This is an article written by Bobby Conner (used with permission), who I believe is one of the real prophetic leaders and fathers for the church today.

This article addresses a critical issue in the church today: Ministers drawing people to themselves (although they would of course reject that is what they are doing).

It is also one of the must succinct explanations of anointing and impartation that I have read.  I pray it encourages you as it did me, as God’s truth always brings hope.

Bobby Conner: The Lord Told Me, “The Highest Treason is for Ministers to Take the Gifts I Give to Win Souls to Myself—and to Use These Gifts to Win People to Themselves”

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established.—Romans 1:11

The apostle Paul’s deepest longing was not just to see his fellow Believers, but to see them in order to give them a gift. As an apostle, his heart’s motivation was not merely to teach, plant churches, work miracles or establish apostolic order—but to give all that he had to give, to impart what God had bestowed upon him, to lavish spiritual gifts generously upon others, that they “may be established.”

Imparting to the saints must be the heart’s passion of all Believers. The longing to impart is God’s heart: He longs to pour Himself into His family, to equip Believers to prepare them for relationship with Him as well as the work of service (Ephesians 4:11-12). All grace and enabling comes only from Christ and for Christ, so we should delight in being an instrument to help others advance in their call, not ours. The Lord calls us to aide others first—not our own ministries first—to go higher in relationship with the Lord. We must never, never forget this fundamental tenet of the faith: freely we have received, freely we must give (Matthew 10:8). Our goal is the establishing of the King in His Kingdom, helping others discover their God-given destiny and prepare them to better function in their high and heavenly calling (Ephesians 1:18).

This Greek word translated impart, metadidomi, is comprised of two smaller Greek words, meta and didomi. Meta means with, as to walk with someone, an ally. Didomi is an extravagant word that means more than simply giving. The Greek suggests profusion and abundance—a complete “giving over” to another’s care and trust. Didomi suggests, “to give forth fully from oneself.” To impart, then, or metadidomi, means to give with profusion from the depths of oneself. This “giving over” is the same word used to describe how the sea “gives over” that which is hidden beneath. From the depths of God’s Spirit, through our spirit, impartation comes forth.

As marvelous as this impartation sounds, there is a catch: we cannot give what we do not have! If we are to impart, we first must have something to release. To be able to impart, one first has to be anointed with the substance to impart. These two spiritual realities of impartation and anointing are different, but they relate and work together as the Spirit leads. How does this happen?

Here is a marvelous truth of the Kingdom of God: when we preach, teach or minister in love, in the Spirit of God, we impart the substance of Christ, not simply information about Him.

Jesus affirmed the prophetic promise of Isaiah 61:1-5:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor…—Luke 4:18

For us to be anointed means that a divine enabling rests upon us. What is this enabling? This anointing is no less than Christ Himself: the Greek word translated anoint is the same word from which we derive the name Christ, chrio! What does it mean to have chrio or to be anointed? It means to carry the Christ, the Anointed One! This same anointing consecrated our King for His Messianic office and gave Him the power to administer His Kingdom. This is the anointing we host—the Lord Jesus Christ resting upon us and in us, the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself. To be anointed is to be smeared and filled with Christ. In the Hebrew, anoint or mashach means to smear a liquid or to consecrate. In other words, as Believers in Christ Jesus, we are consecrated as holy priests to minister in His name, anointed by Him and with Him. He is the anointing!

Where does true anointing and power come from? The Spirit of God! We do not minister out of fine-tuned, educated human ability—but Holy Spirit anointing, that we then impart.

Here is the Lord’s essential, urgent message to the Church: we must learn to live and work in and through Him, the Anointed One—not by our own will and strength. We must learn to impart Christ, the anointing—not our own ideas and agendas.

Many of us have had this experience of hearing someone preach or teach: their words were true and accurate, even witty and insightful, but we couldn’t encounter the words spoken within the depths of our heart. Their message might have been exciting to hear and ponder, even study and debate—but our heart was unmoved. The experience was similar to reading a textbook, attending a lecture or following driving directions. We may have arrived at a destination in terms of a logical argument or colorful story but in reality, we remained seated on our chair, unchanged, encouraged at best; at worst, puffed up by religious knowledge about God.

Why does this happen? The speaker’s words were not being carried by the breath of God’s Spirit, but by their own soul and good intentions—or their pride and ambition. Their words were not anointed with the very substance of Christ. They might have been speaking “with the tongues of men and of angels,” but the Spirit of Love was not present. They were merely “sounding or clanging brass and tinkling cymbals” (1 Corinthians 13:1). This type of ministry profits nothing. Jesus reminds us that without Him we accomplish nothing (John 15:5).

Many of us may have had a different experience of hearing someone preach or teach: perhaps their words were not polished; perhaps they lost track of their notes; perhaps they stuttered and even contradicted themselves! Maybe they only read one Scripture or gave one illustration or prayed one simple prayer. They may have been unlearned, awkward or inexperienced—but we were stirred to the very core of our being. Our heart burned as if Christ Himself were sharing, standing in front of us. And indeed—He was! Love spoke…and new worlds within us were created. The Lord chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27)!

This is the difference between ministering through Christ’s anointing and speaking out of one’s own abilities and natural training.

Having understood and learned to receive His anointing, we can now understand what true impartation is. The ability to impart includes—but goes beyond—our being anointed. If we have this God-given gift of impartation, whatever we say or do under an anointing will deeply affect those who are hearing. The very substance of Christ will be imparted into the spirit of those who are responsive.

I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me…That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.—Proverbs 8:17, 21

God longs to give us spiritual treasure. This treasure He gives us is priceless, worth everything we are and possess. We will have nothing worth sharing with those who hear us if we do not receive this treasure first and learn to abide in the treasure—Christ Himself—received as fresh bread on a daily basis. What does the Lord mean in this proverb, when He promises to “fill their treasures”? Our “treasures being filled” can be understood as a branch receiving an impartation through the life of the vine. We must be saturated with the very presence of Christ, so that out of our life flows this river of life.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me…and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing.—John 15:4-5

The Most Vital Aspect of any Ministry or Personal Encounter is Not the Words Themselves but the Impartation of “Spirit and Life”

This ability to impart relates to our having a quality personal relationship with Jesus (”those who seek ME early”)—Who imparts to us first. Our treasure being filled is the direct result of His impartation of Himself to us. Notice the particulars of this promise: we will be filled if we make seeking HIM our highest priority (Matthew 6:33). We only find Him on this level when we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:12-13). He deserves no less!

A committed Christian who has this grace to impart will stand out from all others, for that person will be carrying the glory of God. Our heart’s aim is to have within us such an abiding presence of the Lord that others can feel Him and hear Him when we minister. Our aim is to be saturated with the heavy, weighty presence of God’s glory. What a testimony to have someone say he has resident within his life and ministry Christ’s own anointing, along with the grace to impart that anointing!

When this anointing is active, people are drawn with great hunger. Very often, when a person under the true anointing of Christ finishes speaking, people will say, “Please, would you continue to speak?” Or, “I could listen to you for hours.” Why do people respond this way? They are responding not so much to the depth of the Word that was being ministered or to the exceptional anointing upon the speaker, but rather to the “impartation” that was flowing through into their spirit. Through the grace of impartation, we become a conduit through which the very life of God flows into others’ spirits! This is the heart of all ministry—from the pulpit, at our workplace or around our kitchen table.

When I am ministering, I can tell when people have connected with the Spirit or if they are just attempting to understand intellectually. How wonderful when they are being fed spiritually, not in the natural—and they know that they are receiving something extraordinary, His Divine substance.

To repeat, with emphasis—we can’t give away what we don’t have:

It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.—John 6:63

The gift of “prophetic revelation” gives us what to say. Then, through our being anointed, it can be imparted to another. I pray much about my being both prophetic and anointed, with the ability to impart. One must spend time in the presence of our Lord in order to have within ourselves His spiritual substance that we might impart His very being (Jeremiah 3:15). We must come before the throne each day to receive fresh bread from Heaven to feed the flock of God (Acts 20:28).

I’ve been preaching now for over 40 years, averaging speaking five times each week for these four decades. During this lifetime of ministry, I’ve learned how to lead people to Christ—not to myself. Once the Lord said to me, “The highest form of treason is for ministers to take the gifts I give to win souls to Myself—and to use these gifts to win people to themselves instead.” May we never, never be guilty of such a terrible crime!

The most vital aspect of any ministry, even any personal encounter during our day, is not the words themselves, nor the understanding of these words, but the impartation of “Spirit and life”—the spiritual substance of Christ flowing out through His anointed words and Spirit into the spirits of those who are receptive.

How is the Grace to Impart Received and Developed?

To review: prophetic revelation gives us the words to speak. The anointing enables us to speak these words that we have been given. Then, through impartation, these words become spirit and life and flow into the depths of those who have a hearing ear. We should pray not only that our message would be imparted through His anointing, but that those who will hear our message will have open hearts and hearing ears. Those who are spiritually receptive will experience Divine Substance flowing into them: this is the life of the vine Christ Jesus flowing into the branch—the hearers—and this flow of substance is different from the actual message being shared. The hearers who have ears to hear will want more as they recognize that their spirit is being fed.

So being desirous of you, we are well-pleased to impart to you not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because beloved you have become dear to us.—1 Thessalonians 2:8 Young’s Literal Translation

How is this grace to impart received and developed? Through our spending quality time with Jesus and by our desiring this ability, in order that He may feed the spirits of those who are spiritually hungry. To have logical facts and information is good—and we should certainly study as the Bereans did—but in itself, head knowledge of the Word does not feed our spirit. Only the anointing will enable us to speak about God and for God, and only impartation from God will feed our spirit and the spirits of those around us.

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory.—1 Corinthians 2:7

Impartation is intangible—that is, it is a spiritual substance that is attached to the words. Like an invisible hitchhiker, impartation rides the Word of God into the spirit of those who are spiritually hungry. They may not understand what is happening, but they will know that they are being fed and will respond. It is wonderful beyond words to leave a meeting or a conversation knowing that God is well pleased with what has taken place!

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.—1 Corinthians 2:1-4

Paul said that his speaking was not with the words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit. This demonstration of the Spirit is the impartation that is taking place, which has nothing to do with the words themselves. It is divine life and energy of Christ flowing from the Lord, through the speaker and into the one who is receptive.

My deepest desire is to impart the life of Christ who has been imparted to me:

You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.—1 Peter 2:5

Our being a “lively stone” means that we have become “Christ active (divine radiation)”—that is, wherever we are and whatever we do or say, we are transmitting Him, the wonderful Spirit of God, through impartation of His anointing.

Bobby Conner
Eagle View Ministries