THE ANOINTING

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 1 John 2:20

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 1 John 2:27

Which parent would purposely make his child sick so that he might teach him a lesson? Only an evil parent.!Simlarly God who is a good God and has promised, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.(Ezekiel 36:26-27) doesn’t need to afflict any of his children to teach them things. He has His Holy Spirit to do all things in them and for them.

Afflictions comes to men as a result of their disobedience and not because of God’s direct will. God’s word is unchanging:

For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. Psalm 22:24

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

Fools, because of their transgression,  And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.  Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.  Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.  He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:17-20

And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. 2 Kings 17:20

Foolish men because of their transfressions and because of their iniquites are afflicted. But when they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, He saved them out of their distresses.  He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. God’s unchanging purpose and will for man is deliverance, not destruction!

 God is never the direct cause of affliction although man and  the Enemy, Satan, many times are! If God was the source of affliction on people He would not have instructed us to Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy (Psalm 82:3)? He would not have told us, Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; For the LORD will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them (Proverbs 22:22-23)? As a mater of fact Jesus Christ, who has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;  was stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:4) is more than just sympathetic to the afflicted ones. He who was oppressed and  was afflicted, has the power to bring about their deliverance, if they will only call upon Him. His word is unchanging:

"O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal,  And all your walls of precious stones.  All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established;  You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.  "Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.  No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,"  Says the LORD. Isaiah 54:11-17

Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:24

Jesus Christ healed all those who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics. He never said to them that He could not heal them because they were afflicted by God? He never said to them that poverty and suffering were the will of God for their lives so that He could not heal or deliver them? Jesus Christ was God incarnate who demonstrated that healing and deliverance were always the will of God for people.

Well what about Apostle Paul about whom Jesus said, "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:16)?  Yes, what about Apostle Paul? Are you Apostle Paul? No! So what Jesus said to Apostle Paul belonged to no other but apostle Paul, just like He said to Apostle Peter to mind his own business and follow Him:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."  Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"  Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." John 21:18-22

How about apostle Paul’s sickness that God didn’t heal him from?  This quite a lie because it wasn’t sickness but a messanger of Satan. A messanger of Satan was sent to buffet him to control his proud and arrogant nature for Apostle Paul stated – (Romans 7:15) For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ...7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 7:25 I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Paul also stated:

It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows-such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows- how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 1 Corinthians 12:1-10

Yes, it wasn't profitable for Paul to boast about things for as a result he received a messanger from Satan lest he should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations given to him. (FOR THE RECORD MESSENGERS DON'T STAY FOR EVER BUT THEY COME AND GO?) So when the thorn fulfilled the plans and purposes of God for Paul it left! In other words the thorn was removed from Paul when he learnt his lesson about boasting!

Some false ones teach that God uses affliction to bring about character! This is a lie from the pits of hell for character is produced by the Holy Spirit using the Word God and not unpleasant circumstance. God doesn't carry a big stick to correct His children with.  He has His word and that is why Jesus stated, " You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you " (John 15:3) And prophet Jeremiah stated, " Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (Jermiah 23:29)?  You don’t throw stones at a person to correct him? And neither does God. It’s the devil and his friends who hurt and destroy people by throwing stones at them! God’s word is unchanging:

He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Mark 7:6-9