I begin my week surrendering my will to your Lordship Jesus to align myself with your will and receive your power and protection.
This past Friday evening myself and a large group from One Direction Community drove two and a half hours to Dalton, Ga to the back of a carpet warehouse to attend a prayer and worship gathering. At the gathering was a large, clear, 7 or 8 gallon tub with a Bible in it that oil is slowly flowing out of and fills the container. You can get more complete details on this story at this website; https://hisnameisflowingoil.org/story-of-the-oil/ There were around 600 or more people from all over that came to the gathering. All were allowed to dip their fingers in the oil and then spent time worshipping and laying hands and praying over each other. I felt the presence of God in the warehouse. Many people including myself were prophesized over and received words from God. All were given vials of oil to take home and I would guess around 2,000 vials were handed out.
On the bus ride home I was asked by several people my thoughts on the oil. If I believed it was a miracle or not and if the oil held special healing powers. Here are my reflections on the oil and the gathering that night.
I believe that the oil is flowing out of the Bible is a miracle. That God is allowing oil to flow from this Bible for the anointing of his people. Do I believe there is special healing powers in the actual oil itself, yes and no. Let me explain. The oil was created by a miracle of God, the same as yours and my creation are also a miracle of God. What is a greater miracle that is harder to explain; oil that is created and flowing out of a Bible, or life that is created and comes out of a womb? The oil that is miraculously flowing into the container is just that, oil. It has no power of its own sitting in the container. When I dipped my fingers into the oil and it covered my hands and ran down my arms I was not overcome by any special feeling. What it did was focus my hands, my mind and my heart on God and his presence and I went into a time of deep worship and prayer. And as I allowed others to lay hands on me and anoint me with oil, and as I laid hands on other and did the same, the Holy Spirit was active and present among us and we felt the presence of the healing and restoring power of God among us. One elderly woman named Anna prayed over me and I felt the Holy Spirit in an amazing way. The oil in itself was not what healed and prophetic words flowed from, however it was the catalyst which brought living tabernacles of the presence of the Holy Spirit together in prayer.
Is God using the oil to bring revival and healing? Absolutely. Why on a Friday night did 600 people drive, for us two and a half others, for some six hours, to attend a gathering in the back of a carpet warehouse? As that in itself is a miracle. It was to see the oil. It brought people together hungry and expecting to see God. As the gathering began, people shared testimonies of healing and restoration that occurred in people they anointed with oil and prayed over. These testimonies further increased the expectancy and anticipation of those gathered that God would move among them that night and instilled an atmosphere in which the Holy Spirit was invited and encouraged to move and be present. When the gathering ended, as I mentioned earlier, around 2,000 vials of oil were handed out to people as they left. And those who left, while receiving the vials, where excitingly naming the people they were going to anoint with the oil and pray over: parents, siblings, children, neighbors, co-workers and church members. If each vial of oil can anoint around 10 people, then it leads to the possibility of 20,000 people that are going to have hands laid on them and anointed with oil and prayers. That flowing out of one Friday night gathering is a miracle.
I believe God is making oil flow from the Bible to gather, remind, and encourage his people to excitedly and expectantly give and receive the power and presence of the Holy Spirit among each other. God has always desired that his people gather together in his presence and power and then to "go" and bring his power and presence to others. And He is quite aware of the decline not only of the numbers of those gathering in churches in the U.S., but the decline of the expectancy of the power and presence of God in His churches by those that are gathering in His churches. And if He has to miraculously make oil flow out of a Bible into a large Tupperware container to get people to gather, then He will. Which leads me to the questions, Why is that?
To be honest, the only reason we drove two and a half hours to Dalton, Ga to this gathering was to see the oil. To see the oil is why 95% of the people gathered that night. If it was posted on social media that there was going to simply be a prayer and worship gathering Friday night at the same location, we would not have drove there, and very few of the others that attended would have either. And that convicts me. Why do we need a “Draw” to gather us, besides the opportunity to pray, worship and experience the presence of God together? Why do we need the draw of either a well known praise and worship band, a well known speaker or author, an amazing theatrical performance or pro presenter presentation, a comfortable venue or other catalyst. Why do we need a Tupperware container full of oil?
I am also convicted: Why do we need “special vessels of oil” from God to encourage us and get us excited about laying hands and praying over those in our community? We who call Jesus Lord are all vessels of the very presence of God in the Holy Spirit. Its is that inward presence, power and anointing of the Holy Spirit that flows from us, that the act of outward anointing of oil represents.
So again, is the oil a miraculous sign from God, yes. However, I am convinced if that tub of oil was not our "draw" and not present Friday night, and that the same 600 people who gathered that night gathered together with the same excitement and expectancy, and worshipped together, laid hands on each other and anointed each other with whatever oil they had in their pocket, spoke healing words and prophetic words over each other, the some powerful presence of the Holy Spirit would have fallen on that warehouse. And if all those gathered left without being given a vial of oil, but with the same excitement and expectancy to lay hands on and pray over loved ones, friends, and neighbors, the same healing renewal and rival would take place. I think this is the main point God is trying to remind and restore in His Church through the flowing oil. And I believe God will allow it to flow to encourage and remind his people of His active presence in the world, and more importantly, in each of us. And God will continue the oil to flow until it stops becoming a referent to His presence and glory and we make an idol of it, which we as people always inevitably do.
My family, I pray today you discern and realize that the simple “Draw” of the opportunity to pray and worship together in the presence amazingly enough. That you will make it the center of why you gather and you will excitedly and expectantly seek these simple yet powerful gatherings together. In prayer may the Holy Spirit remind you that you are a vessel of the very presence of God and that your were created to pour out onto and anoint those around you with His healing and grace. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and comments below in the comment box.
Please begin 2018 by a commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!
