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Come Up Higher

Esther Dummer - July 12, 2000

“What I have done at one level in the past, I will no longer do.  The things that I will do will be done at the level of my calling.  I have called you to a new level – to “Come Up Higher,” where I am.  I came down to you in the former times to the level of your living and poured myself into you.  Now, I have spoken to you to “Come Up Higher”  where I am, to a higher plane, a place of meeting and in that place you will find me. 

My sense is that God came to us in our unprepared condition and in His Mercy stooped far below His level of being, to pour mightily into His Church and His people.  It was a sovereign act of His love, Mercy and Grace to bestow His power and His glory on an undeserving people who had done nothing to warrant it.  He came down pouring out promises, the weightiness of His Glory, His fragrance, His heavenly sounds.  He spoke in volumes to the Church and gave visions and shared revelation.  It all flowed deeply.  He anointed the altars with His presence and fire and His people with His power. 

He made us hungry for more of His power and more of His glory – more of Him.  He spoke many times of what we needed to do – to repent of our ways, to press in and push forward, to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, to let Him do His work in us.  He told us of the cost that we would have to pay to pursue Him and promised many blessings for doing so.  He wooed us and courted us, pouring lavish gifts on us.  We reveled in the glory of it all.  We were delighted that when we asked, “Come down God and walk among us,” that He did it time and time again.

Then one day, many months ago, God spoke a new word to us.  He said we were to leave the lower level of living behind and “Come Up Higher” where He is.  He began to increase in the use of the words, “Press in” and “Push.”  And the word “Suddenly” was added in as a new word too about that time.  Many mistook God’s gracious presence in former times as having achieved a great thing, having God in our midst.  The mistake was that “God’s Pressing into Us” was not the same as “Us Pressing into God.” 

Then God repeated Himself again.  He said a second time, “Come Up Higher.”

Things began to shift around us.  The former things seemed to be passing away.  We found ourselves wondering what happened to the fire in the altars, the sounds of heaven, the fragrance, the beauty of His Holiness.  It seemed at times as if God had withdrawn His power and glory.  Yes, there were still times, little seasons of outpourings, at times, probably because somebody was pushing in and pressing forward for a touch from God.  We tried to equate everything with human understanding.   By now, God’s invitation to

“Come Up Higher” had been forgotten again as we felt the stress of trying to “Keep the Move of God Alive in Our Midst.”

Then God spoke a third time to us.  By now the message had a familiar ring to it.  He said though, with a little different tone, “Have I not told you to come up Higher?  Come Up.  Come Up.  Come Up where I am.  Come Up Higher.”  This time, even though the entreaty was spoken with love it had a tone of exasperation to it, like someone was talking and someone was not listening. 

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you many times to come inside and wash up for dinner…..”   We speak such to our children and if we have to keep repeating ourselves an emotion begins to rise up in us to take the child in hand and deal with the disobedience.

Now God is losing the wooing tone and a sound of demand has entered His voice, “Have I not told you…?”  This is not the time to be ignoring the Father.

Now He speaks a fourth time to us.  He is now explaining like a loving Father why some privileges have been taken away and why He has set us in “Time Out,” why we’ve had our nose in the corner to “Think It Over.” 

His word to “Come Up Higher” is very appealing now because the level we’ve been on leaves a lot to be desired.  We’re maybe hungry enough now to “Get washed up and Go Up” because we want Him now more than anything else. 

He’s told us He is going to do a “New Thing.”  Yesterday’s revival blessings are the Old Things.  The New awaits us.  Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come.  All we have is today. 

He’s waiting!  What are we waiting for?  Now, instead of saying, “Come Down God,”  say, “I’m Coming Up Lord.” 

What are we waiting for?  Are we going to keep God waiting forever for us to “Come Up Higher?” 

LET’S GO FOLKS!!!!!

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