Talented or Anointed?

Ok family! I need your feedback on this one. First off, I think it is safe to say that we've all seen an enormous amount of talent thus far. For me, some of the talent is just flat out "jaw-dropping."  Detroit, where I currently reside, has been tremendously blessed with gifted, phenomenal, and talented singers and musicians. Now whether it is under the umbrella of the secular or the Gospel/Christian genre, we have to admit that they are "talented."

 

However, we need to observe the subject of what's TALENT and what's ANOINTED... 

So often in my lifetime, I've heard people say,

• "Oh my! He is so anointed", or 
• "She is so anointed"

All this-after hearing 26 runs, a squall, and watching a spin move!!  Ok seriously though!  I'm certainly not saying that any of the previously mentioned variables will disqualify a vessel of being anointed, but it has become very apparent to me that the definition of the "Anointing" has been distorted greatly in the Body of Christ.  There is much to be desired by the one who is desperate for deliverance like the Canaanite woman; who came to Jesus because her daughter was vexed with a devil.

(Matthew 15:22-27) Here is a woman needing deliverance! But, it was not lawful for her to receive a blessing that belonged to the Children of Israel. In fact, Jesus reiterates this law by saying, "It is not 'meet' or 'lawful' for HIM to give the children's bread to dogs. ***Note here, Jesus was not insulting this woman but rather testing the level of her faith. (Matthew 15:27).. And she said,

"Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

What a powerful statement of faith! Ok, I thought I should do a drive-by here...

 

Now, you may be asking yourself, "What is the point Jason is trying to make?" Well here it is:  Just like this Canaanite Woman, there is a hunger in the earth at this very moment that is escalating every day for the real, unadulterated and authentic Presence of God. God so desires us to be a conduit of His Glory! (Romans 8:19)… "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." I submit to you family -that the Presence of God is not manifested through the operation of talent only. The anointing and/or the Presence of God ALWAYS comes to provoke and accomplish change in the heart of those that are bound, broken and burdened. The anointing of God has a very specific purpose. Isaiah 10:27 gives us clarity on purpose saying, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing." In Samuel 16, David, the great psalmist was beckoned by the servants of King Saul to come and play before him; for he was being troubled by an evil spirit. I admonish you to read I Samuel 16 in it's entirety. Here you will find that David was not only talented (skillful) but the "Lord was with Him" (anointed). David, having the Lord with him- was empowered to 'play' the evil spirit off of King Saul.

 

So here's the question(s):

• Do you sing to impress the crowd?
• Do you play to draw someone's attention to your chops or chord structures?
• Do you perform, or do you minister? 

Or, are yokes being destroyed or burdens lifted? By this the question is answered, whether you're experiencing talent or the anointing.

I admonish you, as well as myself, to submit your gifts to the Will of God that He may use them to bring forth deliverance to those that are bound, broken and burdened. Be what God intended you to be…..ANOINTED!

PRIDE: Will someone please take out the trash?

What is that stench? Do you smell that? Is there anyone who's going to finally take that outside, and put it in the proverbial dumpster? Or, are we just going to let it sit and fester; eventually affecting everyone around?

To my colleagues in music ministry: I ask you, Who wants to step up and take out that Glad Bag of trash? Yep! This thing has been stinking since the "Fall of Lucifer." What is this thing I'm talking
about? You've guessed it: PRIDE!

Unfortunately, many of us have had before, or are presently now housing this un-Hefty Cinch Sack of pride in our hearts. Where did this horrible spirit come from? I think the more appropriate question would be:

• Who did it come from? Or better yet...
• Who brought in this trash?

Let's journey together to Isaiah 14:12-14.

Verse 12 says, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" Verse 13..."For thou hast said in thine heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:" Verse 14..."I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High."

What a tragedy this is! Imagine with me for a moment. You have the honor, God-given grace, and privilege of being 'Guardian (Covering) of the Glory of God'. GOD, the Creator relishes in His creation saying that 'you sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You are covered completely by every precious stone. God's craftsmanship in you is so strategic with the tabrets and piping, created in you from the very beginning.  If God decided to blow a wind Himself from Glory, it would flow through 'your pipes' releasing the Sound of Heaven! (Read Ezekiel 28:12-19) My God-gifted brothers and sisters: We've got to ask ourselves...

Is this not enough?

Is it not enough that God has strategically created us to guard the glory? Ezekiel 28:15 continues to address Lucifer's self-inflicted demise saying: "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee."

To blend it together for you...

I know for me; one of the worst things is to come home from a long day and the trash was not taken out. Oh yeah. You know the results. It stinks throughout the house entirely!  When we are prideful, we leave the glory of God unguarded and/or unprotected! Not only that, but we're saying in our hearts - that our gifts are more important than the glory. We'd much rather bring glory to ourselves than to HE who is the King of Glory.

Don't take the fall like Lucifer did. He can't recover from his act of pride. Destruction is imminent for him. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

Thank God for His Grace toward us! If you discern that you are operating in pride, humble yourself before HIM who sits on the throne.  God is still looking for someone who HE can blow the "Wind of His Glory" through. He won't blow it through the stench of pride.

Pardon me, while I take out the trash...

-JCS