Touch Not My Anointed

He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 1Ch 16:21-22

               We are in a strange age in the Christian Church. While the Spirit of the Lord begins His great release over the whole earth to prepare us for the end of days, the people of God turn on one another, stabbing their brethren from behind keyboards, screaming “false prophet”, “false teacher”, or “heretic”. We consume one another from behind the relative safety of a computer screen, quick to judge and outright condemn anything we do not understand. Every new move of God has someone screaming that this isn’t their brand of Christianity, and the leaders of any new movement are quickly bloodied. Their faults and sins are broadcast to a world-wide audience hanging on the edge of their mouse for another tidbit of dirt on Pastor So-and–so.

               While the apostate, conservative church consumes its brethren in gnashing of teeth and spewing of venom, the Spirit of the Lord marches on, regardless. He ignores the complaints of the conservative and apostate branches of the Church, pouring out regardless. Even as someone sits in their home office condemning this man or that, a great crusade is held and thousands of people get healed. Even while the internet gossip circle laughs about the moral fault of this minister or that preacher, hundreds of people are saved through their ministry. Shouldn’t this be telling us something?

               When Jesus came to the earth as a man, He experienced much the same treatment. He was reviled, spit on, called a false prophet and blasphemer, and nearly stoned on several occasions. All of these things took place because He had the colossal gall to minister in the power of the Spirit, bringing a new revelation of truth to the people of God.

               In His time on this earth as a man, Jesus had the misfortune to be sent into an atmosphere of an apostate church. The religious authorities of the day were very well educated in the doctrines of man, and laughed at the simple truths He revealed.

               The situation is very much the same in the modern atmosphere of the Church. If you have the nerve to post a prophetic release anywhere on the internet so that the people of God can have access to what the Lord is saying, you are sure to be called all kinds of things by “good Christian brethren”, none of which are complimentary. You will be labeled as everything from a “crackpot” to a “heretic”, laughed at, shunned, “unfriended”, and sternly lectured about “good Christian doctrine”.

               When Christ arrived on the scene over two thousand years ago, He was seen as a blasphemous fool, because the things He said and did flew in the face of everything that Jewish doctrine taught was correct and respectable. Imagine, He had the nerve to prophesy, minister in the Spirit of love, and even associate with sinners and publicans.

               As a Rabbi, a very respected person of the Jewish faith, He had the right to carry Himself proudly, looking down on all those that were not as religious or as educated in the Law as He was. His simple bearing and humility must have shamed the religious elite.

His closest friends were beneath the respect of the Jewish elders. They were mostly uneducated, ignorant of “correct” Jewish doctrine, and they smelled like fish. What an experience that must have been in the Upper Room. Nevertheless, He continued to preach His version of the Word of God until people began to listen.

So what is it that made the people of Israel listen to Jesus, even though His teachings were so contrary to popular belief? What drew people to listen to Him? That answer is easy enough: it was the miracles.

As He traveled from place to place spreading this new, unpopular Gospel, signs and wonders followed His ministry. Pretty soon, the average person didn’t care what the great experts of the Law were saying. Jesus was healing the sick. The scribes and Pharisees weren’t doing anything more than making a lot of wind and walking around with injured pride.

Even though all of the religious “experts” of the day were gathered against Him, He continued to minister in the power of the Spirit. As He traveled from place to place, people were saved, healed and delivered by the power of Almighty God. And yet still, the religious authorities opposed Him. Vehemently opposed Him.

All the learned men of the Law that were experts in everything God had said through all the ages of man couldn’t see the fulfillment of everything they had waited for, even though He was standing right in front of them. It’s not any different, today.

As the Spirit of the Lord pours Himself out, this group objects to a prophecy being spoken. As people are baptized in the Spirit and begin to pray in tongues, another group screams “that is not for today!” As people are delivered from the oppression of the enemy, another group yells that “demons cannot possess Christians!” As someone is healed and gets out of their wheelchair, another group is jumping up and down, yelling “fake!” And yet, God marches steadily onward, pouring Himself out.

The one thing I have figured out about the nature of God, is that He doesn’t need my permission to be Who He is or to do what He is going to do. If He chooses to pour Himself out in a way which I’ve never before witnessed, He doesn’t take the time to stop and check with me, first. He never asks, “Paul, are you okay with this?” God simply does what God does, and I have the choice whether to get on board with it or to be left behind.

The entire western Church is facing the same dilemma. God is not going to stop moving in order to check with this denomination to see if it is acceptable that His people speak in tongues. He is not going to halt what He is doing long enough to ask this group if prophecy is acceptable. He doesn’t seem to care if that group screams out in religious fury as He heals, saves and delivers those that are waiting upon Him to do so. He doesn’t even take the time to stop and ask the apostate church if it is acceptable for an apostle to release something brand new in their own back yard. No, He simply marches on, doing what He does.

God doesn’t seem to mind if the good Reverend Whoever complains that this latest spiritual outpouring disagrees with the hundreds of years of man’s doctrine that he has become so learned in. God doesn’t hesitate because Mr. Outspoken gets on the internet, pointing out that his church pastor disagrees with speaking in tongues in the church. He never misses a step because Miss Judgmental is pointing her finger at a new spiritual outpouring, calling it heresy. He doesn’t even slow down to listen to those in the Dead Religion Church as they scream in protest when He ordains prophets and apostles for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. No, He just keeps doing what He does. We can either get on board or get left behind. Simple.

The simplicity of God is also part of the majesty of God. God is who He is, and He does what He does, regardless of man’s opinions. It has always been that way. And since He never changes, it will always be that way.

The only thing that really seems to give God pause is when His people are attacked for doing what He has called and ordained them to do. That doesn’t stop Him, nor does it slow Him down, but He does take notice.

In Acts chapter 13, God took notice of Elymas, the sorcerer when he did the very same things that the western apostate church is doing today. As a result, Elymas had to go buy himself a seeing-eye dog for a season.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a seeing-eye dog available for many that are still operating in witchcraft, condemning the things and the ministers of God. Even as the Spirit of the Lord pours out like the latter rains, they remain blind to His presence, screaming their objections.

“My sheep know My voice,” said Jesus in John 10:27. Never has the simple truth of this statement been more apparent than it is today. As the sheep of God struggle against the wolves of this world, and even more so against the wolves in sheep’s clothing, the truth of this statement becomes resoundingly clear.

When God begins to do something that takes the religious world by storm, you can hear the wolves begin to howl in rage. The sheep remain focused, completing their mission.

As God moves in a way that challenges the doctrines of men and the doctrines of devils that are rampant in the Church, the wolves gather for the kill, while the sheep of God tow the mark and remain focused on Christ and Him crucified.

And when one of God’s children stumble, the sheep gather to restore, while the wolves scream “false Prophet” and celebrate his downfall.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Joh 13:34-35

               The one thing that we seem to forget in this modern age of free speech, is that God expects respect. Even when we do not agree with what He is doing, He expects us to have enough respect for Him and for one another, that we show respect. That means that we refrain from celebrating when our brethren fall. That means we lift up those that have stumbled, restoring them. That means that we don’t verbally attack a minister that is moving in something we do not comprehend. That means we keep our mouths shut and love one another, regardless of our differences.

               All through the early life of David, he was hunted, persecuted, and nearly murdered on several occasions by a man that was God’s anointed. By all rights, David had every right to use the first opportunity he had to take whatever measures necessary to put an end to Saul’s persecution of him. Did he?

               We all know the story of David. We know that he refused to touch God’s anointed. This man, who was the only man that God ever said had a heart after God’s own heart, knew the right approach. He didn’t agree with King Saul on numerous occasions, we can be sure. I’m sure he didn’t stop ducking Saul’s spears to encourage him to throw another. Yet, he still respected Saul for the anointing that was placed on his life.

               Even though Saul used deceit and suffered from murderous envy, actually becoming demon possessed because of his walk of disobedience, the one man with a heart after God’s own heart gave him the respect he deserved.

               David did not blow up Facebook slandering Saul. He didn’t scream “false prophet” when Saul’s sins came home to roost. He never gathered with the leaders of the tribes of Israel to dethrone Saul or remove him from power because he was unfit for the ministry he had been called to. David respected Saul and refused to put his hand to him to harm him in any way. That included his mouth.

               When God tells His people “touch not My anointed,” He means it. In the entire history of the Bible, only the prophets and the apostles were ever sent to bring correction to the Church. And they won’t touch an anointed man or woman of God without the express leading of the Holy Spirit. When they do, they end up with a Miriam experience – uncleanness and separation from the Body.

               Most of the people registering their opinions on the ministries of other men and women of God, don’t even believe that prophets and apostles are still operating. No, they seem to believe that God stopped using prophets and apostles, and began using the system of popular opinion, instead.

               As a result, those that sit in condemnation of other ministers and other ministries, find themselves contending with the Spirit of the Lord. Their finances begin to dry up. They lose most or all of their close personal relationships. The blessings of God, which used to be so abundant in their lives, begin to leave. Spiritual drought and famine sets in. Even their “good Christian friends” want nothing more to do with them. Touch not My anointed. Do My prophets no harm.

               Until we come to a state of repentance for the way that we devour one another and stab each other in the back, it is only going to get worse for the western Church. Until we begin to get on board with what God is doing, we are going to continue being left behind. Until we start to keep our eyes and ears open and our mouths shut, God is not going to hear our pleas for restoration. Sorry, but biblical precedent is abundant on this.

               Touch not My anointed. Do My prophets no harm. Every time we use our mouths to attack the reputation of a minister or a ministry, we are inviting spiritual problems. As long as we continue on the same path, we will never see healing or restoration. We cannot be healed and restored while we are injuring others and causing them to fall.

               Every time we condemn someone, we invite condemnation. Every time we judge someone, we invite judgment. Every time we celebrate when someone else falls, we invite the celebration at our own downfall. Touch not My anointed. Do My prophets no harm.

               And while we sit, basking in a pool of our own filth, believing it to be the will of God, He is ever marching forward. He is still sending forth those that minister in the power of the Spirit. Signs and wonders are still following their ministries. And many continue to ignore the religious “elite”, choosing to believe the works of Almighty God instead.

               What hurts my heart more than anything, is that this line of separation between the sheep and the goats is going to grow ever wider as time goes by. Those that move in the power of the Spirit will continue to move forward, shaking the dust of the religious world from their feet as they march head-long into their calling. And the wolves will continue to howl in rage as God moves victoriously. But the sheep will be so far separated by that point, that they won’t be able to hear it.

               I want to take this opportunity to encourage all of my readers to stop for just a moment and take stock of their own soul. Are you one that judges and condemns the things they don’t understand? We must come to the point of realization when we acknowledge that Jesus is the head of the Church, and He doesn’t need our help in running or disciplining His organization.

               It is time for the Body of Christ to pull themselves back from the brink of disaster. It is time that we acknowledge our need for repentance, and do so quickly. It is time for us to realize that when we touch God’s anointed, and do harm to His prophets, we are the ones that pay for it. They just keep marching into victory while we howl in rage. It is time for the Body to truly become a Body once again, and to stop feeding on itself. It is time for Christians to be Christians once more.