THE BARNABAS ANOINTING

© Morris Ruddick

Barnabas split with the Apostle Paul in order to stand by Mark.

This was a time of great opportunity, as well as dissension and controversy in the formation of the early Church. In Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas clashed with a group from Judea who were teaching that salvation was dependent on adherence to certain aspects of the law. Then several from this group decided to go to the established authorities in Jerusalem to resolve their issues.

In Jerusalem, Peter eloquently addressed the issue by underscoring that salvation came through grace in believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Afterwards Paul and Barnabas captivated their audience with the stories of the miracles and wonders taking place as they found open hearts in their pioneering ministry journeys to the Gentiles.

The Apostle James then responded by establishing the foundational criteria needed to end the dispute about salvation to the Gentiles. Afterwards Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch with the resolution.

It was afterwards that the dispute arose when Barnabas indicated he wanted to take Mark on their next ministry journey. Paul resisted due to a serious dependability issue because Mark had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not been there when they needed him.

In verse 39, the Scripture tells us that the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas stood by Mark, and took him on his journey to Cyprus. However, years later, toward the end of his life, this great Apostle of our faith Paul wrote Timothy (2 Tim 4:11) to "get Mark and bring him with you, for he is profitable for my ministry." But the issue here points to something a great deal more than Barnabas being right about Mark.

The issue was that Barnabas saw and acted on God's intentions for Mark, when this incredible man Paul did not.

GOD'S INTENTIONS IN OUR CALLINGS

God's intentions for us? Just what does that imply?

In James 5:11 we read that "You've heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end INTENDED by the Lord." Having read the details of Job's story many times, I've always found it interesting how James sums up Job in this passage of scripture. PERSEVERANCE. Perseverance? During that process, Job sounded off. He complained and defended himself. He even made brash statements about the Lord.

But the Lord had a perspective -- that was based on Job's heart - AND His intentions for Job. The Lord does look at things differently than we tend to. The Lord's perspective about Job was captured in this passage in James. It is the perspective that will endure for all eternity. It is the perspective that God saw before Job ever experienced the trials and traumas he went through.

God's perspective is both timeless and based on what He sees operating in our hearts. When the Lord chose David from among all his brothers, Samuel stated that "the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) God's selection of David was based on knowing the end from the beginning, which included the times that David would absolutely blow it.

THE BASIS OF GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

But the Lord doesn't look on the outward appearance and manifestations that man tends to get caught up with, He sees the foundational essence of our hearts. The essence representing the core of who we are. Something that the Lord deems very precious. God's perspective toward us is determined by the sum and substance of our hearts. The heart issues that somehow determine God's intentions for us.

Why did Jesus choose Peter as a member of His inner circle? During his days of walking with the Lord, Peter seemed to illustrate a keen mastery of misfiring and saying the wrong thing --- to the extent that after three years of intimately walking with the Lord, Peter denied the Lord three times. But the Lord knew Peter's heart, and Peter went on to be a pillar in the early Church. That was God's intention for Peter.

It is what is operating in our hearts that will endure and be what we are known for throughout eternity. It is why Proverbs tells us to guard our hearts with all diligence; for it is from our hearts that the issues of the course of our lives will be determined.

The issues of life determined by our hearts are the basis for what I refer to as a Psalms 15 believer: "He who walks with integrity and works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord. He swears to his own hurt and does not change, He does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken." God's perspective toward our hearts sees the end from the beginning. His perspective is one that coincides with His intentions for us.

THE ANOINTING OF BARNABAS AND STRATEGIC JUNCTURES

The Barnabas anointing revealed God's perspective concerning Mark - and Barnabas stood by Mark. And there can be no question, that by the time Paul wrote Timothy that "Mark was profitable," there was no longer any dependability issue operating in Mark. That is why we are admonished not to judge a man's motives, because inappropriate, interim actions may mask something very precious that the Lord wants brought to the forefront.

Another illustration reflecting a seeming disparity between God's perspective and the inconsistent actions in life we can become know for is from 2 Peter 2:6,7. It speaks of RIGHTEOUS Lot. Again, having read the story about Lot, I somehow wouldn't have summed him up as righteous. But the Lord, who knows the end from the beginning, is focused on our hearts. It was Lot's righteous heart that was aghast at the unrighteousness operating in Sodom and Gomorrah, which became the catalyst for the Lord's response in that situation. Lot's heart was in harmony with the Lord's toward Sodom and Gomorrah and that heart cry became the pivot point for God's intentions for Lot.

It was at a very strategic juncture for Mark, that Barnabas saw God's intentions for Mark. We need to recognize those junctures in our relationships. We need to recognize when the Lord might have us to stand alongside a "Mark' as Barnabas chose to do.

We likewise shouldn't forget that it was Barnabas who had once stood with Paul in a similar way (Acts 9:27). Not long after Paul's Damascus Road experience, Paul started showing up in gatherings of believers. Fear rose up among the brethren and they wouldn't initially accept him. But Barnabas intervened and opened the doors to Paul's ministry by bringing him to the Apostles.

THE APPROVAL OF MAN VERSUS OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD

Barnabas was a respected member of the established, growing Church and not hesitant to submit to the authority of the apostles in matters central to the faith. Yet, he was not motivated by the approval of men. Barnabas was motivated by being obedient to the Lord. He clearly heard God's voice. Barnabas was motivated by doing the right thing. And he never hesitated to take action to insure God's intentions in those he worked with would be realized.

Another example when obedience to the Lord overshadowed a natural human response was the story of Ananias. Ananias was charged with praying for Paul after his conversion experience.

I can't imagine what it took for Ananias to go to Paul, the chief persecutor of the Church (Acts 9) and pray for him after Paul had been struck blind. How many of us would have responded to THAT instruction from the Spirit of the Lord with "Paul the persecutor - blind? Good, let him walk into a few walls!" But Ananias responded with obedience when the Lord bid him to go to Paul with the words ".for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel." And because Ananias was obedient, the door opened for salvation to come to the Gentiles.

But just what does the Barnabas anointing mean for intercessors? And what does it mean for modern day Josephs and Daniels? And what does it mean as we see the nations arrayed against Israel?

THE BARNABAS ANOINTING FOR INTERCESSORS

Understanding God's perspective, according to His intentions, is essential if we are to maximize our effectiveness in interceding and standing in the gap for someone. That means that during our intercession that we MUST be operating in the Spirit. We must be operating with a knowledge of God's Word. It is critical to guard against taking our cues from what we see on the surface and constantly be seeking God's perspective and intentions on what we are targeting.

The enemy's intentions should always be quite clear. In John 10:10 the Lord told us that the enemy has come to kill, steal and to destroy. The enemy uses strategies such as fear, division, distraction, accusation, confusion, doubt and unbelief in his attempts to accomplish those ends. That is why we need to guard against being accusers of the brethren and agreeing with the devil concerning what may be a critical juncture, in terms of God's purposes in the life of someone like Mark.

Our task as intercessors is to be discerning and give focus to understanding the issues of the heart that determine the issues tied to the accomplishment of God's purposes in a given individual. As intercessors, the anointing we operate in lends great power to our words. It multiplies the authority of what we speak and pray. That is why it is imperative that we NOT enter into superficial judgments and that we earnestly seek for and agree with God's perspective and intentions rather than with the devil's wicked desires. That is why the principle of "standing in the gap" in Ezekiel 22:30 is such an important part of the role of an intercessor. Standing in the gap means we become a gatekeeper in the breaks in the hedges that the enemy tries to use to gain entrance into a believer's life or circumstance.

This doesn't mean that there won't be times the Lord calls for judgment. But operating as an instrument of God's judgment is neither the mode nor is it something we should in any way relish. There is a cost associated with being used in the operation of God's judgment and it is a high cost. Just remember Elijah's flight after his incredible encounter with the prophets of Baal and Asherah. God's mercy always precedes judgment and even when judgment is called for, the Lord never stops operating in His mercy.

Proverbs says that he who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble. Not only does this principle apply to foolish and idle words, but it applies to how we speak of and intercede for others. It is why we need to guard against prematurely judging another, when God may be in the process of bringing forth an apostle like Paul, who may have previously been a persecutor of the church.

THE BARNABAS ANOINTING IN THE MARKETPLACE

The Barnabas anointing is pivotal in the accomplishment of God's purposes in the marketplace. We have entered a time in which God's marketplace ambassadors will find great opportunity as the Lord draws key people into this strategic arena. This crucial anointing will be seen operating widely as seasoned leaders stand along side emerging leaders representing diamonds in the rough in terms of God's calling into the infrastructures of business and government.

Many of the forerunners of this marketplace move of God have had a clear understanding of their call as a Joseph or Daniel. But there are emerging many men and women of God with this calling who will need one with a Barnabas anointing to come along side them, to mobilize them; and perhaps help in getting them oriented in their calling.

Operating in the Barnabas anointing is going to call for discernment, sensitivity, obedience and courage. The type of discernment, and courage exhibited uniquely by Ananias and Barnabas. Ananias prayed for the newly converted Paul when the only thing any one knew of Paul was that he was on a rampage to stamp out the early church. Barnabas intervened in the ensuing rejection Paul was experiencing by standing up for Paul and using his standing in the church to introduce him to the apostles.

But identifying and standing along side those called into the marketplace goes beyond the nurturing and positioning of potential leaders --- modern day Josephs and Daniels. It extends to those in seats of power; secular gatekeepers who God has ordained to be used for His own redemptive purposes. Modern day Cyrus-type leaders in positions of authority and influence who have a heart for God's people and will become facilitators in the accomplishment of God's purposes. The Barnabas anointing in the marketplace will involve recognizing and standing along side these modern-day Cyruses and Pharaohs.

THE BARNABAS ANOINTING IN STANDING ALONGSIDE ISRAEL'S MESSIANIC JEWISH COMMUNITY

The Barnabas anointing can also be expected to come into play in another very pivotal area. This will be as the Church stands alongside of Israel. And the most strategic means of accomplishing this goal will be in undergirding and strengthening Israel's Messianic Jewish community.

There has been confusion among many well-intentioned Christians regarding the importance of the focus between the political and spiritual restoration of Israel. I'm encouraged by the political developments in Israel. But that cannot mask the central issue of Israel's spiritual restoration. And THAT is going to be spearheaded by the Messianic Jewish community. It is time for the Church to recognize this pivotal role of our Jewish brethren and to begin standing along side them.

Identifying and becoming encouragers and supports to those representing emerging modern-day "Marks" and "Pauls" from within the Messianic community in Israel will be key to this process. It will likewise involve building up the infrastructure of Israel's Messianic community. It is a task calling for coordinated strategies and involvements by modern-day Josephs and Daniels.

Messianic Jews are the forerunners and pioneers the Lord has been positioning and who are in-place in Israel who relate to the people and society of which they are a part. The basic premise of any viable Christian mission strategy has always been to raise up nationals - who always are able to reach their own people more effectively than well-meaning outsiders. Unfortunately, the millions and millions of dollars of funds being sent by well-meaning Christian groups to "bless Israel" are going largely to organizations that are allied with removing from Israel those Jews who have chosen to believe in their Messiah!

That distortion needs to be exposed and the funds from the Church focused on building a cohesive, mature and strong Israeli Messianic community. Solidarity missions to Israel need to include identification and public support of Israel's community of Jewish believers. The Church needs to begin coming along side its Jewish brethren who have been operating under extreme levels of persecution in their obedience to be a witness to the nation and people of Israel.

What is needed is recognizing and supporting God's intentions for not only key individuals within the Messianic Jewish community, but for the community as a whole. It will involve supporting existing and developing new programs that are serving to build the community infrastructure.

The Church likewise needs to understand that the day is approaching when there are going to be waves of Messianic Jews immigrating to Israel. The return of Jews to Israel is referred to as aliyah. However, current immigration laws in Israel prevent a Messianic Jew from immigrating, if the immigration authorities learn of the faith of these brethren in their Jewish Messiah. That is because Israel's Ministry of Immigration is controlled by the Orthodox community; who like Paul the apostle before his conversion, have individuals and politically astute anti-missionary groups raging against the growing number of Jews coming to believe in their Messiah. God's intentions for Israel will begin accelerating when the gateways open for these anticipated waves of Messianic aliyah (immigration).

The operation of the Barnabas anointing toward both Messianic leaders and the Messianic Jewish community as a whole is strategic and pivotal to the accomplishment of God's end-time purposes for Israel. After 9/11 the US president called for prayer. Despite all we have seen unfolding in Israel in recent days, there has yet to be one Israeli Prime Minister to call for prayer. Yet, within Israel is a community of Jews, roughly 7,000 believers in Jesus by most estimates, whose voice needs to be heard --- in the marketplace, in the neighborhoods, in Israel's seats of power. But for that gateway to be opened, there is the need for Christians to start stepping to the plate in their support of Messianic Jews. There is a need for the release of the Barnabas anointing within the Church --- to set in motion God's intentions for the Church to realistically stand alongside of Israel.

When that happens, the Church's love for Israel is become manifested in some very tangible and fruitful ways.

UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES

We are entering a time that Daniel spoke of, when "in the time of the end many shall be purified and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3, 10-13) There have been some who have described this time as a time when the black is getting blacker and the white is getting whiter; a time when those who are called by His Name will be required move out of their comfort zones and begin taking a stand for what is right in terms of God's purposes for this hour. And that is what the Barnabas anointing is going to facilitate.

As the Lord releases marketplace strategies and initiatives, it will be a time that requires us operating in our dependency on the Lord with greater fervency than ever before. It is a time that we need to recognize the dividing line spoken of in Hebrews between soul and spirit, so that we NOT be responding from the soul; so that we operate as genuine ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit.

It is a time to guard against presumption and operating in a comfort zone and mode that may have been acceptable or perhaps tolerable in previous days, but simply won't work in the days we've entered. It is a time that will find parallel to the intense circumstances that resulted in Jude's warning concerning opponents of the gospel. A warning urging us to have attitudes and life-styles that make a distinction between believers and those who oppose the Gospel.

Jude's message concludes with an admonishment of "building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy."

The Barnabas anointing will involve tough decisions and unique levels of obedience. It will sometimes require going against the grain on prevailing positions and taking a stand. The Barnabas anointing is going to necessitate greater levels of wisdom in relationships based on what is being discerned as God's intentions. "The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

THE PRAYER

Lord God, we come to you in the Name that is above all names, in the Name of your Son Jesus. Lord, we cry out to you for an understanding of the times and the knowing of what to do. Lord we cry out for wisdom and discernment and courage. May we not only see the right things from Your perspective, but may our hearts be poised to always be obedient to the promptings of your Spirit so that we might continually be counted on to do the right thing.

O God, may we genuinely operate with your perspective in each of our relationships and endeavors. Open our hearts we pray, that we might be discerning and wise, and not subject to looking on things as man does, but rather that we might see things from Your point of view. Make us to genuinely operate as ministers of the New Covenant, NOT of the letter, but OF THE SPIRIT!

And Lord, we're praying for the release of the Barnabas anointing into the Body for this hour. Lord, give us seeing eyes and hearing ears that we might see beyond the superficialities in people's behavior and activities. Lord, equip us as intercessors to recognize and view others from the perspective of your intentions for them. As Josephs and Daniels, may we be begin identifying and mobilizing those genuinely called into the marketplace. May we discern, recognize and come to the support of emerging Josephs and Daniels and those called to support them; as well as the secular gatekeepers You have prepared with a heart for Your people. Likewise, we pray for the Barnabas anointing to be released to enable the Church to effectively stand along side our Messianic Jewish brethren in their pivotal roles in Israel.

Lord, may we always be sensitized to the prospect of coming alongside modern-day "Marks" and "Pauls" in the making. Give us the type of discernment needed to recognize them Lord. We also pray for the insight needed to identify the counterfeits and those simply operating outside their spheres. Enable us to see beyond the superficialities and recognize and encourage the character qualities that will blossom and support the unique commitments and callings required for the day and times we have entered.

Help us O God, to operate with the right balance in being God-pleasers rather than man-pleasers. Lord that requires a special sensitivity to your Spirit, as well as a wisdom to know when to go with the flow and when to go against the grain. Help us Lord, in these pivotal times, to recognize and understand the difference. Lord, this is a time you are bringing your Body together in unity. Deliver from operating as lone rangers. Help us to understand the difference between the doctrines and methods of men; and the course turns that will open the gates for Your unfolding agendas and initiatives for this hour. Help us to recognize the issues and wisely operate as contributors to the unity You are bringing to Your Body.

And Lord, we beseech You to raise up an army of intercessors to pray for what you are doing through Messianic Judaism --- especially in Israel. Awaken the Church Lord, and those who are the forerunners to stand along side of the believers in Israel. Lord, impart wisdom and understanding for those called to stand along side the believers in the land --- an understanding that sees and operates from an Israeli Messianic Jewish perspective of things, Lord. May the true Messianic pioneers and leaders be recognized and honored, Lord. Grant wisdom in the alliances and means You are imparting to strengthen and release our Jewish brethren into a time of fullness and fruitfulness --- as Your Body in Israel. Set the relationships in place, Lord. Release the resources. Let unity, love and cooperation flow, Lord. Release the Barnabas anointing, we pray!

YOURS is the dominion O Lord. And You are mighty to save. Cause the convergence of circumstances and events in order to release the mighty wave of Jewish believers immigrating to Israel. Open the gateways we pray!

And Lord within the Church, provide the revelation and teaching needed for the Body to become reacquainted with the Jewishness of the Gospel. Put us back in touch with our Hebraic roots O Lord. Open our eyes and hearts to what You are doing in this hour through Messianic Judaism. And as You do, may there be a mighty turnaround in the manner in which the Church supports Israel and stands steadfastly alongside the Messianic community.

Lord, it is time for those operating in the Barnabas anointing to come forth. Equip them Lord. Empower them. Give them boldness, courage and wisdom. Empower them to strengthen the emerging "Marks" and "Pauls" while imparting a depth in their knowledge of You, with the balance needed to constantly operate in Spirit and in Truth.

Thank You Lord, that the times and the seasons are in Your hands; and You are the one who turns the tide. Indeed Lord, the pillars of the earth are Yours, and You guard the feet of Your saints. The wicked shall be silent in darkness --- for by strength, no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord will be broken in pieces --- from heaven You will thunder against them. Lord, we thank You for what You are doing to redeem, restore and bless Your people. Thank You Lord, for enabling and equipping us, and giving us the wisdom we need as participators in Your purposes in these strategic times. Amen.