Do you believe God is the same yesterday, today and forever?" Do you believe Christ when He says, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14-12-14). Do you have faith to believe that? It is our individual responsibility to act upon what we are taught from God's Word.

In Paul's letter to the Corinthian Church we learn, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:19-20). Can we afford to pollute God's temple? Scripture clearly tells us, we are not "to add to God's Word or take away from His Word."

If you recall the sermon of the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25, you will remember that we formerly believed the oil in this parable was identified as the Holy Spirit. In this sermon from God's Word, we have shown the oil does not represent the Holy Spirit. "And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut" (Matt. 25:8-1 0). Clearly, the oil that the five foolish virgins went to buy does not represent God's Holy Spirit. Why? The answer is simple; the Holy Spirit can not be purchased!! We find an example of this in the Book of Acts. "When Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money" (Acts 8:18-20). What were the five foolish virgins to buy? "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding" (Prov. 23:23). They were to buy God's truth. "Buy" in Strong's Concordance is number 7069, meaning 1. Procure 2. Recover 3. Redeem. We need to procure, recover and redeem the balance in anointing with oil since we have been applying this practice the wrong way.

When studying any subject, we must understand the context and search the Bible for examples and principles that are used to build on the same foundation. God does not usually reveal all the truth about a particular subject in one verse alone. To understand any general subject in the Bible, it is necessary to view all the scriptural evidence that pertains to that subject. Each verse is interpreted by and in light of other text. We are to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Tim. 2:15).

Beginning in the Book of James we read, "Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:13-16). Verse 14 tells us to anoint with oil. Anoint simply means to smear or rub on (Strong's number 218). The oil usually refers to olive oil (Strong's number 1637).

We find oil being used for many different purposes. It has been commonly used for anointing the body after a bath (Ruth 3:3; 11 Sam. 12:20). History reveals its use at some festive occasions. In ancient Egypt a servant generally anointed the head of each guest as he took his place at the feast. Anointing oil was commonly employed as a medication in ancient Palestine as first aid is used today. An example of this is the good Samaritan who helped a man that had been robbed and beaten. "And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him" (Luke 10:34).

Olive oil has been used internally and externally as medicine for wounds and open sores throughout history. Isaiah informs us, "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment" (Isa. 1:6). Olive oil is rich in vitamin E which promotes healing when applied as an ointment on minor injuries and irritations. Olive oil provides an excellent source that repairs cells.

Now, back to what James said about anointing with oil. Did he mean you should anoint with oil everyone who asked for healing? Anointing with oil is a common practice by ministers and elders in the Churches of God; yet this practice is not scriptural!! Not one example can be found in God's Word where ministers are to anoint with oil all who ask prayer for healing. An outstanding example of this is the anointed cloth! The Churches of God have taught in sermons and in the healing booklets that they follow the example of Paul with regard to sending out an anointed cloth by mail to those that they were unable to personally anoint. Look at Paul's example of what has been practiced. "And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them" (Acts 19:11-12). NO mention is made of Paul anointing a cloth with oil!

Another verse says "anointed with oil many that were sick." And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them" (Mark 6:13). If we take this verse literally and anoint for every illness those who are sick, we should find the evidence and the examples in God's Word. We have looked but cannot find those examples!! We have found evidence that healing was through the method of "hands laid on; took them by the hand; touch Him or His clothing, their shadow healed; spoke and they were healed; and a prayer cloth used." All of these scriptures deal with faith and belief!! Many scriptures simply indicate that "Christ or the Apostles Healed" yet they did not describe what method was used--just that they healed!

In the Mystery of the Ages there is an example Mr. Herbert Armstrong wrote about himself on page 56-57, in the soft copy: "I was not an ordained minister, so I did not anoint with oil I had never yet in my life prayed aloud before others. I explained this to them and said I would simply lay hands on the man and pray silently, as I did not want any self -consciousness of praying aloud for the first time to interfere with real earnestness and faith. I did have absolute faith he would be healed of the blood poisoning. (HE WAS) Notice --- I returned the next day. The blood poisoning had left him immediately when I prayed."

Throughout God's Word, we read of the miracle of healing without oil being applied. Using oil has become a ritual (a show) that the Catholic Church has adopted. In the 1843 Edition of Adam Clarke's Commentary, Vol 11, page 827, we read under James 5:14, "No healing is equal to that which comes from the word o God James very properly sends all sick to the Elders of the Church, who had power with God through the Great Mediator, that they might pray for them. [Anointing with oil] James neither means, art kind of incantation, any kind of miracle or such extreme unction as the Roman Catholic Church prescribes. 1. James was a holy man and could prescribe nothing but what was holy. 2. If a miracle was intended it could have been well done without the oil, as with it!! 3. It is not intimated that even this unction is to save the sick man, but the PRAYER OF FAITH (Vs. 15). 4. What is here recommended was to be done as a natural means of restoring health, which while they used prayer and supplication to God, they were not to neglect. 5. Oil in Judea was celebrated sanative qualities. Most people never traveled without oil. 6. Oil was used and is used frequently in the East as a means of cure in very dangerous diseases. 7. But it was the custom of the Jews to apply it as a means of healing and that James refers to this custom, is not only evident from the case of the wounded man ministered to by the Good Samaritan LUKE 10:34. 3. The anointing with oil, if ever used as a MEANS OR SYMBOL OF WORKING MIRACULOUS CURES, was only applied in some cases, PERHAPS VERY FEW!"

In the 1980 Edition of the Seventh Day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, page 540, under James 5:14: "Pray--although "men ought always to pray, (see Luke 18: 1) they should feel increased need of prayer when sick. Often hope and confidence weaken during time of physical distress. Accordingly Christ would have his servants administer his healing balm and reassuring love. Genuine prayer is one manifestation of man's endeavor to understand God's plan and to operate with it. Anointing--- the early church most certainly did not attach any sacramental efficacy to the ceremony of anointing, though the church later used supposedly "holy oil" as a substitute of pagan magic, in an attempt to heal the sick. By the 81 century this passage (?f scripture had come to be used in support of the practice of what catholic today call extreme unction, or the last rites of the church for the dying. The council of Trent in its fourteenth session, 1551, officially declared that James here leaches the sacramental efficacy of the oil. Prayer offered for any purpose is a serious undertaking,.for it implies that a man is sincerely willing to co-operate with God and to obey all of His commandments. A lack of complete sincerity invalidates any prayer. Consequently, the sick member cannot expect God's blessing apart from a sincere purpose to abandon practices which may, in part at least have caused his illness and henceforth to live in harmony with the laws of health."

Now let's look at God's Word --- His history book and see what He says about the holy anointing oil. "Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make (mock or mimic) any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people" (Exo. 30:22-33). Anointing with holy oil has been used on the tabernacle, the ark, the furniture-vessels, the priests and to anoint kings.

There seems to be strong evidence from scripture, commentaries and history books that olive oil was used mostly as a first aid. There are also other formulas and remedies for healing the sick. We read of Timothy having gastric complaints and Paul told him "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities" (II Tim. 5:23). We find that figs and fig leaves were used for medicine. "And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine" (Eze. 47:12). "And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered" (II Kings 20:7). "For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover" (Isa. 38:21).

God says, "Where no counsel is, the people fail; but in a multitude of counselors there is safety" (Prov. 11:14). The subject, anointing all with oil, has been discussed with others and they have come to the same conclusion: from all evidence that has been found in scripture, anointing with oil is used as a first aid on those with open wounds, sores, cuts and bruises! God's Word clearly states we are to look to Him for our healing not the oil!! It seems we have made a tradition of anointing with olive oil those sicknesses or pains that do not require oil.