Living Beyond the Supernatural: Anointed and Empowered to Serve

By Craig A. Nelson

Living the Christian life is impossible without the daily anointing and power of God. There are far too many people who know about God without truly knowing and experiencing Him. God lives outside human imposed restrictions. This book reveals:

An in-depth look at the true reasons and purpose of the daily Anointing of God.

The Sacred Secret that was hidden for ages and available to every Christian.

Spiritual Things that are promised to bring healing and transformation.

The promised privileges, power, possessions and rights of all Christians.

A fresh and insightful look at the dwelling place of Heaven.

The blessings of the perplexing paradox of lifes struggles and hardships.

How to live daily by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7 NIV) beyond the sensory realm of feelings, emotions and experiences.

In order for every Christian to accomplish all that God wants of them it requires divine help beyond natural abilities. The Bible says that Gods divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. (2 Pet 1:3 NIV)

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490888293

Craig A. Nelson

Craig A. Nelson is the director of LifeSprings USA which exists to share the message of how to live in divine health - emotionally, spiritually, and physically - by living forgiven. His personal mission is to fulfill the Great Commandment and help prepare the Bride to meet the Groom. Craig is a husband and father, teaching-evangelist, international speaker, church planter, author, and businessman.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

When a person chooses to give their life to Jesus Christ, and receive Him¹ as their personal Lord and Savior, they become alive to another realm. They physically live in the natural world yet are also alive in the spiritual or supernatural realm of the Kingdom of God. This gives them the limitless ability to transcend natural talents and personal limitations. The supernatural is one of the central concepts of Christianity.

Modern Western cultures find it difficult to think in terms of the supernatural because it is perceived as being antithetical to science and logical reasoning. Although there is a growing number of people within Christianity who question biblical fundamentals, there is still a majority within the modern church that have little difficulty with the supernatural dynamic of Scripture when it comes to the conception, birth, and resurrection of Jesus, the ‘miracle’ of salvation, and an occasional physical healing that exceeds human ability. For most, that is the closest experience with the supernatural they will ever know.

Anointed with Power

Living the Christian life is impossible without the daily anointing of God for power to serve. The idea of living a life full of the miraculous is preposterous to some and frightening to others. For many the fact that the Bible has numerous stories of supernatural ‘Signs and Wonders’ is acceptable as long as they remain in the past. The last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven were;

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NIV)

Christianity, without the supernatural, has no legitimate power, yet those who actively believe in the miraculous are often held with contempt and their beliefs ridiculed and even condemned. You will most often find more skeptics in the church than outside of it.

It is my belief that ALL Christians are called to live supernatural lives every day that have the touch and power of God upon them to affect change in those they come in contact with. Living a supernatural life is the most powerful yet practical way for a Christian to live.

The biblical truth is that the supernatural is the natural environment of God. The Bible tells us that Holy Spirit lives in, and empowers, every Christian. (1 Cor. 6:19) It would be logical to posit that the natural environment of God exists within them as well. Taking that thought a little farther it would also seem logical to surmise that God wants every Christian living naturally in the supernatural, with the miraculous accompanying them as they live normal lives. That is purely an ambitious objective because it is a lived reality for only a very minute number of Christians who are often scoffed at for their so called ‘experiences’.

Knowledge with Experience

Most Bible teachers and preachers would agree that the Church is a charismatic community in which Holy Spirit liberally gives gifts for the edification of every Christian. However, the cord of Christian harmony often gets frayed and broken when the subject of the supernatural manifestation gifts moves from speaking of their use in past-tense generalities to their active use today in very specific ways and experiences.

There are too many Christians who know about God without truly knowing and personally experiencing Him. Reading the Book of Acts is not the same as living the Book of Acts on a daily basis. To believe that God heals today is acceptable to most, but to some, believing that the gifts of healing should be active daily and available to every Christian, is not acceptable – and that seems, at the very least, illogical.

God lives outside human imposed restrictions. People of faith must begin to walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16) and live in the reality that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8)

Learning to Live by Faith

This book is not just about how to live naturally in the miraculous realm of the supernatural. Although the anointing of God for power to serve is presented in detail, along with the purpose and daily use of the spiritual gifts of Holy Spirit, they are not the focus of what is written here. Rather, this book is about believing in what God says, and trusting Him for who He is – no matter what - not just because a person has had some sort of mystical encounter with Him, or experienced some type of radical supernatural manifestation or gifting that transcends human ability or reasoning.

The primary purpose of what is written here is to show how to live daily by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7 NIV) - beyond the sensory realm of feelings, emotions, and experience, through trusting-faith² when life is good and when life seems bad. Christians are to live super-natural lives that have the power of God flowing in, and through them, in order to touch those around them because they are the only Jesus most people will ever come to know.

In order for every Christian to accomplish all that God wants of them it requires divine help beyond natural talents and abilities. Living Beyond the Supernatural means to be totally dependent on Jesus. The Bible says that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. (2 Pet 1:3 NIV)

There are countless numbers of Christians who have endured severe hardship, or gone through tough times, or had their faith dramatically challenged, yet have remained faithful, not because they had a ‘visitation’ or were given ‘prophetic’ words to inspire them, or experienced any of the manifestation gifts of Holy Spirit, but rather because they are desperately in love with Jesus and numbered amongst those who He said are blessed because they have not seen and yet have believed (Jn 20:29 NIV) and simply hear the word of God and obey it. (Luke 11:28 NIV)

CHAPTER 1

ANOINTED TO SERVE

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 proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19 NIV)

Jesus taught that His personal ministry while on the earth was to be the ongoing ministry of the future Church. The Church has been empowered and anointed to do the same:

As the Father has sent me so send I you. (Jn 20:21 NIV)

When Jesus sent out the 12 Disciples, He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal… (Luke 9:2 NIV) When He sent out the 70 Disciples He gave them the following command:

Whenever you enter a town…heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you. (Luke 10:9 NIV)

The preaching of the Kingdom is closely linked with the ministry of miracles. Jesus said that the same Great News of the Kingdom that He preached is to be preached until all the nations have heard it:

This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all the nations; then the end will come. (Matt 24:14 NIV)

In order to do heed His command it requires that the message be preached the very same way He preached it. Jesus said that those who believe in Him will also do the works that I do. (Jn 14:12) He said the message that the kingdom of heaven is near would be proven when the disciples Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons. (Matt 10:7-8 NIV)

After the Apostles Peter and John were released from prison for sharing the Great News of Jesus, they went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. (Acts 4:23 NIV) They decided that the best way to get the message out to all the people was to pray and ask for Signs and Wonders to validate their message:

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:29-31 NIV)

Spirit and Truth

Every human being was created with a physical body and an eternal spirit which allows them to live in the ‘natural’ world and be able to connect to the ‘super-natural’ spiritual world. The Bible says that people are to worship God in spirit and truth. (Jn 4:24) Since Jesus never changes, and He lives in, and empowers, EVERY Christian, they can learn to live naturally in the supernatural and see God touch the lives of people each and every day through the supernatural gifts.

Within Jesus, all of the fullness of God dwells (Col 2:9), and He dwells within Christians. Every Christian has been given the power and anointing of God to live a supernatural life because they have the touch of God upon them and His power within them.

Sadly, there are those who are intimidated by God’s ways, and the mystery of the methods He uses, to affect the world. Thankfully, God prefers to work outside of human restrictions. The supernatural manifestation gifts were designed by God to be used for daily living by average non-professional Christians, yet they seem to frighten many people, even though they should be used as naturally as breathing air.

The Mystery Revealed at its Source

In the Old Testament the anointing would come and go. Holy Spirit would come on a person, such as Samson, and anoint them for a specific task for a moment, or even a season. But the anointing would always leave. This was a mystery that was kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. (Col 1:26 NIV) The glorious riches of the anointing don’t come from without. They come from within, for it is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col 1:27 NIV)

Jesus is the source of the anointing! There is no mystical point-of-contact or any methodology, or formula to receive, increase, or loose the anointing on others. The anointing does not pour down from Heaven, it pours out from the Kingdom of God that is within every Christian. (See Luke 17:21)

Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you! It is Holy Spirit within that gives life to your mortal bodies. (Rom 8:11 NIV) The anointing has already been formed, and flows in every Christian. Jesus said, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38-39 KJV) The Bible also says that:

the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. (1 John 2:27 NIV)

The word anointing spoken of in the previous verse is Holy Spirit. Only a living and intelligent being has the power to teach. The anointing that was once reserved only for kings, priests, and the prophets of Israel, is now available to everyone who places trusting-faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

There is nothing in the Bible that refers to the anointing as being a supernatural power given to humans by which they are able to perform miracles. It is not a special experience, or for only an exclusive group of ‘leaders’. The anointing also doesn’t come and go like it did with Samson, or the high priests and prophets. Holy Spirit is continually with the Christian from the moment of salvation. He is the one who brings about Signs and Wonders.

Christians don’t have to have ‘special’ qualities or qualifications to be ‘good’ in order to carry out any task that the Lord gives them. Their disqualification is what actually qualifies them for service because it is not about abilities, or education, or talent, it is about God’s power working through them.

The anointing remains and does not change in anyway. God will at times allow a person to experience His manifest presence in a physical way that is profoundly supernatural and most often life changing. However, it does not grow stale. It is not like the Manna that fell in the wilderness and needed to be gathered fresh each day or it would become moldy and unusable. The anointing is empowerment for service. It grows stronger as the sinful flesh grows weaker and God’s will replaces my will. The beautiful God gives the ability to do what He has called Christians to do.

The anointing is not a ‘power’ of God given to only a select few or the spiritual elite. Nowhere in Scripture can it be found that the anointing came through a person, but rather, it came upon them. (See Acts 2, 8, 10, 19) Jesus never taught how to obtain or release the anointing.

The true anointing is the act of being consecrated, or set apart, and applies to the whole body of Christ. Every Born-Again Christian has full access to the anointing of the beautiful God. They are all members of His body. It is because of the anointing that they have power over the enemy. All a Christian has to do to release the anointing of God is to appropriate the power He has already placed within them."

The Oil of Anointing

There are two other words in the Bible that are translated anointing. The first is the Hebrew word Shemen" which means liquid, such as olive oil, and was often perfumed. It signified the rich and lavish blessings of God.

Olive oil had a number of uses: it was burned for light (See Ex 25:6); as a medication (See Ezek 16:9); to anoint a future leader (See Ex 25:6; 2 Kings 9:6); as a sign of mourning (See 2 Sam 14:2); as well as rejoicing (See Ps 23:5), and for ritual cleansing (See Lev 14:17).

In the Old Testament two primary elements were present in times of worship. They were blood and oil. The blood was for cleansing and the oil was used for anointing.

The first instance of the use of oil was the anointing of the stone by Jacob (Gen 28:18; 35:14). This was designed to be a formal consecration of the stone for a sacred purpose. Under the Mosaic Law, persons and things set apart for sacred purposes were anointed with the holy anointing oil. (See Ex 30:23-25, 30-33)

Under the Old Covenant the principle of anointing was revealed in the bestowal of supernatural ability on people through various methods and symbols. When a new High Priest or King was anointed in Israel, the prophet would take a horn full of oil and pour it over his head. The anointing oil flowed down the hair and beard then onto his garments, but it did not, nor could it, touch the flesh. The symbolism was that this person was set apart or consecrated, to be God’s vessel, or instrument. They were now considered holy by God and to be spiritually qualified, divinely empowered for service, and separated for His use. Each of these set apart people were given specific roles in ministry. (See Ex 30:29-30; 1 Sam 10:1, 6: King Saul. 1 Sam 16:13-14)"³

Benefits and Blessings of the Anointing

The beautiful God wants every Christian to experience His anointing. The degree to which they are willing to pay the price to receive from God will be the measure of fruitfulness they can expect to attain.

Many of the benefits and blessings of the anointing are outlined in Psalm 89. They include: supernatural power and strength, (vs. 21) discerning of spirits, (vs. 22) protection, (vs. 22) victory over enemies, (vs. 23) be given a position of authority over nations and ministries, (vs. 25) intimate relationship with the Father and security in His love and protection, (vs. 26) walking in the anointing of kings, (vs. 27) and given an eternal covenant of grace (vs. 28).

Psalm 92 also reveals additional benefits of the anointing: Fresh revelation by Holy Spirit, (vs. 10) visions from God and ability to hear His voice, (vs. 11) growing deep roots in God, (vs. 12) have a long and stable life and good relationships with fellow members of the body of Christ, (vs. 13) have great and continuous fruitfulness, (vs. 14) and be able to walk in holiness before the Lord. (vs. 15)

In addition, the anointing of God releases a person to minister. (Lev 7:35) It also sanctifies, (Le 8:10) breaks bondage’s and frees the sinner from the generational chain of sin, (Isa 10:27) heals the sick, (Jas 5:14) teaches truth, (1 Jn 2:23) gives the ability to preach the Gospel, (Luke 4:18) gives discernment, (1 Jn 2:20) imparts spiritual perception, (Rev 3:18) gives a teachable spirit and an open heart. (1 Jn 2:27)

The Foundation of Power

What God desires most for every Christian is that they live their