THE USE OF ANOINTING OIL ON THE SICK IS OPTIONAL: Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide.

EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING
 
BY PASTOR PAUL RIKA
(Int. Director Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide)
 
DATE:
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020
 
TEXT:
James 5:14-16
 
KEY VERSE:
​James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 

In today’s devotional text, we see that even though anointing oil was mentioned to be applied on the sick, it is not what heals the sick. The key verse says, “the prayer of faith shall save the sick.” Again, in the next verse the Bible says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

This shows that the focus is not to be on anointing oil but prayer in the name of Jesus. The anointing oil is only a soothing balm commonly applied on the sick in the eastern part of the world and while this is mentioned by Apostle James, it is optional and not mandatory.

Peter went down to see Aeneas who was bedridden for 8years and he did not use anointing oil on him. He just turned to him and said, “Aeneas, Christ Jesus maketh thee whole: arise and make thy bed.” He didn’t use oil and Aeneas got healed. So, it is optional for those who will choose to use it.
 
You will also observe that the use of anointing oil was restricted to healing, especially the critically  sick. Unfortunately, these days you find anointing oil in another dimension. They use anointing oil to anoint ministers. Where did they get the example from? Was it from Jesus? No! He didn’t anoint His disciples with oil. Where did they get these examples from? The apostles did not anoint their under-ministers or under-shepherds with oil.
 
When Paul and Barnabas were being commissioned for a missionary journey, did elders of the church anoint them with oil? They fasted and laid their hands upon them, prayed and released them into the mission field. When Paul took Timothy to be with him, did he anoint him with oil? No! Titus and other ones were not anointed with oil.
 
When you use anointing oil in your church to anoint ministers, to anoint people that will serve as ushers, to anoint people that will sweep the ground because you attribute it to be a ministry, where did you get it from? It is strange spirit in the church.
 
Thought for the day:
Send out every strange spirit in the church.
 
Song for the day:
Only Jesus can heal, hallelujah, only Jesus can heal, Amen.

Bible reading for the day:
Psalm 124-127; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24