The Anointing

"...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power."

Throughout the entire Bible, "the anointing" is seen as a dynamic power that enabled believers to fulfill their destinies in the kingdom of God. While some people confuse the meaning of the anointing by using it interchangeably with one's natural gifts and skills or the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Cynthia James defines the anointing as the manifest presence of God upon our lives. "The anointing" means the gift, the grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit to change and influence every aspect of our lives.

It was the anointing of the Holy Spirit at the launching of Jesus' ministry that made Him so effective and so successful. The anointing is the empowering and the enabling of the Holy Spirit that transformed the believers who were gathered on the day of Pentecost into lives that made a difference in the first-century world, literally turning it upside down. And the good news is that the anointing is not just for pastors or teachers or spiritual leaders. It is available to all believers. The presence of Jesus will make all the difference in your life!

If Jesus must be anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to fulfill His purpose for coming to the world, how much more do we need the same gift and enabling power?