There is an old hymn that says, "God is moving by His Spirit; moving through all the earth. Signs and wonders when God moves; move, oh Lord, in me." It is true. God is moving by His Spirit throughout all the earth. There is a lot of talk today about receiving a "fresh touch" from God. It is clear that God is moving throughout all the earth, through every people group, through every culture. I want to be a part of this incredible move of God! What about you?
What is a fresh touch? I think King David had a desire for this when he prayed in Psalm 51:10-12, "Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and renew a right spirit within me" and in Psalm 42:1-2 when he said, "As the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after you." I believe David realized that he could not live on past experiences with God. He said, "Your mercies are new every morning."
However, we are inhibited from seeking this fresh touch, too often, by a feeling of unworthiness. Praise God! We are unworthy! Which makes his love for us and desire for fellowship with us so much more unfathomable to human minds. I love the way my friend Pastor Steve Gray from Smithton Community Church puts it. (If you have not listened to the recent Hosanna! Music recording entitled, "The Smithton Outpouring", I encourage you to do so.) I don't say it as well as he does, but he paints a picture of the Father reaching out His arms to His prodigal sons and daughters, inviting them to come home where He has prepared a ring for our finger, a new set of clothes and a feast. He is inviting us to come and sit at the table with Him where He can, once again, fellowship with us and restore us to our place in His family as His sons and daughters. I love this picture. In the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), the son didn't deserve anything from the Father. Yet, as unworthy as he was, the Father reached out to him. What a beautiful illustration! God is still doing that today to each one of us. He wants to restore us to our rightful place in His family. He is reaching out to us right now.
An hour's drive from my house is Brownsville Assembly of God Church where thousands of people have visited over the past few years to experience a fresh touch from God. I have visited there several times myself, and we even recorded one of our Hosanna! Music projects there, entitled, "Revival at Brownsville." It has also been a very popular recording and I encourage you to listen to this as well. Why are people coming to Brownsville Assembly? Many come out of curiosity and leave totally changed as a result of encountering God in a fresh, new way. Others (thousands) have come in off the street and, after hearing Steve Hill preach God's Word, they find themselves at an altar accepting Jesus as their Lord!
People are traveling thousands of miles to experience a fresh touch from God. There is a renewed desire to be in His presence. It is my desire too. I want to be a part of what He is doing throughout the earth today. I want to be in His presence and receive all that He has for me. David loved to be in the presence of God. He said in Psalm 26:8, "Oh Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells." Psalm 27:4, my favorite scripture verse, says, "One thing have I desired of the Lord and that I will seek after. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple." David loved to be where God was. He loved to "soak" in God's presence and His glory. But God also loves to be where we are, and He will go to great lengths to place us in a situation where we are confronted with His presence and glory.
Jesus said in Luke 6:21, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." We need to be hungry and thirsty for more of God's presence. When we are, we are filled. This is true. Revival comes to those who are seeking it. But Jesus comes many times to those who are NOT seeking Him. Think about it. Most of us had nothing at all to do with our salvation. God came to us. We did nothing to deserve it. I believe that same thing can happen for those who are seeking a fresh touch from God today. Jesus comes to those who are seeking Him and He also comes to those who are NOT seeking Him. Remember the story of Acts 9? Was Saul seeking Jesus? I don't think so! He was seeking to kill those who were seeking Jesus!!! Did God avoid Saul because He was not hungry and thirsty enough? No! He confronted him. He overwhelmed him with His presence! God came to Saul and changed him forever and He wants to do the same for you and me today.
God loves us so much that He will go to great lengths to overwhelm us with His love and power. Maybe you have looked at the different revivals and said in your heart, "That's not for me, I don't understand it. I'm happy right where I am." You may be content to stay where you are and continue having the same "experience" you have had for years with God but He is not contented to leave you there. He is moving today among His people and He wants you to be a part of what He is doing. He is going to come to you even though you may not be looking for Him. He will come. He will inhabit the praises of His people and He will change us forever!
Revelation 22:17, 20b says, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." We need a fresh touch from You today.
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