ARE YOU LIVING IN THE ANOINTING (1)

I have mentioned before how thankful I am for FB and WhatsApp, I can literally make contact with thousands of Christian friends around the world requesting prayer usually for a preaching appointment and know that within hours many of them are lifting me up in prayer. How do I know? The amazing conscious evidence of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon me as I speak.
As a Bible College student 56 years ago we were challenged to spend as much time preparing oneself  as you did preparing the sermon. We have all sat and listened to unanointed and uninspiring preaching, and I am sure most of us Preachers have stood in the pulpit feeling spiritually naked as we had been too busy to pray, and hoped that working in autopilot would be ok!!! I will concede that there have been times when I have felt I have truly failed and was at my worst, but GOD WAS AT HIS BEST. Our Sovereign God is merciful hallelujah.
Before I get ahead of myself, I need to say the ANOINTING is expressed in many ways,

EVERY BELIEVER HAS BEEN ANOINTED.

The ANOINTING is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit which came to abide in us when we were born again, We thank God he is resident in us, but we must learn to let Him be PRESIDENT IN US.
The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:20 NKJV But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things, it is expressed better in the NLT  for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.
So every believer has an anointing, now we have a responsibility to do something with it.
Paul tells in Eph. 5:18 NKJV And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit  again the AMP expresses it a little clearer And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. The Greek tense is present continuous, we must learn to live the Spirit filled life, where the Holy Spirit is CONSTANTLY PRESIDENT.
Paul writing to the Romans 8:1 NKJV tells us it must become a LIFESTYLE There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do NOT WALK according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Again Paul writing to the Galatians 5:25 NKJV says If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit

WE MUST LEARN TO LIVE AND WALK IN THE SPIRIT

Then there is what we will call a MINISTRY ANOINTING, that same anointing that rested on Jesus as He Himself declared in Luke 4:18-19 NKJV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
This is that anointing that anyone who ministers for the Lord, and has a ministry calling upon him should learn to carry constantly.
When I request prayer for the Lord’s anointing to be upon me, as I preach, I must also do my part, and learn to LIVE AND WALK IN THE SPIRIT. I lay hold of the glorious promise in Psalm 92:10 KJV But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I SHALL BE anointed with fresh oil.
Some translations say I have been anointed, or  I am anointed, I like the KJV I SHALL BE ANOINTED WITH FRESH OIL, thank God for all the past manifest anointings on my ministry, but I declare by the grace of God, and the prayers of my friends, and as I live and walk in the Spirit I SHALL BE ANOINTED WITH FRESH OIL.