The Anointing
The word ‘anoint’ means to spread. In the days of the Old Testament, kings used to be anointed by the priests as at the time of coronation. Among the Hebrews it was believed that something of the holiness and virtue of the god in whose name a person was anointed was transferred, and also that it symbolized a special filling of the spirit of Yahweh (1Sam.16: 13; Isa.61: 1). Prophets were occasionally anointed to their office. Priests, during the Levitical priesthood, were all anointed to their offices. In the New Testament, Messiah was anointed as prophet, priest and king. (Acts.4: 27; 10: 38) God confers spiritual anointing with the Holy Spirit upon Christians. (2Cor.1: 21). "Anointing" shows the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings to God.
 It is applied also to Christians as being consecrated, or set apart to the service of God by the Holy Spirit - a use of the word that is derived from the sense of consecrating, or setting apart to the service of God. Thus, in 1John. 2:20, it is said, “But ye have unction from the Holy One and know all things.” The anointing which was used in the consecration of prophets, priests, and kings, seems to have been designed to be symbolic of the influences of the Holy Spirit, who is often represented as poured upon those who are under his influence (Pro, 1:23; Isa.43: 4; Joe.2: 28-29; Zec.12: 10; Act.10: 45), in the same way as water or oil is poured out. And as Christians are everywhere represented as being under the influence of the Holy Spirit, as being those on whom the Holy Spirit is poured, they are represented as “anointed.” They are in this manner solemnly set apart, and consecrated to the service of God.
God has done it. All is to be traced to him. It is not by any built in goodness which we have or any inclination which we have by nature to his service. This is one of the instances which abound so much in the writings of Paul, where he delights to trace all good influences to God.
God anoints people who love Him more than they love themselves and also others as themselves. As we open our hearts to love others, God’s anointing flows through us. Whenever we close our hearts to others and grieve the Holy Spirit, the anointing stops. (Psalms.92: 10; Prov.4: 23)    
The anointing of the Holy Spirit is given to people to demonstrate God’s love and power. Messiah means the ‘Anointed One’. Because Messiah is in us the same anointing that He had on earth, we also have. (Luke.4: 18, 19) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."    
The anointing is given to preach the gospel to the poor, the spiritually poor. God’s anointing flows to those who are hungry for the Holy Spirit. The anointing can be subdued if people refuse to receive it. Envy, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness against an anointed person can prevent the receiver from accepting it.
The anointing is a power made available to you. It is something we cannot understand. It is given to us for action. It was only after Messiah was anointed by the Holy Spirit that he started His ministry. (Acts.10: 38)
The anointing is given to heal and restore people. (Acts.10: 36-38)
The anointing is given to proclaim freedom to captives (2Tim.2: 24-26)
The anointing is given to open blind eyes (2Cor.4: 3-4, Rev.3: 18)
The anointing is given to set people free (Isa.10: 27, John.8: 36)
The anointing flows in God’s timing and also to proclaim God’s timing (Eph.2: 10, John.8: 28-29)
The anointing is a gift of God (John.4: 10-14)
The anointing gives wisdom (1John.2: 20, 27; Isa.11: 2; Dan.12: 13)
The anointing is given to intercede for people. (Isa.59: 16-21; 60:1-2)
The anointing is the river of life that flows from the throne of God through your heart and penetrates other people’s hearts. (Ps.36: 7-9; 46: 4; Rev.21: 6) As we continue in the river of God’s anointing, it intensifies until we are carried by it. (Ezek.47: 1-10) Wherever the river goes, it brings life. The fish represent lost souls; the sea represents the sea of humanity, peoples & nations that need the gospel message to come through God’s anointed people.
The free flowing anointing of God’s love brings joy to God and that joy is felt by the person He flows through. Love is the joy we get from God when we put His benefits and the benefit of another person before your own. (Ps. 45: 3-7; Isa. 58: 6-12)
Although there is great pleasure and joy in the anointing, because it is the presence of God, we should not seek the joy, we should seek God and the benefit of others, the joy is a natural result of these things. The anointing is not given for the vessel it flows through, it is given for the one it flows to. (Ps. 16: 11; Jas. 4: 3).
Everyone in the body of Messiah is anointed with the Holy Spirit and we all need to give from God’s anointing to each other and we need to be able to receive the anointing that comes through other Christians. (1 Cor.12: 4-12; Eph.4: 16-25)
The anointing is sacred, it is the Holy Spirit and all believers in Messiah have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We must be careful what we say about our brothers and sisters in Messiah. (Matt.12: 31; 1Cor.16: 22-24).
You have the anointing of God flowing through you when God’s heart touches another person’s heart through your heart. The anointing of God flows as a river from the throne of grace, through the heart of believers, bringing life to all that receive Him.