Basking Robins
or “How to release the anointing in your life”

1.                  (Read Story "Basking Robins")

2.                God is love, and God reigns over all, so love reigns over all (now these three remain…greatest is love)

3.                Galatians 5:22-23 (Read)  - Nothing in God’s Word is placed haphazardly (ex: fruit of the spirit). Without love, joy won’t work…w/o joy, peace won’t work…(etc.)…w/o love NONE of them work! We know faith is very powerful…and Hebrews 6:19 says hope is the anchor of the soul…

4.                TIE – IN between love and the anointing – THERE IS A PRICE TO PAY! Isaiah 55:1-3
(there is a price for the anointing). Waters represent the Word. When you buy something, there is an exchange that takes place (we know He isn’t talking about money, He just said so)…hours of prayer, food in time of fasting, TV, movies, fellowship w/ friends etc.
a. David had this kind of thirst – Psalm 63:1-2

5.                This kind of anointing we can ASK FOR! Zechariah 10:1 We shouldn’t assume His blessing and power (if you want to borrow my car, come ask me, don’t assume you can)

a. Once you have prayed (asked), released your faith…add ACTION! (by thanksgiving, praise, testimony) What did David do before he slayed Goliath? HE TESTIFIED! I have slain the lion, I have slain the bear…WHO IS THIS UNCIRCUMSISED PHILISTINE??!!
You can do the same thing…I paid the light bill…I paid the gas bill…WHAT IS THIS MEDICAL BILL?? Or He healed me of a backache…he healed me of a headache…WHAT IS THIS TUMOR??
SIR YOURSELVES UP! Revelation 12:11…We overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony

b. God gives us the ability to win against ALL ODDS. God never fails, and God is love, that’s why love never fails
(1 John 4:8) Are you starting to see the tie-in here?

6.                LOVE FOR GOD AND THE ANOINTING (we’ve talked at length about our love for our brothers, let’s focus on our relationship & desire for Him).
Love for God is a price too many aren’t willing to pay…we SAY we love Him, but do we?

Many people want the POWER, the MIRACLES, the Healings and the BENEFITS, but don’t want to KNOW HIM!! In a way, they want to take advantage of God, to have the benefits of marriage without the relationship.

(EX: If all I did was take from my wife and want the benefits, it wouldn’t last long {I’m learning more & more about the need for communication})

Even fasting and praying with the wrong motivation is selfish…are we doing it for the power or to become more intimate with Him?

Proverbs 18:24 (friend sticketh closer than a brother)
How well do you know the Holy Spirit? When you pray, is it a monologue (Jay Leno) or a dialogue? Driving down the road and pretending He’s not there He’s more real than real! (People looking at you talking)

If you find it hard loving God more than someone, it’s because you KNOW THEM BETTER! (be honest, you love God more than your own kids? Wife/husband? Mom?)

NOONE can truthfully say they love someone ‘til they have spent time with that person (we say we love God, but how much time have we spent with Him lately?) See, the anointing comes as a result of us being WITH GOD, not as the result of us ASKING GOD FOR IT!

7.                HOW TO KNOW GOD INTIMATELY:
a. Search His Word
(God rewards those who diligently seek Him –
Hebrews 11:6).
Everything that we possibly need to know about Him is in the Word (notice ABOUT)

b. Spend quality time with Him. Everything you possibly need from Him comes from BEING IN HIS PRESENCE.

8.                WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS: God didn’t save you so you wouldn’t go to hell…He saved you to RESTORE FELLOWSHIP and COMMUNION WITH HIM!

What was the most tragic part of the fall of man (Adam)? Man lost the ability to walk and talk with God in an intimate way…Jesus restores that (there was a reason the veil in the temple was ripped into)!


We can see that in all human (OT) history, there were only a few men that God called upon (and they blew it)…now God is calling upon ALL of us!

Luke 4:18 (turn and read) this is OUR battle cry…this is you IN CHRIST! Luke 9:1 & 2 says so (POWER OF ATTORNEY – we have been given the name of Jesus, and it is not ourselves that do the works, but we have been granted full authority in God’s kingdom, the anointing has been bestowed on us to do His bidding (John 14:12 greater works than these will he do, because I go to my Father).

9.                2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (read) – We are ministers of reconciliation (reconciliation = an exchange, restoration to the divine favor) There is an exchange that takes place…God takes our sin and gives us new life (5:17)

v. 20 – you are an AMBASSADOR for God…as though God Himself were pleading thru you.

v. 19 – Imputing (Anne Durant) God refuses to reckon our transgressions against us (by His grace) Impute means “to take inventory” (He looked at our sin, and looked at the Word, and chose the Word, threw our sin out)

10.            DOESN’T IT SOUND LIKE WE NEED TO BE SETTING OUR LOVE UPON GOD?
There is something about setting our love (obedience, devotion & time) upon God that BRINGS great things (Psalm 91:14-16 – came after the love, didn’t have to ask)

11.             Love requires action:
We put our revelation/word/anointing aside for another day (it is to be used, not stored…a seed is meant to produce fruit)…then like the robins, we get so full we get lazy and selfish, and the cat (the devil) comes to destroy us, to steal away what God intended for you to give away!

Pastor Dave: Stingy people have no revelation (he was speaking about tithing – giving, but still applies)…God WILL NOT increase your anointing ‘til you have released the last!

Bob Jones: “Truth cannot be destroyed, but it can be made inactive.”

12.            CLOSE: John 21:15 – 17
Used to not understand this passage…was Jesus just making sure Peter loved Him?

agape: term of love not often used…more technical, judgment, or deliberate choice.
phileo: brotherly love, warm & affectionate…feelings & emotions…to be a friend (Philadelphia)

We know Peter had just went thru his denial, Jesus was restoring him (like Elijah, after killing 450 prophets, ran from Jezebel, hid in a hole)

Jesus used “agape” first two times, Peter used “phileo”…Jesus finally used “phileo” the last time, and Peter answered with “you know all things.” Notice every time, Jesus spoke action…”Feed my sheep (lambs)”.
(Peter went on to use “agape” nine times in his writings).

Our love for God shouldn’t be only an emotional rise because of the character of the one loved…It is not due to the loving quality of the lover…it is a relationship of self-giving resulting from God’s activity in Christ!

In Christ, love is more action than feeling, more deed than word, more walk than talk…

John 14:15 – “If you love me, keep my commandments”.

(People sitting on gifting)