Introduction
We are coming to closure on our journey to
the High Places of fullness in Jesus. As we shall see in these
four concluding chapters, arriving is wonderful! But even more
important are the lessons we’ve learned in how we got here, and
the burden we begin to feel for those we left back in the
Valley of Their Strongholds.
The High Places are not some type of
spiritual Nirvana, but an ongoing place of transformation in
our life journey in which we are conformed more into the image
of Jesus (Romans 8:28,29). As we reflect His loving concern for
mankind, we are able to redemptively represent Him to others.
As you complete these final chapters with
us, keep in mind three important guideposts:
1. Lessons
you’ve learned as a vital
part of your testimony;
2. Ownership of
your sufferings without blame
or regret;
3 A growing burden to be used by our Lord
to fulfill His purposes.
Healing Streams
1. When at last Much-Afraid awoke...; 2.
The rocky cave...; 3. She and her two companions...
The radiant sunshine that evaporated the
earlier mist revealed to Much-Afraid how glorious everything
around her appeared. No longer ensnared by her old fleshly
desires and hopes, she could fully appreciate without pain or
regret her present reality. The “burial cloths” of
her death to self, drenched with traditional spices, were a
blanket of sweetness rather than a painful reminder of what was
no longer a part of her inner being.
Mike: I can still remember the remarkable
transformation that took place in me after I renounced the
stronghold of rejection. This is how it occurred:
I was alone, confronted by a startling
sight in front of me. The vision appeared as an object that
looked like a big black rock about five feet high and five feet
wide. On it was written the word “DECEIT.” I
prayed, renouncing the spirit of deceit, and a veneer like
an onion skin fell off the object. Underneath this veneer was
the word “REJECTION.”
I stared at that word, and God began to
show me painful memories of my childhood — many of which
I had forgotten. As I watched the scenes unfold, a growing
sense of humiliation welled up inside me. Then the Holy Spirit
revealed, “Those feelings of humiliation laid the
foundation for the stronghold of rejection to be built in you.
Now renounce that spirit’s influence in your life.”
When I renounced the spirit of rejection in the name of Jesus,
the black object disappeared. I was changed, but I was
uncertain in what way.
The day after my vision and subsequent
deliverance from the spirits of deceit and rejection, I
participated in a very difficult meeting with a group of church
leaders. Their denomination was in the process of introducing
some very unbiblical teachings, and the men were yielding to
the pressure. As I encouraged them to not give in but to uphold
God’s Word at all cost, they became antagonistic toward
me. It was at that moment that I realized that I
loved them despite their reaction to me. I realized that without
the spirit of rejection influencing me, I was able to love them, rather than to
respond negatively to them.
(from our book, Demolishing Strongholds)
Much-Afraid’s experience in the rocky
cave reminds us of what real fellowship in Jesus is like.
Sharing what you’ve seen and heard Him do unites hearts in
fellowship “with the Father and with His Son, Jesus the
Messiah” (1 John 1:3). When you are together with others
who are sold out to follow and serve Him no matter what the
cost, your conversation and your testimony radiate His presence
and His perspective.
• Are you completely free from the
influence of all strongholds? Why not look at page 37 of Demolishing Strongholds and be sure.
• Are you in a place of complete
repentance? Ask the Holy Spirit to penetrate your soul so that
any hindrance to your availability for His use of your life can
be exposed and cast down.
4. Rising quietly, she went outside...; 5.
In the center of the canyon...; 6. One was perched on the
altar...
How vibrant and teeming with life was the
very scene of Much-Afraid’s altar of death to natural
love! Gone was the mist of fear of the unknown, giving way to
beauty throbbing in all its diversity. The penetration of light revealed
everything that had been there before her transformation, but
now was she able to perceive it.
As you walk in freedom from your spiritual
strongholds, obeying only your Shepherd’s voice as He
leads, you begin to understand Him more. Our God is a heart-changer.
It’s not what you do in service for Him that really gives Him
delight. It’s the love He’s able to produce in you that mirrors
His character and impacts others so greatly.
His love in you is a light in your soul
— your mind, will and emotions — that radiates with
His power and passion. It’s a heart circumcision
accomplished in union with Jesus by “stripping away the old
nature’s control over the body” (Colossians 2:11).
As she thrills at the gushing cascades of
water, Much-Afraid notices that her altar caps the source of
waters that form the mighty waterfall. This altar source of
water holds great significance for us travelers. The foundation
to the Gospel that the early Church embraced is found in
Jesus’ proclamation in John 7:38,39, “He who trusts in Me, as the Scripture [Old
Testament] said, ‘From his innermost
being will flow rivers of living water.’
By this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who trusted in Him were to receive;
for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet
glorified” (John 7:38,39).
When you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit,
Jesus promises that streams of living water will flow from your
innermost being. The source for that vital flow is the Holy
Spirit. Streams connote something in motion, poured out to
bring refreshment and life wherever that water passes. Water
that doesn’t flow is stagnant. It suffocates life and
harbors decay, much like religious form that serves self and
leads to destruction.
The Spirit’s empowerment sets you in
motion, motion that serves the interests of the King in His
Kingdom. His stream brings life!
Mike: Many years ago Sue and I and several
others were studying the passage in Ezekiel 47 about the water
that flowed out of the Temple. As you recall, the stream grew
into an ever deepening river. I asked the group, “If you
encountered the river far away from the Temple, which way would
you go, upstream or downstream?” Everyone replied
“downstream”.
I offered a different view for them to
consider. “You should always go upstream to the source
first!” Always go to the source because there
you’ll find the origin at its purest. In a few chapters
Much-Afraid will be burdened with compassion for those in the
Valley of Humiliation who once had hurt her. But before she can
ever help them with pure motive, she needs the transformation that
only the Source can give. Please don’t lose sight of this
in your own life!
Many years ago at our retreat center, there
was a particular church leader who always resisted whenever I
pointed out a “vertical view” on whatever we were
discussing. You gain a “vertical view” when you
pray to glean God’s perspective on a matter. His
perspective comes as you carefully seek out His wisdom, as
enjoined by the prophet Haggai, rather than your own
“horizontal “ rationale and reasoning.
For many years this leader would come to
our center with the men from his congregation, always armed
with the same resistant spirit. But one day he took me aside
and confessed. God had given him a vivid dream. In the dream he
and I were leading a group of people across a meadow toward a
river. When we reached the river bank, he jumped in and told
everyone else to follow him downstream. He said, “Mike,
you stood on the bank and told everyone to jump into the
river and go upstream. Everyone followed you in your upstream
course.”
He continued, “I got out of the river
and followed you along the banks. When you arrived at a
waterfall, I figured you’d be stuck climbing it, and that
I could beat you to the top.
“I discovered stairs carved into the
rock and climbed them. When I reached the top I found the
throne of God. He said to me, ‘Bill, what are you doing
here, and how did you get here?’ I replied, ‘I
wanted to get to the top of the waterfall.’ God
admonished me, ‘You didn’t come the way I have
prescribed. Look at the steps — you’ve muddied
them. Now, go back down and clean them as you
descend.’”
Bill added, “As I made my way down
the rock stairs I looked over toward the waterfall. You were
all holding hands and praying. Then I saw the Holy Spirit lift
you up the falls.” As he finished recounting his dream,
Bill turned to face me. “Mike, I want to ask your
forgiveness. I see now that you’ve been teaching us to
live by the Spirit, not by our own strengths.”
Your greatest perceived strengths can be
your greatest hindrance in recognizing your dependence on living water. Whatever you face, go to the Source of all
strength, wisdom, comfort!
• Would people describe you as a
person of the Spirit? Do you flow day by day as a stream of the
Spirit? Give an example of His transforming work in you.
• Perhaps you’re a person known
for your biblical knowledge, but you’re operating without
spiritual power. How would you describe yourself? Take the time
to ask a few others...
7. For some time she stood looking...; 8.
The first thing she did...
Do you ever experience in your heart a
“leaping and thrilling of growing joy” and a
“peace indescribably sweet”? Much-Afraid was glad
to savor the full glory of the moment even though she was quite
alone. She didn’t need others to get her
“hyped” or “psyched”.
She had passed through a season of darkness
and fear, yet now was in the present of fullness of joy. Even
the tingle of icy water which might have previously caused her
alarm or at least discomfort brought only refreshment.
Sue: Last summer we were blessed with a
visit to a remote dude ranch in northern Wyoming. The full
impact of the joyous moment hit me as I galloped across the
high prairie, encompassed by the grandeur of my Father’s
creation! That sense of “perfect well-being” was a
special gift, a memory of a mountain top treasure that occurred
at one point in time but continues to bring joy as I relive it
in my mind. And I can’t help but thank once again the One
Who brought it all about!
Mike: Both Sue and I experienced in our
backpacking days the breathtaking chill of a glacier-fed stream
rippling over us on a hot day in the wilderness. The
bone-chilling refreshment turns your skin red even as your
spirit leaps inside you with gratefulness to be out there
relishing His handiwork!
The next few chapters will find us joining
Much-Afraid as she spends time on the High Places. It’s
important that you don’t misunderstand the true nature of
the Christian life. It’s not always a mountain-top
experience, nor does our Father design it to be.
Remember that you are engaged in a war, a
war over the souls of mankind. You
won’t always be in the battle, but you are always at war with a
relentless demonic enemy (Revelation
12:17).That enemy is always prowling about, searching for an
opportunity to “kill, steal, and destroy” your
relationship with God and with those dear to you. It is
important that when you do have a mountain top season with God,
savor it with all your might! But, don’t be distressed
when it ends, because our Lord needs you for His purposes.
Mike: These choice gifts of refreshment are
meant to renew your vigor to lovingly serve His purposes. They
are times of what we call “purposeful
rests.” They’re like the
R & R — rest and recuperation — I had in
between my times off Vietnam as a Navy pilot. Sue was even able
to join me in the Philippines and Japan so we could celebrate
together!
Your exuberant delight in these times
mirrors your gratefulness in your relationship with the
Shepherd. The apostle James exhorts followers of Jesus, “Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing
praises!” (5:13). Find
your “perfect well-being” by increasing your
appreciation level for the insights of joy our Father does so
faithfully give.
• When you’re given a special
opportunity to be delighted, how do you respond? How would
anyone know that you relish the times of refreshment God gives
you?
• Do you find it difficult to savor
even the small moments of “R & R” our Father
favors you with? Do nagging thoughts of responsibility rob you
of full appreciation?
9. As she stood on the mossy bank...; 10.
Then she remembered the healing streams...; 11. After that she
began to wander...
Because she’d been so consumed with
joy by the sights and sounds around her, Much-Afraid had not
even noticed the transformation of her feet. She’d been
so overwhelmed by the change in her heart that that which had
been such an encompassing source of discomfort and shame to her
earlier had lost its priority. But her grateful joy in her
feet’s healing encouraged her to trust the same Source
for her disfigured face.
And follow through with trust she did!
Can’t you just envision Much-Afraid’s childlike joy
as she scampered around the canyon, munching fresh berries with
carefree abandon? And can you also see in your mind’s eye
the absolute delight of our Father as she wholeheartedly
thrilled in His handiwork without reservation?
All of her needs had been met by the
Shepherd as she journeyed by His guidance to this strategic
point in her life. She could reflect with thanksgiving on His
faithfulness thus far, and rest confidently that He would never
change.
We write in Demolishing
Strongholds that God created all of humanity with seven needs:
Dignity
Authority
Blessing & Provision
Security
Purpose & Meaning
Freedom & Boundary
Intimate Love & Companionship
One source of strongholds in our lives is a
result of seeking to meet one or more of these needs apart from
God’s will for us. Yet these needs have been designed by
Him to find fulfillment in righteous biblical ways.
Our life is a pilgrimage —
a journey during which
changing circumstances force us to
adapt.
Our ability to make those adaptations in the power of the Holy Spirit will determine the level of joy and peace
we find in our relationship with God and with others.
Our victory of walking in the fullness of
Christ will not be achieved until we
meet the needs God has created in us, in the manner that He
prescribes.”
Mike: After the stronghold of rejection was
gone I recognized that I had a deep need for dignity, security,
and intimate love and companionship. I shared this awareness
with Sue and our home fellowship. There were 47 years of deep
ruts of old ways of thinking that needed to be filled within
God’s parameters. With the help of Sue and our extended
spiritual family, I came to understand the dignity my Father
always wanted me to experience. Along with dignity came
relational security, and intimate love and companionship.
Experiencing the dignity of being His child
has made all the difference of how I follow Jesus and bring
glory to my Father. Would you like
to fill in the needs of your life ruts in the manner in which your Shepherd
desires?
• If you are rid of all demonic
strongholds, how are the seven needs God has placed in you
being met? Does one or more needs stand out as a void still
needing to be filled?
• Is there someone close to you with
whom you can share your need and feel confident that he or she
will come alongside to help you meet that need in a righteous
way?
12. Then she came to the lip...; 13. She
did not think about the future...; 14. When at last the shadows
lengthened...
A singular joy in serving our Lord’s
purpose is the loss of self-will. The stream of water never doubted its
usefulness as gravity drew it down over the cliff. The combined
drops became a torrent sounding out a tumult of joy as it
swirled downward to refresh the land below.
All that our Father has been working in
your life thus far has been preparing you to serve His purposes and
bring His restorative truth to
others — especially to
those who are still far from the High Places of “inner
quietness and contentment” in the Shepherd.
You can experience great peace by
reflecting on your past if your trust in our Lord’s
sovereignty is full. While He could have forestalled painful
circumstances, He allowed you to choose for yourself your own
path, and to undergo the consequences that could deter you from
repeating those mistakes. It’s important to learn from
Much-Afraid at this point and fully appreciate the present
without regretting the past. You can take captive your thoughts
as she did by not allowing “curiosity, loneliness and
anticipation” to cloud her contentment.
Have you noticed that contentment seems to be
such a rare commodity in the daily lives of so many followers
of Jesus? Don’t confuse contentment with complacency. As
soon as you take for granted your relationship with Jesus, your
family, or others in your life, your journey will stagnate. But
when you’re content, you cease striving and worrying and
trying to force particular outcomes into existence.
The hope we as followers have in Jesus is
so sure that we need never question our future: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
• Measure your “contentment
quotient” at this moment. Do you tend to focus more on
your tomorrows than on the opportunities of today?
• As you reflect on where He’s
brought you thus far, do you fret over past failures? Are you
agitated by hopes that have not yet been fulfilled?
