Anointing The New Order David Orton

Anointing The New Order

David Orton

"How long will you mourn for Saul… Fill your horn with oil and be on your way…" 1 Sam 16:1

Many are currently ‘networking’ the old instead of ‘anointing’ the new.

Let me explain. Because of his unbroken inner life the kingdom had just been taken from Saul and promised to one better than he – to David (1 Sam 15:28). His days on the throne were now numbered.

But Samuel mourns for Saul, unable to make the transition to the new order. Although he was the prophetic vessel announcing the judgment on the old he faltered at anointing the new.

Why was this? Because even in the prophet’s eyes Saul was an impressive king. He was “an impressive young man without equal…a head taller than any of the others” (1 Sam 9:2; 10:23).

Human reasoning

It would appear that the strength of the natural man is such that even the prophet was influenced by human reasoning. Remember, Israel had cried out for a king so as to be like all the other nations (see 1 Sam 8:5). Surely, Saul was the man, despite the failings of his inner life. He was “head and shoulders’ above his peers. How could God choose somebody less impressive?

This natural reasoning so influenced Samuel that when he did finally go to anoint the new king he was immediately attracted to David’s older brothers. The Scripture records that,

“Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16:6-7).

And so, man in his estimation of spiritual things is governed by his seeing and his thinking. Samuel ‘saw’ Eliab and he ‘thought’. Except for the Spirit our thinking is fed by our five senses, and therefore, by appearances. Surely, Samuel thought, if Saul is no longer ‘the man’ this impressive young dude is. But apparently not, because “the Lord does not look at the things man looks at”. Man looks at the visible, the outwardly impressive – he measures by success, popularity, and position. But the Lord looks at the invisible, at the hidden condition of the heart. He sees through the outward pretence of human things – of prestige and position, into the inner man. On losing the kingdom this inner condition in Saul is exposed. Rather than breaking he cries out to Samuel, “please honour me before the elders…and before Israel” (1 Sam 15:30). He was more interested in his dignity than his deliverance. Such is the case with the old order.

Changing mindsets

Now the difficulty the prophetic person faces, as with Samuel, in making the transition from the old order to the new is a change of mindsets. Apparently it is possible to pronounce God’s judgments on the old and even proceed to anoint the new but still be governed by the old. By old mindsets that judge after the flesh rather than after the Spirit. By dependence on Saul – a human king who is distinguished by superior strength and stature.

Surely, this is the current situation in the church. Like ancient Israel we have cried out, “Give us a king like all the other nations”. And we have become like the world, judging the things of God after the flesh, and therefore, depending on human programs over God’s presence, on activity over adoration, on man’s structures over God’s Spirit.

But the temptation the Samuels, the transitional prophets and reformers, face is operating out of the same spirit even as they preside over the transition.

Wow – how subtle is the deception of our own hearts. As Jeremiah, complained, “Who can know it?” (Jer 17:9).

‘Networking’ the old

And so, we have many ‘networking’ the old rather then ‘anointing’ the new. Now many of my ‘networking’ friends are not going to like this. But even those of us who are hungering for community transformation and are desperately desirous of moving into a new order of things, and even those who are called to prophetically preside over this transition are often only ‘networking’ the old – perpetuating Saul’s reign. How can this be?

Before I answer, please don’t misunderstand me – I believe in networking – in unity, and community transformation. I am involved in all of these. But our ‘networking’ of pastors, of community transformation and even of the prophetic will not do it. Of course we need to be communicating and connecting with one another, that is a given, but this in itself will not do it.

Because the Saul-system is a spirit, or a mindset, before it is a structure we can actually network a new structure but still be of the old spirit. We can even network a ‘new apostolic movement’ but still miss the point.

Or conversely, we can network old structures in an old spirit. Many citywide pastors’ networks in reality are merely a networking of the old – a networking of the existing order. At the end of the day the prevailing success, growth, and consumer demands of the Western church prevail demanding the loyalty of pastors. They are controlled by the expectations and demands of the status quo. And central to this is their financial security. While these new networks are undoubtedly being raised up by God and are integral to the transition to the biblical paradigm of the city church they will stall if the root issues are not confronted. All our networking will be reduced to merely rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship.

It is therefore time to fully comprehend the radical, in fact, the revolutionary departure of the new order from the old.

The ‘Saul spirit’

Integral to this though is the revelation of the Saul spirit. This is where even Samuel momentarily faltered. Seduced by the impressiveness of Saul, by appearances, he grieved over the passing of the old and could not fully identify with the new. It is easier to work with the old, with that which in the eyes of men is esteemed and respectable, with the successful and powerful. To anoint a David, young and unknown, was too radical a departure. Not even considered by his father David, however, had been seen by God.

And so, there is a point where the Samuels must align themselves with the choice of God. When they must fill their horn with oil and anoint the new. When in heart and will they make their break from the security of Saul – when they have no choice but to go with God. God’s choice will never be popular. He inevitably chooses the foolish things to confound the wise, and the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are.

The emerging church & the new Davidic order

This is the hour for the emerging church – for men and women after the heart of David – for brokenness of heart, for 24/7 intercessory worship, and above all else, for the pursuit of God’s presence over our programs.

As with Samuel the time has come to shift gears. To align ourselves with the new Davidic order – to anoint those who have a heart for the presence and who will play only to an audience of one. To judge only after the Spirit and go with the move of God.

It is time to fill our horn with oil and be on our way.

L I F E M E S S A G E

A prophetic teaching from David Orton

Lifemessenger Inc PO Box 777 Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Australia

Heaven Kissing Earth

David Orton

The first advent of Christ is the touchstone of heaven kissing earth.

And so, let us never tire of returning to the miracle of God becoming man and be in awe. As we look on the babe of Bethlehem we see the awesome majesty of the Creator-Redeemer God enfolded in human form.

It is here that we learn God invades earth. He comes in human form - in a body. In the fullness of time God sent his Son "born of a woman" (Gal 4:4).

Now here is the lesson - beginnings always determine endings. Just as Christ had a body prepared for him to inhabit, so also, at the climax of the ages (see Heb 10:5). The miracle of God incarnate, bursting forth on history's stage first in the only begotten Son, is again replicated as the Father brings many sons to glory (see Heb 2:10). A body is again being prepared which is the "fullness of him" (Eph 1:23) a corporate Christ, the church.

Not that we are deified - we are definitely not, but we are "made partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4) we are, in fact, the body of Christ. Our union with Christ is so intimate that we enter the perfection of his humanity and God is manifest in the flesh. While Western theology has emphasised the fallenness of man Eastern orthodoxy has focused on what could be described as the "re-deification" of man the restoration of humanity to the image of Christ. Without falling foul of heresy, and making man a god, we do need to recover some of the Eastern emphasis.

At this Christmas season, as we consider again the miracle of the incarnation let us learn how heaven kisses earth.

Just as a young insignificant Hebrew girl was chosen to carry Christ within her, God is again choosing the foolish things to confound the wise, and the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are. He does not on the whole choose the positioned and the worldly wise to fulfil his purposes, but the despised and insignificant. And so, "simple" churches, radical youth churches, underground churches, marketplace churches, and even renewed institutional churches are experiencing the visitation of God. As with Mary a humble people are again experiencing the favour of God and with it a prophetic portent of an imminent birth - the promise of redemption - of ultimate global transformation.

But as with Mary we ask, "How can these things be"? (see Lk 1:34). In the face of our present condition revival and sweeping community transformation seem so impossible. The answer remains the same,

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you". (Lk 1:35).

The conception of Christ was totally supernatural. A divine seed was planted within Mary's womb - the co-mingling of the human and the divine producing a whole new order - a new humanity, the God-man, Christ Jesus. But it was by the Spirit.

And so, the promise of a new humanity in the image of Christ, of revival and global transformation will not be achieved through any human intervention. There is no IVF program to bring this thing to pass. No man-made strategy, formula, or program can produce the miracle of God manifest in the flesh. We are totally cast on God. Consequently, the kingdom-corporate Christ, manifesting all the fullness of God in the earth, will only see the light of day by the Spirit.

Under his orchestration the whole of creation is now groaning in travail for this to occur - for the full manifestation of the sons of God (see Rom 8:19-22). We travail in birth, as Paul said, until Christ be formed in us (see Gal 4:19).

This is the time like never before for surrender and for intimacy - for the formation of the presence of Christ within us.

Let us, like Mary, surrender to this divine imperative. With her let us abandon ourselves again to God by crying,

"May it be to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38).

Get ready for heaven to kiss earth.

For articles by David Orton, Go Here: http://www.openheaven.com click on "Articles" and then on "David Orton"

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