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At Start Again Ministries, one of our goals is to see the believer grow in faith and knowledge in the Word of God. We receive many emails and letters asking questions common to the Body of Christ. If you have a question you would like to have answered, please write to questions@startagain.org . We'll do our best to get you a biblical answer quickly. 08/29/06 Subject: Touching the anointed Could you please explain that term scripturally? We left a church and were warned "not to touch the anointed". (Meaning the pastor). I'm not sure what that meant. They didn't really explain themselves when I asked them. Answer: The words told to you “touch not the anointed” are a rough paraphrase of 1 Chronicles 16:22 and Psalm 105:15. Both verses are identical as one is quoting the other… The Lord is “[Saying], Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” This verse is at the end of a list of tangible items where God intervened on behalf of the nation of Israel, Showing that His hand is truly upon them. It’s probably easier to start reading a couple verses earlier to get the context of this verse… start here in 1 Chronicles 16, verse 20 and read through verse 22, it says this… And [when] they went from nation to nation, and from [one] kingdom to another people; 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. Regretfully, it is a common statement made by elders/deacons/pastors/preachers or those placed around them to “protect” them to “touch not the anointed” or some semblance of this phrase. For some reason these folks seem to think this gives special right to a pastor or preacher to live as they see fit, whether or not it is in compliance with the word of God does not matter, and that this verse somehow gives them protection. Many use it to infer they are above reproach or above questioning. Many believe that just quoting this verse will somehow validate their lifestyle or actions. It does not. A sad mis-quote. This verse is a
directive of His protection intended for all believers. Touch not “God’s
Anointed!!!” The ironic part is that in this particular quote, the word
“anointed”, in this usage, is the Hebrew word “ Most other times in the Bible, the word anoint is used to set apart for a holy purpose, like the word “consecrate”. He has to anoint. He has to empower. When HE does, We are empowered to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and We will fear no evil,,,, why? Because HE is with me [us]! God has YOUR back, as long as you are living in HIS statutes; seeking first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness. God says to the rest of the world, keep your hands off, this one is mine! Bottom line… If a preacher or a teacher is teaching falsehoods or living a lifestyle that God did not dictate… don’t be intimidated by a verse being thrown out at you; even Satan knows scripture. “Didn’t God say…??? Didn’t God say???.... If a pastor is living in sin or teaching false doctrines and refuses to repent, but instead has his cronies misquote scripture to you, follow Mark 6:11 which says: And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Question: Please shed light on the scripture verse Isaiah 5:14 – why is the pronoun “her” mentioned in relationship to hell? Answer: The word Hell, which appears 54 times in the old testament,
is from the Hebrew word
The nature of the root word is that it has “human like qualities”. We see in Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 5 that Hell, like death, can not be satisfied. It has an insatiable appetite. The word is used in Proverbs where describing a harlot’s door as the doorway to hell. The road to hell is likened to a loud seductive woman. Again, “she” can not be satisfied. The essence of the word is “to seek, to ask, almost seductively in nature.” The closest meaning in English would be something like “the abode of the dead that calls seductively”. Or “ the grave that seductively seeks my destruction”. Hell itself is not alive, but rather a physical place; A cavern or subterranean place. A place without God. A place where God could be sought and not found. But, because of the deceit of its destruction, it is likened unto a seductive woman. Whatever the enticement, in my opinion, it’s definitely a place we don’t want to be. The good news is that we were never meant to endure God’s wrath. (Nahum 1:2 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9 . Additionally, We know that hell and death are cast into the lake of fire according to Revelation 20:14. Question:Dear Bishop Larson, You know how James says faith without works is dead. do you think he means that if there is no works there is no faith, not because we have to have works to be saved, but if there is no works why bother. I can believe all day long that if I flip the light switch on that there will be lights, but until I get up and switch the switch, nothing has happened. I believe it is the same way with our faith. when Abraham placed Isaac on the alter, it was in that moment that his faith in God had a tangible action. It completed his faith. so is faith with out works just "not completed" or unfulfilled faith? tell me what you think. Answer:Aaahaa… You have spoken wisely, Grasshopper. One of my favorite messages I preach (If I’m entitled to have a favorite) is just that. How do you know that faith is “faith” until it has a tangible result. We have to “stretch out our hand” or “rise, take up your bed and walk” or somehow act on our faith. Faith is like an “energy” or “force” that is similar to kinetic energy, ready to be put to work. Read Acts 14:8-10 . Paul could sense the faith in a man. Seeing that, he spoke out and activated that faith. It’s my belief that if Paul had not acted on the presence of faith, the man would not have been healed. I get some funny looks when I share this. Don’t get me wrong; works do not replace grace. For by grace are we saved, through faith, … but unless I’m willing to risk something, i.e. failure, ridicule, loss, embarrassment; I’ve done nothing but have a thought in my head. I must do something to tie my faith to the tangible. Sometimes, according to 1 cor 16:13, it is enough to just “stand fast in the faith”. That’s an interesting statement in and of itself, because I had always thought that “standing” WAS “faith” But, apparently, I have to Stand centered IN my faith. By faith I CAN stand, 2 cor 1:24. I believe that “standing” is more than just existing. Even though a literal translation of the word “stand” in that verse (the Greek word “o”, who’s root word is “eimi”) is “to be, or to exist”; the root word, eimi, when mixed with a noun or a verb, brings that noun or verb into the present, regardless of prior condition. It forces the noun or verb to exist “in the NOW”. It causes something to exist that did not exist. It causes something to be that was not. It FORCES things to become, now, in the present, even though they were “not” only a moment prior. (speaking things that are not as though they ARE.) It also connects with a verb to mean “there shall be no longer time” in other words. It WILL come to pass NOW. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Our faith can increase (Luke 17:5). NOW FAITH .. has substance (Hebrews 11:1) Miracles and Healing often come at what I call the “explosive moment” of faith. I describe this point as the moment we KNOW that the faith we have been exercising, holding, standing in, standing on, building ourselves up on…. Actually applies to US. Kind of like the light coming on and us deciding to move on our faith.
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A word of Testimony from 17 year old, Loyd
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