4. Transfer The Anointing
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel… and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
“And… and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone” (Num 11:16,17).
a. The Anointing Is Essential.
This is likely the most crucial yet often overlooked principle in leadership development. A leader cannot succeed without the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus never sent anyone to act on His behalf without first equipping them with His power.
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases ” (Luke 9:1).
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also… And he said unto them… Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:1,18,19).
“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
“For John truly baptized in water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence ” (Acts 1:4,5).
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Jesus did not begin His ministry until the Spirit of the Lord descended upon Him at His Baptism in water by John the Baptist (see Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; John 1:32).
Jesus began His ministry by saying: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach a year of liberation [or Jubilee]” (Luke 4:18,19 — cf. Leviticus 25:1-54).
The anointing was essential for Jesus to fulfill His ministry (as outlined in the preceding verses). It likewise is essential for you.
Jesus commanded His disciples that they should “be baptized in the Holy Spirit”
(Acts 1:5). Paul commanded “…be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”‘ (Eph5:18).
See the section of the Leaders Training Guide that deals with “The Baptism In
The Holy Spirit” for more teaching on this vital subject.
b. Anointed Leaders Should Train Others.
We must recognize the crucial principle highlighted in the scriptures above. The main leader was anointed and subsequently passed that anointing onto those he mentored.
In contrast, the author observes that many training seminaries tend to be staffed by individuals who have struggled in their ministry.
Those who attempted to pastor a church or engage in evangelism but did not succeed are often recruited to teach future leaders at the seminary. This approach is likely to result in a cycle of failure among the next generation.
The law of Harvest found in the Bible is clear. “And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself,
after his kind…
“And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind… “( Gen 1:12,21).
We reproduce what we are. If failed leaders train, their students will be failures.
Successful leaders, who carry a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit on their lives, should be involved in the training of leadership. They will reproduce others who will carry a strong anointing and be successful.
This was true of those Moses trained. God said, “And… I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them…” (Num 11:17).
This was true of Elijah and Elisha. ” Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I be taken away from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.
“And he said, You have asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if you see me when lam taken from you, it shall be so unto you… “And it came to pass… there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
“And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
“He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan… and smote the waters, and said. Where is the LORD God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted… and Elisha went over.
“And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit [anointing] of Elijah doth rest on Elisha” (2Ki 2:9-15).
This was true of Jesus and His disciples. “The Comforter… is the Holy Spirit… ” (John 14:26).
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father… ” (John 15:26).
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you ” (John 16:7).
c. Anointing Is Shared.
The anointing was passed from Moses to the leaders who participated in his ministry. Similarly, Elijah’s anointing was transferred to Elisha, who would continue his work. Jesus also bestowed His anointing upon His disciples, enabling them to partake in His ministry.
This principle remains true today: a trainee shares in the anointing of their mentor. Thus, those who provide training should possess a strong manifestation of God’s power in their lives.
The laws of Harvest apply here, ensuring that like begets like. I once knew an evangelist renowned for his powerful healing ministry across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In nearly every country he visited, his interpreter seemed to share the same anointing as the evangelist.
After spending just two weeks working together, the anointing would transfer, allowing the interpreter to continue ministering with the same spirit and power as the evangelist even after his departure.
d. Who Transfers The Anointing?
God said, “And… I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them…” (Num 11:17).
It is under the guidance and sovereignty of God that this takes place. God is the One Who chooses the recipients and directs the key leadership in this blessed transfer.
“And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Heb 5:4).
It is a matter of divine purpose. In the early Church, there were dedicated times for fasting, prayer, and ministering to the Lord, creating an environment where God could communicate (Acts 1:14; 13:1-3).
From these moments, the Holy Spirit descended, bringing anointing and empowering the workers to carry out their ministries successfully.
Let us return to those steps leading to the Upper Room, diligently seeking God’s presence through prayer until the Spirit’s power is upon us. Then, we will be prepared to go forth, proclaiming and demonstrating the resurrection of Jesus.
“And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
For further study on the anointing, see Section A2.9, Receive The Triple Anointing, in the Leaders Training Guide .
