The Ballestero Blog

He’s Out Of Touch

This is the day of instant communication and social networking. Cell phones are so common now that even pre-teens are seen with them. Facebook and Twitter keeps friends in touch and provides them with up to the minute news of each other’s lives. Everyone has an email address today it seems. This generation prides itself in being connected and having the ability to stay in touch regardless.

For several months this summer, I have been in Camp Meetings located in rural areas around our nation. At least 4 of those campgrounds had very limited or no cellular phone service, or Internet connection either. My blog postings have taken a major hit recently because I have had very limited access to the outside world. I was out of touch.

The phrase, “Out of touch” is used several ways

Out of touch (with somebody)

1. Not in communication

Out of touch (with something)

1. Not informed about something
2. Not reflecting what is true or actual

Politicians fling that phrase at their opponents. The public says that about some politicians.

The Brooks Brothers salesmen and the sharp dressing in-crowd look at me as though my clothes are from another planet. I can tell they feel I am out of touch with what’s cool. I’m a grandpa, and grand fathers are sometimes given a pass, along with a side-glance and a smirk. (I’ll keep buying from Goodwill if I want to, so there.)

I shouldn’t use the grandpa defense however. I’ve been a nerd all my life. I’ve never been considered cool or looked like I stepped out of a bandbox. What’s sad is, I’m OK with that.

Each generation accuses its elders of being out of touch, if only in their minds. Call it the generation gap, or by whatever term is more current, it still means the same thing. Young people think older people are out of touch with their world. Older folks think that the younger generation is clueless about the real world. Each accuses the other of being out of touch.

I make no effort to defend myself on that point. There are many things about this generation I do not understand. Further more, I have no desire to understand. Things like:

• The Tattoo craze (I’ve never seen one that makes the person more beautiful or handsome. Why do they do it?)
• The Bed-Head and Spiked hair look.
• Living together and raising families without getting married.
• Doing drugs.
• Being part of Flash mob events.
• Rioting and looting.

I condemn such actions and thereby am considered to be out of touch.

Society locks people up in padded rooms when they are considered to be out of touch with reality. Delusional patients are kept separate from society because they are no longer living in the real world. They are out of touch with reality.

Out Of Touch With God

Good Saints come to church early to pray before service. They want to stay in touch God.

Godly thinking people have personal devotions and a family altar time in their home because they choose to stay in touch with the Lord.

Some deluded Pentecostals feel that Mainstream Apostolics are out of touch in this generation. They distance themselves from the Holiness crowd. They cut their hair, put on makeup, women wear slacks and skimpy apparel, and they adorn themselves with jewelry. They use terms like, Emergent and Relevant. They on the other hand are no longer Apostolic nor do they look or act Apostolic. They are out of touch with God’s Holiness.

Most of them mock those of us that continue to live a life of modesty in dress and still believe in separation from the world, declaring that we are out of touch. In reality, they are the ones that are out of touch.

God is Holy. Why do you want the Holy Ghost if you don’t want to be Holy like Him? Anytime you make a mockery of Holiness, you are hell-bent and out of touch. Being out of touch with God and His Holiness, is always fatal.

The Old Testament admonition is still relevant today.

2Chr. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God gave those that were out of touch, the key to getting back in touch with Him.

• Humble yourself
• Pray
• Seek His face
• Turn away from your sinful life

Now For The Bad News

It’s one thing when man gets out of touch, but the subject gets taken to the ultimate level, when God choses to be out of touch. He was out of touch with Israel for 400 years.

Why would God want to be out of touch with us? I’ll let Him explain that in His own words.

Isa. 59:1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Isa. 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

• God chose not to listen to the prayers of some because of their willful sinning.
• He also chose to ignore those that needed help for the same reason.
• In addition, He also said He wouldn’t even look in their direction.
• Those people chose the life of iniquity.
• They refused the ways of Godliness.
• So God refused them.

They wanted to disconnect from God, so God disconnected from them. God does what you do. Repentance is wayward man’s ONLY hope of getting back in touch with God.

Are You Out Of Touch With God?