Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:1,2 NIV)
Mountains? And the Lord like the mountains? What is that? It is fortification, it is strength, it is protection. And what is the point of fortification if there is nothing against which to be fortified? Away back in Old Testament times, when the people came into the land, the remarkable thing is that they occupied the higher places more than the lower. You will find that their towns, cities and villages are almost all of them upon some high place; the reason being that their enemies, who had chariots and horses, had their strength on the level, in the plain, but they could do nothing with chariots and horses against mountains. And therefore the safety, security and fortification of the Lord’s people was by being on high places.
That is a parable. If the enemy can get you on to his level he has beaten you. So he must pull you down, he must get you down, he must get you to accept something less than God’s full place and mind for you, and then he will undo you. That is what he has done with the church, speaking of the church now in very general terms. He has pulled it down to this world level; he has reduced it to the level of things here, and he has absolutely disintegrated it, broken it up and divided it and robbed it of its power. The church which is revealed to us in the New Testament is always on high ground…. In Ephesians, it is “in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.” It is a great power to be on high ground, it is a great defensive, protective factor; the enemy can do little with you if you keep up there and refuse to come down. Nehemiah found that to be so, when they said, “Come down and let us confer”; and he said, “I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down” (Neh. 6:3). It is a principle operating.
http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/003266.html
A Wilderness Voice 
Yea mike I got that post this morning on my e.mail and the statement that riveted my attention is where he said…the lord Jesus has complete sovereignty over our lives to govern them-our minds are to be subject to his mind…if he has become our savior then he must be our lord..some people get upset with me when I tell them that we as birthed ones into Gods domain are no longer subject to try to obey the letter because we are subject to our Indwelling lord…they always say..well then if we don’t have the letter to keep us in line then we will be subject to sin…I say nonsense with The Lord Jesus in us we get to participate in divine living and God gets all the glory and this is what he said in Ezeikiel 36..if they don’t buy into that I just tell them..you need to go climb a mountain and have a talk with the creator and if that does not work I guess your not of the elect.
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When I was reading the morning posting from Sparks, I was moved in the Spirit to begin reading Isaiah: Chapter 2:1-3 kind of caused some meditation. I’m still there!
I do know that when the enemy comes in like a flood, it is best to be in a high place. We need to”hie” to Him in times of trouble. As I recently texted to you about the trials our family went through, it was Jesus who won the battle. Praise The Lord!
Ken from Inverness
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Thanks for sharing this, Ken. We are MORE than overcomers IN Christ. Yes, HE is our hiding place.
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You have presented a powerful picture here. There is much to ponder in what it means to stay on the high ground.
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What an awesome illustration Michael.
As Jesus knew full well, there is a life threatening cost if one is to obey the Father’s will in this life. Sadly, most professing believers choose to only equate this fact to the unlikely probability of having to give one’s literal physical life for the sake of Christ some day. They fail to remember that this was only the consummation of a life already having been laid down- even Paul welcomed what must have seemed almost a relief in light of his willingness to “die daily” for His Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes I agree, we have been planted on high ground, but we must also choose as you have said many times to abide there. There are many a “tasty morsel” to go about wandering around for (to descend in compromise for), many even shared within the camp of our own brethren. We must always remain vigilant and aware despite whom and what we may encounter.
For me Michael, the answer was, is and will always be found in the cross. Those who have died with Christ must also die daily. The heights are ascended by descent- first through an awareness that only Jesus could pave the way to our access above (His descent paved our heavenly ascent), then through the friendship and fellowship of likeminded sufferings of our Lord and others, (our daily descent empowers our words and witness for the ascent of others in finding Christ) and ultimately all these descents bring about reliance, dependency and intimacy with Him.
Jesus never forbade we come up nigh to Him, in fact He welcomes this and desires such. Our problem is skirting God’s means of intimacy (draw near to me and I’ll draw near to you) ie; (follow me in sufferings, contempt, shame and death) and even attempt to replace God’s means with the shallow pursuits of a purposeful life, our best life now or some form of a new reformation. Of the vanity of the smooth flattering lips of the religious hypocrite among us!
Show me a man who talks, walks and loves the cross of Jesus Christ. That’s a man on unshakeable ground, for even what he has isn’t his own, nor does he aim to treasure that which would steer his heart from the pearl of great price.
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Thanks Michael F. You have it right in what you wrote. As Jesus said, He who finds his life will lose it, but her who loses his life for my sake will find it.” All too many of us who call oursleves “Christ Followers” are too busy trying to grab the gold ring on life’ Merry-Go-Round instead of getting of and seeking Him. Thanks for your input, my friend.
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