It is about an important part of the package

NORSK
I have often heard Christians say that they feel uncomfortable when we speak about anointing. Normally it is because they have not spent much time reflecting on the subject. Many think that it is a special ‘emotion’ or ‘experience’.

Anointing is one of the attributes of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, anointing has nothing to do with my emotions but all to do with me giving him permission to access my life. Likewise, the human Jesus had a free will and chose to give the Holy Spirit access to His life. This is made very in his statement when he started his mission:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19

Since Jesus was depending on the Spirit’s anointing over his life, I regard it as a ‘must’ for me. Anointing is not something I can hide under the “not applicable”-label – it is a prerequisite for true life.

Spiritual growth is about the desire “to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (1). Many of David’s psalms point to Messiah. Yesterday I quoted psalm 133, and mentioned the oil on the Aron’s head, running through the beard and down on his robe.

I believe Jesus is our high priest (2). I believe Jesus is anointed. I believe Jesus is the head of which body I am a part. Therefore, I believe that the logical consequence is that the oil from the head of high priest runs all the way down over me. I cannot avoid it!

When I read about revivals, I recognize the same characteristics and qualities as those of the oil, which have also been the focus of the reflections lately. That is why I believe that anointing is needed if I seriously mean what I pray in the Lord’s prayer: “Your Kingdom come!” (3).

Christian activity without the anointing is in its best version able to protect the interests of those who already believe and “socialize” them into continued faith, but it may be like walking in the desert. Anointing is part of holiness. It cannot be opted out. If I still do, I will destroy the whole package.

‘Manna’ for today:

Anointing is part of holiness

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(1) Eph 4:15
(2) Hebr 4:14-16
(3) Matt 6:10

It is about lubrication

NORSK
I cannot find verses in the Scripture that directly tell that the 'Sacred Anointing Oil' was used for the purpose of lubrication, but it is a general characteristic of oil – and also of the Spirit. 

It may still be possible to see the connection with the anointing oil as symbol of “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”, because the psalmist gives the following illustration to this describe this unity:

It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
Psalm 133 

I will elaborate more on this picture tomorrow, but it is interesting that Samuel Logan Brengle was known as “A Spiritual Special” but wherever the Salvation Army experienced a conflict, the General sent Brengle as “A Conflict Special” (1). His method was simple: As little attention as possible on the conflict-matter – as much focus as possible on the Spirit, holiness and divine love. It worked miracles. The Spirit ‘lubricates’ the “machinery of the church”.

I am convinced that the anointing comes even with this quality of the Spirit. As a disciple, I cannot live without it, and as a community of believers, we cannot live without it.

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is about lubrication

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(1) Clarence Hall: “There was a significance about this, he felt. Indirectly, it had been a schism that had led to his appointment as a national revivalist. And now the first engagement launching his career as International Spiritual Special was to aid a land similarly affected.” Rather than directly addressing the controversy dividing the ranks and threatening organizational unity, Brengle focused on the primary need for holiness of heart and life, stating: “I shall stick to my spiritual work and only here and there drop a word of suggestion and hope and cheer regarding the difficulty.”
In “Samuel Logan Brengle – Portrait of a Prophet” 1933 pp 217-218

It is about 'contagion'

NORSK
I know that holiness is contagious. There is Scriptural support for the claim. In the passage about the sacred anointing oil, I read that everything and everyone involved in the worship in the Tabernacle became holy through the anointing, and further it says that:

“…whatever touches them will be holy”
Exocus 30:29b

Even further there is support for the claim that people filled with the Holy Spirit become ‘contagious’. What happened with the 120 on the first Pentecost, spread with epidemic speed. On the very first day 3000 people asked the vital question that is linked to any epidemic:

“Brothers, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:37b

They received the prescription: Holiness is about death and resurrection in Jesus Christ. And since that day, no power neither in the heavenly realms nor on earth has managed to stop the epidemic. Many powers have tried, but in the midst of persecution and threats of distinction “the contagious life” has shown its divine growth power.

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is contagious!

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It is about confirmation of the blood

NORSK
As a young Bible-reader it was refreshing reading the Scriptures from page 1, but I must admit that it was a struggle when I had a go at the third book for the first time. Leviticus is full of regulation and procedures to be used under different circumstances, but the book gives quite a few interesting pieces of information that can throw some light on spiritual principles.

Yesterday I wrote that I would give some more information about the function of the anointing in connection with healing. The story of the blood-sacrifice and the oil in connection with the cleansing of a leper, gives interesting food for the thought. It is found in

See: Lev 14:12-18

The regulation is that the priest shall touch the clean leper first with the blood, and then with the oil, in a sequence: the right ear-lobe, thumb and the big toe - the choice of these three parts of the body, may have a deeper meaning, but I will leave that for later. 

Today it is about the blood and the oil. The blood is associated with Jesus and his ultimate sacrifice. The oil is associated with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will always confirm Jesus, the cross and the
resurrection. Jesus and the Spirit are mutual in their confirmation of one another:

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 14:26

This is also a key in holiness. There will be no holiness without the sacrifice of Christ and the confirmation by the Holy Spirit 

It is the same with healing. If I believe that I am healed "by his wounds" (1), the Holy Spirit will confirm that. Not necessarily with an instant healing, but with an assurance that my prayers have been heard and I feel that I can rest in the fact that it will happen in His time. I have experienced both the instant healing, and the rest in the assurance that in him, I am healed even though no physical change has yet taken place.

'Manna' for today:

In in His time!

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(1) Isa 53:5

It is about penetration

NORSK
The first quality of oil I want to focus on is the ability to penetrate. The author of Hebrews writes that: “the word of God is alive and active.” and he continues by stating that: “it penetrates” (1). It should not be a surprise for a Bible-reader who knows that “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2), and again I see the clear connection between the Spirit and the image of the sacred anointing oil.

After two years in college, and one year as an assistant corps-officer, I finally had an apartment at my disposal. I had just been appointed the Commanding Officer in Vik i Sogn (Norway). One of the first things I bought myself, was a new tablecloth. I was so fascinated when I spilt some water on it and discovered that it was floating on the tablecloth and I could just pour it into the sink. When I a couple of days later spilt oil – it was a different story. The oil immediately penetrated the surface of the cloth.

The thought leads directly to the concept of anointing. An anointed testimony

penetrates the listener’s surface of self-protection. An easy way to discern genuine anointing is to look for the “breakthrough” of the gospel.

Samuel Logan Brengle often referred to his experience of holiness as a “Baptism of love”. The same Brengle is known for this quote: “In God’s school we learn through the Heart rather than through the head, by Faith rather than logic.” 

For the Holy Spirit to break through, the message must go from heart to heart.

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is a breakthrough of love

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(1) Hebrews 4:12
(2) 2 Timothy 3:16

It is about anointing

NORSK
It is interesting that also with regard to the concept of anointing, I need to go to the Old Testament to get a better understanding. The anointing is an important part of the preparation of both the items and the people involved in sacred rituals:

Make these (1) into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
Ex 30:25-29

When I teach about anointing and the use of oil, I always stress that there is no “magic” in any physical element. It is the combination of the prompting of the Spirit and the act of faith that releases the special anointing.

The sacred anointing oil is another image of the Spirit, and over the next days, I will look at different qualities of the oil. These qualities are also the qualities of the anointing of the Spirit, which again are recognized among the characteristics of holiness. So if you are interested in the subject of anointing, hang on!

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is about anointing

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(1) The ingredients were 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, 250 shekels of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 24 500 shekels of cassia and a hin of olive oil.

It is about a variety of images

NORSK
I have already reflected on some symbols or images of the Holy Spirit. Many are yet to be mentioned. Here are just a few examples:

• The Dove – was taken as a strong confirmation of the Holy Spirit’s presence over the life of Jesus when he was baptized by John the Baptist (1).
• The New Wine – is another image of the Holy Spirit. It is likely that I will write more about this image later in the series (2).
• The Living Water – as described by Jesus (2) and (3).
• The Sacred Anointing Oil – I promise that I will write more about this in several entries during the autumn. For me “anointing” together with “language” are among the strongest images of the Holy Spirit.

I take the following verse as a confirmation of my last claim.

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
1 John 2:20 

The mission of the Holy Spirit is to make Jesus known – and because they are “one” a better knowledge of Jesus will lead to a better knowledge of the Spirit. The two persons will always mutually confirm one another.

‘Manna’ for today:

Images are used to make Jesus better known!

Tomorrow I will continue with “My image” – does that make Jesus known?
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(1) Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” John 1:32-34
(2) An early entry in this series: “It is about drinking...” relates to this theme.
(3) On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39