Oil was flowing like a river through Heaven. On earth, the people of God had gathered together to worship. As their praises rose to Heaven, the incense from the sacrifice of their lives created clouds. The oil from the river flowed into the clouds and rained down upon the people. It was everywhere - coating everyone from the tops of their heads down to the bottoms of their feet. Pretty soon, people were standing in puddles of oil and it just kept falling.
As the oil touched people, souls were renewed and hearts were filled with deep joy. Dry, brittle bones became healthy and were restored to their former glory among the living. Everywhere I look, brokenness is being overwhelmed with healing; forgiveness flows freely. No one touched by the oil remains the same. It refreshes, renews, and restores.
I started thinking about it and wondered what would happen if any one person caught fire. I also thought about how oil is in life. I mean, I tend to think of oil as messy and annoying because it gets everywhere. You know when you’ve come in contact with it. It’s hard to remove and has a tendency to spread when you try to clean it up. When something covered in oil comes in contact with anything else, it usually leaves some of the oil behind. In many cases, it creates a lasting impression. But oil also has many useful purposes and it’s impossible to live without it.
That’s what happens when we walk among people after spending time in God’s presence. As we go out into the world, the oil drips off and spreads across anything we touch. It leaves a trail to mark where we’ve been. Everyone who crosses paths with an anointed one is affected. They might not recognize where the oil came from, but they know when they’ve encountered it. Those who don’t recognize their need for it will consider it to be a nuisance. But those with open hearts will desire more.
Starting on October 21, I kept seeing that picture and hearing other people make references to oil and fire in their prayers. Then during worship on October 28, I saw another picture involving both oil and fire.
All of history was before me. As I looked, I could see hints of God in many stories. They were the stories that blazed bright with glory. I looked at the past amazed with the frequency with which God touched earth. Some stories were new to me; others I recognized right away even from a distance.
Then, I looked at was currently happening and I saw evidence of Him moving in some of the most unexpected places and I could sense even more that was unseen. Suddenly, an explosion shook everything. I looked back to see what had happened and saw oil pouring out of Heaven onto the worshippers of God. Love was visible as hearts were knit together and God-focused communities came together in unity. What had once been a flame passing along from candle to candle became a giant fireball when it reached those communities anointed with Heaven’s oil. This was the source of the explosion that had just changed the world.
