The Local Church: God’s Calling and Anointing

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward."

1 Sam 16:13

The Prophet Samuel anointed David "in the midst of the brethren." There is a spiritual principle here, that God does his calling and anointing of believers in the context of the community and the fellowship of believers, the local church.

I personally am wary of people who do not belong to a local church and are not accountable to a pastor, who suddenly show up in churches claiming to be called and anointed by God to be prophets and prophetesses and wanting that their so-called gifting and calling be recognized.

There is another principle which is, "know them which labour among you." 1 Thess 5:12

When I am ministering in churches, I sometimes ask believers to come forward to help me by praying for those who have come to the altar with needs. At such times, I make it clear that I only want believers who are baptized with the Holy Spirit and are members of that church in good standing. I do not want unknown, maverick individualists who do not belong to a local body, laying hands upon others in a meeting. One never knows what kind of spirit they carry.

To those of you who want to develop in spiritual gifts and serve God, I would advise you to be a committed member of a local congregation. The local church by God's design is the crucible of revival. It is the place where God calls and anoints people "in the midst of the brethren." It is the place where spiritual gifts and callings are nurtured and developed. Remember that promotions, callings, and impartations of spiritual gifts in God's kingdom come to lives lived in service and humility, and the local church is the best place to live that way.

Originally posted on Facebook by Pastor Christopher Alam