THE RIVER OF ANOINTING

Today’s New Covenant nugget is from John 7:37-39

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Holy Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive…

 IN SCRIPTURE THE RIVER OF GOD SPEAKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTING 

AS BELIEVERS WE ARE TO GO DEEP INTO THE RIVER OF JESUS’ ANOINTING, DRINKING AND SWIMMING AT THE SAME TIME.

‘Thirst’ refers to every kind of need that we may have… every need is bountifully supplied in the river of the anointing!

Psalm 46:4-5 says, “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved…”

The church under Jesus is the ‘city of the Most High’. As a believer, your body is the temple, or the tabernacle of the Most High. The RIVER of anointing imparts gladness, joy, and miracle working power to your life, your relationships, and your assignments in God.

 Ezekiel 47:1-12 (Verse one to two…) Then ‘He’ (referring to Jesus) brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. 

*Jesus gives Ezekiel a vision of a temple (type and shadow of the New Covenant believer), and a RIVER of anointing flowing out from the temple. The River of anointing flows FROM Jesus [the Anointed One] to His thirsty church, then His river multiplies into RIVERS that flow out of the innermost beings of these believers to a dry and thirsty world.

Verse three to six says, ‘And when He went out to the east with the line in His hand, He measured one thousand cubits, and He brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. Again, He measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again, He measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again, He measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then He brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.”’

*JESUS WANTS TO TAKE US TO DEEP PLACES IN THE ANOINTING… PLACES WHERE WE LOSE OUR FOOTING AND GET SWEPT AWAY UNDER HIS POWER. 

Our flesh wants to be in control, but Jesus wants to lead us so deep into His river of anointing, that we let the RIVER sweep us away to wherever it leads… giving up control is living by FAITH. This is very hard for our flesh, but as we do, the RIVER of His anointing will take us to a place of miracles, signs, wonders, and supernatural living, powered by the anointing!

(Verse seven to eight…) ‘When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. Then He said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the [Dead] Sea. When it reaches the [Dead] Sea, its waters are healed.”’ 

 *THERE IS HEALING, WHOLENESS AND ABUNDANCE IN THE RIVER OF ANOINTING!

 (Verse nine and ten) “And it shall be that every living thing that moves, WHEREVER THE RIVERS GO, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and EVERYTHING WILL LIVE WHEREVER THE RIVER GOES. It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.”

*THERE IS LIFE, ABUNDANCE AND PROSPERITY IN THE RIVER!

(Verse eleven and twelve) “But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

 *IF THE RIVER IS BLOCKED, IT WILL BECOME A SWAMP, AND EVERYTHING DIES IN A SWAMP…

 Do not hinder, or block the flow the river of anointing, let the river flow!

 LEARN TO DISCERN THE ANOINTING…

FOLLOW THE RIVER OF GOD’S ANOINTING AND LIVE!

 AS YOU SWIM IN AND DRINK OF THE ANOINTING, HEALING RIVERS WILL FLOW INTO YOUR BODY, YOUR SOUL AND YOUR SPIRIT.

 FIND ANOINTED SONGS, ANOINTED MINISTRIES, AND ANOINTED PEOPLE… LOOK FOR THE ANOINTING, AND THEN JUMP IN, SWIM AND DRINK! 

 YIELD TO THE RIVER BY FAITH!

To His Word - To His leading - To His ways - To His timing

 Isaiah 33:21 (AMP) says, “But there the mighty and magnificent Lord will be for us. A place of broad rivers and streams, where no oar-driven boat will go, and on which no mighty and stately ship will pass.”

 ‘Oar-driven boats’ and ‘mighty and stately ships’ represent the efforts and the ability of man… self-dependance, self-reliance and relying on our own ability has to be totally forsaken, and a life of faith embraced if we desire to live in the RIVER of anointing. The RIVER of anointing is a place of total faith and reliance on the Lord, His ability, His strength, and His power… living ‘the let go life’ by faith as He leads us and empowers us through His RIVER of anointing!

 IT TAKES FAITH TO KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF, TO LET GO, AND  TO LET GOD.

 Jesus wants to lead you DEEP into His river of anointing. As you yield to His river, it will sweep you away to a land of miracles, signs, wonders and blessings beyond measure. Living life in the river makes us vulnerable, dependent on God, and in need of His GRACE every moment of every day. Your flesh will not like it, but your spirit will truly come alive, as it yields the MIRACLE flow of the RIVER. 

 CONFESSION

“Jesus, lead me into the deep waters of the river of your anointing!

 Not ankle deep, not knee deep, not waist deep, lead me to deep places in your anointing, that I may be swept away!

 I will be healed, led, fed and filled in your river… I will never thirst again!”

 In His amazing Love, Nick