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Even Your Weakness is Anointed

Do you ever feel too weak or inadequate to be useful to God?
A teenager from Cumbria in Northern England felt God calling him. Patrick was poorly educated, ineloquent and faced significant opposition throughout his ministry from those who felt that he wasn’t up to the task. Even as an old man he still admitted, ‘Today I still blush and fear more than anything to have my lack of learning brought out into the open.’
Yet despite all his disadvantages Patrick remained convinced that God had called and anointed him as an evangelist. He wrote, ‘We are a letter of Christ for salvation even to the back of beyond – and what does it matter if it is not a learned letter? For it is still to be found valid and plain for all to read, written in your very hearts, not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God!’
Today his more eloquent contemporaries have long been forgotten, but the impact of St Patrick’s ministry and mission to Ireland 1500 years ago is still recognised around the world. Even his weakness was anointed.
As David takes up the throne of Israel he says, ‘… though I am the anointed king, I am weak’ (2 Samuel 3:39). The moment you put your faith in Jesus, God anoints you with the Holy Spirit. However weak and inadequate you may feel, God can use you, like David, in extraordinary ways. Even your weakness is anointed.

Psalm 69:13-28

Anointed in times of trouble

Are you going through a time of trouble? David was in a time of deep trouble in his life. He felt like he was in a ‘swamp’, a ‘Black Hole’, a ‘deathtrap’. He says, ‘I’m… flat on my face, reduced to a nothing’ (vv.15–20, MSG).
David, the anointed leader of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3), was a person of prayer. Many of the psalms are attributed to him. In this psalm we see an example of his honest, raw and intimate prayers.
When you are in trouble or in a position of great weakness:

Know God’s great love for you
David prays, ‘In your great love, O God, answer me’ (Psalm 69:13). ‘Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me’ (v.16).

Cry out to God in your heart
Be honest with God. Tell him what you are really feeling: ‘Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink’ (v.14). ‘Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble’ (v.17).

Lord, thank you that I can pray to you in times of trouble. Lord, today I cry to you for help.

Acts 1:1-22

Anointed by the Holy Spirit

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you. Of the four Gospel writers, Luke is the only one who continues to tell the story of the next generation. The story of Jesus continued in ‘the believers’ (v.15) and now it continues in you.
The book of Acts is the History of the Church Volume I. History matters to Luke. He uses such words as ‘eyewitnesses’, ‘carefully investigated’, ‘an orderly account’ (Luke 1:2–3) and here he talks about ‘many convincing proofs’ (Acts 1:3). He stresses that Jesus did not just appear as a fleeting impression like a ghost: ‘After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days... as they met and ate meals together’ (vv.2–4, MSG).
This is the second volume in Luke’s life of Jesus. He refers to his earlier Gospel as being about ‘all that Jesus began to do and to teach’ (v.1). Now he tells the story of what Jesus continued to do through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as the gift promised by the Father (v.4). Now he promises that in a few days the disciples will be baptised with the Holy Spirit and receive power to be his witnesses to the city (‘Jerusalem’), the nation (‘all Judea and Samaria’) and the world (‘to the ends of the earth’) (v.8).
Through the rest of the passage we see a series of examples of people who have been filled by the Holy Spirit and been his messengers across the world. The wonderful news is that you are included in the list!

David
The Holy Spirit speaks through people, including David (v.16). Peter gives examples of how the Holy Spirit spoke through David in the psalms – even predicting the replacement of Judas the betrayer (vv.15–20).

Jesus
Supremely, the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus. Luke tells us that Jesus gave ‘instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen’ (v.2).

In particular, ‘On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit”’ (vv.4–5).

Apostles
Though in many ways they were weak, the apostles would be anointed by the Holy Spirit for the task that lay ahead. The word ‘apostle’ is used in several different ways in the New Testament. In the wider sense of a person who is sent by God, it clearly applies to many people in the past and also today (see 1 Corinthians 12:28–29). In a narrower sense, there are people who have what might be described as an ‘apostolic’ leadership gift (Mark 3:14).

However, here it is used in the narrowest sense of the word. They were a special group of people who were uniquely qualified by Jesus. The Holy Spirit spoke through them in a unique way. These were the apostles whom Jesus had chosen and to whom he gave special instructions through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2).

Judas had originally been part of this group. Now they were looking for a replacement. Peter lays down the qualifications. They had to have been with Jesus throughout his ministry, witnessed his resurrection and to have received the necessary training (vv.21–22).

You
Jesus said, ‘In a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’ (vv.5,8).

On the day of Pentecost this was fulfilled and the apostle Peter made it clear that the promise was for ‘all whom the Lord our God will call’ (2:39). This includes you!

The Holy Spirit comes to anoint and empower you – to help and guide you in every aspect of your life – not just the ‘spiritual’ parts. Everything you have belongs to God and he wants to be involved in all of your life. Through the Holy Spirit living within you God wants you to become like Jesus in all your thoughts, attitudes, words and actions. You are Jesus to the world.

Lord, thank you that your Holy Spirit now lives in me. Thank you that, though I am weak, I am anointed to be your witness. Help me to be the mouthpiece of your Holy Spirit.

2 Samuel 3:22-5:5

Anointed for leadership

In order to be leaders, we do not need to be perfect. David said, ‘… though I am the anointed king, I am weak’ (3:39). The history of David’s life in the Bible is a great testimony to both the anointing and weakness of David. He knew that he was far from perfect, and yet he also knew that God could still use him. He doesn’t dwell on his weakness, but rather turns the situation over to God (v.39). In spite of his weaknesses, God used him in extraordinary ways.
This passage also reminds us that God used David throughout his life. We have already seen many examples of how God had used David as a leader for many years before he became king. Yet when he became king, David was still relatively young. Thereafter he continued to be used by God throughout a long and (mostly) successful reign: ‘David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years’ (5:4).
The Lord said about David, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel, and you shall become their ruler’ (v.2). Then, ‘all the elders… anointed David king over Israel’ (v.3). David became a leader full of integrity. He ‘shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skilful hands he led them’ (Psalm 78:72). David was the type of leader we desperately need today, in the church and in society – men and women of character and capabilities; integrity of heart and skilful hands.

Thank you, Lord, that the same Holy Spirit who lived in David, Jesus and in the apostles, now anoints and lives in me. Thank you that even my weakness is anointed.

Pippa Adds

2 Samuel 3:30

‘Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.’
Wanting revenge is a powerful emotion. I can understand Joab wanting to avenge his brother’s death. It is not easy to forgive a person who has hurt someone you love. Without knowing that Jesus died for me, I am not sure I could even begin. I still have to go on forgiving one of our children’s teachers who was vindictive – don’t get me started!

Verse of the Day

‘… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you’ (Acts 1:8)

References

John Skinner, The Confession of Saint Patrick: The Classic Text in New Translation (Penguin Random House, 1998), p.11.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright [emoji2398] 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright [emoji2398] 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Sounds of Heaven

Have you ever noticed that the Bible is a very noisy book? Wisdom cries out (Proverbs 8); loud singing is encouraged (Psalm 66:8); cymbals clash in praise (Psalm 150); God shouts aloud (Isaiah 42); his voice is like the sound of many waters (Ezekiel 43); Jesus prays with loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5) and even creation groans (Romans 8).
On the day of Pentecost they heard ‘a sound like the blowing of a violent wind’ that ‘came from heaven’ (Acts 2:2). In today’s passages we hear other sounds going to and from heaven.

Psalm 69:29-36

Sounds of worship

The Bible is realistic. There are times when we are ‘in pain and distress’ (v.29). David doesn’t try to ignore the problems he faces. Yet, he still chooses to worship God in spite of his circumstances. Even in the depths, you can still be sure of who God is and worship him.
This psalm ends with the sound of worship: ‘I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving… Let heaven and earth praise him’ (vv.30,34). Worship goes on not only on earth, but also in heaven. When you worship, you are joining in the sounds of heaven. Here, we see three aspects of worship:

Worship involves the will
David says, ‘I will praise God’s name’ (v.30). You may not always feel like worshipping God but it is a decision you make; it is an act of the will.

Worship pleases God
‘This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs’ (v.31).

Worship affects others
‘The poor will see and be glad – you who seek God, may your hearts live!’ (v.32). I have noticed how those ‘who seek God’ on Alpha are often moved by the worship, and as a result their ‘hearts live’.

Lord, whatever my circumstances, help me to praise your name in song and glorify you with thanksgiving.

Acts 1:23-2:21

Sounds of the Holy Spirit

This is for you and me. The experience of the day of Pentecost is not just a historic event; it can become a present reality for you (2:29). As Joel prophesised: ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all’ – men and women, old and young, rich and poor (vv.17–21). That definitely includes you and me!

Seek the experience
The experience of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost involved three things:

First, it involved power from God. They heard a gale. This was not an actual gale. It was ‘a sound like the blowing of a violent wind’ (v.2). It sounds as if it may have resembled a heavy tropical rainstorm. This is the mighty invisible power of God. It was the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality.

The Hebrew word ‘Ruach’ literally means ‘breath’ or ‘wind’. Ruach is used in the Old Testament for the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God. The day of Pentecost was the fulfilment of when Jesus had breathed on the disciples and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (John 20:22).

Supremely, the experience of the Holy Spirit is an experience of God’s love for you (Romans 5:5). It is the way in which you feel God’s love for you, so that you can say with the apostle Paul, ‘the Son of God… loved me and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). As Rick Warren says, ‘to feel loved by God… is the starting point for every ministry, every revival, every renewal, every great awakening.’

The Holy Spirit is the one who provides the power for all revivals, and he does it supremely by enabling the people of God to feel, experience and know in their hearts the love of God. It is the kind of knowledge that travels from your head to your heart.

Second, it involved fire from God. They saw fire. Again, this was not an actual fire: ‘There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which were settled on each one of them’ (Acts 2:3, AMP). This again was an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality. The fire of God’s love represents the power, purity and passion of God.

Wherever there is an experience of the Holy Spirit, he brings a new fire and passion to your life.

Third, it involved languages from God: ‘All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them’ (v.4). These were heavenly languages they had not learnt. The apostle Paul speaks about ‘heavenly tongues’ as well as ‘human’ tongues (1 Corinthians 13:1). The languages were recognised, and the whole known world was represented (vv.5–11). This was a reversal of the chaos and disunity of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9).

The experience of God’s love through the Holy Spirit brings unity to the church. As we recognise that the same Holy Spirit is at work in Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and Pentecostals of whatever church or denomination, there is a healing of division and a visible experience of unity.

On the day of Pentecost there were three reactions (all of which we see today to the ministry of the Holy Spirit). The first reaction was amazement. Some were ‘utterly amazed’ (Acts 2:7). The second reaction was perplexity. ‘Perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”’ (v.12). The third reaction was ridicule. ‘Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine”’ (v.13).

Study the explanation
Peter explained what was happening (v.14f).

First, he countered a false explanation (v.15). Some were offering a natural explanation for something supernatural. It may have looked as if they were drunk because they were so exuberant and had lost their inhibitions. However, this was not intoxication with wine but the sober intoxication of the Spirit – the only kind of intoxication that leaves you without a hangover!

Then, he offered the true explanation (v.16f). Peter began his speech by pointing out that this is biblical (we will see the rest of the explanation tomorrow). Some people draw a false dichotomy between the word and the Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is the author of the word of God. The Old Testament – that is, the word of God – points towards this outpouring of the Holy Spirit (vv.16–20). Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, goes back to the Bible. The Holy Spirit brings a hunger for the word of God.

Lord, I pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May the fire of God descend upon me and on the church again with power, passion and purity.

2 Samuel 5:6-6:23

Sounds of celebration

Before we look at the sounds of celebration, it is worth noting that there is another mention of sound in this passage. When David enquired of the Lord whether he should go on the attack, the Lord first answered, ‘Go’ (5:19). Then, the second time he enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered, ‘Do not go straight up, but… As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly’ (vv.23–24).
It is not clear exactly what this means. However, it is an evocative expression. Perhaps, it means that as soon as we hear that God is on the move, we should act quickly.
God gave David victory, and this led to a great celebration. ‘David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals’ (6:5). It must have been extremely noisy!
David danced and worshipped God in a very demonstrative way: ‘David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might…’ (v.14). David’s wife, Michal, was embarrassed and ‘despised him in her heart’ (v.16) for his display of passion.
David replies that he will continue to worship even more passionately and boldly than before: ‘David said to Michal… “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this”’ (vv.21–22). Here, we see a biblical example of loud and uninhibited celebration. There is a warning in this passage against looking down or despising the way others express their worship to God (v.23). Of course, we must avoid exhibitionism. But David’s exuberance came from the heart and was a genuine act of celebration.
We need to be sensitive to those around us – especially, for example, in the early weeks of Alpha when there are lots of people around who are not used to exuberant worship. However, generally you should feel free to express your worship to God as passionately as you want, not worrying about what other people might think of you.

Lord, may the churches again be filled with the sound of worship and celebration. May every Alpha Weekend be filled with the sound of the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the heavenly sounds of worship and celebration to the glory of your name.

Pippa Adds

2 Samuel 6:14–16

‘David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might… Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.’
I have some sympathy with Michal; I have been tempted to despise liturgical dance in the past. Maybe I need to get rid of some of my inhibitions. I’m not sure about the ephod but watch out on Sunday!

Verse of the Day

‘… everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Acts 2:21).

References

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright [emoji2398] 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified[emoji2400] Bible, Copyright [emoji2398] 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

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