I had an interesting experience on Sunday. On Sunday afternoons, we lease a conference room from a local Episcopalian church. I’ve always had a good relationship with them for over 14 years. Never attended a service there, yet feel closer to them than many Sons of God who claim to have so much more. But there was something that struck me funny this week and I thought I would take the time to share it.
This Sunday was the day they celebrated Pentecost. As a part of their celebration, they release helium filled balloons in the chapel. Now they have a very high vaulted ceiling that would probably add an extra 30 feet in height. So the ceiling was covered in balloons just waiting to burn out of gas. I’ve seen this before, but never knew why they did this. While I was setting up for our service, one of the ladies came by and told me about the celebration. She said, they release the balloons inside because they didn’t want them flying loose in the sky. I understood her explanation at the time. But as I got to thinking about it later, I thought of how the presence of God works in our own lives.
Do we put a ceiling on the presence of God in our lives? Are we afraid of where that presence will take us? Does this presence seem to run out of gas in our lives and just fall lifelessly back to earth? If so, why? What can we do to change that?
The answer to that last question is that we can do nothing in ourselves to change our position with God. His love is all encompassing, full of grace and mercy, to sustain each and every one of us in His loving hand. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are His workmanship, His handiwork, His masterpiece, a tapestry tightly and lovingly woven together, created in Christ unto good works, before the foundation of the earth. The word used for workmanship in the above scripture is “poiema,” meaning fabric. This is also where we get the word poem from. We are the fabric of God, His poem. It is such a shame to put a lid on so great of a treasure. Yet in our own traditions, thoughts and ways of doing things, this seems to be what we end up doing.
Paul instructs us in Colossians 3:1-4, “Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him {Net Bible}.” It’s only because we are risen with Christ that we can seek those things which are above. After His resurrection, Jesus left the confines of the tomb that held Him back, so should we leave the confines of our own limitations and allow the spirit of God to lead us where we should go. Don’t limit yourself to the things and circumstances around you, but expand yourself to the heights where God is leading you. Don’t question where God is leading you, but question the things that hold you back. When that anointed one in you appears, then you will be revealed in that glory.
Those balloons were trapped within the confines of the structure of man. Yes they were released, but released with limitations. Let’s not hold God back to the limitations of our own understanding of Him, but lengthen the cords of our boundaries. Isaiah 54:2 tells us to enlarge the place of your tent, and stretch out the curtains of your domain: don’t hold anything back, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
Sometimes we can get all jacked up on what God is doing in, thru, for and around us, but then we put our own spin on things and it falls flat. God is calling out of our heavens to come up a little higher. Revelation 11:12 says, “And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” Who or what are our enemies? The greatest enemy of all, according to Colossians 1:21, is in our own thinking. When we turn our focus off of what we see, hear and feel in our exterior existence and on to the inner workings of that God nature within, we find ourselves moving into a new and higher dimension. Souring above our perspective of heaven into a place we could never imagine. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us (Ephesians 3:20).
As I’m wrapping this package up, there’s a song that comes to my mind.
I want to make you free, I want to make you free,
So you can soar through the heavenlies with me.
I want your mind at ease so I can do just as I please.
So you can soar through the heavenlies with me.
You want your answers right now, but your ground I must plow.
So your seed cannot be blown away
I want your roots to grow, so that all men will know
You can’t be moved unless you’re moved by me.
We all have that same seed planted in us; we all have the same measure of faith. Galatians 3:21 & 22 indicate that without the faith of Jesus, we would have no true faith at all. Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Let’s take that seed and let it grow into the heavens.
Steve Doss
This and other articles can be found at highergroundoutreach.net.