Respecting The Anointing

Psalm 105:15

"Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"

Acts 5:1-12 gives an account of a couple that had an absurd ending. Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and held back some of the proceeds from Apostle Peter. They had a good motive; their desire was to support the work of God, but they had one issue –they failed to recognize and respect the anointing upon Peter. The apostle never had any other charge against them besides that, for he asked Ananias, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." And after that question, Ananias fell dead and he was buried immediately!

Two important lessons to learn from this portion of scripture: One being that, when you choose to give to God, He is more interested in the state of your heart than what you’re giving. Like He commanded the Israelites never to sacrifice a lame animal unto Him, He always requires the best from us, and nothing less. Secondly, we get to know that God’s servants are not mere men, but God regards any treatment towards or against them as being towards Him.

Ananias and Sapphira had ownership over their property, and it was out of their free will that they decided to sell it. Even after the sale, they had the liberty to give God 50% of the proceeds in truth. However, they purchased their death when they chose to give God less than what they declared; and tried to make a fool out of Peter, because they never thought he would tell whether they sold it for that much. God hates false pretense.

Numbers 12 explains of how Miriam earned herself leprosy because of conniving with Aaron to gossip about Moses, and if it wasn’t for Moses’ intercession for her, she would have died a leper. God clearly defended Moses and showed Aaron and Miriam that his servant was not like them.

In 1Samuel 15, King Saul disregarded the orders of the prophet, thinking he had a better idea that would please God. Unfortunately, his heart did not carry a proper motive, and his respect for Prophet Samuel had disappeared. He was so used to the prophet, that out of disrespect he tore his robe when he had refused to give in to his demands! That was the beginning of Saul’s end, and he never got any better.

Do you recognize the anointing of God’s Spirit upon His servants? What respect do you have for the anointing? What reverence do you genuinely have for God’s servants? Many people have blessed themselves by getting the revelation of recognizing and respecting the anointing, and others have deprived themselves by failure to get it.

If Ananias and his wife had recognized the anointing upon Peter and respected the anointing more than they respected the man, they would not have died. That’s why Peter told him, “You have not lied to men but to God”. God’s servants may look like everyone else, move in the same vehicles, make mistakes, and face what others face but before God, they are of greater honor. Be wise; don’t gang up with the ‘Miriams’ who have questions like: “Have the words of the Lord been given to Moses only? Have they not come to us?” Bless yourself; always recognize and respect the anointing of God upon His servants.

One Accord Power

Acts 2:1

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

GOD established His church on “one accord power”. He told His disciples to go to Jerusalem until they were endued with power. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place”. It was then that the Holy Spirit came upon each one of them with power that caused 3,000 people to repent and be added to the Church that very day! (Acts 2:41). If the church can be in one accord, with the same purpose and mind, it can do great and marvelous things.

Let us take a recap of Genesis 11:1-9: The whole earth was of one language and one speech, so these people planned to build a city and a tower whose top can reach the heaven, and because they were one they would be able to build this tower. God realized their determination of fulfilling this imagination and decided to confuse them with many languages such that they could not understand one another’s speech. That’s how far the possibility level of the “one accord” effect.

The early church in the experienced a tremendous growth in many aspects, concerning the individual believers, the life of the church as a whole, regarding the spreading of the Gospel of Christ, and so much more. They realized the great truth that the Christian church is “one big family”, and each one supplied and fulfilled their duty as a member of the whole in order to provide what was needed and to contribute to the edification of the body; the church. It was not like today, whereby if there is a need for members to participate in church they leave it for the leaders and a few concerned people. There are not many people that want to be “bothered” with church activities because they do not want to alter their schedules.

A group or ministry that is in one accord cannot be desisted from their work because they have a strong focus. If the Church, as one family, keeps in one accord, expansion will be easy to achieve;  multitudes will be attracted to GOD’s love and power because powerful, supernatural works of GOD come to pass when two or more believers who are in “one accord” cry out to GOD in fervent prayer. Thus Jesus promised, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).

May we too in our churches and in the different fellowships remember the great truth of oneness and may we not try and be troublesome, may we not cause new divisions, show jealousy and envy and talk bad about others. Let us set our eyes on GOD, our heavenly father, because it is He who can give and make us be likeminded one toward another in accordance with Christ Jesus.

May GOD will help us to be likeminded one towards another as GOD gives us such unity and one accord so that we also can lift up our voices in one accord to praise him with one mind and one mouth and give Him the glory and honor in the church which He deserves (Romans 15:5-6).

It’s more than being in one place; it’s about being of the same mind, passion and goal.