From the moment Hubs and I left out for Sunday morning worship I felt a pull on me, but not necessarily a pull toward Heaven! Rather, I was feeling real antsy and irritated. I was perturbed with Hubs and pretty much everything else that morning. I tried my darnedest to not be snappy but to execute some self-discipline and temperance because me in my flesh wanted to give Hubby a piece of my wisdom! After we arrived at church and took our seats, I was still wrestling with this feeling of uneasiness and I kept saying to myself what’s going on with me. I prayed silently, Lord help me, Lord forgive me and blood wash me, yet nothing seemed to break. I still hadn’t felt a release or a sense of liberty. Saints I wondered how did I get in this rut, feeling well, so un-saintly, when just a few hours before in prayer, before going to bed I was basking in His presence dotting on Him and His awesomeness. So I continue on in church, and as with most Sunday worship services, the order is praise then worship, which was nice and I was doing okay saving face on the outside but on the inside I just wasn’t feeling my saintly best. It wasn’t until Elder Kevin got up and began to exhort our King and sound the alarm that the chiseling began within. I felt pieces of hardness begin to crumble bit-by-bit.
Lovely, Evangel Church Worship Team Member, Aisha Richardson and her beautiful daughter Anaiya! Anaiya is a budding model and the cutest little thing ever!
Elder Kevin began teaching on how each of us are Anointed by God and discussed all the components of Anointed Oil found in Exodus 30:22-32. It's not just about all the ingredients that go into making the oil and their properties thereof, but the process that it goes through for it to be Holy. The oil was made to anoint us that we be as Christ to walk out purpose and in His service, but to also develop a fragrance of and an aroma that’s pleasing to Him. The fragrance comes by worship and the crushing and the bruising that occurs during the encounter before Him.
The first ingredient in the anointing oil was myrrh, which is like a narcotic to dull or alleviate pain. The next was cinnamon to ignite the fire of the Holy Ghost within us and the zeal and passion that comes with it. Third was calamus for the sweet aroma that comes up from crushing it’s flower petals . The final component cassia that acts a laxative to purge and extract impurities.
Me pictured with little Miss Niyomi at church, so precious and full of personality! My #WardrobeHustle Vest:Trouve' Top: BP Nordstrom Pants: JCrew Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs Shoes: Zara
As the service took a turn and shifted from teaching into unadulterated worship and I went deeper in for myself and the tears began to flow from my heart, more and more I could feel the stony and hardened places began to dismantle. I also felt the four different components of the anointing oil speaking to my current situation, especially the myrrh and the cassia. The myrrh addressed the pain I was experiencing due to feeling so unworthy and shameful as a result of my actions that morning. We know when someone is touched by the anointing pain leaves. The cassia that was acting as a laxative that was cleansing me during my surrender, as I cried out and worshipped the King.
In Mark 15, when Jesus went to the cross He had us on His mind, when He refused the wine mixed with myrrh offered by the soldiers at the crucifixion. See any prisoner that came to the point of crucifixion, they would take myrrh before they were to be crucified to help them dull the pain. Jesus on the other hand, refused the myrrh and took on our pain, He took on our carried our sicknesses, He took on our and carried our sin. He became our substitute and took on the pain that you and I were supposed to take and deal with because of our sin.
I needed a substitute that morning. Jesus taking on my pain during worship, was a reminder that you get that special touch when you’re broken by Him. That touch that I so desperately needed and earnestly longed for that comes when I’m broken and bruised before Him. I functioned just enough to do what I needed to do to get to church and act accordingly, but it wasn’t until His anointed presence touched me in my worship experience that I got my release. I not only need His presence, I WANT His presence. I’m like Moses in Exodus 33:15, “If God’s presence does not go with me, I’d rather not go.” I wasn’t until I released the sound of Heaven adoring , loving, reverencing Him, but most of all relinquishing my control in my heart’s cry that the aroma went up to Him as a sweet smelling fragrance. My petals were crushed. There was nothing I could do, but surrender. I had to cave in. I’m going through my process for Holiness, that His oil would rest on my life.
Me & Hubs after church! (I thank God for his patience and love)
Yes, saints we are anointed by God. Yes, the anointing is on our lives to enable us to go forth, to endure and to do a work for Him, but also, the anointing destroys yokes. It destroyed my yoke. It destroys your yoke. I thank God His oil is on my life and it’s on your life saints. In true God style, I love how even when we mess up and feel unworthy & very un-saintly, His mercies are new for us every morning. He gives us His strength, which is perfect, to deal with our weakness and He gives us the oil of joy in exchange for the spirit of heaviness. That’s #SaintlyStyle!
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