pluckdown

" For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but ... against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12) [Italics added]. "Ancient peoples often built their shrines on hilltops to worship their pagan gods. In Mesopotamia, where the land was flat, they built artificial mountains in the shape of step pyramids called Ziggurats. The Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) was probably such a ziggurat"(2). 'High places', especially in Old Testament scripture often refer to anything raised in honor, worship and/or importance above the Lord God of Israel ... this included, e.g., "attitudes", many "idols", "pridefulness", "physical shrines", "shrines of the heart" (covetousness), and "names" ("let us make a name for ourselves" - Gen. 11:4). The apostle Paul draws our attention to "high things" in 2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ".

The physical 'high places and high things' in our life are generally more readily identifiable than the inner high places of our heart and the high things we cherish in our mind's eye. Such high places and things can surely be strongholds that wall out the presence of God, give sanction to binding pridefulness, allow golden calves to roam fenceless pastures, and create gateways for seducing and familiar spirits.

God will pull down the high places and things that exist in the lives of those He loves and who have received His salvation. More often than not, the corrective and disciplining hand of God is pulling down those places and things in our life that exalt themselves above His place in our heart. So often we hear "why is life so difficult?... or "why don't I hear from God about this or that?" or "why was that taken away from me?" An alarm should go off to look for strongholds in our life which so often are connected to adversity as the Lord pulls down strongholds (high places) we have either constructed or allowed others to erect (corporately or individually) ... all of which God will not accept in His fellowship with us. Such strongholds of place and object will be removed by Him, in His time, if we choose not to address them ... "For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth" (Mic. 1:3).

We all would do well to remember 1 Corinthians 11:31,32, "But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world". In this time, and in the near days to come, there is not a moment to have unrepentant sin in our life, unforgiveness in our heart nor high place strongholds which can wall out the grace and mercy of our Lord Christ Jesus. The time interval in the 'twinkling of an eye' does not leave enough space or breath to pull down high places and citadels of pridefulness that would exalt themselves against the knowledge of God in our life or thinking ... "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Cor. 15:52). Today is the day of repentance, the day to confess and judge our sin ... for "now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2).