Every one who is a believer calls upon the name of Jesus in times of peril and in difficult circumstances. However many other call upon his name because they know the power and the authority that is associated through an integral, deep relationship with him. Hollywood uses the name of Jesus in blasphemy or in replacement for words many in society would find offensive. So, this name, Jesus, is used in various ways and as we look into the book of Ephesians we see that it is not for the lightweight believer. It is heavy-laiden with great responsibility. The theme of the book is "in Christ" or in other words, the "anointing".
The word "Christ" is not Jesus' last name. Seriously, many believers don't know that and many use it improperly because they don't study the Word themselves and have been taught improperly by an uninformed culture. The word Christ when you hear Jesus Christ describes a function that Jesus would carry out. He is actually Jesus, the Christ. The word Christ means anointing.
As you define your purpose in God you must realize that the name upon which you call and find your faith is the very name that through God's power releases the potential and anointing inside of you. Acts 19:11-16 says, "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
The Seven sons of Sceva thought what Paul was doing by casting out demons and attempted to emulate what he was doing. But what happened to them when they tried? The demon jumped out of the person, beat them up and threw them into the road. Why? Because you can't use a name you have no relationship with! The name only has power when you know the person behind the name. I don't see mountains moving and demons trembling when Hollywood uses the name of Jesus; because they don't use it through relationship and cannot access the name above every name where every knee will bow and every tongue confess.
The point I'm making with the Son's of Sceva is that when you are anointed, whatever it is that you are anointed to do appears easy in your mind. When your potential finds the anointing the greatness within you becomes unveiled and all the promises of the Kingdom begin to reveal themselves to your potential.
There are areas of anointing in your life that like the Son's of Sceva, cannot carry the level of anointing that you carry. The gift you carry is just that, it's your gift. Your level of potential and anointing will be different than another, so the two cannot be compared. If there is an attempt to compare anointings then you cannot operate in Kingdom principles as you are trying to be someone you are not.
We cannot come into our purpose while thinking like an American. The American mind-set will ruin you; you have to think Kingdom. When you start operating in a Kingdom mind-set, you realize your potential and begin to walk in the anointing that God has given you and will find any way possible to expose people to the anointing in your life.
If you don't know "the Christ" in your life, the you don't get what comes with "the Christ. Many Christians today approach their relationships with Christ very casually then wonder why the do not see power, anointing and authority in their lives. To see areas of your life operate this way we must remember where Jesus said the Kingdom was; inside of you! You can't do things just because you are anointed to do them; you can only do what you "think" you are anointed to do.
Your mind is the release mechanisim of your potential. There are many Christians today sitting in the congregation of local churches across the globe who have a mighty anointing and great potential but they are locked up because they have a puny mind. Could it be that you have not walked into the fulfilling of your potential because your mind has locked you out of your anointing? You have got to let your mind expand to the size of your anointing in order to fulfill your potential in God. And even when your mind thinks it has the capacity to carry a certain level of anointing, God desires to make it greater! Don't let your mind talk your spirit out of what God has for you.
There may be some people you can no longer walk with because they are hindering your ability to walk in the anointing that God has for you. Releasing and cutting people out of your life is one of the most difficult things to do, but it is not always a bad thing. The people you need to cut out just do not have the capacity to receive the dimension of your gift. You cannot live in the anointing through the opinions of others and this is why Peter says to "Set your mind" on things above. In other words, your mind is broken until it is "set" (like a broken bone is set) on things above; where Christ is; where the anointing is.
I wish I could tell you that you will walk in the anointing and fulfill all the potential God has for you. It is only when you can stretch your mind to receive your level of anoniting and potential will you ever see the fulfillment of God purpose revealed in your life. Greater levels mean bigger devils, but when you walk in the fullness of God through Kingdom principles, your anointing will be the stongest and most effective it has ever been before. Set your mind, and watch what God will do!
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