Understanding the Apostolic Anointing

By Dr. Mary Craig

During the past four centuries, we have seen restored to the Church various doctrines, such as justification by faith alone, divine healing, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and now the five-fold ministry. We have seen a worldwide revival of prayer and fasting, with intercessors and the priesthood of believers emerging onto the frontlines.

In the 1950’s the Church saw the restoration of the office of evangelist. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, pastors and teachers came into their own. In the 1980’s, the office of prophet and prophetic anointings were restored, and in the 1990’s, we have seen the restoration of the office of apostle. We are seeing the Holy Spirit pour out on His people an apostolic anointing as He sends His people here and there with a commission, a word, a task, a mission advancing the kingdom of God. No one is more important, but each one is important.

Apostle means "sent one." The Holy Spirit is an apostolic spirit. God’s Spirit has been sent to us (Galatians 4.6). Jesus Christ was sent by the Father. Jesus turned His disciples into apostles as He said, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you." (John 20.21) This sending is not new.

Moses was called and sent. Exodus 3.10 says, "Come now therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh, that you may bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt." Moses had a call, and a commission. The apostolic anointing is, thus, a sending anointing. Moses turned to the bush. God called. God identified Himself. God expressed His concern for the situation. He had seen. He knows. The sending was purposeful, powerful.

The sending also involved warring. The apostolic anointing is a warring anointing. Moses would war against Pharaoh, against oppression. Moses wasn’t anything special. He said, "Who am I?" But the power and authority would come from God. God not only called and commissioned and commanded. God committed Himself. God said, "Certainly I will be with you; and this shall be a token unto you, that I have sent you…" (Exodus 3.12) There would be signs and wonders, tokens that Moses would speak for God. (Exodus 3.20) This apostolic anointing is an anointing of signs and wonders, tokens.

Apostolic people are sent into an area to war against demons, to deliver people from bondage, and to serve God. But the apostolic anointing is also a fathering anointing. Moses would be as a father to the children of Israel. We see Moses leading, nurturing, mentoring, disciplining, judging, and restoring God’s people. Likewise, Moses governed. He provided direction and set things in order.

With this governing anointing, we also see a building anointing. Moses would go and gather the people, the elders. He would rally them around the Name and person of God. He would bring them out of bondage into their inheritance. He would build. With authority from God the people would be taken to a new place, to plant, to build, to make way for increase, to bless. Moses would activate the changes in order to come into the order of God. He would be God’s instrument to remove the hindrances to the destiny of God’s people.

The apostolic anointing is also one of favor. God said, "And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when you go, you shall not go empty…" (Exodus 3.21) God promised to be with Moses, and thus Moses, like Joseph, would have good success, favor. This favor would then extend to God’s people. By grace, by the glory of God, the people would come into a new place, a new order.

What God has purposed to do, those whom He has called, prepared, chosen, and commissioned, will receive grace to finish. There is with the apostolic anointing grace to focus on the task and execute what needs to be done. The anointing is a finishing anointing. As Paul would say many centuries later, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20.24) There is an anointing to labor more abundantly, with nothing stopping, barriers broken, relentless as it were, in order to finish.

The apostolic anointing is an anointing for righteousness. The Spirit of holiness comes forth with an anointing to break the power of hindering spirits and confusion. Apostolic people are sanctified to their Lord, separated to the task, sold out for God, having the battle lines clearly defined. They are on the Lord’s side.

Who are apostolic people? They are believers in Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, living in one accord with God, with His Word, and with others in the Body of Christ. They are relational and vibrant, not complacent or compromising, hating corruption. They are glad, joyous, praising, enthusiastic, and passionate for the purpose and plan of God. Apostolic people have a holy fear of God (Acts 9.31) with an intense awareness of His presence and understanding that our God is a consuming fire. With reverence and a "holy hush," they focus on the kingdom of God with singleness of vision. (1 Corinthians 15.58) They submit to the Word, for their desire is holiness and the sound, healthy, correct doctrine of the truth of the gospel. They submit to the fire of God for cleansing, purging, deliverance from evil.

Apostolic people desire to be steadfast, faithful, unselfish, caring for others, sharing, giving, loving. The love of Christ constrains them. Aware of their destiny, they seek to glorify the One sending them forth. They enjoy God, looking up and out and forward.

The apostolic anointing enables patience, the ability to endure suffering and keep going, to persevere, to inherit the promises through faith and patience. There is something attractive about this anointing, winsome, magnetic, drawing people to Christ by the fragrance of a life dead to sin and alive to God.

Apostolic anointing brings boldness. People with this anointing clearly communicate the Word of God and are not ashamed of the gospel, or of Jesus Christ, or of His Blood, or of His Holy Spirit, or of His people. They keep in step with the Spirit, pressing forward on the front lines, going for the glory. These people walk with a radiant grace, meeting God at En-Gedi, carrying the glory, bearing the brandmark of Jesus as servants of Jesus Christ. They are children of the resurrection, full of the power of the Holy Spirit, confident that God loves them and can be trusted with their very souls and spirits and lives.

The Holy Spirit wants men and women willing to be separated unto Him (Acts 13.2), sent out as ambassadors, servants walking in humility with a power and authority that comes from God the Holy Spirit, who is their Source, Supervisor, and Sealer. Will you
be one?