in your surroundings? ASCEND TO THE HILL!

ILLUSTRATION: TELL THE EXPERIENCE COMING UP THE HILL IN EDINBURGH…
- as we going up…. The flag in the top of the hill is getting bigger…. And the things down, the van, cars, even people are getting smaller….
- That’s it! The more we are in the presence of God, the bigger He becoming into our lives, and the smaller the things become our cares, our desires, the worldly things. Because our focus is change to heavenly things!

*** CLEAR VISIBILITY TO … OUR SURROUNDINGS.

B. TO OUR ENEMIES…
- If you are in battle… the best place to look where, and when your enemies coming is go up to most high place possible. The higher you are, the sooner you can see if there are some enemies coming.
- Since you have noticed it while it is quite far…. You have time to prepare necessary defense… or you have might change your direction not to meet the enemy.

*** 1 Peter 5:8…Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
***Eph 6:12 … For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
*** Brothers and sisters… IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN… WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT… YOU ARE IN A BATTLE!

*** THIS BATTLE COULD BE ANYTHING THAT THE DEVIL PUT IN YOUR WAY SO THAT YOU WILL BE DISTRACTED IN YOUR SERVICE TO THE LORD…
- This battle might be your old self…. Trying to take control again over your new life in Christ.
- This battle might be your job… TAKING ALL YOUR TIME SO THAT YOU CAN’T EVEN OPEN YOUR BIBLE!
- This battle might be your hobbies…. XBOX, PLAYSTATION, ETC… which push you to the limit where you put less time with God.

- We have different kind of battles in life…. BUT IF WE ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, IF WE ARE IN THE HILL OF THE LORD…. IN THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD…. WE CAN SEE THIS “TRAPS” THE ENEMIES HAVE PUT IN OUR WAYS BEFOREHAND!

- DON’T STAY IN THE VALLEY AND BE SURPRISED BY THE ENEMIES ATTACKED! ASCEND TO THE HILL AND SEE THEM BEFORE THEY COME!

- Romans 8: 36… As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us…

- 2 Cor 2:14 …But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

- 2 Cor 10:4-5 …The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

*** IT GIVES YOU CLEAR VISIBILITY…

II. IT PUTS YOU INTO ACTION…

***Exodus 17: 8-13…

V.10…

- Moses is in the top of the hill… with his staff raise… and the Israelites are winning, but when his hands are down…. They are losing.
- It gives moral boost to the warriors when they see Moses hands raise up… and they encourage