Come Up Here!

Where are you staying? I live at the beach, but I am not referring to your physical location. My question addresses your spiritual location. That’s right, spiritually God invites us to come up here, and hear what He has to say! Paul testifies that the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, will reveal to us the things of God, the deep things of God. How can we know what God is saying if we are located away from Him, instead of next to Him?

The prophet Isaiah knew this well. He was called by God to come up here. And. he. did. Let’s review what he saw and what he said. “I saw the Lord high and lifted up, sitting on a throne…” How could Isaiah see God unless he was up there where God is? He witnessed God’s train, the bottom part of God’s robe, filling the temple. Isaiah saw angels singing and he heard what they were saying. Over and over they said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” Then he heard these angels make a declaration that must have caused Isaiah to wonder in amazement. “The whole earth is filled with His glory.”

In the presence of God and His angels, Isaiah was undone and said so. You and I would say the same thing. In the presence of the Holy God, our awareness of our unrighteousness would be amplified. Isaiah said, Woe is me! For I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips. God commanded the angel to touch Isaiah’s lips with a lump of burning coal, cleaning up his speech. Just like that. Isaiah was called. He answered the call. He received from God a gift (Isaiah 6).

Fast forward to the New Testament and the gift gets even better. The Apostle Paul reveals that those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are seated with Him in heavenly places. We no longer have to be called to come up here. We are already there - spiritually. We can hear plainly what God is saying through the blood of Jesus which gives us direct access into the throne room of God (Ephesians 2:6).

One of the most amazing visits to heaven the Apostle John records in the book of Revelation. The revelation of the resurrected Jesus Christ. John records that on the Lord’s day, he was in the spirit. The visions he saw in that location, in the spirit, are recorded for us to read today. He heard a voice say, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” (Revelation 4:1)

What an invitation! That same invitation applies to you and me today! We can see and hear the things of God as our spirit communes with God’s Spirit. What are the how-tos?

Just say Yes, Lord.

~ Dr. Michele

March 15, 2024

Come and See - Come up Here

The first phrase is all too familiar! How many times while growing up did we say to another “come and see!” With excitement, others came running to see! Maybe it was a baby turtle, a lizard, or something from ‘another world.’ As I grew, I noticed this phrase in the Bible while reading the words of Jesus. You know, those words in red in the Gospels. Jesus beckoned people to come and see often followed by another phrase, “Follow Me” (John 1:39).

Just like then, we have a choice now to come and see what God offers. In Jesus’ day, many refused to come and see what God was saying and doing, refusing to believe the miracles taking place right before their eyes. Fast forward a few years and the Apostle Paul describes what he saw when he answered the call. Paul refused to boast but told of a man, either out of the body or in the body, who was caught up to the third heaven and saw and heard inexpressible things! Paul positioned himself to both hear and see God’s call to come and see (II Corinthians 12:1-55).

God made provision today for you and me to come and see. You may think God and His ways are far removed, but according to Scripture, we can see things to come by God’s Spirit. God’s ways are indeed higher than our ways, yet He gave us His Spirit to reveal to us the deep things of God. So we can not only come, but we can see (I Corinthians 2:1-12).

Stay tuned for Part II - Come up Here.

Written by: Dr. Michele

February 29, 2024