January 22, 2009
Staying Fresh in the Spirit
R.T. Kendall wrote in his book, Yesterday’s Man: “A person with a tremendous anointing yesterday can continue to see the momentum of that anointing continuing to manifest itself. He or she may hastily conclude that ‘the anointing is still with us’ when it is but the momentum of yesterday’s anointing. If I do not experience a fresh anointing every day, it is only a matter of time before I become yesterday’s man.”
One of the greatest challenges that I’ve seen over the years is the ability for a person to stay fresh in the Spirit.
History is replete with examples of men and women being used of God in remarkable ways only to see their lives become less than noticeable. The after glory is saddening.
Some loose their fresh touch because of assumption. They assume that simply because they were used means that they will be used. You do not have a right to a future simply because you have a past.
Some loose their fresh touch because of familiarity. They become familiar with the work of God, treating the anointing with contempt. They gimmick the touch of God, using it as a commodity for their own ego or appetite.
Some loose their fresh touch because of alliances. The people gathered around you will have an impact on the anointing. Make no mistake about it. If you have spiritually slothful, crass, mockers, or slanderers around you, the Spirit will not abide with you long. He is not comfortable around those who jest for the sake of crude humor.
Some loose their relevance because of sin. Their delusion is that they have a special gift from God and they can justify their sin while condemning others. Their duplicity will destroy them.
The last twenty-one days, my wife and I have enjoyed (and I really mean enjoyed) a fast. So much so, that we have decided to press on to forty days. The overwhelming sense that I have is that I want to stay current, in the moment, relevant with the Spirit of God.