Movin' On Up

 

 

 

MOVIN' ON UP

 

Have you ever felt as though your life were going in circles?

 

Have you ever felt like you were supposed to be at a different place or level in your life, but you seem to be stuck in the same ol' rut?

 

Maybe it is a personal goal that has alluded capturing.

 

Maybe it's a job promotion you wanted but have never obtained.

 

Maybe you wanted a particular house, or car, or that trophy boy or girlfriend.

 

Maybe it wasn't something fleshly at all. Quite possibly, you may have wanted to grow closer in your walk with God. Now, that's an idea.

 

Maybe you believe that you are stuck at the same level, fighting the same devils.

 

Did you know if you feel that way (and we all do in some capacity) that the Bible is literally full of narratives that tell of people and even nations that kept going in circles, never able to go on to the next level for whatever reason?

 

Have you ever played on a sports team and made it all the way to regionals, semi-finals or even the final game? What did it take to get to the next level? You had to defeat whatever obstacle stood in your way, correct?

 

I remember playing the video game, Super Mario Bros. when the Nintendo system first came out. I was terrible at video games then and still am today. I first popped that game into the system and before I knew it I had 1000 points and was facing the "final bad guy" at the end of the level. But for some reason I just couldn't get past that evil guy; I tried everything. He simply could not be beaten-or so I thought; that is, until my three-year old niece came in and almost completed the entire game. So week after week I started the game over and again until I grew tired of seeing the same scenery. I was determined to defeat that evil guy. I saved up all my energy, had all my "lives," and went in that brick room and kicked that demon's tail. I won. And guess what? When I went on to the next level, I got some extra points, and some extra power.

 

But all kidding aside, this is a serious issue. The Bible is full of accounts where the people kept on doing what they wanted to do and were never able to move beyond where they were at with God (Exodus 19-Num. 10).

 

What is holding us back from entering that next level with God?

 

Why did Israel walk around the same mountain for forty years?

 

They failed the tests that were set before them.

 

If we cannot beat the weakest foes that stand in our way, we will never make it to the final match. If we keep getting beat by the same devil we can't move on in our walk with God.

 

Check this out:

 

When Jesus entered what some call the "Wilderness Campaign" to be tempted by Satan, He knew what had to be done. He knew that in order to get to the next level He had to defeat Satan right then and there. He defeated Him by reciting the truth of God's Word. Christ depended upon the Scriptures and walked away victorious. But, notice what happened to Him immediately after He won:

 

¹³After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

¹⁴Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. ¹⁵He taught in the Jewish meeting places, and everyone praised him. (Luke 4 emphasis mine).

 

Jesus returned with POWER. He overcame the enemy and walked away with the trophy of the power of the spirit to fight the next battle. Not only did He walk away with power, but people spread the news concerning Him. I would say that this was the super bowl of super bowls. Jesus had won handily because He knew what had to be done, and He relied on God's Word.  He walked away with the trophy and had a beautiful write up in the sports edition in the local paper.

 

So, what about us?

 

What is keeping us from moving on to the next level? Jesus fasted and prayed before His conflict making sure He was ready. He was anointed of the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River. He relied on the Scriptures. He was pure. He was our example.

 

It's time to stop going around the mountain. It's time to climb that bad boy, leave the snakes behind at the snake line, and shout from the top that we have overcome. It's time to be like George Jefferson, and move on up. Then it is time to find the next mountain.

 

If we are continually finding that we are stuck in the same level with God, we are not overcoming whatever obstacle is in our way. Israel failed multiple times in their tests, and God could not move them into the promise. You know that God has promised you some things. You know there are general promises that we should all be walking in-but sadly we cannot because these promises are given at different levels. What is that same devil that is fighting you tooth and nail? Everyone knows what to do-that's not the issue. But what happens when we actually do what we know? When will we finally get tired of the same scenery? Or are we content at the level we are at? That's a whole new matter. Oh, and, if your not at the base level with God (Born Again: John 3; Rom 10:9-10) make sure you don't run out of lives before the game is over.

 

I'll be waiting for testimonies.

 

And they overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Revelation 12:11).