"You Have a Mountain to Climb – And it is So Worth It!"
Do You Feel Stuck by Death, Crushing Blows, or Disappointment?
I have been seeing a vision of a person standing staring into a huge, dark, mass grave. In this grave is so much death. Disappointments, fears, despair, dead dreams, and broken promises are there; devastated relationships, disastrous set-backs, and worry for the souls of loved ones. There are missed opportunities, betrayals, and the untimely passing-away of significant people.
The eyes of this person are unblinking, riveted, looking into the hole, grieving and paralyzed with loss. They are becoming dark and obsessed, rehearsing in their minds what could have been, and even what SHOULD have been or might still be. They are stuck.(Photo via Pixabay)
They have been staring into the darkness, either hoping to prevent future pain by understanding fully what happened, waiting for closure, or hoping for resurrection.
But the Lord says to STOP. Stop staring into that hole of loss, and ask for a fresh revelation of His love to push out the fear and crushing disappointment. Stop waiting for people, movements, or organizations to repent and come to the Light. Stop trying to figure it all out, losing your peace and joy because someone you love doesn't "get it." Stop staring into the abyss, waiting for something you hoped would come to pass.
When sorrowing over what others did, or failed to do, keeps us from what wecan do, it has gone too far and we cease to be in the "present," living out of our past. When we lose all joy by lingering and hoping that something can be salvaged from the ashes, we have waited too long. If we remain staring into the pit of death, death will start staring into us.
I saw a mountain right next to this pit, and the Lord told me to say, "This mountain is YOURS to climb." Not the culture's mountain, the country's or the Church's, or even you and your best friend's (although those mountains also exist). This one is yours. You can't climb it if you remain by the abyss. (Photo by Jennifer Page "My Firm Foundation" via elijahshopper.com)
The fear that moving up that mountain will leave loved ones or promises behind is a deception of the enemy to keep you (and possibly your loved ones) in bondage.
The mountain is your journey with the Holy Spirit, with Jesus our older brother, and with our Heavenly Father. It may be dry or abundant, public or hidden, challenging or comforting. You will be brought straight up the side of the hill, full of anointing, gifting, and victory, just to be turned around and brought back down in darkness of night to acclimatize.
At times you will see visions and vistas like never before; other times you will walk by faith, only seeing the next step ahead, with not even a "star" to see by.
We have been defined by performance Christianity, which is fueled by the cruel master, "Fear." God wants to reveal powerful weapons to us, which the enemy has defined as wimpy and irrational. The world longs for the children of God to walk in these things with authority and boldness: Rest that only Jesus gives, peace that cannot be faked, confidence in the friendship of the Holy Spirit, and the knowledge of the fullness of the Father's uncreated grace and favor over us.
Start with Asking the Lord for a Revelation of Himself and Thanksgiving
Ask the Lord for a revelation of Himself. He may show you in a moment what He wants to reveal, or it may take time. Three years ago the Lord told me He wanted to reveal His GRACE to me... What a three-year journey it has been! The answers have come from a hundred different sources, in a million different ways, and there is more to come. Could He have revealed it in a day or a moment? Of course! (Photo by Jennifer Page"Redeemed" via elijahshopper.com)
He transported Philip from one place to another in a flash, but normally He shows us by journey. He may want to reveal His love for you, His Fatherhood, His deliverance, or His divine rest. He may wait to give you a revelation of how He speaks to our hearts in silence, or the power of our words. It will be your journey to embrace.
Start with thanksgiving. Thank Him for even the smallest things, but start thanking Him and make it a conscious habit. Thank Him through tears, thank Him in pain, and thank Him out loud so you can hear your own voice. Thanking God by faith in the face of despair is one of the most precious gifts we can offer, and one of the most life-transforming. It will lead to the dearest and most intimate, childlike praise, and result in a powerful joy of spirit that transcends both mind and emotions.
Thanking Him creates the atmosphere that will sustain you in the high elevations (testing) of your mountain... And for those of you who have stared so long into the abyss that you actually fell in? Start thanking Him and His LOVE will lift you out.
Shake Off Your Grave Clothes and Journey Up the Mountain and Inspire Others to Climb Too
When you have been in a dirty-air environment for a long time, you start becoming impervious to the odor. Submerge yourself in air that is polluted, toxic, or smells of death or decay...and your senses begin to dull. And then, when you leave the area, it can stick to your clothes, or seem as though the smells are lodged in your head or on your hair, and follow you everywhere!
Leaving that pit of despair and grieving to move up your mountain of grace and faith, you might not even realize how bad it was down there...until you look back and can't even see the ground or the "city" you were in for the haze of pollutants layered over it. And you may forget how bad it smelled until you get around those still living there, now shocked at what they (and you) had become used to!
Life is very different on the Mountain, and people will respond differently to you. This is a real re-set, a new thing with new challenges. People under demonic influence may now react very strongly to you when you walk by, where before they might have ignored you.
Some people will want what you have. Your joy, your liberty, and peace will inspire them to shake off their own grave clothes and make the journey up their own mountain! But don't be surprised if others get confused, jealous, or bitter, and feel abandoned by you.
(Photo by Kevin Moffatt"Come Out!" via elijahshopper.com)
Sitting by a mass grave of dead dreams and lost hopes is not intolerable if you think that by sitting there you will get you some kind of answer. And staring long enough into the abyss to "figure it out" can even be strangely satisfying if others will join you there in your hopeless vigil...at least you have company.
This is a BIG transition, a HUGE seasonal change, not a little one (and life has many of all sizes!). People will come at their own pace and level of revelation. Love fully, have mercy, but keep moving up in response to Christ, cooperating with the Holy Spirit.
What Fragrance are You Giving Off?
My friend, Gloria Dinerman, said, "One of my favorite Scriptures is 2 Corinthians 2:15-16: 'For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?'
When grace has truly touched our lives, the transformation should be noticeable to all who come in contact with us. I guess a good question to ask would be, are we giving off the fragrance of Heaven?" (Photo by Robert Bartow "Dark Yet Lovely" via elijahshopper.com)
Remember, when the old smells (anger; despair; self-pity; self-loathing; disappointment; fear; prolonged, disabling grief) start to press in on you, start thanking God. Thank Him for the smallest and biggest things, the good and the difficult. Then, let this thanksgiving lead you to high praise, and your atmosphere will change! You will have to fight for this...but it is SO worth it!
Debbie Kerekes: In 1970, Debbie became a Christian in the Jesus Movement under the ministry of Lonnie Frisbee and Billy Graham. From day one, she loved Jesus and gave her life over to prayer and intercession, while God also lead her in the ways of seeing and prophecy. She and her wonderful husband mostly attended Foursquare and Vineyard churches through their lives and raised three amazing children in California.
Intimacy and partnering with Him in prayer is to Debbie the most rewarding thing. Helping people know Him better, find liberty, freedom, joy, and rest in Him...seeing people come into their true identity in Christ is priceless! Debbie spends most of her days in prayer, prayer with others, and spending time with her family, friends, and grandchildren.
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Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your head from the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC USA