Higher Ground

[Ovedya]

I've listened to the song, "Higher ground" by Stevie Wonder many times in the past few days. It just accurately reflects where I am right now.

Higher Ground, by Stevie Wonder

People, keep on learnin'

Soldiers, keep on warrin'

World, keep on turnin'

'Cause it won't be too long.

Powers, keep on lyin'

While your people keep on dyin'

World, keep on turnin'

'Cause it won't be too long.

I'm so darn glad He let me try it again

'Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin.

I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then.

Gonna keep on tryin' till I reach the highest ground.

Teachers, keep on teachin'

Preachers, keep on preachin'

World, keep on turnin'

"cause it won't be too long.

Lovers, keep on lovin'

Believers, keep on believin'

Sleepers, just stop sleepin'

'Cause it won't be too long.

I'm so glad He let me try it again

'Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin.

I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then.

Gonna keep on tryin' till I reach the highest ground.

I know there seems to be a lot of pseudo-spirituality in this song, but I view the lyrics as being very accurate in terms of the attitude that believers should have with regard to the world.

In this song, Stevie Wonder seems to be trying to say, "Look, everything that's going to happen is going to happen. The world is going to keep on turning the same way that it always has been turning. But you and I, we've been given a very special gift. We have a hope in something more eternal. It won't be too long until all of this is going to pass away. So what are you going to do with the gift that you've been given?

The last verse of the song goes, "Lovers, keep on lovin'. Believers keep on believin'. Sleepers, just stop sleepin'. 'Cause it won't be too long. This is an exhortation to those who are listening, rather than a factual statement of how things are in the other verses. The other verses are saying, "This is how things are," but this last verse is telling us what to do. If you are a lover of the Lord Jesus, then just keep on loving Him. If you believe in Him, and the eminent day of His return, then keep right on believing. But if you are a sleeper - if you do not know the mercy, grace, and love afforded to you by God in Christ Jesus -then you need to wake up. Because it won't be too long before He comes back.

I was on the boards all day today with a very heavy heart. I was struggling to write something, anything of value today. There seemed to be something constraining me. Not only can I not come up with the right words to bring encouragement and building up to the saints, I can't seem to type properly. Already it's taken me about twice as long just to type these few paragraphs as it normally would. And many of you saints know that I have a tendency to be very long-winded.

I guess right now I just feel like the direction this world is going is getting many of us off balance. The political and social turmoil of this age has many of us in bondage. As if it's not bad enough that money, lust, lukewarmness, and just plain wishy-washy doctrines have invaded the church with vigor in the past 10 or so years, and kept many of the saints in bondage, we have to contend with so many other distractions.

Children get trapped by "youthful lusts," after Paul's own words. Adults get caught up in "mature lusts," in my own words. Christians think that it's warranted, encouraged, and righteous to get involved in so many political and social spheres. Of course I would not prevent them from doing so. But there is a vast difference between knowing of something, and becoming so engrossed in that thing that it becomes your idol.

Children idolize some of the worse things imaginable, and so do some adults. But most adults don't stop to consider all the things that take the place of Christ in their lives. They confuse physical maturity with spiritual maturity. So they brush aside the notion that the nightly news, political commentaries, conspiracy theories, the so-called "vast left-wing (or right wing) conspiracy," etc. could ever be an idol - or even a distraction. But you talk to some folks and all they seem to be concerned with are the various issues, issues which they believe are "effecting the church." No one want to just talk about Christ anymore. You know the irony of this is that many Christians and some preachers are so caught up in talking about the issues that are affecting the church that they don't realize that they are affecting the church! Not in a positive way, but in a negative way. They are not anymore immune to these distractions than we are. In fact, I believe that many prominent Christian leaders feel that it is their commissioned duty to get involved politics.

I have to admit that I am not remotely innocent. I have let so many things become great distractions from Christ. These issues surely weigh heavily on my mind, and they trouble my spirit to the uttermost. So much so, in fact, that I begin to lose contact with the Savior to whom I owe my very life! I have become so weary, so bone weary of these things that I fall into despair at times. It is at these times that I seem to be the most keen of the Lord's asking, "Where are you?" like He did with Adam in the garden.

When we take a step back and see what the church is today, can we say that it is anything like the first century? The saints then were just filled with Christ. So much so that they had the audacity to proclaim the Lord's victory in the face of certain death, and they had the boldness to speak the truth to those religious hypocrite who killed the Lord. Remember our brother Stephen?

When we examine the situation in the church today, can we rightly say that this is what Paul invisioned for us when he wrote his epistles? These letters written by the hands of a man who had been tortured by Jew and Greek alike, who had been scoffed at, rejected, scorned, insulted and humiliated, have only one single purpose and goal: That is to establish and build up the Body of Christ. But instead of using these letters for our building up we are using them to tear down, to tear apart, to divide. The Lord Jesus grieved over Jerusalem. How much more then does He grieve over the churches today?

You know, someday we are going to reach that higher ground. That is our hope. Heaven and earth will pass away in the blink of an eye. But what about right now? We can reach a "higher ground" right now. We can rise above all of these idols and act like the rightful inheritors of the promise given to a man called from a nation of idols. As children of Abraham, as inheritors of the promises of God in Christ Jesus, we can become more than that we have been called out from.

Saints. Where are you?

Much Grace,

~O

[traveller]

weeping

[Matthitjah]

Beau,

I understand completely.

Where exactly are we?

Jason Upton has a song called ,"Fly". In that song he is singing from the standpoint of God. He is proclaiming to the Church that the Lord God has given us the Air. One particular verse goes like this;"You've been fighting that ground warfare for a very long time, sticking out your fists and fighting. I've given you the air so Flyyyy."

Brother I share your feeling of heaviness. Kind of melancholy? I believe it is the time in which we are living. So much to be distracted by. The Saint feels he has so much to lose. When really he can only gain.

"Ever think the Great Commission is just too great the cost? Ever play the fool"?" This is our Highway to heaven, Our American Dream."~ Jason Upton.

Where exactly are we?

Brother you have indeed said something of value today. Thank you for Loving Jesus.

Peace YBIC,

Dave

[Guest whiteshores&beyond]

My husband and I have found ourselves in a place cut off from so many "do what feels right" christians. Most of the church people we know are not at all concerned with living for God or about walking in a real relationship with Him.

What has happened to the passionate God Chasers? Is there none left who will rise and stand for the King?

When will we let go of the distactions of this culture and find the truly extream adventure of serving Him with all we have in this short life?

No sexual encounter, no drug, no nothing can fulfill our desires like a moment with Him, seeing Him in all His splendor.

Why are so many children of God saying I do to Him and then walking as the world?

Danika Anderson

[Guest RJD Servant]

My husband and I have found ourselves in a place cut off from so many "do what feels right" christians. Most of the church people we know are not at all concerned with living for God or about walking in a real relationship with Him.

  What has happened to the passionate God Chasers?  Is there none left who will rise and stand for the King?

  When will we let go of the distactions of this culture and find the truly extream adventure of serving Him with all we have in this short life?

No sexual encounter, no drug, no nothing can fulfill our desires like a moment with Him, seeing Him in all His splendor.

Why are so many children of God saying I do to Him and then walking as the world?

Danika Anderson

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Loved your letter it spoke to me about where my husband and I are and have always been. Gone to Church and it does not what more. Teach more to the families around us and get rejected. Not done in a self righteous way just loving truth and God and all that we should be in him.

One day God spoke to us not to Go to Bethel or Gilgal because God himself will distroy it. Look it up I believe it is in Amos. These were the place of worship for the Children of Isreal. We have not had a "Church" now for 10 years or more but we have Christ and him Crusified and have raised our children to love God.

We have had a hard time to talk and have people understand the fullness of God and the Power where with to live for Him. That is our whole hearts desire.

We live with the Antichrist spirit with in the so called "church" or Religions, or denominations and they have been lifted up higher then the Name of Christ. When someone asks me what church do I go to? What Religion are you? I say I do not believe in the religions around the world for they can be made a dime a dozen but what I believe in and Live for is the Name of Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior. If his name be lifted up He will Draw all men unto me.

Churchanity, Religiosity, Denominationalizim, Domain of Doctrines, or Faith never was to be in the hand of man and passed out by us. But that truth was to be lived and the light would draw the truth to the souls of men around us. Where is that life lived any more. We are in the days of Noah so shall the son of man be!!!!!

I believed there were other christians then myself just that I would never ever get to see the 7,000 who have not bowed there knee to baal.

You stay encouraged to stay in Christ and live for him closer and closer as the day approches. To them that Overcome will I, To them that Over come will I, the word of God says this over and over in Revelations to the churches, and people have to stand up against the falsehood with in our religious arenas and live for Christ and Overcome so we can have the gifts that come to the Overcomer.

Hang in there he is not finished with us yet and there are 7,000 still that have not bowed there knee to baal. Thanks for the letter it has encouraged me so much and may God bless you for it this day.

RJD Servant

[Trust & Obey]

Ovedya, I found your words very true and applicable to today. It is so easy to get thrown off of our mission.

It has oft been said, "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."

Returning to that first love of Christ where we gladly surrendered all that we are and all that we had unto Him simply for the privelege of knowing Him.

Phi 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Phi 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Phi 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Phi 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Just yesterday I noticed that other things had crept into my life that, although not wrong by themselves, were taking up too much of my personal time. Things like magazines. I threw the magazines away and have decided to cancel my subscription.

I want to return to that place of total consecration where I am Christ's 100%. Not as it is now where it stands at probably 50%.

Granted, I do have a family now that I didn't back when I got saved. So, naturally I will not be able to devote myself to God as much as freely as I did in my single years... Paul acknowledges this very fact:

1Co 7:32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

1Co 7:33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

But, besides the necessary things of family... there are many areas of "discretionary interest" where we have a choice of how to spend our free time. TV, magazines, newspapers, the internet, even Worthy Boards, are all avenues of media competing for our attention. None of these mediums is wrong, per se, but if the effect is draining away your discretionary time then perhaps it is sinful in one's life.

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Having said that, and in accordance with the theme of the song:

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

In Christ...

[EricH]

Beau,

A passage that God used in my life in regards to this issue was Acts 17. I used to spend a ton of time worrying if I was even born in the right time, because of the way the world was going.

At Mars Hill Paul said this:

The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; or in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, "For we also are His offspring."

Acts 17:24-28 NASB

I took from this that even though the world seemingly goes on it merry way, God has placed each one of us in the exact times and exact places that gives us the best opportunity to know and relate to Him.

This is a great comfort to me, knowing that my destiny is not tied to the fortunes of a particular politician, culture, or country. My destiny is in the hands of the living God

[Pilgrim7]

Double Amens,

It is not too hard to understand the problem. The devil has hijacked the denominational churches and even the non-denominational churches with a false gospel and a false Jesus. Jesus came to His own church and they rejected Him and murdered Him.

It always amazes me that professing christians can't and won't accept even the possibility of Satan penetrating their churches. What blindness. God has warned us that wolves would enter in not sparing the flock. He also said that there would be those from within that would depart from Christ with seducing spirits teaching doctrines of devils which is happening now. Every wind of doctrine is blowing and of course the false Jesus is preached along with it. Yet without the Spirit of truth and holiness, not many can discern it.

God is now moving predominantly in home churches which are not affiliated with any denominational group. They are being led by the Holy Spirit and not man and thus they are being led into all truth and thus unity. They are taught by God himself, a foreign concept to denominationalism. No need to fear, remove your trust from man and put it in God. He is able to raise up stones to give His Gospel and is doing so at this present time. He is leading all who have decided to live by all the truth, every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and will through them develop His Holy Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. The 'foolish virgins' will be 'left behind' when Jesus comes, and will not get a second chance but will find the door shut when they try to enter.

In the love of Christ,

Dennis

[Iryssa]

While I agree with a great deal of what you said, Pilgrim, I see a few misconceptions in your last paragraph. I'll break it down...

God is now moving predominantly in home churches which are not affiliated with any denominational group.

I would be very careful with the word "predominantly" here. There is nothing to say that God is not moving just as much in traditional, denominational churches.

They are being led by the Holy Spirit and not man and thus they are being led into all truth and thus unity.  They are taught by God himself, a foreign concept to denominationalism.

There is no evidence that such home churches are being led any more or less by God than your local Baptist or what-have-you churches. Where you have the danger of over-institutionalization in denominational churches, you have the danger of lacking accountability in a home church. These problems are equally as prevelant and equally as dangerous. Also, the sentence "they are taught by God himself, a foreign concept to denominationalism" is just plain wrong. There are many God-fearing, Spirit-led denominational churches out there. In fact, it was one of the ideas sparked in the Reformation...Sola Scriptura with a dose of Spiritus Sanctus.

Being led by God is not a foreign concept to denominationalism.

Do not make the mistake of believing that every denominational church is exactly like a few bad ones you may have experienced.

[Fiosh]

While I agree with a great deal of what you said, Pilgrim, I see a few misconceptions in your last paragraph. I'll break it down...

God is now moving predominantly in home churches which are not affiliated with any denominational group.

I would be very careful with the word "predominantly" here. There is nothing to say that God is not moving just as much in traditional, denominational churches.

They are being led by the Holy Spirit and not man and thus they are being led into all truth and thus unity.