Touch: The Feel Gate

Fingerprints On The Mind, Touch: The Feel Gate

There is a misconception that our intentions and the thoughts of our mind are a secret. We assume no one else knows our intentions or what we are thinking; but this is not always true.

Consider the following passage. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 When scholars look up the Greek and Hebrew meanings of ‘soul’ they find the words wind, air, breath and spirit. Remember, the soul is the breath of life, God made from the earthen element, wind. Even though the soul is housed in the body, its exhalation is not. In other words, as we breathe and exhale, not only are we expelling air from our lungs, but spiritual vapors from our soul.

Another word for exhalation is “outbreath.” The exhalation of the soul can change the atmosphere in a room. I am sure you have experienced this first hand. A group of friends can be having a good time with fun and games. But when one comes in depressed and in despair, it can change the spirit in the room. That person didn’t have to say anything; their exhalation said it all. This exhalation is spirit. It is the disposition of the soul, being exhaled into the environment. The bible calls the soul and its exhalation, “the spirit of the mind.” This spirit of the mind is breathed out into the world. It allows the thoughts and desires of the soul to be identified. The spirit of the mind is where the expressions of the soul live in the natural world. It is a spiritual environment that is experienced by others.

People around you can feel if you are dealing with lust, anger, depression, hatred, etc... The thoughts and disposition of your mind is not confined between your ears. In the making of the soul, God did not intend for it to be trapped in the body. But he made it a spiritual entity than can be exhaled into the atmosphere to create a righteous, warm, loving and inviting environment for us to interact with one another.

Example 2:

Johnny loves to hang out at the Smiths. Their house is so peaceful, inviting and full of love. But when he goes home, the atmosphere in his house is tense, stressed and fearful, due to the antics of an alcoholic father. His very presence, without saying a word, creates an environment of tension. The seduction of his soul, and the breaking down of his will by the alcohol, makes him mean-spirited. This meanness is breathed out into the atmosphere. It is the spirit of his mind manifested. The spirit of the mind is equipped with imagination. The mind (soul) can pull things out of mid-air and make those things that are not reality, seem as though they are. It can envision what is on top of a mountain even though it has never been there. If the mind was trapped in the body, having no physical interaction with our world, there would be no inventions or growth of mankind. But God instructed man to subdue the earth. The mind or soul of a man is able to entertain this world through the gates of the flesh. Therefore, the feel gate is most powerful. It is able to analyze every touch.

For example, a woman knows when a touch from a man is benevolent and pure. Our children know when a touch is loving, kind or abusive. The point is, a touch is not only physical, but the feel gate is able to discern the intent and purpose of the individual initiating the touch. The spirit of the person’s mind is exhaled into the atmosphere, filling it with the expressions of his or her soul. The feel gate is extremely powerful as it relates to placing fingerprints on the mind. Children who suffered physical abuse at the hand of their parents may grow up to oppose any disciplinary actions in the rearing of their own children. No spanking of the child in any form will be tolerated. That parent remembers what they felt and the scars it left on their body and soul. Therefore, they are constantly reliving their childhood, every time there is a need for discipline of their own children. Now this fingerprint can also have the opposite effect; the abused could easily become the abuser.

Example 3:

A boy was born in the country, the back woods of Alabama. His father had many children, of which he was the oldest. His father had zero tolerance for disobedience or anything that might appear

to be adverse thinking. He beat his children unmercifully. But that was in the early 1900’s. There were no laws against child abuse; nor were there any recourses for the abused. Therefore, he and his siblings, lived through the pain; and seemed to survive the abuse they endured. Nevertheless, the boy became a man, with children of his own. Like his father, he beat his children as if they were animals without feelings. On occasion, he would tie them to trees or cars and beat them repeatedly. There were times when one might not be able to go to school because of facial disfigurement or open wounds. What happened to this man? You would think he would not want his children to suffer the way he did. Could it be that the abuse he suffered was so painful, that he accepted it as a natural part of growing up? It is possible that the frequency of the beatings created an expectancy of pain in the soul; meaning the soul made pain a part of life. Inflicting pain was successful at achieving his father’s will. This is all he knew. There were no other alternatives for him to observe. Therefore, if pain raised him, it could raise his children.

Example 4:

A little girl is violated by an older boy who is a friend of the family. He threatens her into not telling anyone. He is able to continue the abuse for several years. His touch was painful in

the beginning; especially when he brought his friend over to join in the abuse. Though only a little girl, she knew that what he was doing to her was not right. His exhalation revealed his demonic nature. But she was helpless. There was nothing she could do about the pain or the humiliation. She hated him and wished him dead. She was not aware that his unwanted touching and violation of her body shaped a mindset in her that would distance her from the pleasure of male companionship and marriage. She did not know that her hatred was a healing balm, or a salve the devil gave her to mask the pain. But satan’s gifts are not without cost. The little girl grows up to become a teenager. At this point in her life, a woman whom she trusted explicitly begins to make sexual advances toward her. This too, she knows is wrong, but at least it wasn’t painful; and her body wasn’t being used to satisfy a non-deserving man. This form of touching became acceptable and preferred. Thus, satan used the touch gate to rob her soul of the life she so desired. In each of the examples above, satan seemed to be the victor. But the story did not end there. These people went on to find the Lord and change their mindsets about life. They found deliverance in Christ. If satan has used your touch gate to rob you in any way; do as they did: turn to Christ. Psychiatry will not help you. He is the only one able to erase the pain of your past.

Touch Is Natural

Touch makes a very strong impression on the soul. But that impression doesn’t have to be sinful. The reason for this is simple. God gave us a natural desire to feel the affectionate touch of another. It is the devil living in the human body and his lusts, that perverted this sense. But touch was given to us, so that we could enjoy the world and one another. The soul delights in the feel of a soft blanket, or a summer dip in the pool. It also delights in the loving touch of another human being. Affection is often expressed by the holding of hands or a much-needed hug. That having been said, I want to bring our attention to fingerprints placed on the mind by the saints in the household of faith. We in the Body of Christ, know that we are to install certain safe-guards in our relationships, so that the enemy has no place in them. However, a safe-guard was not meant to be put in place due to the fear of lust. As long as one fears the possibility of falling into lust, then it stands certain that their relationship with God is unstable and the heart is not pure.

Please follow me here. An unsaved man is able to hug his daughter without the thought of perversion. He feels nothing but parental love for her. He is able to kiss her on the cheek, pick

her up in folly and ‘horsing around’, without the slightest feeling of anything evil. If this is true of the unsaved, then why is it not true of the saved? Why is it assumed that all forms of touch in the church, by those who are not married, is either laced with elements of perversion or will lead to perversion and sin? Yes, there have been many relationships that turned sinful and perverted among the saints

of God. Consequently, the elders put forth their best efforts to prevent these failed relationships. They insisted that most forms of touching were devilish and should be forbidden. Thus, holding hands or hugging became displays that signaled the couple was so steeped in fornication, until they just couldn’t hide it anymore. This has become so unfair to many in the church; they are not allowing the touch gate to lead them to the bed. In their efforts, though full of good intentions, our elders created a culture of fear and uncertainty. Young people began to fear the fall-factor. They spend a lot of energy trying to institute safe- guards and restraints that are supposed to keep them from falling into lust and sin. Though I certainly respect the intentions of the elders, I must say that natural restraints are not enough to keep saints out of sin. Our focus needs to be more on the power of the Holy Ghost in their lives, than the fear of sin. The right relationship with the Father is more powerful than any do’s or don’ts. We need to teach and promote walking in the Spirit and if we truly believe the word ourselves, then sin will not be a temptation to those who are in relationships or desire to be in one.

Do we really believe? ...they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts? If so, then we would simply remind them that, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:24-25 If we do not promote walking in the Spirit as the deterrent to sin, then we are simply taking the church back to the law, wherein we have to use will power and natural restraints to stay out of sin. Sin starts in the heart and is then manifested in the flesh. If the heart is pure, then our deeds and actions are pure We need to grow up into the fullness of the stature of the man Jesus. He did not fear sin or failing. He maintained a pure heart and a love for the Father and his fellowman. Are we to say that no one in the church is matured enough in Christ, to maintain a pure heart in the pursuit of companionship, or dating? If so, then we have grossly failed in our quest to raise manifested sons of God. It is the works of the devil and sin that has perverted the feel gate; but touch is a part of the righteous function of the human race. God intended for us to embrace one another with love and kindness.