A house is not sustained by the walls of the house, but by its foundation. This makes the quality of the foundation of a house very critical. Some thirty years ago when I became part of the body of Christ; the prim ary focus of everyone then was to walk in righteousness.
Ministers preached life changing messages intended to instill the love for righteousness into the hearts of the saints without wavering. They didn't preach or teach to cajole people as it is common today, but to change lives and to instill the love for righteous in the hearts of those listening to them.
It didn't matter whether one was the greatest donor to the church then; no one was exempted from the call to walk in righteous. Righteousness was the passion from the pulpit to the pew. Songs were presented to instill the love for righteousness in the hearts of people. It was very easy then to distinguish a true Christian from a non-Christian; believers received one another without fear and suspicion. You could trust your life in the hands of a fellow Christian and feel safe. All of the above began changing beginning from the early 90s, when the focus shifted to attaining quick financial and material prosperity and numerical Church growth.
I believe in financial and material prosperity, which comes through a covenant walk with the Lord for the expansion of the kingdom of God on earth. I equally believe in Church growth; I have witnessed church growth in six months than some would ever experience throughout their years in ministry. However, I also believe that, sacrificing righteousness on the platter of gaining financial and material prosperity and church growth is a grave mistake.
Who are we working for and whose church are we building, if righteousness is swept under the table? If God is a righteous God and we claim to be builders of his kingdom in unrighteous, then we are merely working for ourselves. The love for righteous is the key to receiving unusual anointing.
What is unusual anointing?
It is not anointing to heal the sick or to raise the dead, neither is it the anointing for wealth. There is nothing wrong with exercising the anointing to heal the sick and to raise the dead or to create wealth if the foundation is based on righteousness. In the absence of righteousness, the above is mere carnal display for personal pride and “showmanship.”
The unusual anointing is that which goes beyond bringing healing, deliverance s and financial breakthroughs to bringing conviction of sins, repentance and transformation in lives and societies.
John the Baptist exhibited the unusual anointing; his message brought conviction to those who heard him and their response was; "what shall we do."
On the day of Pentecost, after Peter delivered his soul searching message, the response of the crowd was thus; “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2: 37
Jesus Christ exhibited the unusual anointing during his earthly ministry. Mary Magdalene came to Christ weeping; she washed the feet of Jesus with her tears, and wiped his feet with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment in conviction for her sins in search for forgiveness.
When Zacchaeus had an encounter with Jesus, he became convicted of his deviant lifestyle; he said in response: “Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
Peter said to Jesus; “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
The conviction and repentance of Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus and Peter, were all a result of the unusual anointing manifesting through the life and ministry of Christ. When one is anointed with the unusual anointing, people with unruly and deviant character will be convicted in the presence of such an individual.
Smith Wigglesworth, one of the greatest ministers of faith Britain ever gave the world; once entered a mill and within minutes of his arrival, people in the mill began falling on their knees, convicted of their sins and weeping without Smith Wigglesworth saying a word to them. His literal presence brought conviction in the hearts of the people. That is what the unusual anointing can accomplish.
Today, people attend miracle crusades and conventions to watch the display of miracles like people watching film tricks and returning home without any iota of conviction neither for sin nor for righteous. People are led into the ritual prayers of receiving Christ without any remorse in their hearts for their ways.
The church seems to have lost the ability to compel people to repent and to change their ways in several quarters. Instead, people fill churches every Sunday as part of their Sunday outing program without any touch of God in their lives. Most messages only put sinners more at ease in Zion and at ease in their iniquity. The emphasis for money has replaced the emphasis for salvation. In fact, most people believe today that Church is all about money since corrupt politicians and dubious businessmen and women are giving so much public recognition in churches because of their huge donations.
Something isn't right!
Where is the church that transformed cities and nations? During the revival in Wales, prostitution asylums, Alcoholic bars and pornographic centers closed down because most of their patrons got saved. The entire land of Wales was swept by the spirit of God; courthouses became empty and most Judges resigned due to idleness. Crime wave dropped drastically in Wales and policemen became idle with no one to arrest for any crime, etc. Why can't we see such results today?
It's time to return to the altar of righteousness, if we want to walk in the glory of God in these last days. Enough of the iniquity on the pulpit and in the pew! We need to seek God to restore in our hearts once more the love for righteousness and hatred for iniquity; this is the path to unusual anointing. Have a blessed new month! DrBenard Etta
