Anointing or Presence

Anointing or Presence

Many people mistake anointing for presence. Many people and places are anointed but few experience His presence. I am just about to embark on an adventure I should have taken a long time ago. I have read much about this adventure. It is a bit of a stop-start affair. Can you  guess what it is? It is an activity that goes against the grain of everything I have ever done in my life but I am assured I will gain much from the new experience.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33  It is a verse I have so often read and even quoted before. So when the Lord brought it to mind, I asked the reason. “When you seek anointing, you seek My hand, but when you seek My face, you seek My presence.” Having just been reading a Tommy Tenney book, “God’s Favourite House”, the Lord reminded me of something he said. “The next time anyone announces, ‘the glory of the Lord is here’, from an upright position, you should question that statement.” I have not quoted exactly but you get the gist of it.

Then the Lord showed me a very short vision of this. I saw a leader announce just that, “the Glory is here”. Another man came out from the audience saying loudly, “Nonsense – if that were true we would all be flat on our faces crying out for mercy.” Then the second man said, “Let me show you.” And he waved his hand. At this I saw the Glory enter and every single person in the room bowed, knelt, or prostrated themselves, crying out to the Lord. The vision faded and the Lord said simply, “This is what happens when you seek my face and not my hand.”

So often we assume that anointing is the same as presence. Yet I believe that anointing comes from the Fathers hand as He pours the anointing oil on us. His presence is when He comes in person to sit with us and fellowship with us. His manifest presence, or Glory, is the evidence of His presence. It sounds odd but that is the only way I can put it. Yet that is what God wants for all of us to experience. The anointing is something we recognise on others and often we chase the anointing. His presence, once experienced, is something we never want to lose.

To quote Mr Tenney again – this time in full – “The evidence of Gods power in the anointing isn’t enough any more. The gifts, presents, and provisions of His hands are appreciated, but I want more. I want him. I long to see His glory, and dwell in His manifest presence, more than I long for the blessings of His hands.”