“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people dwell together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head… It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.” Psalm 133:1-2
THANK YOU, dear friends and beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, for joining us at the relaunch of the Rose of Sharon fellowship and the Book Event on Saturday, 26th October. For those who were unable to attend, the audio sermon is available at the bottom of this page.
THE WORD
Sis Baby Goh delivered a powerful message from the pulpit, reminding us of the vision for our Rose of Sharon Women’s Ministry, beautifully summarised in Isaiah 61:1-3.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed Me, to preach good news to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Isaiah 61:1-3
We thank God for the message on His Promise of ‘Fresh Oil for a New Season.’ We recalled that during the Thanksgiving event in February, a few ladies received an impression from the Lord that it was time to restart the Rose of Sharon fellowship. Days later, while discussing ministry matters with our mentor, Dr Tan, he suggested that the church venue could be made available for the Rose of Sharon ladies to host the fellowship on Saturday mornings.
The Lord further affirmed this new work when a few ladies agreed to step up in prayer, beginning to inform others of the plan. More ladies gathered, both in person and via Zoom, to pray for the event several weeks before this relaunch.
We sense that God is doing a new work in many lives. He is teaching us to focus on His plan and to align our desires with His Call and Purpose. When God’s people come together in unity and agreement, He pours out His fresh anointing on those who step up in obedience to His Call. It is God who empowers His people for His work… ‘not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (Zechariah 4:6)
FRESH OIL
“But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil… “ Psalm 92:10
After the sharing of the Word, the leaders poured anointing oil onto everyone’s hands, and we anointed ourselves as Sis Baby prayed. We could sense the strong Presence of God. Our Father God poured out His love and anointing upon the people. When His people move in obedience to His Call, He releases a fresh anointing. And we received His fresh anointing with thanksgiving and joy. Praise and Glory to God!
THREE KEYS
Sis Baby shared three key areas we need to focus on to allow the anointing to flow—our Word life, Prayer life, and Ministry life. I took time to reflect on the precious words she shared.
“Then the LORD said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.’” Jeremiah 1:12
Focusing on our Word life requires us to spend time in the Word of God. Through His Word, we grow in our knowledge and intimacy with God. The Word reveals our Father’s heart and aligns our desires with His. When we are assured of our relationship with our Father God through His Word, the enemy cannot shake us, and we can flow freely and powerfully in His anointing.
A consistent prayer life is fundamental to an effective communication channel with God. When we are God-conscious, we can hear the voice of God clearly, leading and guiding us in our daily lives. The enemy cannot mislead or distract us when we are anchored in the Word of God and commune with the Lord daily. This enables us to receive clear instructions and divine guidance as we move in His anointing.
A Christian with a strong relationship with God and a consistent prayer life will also enjoy a fulfilling ministry life, serving both God and His people. The person who loves God and seeks Him will desire to do all that pleases our Father. They will love others as God loves us and serve as the Lord desires.
WALK AS JESUS WALKED
“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He (Jesus) walked.” 1 John 2:6
The Word says we are anointed to do the will of God, and this fresh anointing also empowers us to imitate Christ, follow His ways, and carry out the will of our Father. Jesus leads us by example, as we see in the Bible how His Word life was grounded in the Scriptures as He walked in His anointing. Consequently, it manifested in these three areas: Word life, prayer life, and ministry life.
An example of this is when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus used the Scriptures to counter the devil. First, He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, “…man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Jesus was telling the devil—and reminding us—that God can and will provide for man through His divine power and intervention, just as He did for the Israelites during the time of Moses. When the devil tempted Jesus a second time, He quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test…” In the third temptation, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13, “…worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” The Bible says the devil left Jesus, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Sis Baby also reminded us that the bible reveals the consistent Prayer Life of Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, often finds his place of solace to pray. Among my favourite passages are the prayers of Jesus for His disciples and for us in John 17, as well as His prayer to our Father in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:42, where He prayed these inspiring words of obedience: ‘Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me, yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ If our Lord Jesus, being the Son of God, reveals to us His need to pray and seek God often, then we too have an even greater need to make it our priority to seek God and His anointing in every area of our lives. Let’s continue to be prayerful in all that we do and in the choices we make.
The disciples observed and learnt firsthand, the Ministry Life of Jesus. Wherever He went, Jesus spoke and taught about God, showing how man should relate to Him. He performed miracles, signs, and wonders, and Jesus said, ‘…He does only what He sees the Father doing’ (John 5:19). He moved in power as He walked on earth, doing the will of God.
Jesus is the Anointed One. He has given us the Authority and Power to continue His work (see Luke 9:1 and Matthew 16:19). We have been anointed to imitate Jesus and move in the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit, and all for the praise and glory of God.