17/12/10

Anointing with oil

James 5:14 - Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:


There was a sister who used to lay hands and heal the sick but when she got connected to a priest she started using oil, rubbing it on the head of the sick. Soon people stopped calling her and just asked for the oil so that they could rub it on their heads and hope for healing!

If people really understand scriptures they will laugh at all the foolish things that man does. The Greek word that James used for oil refers to Olive. Does that mean we need to use only olive oil for anointing? I can imagine the business the Mediterranean countries will get if this happens!

The word 'oil' comes from the olive tree. The olive tree has been special to the Greek and continued through the ages. Every part of this tree is of great value, so much so that its leaves were used to crown rulers. The tree has records of surviving even 2000years (like in Portugal, Algarve / Montenegro) and the tree of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed has records to have survived at least 1600years.

It is the first plant named in the Bible and is connected to Noah's floods. It was the leaf of the olive that the dove bought which confirmed to Noah that the floods have stopped. One can understand olive or oil from this incident.

If one reads the scriptures, when Noah sent the dove it was not the only bird which was on the job. Even before the dove was sent there was a raven that was on the same job. The raven continued going out and coming back, yet we see Noah sent the dove. People who know birds may find this a foolish move by Noah. A raven is known to be a better flyer than a dove and far smarter than a dove. Ravens survive even in deserts and travel far greater distances.

Noah did this because he understood the images in which the animals were created by God. God created every being in images with understanding so that we can by them know more of His Kingdom.

The raven symbolized worldly cleverness / communication, while a dove symbolizes spiritual. The sound of the dove is like the babbling of spiritual tongues and for this reason the Holy Spirit manifested as a dove over Jesus and as a tongue of fire over the Apostles. Fire symbolized for purification and was need for the Apostles but not in the case of Jesus, who was without blemish.

The manifestation of tongue over Jesus and over the Apostles was the same but only varied by the purification need. It was more spiritual in the case of Jesus. People foolishly thing a dove symbolizes peace, but instead symbolizes spiritual communication. Some describe the Holy Spirit coming Jesus symbolized the gracefulness of a dove. They need to see a dove fly and there is not gracefulness in its flying, a raven or crow is more graceful.

Noah did his earthly communication but did not rely for answer from it; his eyes were wholly set on his spiritual communication. We may say prayers with powerful words and even shout at top of our voices but the answer comes for that soft payer which we make from our hearts in spirit. Leave a thousand ravens but it is the dove which brings the message.

It is not that we stop the ravens. Ravens are necessary like in the case of Elijah during the drought the Lord provided for him through the ravens. So while we are spiritually low and have problems communicating spiritually, please do let the raven do its job, meaning keep praying in the natural way.

The olive or oil symbolized the anointing by spiritual communications. It is the grace which keeps us and takes us out of problems and furthers in our efforts. Like oil lubricates a machine and also takes care of the rust.

So anointing with oil means praying over the person in spiritual tongues, and we all have seen great healings when we do this over the sick.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You made us in the flesh but we live in spirit. We live in this world but are alien to it. Your ways and unknown to man and hidden from the wise of this world, You reveal them to the babes. Lord, help us walk in spirit and through your Spirit free us from the bondages of this flesh...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]
Genesis 8:6-11
6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
7 and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
8 And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
9 but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark; for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her in unto him into the ark.
10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11 and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

Palms 55:5-7
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. [Selah]

Songs of Solomon 2:14
14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

Songs of Solomon 6:9
9 My dove, my undefiled, is but one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

Isaiah 38:14
14 Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety.

Matthew 3:16-17
16 And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Luke 3:21-22
21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Mark 16:16-17
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.
17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;

1 Kings 17:1-6
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)