The Anointing: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

After a long period of prayer and searching for God's will for my life and having purchased already two other Dr. Kendal's books, it was a pleasure for me to read this book. I got very useful insights from the many personal stories reported as well as started to see clearer how the Holy Spirit is working in all over the world. Many times we expect from the Spirit to work in our lives and in our church as we have been used to, but the truth is that "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts". From now on, I will let the Spirit "purge myself from these, so to be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work". Because I don't want to be a yesterday man but a tomorrow one. God bless all of us...

R. T. Kendall wrote very well concerning a topic (The Anointing) which is usually unheard of, unspoken of, and unknown by in today's churches. Generally speaking, churches are seeking after the latest fad in Christianity other than holiness "without which no one will see the Lord". We have the prosperity gospel, the positivism gospel, and the "name-it and claim-it" gospel, to name a few. The anointing of the Holy Spirit can't be properly defined but you will know when it is not there as well as when is evident. I agree totally, through my personal experience, that there are many men of God who are walking on yesterday's anointing; there are still chewing on what God did on 1957, 1977, or late last week. Brother Kendall addresses the issue of the coming together of the Word and the Spirit where neither one is over emphasized over the other. Baptists are usually people of the Word, but usually won't allow the Spirit to do His work. Some of them believe on the gifts of the Spirit so long as tongues are not present. Pentecostals, on the other hand, are usually good in the leading of the Spirit, but don't let them know they have no clue about the Word of God because they will be ready to harm you in the name of God. I have experienced these two extremes. There two things I disagree with the author of this book: 1. Brother Kendall states that God showed him in the Bible the belief of election and predestination. Though the Bible mentions election and predestination, these two terms must be looked at in light of the consensus of the Bible on the topic of salvation. Otherwise, how do I accommodate the "whoever" found in John 3:16 (NKJV)? What will I do with the statement "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" found in 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)? 2. Secondly, in my opinion, he made a bad interpretation or made a bad assumption when he stated the following: a. On page 152 he quotes Romans 10:8, 9, 14, & 17 to make the following statement: "This tells us that the gospel is complete without signs and wonders. We are saved by faith alone in God's Word - alone. This helps to explain why God magnifies His Word above all His name." He goes on to state that "The gospel is complete without signs and wonders, but the Bible is not complete without signs and wonders." 1) "We are saved by faith alone in God's Word - alone." a) According to the New Testament, though we must hear the Word, one's faith must be in Jesus which is the Word (Logos). Throughout the book, Brother Kendall refers to the Bible when referring to the Word (Written). 2) "The gospel is complete without signs and wonders, but the Bible is not complete without signs and wonders." a) The Bible gives no indication nor does it imply that this is the case. Taking Mark 16:20 ("And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen") in consideration, it seems that the W

This was not a quick read. In fact, I had to put the book down frequently after just a few pages to absorb the meaning and content. Nonetheless, R.T. has done a superb job of articulating the faith that I have tried to define for many years. He presents a clear balance between application of the Word and practice of listening to the Spirit. The summary in the final chapter makes reading this book well worth the time investment. He brings together clearly a call to read and live out the Word in faith while listening to the Spirit as in what one of my friends reflects as "post charismatic" christianity. Demonstrating gifts of the Spirit versus bearing fruit in the Spirit is one thought worth pursuing. Walking the talk and reading THE BOOK is what this book is all about. Buy it, read it, post your comments.

RT Kendall does a good job of showing the importance of the Holy Spirit's work in the life of the believer. He shows clearly the importance of not only being filled with the Spirit but also the importance of those special annointings, outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Non-charismatics will reject this book as a Baptist gone bad but I am of the opinion that Kendall has become a Baptist who has found the truth of the Holy Spirit.

The "Anointing" provides a meaningful discussion on that vital component that makes our gifts empowered by God. The biblical illustration that Kendall uses of Saul, Samuel, and David to show yesterday, today's, and tomorrow's anointing is extremely good. The book provides a excellent framework for one to evaluate where they are in reference to what God is doing today. It also provides a platform for churches and denominations to detirmine whether they are in the mainstream of God's will. While the author's emphasis seems to be on the dynamic (charismatic) aspect, he does close the work with an appeal to remain balanced in the Word (rational, dogmatic, intellectual) and Spirit (expressive, experiential, miraculous).