SOMETHING MAY definitely enslave a Christian again after being saved and freed from the slavery of sin. Yes, something may rob a Christian of his or her blessings in Christ and deny them of their rightful place, position and privileges in Christ. In fact, something may make a Christian become like a ‘fish’ in the mouths of false prophets and pastors to enjoy. Ignorance of the truths of the gospel of Christ the Lord is this thing.
The anointing of Christians with the so called “holy anointing oil” by some pastors to consecrate, empower, strengthen or deliver them from demons is a practice which rather puts them in bondage and short-circuits God’s grace in their lives. Some pastors do this without knowing the scriptural regulations regarding the use of the holy anointing oil.
Many ministers including Pastor Peter Collins Obeng, a gifted teacher of the Word of God, who lectures at the Rhema Bible Training College, Accra, wonder why educated Christians fail to spend quality time to study the Bible to acquire sound knowledge and stop abusing the anointing oil.
In his recent teaching, Pastor Collins P. C. Obeng wondered why the uses of anointing oil and anointing services have become the order of the day. It is sad, he said, that some ministers have failed to instruct believers to walk in the reality of the anointing they have already received in Christ by grace.
“The holy anointing oil was first mentioned and introduced to Israel by God Himself. God thus gave the list of ingredients for the preparation of the holy anointing oil which included choice spices and olive oil.
“Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:22-25).
We should bear in mind that any anointing oil prepared without these ingredients falls short of what is prescribed. It cannot be considered as holy anointing oil. Furthermore, God gave regulations to Moses as to how the holy anointing oil should be used.
“And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people” (Exodus 30:31-33).
Notice nobody had the right to prepare the holy anointing oil or make anything like it. The holy anointing oil remained sacred unto God and its imitation was forbidden. Again, they were not allowed to splash or pour the holy anointing oil on man’s flesh. The Amplified Bible says, “lt shall not be poured on a layman’s body.” The penalty for anyone who violated any of these regulations was death.
But what do we see in our churches today? In most congregational services, one can see believers soaked with oil and their clothing soiled with it. The “holy anointing oil” is poured anyhow on believers and on any one. In some cases, it is used as something with magical powers to break the yokes in the lives of people.
It is a known fact that in charismatic circles, one of the scriptures which is often used to justify the use of anointing oil is Isaiah 10:27. It reads, “It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing.”
Yes, it is true the yoke of sickness or anything else that the devil may afflict believers with will be destroyed because of the anointing. But we need to understand that under the law, the holy anointing oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The law was only a shadow of the good things to come through Christ.
Thus, Jesus Christ never went about breaking the yokes in the lives of people or delivering them with the holy anointing oil. Scripture clearly reveals that the presence of the Holy Spirit or the anointing on Christ’s ministry was the reason for all the great works He performed, Pastor Obeng, author and founder of Grace Covenant Glory Fellowship said.
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). Peter’s testimony in the Scripture above is a confirmation of what Jesus Himself declared in Luke’s Gospel.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).
By James Quansah
jamesquansah@yahoo.com