Stairway To Heaven

~...and she's buying...
the stairway...
to heaven...~
For many in this culture, 
the Christian walk... 
is like the Led Zeppelin rock classic, 
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN.
We see our initial salvation experience... 
as a chance to now climb the stairs. 
We give our life to Christ...
and we "buy the stairway to heaven"...
and now the work begins.
Step after step. 
Climbing, 
ever climbing.
Each new book, 
every sermon, 
every well-meaning Christian friend, 
tells us about another step we need to climb, 
we have to climb.
Soon that initial ecstasy... 
of knowing our sins were forgiven... 
and we are accepted by our glorious Father... 
is replaced by weariness. 
No matter how many steps we take, 
when we look ahead all we see... 
is what seems to be... 
an infinite number of steps.
But...
we carry on because of the promise...
the promise of being closer to God...
of experiencing His presence...
of more answers to prayer....
of obtaining a "new" anointing...
of finally doing enough.
The twins of distance and delay... 
keep us trudging along.
"You're not close enough to God yet...
BUT you will be...
just keep climbing..."
"You haven't arrived...yet...
but you are getting closer...
don't stop...
keep going..."
Soon this walk with Father... 
that started as a skip and a frolick... 
becomes a monotonous chore. 
No matter how well you perform, 
how good you do...
how much you pray...
how long you study...
how much you try to "do" for the Kingdom...
there is always more to do. 
No matter how high you jump, 
the bar is set just a little bit higher.
You can't reach it... 
and you still haven't arrived.
Some just can't take it anymore... 
and they sit down... 
and decide to live on the staircase. 
Others in anger, 
or more likely in hurt, 
decide to descend the staircase...
never to return. 
However, many, 
maybe most, 
continue on...
one more step...
just one more step. 
They trudge on, 
their heads hanging low, 
shoulders sagging, 
lifting each foot, a battle.
But they...
we...
I...
just can't quit.
If you are feeling this weariness, 
the weariness of the stairway to heaven...
I have a secret.
Shhhhhhhhh. 
Don't tell anyone.
The minute you said "yes" to Jesus...
the second you believed the good report...
the minute you trusted...
in His finished work on the cross... 
you were immediately,
instantaneously, 
automatically,
effortlessly...
placed at the top of the staircase...
and seated...
YES...
seated with Him...
in the heavenly realms.
You don't have to ascend...
the mountain of the Lord...
it is your permanent dwelling place.
You don't have to struggle... 
with the steps to being--
a good Christian, 
a good parent, 
a good friend, 
a good minister, 
a victorious Christian, 
an overcomer. 
You've already taken... 
the ONE step... 
INTO Christ...
and now His Life has become your Life.
His accomplishments... 
have become your accomplishments.
His righteousness... 
becomes your righteousness...
and His holiness, 
your holiness.
You have ALREADY arrived. 
It is time for a feast, not a fast. 
It is time for rest, not wrestling.
Rest in Him. 
Rest in what He accomplished on your behalf. 
He climbed the stairway. 
He suffered the cost. 
He accomplished the impossible...
on your behalf.
So spend your days... 
in glorious friendship and love...
with the Lover of your soul.
Don't ever take another step...
to get closer to God. 
He is as close as your own heart.
Now just walk with Him, 
hand in hand, 
exploring and delighting... 
in the garden of pleasure...
as He lives His life through you. 
That, sweet friend, is the Christian life.   

~ Ty Cobb

Courts of Heaven

“I've become seriously concerned by some of 
the comments I'm seeing relating to accessing 
the courts of heaven and having to seek judgements 
for every little thing. 
People seriously need to read their Bibles more 
and understand the covenant they live in - 
most of the stuff out there that people are 
sharing regarding the courts is based on old covenant 
models and being pushed by deceiving spirits. 
It is bringing people back under law. 

Jesus defeated the enemy and stripped him of 
all authority. 
He now has none, all he can do is lie and bluff 
to try to convince you that he has the right to 
accuse and judge you. He goes around LIKE a 
roaring lion but he is not one, it's bluff. 
You have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, 
your sins are forgiven and you have now been 
made holy and righteous. Yes, you may mess up 
and sin but the forgiveness Christ has granted 
already, is yours to access - that proclaims 
you not guilty! That is the answer, not a 
court session. 

Also Jesus broke the power of all generational curse - 
he became curse for you, so you wouldn't be under any. 
Use discernment people, it's time to wise up, and 
not get sucked in by every wind of doctrine thats 
out there. 

Learn about the covenant you now live in! 
Living according to that covenant brings 
freedom; anything else brings bondage to a 
religious system, including having to go 
through a court process.”

From Lyn Parker