How to Keep Grief from Stealing Your Destiny

The Battle over the Anointing

How to Keep Grief from Stealing Your Destiny

Joy A. Schneider

Copyright © 2016 by Joy A. Schneider

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

First printing 2016

International Standard Book Number: 978-0-9710460-2-3

E-book International Standard Book Number: 978-0-9710460-3-0

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional copying of pages for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960. 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelsen, Inc. Used by permission. All right reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled AMPC are from the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.

Scripture quotations labeled MSG are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my daughters Kristie and Angie who have been a continuing source of encouragement and joyous relationship.

Acknowledgements

There are many precious friends who have placed their own mark upon the completion of these pages as they critiqued the content and offered their valuable advice. Among them are Pete and Anne Barden, Deborah Kellogg, Karen Faulkner, Sue Golke, Stephanie and Dave Mayberry, Sharon Spika and Grant Ruff. My thanks to Linda Evans Shepherd who encouraged me and gave guidance on varied aspects of craft and publication. A special thanks goes to Stacie Jennings, and a mutual friend, Patricia Hilliard, who helped activate the manuscript at a crucial juncture. My appreciation goes to those who shared their stories and gave me permission to share a bit of their lives with those who read these pages: Deborah Kellogg, Linda Evans Shepherd, Judy Ruff and Kathy Hendrickson.

I trust the Lord to reward those who had a part in this book with an abundant flow of the anointing knowing they played an important part in helping to equip others to stand in the Battle Over the Anointing.

Table of Contents

Part One — The Anointing

Chapter 1 — Am I Anointed?

Chapter 2 — Characteristics of the Anointing

Chapter 3 — Protecting the Anointing

Part Two — The Battle

Chapter 4 — The Reason for the Battle

Chapter 5 — The Anti-Anointing

Part Three — Grief

Chapter 6 — Mourning, Grieving, and Grief

Chapter 7 — How Does Grief Happen?

Chapter 8 — Grief’s Agenda

Chapter 9 — Identifying Grief

Chapter 10 — Our Victorious Enabler

Chapter 11 — Remove Grief

Chapter 12 — Change Your Grief Mindset

Part Four — The Victory

Chapter 13 — Take Back What the Enemy Stole

Chapter 14 — Return to Worship

Chapter 15 — A View of the End Times

NOTES

About the Author

Part One — The Anointing

Chapter 1 — Am I Anointed?

Rachel leaned forward as she sat with her hands covering her face, her shoulders shaking as she wept. When she lifted her head to speak, tears flowed from her eyes and spilled down her face. Slipping a tissue from a box nearby, she wiped away the wetness from her cheeks. I want so much for the Lord to use me, but I just don’t know if I’m anointed. Do I want this out of selfish reasons? If I do, then, for sure, God doesn’t want me to pray for people. How do I know if God wants to use me or even if I am qualified?

Rachel’s anguish is similar to that of many sincere believers who question whether God has a plan to use their lives for His purposes. Christians are often discouraged from understanding and using the wonderful gift they have as born-again believers in Jesus Christ.

I remember the first time someone told me I was anointed—I felt like I’d been handed an identity I didn’t know I possessed, an identity connected to my life and my faith. Because that confirmation of the anointing in me impacted my life in such a profound way, I understood Rachel’s deep yearning to know if and how she fit into God’s divine plan.

Once Rachel realized she was already anointed and God wanted her to step into the abilities He had placed within her, the barriers of fear, unworthiness, and discouragement fell away. Before long she was engaged in praying with other people and seeing God work in their lives. Her countenance radiated joy, and in time her confidence grew and expanded into many avenues of ministry.

As Christians we have an enemy who has formulated strategies against us. Such strategies present all sorts of reasons why we may question the anointing. Many of us have walked in Rachel’s shoes, unable to step out to pray for others because we believe we may do or say something wrong. Some of us are afraid we will misuse or misrepresent God’s anointing. We suffer because we want God to use us, yet we feel trapped and unable to move forward. Others of us, because we do not want to be presumptuous before God, think we are somehow unworthy or not qualified in His eyes to expect miracles or hear from Him. We are so afraid of being prideful that we draw back. Though we desire God to use us, we fear we’ve been set aside, and the feeling of being stagnant is painful.

Am I anointed? is a question many of us have asked ourselves at one time or another. Each of us seeks direction or validation for why we are here on earth. We tell ourselves, There has to be a reason for my life.

Yes, God has purpose formed within every one of us. The inner yearning of our heart is that our God-ordained purpose comes to fruition. We may not be cognizant that we are pursuing our destiny; nonetheless, we long for our lives to have significance. Often, even if we believe we have an anointing, we wonder if we are missing God’s direction for us. Or maybe we are hindered from knowing how we fit into His plan.

Since the anointing is one of God’s most important impartations to us, as believers, we have Satan’s fervent attention. He works to hinder, alter, neutralize, or halt the anointing through ways we will investigate in the following pages.

There is hope for those of us who feel we have been sidelined from the battle. We have the warrior spirit, but loss, turmoil, and anguish have stolen the fight from us. Others of us are hesitant to engage in confrontation because we feel overwhelmed or fearful. Still others of us have not known there is such a thing as the anointing and therefore have not grasped its importance nor made the effort to take hold of its power. We need to know that when we receive knowledge and gain confidence in the anointing, we will prevail.

Satan uses the fear of man to convince us that someone may think we are not qualified to pray or teach or minister. If God’s passion is overflowing within us and our heart is turned toward Him, we need not fear. Even if we make mistakes, which we no doubt will, our Lord is not a taskmaster but a gentle teacher who will help us grow in our walk with Him. We want to stay alert so that we do not fall into any trap that may hamper us.

One thing I enjoy most in life is seeing others discover the Lord’s benefits, whether it be salvation, healing, deliverance, or becoming aware of their anointing. When they have their aha moment and I see their faces light up with that I get it—I finally understand look, I know it’s as if they’re finding buried treasure: their lives are changed, and they are on their way to a better future.

Having the anointing flow through us is more than fun, more than exhilarating—it gives us a deep sense that we are a part of something eternal, something significant. Other people’s lives are changed, and we are changed. We are not the same once God has used us to minister His goodness to others.

The Plan

First, we will learn about the anointing. Many of us are at different places in our understanding of this powerful aspect of our life in Christ. Because we are an army drawn together to fight a common enemy, every believer is essential in accomplishing God’s plan for this hour. As such, each one of us needs to be unhindered from fulfilling God’s design within our anointing.

We have hope because the anointing holds the promise of freedom from yokes of bondage and from burdens that weigh upon our souls.

It shall come to pass that in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil (Isaiah 10:27 NKJV).

Later we will learn about the subject of grief from a perspective different than current understanding. As we investigate the ways Satan and his cohorts seek to oppress us in our anointing, we will find that grief plays one of the major roles against us. Satan has hidden his strategy from us well. Therefore, we will examine this strategy in detail in a following segment.

The Anointing Equips

As believers in Christ Jesus, His anointing equips us to bring God’s goodness into our lives and into the lives of those for whom we pray. Jesus tells us His yoke is easy and His burden light (see Matthew 11:30). Thus any burden or oppression that has weighed heavily upon us is under consideration for change.

The knowledge we are about to learn is not complicated. The battle is the Lord’s, and we are prepared to use His wisdom and weaponry to overcome.

We have a great advantage when we are determined to be tenacious to fulfill our godly purpose. We just may not know the tactics used against us that have hindered success. In Christ we are able to do exceedingly above all we can ask or think (see Ephesians 3:20). A new season of vitality and understanding is before us. We have the capability of the overcomer.

We have a marvelous gift abiding within us. We have been called to embrace, utilize, and enjoy the anointing we have been given. We want unwavering determination that our anointing is worth the effort. That means we will have to battle.

As we step into our search for answers and understanding, let’s pray:

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the mighty name of Jesus, the Christ. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to come into my heart fresh and anew as I learn about Your anointing in my life and my destiny in You.

I declare the blood of Jesus over my body, soul, and spirit, and over my family, business, ministry, and loved ones. I declare I am an anointed one in Jesus Christ and in Him I live, move, and have my being. I am more than a conqueror in Him.

Lord, I ask for the Holy Spirit to lead me in truth, grace, healing, and revelation. I ask for You to be the way, the truth, and the life in me and to bring me into clarity and wisdom. I seek Your healing in my innermost being so that I can receive Your goodness. I desire fullness of life in Christ Jesus.

I ask You, heavenly Father, to expose any lie, error, or fear that has kept me from loving and understanding You. As the Father of lights, I ask You to bring light into any part of my life that has kept me from experiencing Your great love and the relationship You desire with me, Your child.

Where I am ignorant or weak, I ask for Your wisdom and strength. Where I am fearful, I ask for Your boldness to advance. By the power of the Your Holy Spirit, I ask to take this journey in rest—a rest that is peaceful because I know You are holding me by Your mighty hand. I trust You will lead me into Your truth as we journey together. I rely on Your love and delivering power. In the name and by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Amen.

The Anointing Brings Joy

Many of us do not know that once we became believers in Jesus Christ, we were anointed. Perhaps we are also unaware that our anointing is connected to our destiny. Even though our ultimate destiny is to worship God and have ongoing fellowship with Him, we also have a godly assignment to represent Jesus Christ here on earth.

Few things compare with the joy of the anointing flowing through us to others, for it gives us a sense of something significant taking place. When the goodness of God fills us, we feel blessed and secure. Since God’s empowerment is present to bring God-given purposes to pass, we become aware that we are affecting eternity by our obedience.

Why does the anointing bring such joy within us? Because we experience Jesus in a way that brings joy to Him. We rejoice together. Jesus said He came to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Each time we move in our anointing, we act upon the victory He won and proceed with all He has commissioned us to continue.

The anointing is God’s supply line for delivering heaven’s abundance to meet needs in the earth; therefore, when we move in the anointing, we have a great sense of destiny being fulfilled. Just as a farmer feels a great sense of accomplishment when he brings in the harvest, likewise, when we complete an intricate project, we have great inner satisfaction. We feel the reward of our hard work. When we operate in the anointing, we have great contentment in being a conduit of goodness that surpasses our own ability.

We do not have to worry about not having enough of God’s goodness to go around; we just make ourselves available for God to pour Himself through us. Since God is unlimited, we are connected to an endless supply of heaven’s resources.

As believers, each one of us has anointing that makes us a unique human being with a purpose we alone can accomplish (see 1 John 2:27–28). Those who are not born again of the Spirit of Christ are not able to house the dynamic character of God. When we are born again, we become a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). We are then able to contain the force, power, and ability of His holy presence within us. We are vessels created by the Anointed One Himself, Jesus the Christ.

We can come with boldness to the throne of God because of the blood of Jesus (see Hebrews 4:16). We can come to our heavenly Father without fear because we are of the same spiritual substance as Jesus (see Romans 11:16).

Two of the major questions we may have in life are, Why am I on earth, and what is my purpose? We have these questions within us because God wants us to seek after Him to discover all that He has for us. Likewise, He wants us to value His provision. God is a God of purpose. He does not create or do anything without purpose. Therefore, when we seek His intention for creating us, we can be confident that we will find His desired plan.

Far too many of us have been ignorant of our destiny and, as a result; have difficulty identifying the path God has ordained for us. We need to gain confidence in our anointing; to guard the calling we have; and to enjoy His benefits.

We will discover that we are at an opportune juncture to understand the wonderful gift of the anointing and to discern how the enemy has hindered us in the past.

The Anointing: Our Destiny

The anointing is a consecration (a setting apart as holy) that works by God’s grace in us so that we may fulfill the Father’s intentions for our destiny. When we think of destiny, we often think of a plan that is greater than the mundane aspects of life. We have a purpose for living and paths along which we find fulfillment. When we come to the end of our life, we want our existence to have relevance. I say again, God creates with purpose. Since God created us in His image, we are ordained for godly purpose.

One of a Kind

God has formed every human being with such intricacy and individuality that no two people have been the same since God breathed life into Adam. I thought of this magnificent truth one day as I pondered a mound of snow heaped in my hand. I saw two spectacular phenomena: snowflakes and fingerprints. The crystalline beauty of each snowflake, with its unique and intricate design, revealed the creativity and loving architecture of God’s never-ending inspiration.

Researchers report that no two snowflakes are alike and each snowflake is ornate in beauty and design. Snowflakes have a similar quality of symmetry and six-sided regularity that gives evidence to an orderly and magnificent Creator.

How many snowflakes did it take to fill my hand that day, much less the landscape of glistening snow-covered trees and countryside? Counting them would have been impossible. I watched those snowflake masterpieces disappear from my warm hand, never to be seen again. Perhaps you have done the same. I wonder, as we watch the snow melt, do we give thought to the canvas of elaborate beauty vanishing before our very eyes?

Then there is the hand that holds these innumerable snowflakes. With the fingers and thumb, each digit displays a uniqueness not be found anywhere else on earth. Our fingerprints give us identity that separates us from every other individual. Our fingers and thumbs hold ten descriptions that can be used to distinguish our uniqueness. Fingerprints may be used as evidence to establish innocence or guilt in court settings, for entrance into places of security, or for general identification.

Other means of identification also bear record of the distinctiveness of the human frame, including the irises of our eyes.

The Bible says that God numbers the hairs on our heads (see Luke 12:7; Matthew 10:30). God’s recordkeeping of these statistics reveals that He is involved in our lives in a consistent and detailed way. If He records the statistics of our frame, we can be assured He is attentive to our every need. The Lord’s