Sunday July 25, 2010

"As many as touched Him were made whole."       ....Mark 6:56

Recall the incident of the Pharisee and the publican at prayer in the temple.  The Pharisee understood all about tithes, offerings, prayers and trying to be good, yet from him there was no cry of the heart to God.  It was the publican who cried out of his heart, "Lord have mercy upon me!"  Something went out to God from that man which met with an immediate response!  The Lord Jesus singles him out as the one whom God reckoned righteous!  For what is it to be reckoned righteous?  It is to touch God's heart and to receive a justifying response from Him. 

Today in the body of Christ as the real Church of God on this earth, the great weakness of so much present day teaching and preaching of the gospel is that we try to make people understand the plan of salvation with their minds.    All too often we see little or no result in the character of their heart, or for that matter in their current life experience.  Where have we failed?

I am sure it is in this:  It is that our hearers neither really see Him or touch Him in reality. They do not open up and reach out in their hearts and secure that initial imperative contact with Him.  In other words, there has been no connection of heart to heart, spirit to Spirit.  Like the Pharisee, they have not as yet touched God's heart.  Truly we have presented the plan of salvation correctly but we have neglected to present the real presence of Jesus in the person of Saviour!  We point them only to their sins or to God's salvation. Their real need is to be lead to Jesus, to see Him and to touch Him as the living Saviour God Himself.   They need to meet Jesus one on one personally, to have made contact with Him in their heart!    A one on one contact of the heart of man with the  Heart of God is what is most needed!  One such contact or touch is all that it takes for one to be saved, to be delivered, to be set free and to be made whole!