Feasting on God’s Faithfulness: Overflow Anointing
This verse affirms that every Word spoken by God will accomplish its intended purpose and assignment. I believe that no Word of God will be ineffective or fail to achieve its intended outcome.
March 27, 2023
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
This verse affirms that every Word spoken by God will accomplish its intended purpose and assignment. I believe that no Word of God will be ineffective or fail to achieve its intended outcome. Earlier this year, I had a clear encounter with the Lord while sleeping, and He declared that I had stepped into the overflowing anointing. This anointing is available for anyone to tap into.
Overflow is an anointing of the Holy Spirit
Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
God prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies and anoints my head with oil to the point of overflowing. This overflowing anointing is a powerful force that can bring transformation to one’s life and circumstances.
Imagine walking into someone’s house and discovering that the husband and wife have just had a fight. The atmosphere is tense and awkward, with hostility and chaos lingering in the air. It is possible for this negative atmosphere to affect your emotions and leave you feeling hostile, chaotic, and confused. Similarly, if you are struggling with anxiety and chaos and then step into a church where the atmosphere is one of peace and joy, it can completely transform your state of mind. The atmosphere you step into has a profound power to influence your soul, mind, and heart. It is important to be mindful of the atmospheres we enter and intentionally create environments of positivity, peace, and joy in our homes and communities.
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with someone and suddenly feel hurt, offended, or angry, even though nothing in the conversation should have caused those emotions? It could be because of the atmosphere you are in. Sometimes, there are territorial spirits that have the power to influence an entire area, creating a specific atmosphere that affects anyone who enters that space. As a result, you may find yourself feeling hurt, offended, or angry without any apparent reason.
Have you ever noticed that different places make you feel a certain way or think a certain way? This is because different territories have their own unique mindset and atmosphere. For example, I personally don’t enjoy spending too much time in the mountains, even though I’m fine with going there for vacation. The slow pace of life there can be challenging for me, as people tend to wake up late and have leisurely conversations with their neighbors. This kind of lifestyle doesn’t suit my preference for a fast-paced city life. The point is, every territory has its own atmosphere that can influence your mindset and condition your heart.
If you come from a rural area, you might relate to what I’m saying. There’s a certain mentality and way of life. However, when you move to a city, everything changes. People are constantly on the go and never seem to have enough time. I remember hearing a saying in Delhi, “Everyone is in a hurry, but nobody is on time.” We’re constantly moving from one meeting to the next, from one task to another. Our surroundings have a significant impact on the atmosphere, and we often find ourselves being influenced by it.
The overflowing anointing is that no matter what the atmosphere is, if you are operating in the anointing of the overflow, the moment you step into the atmosphere, you begin to influence the atmosphere. The overflow anointing is like light stepping into darkness – darkness cannot overpower the light. This anointing enables you to step into places that have been chaotic, hostile, and violent, and with its influence, the atmosphere can be completely transformed. Amen? Yes, completely transformed. This is because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
The overflow anointing is bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit. As David wrote in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil.” This oil represents the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In those times, kings, priests, and prophets were anointed as a symbol that they had been chosen by God for His work. Kings were to govern, prophets were to guide, and priests were to lead worship. These three roles were set apart for God’s work, and those chosen to fulfill them represented God in the flesh.
The overflowing anointing is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power and not a result of our personal traits or abilities. The Holy Spirit’s overflow can fill us to the point of influencing and transforming the atmosphere of entire territories. In some areas, there are even territorial spirits that exert their control. The overflowing anointing is the only power that can break the hold of these principalities and powers. This is why Paul reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood. Although we may face persecution or opposition from individuals or governing authorities, it is ultimately a spiritual battle that requires a spiritual solution. To overcome these spiritual forces, we must tap into the overflowing anointing and be guided by the Holy Spirit to gain a deeper understanding of the situation and the tools we need to fight it. Without this spiritual insight and strength, we risk being blinded by shortsightedness and unable to overcome these challenges.
So, the overflowing anointing happens because of the overflowing spirit that is within you. The Holy Spirit engages with people on three levels. The first level is the Holy Spirit with you. This occurs when people do not know Jesus.
John 16:8-11 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Jesus promised to send the Comforter who would convict people of sin, not sins, but the sin of unbelief. This is the only sin that the Holy Spirit convicts people of. So, it is essential to understand the work of the Holy Spirit in order to comprehend the overflowing anointing.
When the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The first thing He convicts the world of is sin, specifically the sin of unbelief in Jesus. Therefore, if you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will not convict you of sin. The second thing He convicts the world of is righteousness, as Jesus will go to the Father and not be seen by them anymore. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our need for righteousness, especially when we are in a state of sin or despair. He tells us that we are forgiven and free from the consequences of our sins because of the blood of Jesus.
In verse 11, Jesus talks about judgment, which the ruler of this world is subject to. However, the Holy Spirit does not convict believers of judgment. Instead, He convicts unbelievers of sin and believers of righteousness. As for the devil, the Holy Spirit convicts him of judgment. Regarding the Holy Spirit’s engagement with us, if we do not believe in Jesus, He convicts us of the sin of unbelief. But when we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes inside of us and seals us. Ephesians 1:13-14 says that when we heard and believed in the Gospel, we received the seal of the Holy Spirit in us. This means that we move from the Holy Spirit being with us and convicting us of our sin to the Holy Spirit being in us.
The Holy Spirit is not only within you but also has the potential to overflow from your spirit into your soul, mind, heart, and body, resulting in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. As a believer, when you receive the gospel, you receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your spirit. This means that you and the Holy Spirit become one. The Holy Spirit’s power is not limited to just overflowing in your mind and heart, but it can also overflow to a point where it takes over your physical body. This is what it means when we say that the Holy Spirit is upon you. Therefore, as believers, we should strive to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Engagement of the Holy Spirit
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come upon prophets for a specific season, but He would not stay with them permanently because He was not inside them. However, as a believer in Jesus, you have the potential to constantly overflow in the overtaking flow of the Holy Spirit that is always upon you. Just as Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, you were also born of the Spirit. You are not born of Adam, so it is not accurate to say that you are a sinner saved by grace. In fact, holding onto that identity can be limiting. Rather, as a believer, you are a saint saved by grace, and you are righteous through Christ.
Being saved by grace alone does not lack humility because it is true. Humility is justified when it is aligned with truth. For example, when Jesus said, “I am greater than Solomon,” that was humility because it was true. Humility is not about putting yourself down, but about acknowledging the truth. The truth is that you are not a sinner, but a saint, and you are righteous because of God’s grace. This may be difficult to accept, but it is the foundation of the new covenant. Without the revelation that you are a saint and righteous, everything else won’t make sense. You don’t have to earn your salvation or strive to be righteous; you have already arrived. That’s your starting point, your foundation. Some may say, “But I don’t pray.” That’s exactly why you need this revelation.
What’s the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant? If in the new covenant, we still have to strive towards becoming holy, what is the significance of Jesus dying on the cross? In the old covenant, people strived and performed to become holy, but in the new covenant, the blood of Jesus has launched us from that place where the Old Testament saints were striving to arrive. That has become our starting place. We don’t have to wait for one day when we finally go to heaven and see the pearly gates. The victory and freedom that Jesus secured for us on the cross is available to us right now.
You have already arrived! Did you know that there are over 700 verses in the New Testament that affirm that you already have what you need? Yet, we still strive to arrive at some future state of holiness, praying for hours or trying to justify ourselves through our own efforts. We might think, “I prayed for four hours, I’m so righteous,” or “I watched six hours of Netflix, it justifies me.” But the truth is, you have already been made holy and righteous through what Jesus has done, not because of your own works. You are saved by grace through faith, not by works. And now, because you have been made worthy, walk according to your calling.
A prince cannot walk like a prince if he’s not a prince. It’s unfair to expect a common person to walk like a prince because it’s not in their identity. Similarly, a dog cannot walk like a lion. The identity needs to change. You are not the Adamic being anymore. You are born from heaven. You are a spiritual being born of the same spirit and DNA as Christ. You’re not trying to arrive at something through your prayers, reading the Bible, or gathering knowledge to prove your theology. You are already there since the day you accepted Jesus. The DNA of Jesus has come upon you. You are born of the imperishable seed, which is the Word of God. You already have it. Come on, repeat after me: “I already have it.”
When you have the spirit of overflow within you, it means that you have the potential to change the atmosphere and overwhelm it, regardless of what it is. Some might say, “You don’t understand my situation or my family,” but the spirit of overflowing is within you, and you can change the atmosphere. I don’t mean to be insensitive, but there is no excuse that can hold you back. Do you know what Jesus’ first miracle was? He turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana. The family had run out of wine, and Jesus’ mother asked him to do something to preserve their dignity and prestige.
If I were a pastor, I would say that if someone is sick or dead, I would raise them from the dead. However, the first miracle that Jesus performed was not raising someone from the dead. Instead, he performed a secret miracle to save a family’s dignity. Jesus cares deeply about families because if they are taken care of, everything else falls into place. Some of you may be blaming your family for holding you back from fulfilling God’s purposes, and while that may be true, you have the anointing to change the family’s atmosphere and bring about positive change.
If you have received the gospel and your family members haven’t, you have a responsibility due to the power and anointing within you. Instead of complaining about the negative atmosphere in your family, such as constant bickering, hostility, or chaos, you must take action to change it. With the spirit of overflow within you, you can bring a positive transformation to the atmosphere. This is not accomplished through your strength alone but through the Holy Spirit working within you. You overflow in the Holy Spirit, and the atmosphere changes. If you haven’t learned this yet, you may still be in the early stages of understanding the gospel. Don’t wait for heaven to change your family’s atmosphere; you can start the process now.
You have been given the gospel, and if you have received the word, it is so that you can change the atmosphere of your household and your immediate surroundings. By learning how to change the atmosphere, no challenging situation can overcome you. Amen. Let’s talk about the spirit of overflow that is within you. With the anointing of overflow, you can be anointed to do great things. Jesus was born of the Spirit, but it was when he was 30 years old that he was anointed. Remember when Jesus went to John the Baptist and asked to be baptized? The spirit of God came upon him, which was another level of anointing. So, while Jesus was born of the spirit, there is another level of anointing when the spirit of God comes upon you.
When the Spirit of God starts overtaking you, overflowing from within you, everything changes. The disciples received the Spirit of God when Jesus breathed into them, giving them the indwelling of the Spirit. However, on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God came upon them, everything changed. These once-timid people became bold witnesses of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit that is upon you can transform your personality from insecure to secure, from timid to bold, and completely change your being. There are three levels in which the Holy Spirit engages with you: the Spirit in you, the Spirit upon you, and the Spirit with you.
When you do not believe in Jesus, the Spirit is in you. When you believe in Jesus, the Spirit is upon you. When the fullness of the Holy Spirit takes over, that is the overflow anointing, where the Spirit completely takes over. So, what is the secret to being anointed with the anointing of overflow? Psalm 23:5 says, ‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.’ Therefore, before the overflowing happens, you need to be anointed beforehand. You need to be fed and submitted to the teaching of the word. When Jesus saw that all the disciples were tired after a long day of ministry, he knew they needed to be fed.
“Throughout the day, the disciples had been busy praying for sick people and preaching the gospel. Jesus saw that they were tired and suggested they go to a quiet place. As they went, a crowd followed them, and the disciples were completely exhausted. Jesus had compassion on them, but instead of immediately praying for them, he began to teach them. This is because teaching is more important than just praying for someone. While prayer can deliver you from a particular problem, teaching equips you with the knowledge and understanding to handle future problems.”
It is the teaching of the Word that can sustain you and enable you to overcome one problem after another. When Jesus has compassion on you, you may be hoping for a change in your circumstances. However, the true change occurs when you receive the Word and the teaching it offers. Therefore, being submitted to the Word is the precursor to being anointed. Peter mentions that Jesus, before being anointed, listened to the teaching of John the Baptist, who was not only baptizing people but also preaching and teaching the Word.
Feasting: precursor to the anointing
Let’s imagine the context we live in now: John the Baptist had a church and taught every day or every Sunday, and Jesus was there, submitting to the teaching as God incarnate who became flesh and submitted to a person from an inferior covenant. Jesus listened and submitted to John’s teaching to the extent that he asked John to baptize him. The secret to anointing is humility and submission to the word. So don’t just come here on Sundays and listen without being fully submitted to the teaching. If you stay and submit to the word, there will be an overflow of anointing within you. Look at the posture of baptism: When Jesus is baptized, he needs to go down. When he goes down, who is greater and who is lesser? John the Baptist is lesser, and Jesus humbled himself in front of an imperfect man, a prophet who represents an inferior covenant. Jesus humbled himself, and the anointing flowed.
The anointing flows from top to bottom, but it’s not about puffing up the mind. Humility and submission to the Word allow for growth in anointing. Reading ten verses and memorizing them is not enough. It’s important to remain humble and submitted to God’s Word. When facing enemies, the first thing God does is not anoint you. He prepares a table for you to eat from His Word. Don’t get distracted by the power and cruelty of the enemy. Focus on the food God has provided in His Word, and as you eat, the anointing will overflow. Jesus said in John 8:31, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” He said this to the Jews who believed in Him.
John 5:38, Jesus says, “And you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.”
This means that if you don’t believe in Jesus, it’s because the Word of God is not abiding in you. However, to the same group of believing Jews, Jesus says that if they abide in Him, they can become His disciples. This implies that the key to becoming a disciple from being a believer is to abide in the Word. Similarly, the key to becoming a believer from being a non-believer is also to abide in the Word. There are different levels of abiding in the Word, and God can change your level as you continue to seek Him.
When you go to the beach, you have different options for how much you want to engage with the water. You can dip your toes in and say, “I was at the beach,” or you can go a bit further and wet your ankles. Alternatively, you can go all in and submerge your entire self. But regardless of how much you engage with the water, you are still at the beach.
There are different levels to which you can abide in the Word and still be considered as abiding. You can move from one level of anointing to another level of overflowing by increasing your level of abiding in the Word. Those who do not abide in the Word at all are non-believers, while those who start to abide in the Word after hearing the gospel become believers. By continuing to abide, you can become disciples. To be a disciple of someone means that you can become like that person through their teachings. If you want to become a disciple of Jesus, you need to abide in His Word to the extent that every part of your being is submerged in it – not just your mind, heart, or logical senses, but your entire body and being.
The scripture says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” But this process of becoming free and receiving blessings is not a one-time event. It requires continual growth and development through remaining humble and submitted to the word. As you do this, you will move from one level of glory to the next. It is important to understand that the blessings you pray for are seeking you, but they can’t find you until you become an upgraded version of yourself that can handle them. The word of God is the tool that upgrades you and prepares you for these blessings. Jesus instructed us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto us. As we remain in the word, it changes and uplifts us, transforming us into a new version of ourselves that can handle the abundance of blessings that God has in store for us.
You don’t need to pray for blessings anymore because they are meant to follow you. They are waiting for you. Instead, pray to God for guidance on how to grow and abide in His Word. By growing in your faith, the blessings will naturally follow. As Jesus said, “abide in my word, and you are truly my disciples.” This means that by staying in His word, you can become a true disciple, just like the Rabbi. You don’t need prayer to become like Jesus, but you do need it to build a suitable atmosphere for the Word to grow. So focus on staying in His Word and pray for guidance in your spiritual journey.
Prayer and the word go hand in hand in building your faith. However, the foundation of your spiritual journey is understanding that no matter what level you start at, and no matter how much you mess up, God’s grace accepts and loves you. This knowledge is crucial, and it forms the bedrock of your journey. When you abide in God’s word and keep His commandments, you will remain in His love. John 15:10 confirms this: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” If you’re not feeling the love of God, consider what you have been listening to. Have you been abiding in His word? It’s that simple. By abiding in His word, God speaks to you, and you will remain in His love.
In 1 Samuel 3:20, it says that the Lord appeared to them through His word. This means that when you hear God’s word, you experience God. While it’s amazing to hear testimonies of people who have seen visions or experienced a powerful encounter with Jesus, you can encounter Him every day, every moment, simply by reading His word. Jesus is revealed in His word, and if you want to see Him, all you have to do is open up your Bible and read it. So, if you’re longing to encounter Jesus, start by diving into His word, and you will find Him there.
To truly be Jesus’ disciples, we must abide in His word. In John 14:23-24, Jesus explains that if we love Him, we will keep His word, and the Father will love us and make a home with us. However, those who do not love Him do not keep His words. It’s clear that keeping Jesus’ word is crucial to our relationship with Him and the Father.
In the beginning of these verses, Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to the Father to prepare a place for them. So, it’s important for us to keep His word and follow His teachings, because that’s how we can abide in Him and be with Him forever.
In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them. Many of us assume that Jesus is talking about preparing mansions in heaven for us, as if that is the only task he has. However, if we read the same chapter and continue down to verse 23, Jesus says that if we abide in his word, he and the Father will come and make their home with us. So, is Jesus taking us to where the Father is or is he coming to us? The answer is both. Jesus is preparing a place for us not only in heaven but also in our hearts when we abide in his word.
Jesus is not referring to a physical location when he talks about “home.” He’s talking about a home where you and him are united. It’s like when I got married to Betty, I did not get married to her because she was going to give me a house. I went to her, she came to me, and we both came together to build a home. And that home is wherever we are together, that becomes your home. Heaven is not your home. Earth is not your home. Wherever you and the Father are, that is where your home is, and that’s what Jesus is saying.
John 8:51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
This can be difficult to understand, but it means that when you follow God’s word and allow Him to dwell within you, you can experience eternal life even in the face of physical death. To do this, you must shift your perspective from the physical world to the spiritual reality found in God’s word, which is more real than what we can perceive with our five senses.
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