Anointed Lips

 

One way to 'anoint' ones' lips is by smearing lipstick or some lip balm on them.  However, this is not what I mean here by the title "Anointed Lips."  Ha, ha.

The other day someone sent me a video clip of a young lad of about 10-12 years of age (roughly, I'd say).  He was preaching for all he was worth, as if he was going to be the next 'greatest showman'.  He went on with the great gusto about being anointed for preaching.

Obviously, he must have felt he was anointed.  He didn't seem to think much of other preachers who were not.  Now I don't know exactly what his young definition of being anointed is, and hopefully I'm not taking his spiel from the clip out of context.  Nevertheless, one of the things he did mention, and which I've heard another preacher, whom I do believe is "anointed," say, is that a person, i.e. a preacher, without the anointing, is only imparting information and not giving revelation that helps change peoples' lives.

There's merit to those words.

We often hear Church people praying for the speaker of the day, that the Lord will give him "anointed lips'.  I wonder if this phrase is used without much thinking of what one is actually asking.  It feels rather like a Christian cliche.  I have wondered about it myself.

Perhaps it stems back to Old Testament times when prophets, priests and kings were anointed with oil at the initial outset of their ministry.  Remember back to Moses' anointing Aaron and sons before they began their work of the priesthood in the Tabernacle (Exodus 30:30; Leviticus 8:30).

The process was to pour a special recipe of anointing oil upon their heads.  It would run down the face, no doubt reaching the lips, beard and even the collar of their clothes.  In fact, that is alluded to in Psalm 133:2-3.  It is seen as a blessing and a sanctifying from the Lord.

Samuel the prophet was sent to anoint both Saul and David to be kings of Israel (1 Samuel 9:11-13; 16:1-13).  Then the prophet Elijah was sent to anoint the newbie prophet, Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:16-22).

In the book of Isaiah, God told Isaiah to go and do certain things and to preach but he said he was too sinful a man - a man of  'unclean lips'.  A seraphim took a live burning coal and touched Isaiah's lips with it, telling him he was now made holy for his task.  This sounds like a form of anointing to me (Isaiah 6:4-8).

God wants His children to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 19-20; 1 Peter 1:16).  We cannot go through Sunday motions of preaching, teaching, singing praise and worship and then the rest of the week living unholy lives of swearing, taking the Lord's name in vain, telling dirty jokes, treating people like dirt; exploding in terrible tempers and/or getting involved in sexual sins and so on.  This is NOT becoming of one who professes to belong to Christ.  These are only "Sunday-go-to-meeting Christians."  They do not live holy lives.  They do not live "anointed" lives.  We need what is called 'progressive sanctification,'  daily living in obedience to God and His Word.

When a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior they have been made righteous and holy by Him.  This sets each one apart, as sacred for His use and purpose.  They have been personally "anointed" by God our Heavenly Father to do His work as He sees fit.  This is called 'justification and sanctification'.  However, the daily 'progressive sanctification' is imperative as well.

(We won't get into these terms here but I think their meaning can at least be vaguely ascertained from the contexts above.)

This is why it is so very important to live holy lives, remembering that as children of God, we are 

"all chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that we may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).

Anyone who is put into the position to help "feed" the flock of God must humbly keep this in mind.  Otherwise, pride may spring up in the heart.  A true believer in Jesus, who came to faith in Christ for his or her salvation, is anointed for doing good deeds and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, just like any other believer who continues to fear God and live a holy life, fulfilling their God-given purpose.

If someone is up there on stage as a worship leader or in the pulpit preaching but does not seek the Lord every day of the week, then it is a sham for sure and is NOT speaking with 'anointed lips'.  The presence and power of God will indeed be missing.  It could well be entertaining and a gleaning of information but there may not be much changing of lives.

When fire and dynamic empowerment of "the Spirit of the Lord" comes upon a person, it's like the remarkable occurance during the naming of John the Baptizer.  Zechariah, his father, had been mute for nine months because of his unbelief.  However, when he did obediently declare his son was to be named "John," his tongue was loosed.

Zechariah

 "was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied (Luke 1:57-79).

The people were totally amazed.

There are other such biblical examples such as Peter who had been a bumbling disciple of Jesus, but when filled with the Holy Spirit he became a positively powerful preacher-apostle.  Thousands had their lives changed because of it (Acts 2:41; 4:4).

Of course our dear Jesus of Nazareth is always our Perfect Example.  He was anointed by God Himself, with the Holy Spirit.  I love seeing the results...

"... God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38).

He was the 'Anointed One' referred to even in the Old Testament, and which Jesus read about, referring indirectly to Himself for the benefit of the people in the synagogue,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anoined Me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Acts4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-4).

How riveting for His audience.  They were stunned.  Some were even angered as they knew exactly that Jesus was saying He was the fulfilment of this prophesy - He was the Anointed One.

Brothers and sisters-in-Christ, when we seek first the Kingdom of God, faithfully read and obey God's word, engage in His interests, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct our lives in pleasing manner to the Lord, our life and therefore, our lips, will be anointed.  We will preach it and we will go about doing good as Jesus did.  We have been anointed by the Holy Spirit to do so.

Pray for one another for this to be so, not just a last minute cliche before a brother or sister gets up to preach but for every single day of our lives, until Jesus comes or death doth us part.  Create waves of change in peoples' lives as did Jesus.

Pray it in Jesus' name.

                                                ~ERC  January 2023~

Based on Exodus 30:30; Leviticus 8:30; 1 Samuel 9:11-13; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Kings 9:16-21; Isaiah 6:4-8; Leviticus 19-20; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 Peter 2:9: Luke 1:57-79; Acts 2:41; 4:4.

Sing, Take My Life and Let it Be by Frances Ridley Havergal, along with Islington Baptist Church and Holy And Anointed On along with Brian Doerksen.