The Tangible and Transferable Anointing | James Tan
Recap
We were blessed to have guest minister James Tan for all our weekend services. James continued his teaching on the demonstrative side of the Holy Ghost and power. Those two terms—the Holy Ghost and power—always go together. If power is present, it’s the Holy Ghost. If the Holy Ghost is present, there is power. You will never have one without the other. But James taught us another aspect of the Holy Spirit… that, yes, the Holy Spirit works through us, but He also works in us.
Dive Deeper
James cautioned us not to get so caught up in what God can do “through us” that we forget He also wants to do something “in us.”
What God does “in us” is just as important as what He does “through us.” Because if we don’t allow for what He does “in us” to have its worth, then what He wants to do “through us” will be cut short.
If you get cut short, all the good that will come through you will be cut short also.
The enemy will try to convince you to sacrifice yourself for someone else’s good. James says, “Not true.” Jesus is the only sacrifice.
If you have your priorities right, you will allow for that anointing to do what it needs to do “in you” before you allow it to do something “through you.”
If you’re not careful, you might rush out to do things for God when you don’t yet have a firm grasp and a deep depth of God “in you” to hold you stable when the waves come along and get rolling.
So don’t let the enemy cut short your race. Run your race. The way to run your race is not just by you “doing,” but by you sitting at the feet of the Father and allowing Him to teach you.
So here is the aspect of the anointing of the Holy Ghost that isn’t just Him working “through you.” Rather that anointing is in you, “for you.” And if you don’t learn to recognize the anointing “in you,” the anointing “on and through” you can destroy you… burn you out.
Yes, it is possible for you to be used of God to produce great signs, wonders, and miracles and yet you on the inside can be “all kinds of messed up.”
That’s what was happening in the church at Corinth. They had all kinds of signs and wonders, all kinds of miraculous displays, yet they were living every possible kind of sin in themselves.
Let’s be cautious about using the term “God used that person.” We all know and understand what is being conveyed. We mean that God is flowing through someone, that He’s utilizing what that person is making available to the Holy Spirit.
However, God does not “use people.” No one likes to be used.
God would like you to be so full of Him that His nature becomes your nature. His nature is everything good, everything powerful, everything light. And because your nature becomes so like His nature, you can’t help but reflect who you through Him is. That is God’s intention for each of us.
So God’s intention toward us is not to use us to the point of hanging us out to dry. His intention is to be in you. So if you concentrate on the “in me” part, the “through me” part will take care of itself.
The reason preachers experience “burn out” is because they only focus on the “through me” part and neglect the “in me” part.
Brother James said, “I like to say it this way. The anointing on me is for everyone else… it’s for service. But the anointing in me is for longevity… it’s for life. And all of us need to have a balance of the two.”
Read About It
1 John 2:20, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”
Ephesians 4:11–12, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Acts 27:9–10, “Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.”
Discussion Questions
Do you understand the difference between the anointing “in me” versus the anointing “through me”?
Have you ever in your life experienced “burn out”?
Exactly how do you prevent yourself from becoming “burned out”?