Supernatural Grace

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"Prepare for Supernatural Grace!"
Todd Bentley
Fresh Fire Ministries
www.freshfire.ca

The following article defines what supernatural grace encompasses, with an emphasis on different aspects of the favor of God, which is essential to the anointing.

God is imparting and releasing supernatural grace to His people in this hour to empower them to live an overcoming Christian life! As you continue to read and if you open your heart to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I believe you will receive an impartation of supernatural grace by faith!

Supernatural grace encompasses grace and favor - and great grace: otherwise known as "grace, grace." I want to describe what supernatural grace encompasses in more detail, so that you will have a solid understanding. The Greek word for grace in the New Testament is the same word for favor. Grace is the unmerited favor of God, but it's more than this. The grace of God is the favor and kindness that He gives without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it, in spite of what that same person deserves. Think of it as God being kind and good to us, even if we don't deserve it.

Both grace and favor can come as a tangible presence upon our lives. Grace and favor is also an anointing that can be imparted and transferred, although, in the Body of Christ, we haven't really thought of grace and favor in this way before.

God also wants us to understand a higher level of grace He has for His people - Great Grace - which He is releasing to equip us with His supernatural power for the coming healing revival. Great grace comes as a sovereign anointing and is a supernatural function of the Holy Spirit coming upon us to do impossible feats by the Spirit of grace.

Now, in the rest of this teaching, we will discuss, in depth, the biblical concepts of favor, grace, and great grace.

Favor

The favor of God is because of God's love. Another definition of favor is "pleasure, desire, and delight." Favor happens when God turns to us and He is pleased with us - favorable towards something - especially what is pleasing and desirable to Him. It has nothing to do with us. I believe it's possible for God to give us favor even if we haven't fasted and prayed enough, or we haven't given enough. Now let's examine several benefits of favor.

Jubilee Freedom

It's time to come into our destiny! In January, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me from of the book of Isaiah, that it's time "...to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Isaiah 61:2). The word "acceptable year" means the "favorable year." This is the year of the Lord's favor, and I'm standing in faith for this! The favor of God brings the blessing of the Lord. The favor of God brings everything we need in the natural to do what God has called us to do. If we have the favor of God we will have everything else we need. There are times of testing before we come into the favor, but I am saying this is the year of the Lord's favor.

I want to say there is an anointing of God's Spirit to bring us into the acceptable year, a place of liberty and release just like the year of Jubilee. It will come on us like Joseph's coat of many colors - like a tangible anointing when everything in our lives will increase as far as the opportunities of God.

There's an opening for us to come into the Jubilee anointing and blessing. Jubilee is the cancellation of all debt, the release of all our property, the release of all slaves - all the bondage in our lives. Jubilee heralds the return of our sons and daughters, and the release of our investments. All these things! God released them on Jubilee! We love Jubilee and we pray that God will bring about Jubilee.

Scores of believers sow faithfully into the blessing of God and walk in the principles of favor, and yet they cry, "God, I want more favor on my life!" We need to realize that it is possible, under the anointing of God's Spirit, that we can prophesy, proclaim, and decree favor and Jubilee, and everything that comes in Jubilee will come into our lives the moment we speak the word.

With Jubilee, in one instant it's possible to come into a Holy Ghost meeting, and in the next moment receive a tangible anointing called "favor" upon our lives. It can happen that fast! The moment we proclaim: "Favor!" then tangible favor is released. A sovereign anointing can come upon our lives, resulting in increased favor.

Growing in Favor

Jesus increased in favor: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52). I believe that we have to increase in favor with God first and then we will increase in favor with man. It's possible to walk in a level of favor with God and man that we have never experienced before.

However, today's believers struggle to walk in the favor of God. Many haven't grown in the level of favor and, therefore, are hindered from doing what God has purposed for them, mainly because they don't have the resources. I know of different ministries in a battle; ministries that have been operating for 20 years, but are still on the telephone trying to get meetings and struggling to support one staff member. But God is going to break that Spirit of poverty and lack, and He's going to release His grace. The Bible tells us about the child, Samuel, and how he grew on, and he grew in favor with the Lord and also with man (1 Samuel 2:26). I want to say that it's time to grow on in the favor of the Lord - both with God and man!

More and more believers are going to come into the anointing that brings the favor of God. To give you an illustration - because of God's favor and anointing we've turned away an average of 300-400 international invitations in just six months this year, and hundreds of other invitations in North America had to be declined. I have enough invitations for 300 preachers! That's why I raised up 12 anointed laborers and that's why I want to raise up 100. We'll book meetings for them and send them out, because I can't be everywhere. So why do we have the favor of God? The answer is: the anointing.

The Anointing

I'm going to share several points about the anointing and its influence on increase:

"But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil...The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall be fresh and flourishing to declare that the Lord is upright. He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Psalm 92:10,12-15

The first thing that happens when the anointing touches our lives is a release of vision, strength, and purpose. My horn is exalted like the wild ox. My horn is my strength. When God anoints our horn, it's our strength; our vision, our purpose, and it's our destiny. But people without vision perish! Without vision we become lazy and complacent - we cast off restraint. When we get tired, discouraged, and disappointed, and we don't want to go on in the vision - we stop contending for miracles and going on with the gospel. But not when God anoints our strength. We want to run again...harder and faster. We're not going to let up or shut up!

With the anointing, we will flourish and prosper like a palm tree. This resilient tree is one of the only trees that can grow in a dry and thirsty land. So, even when revival is over, we are still in revival, we are still blessing others, and people are still getting saved and healed. In a dry and thirsty land we are flourishing! There is fruit and much fruit that remains - not only at a young age - but even at our old age. The righteous shall still bear fruit; they shall be fresh, fat, abundant, green, and flourishing. Isn't that what we want in the kingdom?

What Does the Primary Purpose of the Anointing Empower us to Do?

A primary purpose of the anointing is to empower us to declare the gospel and the testimony of Jesus - that He is upright and there is no unrighteousness in Him. It's a preacher's anointing. And we preachers need a word of encouragement here. I want to say that it's God's will for us to bear much fruit that remains. God is heavily on our side and wants to replace a poverty mindset with a bigger, fresher, fruitful vision. God wants us to succeed, to increase.

"You will grow like a cedar" (Psalm 92:12b). The cedar is one of the mightiest trees in Israel and it symbolizes spiritual maturity, roots, depth, and revelation. We can possess these strengths!

Fruitfulness is another immense benefit of the anointing - followed by freshness...a life-giving freshness that nurtures a new anointing and constant revelation. When fresh oil comes upon our lives, we begin to live in freshness and constant revelation. We can enjoy fresh manna every morning. Hallelujah!

Two Anointings: The Holy Spirit and Power

People love to be around the anointing, seeing the power of God as people get saved, healed, and delivered. They don't want to be dry and thirsty. The ministries that attracted me in the beginning were the ministries like Benny Hinn, because of the presence and the anointing of God, regardless of his style being a little bit older than what I am used to. Some believers get hung up on the different styles and some don't. Even though I look different than most Christians, a lot of older folks say, "Todd, we love you."

And I'm like, "Really? Why?"

"Because we love the anointing!"

They know the genuine. Many believers want to volunteer and help in this ministry.

Jesus was anointed with two anointings: the Holy Spirit and power. It's possible to be anointed with the Holy Spirit - smeared with the Holy Spirit, like having the oil poured on and rubbed in, like a massage. Then some "as it is in heaven" rubs off on us and we carry this realm everywhere we go. That's the anointing.

More than Enough

Real prosperity means fulfilling our vision and having more than enough to do what God has called us do to. Then we are productive and in a place where we multiply by raising up sons and daughters. We're not after the material blessing that favor brings; we're after the favor, and the favor will take care of everything else. It really isn't about success. We're not talking about money. We're talking about favor and we're talking about souls. We're talking about crusades and about having opportunities to preach the gospel. We're talking about fulfilling our dreams.

God's will is to prosper our lives so that we can win souls! Believers need to be out of debt so they can freely go into the nations and win souls. God wants us to acquire buildings and lands where we can facilitate the training of believers for the harvest. Instead of planting one church, why not plant 10 churches? I'm not starting with planting one school; we are going to plant schools all over the world. (Of course we need to money in order to do this.) God's will is to give us favor so that we will have fruit and a bigger vision.

In Bible times, there were seasons when no one was lacking. People sold their possessions and lands, bringing the proceeds and laying them at the apostles' feet so they could distribute to anyone that had need. "Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." (Acts 4:34-35) Most of us would like to be in a position where people just come and bless us for the work of the ministry.

God Has Favorites!

Let's think once again about the increase of favor. We often don't understand that the love of God and the favor of God are two different things. Let me make this statement: God loves each of us with an unconditional love - but favor is different. God can actually favor someone more than someone else. Two examples of this are when God favored Joseph above all his brothers (Genesis 37) and when God favored Jacob above Esau by giving Esau's inheritance to Jacob (Genesis 27).

God loves everyone in the kingdom the same, but He favors some above the rest. Why? Because God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. So if we're not seeking Him as passionately and diligently as the next person, we may not have as much favor and anointing. I may have Him reward me more, depending on how desperate I am to seek Him. God does respond to the one whose heart is after Him - a heart like David's. God honors intimacy. Even though at times David's life was a mess, he had a heart that was after God. His heart-attitude was that he wanted to be right with God - even though there wasn't always the holiness. When we think of all the ways that we come short, God is saying, "But listen! You have had a heart that has been hungry for Me! Your heart has been hungry for My presence, and if you'll seek and pursue My presence..." That's where the anointing is guys. The anointing is in intimacy.

Preparing for Favor

Now let's look at the book of Esther. She was taken from the safety of her uncle's home and ushered into the royal palace because the King was looking for a new Queen. It wasn't long before she obtained the notice and favor of the official in charge, so her beauty preparations were readily given to her, and an allowance!

"Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women." Esther 2:9

What an example! The first thing that happens when we come into favor with the King is that God will move us into the royal palace - the place of ruling and reigning. The next thing that will happen is God will say, "Give him/her an allowance!" Wouldn't we all like the King of the universe to give us an allowance because we found His favor? "Here is a line of credit!" Her exciting life-story goes on:

"Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the King's palace, across from the King's house, while the King sat on his royal throne in his royal house, facing the entrance of the house. So it was, when the King saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the King held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of his scepter, and the King said to her, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you - up to half the kingdom!" Esther 5:1-3

When Queen Esther received favor, the King held out the royal scepter and asked, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you - up to half the kingdom!" Because she had favor with the King, she could ask what she wished. However, let's not miss this: There is a crucial principle that brought this favor - namely, preparation! She prepared herself because she was hungry and desperate to find favor. Initially she spent six months in the oil, and the oil represents death, suffering, sacrifice, and dying to the flesh. That's one of the keys to the anointing. I want to spend as much time as I can in the oil! Then she was in the perfumes for six months; the fragrance of Jesus, the presence of God. She fasted. (Esther 4:16)

Are You Hungry for the Presence of God and for the Anointing?

Many people want the favor and the blessing that comes with the favor, but they're not ready to pay the price to get the favor. We need to be like Esther if we're going to get favor with the King and ask what we wish. If we're going to be moved from where we're living in our Christian lives into the royal palace and given an allowance, if we're going to be moved into a place of ruling and reigning, it's going to take us preparing our lives like Esther prepared her life. She kept herself clean and pure - a virgin, without spot; free from the spots that were in the world. She embraced one thing - she wanted favor with the King. (He was an unrighteous King and maybe she had no choice, but God was moving her into a place of ruling and reigning to save His chosen people.)

It's time to prepare ourselves for intimacy with God. It's time to remain in the house of God and to be friends with God. It's time to have a place of intimacy in His presence and to seek Him with all our heart. It's time to search after Him right now. These are days where God is about to pour out His presence. These are days when God is about to pour out divine visitation. I know that part of what I am sharing is getting us hungry for the presence of God and for the anointing.