A Quandary and A Song of Ascent
(A state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; a dilemma.)
When glorious occurrences take place that bring honor and praise to the Lord, do we share them – to the praise of His glory – or do we hide them, fearing that they might lead to accusations of sensationalism or to an eventual tawdry tarnishing of God’s special signs and wonders. In other words, does telling cheapen them?
Of course, the Bible has one story after another “telling” of His wonders. It’s packed with them . . . and we are grateful for the recounting. But these are in the distant past and therefore seem harmless. But what about now?
EARLY PROTESTANTS
As wonderful as the Protestant move of God was in innumerable ways, I often think that we Protestants have taken a sledge hammer to God’s mysteries. The early Protestants tore out most of the gold and bright colored Biblical paintings that adorned so many early churches. I hope we have passed through that severe and rather rabid stage and can now rejoice in some of His more prophetic mysteries and that which was meant to show honor to His glory.
Otherwise we are dismissing the glories and wonders that so many of our youth are seeking in all the wrong places. Christ and His world-wide Kingdom have infinitely more thrills and deep satisfactions than drugs, New Age or witchcraft.
THE EARLY MIGRATION OF CHRISTIANS
Much of the early history of the Christian migration to Moravian Falls has been written; but not the glories that are happening now. No writer has been here continually for the past twenty-two years and truly, I am only completely familiar with Prayer Mountain. There are now, and have been from the “Pioneer” phase of the recent Christian migration, groups that are called together by a “like” desire for Christ and similar or complementary callings.
Many of these early pioneers have moved on or are moving on now. This is always the way with civilizations. First come the “pioneers” and when they move on, the early “settlers” move in. That change is happening now.
Paul wrote of this when he said:
1 Corinthians 6-8 – “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”
Even though I have lived here continuously for twenty-two years, I have never begun to record the history of this one mountain.
Much has transpired, but I feel it has been more like “family business”. It has been the “ins” and “outs” of corporate living and therefore not meant to be shared – as you might not share your family’s private business.
THE PRESENT
Now, however, I am beginning to see the Lord move in a way that should be recorded. We need to gather the 12 baskets full of His glory and in so doing, to add to His praise.
John 6:13 – “So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”
We may not be able to share all from the prayer meetings, but we can share the prophetic words meant for the body of Christ at large.
THE REASON FOR THE QUANDARY
A sign was given. So, let me dip my toe into sharing this recent sign given to us in the meeting on one of this month’s Friday mornings called: Prayer on the Mountain. First let me say that I was raised Protestant but have been privileged to witness great wonders. Therefore, God being my helper, I see both sides. My ancestors were Quaker. Therefore, I lean toward the “plain”; but when I see a godly “wow!”, I want to give God the glory. But first a little history.
EARLY DAYS ON PRAYER MOUNTAIN
When this little “mountain” was first opened, a simple footpath was cut through the mountain laurels and small trees. When the footpath was cut, the top of the “mountain” glowed for two weeks. People would see it from the main road below, get out of their cars and climb the hill to observe this wondrous sight. After climbing the hill, they would gather stones from the top to take home as mementoes. These removed stones often glowed for quite some time after they left the mountain. Truly a marvel.
Bob Jones said that it was a “preview” of things to come. He was referring to the coming chapel that had been prophesied with the Father coming down into the chapel to minister Himself to His children.
I believe that Bob was somewhat disappointed that people were so excited about the glowing stones that they were not dedicating themselves to “praying in” God’s greater purposes for the small “mountain”. Opposite the small “mountain” was a larger, more impressive one. The other mountain rose high over the little glowing top and would seem to be a better choice – for the smaller mountain would require generosity of spirit and brotherly love on everyone’s part to allow strangers to pass over the private parts of the road to the top.
However, due to a true gift of hospitality on the part of the couple who purchased the apple orchard and turned it into a Christian retreat center, the others that acquired land from the original couple or near them, felt that this couple had set the godly standard for God’s land. All who came were received with generosity and open heartedness. All who came to pray, passed freely to the top of the mountain.
NAMED
The little “mountain’s” name: PRAYER MOUNTAIN was given to it by this couple who wanted to display God’s generosity through hospitality to all.
PRAYER ON THE MOUNTAIN
Recently, open prayer on the “mountain” had begun again. This, according to the prophetic words of many prophets, is the Lord’s great desire.
With the prayer time on Friday morning being opened to all, prophecy, signs and wonders and great joy, also, have come to the “mountain”.
Among the panoply of joys coming forth was a prophetic sign that was given in the prayer meeting this last month.
THE SIGN
Within this particular meeting we had seven major prophetic voices in attendance – rare in the best of times.
One of the worship leaders had told me before the prayer meeting started, that she wanted to play a song she had heard in a dream. In the dream she saw several walking purposefully up a mountain singing. They were wearing tunics and blouses with loose trousers, all in shades of brown. None were ragged or dirty. She sang me the song, saying that she would like to sing it at the end of the worship music.
I asked her to begin with this lovely “song of ascent”. I felt that the dream showed angels singing it, for it was truly heavenly.
When the meeting began, she played and sang this lovely new song:
The Song Of Ascent
THE RESULTS
After the song ended there was a holy silence. We began the next song, “Abba” and as we sang, “You are closer than the skin on my bones, you are closer than the—” suddenly a fuse blew in the prayer room and the lights went out! We carried on singing… “song on my tongue. Your thoughts define me you are inside me, you are my reality. Abba, I belong to you.”
After the second song ended, one of the prophets crossed the room to me, leaned over and whispered that fire was falling in the room. We prayed in tongues and praised and thanked the Lord. Then we began to sing the third song… “Be lifted high, be lifted high, for Your glory be lifted high…” and a fire alarm went off.
All of this startled us, and we laughed nervously. But the alarm confirmed the word of the prophet. Fire had fallen in the room.
It reminded me of the sign spoken of by Mike Bickle when he brought out of seclusion Paul Cain. Paul Cain had been hidden for at least one decade, maybe more. Mike Bickle asked him to speak at one of his (then) church locations. When Paul Cain spoke, the electrical power in the building blew the fuses and the fire department arrived at the door.
THE SIGN
We too realized that we were in the middle of “a sign” – a new beginning perhaps – the second stage of the Lord’s work on this little mount. Only time would tell.
But we were here to witness it – to be part of the count down.
FIRE
I had seen fire all over the mountains when we first came to Moravian Falls. This was spiritual fire, of course. But now, after twenty-two years perhaps He was actually lighting those fires. I told Him that I had been here praying for His chapel to be built for over half the time the children of Israel were wandering the desert. I was hoping he was giving us a sign that He was moving forward. Whatever the sign meant, (I am sure we will understand later) both it and He are welcome.
THIS TIME
This time I hope also that we respond in the right way as the signs and wonders are revealed.
We are thanking Him for His prophetic sign; but we are also praying and asking Him how we should proceed. I hope Bob is watching from the great cloud of witnesses and this time, he is not disappointed in our response to God’s wonders. Our heads are down in prayer and we are thanking Him for His signs and for our God being with us.
NOT TO STRIKE THE ROCK
Please pray for us. We want to be pleasing in God’s eyes. We remember all too well the story of Moses who, after forty years of guiding the grumbling, children of Israel through the desert, struck the Rock and was cancelled from the number of those who could enter the Promised Land.
AFTER TWENTY-TWO YEARS
It seems that after twenty-two years we have entered into perilous times. We can get too excited and run ahead of God, or worse, embrace a stance of pride instead of deep wonder and gratitude for all that He does and will do.
Even though I lived through the glory days of the Charismatic Movement and then saw fires ignite in locations like Brownsville later, I am still awestruck when He is gracious enough to be with us as we pray or encourage us with signs that indicate that He is “on the move”.
Having Him with us when we pray and seeing Him move to accomplish His will – well, there is nothing as exciting (except for Jesus Himself or seeing someone accept Christ and come into our big, amazing, spiritual family.)
I so want to see Him accomplish the whole building of His house on the mountain. All of us have seen building projects accomplished through “the flesh”. Would it not be wonderful to see Him initiate and then to see Him carry forward His plans in righteousness? Goodness, it is worth years of my life in prayer to see His house be built without man’s flesh getting into the middle of it.
THE DESIRE OF HIS HEART
I pray our Father receives the desire of His heart. He has waited even longer than I have.
THE ANSWER
Now the answer to the question I posed at the beginning of “A Quandary”. WITH HIS PERMISSION, I will proclaim the wonders of the Lord in the land of the living. Come, Lord. You are welcomed in this place.
