27 March 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-
“It’s like when you’re standing at the threshold about to cross the threshold, that is the time of intense preparation,” said Rev Miles Toulmin of HTBB on 21st of March in the worship conference held by Worship Central at Alpha Hub, Rooftop of Lot 10. “It’s the game before the game.”
When Samuel saw David, he took the horn of oil and anointed David. From that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. (1 Sam 16:13) And this is David’s beginning of the game before the game.
First part of the game before the game: ACCESS – Allow the Spirit of God to enter every door of your life
As soon as David got anointed, the first thing God asked him to do is to be a worship leader at the court of Saul. And Saul chose him because he was a gifted musician, a brave man, and a warrior. David was said to speak well and he was fine looking too. But the most important quality of David is God was with him. (1 Sam 16:18)
One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” (1 Sam 16:18)
So, God is preparing us as we stand at the threshold of our destiny. The game before the game is about allowing access of the Holy Spirit into all areas of our life because only then, we can cross the threshold.
Why was David chosen? This is because God looks at a man’s heart (1 Sam 16:7). And it was David’s heart that made him an outstanding worship leader. In spite of his later failings, God said, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22)
But how do we have a heart like David’s? We can have David’s heart by God’s love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), so that we know in our heart that God loves us. This is where all ministries are birthed. The question is then, “How open are we in allowing the Holy Spirit all access into our heart?”
Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Rev 3:20) We have allowed Jesus access into the front door of our house but there are still locked room doors in our life. The Holy Spirit is not brash and He would only enter when we open the door to Him. For God to prepare us for the game before the game, Jesus wants us to open every door of our life to Him.
Miles shared how an old bishop asked him and his friends to pray for him at a church. They laid their hands upon him and simply said, “Come, Holy Spirit come.” Immediately, the bishop fell facedown on the floor. On that day, Miles did not minister to the bishop, but the bishop ministered to him by showing him how it is to open our hearts completely to God.
Second part of the game before the game: AUTHORITY – Act with the authority God has given you
Seven of Jesse’s sons were paraded before Samuel, yet none were chosen till Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” (1 Sam 16:11) Jesse said, “There is still the youngest.” (1 Sam 16:11) Poor David! He was not even given a name. In other words, David was overlooked and undervalued. But to God, hidden does not mean forgotten.
Jesus has chosen you. He has chosen to delegate His authority to you, and that is to go and make disciples of all nations. (Matt 28:18-19)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-19)
An investment banker once shared with Miles that the primary reason why CEO’s failed is that they failed to act on the authority they were already given.
On another occasion, Miles remembered organizing an open-field evangelism at Tamil Nadu, India with a group of teenagers. An old woman with a bent back hobbled to a particular 17-year-old teenager for a healing prayer. He simply placed his hand over her and prayed, “In the name of Jesus, be healed.” Immediately, she miraculously straightened, and started dancing and running through the crowd. The only person more surprised than the woman was the teenager.
The truth is that all authority in Heaven and on earth is now yours in the name of Jesus, for Jesus. And when we realize this truth, we have entered the game before the game.
Third part of the game before the game: ANOINTING – Accept God’s anointing
The third part of the game before the game is accepting God’s anointing. What does it mean to be anointed? To be anointed means to be singled out for special favor or customised responsibility.
Do not go looking for anointing but like David, let it search you out. There is nothing mystifying about anointing. Anointing always signifies a functional newness, not only in doing new tasks, but also in having a new perspective on tasks.
Anointed people do small things with great passion. David led worship with passion in the court of Saul. He carried the lunch packs to his brothers at the army line with passion as well. And overhearing the conversation about Goliath, the passion in him that came from the anointing, burned in him, which eventually caused him to slay Goliath.
Anointing also always comes before the appointment. After David was anointed, he waited for 20 years before he became king. Many of the people in the Bible waited for many years after anointing before the appointment as well. So, do not be afraid to wait for the fulfillment of your destiny.
Lastly, anointing is not metaphysical but it carries a mission. In other words, anointing leads to action. David was anointed with the oil and he was led to play in the courts of Saul. Leading worship takes courage. We know this because one of the reasons David was chosen is because of his bravery. In fact, when the Israelites go to battle, the worshippers marched in front of the army to spiritually fight the battle and proclaim God’s promises.
Now that we understand anointing, how do we harness it? Anointing is best harnessed in a community. Paul called Antioch as his home and later Ephesus as home. David called Israel as home. But at one time, he had to hide in the cave of Adullam from Saul and people started flocking to him from everywhere. Like David, these people are also seeking refuge from the problems; some of them are in debt, neglected, and ostracized. Eventually, they became David’s community and the very generals of his army. When we stand on the solid Rock of Jesus, people will gather around us, seeing that we are unshakeable and stable in our faith.
Another example of how community harnessed anointing is seen in Kenya’s David Rudisha who broke the 800-metres world Olympic record in 2012. Curious reporters started to flock to his obscure school in a tiny town in Kenya to search for the secret of this world champion. Turned out, this is the same place where 20 world-record runners came from as well. When the reporters met the coach of Rudisha, they learned he was actually a geography teacher and a British missionary. The reporter asked him, “What is the secret of your success?” He answered, “Here we have a community, and you bloom where you are planted.” This shows us how community harnesses anointing.
Are you ready for the game before the game? You already have the Holy Spirit in you, and God is working with you even right now for you to open up all the doors of your life to Him. As for gaining authority, the Bible holds a wealth of promises that God already has for us. If only we find time to read the Bible and declare the promises, while acting according to God’s Word, His authority will surely rest on us to fulfill what God wants us to do. And lastly, the anointing of the Lord comes first from a heart that is right before Him, like how David was anointed because his heart was with God. Remember, we are a group people, we are set apart, and we are here to fulfill God’s destiny in our life through access, authority, and anointing.
Are you game for the Game before the Game?
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