We are currently emerging from the gift of Ruling season in church history and are moving into the final and greatest season which is the gift of Mercy. One of the emerging characteristics of the Mercy season of the Church is that God is giving more specialized anointings for building righteousness, than for healing brokenness. In the past, "anointing" most often referred to the ability to destroy the works of the devil. We spoke of an anointing for deliverance, for healing or even for raising people from the dead. Those are all valid and needed and still present in the current season but God is releasing grace to build, not just to tear down.
Take Hector and Bob. They have unusual authority in their work place to move righteous people into positions of authority. Both of them work in highly unionized, highly politicized environments. However, when either of these men hears from God that a specific person needs to be put in place, they pray and it happens.
Terri and Megan have authority over the spiritual dimension of odors. If a place is defiled by unclean spiritual odors, they can do "normal" housecleaning and the result is not just less dust on the window sill. When they are done cleaning, the natural air carries the spiritual fragrance of heaven.
Jorge and Vivian have a calling to city parks. When they go and pray, crime goes down, the government abruptly spends money to refurbish the park and plants begin to grow better than they ever did before.
Holt is able to discern the spirit of a woman and design a custom outfit for her that expresses the beauty of her spirit in a remarkable way. The world has routinely used clothing to disguise or accentuate physical features. She is able to use clothing to portray the grandeur of a person's spirit.
John has no formal training in gardening. However, he can see a piece of land and help it express itself through the location and shape of the flower beds and the plants he places in them. Normally we impose our will on the land, making a statement about ourselves, but John allows the land to speak through his design.
Bob, Linda and Lisa each can produce an amazingly high class ambiance with very simple decorations. Given a low budget for a secular event - social or business - they can bring the spiritual realm into alignment over the soul, thereby creating a setting that feels elegant, extraordinary and very welcoming.
For each of these people there are other areas of their lives where they struggle, but in this one area, there is disproportionate authority.
There have always been niche anointings. This is not entirely new. What is so refreshing is that the Father is highly focused on building.
When God first taught me about the seven season of the Church, He said that the Mercy season would be marked by people smelling the fragrance of Christ. Have you noticed that every single one of these anointings can be freely used in a non-religious context? God is not only building, but He is taking the fragrance of Christ to the world. So if you have noticed that there is some area of your life where you have unusual authority, and you have said nothing while you privately wondered if you were going crazy, be free! You are not crazy. You are anointed for the Mercy season.
The anointing is primarily for the pre-Christian. So without engaging in any spiritual mugging, simply be yourself, use your anointing in the marketplace, at the ball game, in the neighborhood, or wherever you are and allow the fragrance of Christ to waft gently through the air, turning the heads of those whom the Father has called to Jesus.
April 21, 2005
Arthur Burk
