Surviving the Anointing: Learning to Effectively Experience and Walk in God's Power

208 Pages·2007·0.53 MB·English

by  David Ravenhill

Endorsements
What a pleasure it is for me to endorse my friend David
Ravenhill’s book, Surviving the Anointing. Reading through the
pages of this book, I found myself at times deeply moved and
challenged with a sense of soberness. Surviving the Anointing is
probably one of the most timely and critically needed messages
of our day.…There is a battle raging for a generation and for the
very soul of our nation, but we cannot win that battle without
godly leaders of character who are equipped for longevity.
May you be provoked to a deeper level of consecrated com-
mitment and to a higher level of expectation in Christ as you take
to heart the message that David has clearly communicated in
Surviving the Anointing.
Doug Stringer
Founder, Somebody Cares America/International
Turning Point Ministries International
The great missionary, Amy Carmichael, once said, “Can we
follow the Savior far who have no wound or scar?” In the Church
of the West, the anointing of God has become the needed badge
for success and not much more. Little wonder then that thou-
sands are falling by the wayside. Broken-hearted prostrations are
reserved for the “spiritual nutcase,” according to the Church of
the 21st century.
Knowing David Ravenhill personally, I have seen him willing
to sit in obscurity, filling his cup as the broken beggar. What more
can be said of a follower of the Lamb than that he “followed the
Lamb whithersoever He goest”! Seeing David’s life I can truly see
that God is once again raising up a voice in the wilderness.
—Kevin J. Turner
President, Strategic World Impact
Do you want to avoid shipwreck in your personal life and
ministry? Do you want to avoid being yet another leadership
casualty? Then this book is for you! Written by a senior statesman
in the Body, Surviving the Anointing is as practical as it is convict-
ing. It should be mandatory reading for everyone engaged in the
work of the ministry.
—Dr. Michael L. Brown
President, FIRE School of Ministry
Concord, North Carolina
In a day when weaker men are preaching a watered-down
gospel with little fire in it, David Ravenhill boldly steps forward
with a compelling word for ministers. Surviving the Anointing is
not for the timid; it is for those willing to pay the price to have an
enduring ministry, filled with the power of God.
—Steve Gallagher
President, Pure Life Ministries
Dry Ridge, Kentucky
Surviving
the Anointing
Learning to Effectively
Experience and Walk
in God’s Power
David Ravenhill
© Copyright 2007—David Ravenhill
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Dedication
T
HIS book is dedicated to the numerous unsung men and
women of God who have worked long and tirelessly in the
work of the ministry—specifically to the many who have suffered
years of imprisonment, separated from their families and flock,
and yet have maintained a passionate devotion to their great God
and Savior, Jesus Christ. Although their “labor of love” may never
fully be known this side of eternity, they will, without a doubt,
receive the ultimate reward when they stand before the Great
Shepherd of the sheep and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good
and faithful servant.”
These spiritual giants are made up of tens of thousands of
house church leaders in places like China, Sudan, Palestine, Iran,
Iraq, and Cuba, as well as many other forgotten or little-known
cities and locations. Joining their ranks are an innumerable host
of national pastors and workers laboring in places like India,
Africa, Burma, and Indonesia. Last, but by no means least, are
those who have responded to the call of God and have left friends
and family to travel to some foreign field. There they have learned
a new language, adapted to a different culture, and have done it
all for Christ and His cause.
These are the real heroes—men and women who will never
grace the cover of some Christian magazine. No books or movies
will ever be written or produced about their lives. They may never
hear the praises of men or gain any earthly reward, yet they toil
unselfishly, faithfully proclaiming the uncompromised Word of
God while living a life of integrity before God and men. It has
been my privilege to have known some of you. Others I look for-
ward to meeting on that great and final day. Thank you for your
godly example of servanthood and for your faithfulness. I salute
you and honor you.
So Send I You1
So send I you to labor unrewarded,
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown,
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing;
So send I you to toil for Me alone.
So send I you to bind the bruised and broken,
O’er wand’ring souls, to work, to weep, to wake,
To bear the burden of a world aweary;
So send I you to suffer, for My sake.
So send I you to loneliness and longing,
With heart a hung’ring for the loved and known,
Forsaking home and kindred friend and dear one;
So send I you to know My love alone.
So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,
To eyes made blind because they will not see,
To spend, tho’ it be blood, to spend and spare not;
So send I you to taste of Calvary.
Endnote
1. Song by Margaret Clarkson, published by Singspiration,
Inc., 1954.

Contents
Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 1: Dependency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 2: Intimacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 3: Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Chapter 4: Persistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Chapter 5: Purity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Chapter 6: Empathy/Compassion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Chapter 7: Humility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Chapter 8: Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Chapter 9: Diversity/Variety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Chapter 10: Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Chapter 11: Adversary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Chapter 12: Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Chapter 13: Unity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Chapter 14: Eternity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Author Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199