Satan was: “I don’t care what you say about me. Call me whatever name you so wish. You can even go ahead and deny me as the CHRIST. I won’t do anything to these stones” and truly He overcame that confrontation.
At another time too, Jesus together with his disciples were journeying to Jerusalem. Along the journey, they turned to one of the villages of the Samaritans for hospitality but then he was refused that hospitality when they realize his original destination was Jerusalem – a people they had nothing to do with. Notice that John chapter 4:9 reveals the hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. “. . . What dealings have the Jews with the Samaritans?” (John 4:9)
When they were not received, all the disciples save Jesus were angry and offended. They were provoked and ready for action. Jesus wasn’t offended the least and I presume they all were surprise at that.
Possibly, this is what they - the disciples - might have been thinking: “Can’t this man do something with his powers to save us from this reproach?”
They were very angry at the Samaritans and yet still surprised at the actions of Jesus, seeing he wasn’t offended.
It was then that James and John - the sons of Zebedee – took it upon themselves to ask Jesus saying, “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” Left to James and John alone, they would have called down fire just as Elijah did to consume the Samaritans. But Jesus rebuked them because what they were proposing was a wrong demonstration of Power. He said to them: “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”
“And it came to pass, when the time was
come that he should be received up, he
stedfastly set his face to go toJerusalem,
And sent messengers before his face: and
they went, and entered into a village of
the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him, because his
face was as though he would go to
Jerusalem. And when his disciples James
and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt
thou that we command fire to come
down from heaven, and consume them,
even as Elias did? But he turned, and
rebuked them, and said, Ye know not
what manner of spirit ye are of.”
(Luke 9:51-55)
In Jesus’ entire ministry, he was constantly challenged and provoked which could have pushed Him to demonstrate power wrongly. But he never did that. There were even instances he was physically attacked with stones and other weapons. He could have chosen to call down some natural occurrences on them with His Supernatural power but instead, he hid himself as though he was afraid and escaped out of their hands. You might call him a loser or a fearoo but to the best of my understanding, that is maturity and the greatest defeat you can ever have over the Devil.
His actions communicated these words, “I came as a healer and not a killer and as a Savior, not a destroyer.” He fully enforced this sense of discipline and overcame all his attackers. If He was to call down fire at the least provocation or challenge, he would have wiped of all men including the soldiers that arrested Him, missing His prime assignment to go to the cross.
Even on the night of His passion, his prophetic anointing was challenged and mocked. He was being pushed to demonstrate power. “. . . Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote [him] with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”(Mathew 26:67). He could have chosen to do just that but then he thought it not necessary to use the power he wielded to defend his reputation. Isn’t this beautiful? It is practical humility.
Also on the cross, he was being provoked to do the unusual. The purpose of the Devil was to prevent Him from dying. He seriously provoked and challenged Him through the men around saying: Look at this man, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.” (Matthew 27:42) You see, that was a provocation, and it takes a very disciplined man like JESUS to refute it.
10 of the primitive provocations Jesus refuted were,