Touchstone Era

"The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the LORD Almighty. The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the LORD Almighty. And in this place I will grant peace, declares the LORD Almighty."

Haggai 2:8

Woke up this am with this word in my spirit- 

Touchstone.

TOUCHSTONE.

Before bed last nite...

I flipped open my Bible to Haggai and read all of the 2 beautiful short chapters.

Then upon waking, a word was imprinted on my mind. Touchstone. As I read through various definitions of "touchstone", with morning coffee in hand,  I realized we have entered a touchstone era. 

It's becoming an era of purging, refining, reforming...

and a true revival and a renaissance of the fear of God...

and a true committment to holiness. An era of "Gold Standard." His gold standard. ✨️ 

Before taking refuge in Haggai, I had been listening to a podcast of 'Minor Prophets' regarding the exposures in the churches. Which of course has been going on for decades in all denominations but is now excellerating by the finger of God. 

My heart was crying out for reformation. I was asking the LORD "How do we move forward & heal?" How do we move forward to be the true church, the governmental ecclesia that sets a true righteous standard for all.

Remember "His standard over us is love". True love demands merit & selflessness.

I really didn't know the full meaning of this word- touchstone. I vaguely knew it meant something like 'measure or standard'. 

I had no idea it's root word was based in testing for precious metals. What an eye opener as I began to search it out.

More importantly...

I am amazed at the way the Spirit of God will speak through a scripture when you hide it, pray it, rest with it, meditate it, bury it like a seed, within your heart.

Oxford Definition:

Touchstone

Noun

~a piece of fine grained dark schist (silica stone) or jasper formerly used for testing alloys of gold by observing the color of a mark which they made on it.

~a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized.

Similar words:

~criterion, gauge, standard, yardstick

What does scripture say of jasper?

"At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne" 

Revelation 4: 2,3

This reference to jasper indicates that Jesus is the Touchstone or Standard bearer of heaven and earth. 

Websters Definition:

 Touchstone 

~a test or criterion for determining the quality or genuiness of a thing.

Jasper is a reddish brown color showing the humanity of Christ...Son of God, Son of Man. 

Immanuel...God with us. 

Have we been marked by The Touchstone of heaven? Have we been marked or sealed by His Spirit?

He has set the standard for our forgiveness, redemption and sanctification. To be marked by the jasper stone of heaven.

Only Christ can touch our souls and leave a mark (seal) which embeds its DNA into us with revelation, enlightenment and wise discernment.

Only Christ can touch the very core of your heart...

And cause a fountain of life to spring forth.

When I turned to scripture last night, my prayer was focused on the need for discernment in the body of Christ. Not only discernment but "gold standard" reformation. 

As I cried out, the LORD took me to Haggai. The people in this time of Israel's return from exile were grieved about the inferiority of the Temple rebuild. It could not compare to Solomon's temple. 

Yet the LORD was declaring "the latter glory will be greater than the former glory". How could this be?

He was referring to Jesus who was the cornerstone and would marvelously  build His Living, Light filled Tabernacle. A Tabernacle of "Living Stone".

Touchstone- a test for judging something. A gold standard for our integrity and maturity.

Jesus walked with His friends for 3+ years.

When Peter recognized who Jesus was...

"The Son of the Living God"...

Jesus responded to Peter...

"Upon this rock... 

(knowing who Jesus is) 

I will build my ecclesia and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." 

Ecclesia means government but its a government of love from the heart outward. We may govern from the heart outward. Meaning, as we govern ourselves in submission to God's ways and words...then we are promoted to govern our family and then a congregation. That is the correct order of governance. 

The shepherds have failed to teach discernment and sound judgment. They have failed to teach how to test the spirits. What spirits?...the spirit behind every single word spoken in a pulpit and every single prophecy spoken wether to individuals or to the church or the globe. 

In the place of discernment and developing mature christians they have filled the pulpits with man's interpretation and man's philosophies. 

We must know Christ to know His Word...to interpret His scriptures. We must be born again by His Word and His Spirit in order to grow and to develop spiritual gold and silver. We must be born again to develop maturity and discernment. 

The Touchstone presses against our soul to test our sincerety and committment. 

Faith operates by love. Those who chose Christ and choose love are born of God (1 John 4:7,8). True love is tested in adversity with fire. Like gold.

Birth is a process. Maturity is a process. We assay the gold, the value of righteousness, decision by decision. We walk out our righteousness before God in "fear and trembling".

Assay definition:

~Determining the quality of a metal or ore.

The scripture refers to gold and silver as a refining process of our spiritual development. 

The spiritual assaying process is described in 1 Peter 1:15, 16. Also in Romans 1:18 and 1 Corinthians 6:9 (for example)...

but really it's all through scripture.

"He has shown you, O man, what does the LORD require of you, to act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

 It's a requirement for maturity... each individual must be accountable for their own growth. No leader, elder, teacher or pastor can do this in our place.

In our recent exposures of "Shepherds" who are feeding on the sheep as "wolves". There is a lack of accountability which is prevelant top to bottom. From shepherd to sheep.

Accountability is a two way street but this is not happening as it did in the New Testament. Set in example by the Bereans and the counsel in Acts 15.

In the case of minors who are victims...this is absolutely vicious and criminal...period. It must be adjudicated. 

However, in the case of young consenting adults...who are becoming victims....why are we all falling for this patronizing of leaders as if they are celebrities?  And why this void of discernment? 

Maturity & discernment is not being developed! We are each responsible for our own discernment.

Pastors & teachers are treated as "celebrities" rather than being held accountable as Servants of the congregation. Also new converts are not held to a Touchstone standard. The Gospel which means Good News has truly been compromised.

Why are parents and pastors not teaching their young to seek discernment? Why are we going about oblivious to this warning, "Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour?" 

Here is the process of building within the body and the process of individual maturity: 

"And whoever falls on this rock will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Matthew 21:44

What rock? The Touchstone. THE REVELATION OF WHO CHRIST IS.

Jesus declared to the religious leaders...

I AM THE CORNERSTONE.

Then He illustrates the process of new birth. He describes the assaying process. 

If you choose to fall upon Him in humility, with free will...

the gold of His glory will come forth from your brokenness. The silver of your sanctification will be wrought from the raw ore of a carnal human nature. 

The gold and the silver belongs to the LORD!

He is the only true...

"miner for a heart of gold" 

(to quote the old James Taylor song). 

He is the glorious Touchstone. He must touch your heart, your core being. He must become your seal.

His touch cannot be replaced with philosophy or intellectual teaching.

 His touch cannot be replaced by a cleverly manufactured automaton public "confession". It cannot be replaced by mental assent. It can't be replaced by human effort.

The Touchstone is a one on one process. He must awaken your heart. He is the "very flame of God". He is...the mark, the seal, the Touchstone.

This Living Fire of His Love is the only thing capable of smelting the gold and silver of your life and refining your great worth. And you are of such great worth to Him.

"Set me as a seal upon your heart...for love is strong as death...its flames are a most vehement flame...a flame of Yah." 

"The very flame of God".

Song of Solomon 8:6

He is the glorious jasper stone who brings heaven to earth. He is YHWH.

He is The Touchstone, The Assayer and The Refiner.

He is Yahweh, He is Yeshua, He is Jesus, He is the Living Flame of Love, He is the Touchstone.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken & contrite heart ---

These, O God, you will not despise".

Psalm 51