B8) The Corporate Anointing, (S. Dobbs 2003).
(This links to words Nos A42, A26, C7, C4, C6, C3b, C27, C23, C24, C26, C19, C2, C47, C45, C37, C38).
In 2003 the Lord showed me that as individuals have different levels of anointing in Gods Spirit so there are different levels of corporate anointing on the churches of nations. This will vary depending on how the body of Christ in a nation has been submitting to Christ and serving the purpose of God overall. The sum of all the individual Christians walk with the Lord combined.
After a period of time God will review this anointing to see if it should be increased or decreased depending on how much the body of Christ there is submitting to Him. If it is increased the Christians, and unbelievers, of that nation may experience an improvement in the spiritual atmosphere, find it easier to move in the Spirit, and even experience revival breaking out.
When the anointing is reduced the Christians of that nation, and unbelievers too, may experience less spiritual protection, find it harder to move in the Spirit than before, and find it harder to overcome sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. This can be time of testing. Some may call the judgement of God.
Evidence of this can be found in the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. Each of these letters was written to the church of an independent city state, comparable to an independent nation. Some churches were promised increased influence and ability from God. In others the Christians were warned that their church would loose the positions it held if they did not repent.
It is the same with the churches of nations today. We see the churches of many of the historically Christian nations in the Western world loosing much of their anointing in the past 30 years. At the same time many emerging churches in the Third World nations are moving from strength to strength as they submit to Christ.
This has an impact on the individual walk of a Christian in any nation. This does not mean though that someone can’t be a strong Christian in a nation with a backslidden church, or be a backslidden Christian in a nation with a more anointed church. The spiritual environment we operate in will have a powerful influence on us though, making it easier or harder to follow Christ. There is therefore a corporate responsibility on the church of nations. When Christians repent or turn more to Christ God will in due time honour that. Both the Christians and unbelievers in that nation will then benefit spiritually.
[The state of a nation also depends, of course, on what the unbelievers are doing as well. On how much sin their activities are opening that nation too and historical influences related to this. How Christians are doing spiritually is incredibly important though since we are the salt and light bearers, Christ’s ambassadors in a nation.]
S. Dobbs, retyped 29.09.07.