So one function of a priest is to pray for others. What is another function of a priest? As New Testament priests unto our G.o.d, we are to continually offer up praises unto the Most High G.o.d. (We will look at this in more detail in Chapters 6 and 8.) The Anointing on Believers To Be Kings

G.o.d is not only anointing priests, He's also anointing kings. Who is G.o.d anointing to be kings? Every member of the Body of Christ! That means all of us!

ROMANS 5:17.

17 For if by one man's offence [Adam] death reigned by one [spiritual death]; much more they which receive abundance of grace [the Body of Christ] and of the gift of righteousness SHALL REIGN IN LIFE by one, Jesus Christ.

This verse shows us an area where the Body of Christ is missing it. Most Christians have put off all the reigning until the millennial reign! Thank G.o.d, we're going to reign in the Millennium, but on the other hand, the Bible says we are going to reign as kings now in this life.

In Revelation 5:10 it says, "And hast made us unto our G.o.d kings and priests: and we shall reign ON THE EARTH. " That not only refers to our reign with Christ in the Millennium, it also refers to our reign on the earth in this life. As we read before, Romans 5:17 says: ". . . We shall reign IN LIFE by Jesus Christ"!

We can see something else about reigning as kings in this life by looking at King David's reign. David as a king living under the Old Testament or Old Covenant didn't try to reign without the anointing.

Remember we read that when the priest anointed David to be king, the Bible says the Holy Spirit came on him from that day forward (1 Sam. 16:13). The Spirit of G.o.d that came upon David to enable him to reign as king in the Old Testament is the same Holy Spirit that lives inside believers in the New Covenant and enables them to "reign in life by Christ Jesus" (Rom. 5:17). The Spirit of G.o.d came upon David for a different purpose - to enable him to rule as the king of Israel, but it's the same Holy Spirit that lives inside believers under the New Covenant.

Many times people get into trouble by trying to reign in the natural. In other words, they try to reign without the anointing. But, you see, G.o.d is the One who anoints us to reign! Just like He did in the Old Testament, G.o.d anoints those of us living under the dispensation of the New Testament too. After all, the Word of G.o.d plainly tells us that what happened in the Old Testament is a type and shadow for us in the New Testament, and that we have a better Covenant which is established upon better promises (Heb. 8:6).

How do people try to reign without the anointing? One way is that many people try to live the Christian life without the help and the aid of the Holy Spirit. They try to live the Christian life without the anointing! But, first, a person has to be born again in order to live the Christian life. Then as we've seen, Christians need to be endued with power from on High. We will also see that there are fresh anointings that all believers are to receive which will enable them to fulfill G.o.d's purpose for them on the earth.

Trying 'To Reign' Without Being Born Again!

Over the years, I've had people tell me, "I just can't live the Christian life. I tried it out to see if I could live a holy life, but I can't." Some of the people who said this to me were men whose wives were members of the church I pastored. Their wives had been after them to get saved, so these husbands tried, for example, to quit smoking or drinking for a month or two. Many of these unsaved husbands came back to me and said, "I just can't live the Christian life! There's just no use in me trying to be a Christian."

I've told every single one of them, "You don't have to quit anything in order to become a Christian." "I don't?"

"No! Just give your life to Jesus!"

"It couldn't be that simple," some have said.

"Yes, it is," I've replied. "When you are born again, G.o.d will change you on the inside!"

We need to be born again by the Spirit of G.o.d! And we need the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon our lives! It's the anointing that will put us over in life.

G.o.d is still anointing prophets, preachers, priests, and kings unto our G.o.d, and He's still anointing His people to be witnesses for Him!

Chapter 4 Empty Cisterns or Full Reservoirs: We've looked at the anointing in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. We've seen the anointing with oil in the Old Testament on the prophet, priest, and king. We've looked at the anointing in the New Testament in the life of Jesus and also in the life of the believer. We've seen that G.o.d is still anointing all believers with His Holy Spirit to go into all the world to preach the gospel, to witness about Him, and to be New Testament kings and priests unto G.o.d.Now we need to look at another aspect of the anointing.JEREMIAH 2:9-13.9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead.10 For pa.s.s over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.11 Hath a nation changed their G.o.ds, which are yet no G.o.ds? but my people have changed their glory FOR THAT WHICH DOTH NOT PROFIT.12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, BROKEN CISTERNS, that can hold no water.In this pa.s.sage of Scripture in Jeremiah, G.o.d was speaking to Israel. However, there is also a message in these verses for us, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here G.o.d is saying that Israel committed two evils: One evil was they forsook G.o.d, the G.o.d of living waters. The second evil was they hewed out for themselves cisterns - 33 broken cisterns which could hold no water. In other words, they left G.o.d's plan and made their own plans. And because their own plans were man-made, they couldn't prosper.According to the dictionary, a "cistern" is an artificial reservoir or tank, often located underground for storing rain water. A "reservoir" is a place where water is collected chiefly in large quant.i.ties so as to be able to supply the needs of a city or a community, and is kept for use when wanted or needed. In other words, a reservoir is a place where something is collected and stored in large quant.i.ties to meet the needs of people.The Bible is saying in these scriptures that by following man-made plans, Israel hewed out for themselves broken cisterns which couldn't hold water. That is, they exchanged G.o.d's glory for that which couldn't profit - their own plans and their own way of doing things. They couldn't prosper because they didn't have G.o.d's plan. Therefore, we as New Testament believers need to take a lesson from this, and get G.o.d's plan so we can prosper! G.o.d doesn't want His people to be empty cisterns; He wants them to be full reservoirs. However, it's up to each one of us in the Body of Christ which one we will be - an empty cistern or a full reservoir.If we get G.o.d's plan, we will be full reservoirs, not empty cisterns which contain nothing but our own plans! Therefore, we need to see what G.o.d's New Testament pattern and plan is, so we can get G.o.d's plan and prosper. Let's get G.o.d's plan! Let's find out what G.o.d's plan and provision is for His people to be full reservoirs! I believe G.o.d wants every one of His children to be a full reservoir to His glory, don't you?PSALM 92:10.10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I SHALL BE ANOINTED WITH FRESH OIL.Believers won't be able to be full reservoirs for G.o.d's glory without the anointing of G.o.d upon their lives. They need to be anointed by the Holy Spirit so that everything they do will prosper as they fulfill G.o.d's plan for their individual lives.How can believers maintain the anointing of G.o.d on their lives so they can prosper? The answer to this lies in the fact that believers are to receive a fresh anointing to equip them to fulfill G.o.d's purposes for them in the earth. The psalmist said, "... 7 shall be anointed with fresh oil." G.o.d wants His people to continually receive a fresh anointing so they won't be empty cisterns. And G.o.d has made provision for all believers to be full reservoirs at all times, even in the midst of tests and trials. Continually receiving a fresh anointing will enable G.o.d's people to be full reservoirs to His glory.How can we receive a fresh anointing from G.o.d, so we won't be broken, empty cisterns, but we can be full reservoirs unto G.o.d's glory? Also, what are the characteristics of those who are full reservoirs - those who maintain a fresh anointing upon their lives? We will be looking at these aspects of the anointing in the following chapters.If G.o.d wants us to be full reservoirs, what does He want us to be full of? First of all, He wants us to be full of the Word of G.o.d.Full of the Word Christians are to be, first, full of the Word of G.o.d. The Word is to dwell or live in us. COLOSSIANS 3:16 16 Let the word of Christ DWELL in you RICHLY in all wisdom....If the Word is to dwell in us, does the Bible say to what degree it is to dwell in us? Just a little? To a small degree? Just enough to get by? No, richly! The Word of G.o.d is to dwell in us richly!Imagine a sponge that is put into water to soak up the water. We are to "soak up" the Word of G.o.d just like a dry sponge would soak up all the water it can. If you put a sponge in water, that sponge would get so full of water that if you touched it anywhere, water would come out. We are to soak up the Word like that, and get G.o.d's Word into our spirits! Then if we are touched by any circ.u.mstances in life, the Word of G.o.d will flow out of us just like water out of a sponge. That's exactly how we are to be in every situation in life - full of the Word of G.o.d!Soak up the Word until you're so full of the Word that if you get touched on any side by any difficulty, the Word comes out. If you get touched by persecution, the Word comes out. If you get touched by criticism, the Word comes out. If you get touched by tests or trials, the Word comes out.There is another area where we are to be so full of the Word that nothing but the Word comes out.ROMANS 12:3.3 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 G.o.d hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.This verse in Romans says that we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. That means we can be so full of G.o.d's Word that no matter what touches us in life - even if it is the praise and honor of men - nothing but the Word will flow out of us because that's what's in us! Be so full of the Word that no matter what touches you in life - if it's tests and trials or praise and honor - nothing but the Word of G.o.d flows out of you!COLOSSIANS 3:16.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly IN ALL WISDOM....Notice something else about this verse in Colossians 3:16. We've determined that the Word of G.o.d is to dwell in us richly. But this verse also adds something else: Let the Word of G.o.d dwell in you richly in all wisdom. The Bible doesn't just say the Word is to dwell in us richly. It says the Word is to dwell in us richly in all wisdom.Why didn't the Bible just say, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you?" Because we need wisdom to know how to rightly divide the Word of G.o.d so we can apply it correctly in our lives. The Word of Christ dwells in some people, all right, but they have no wisdom as to how to apply it in its proper context. They misuse the Word and, really, abuse it by taking it out of context and use it to say things it doesn't say. No, the Word of G.o.d is to dwell in us richly in all wisdom.Full of the Spirit What else are Christians to be full of? Full of the Word first; then, second, full of the Spirit.To be full of the Spirit means to be fervent in Spirit.ROMANS 12:10-12.10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; FERVENT IN SPIRIT; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.You couldn't very well be fervent in Spirit without being filled with the Holy Spirit, could you?These scriptures are written to the saints at Rome, but they also apply to the saints of G.o.d anywhere. Christians who are living today are just as much beloved of G.o.d and called to be saints as the Christians who were living in the days of the Early Church. And in this pa.s.sage of Scripture the Holy Spirit is admonishing us through Paul to be fervent in Spirit as saints of G.o.d who possess joint seating in heavenly places with Christ.This same pa.s.sage reads a little differently in a number of different translations, which helps bring out the meaning of the verse. As we have seen, The King James Version says, "Be fervent in spirit." Other translations read: "Be glowing in spirit" (The Centenary Translation); "Have your spirits aglow" (Weymouth); "Be on fire with the Spirit" (Goodspeed); "Be aglow with the Spirit" (The Revised Standard Version); "Be aglow and burning with the Spirit" (The Amplified Bible).To be fervent in Spirit, or to be on fire with the Spirit, or to be aglow with the Spirit involves both your spirit and the Holy Spirit; it's not all up to the Holy Spirit. You have something to do with being aglow with the Spirit.But I like one translation better than any of them. It says, "Maintain the spiritual glow" (Moffatt). Maintain the glow! G.o.d wants us to maintain the glow of the Spirit. You couldn't very well maintain the glow of the Spirit unless you were filled up to overflowing with the Spirit, could you? In other words, G.o.d wants us to stay filled with the Spirit so we can maintain the spiritual glow of the Spirit.If G.o.d wants us to maintain the glow, then it must be His will that we stay filled with the Spirit at all times. And the Bible teaches that.G.o.d's Will for Us EPHESIANS 5:17,18.17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS.18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.Is it possible to know what the will of the Lord is? Emphatically, yes! Yet some folks are continually asking, "I wonder what the will of the Lord is for me? I must not be wise because I don't understand what the will of the Lord is for me." But the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us exactly what the will of the Lord is in verse 18.The will of G.o.d for us is to be filled with the Spirit! Let's see what being filled with the Spirit involves. For one thing, it means we have to be anointed with fresh oil.PSALM 92:10.10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I SHALL BE ANOINTED WITH FRESH OIL.I want you to notice that our text said, "I shall be anointed with FRESH oil." That means the psalmist had already been anointed previously with oil. He couldn't very well be anointed with fresh oil, unless he's already been anointed with oil some time before, could he?There is a biblical principle here. After a person is born again, there should be an initial infilling with the Holy Spirit, but then there should be many re fillings of the Holy Spirit or fresh anointings.It will help us to understand this concept of many refill-ings of the Holy Spirit, if we understand the Greek translation of Ephesians 5:18, "Be filled with the Spirit." Greek scholars tell us that there is actually a play on words in this pa.s.sage. In the literal Greek, "Be filled with the Spirit," actually translates, "Be being filled with the Spirit."In other words, Paul is saying, "Maintain a constant experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit." Paul is encouraging Christians to stay filled with the Spirit - to continue to have a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit in their lives. We will now look at New Testament examples of the Early Church receiving a fresh anointing.Chapter 5 New Testament Pattern