News from Potter's Wheel Ministries

Something powerfully, wonderful and beneficial has happened since Jesus left this earth to be seated next to the Father in glory. What am I referring to? The arrival of the Holy Spirit within every believer in Christ Jesus who also believes in this divine endowment given to those who ask for Him. We know He is not automatically given just because you are born again or why would it say in the Scriptures that we are to ask for Him, whom the Father will give to those who ask? (Luke 11:9-13). Again, we find in the Scriptures that believers that had been baptized in water by John, had not yet received the Holy Ghost or even heard that there was such a gift.

Acts 19:1-6 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

As we can obviously see from the holy Scriptures, there is in fact, another baptism which is greatly needed if we are to do the same things that Jesus did and even greater works (John 14:12). Remember Jesus was baptized in the water, and when He arose from the water a dove signifying the Holy Spirit came upon Him(Matthew 3:16), and from that moment on Jesus began doing extraordinary signs and wonders after this spiritual endowment from the Father was given. Don't mistakenly argue that because the Spirit came upon Jesus as soon as He came up out of the water that this same process happens to every believer that is baptized with water. The Scripture above in Acts 19 disproves this theory. I realize there are many Christian camps that argue this point strongly as they don't believe the Pentecost experience is for today in that same way. Yet, if we look at the Scriptures you have to out-right deny the Word of God to believe like this. It seems ridiculous to write in your "What We Believe" pamphlets within your church and have them read that you believe in the infallible Word of God, and then you turn-around and don't believe that Word in all points. Doesn't "infallible" mean that it is incapable of error, and never wrong?

Jesus was baptized in water and received the Holy Spirit all in one event because He was to be the forerunner of this later impartation that would be given at the Day of Pentecost, and for everyone afterwards who would ask. Remember, Jesus told His disciples to wait at Jerusalem where they would receive the Holy Spirit, and then they would have power to be bold witnesses? (Acts 1:4; 8) We are instructed all through the Scriptures to follow the very steps of our Lord who is our example in everything. This is why we are baptized in water so as to publicly identify with His death and burial. It is here that we are raised together with Christ by our faith in what He has done for us through His death and resurrection. However, there is something else that happens when we ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on our life like Jesus had received. We start walking and speaking with greater boldness and with power! Friends, God intends for you and me to receive this inner divine endowment in our lives of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we will then notice a greater force of power in our service to the Lord and His purposes.

Our opening passage in todays devotional tells us that we have received an unction from the Holy One, that we know all things. This unction is an anointing to help us in our otherwise, limited human abilities. The anointing is a smearing or rubbing of the same divine essence of the Holy Spirit Himself on the life of someone who has received Him. Thus enabling that person to act consistently with the same power of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, going about doing the very same works that Jesus did when He was here. If we look further in 1 John 2:27 we will see a Scripture that has been abused and taught to mean something totally different from what it says. Let's look at this passage and then we will discuss this often misused application.

1 John 2:27 (KJV)
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

There tends to be those who feel that they are so wonderfully endowed or anointed that they don't need anyone in their life to instruct them. Why? Because they believe this passage confirms that their belief in this area is firmly founded on the truth of God's Word. However, these who believe this way are greatly mistaken and in danger of apostasy. That word apostasy has peculiar characteristics such as seducing spirits, doctrines of demons, hypocritical lying, a seared conscience, and a form of godliness but without the power. We are instructed in Scripture not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Yet, there are many believers who feel they do not need others. Jesus Christ gave gifts to His church that they may teach under the anointing of the Holy Spirit the Word of God and bring everyone into the unity of the faith. People who do not want others to have authority over them, have a big problem with authority to start with, and therefore, they never submit to anything but their own desires and personal interpretations. This is where many who believe in such a way will bring themselves to a place of eventual apostasy if they refuse to change their heart. The Word of God has declared that we each make up the body of Jesus Christ, and therefore, we need one another and each particular gifting in order to be sound.

Romans 12:3-5 (KJV)

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Unfortunately, there are so many who refuse to understand this design for the children of God. It seems that many just want to be the big shot on the block and tell everyone all the answers. These don't have any use for someone who would attempt to teach them. They think they already know everything, and it isn't because of the unction of the Holy One either! The unction of the Holy One will always remain in line with God's Word. The Holy Spirit reveals the counsel of God's written Word and brings it into complete understanding and out into the open. Where it says that you have no need for a man to teach you, simply means the intellectual part of man is not the teacher nor can be, it is the Holy Spirit in us who reveals the deeper revelations of what the Scriptures say. Therefore, as I write this devotional it is not my intellect that opens up the meaning which thereby you understand it, but rather the anointing in me that smears or rubs the very divine essence of the Holy Spirit Himself upon what I am doing so as it is in line with the Word of God.

There are many people that flippantly use that word anointing and apply it everywhere in the church. For instance, there may be someone who is highly gifted to play an instrument, and as you listen to them play skillfully, you are totally mesmerized by the performance. After the concert, you walk away thinking how anointed they are. But were they really anointed or just talented? I have seen many cases like this where someone was incredibly gifted in some area of their life whether it was in music, speaking, business, or some other god-given talent, and their life was in a terrible mess and was in direct conflict to the Christian walk. The amazing part of all of this is, I would hear people go around saying how anointed they were while not considering or knowing the lifestyle of that individual. We need to know the difference between talent and anointing. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. In other words, if I can play music skillfully it can be used any way I choose, for God or for myself, but the talent will function. But to tag the phrase they are anointed on someone who is highly gifted will mean that that person is walking in an upright and committed relationship with the Lord. What that means is they will not only have those special talents that are wonderful to experience, but they will be smeared or rubbed with a divine essence of the Holy Spirit that will promote a life giving power through that talent and it will change the hearts of people that sit under that gifting in a divine way.

1 Samuel 16:3 (KJV)
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)
7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:13 (KJV)
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.

The consecration of David by the priest Samuel is a great story that reveals many things regarding the subject of the anointing. First, we must take notice that Samuel was instructed in verse one to fill his horn with oil. Therefore, we need to make sure that we fill our horns with oil anytime we seek to do service in the name of our God. Secondly, we find in verse 3 that it is God that chooses whom He will anoint for certain callings. Thirdly, we see in verse seven, that God does not choose those that have great stature or abilities for special callings as man would choose by the outward appearances, but rather, He chooses by what He sees in the heart of a person. The only way you or I can ever be disqualified from being called, will be because of the condition of our heart (Proverbs 4:23). Finally, verse thirteen shows that God had chosen David, and therefore, spoke to Samuel to anoint him as the next king of Israel. When Samuel did this, it says that the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. In other words, when David went back to his shepherd job he couldn't help but look everywhere and start seeing sermons because of the anointing. He wrote things like: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want and of course many others. Then we find that he slew a lion and a bear that had taken one of the lambs and David slew them both. The anointing is a smearing or rubbing of that divine essence of the Holy Spirit Himself upon our lives. Let's look at two more Scriptures and then we will close this weeks devotional.

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV)
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Look at the things that Jesus did because of the anointing [the Holy Spirit] that was upon Him. In verse 19, this is in direct parallel with the Day of Jubilee where everything was restored back to its rightful owners. It was a great year of celebration beyond anything imagined. This is exactly what Jesus did for us, and what He preached had begun that day when He closed the book of Esaias. He restored all things back to us, whether it was, healing, prosperity, joy, peace, or any other benefit we have in Christ, it was now to be restored back to us. We are also anointed the same as Jesus to operate in the family business of reconcilation and should be going about doing and preaching the same acceptable year of the Lord. We are anointed to do these very same things if our walk and trust is in Christ and if we continue to abide in Him.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (KJV)
21 Now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

We are anointed for His glory, and we truly are if we remain in Christ Jesus. Therefore, my beloved friends in Christ, go and be led of the Spirit for these are the true sons of God. There are way too many professed Christians that may well be filled with the Spirit, but they fail to be led by Him. A vast difference for sure! You have been smeared or rubbed with the divine essence of the Holy Spirit Himself who will lead you into all truth of the Scriptures that are read or being spoken, whereas, you need not that a man teach you, but the Holy Spirit in that man will witness the same Word in you unto revelation. Amen!