CLARION CALL

“GET BACK TO THE BIBLE”

He Touched Me

Shackled by a heavy burden,
‘Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.

He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.

Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.

He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.

This song, written by William J. Gaither clearly portrays the importance of being touched by Jesus to be made whole, not only for your salvation but for the empowering to live the Christian life.

When I contemplate this I am reminded of John Wesley who had served the Lord with nothing more than his own power of obligation and own strength to do good works in an effort to gain entry into heaven. It wasn’t until he received a touch from God did he truly understand the state of sinner and saint.

Prior to this touch he had an elitist state of mind because he could maintain a very high level of holiness in his own eyes, which caused him to look down upon sinners. When he had his epiphany he changed direction and taught with liberty his understanding of grace, faith, and salvation which caused great controversy when he first presented it, but in time and through the proof of revival around this teaching it became as acceptable teaching for that period.

On the 10th of October 1821 Charles Grandison Finney had been drawn to study the Bible. His aim was to see if he could attain or work out his own salvation. After reading the Bible in his office, he wandered in the forest and encountered God in a new way. While he was in prayer in the woods, he came to realise that he had been justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This was followed by an overpowering sense of peace, and by an infilling of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that all condemnation had fallen away, he returned to his office with all sense of guilt gone.

Evens Roberts was touched by the Holy Spirit and God used him in the Welsh Revival that changed a nation.

We believe today that all believers need to yield their lives as a living sacrifice consecrated to God and also that the infilling of the Spirit would empower us for service and not only that, but all believers would be bolder about their faith. Simply when we are talking about John Wesley, Evens Roberts and Charles Grandison Finney and many other great servants of God; we can say they were touched by God and transformed. This may not be a salvation experience, but it is a hunger for more of God. We need to cry out to God and seek the same touch.

We the invisible Church, that is to say true believers from right across the Body of Christ who are the called-out people will identify once again that we are in need of preaching like John the Baptist. Then as sons of God we will be visible. We need to teach Repentance!

If we get back to the Bible and preach from the Old and New Testaments holding a fundamental position, then we will be criticized by people who say such things as;

*“God knows your heart, even if you are in sin”

*“God’s grace covers your sins”

*“It’s covered by grace”

*“You need to show grace”

* “You’re pushing people away from Christ”

* “You’re a legalist”

*“You’re judging people”

*“Who made you judge?”

*“You’re not Christ-like”

* “You need to show love”.

All this sounds right, but those who say these things are only cherry-picking, cafeteria philosophical, carte blanche Christians who want to gloss over sin that they want to close their eyes to the perilous position they are in. For example, some churches compromise and tolerate

*same sex marriage,

*tattoos,

*body piercing,

*profane worship,

*drinking alcohol,

*loose talking,

*gossiping

*etc.

They do so because they generally have a sliding scale on sin, maintaining that one kind of sin is worse than another. They also say that the Old Testament does not apply to us who live in the New Testament Church, which is quite ironic as Jesus only quoted the Old Testament!

Remember: We have to be consistent and apply the whole teaching of the Bible to our lives. And “whole” means Old and New Testaments alike.

The scriptures say we can judge what is holy and unholy.

John 7:24 Do not judge according to sight, but judge righteous judgment. (MKJV)

1Corinthians 6:2 Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels, not to mention the things of this life? 4 If, then, you truly have judgments of the things of this life, set those who are least esteemed in the church to judge. (MKJV)

1Corinthians 2:15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. (MKJV)

I am sorry to have to warn you that if you continue in sin you are in danger of losing your salvation; or you have already!  So you don’t like that; then answer this question, “Which is worse, taking a piece of fruit or murder?  Nothing in the eyes of God, both carry the same penalty; eternal separation from God. So who are you to say it’s only a little sin? You are suffering from idolatry where you have made yourself into your own god, approving or disapproving what it says in God’s Word.

The correct synergistic equation understanding of the Bible requires a three-point perspective in this order.

One, The Bible is God’s Word.

Two, The Bible is settled (Finished work) whether I understand it or even believe it.

Three, I am blessed if I believe it and follow its direction and commands for my life

Hosea_4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (KJV)

Yes, we are saints now; but to be a true saint you have been a sinner who has repented and believed in Jesus. If you say you have not sinned, you are a liar because God has said ALL have sinned. But it gets worse if you say you have no sin you are calling God a liar; the truth is not in you. That means we cannot overcome our sins without God’s help, but He is waiting for our brokenness of heart and the act of repentance. To be in Christ Jesus we need to live with an awareness of the dangers of sin and the liberty that can be found in a God that pours out forgiveness by an act of grace and mercy. All we have to do is to ask Him. Yes, when we come to God and ask Him for forgiveness, He readily receives us. And why should He not; He has already paid the price Himself?  We are repentant believers who He calls “saints”.

Anyone who preaches holiness and righteousness will get fewer invitations to preach. People like to hear a soft “gospel” that does not challenge them to live a holy life; they prefer to remain in their sin, like a pig that likes to roll in the mire!

For a person who holds a righteous understanding of God’s Word the rejection is a state that can be overcome by a quickening and confirmation in our hearts that we are saved and on our way to heaven.

1Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honorable, but we are despised. (MKJV)

I believe that many in the Church are fed-up with compromise and are about to rise up and make a stand. Have you reached the limits of tolerance or patience with somebody or something that is happening in the Church? Then you are ready to make a move.

Not only does the individual need to be touched by God but so does the whole Church.

When the whole teaching of the Bible is considered, it has to be consistent! This will produce a consistent Christian.

Let us get back to the Bible and be obedient to the commandment, then we will go in power.