I AM YHVH’S ANOINTED – PART 1

Two cows were grazing in a pasture when they saw a milk truck pass. On the side of the truck were the words, [Pasteurized, Homogenized, Standardized, Vitamin A added.] One cow sighed and said to the other, [Makes you feel kind of inadequate, doesn’t it?] Maybe you can relate to these poor cows; you feel inadequate, lack confidence or don’t feel that you have the skills and talents that others do. You see the superstar athletes, movie stars, famous musicians and feel that in some way you are inferior to them or maybe even to the ordinary people that you are around on a regular basis. If you are a Moshiach Follower, you have nothing to feel inferior about, you have been chosen by YHVH to serve a purpose in this world and that makes you somebody in the eyes of YHVH. In the Old Testament the word [anointed] was used in a symbolic way to describe someone chosen by YHVH, the word was normally used for someone YHVH had named as King, a Prophet or a Priest. In the New Testament the word is used to describe each and every one of us that are believers. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Moshiach and hath anointed us is YHVH; who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of HaRuach in our hearts. -- 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. There are four specific things here that YHVH has done for us, each one builds upon the other and are all connected to this idea of anointing:

1 – YHVH Has Given Me The Ability to Stand Firm:
A sports magazine told the story of Beth Anne DeCiantis's attempt to qualify for the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon. A female runner has to complete the 26-mile, 385-yard race in less than two hours, 45 minutes to compete at the Olympic Trials. Beth started strong but began having trouble around mile 23. She reached the final straight at 2:43, with just two minutes left to qualify. Two hundred yards from the finish, she stumbled and fell. Dazed, she stayed down for twenty seconds. The crowd yelled, [Get up!] The clock was ticking, less than a minute to go. Beth Anne staggered to her feet and began walking. Five yards short of the finish, with 10 seconds to go, she fell again. She began to crawl, the crowd cheering her on and crossed the finish line on her hands and knees; her time? Two hours, 44 minutes, 57 seconds. Beth Anne’s training and willpower gave her the endurance she needed to finish. In our walk with Moshiach we find that we need a similar type of training and willpower to make it through life. We have temptations and struggles trying to pull us away from our faith. And in those times, we have to rely on our own resources to pull us through. The time that we spend in the Word and prayer will equip us to withstand. Every moment we spend with our Adonai in training will benefit us in giving us strength to overcome the powers that try to knock us off our path. But praise YHVH that through His Ruach, He also gives us the ability to stand firm so that we are not facing the struggle alone. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Moshiach, and hath anointed us, is YHVH -- 2 Corinthians 1:21. Instead of letting us waver and stumble, YHVH empowers us to keep our commitment to Moshiach. He is with us to guide us, to encourage us, to strengthen us and sometimes to rebuke us, so that we will stand firm in our commitment to Moshiach. While I must work at growing to maturity so that I have the resources necessary to resist opposition to my faith, I must also rely on YHVH as my source to overcome. If I try to do this completely on my own, I am bound to fail. If I trust in YHVH to see me through, I can only experience success.

2 – YHVH Has Set Me Apart For Service:
Verse 21 ends with the second thing YHVH has given us: [YHVH anointed us.] It was customary in the Old Testament to anoint kings, prophets and priests, as they began their service as a part of the ceremony of inauguration. They were being consecrated or set apart, to fulfil the duties of a particular office YHVH had chosen for them. But what we see in the Old Testament is just a shadow of what was to come. These Old Testament shadows anticipated the spiritual anointing that would come on all true believers. All those who are in Moshiach [who the Bible describes as the Anointed One], are themselves anointed by Ruach HaKodesh by virtue of their union with Moshiach. This anointing of Ruach HaKodesh involves the Spirit’s indwelling presence and empowerment. That he would grant you, according to the riches of His Glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man -- Ephesians 3:16. Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us -- Ephesians 3:20. In both of these cases, the Word is telling us that our anointing results in empowerment to accomplish the tasks YHVH sets before us. HaRuach’s anointing also empowers us for special service. If YHVH sets you apart as a preacher He will empower you to preach. If YHVH sets you apart as a care-giver He will empower you to show mercy. If YHVH sets you apart as a leader He will empower you to lead. YHVH anoints us and imparts to us the spiritual gifts necessary to accomplish the tasks that He has set us apart to accomplish. Today YHVH is looking into your heart and mine, knowing whether we are receiving and acting upon the anointing He has given to us. What is your ministry at your church? What has YHVH anointed and gifted you to accomplish? Where are the fruits of your labours? If you are acting upon your anointing, these questions will be easy to answer. If you are not, you are missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

3 – YHVH Has Placed His Seal of Ownership Upon Me:
Have you ever sent a letter through the Post Office and it never reached its destination? If we want to be sure that a letter is going to arrive at the right place, we have that letter registered; the Post Office puts a seal on it, guaranteeing that they will get the letter to the person to whom it’s addressed. In the days of slavery, it wasn’t unusual for a slave owner to mark his slave with a brand or perhaps a tattoo that was evidence of who the slave belonged to. All legal documents bear a seal: [In witness thereof I set my seal] is the phraseology that has come down to us from old English. Who hath also sealed us…. -- 2 Corinthians 1:22. Ruach HaKodesh has sealed us, branded us and marked us as His own. He has claimed us as His property; He owns us, the moment we gave our life to Yeshua Moshiach we were marked for all eternity as YHVH’s children. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Ruach Kodesh of promise -- Ephesians 1:13. In the war in Iraq we saw soldiers from the US, Britain, Iraq and perhaps some other countries. We can identify which soldier is from what country and even which branch of the service he is in, by the uniform that he wears. The same is true when we see opposing teams in sports; they are marked by the colour of their uniform and the logo on their clothes. YHVH can look down at our world and quickly identify which people have given their lives to Him and which ones have not. We are wearing YHVH’s uniform when we are indwelt with Ruach HaKodesh. He identifies us and acts appropriately toward us based on the seal of ownership He has placed upon us. YHVH promises that we will be safely delivered into His arms when the end of all things takes place.