We know from God’s word we are changed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18), so we are to be moving forward not backward or standing still. The double anointing for God’s people will not just happen by accident or because you go to church and do religious ceremonies. The double anointing comes because you are willing to pay the price, the price of being tested through trials and tribulation.
God Almighty took Elisha through four locations before Elisha experienced the double anointing, and the Lord will do the same to you and me if we want a greater anointing on our lives. Nothing comes easy in the kingdom of God when it comes to His power and favor. For Jesus said, “where much is given much will be required” (Lk 12: 48).
The Journey to A Greater Power
Now, I’d like to take you on a journey in 2 Kings 2: 1 – 14 when Elisha went through four locations with Elijah. I’ll show you what each location represents in your life because God Almighty will take you to all four locations every time He gets ready to take you to the next level in your walk with Him.
First, understand Elijah represents an example of Jesus and Elisha represents an example of the believer. You and I will be taken through a process every time God gets ready to move us into a deeper realm in the spirit. If you are not willing to go through this journey with God because of laziness, fear, doubt or rebellion, then the Lord cannot bring you to a higher place with Him.
Sadly, many Christians believe that what they experienced at salvation and what they are experiencing now is all the Lord has for them. But the total opposite is the reality. The Holy Spirit is willing and desiring to take all believers in a deeper relationship with the living God which means greater boldness, greater anointing, greater power, greater authority, and yes, greater blessings (favor, open doors, finances and much more).
The Journey Begins in Gilgal
It all starts in a place called Gilgal. Before God can trust you with the new level of glory that He wants to bring you into, you must experience Gilgal. The double anointing for God’s people will only come after you have gone through the process that the Lord lays out for you. This process of testing, purging and more begins in Gilgal as we will see now.
So, what is Gilgal and why is it so important that the Holy Spirit leads us there? Gilgal is a place where the Lord brings you after He has set you free from bondage. Gilgal is a place where bondage is broken (Jos 5:9). When Joshua reached Gilgal, the Lord said to him, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you.”
This is where a new level of victory over bondage is taken in your life. It could be a battle that has set you back in an area of your life or some secret bondage that you been praying about for months or even years to be free from. Once you reach your Gilgal, the process begins. Before you are out of Gilgal, you will notice that bondage is no longer a part of your life because Gilgal is where bondage dies. Why don’t you ask the Lord to bring you to this amazing place called Gilgal so you can be set free!
I am not saying Gilgal will be easy. Jesus will begin removing things out of you that He doesn’t like in this place call Gilgal. You will feel the crushing and brokenness, but it is through these hard times that bondage falls off.
You Are Forced to Live By Faith
Gilgal is also a place where the mana ceases. You no longer live by sight but are now forced to live by faith. Think about it, the children of Israel in the wilderness all those years so depended on the mana from heaven, but one day in Gilgal they were forced to depend on God in faith and not by sight. (Jos 5: 10 – 12). The God of Glory will do the same with you in Gilgal- living by sight dies and now you must live by faith. He will make you strong in the Lord in Gilgal. Faith comes alive because you will not have a choice. He will force you to live by faith here if you want to go to the next level with the Lord.
In Gilgal you will be tempted to give up because it is tough, it is a place of living by sight. God will make it difficult there for you. Many believers give up in Gilgal and turn back to the old way of living because it seems so much easier. But the fact is, once they turn back they walk right back into the bondage they were delivered from. Only going forward is there power and victory over the devil. That’s why many Christians today live and accept their bondage, they believe it is a part of the Christian life now because they lived it for so long.
But if you will stay strong in the Lord and continue through the process of Gilgal, you will live free from the bondage of sin. However, if you give up, not only will that same bondage of sin take hold of your life, you will begin to be tempted in the old ways of living because in Gilgal you will be tempted to turn to idols and old sins (Judges 3:19; Amos 4:4)
This place of Gilgal represents a place of dryness from God’s presence. Yes, the Lord is always with us, but now you will have to completely depend on His word- not feelings or past experiences, nothing but faith works in Gilgal. This is a time where the presence of Jesus cannot be felt, and the Lord begins to test you to see if you will trust Him and stay faithful to Him. Gilgal is a place of drought or dry land (1 Sam 10:8; 1 Sam 13:8; 2 Kgs 4:38). It’s a tough place, but once you go through Gilgal you will realize that you were being strengthened spiritually. It will change your life, and you will love the new person of faith that you have become.
The Flesh Will Die In Bethel
Alright, the place called Bethel this is where the Lord Jesus Christ brings you to get you ready for the battle of Jericho. That’s right, you will have to go through Jericho before you are taken to the new level of glory in your life. Bethel is a place of spiritual weight lifting. This is where God begins to teach you how to fight in the spirit which you will need to do before Jericho because Jericho is where every demon of hell comes against you. Before getting into the spiritual warfare of Jericho, let’s get you ready for Bethel.
Bethel is a place where spiritual visitations will show up or a divine word by the Holy Spirit is given to you. (Gen 28: 10 – 19; Gen 35: 6, 7; Gen 35:15; 1 Kgs 13:1, 2). Bethel is a powerful place to be, but also a place where you meet Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No longer is He that baby in the manger to you, now He is God Almighty because in Bethel He becomes strong with you and demanding. Bethel is the place where the flesh must die, it’s not an option. Here, you must die to self.
This is where you will wrestle with God in prayer. This is where Israel wrestled with God until the Lord changed Israel’s name to Jacob (Gen 32: 24 – 30; Hosea 12: 2-5). The wrestling in prayer is how you kill the flesh. Dying to self isn’t some mental thing, you must get alone with the Lord and stay there until He is finished with you in this time of prayer. This is when the flesh will scream and holler to get out of prayer. If you stay there in God’s presence and continue seeking the Lord, the flesh will slowly lose power and the Holy Spirit will take over.
The Double Anointing For God’s People
In this place called Bethel, the flesh must die because before the Lord takes you to the next level of glory the flesh has to be dead. The Bible declares “that no flesh will glory in His presence”. The flesh must die before He can trust you with the next level of power in your life. When you get through the process, not only will you experience a new level of victory over bondage and sickness but you may receive gifts of the Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit knows which gifts they will be.
I will end this article with this today- once you find yourself in Bethel you will learn to fight the enemy (satan) with God as a partner. This is the place where God fights with you. As you move, he moves. Please read Judges 1:22 and study how the Lord fought with His people as they stepped out in battle. He will do the same for you today. I will continue with part two of the double anointing for God’s people in the next article where we will talk about Jericho. Please look for it coming soon.
