He Touched Me

"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured."-(Mark 1:40-42)

My heart aches for the untouchable. Those whose state has cast them away from the compassion and loving embrace of others. What terrible distance and ostracism they are involuntarily moved to. What a desperate plight, to be rejected and forgotten. The only reaction that would be of warrant as you entered the presence of those you once reveled with is one of repulsion and disownment. Instead of even the most civil of greetings, you receive instead gasps of disgust and the spitting of curses warning you to keep your distance. They despise you. You are absolutely alone. You are driven only out of necessity to seek exile amongst those who also share your plight. Your new environs are a breeding ground for further decay and a waiting area for inevitable death. You never feel the warmth of another's touch, or a reassuring caress again. How dark the hopelessness must be. But in the presence of JESUS... The most incredible compassionate hands reach out, grasp and embrace those who are no longer received by the world. He does not care for the precepts and unspoken laws of man. His hands, His words and His LOVE heals a ll who receive them. What troubles me about this scenario is that WE are those hands, WE are the earthly carriers of His words and His Love. But, the same vessels who carry the power to heal here on earth, are usually amongst the same crowds who reject the leprous.

I recently encountered a situation where someone very dear to me in the faith called regarding a brother, a mutually close friend, who had fallen into a greatly distressing position whereby sin had taken root and was strangling his anointing and stifling his call in the Kingdom. The news was distressing, and frankly, shocking to say the least. But what troubled me most about this conversation was the immediacy of my dear friend to relinquish his ties with the afflicted. Now, I grant that the mutual friend was in a very ugly situation, and wisdom would suggest that it speaks of one's approval if we behave as though they were not responsible for their actions... But to almost surgically remove them seemed unconscionable. I agreed that professional attachment was not beneficial at this time, but as I listened to the depth of the distance that was being made, I had an ache rise up within me. I heard the Holy Spirit say "Do not run from the Leprous, RUN TO THEM." I did not hide what was shared with me, and I believe that in my disclosing those words, I urged them to hold on to the relationship by at least a thread for now. But after we finished speaking, my spirit-man rose up and I felt the urge to pray. As I prayed, I felt the need to call this mutual friend. Later that day, I did. I did not reach out to them to lambaste them for their idiocy, nor did I feel the call to admonish them to take responsibility for their actions and apologize to those who they were inadvertently hurting through their actions. I simply said- "We Love You".

In spite of the reflection it might have on our character to any misunderstanding spectators, we felt that Jesus wanted us to reach out and speak peace and love. Jesus did not put a priority on people's perception of Him when he was operating during His ministry. He cared more about those who needed help than those who murmured of His breaking the orthodoxy or traditions. We are equipped as believers with the power to bring healing to those who are afflicted. The challenge comes when either party is not willing to give or receive the healing. The argument on the side of sin is usually clouded by the guilt, delusion or pride that is borne of the flesh in seasons of sin. The argument on the side of those of us who are called to be vessels for His grace can be driven by insulated caution or religious misunderstanding. There will always be those who out of fear of moving outside of the socially accepted divides, or out of their creation of an idol which usurps the power of God... Our self-made FENCES. While it is not our responsibility to be the convicting agent in these situations, it IS our responsibility to be the LOVE of CHRIST.

The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. Believers can be led down a very dangerous path when they take the judgment of others upon their shoulders. While I believe that we are to hold those who have the revelation of the truth to a higher level of expectation, I also believe that we must all watch our own footing. "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"-(1 Corinthians 10:12) Yes, there but for the grace of God go I... It is no exaggeration to say that some of the Lord's most potent Generals have gone in moments from condemnation of a peer caught in an explicit sin, to they themselves being wrung over the coals when found in a compromising position. Remember, when God has put you on assignment, the enemy works with crafty intricacy to throw you off of the track and out of the hunt. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”-(1 Peter 5:8)

So much is released in the Spirit when we walk in obedience to His calling and at all times operating in LOVE. Precious Lord God, keep us from becoming insu lated, religious, traditionalist, orthodox, offended Christians. Help us to become more like the Master, Jesus. who, reaching out to the untouchables and touching with HEALING, made GLORY for Your name. Let us always remember and embrace the lovingkindness of the perfect Savior, who endured the temptations of the flesh, took on our sins that we would be FORGIVEN in the eyes of the Father. The greatest teacher and example of eternity, is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is no way that we can embody His calling for our lives UNLESS WE WALK IN LOVE. Leave the ultimate judgement to the Father, and be consecrated to continue proclaiming the GOOD NEWS of the SON through the working POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT.

"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."-(Matthew 6:12-13) It is no coincidence that asking for forgiveness for our missteps is paired with a plea for deliverance from the enemy? God wants us to be ALL He has designed us to be. Perfected through His Blood, and empowered by HIS LOVE. Forgive, Speak Jesus into one another's lives. Speak LOVE and be the LOVE of CHRIST to the unclean, the untouchable, the leprous and discarded souls who NEED JESUS and His healing touch. If that is you today, we encourage you to reach out to the loving and forgiving hand of the King of Kings, and He will make you whole. If you simply need Him to touch your heart right this very moment to give you MORE LOVE, than we agree with you IN THE NAME OF JESUS, that it would be done for you according to your faith and the POWER of His Spirit. Forgiveness is part of His ministry- "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."-(2 Corinthians 5:18-19) FORGIVE. LOVE. BUILD HIS KINGDOM.