You can’t receive an “impartation” (a rich deposit of grace) from a man or woman of God by merely tapping from his or her wealth of knowledge and wisdom. To receive such a deposit of grace from anyone you regard as a role model or mentor, you've to be a part of their journey either practically or by revelation. Elisha didn't just learn from Elijah, he was part of his journey and as a result, he received the double portion of his anointing. The sons of the prophets urged him to return; even Elijah encouraged him, but he insisted and continued his pursuit for the double portion of the anointing by being a part of Elijah’s journey and he finally got it.
There are many in Christendom today who study the glory of individuals, but aren't ready to be a part of their story. Paul didn't just talk about knowing the power of the Resurrection of Christ, but also of the fellowship of his sufferings. Today, we want his power in order to gain the spotlight, but dread the fellowship of his sufferings.
There was once a child whose mother had an ugly face and each time he was among his peers, they make fun of his mother’s face. The child was always embarrassed and one day, he summoned courage and asked the mother why her face was ugly. And, the mother sat him down and told him the story.
She said, “Son, there was a day I went out to fetch water; on coming back, I realized that the room you were sleeping was on fire. I couldn't hold myself, knowing well that the fire would consume you; I had to jump into the fire in order to save your life. God helped me get you out of the room, but in the process, I had severe burns on my face, which resulted to the present look of my face."
After hearing the story, the child hugged the mother and started sweeping and the ugliness of her mother’s face became to him, a symbol of her mother's love and sacrifice for his life. After that day, the child who was always ashamed of the mother's appearance saw it as a mark of valor.
The above story has a lot to teach us about leadership and anointing. We can't receive rich “impartation” of grace and anointing from someone we merely love their knowledge and wisdom, but are ashamed of their cross. True anointing has a price; you can learn under someone and even talk like him without really experiencing a rich deposit from the life of the individual.
Listen, if you say someone is your mentor, then don't only study his glory; be a part of his story. Don't only admire his status, get to know of his cross and be proud of it. There were so many young men and women who greatly admired my glory; they wanted to teach and impact lives like Dr.Benard Etta, but were ashamed of my cross and the scars I incurred because of them. As a result, sadly, some of them strayed away and made a shipwreck of their walk with God.
Ministry isn't head knowledge, but heart knowledge, which comes with pain. This truth isn't for those seeking for mere Hollywood style ministerial celebrity status, but for the Elishas of the 21st century church. The bottom-line is this, don't expect a rich deposit of grace and anointing from someone you’re ashamed of his or her cross. No cross, No crown! Do You Still Want The Anointing? DrBenard Etta
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