Walking With Christ

⚓ Floatie:  The High Place and the Heart

Psalm 24:3–4  (3)Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?  And who shall stand in his holy place?  (4)He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.(ESV)

---

✒️ Forge:  The Truth About High Places

Not all high place worship was condemned in Scripture.  Some of the most sacred encounters with God happened on mountains and hills:

• Mount Moriah, where Abraham’s obedience was tested
• Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Law
• Mount Carmel, where Elijah called down fire
• Mount Zion, where Solomon’s Temple stood

The altitude was never the problem.  The attitude was.  It’s a posture problem.  God is not “closer” on a mountaintop than in a valley—He is omnipresent.  The belief that building higher brings you nearer to God is rooted in pagan thinking, not biblical truth.  This was the error of Babel:  attempting to reach God by human effort and pride.

The problem with forbidden high places in Israel wasn’t the geography—it was the motivation:

• Were they built in obedience or rebellion?
• Were they meant to honor God or to exalt self?
• Were they for intimacy with Yahweh or for spectacle, sensuality, and false worship?

---

⚒️ Anvil:  The Counterfeit Altars of Today

Many churches today build on false high places:

• Stages elevated not for the Word of God, but for the personality cults of preachers.
• Worship designed to create an emotional high, not to honor the Holy One.
• Programs meant to draw crowds, not make disciples.

Just as in ancient Israel, the external altar may appear grand, but the posture of the heart determines whether the offering is accepted or rejected.

The lamp on the lampstand (Matthew 5:15) is meant to shine Christ, not the stand itself.  When churches exalt the platform instead of the presence, they slip into the same trap as those who built high places for Baal.

---

🔥 Ember:  The Tower Still Rises

The human heart hasn’t changed.

• The Tower of Babel still rises when we try to earn heaven through works or spectacle.
• The forbidden high place is rebuilt when we try to draw attention to ourselves under the guise of worship.
• The true altar is often neglected because it demands humility, surrender, and obedience—things that don’t draw applause.

---

🌿 Covenant Triumph:  Ascend the Right Way

The true path up the hill of the Lord is not built with human hands.  It is the narrow way of obedience, humility, and faith.

Psalm 24:3–4 tells us plainly:  Those with clean hands and pure hearts will stand on God’s holy mountain.  Not those with the biggest buildings, flashiest stages, or loudest voices.

The Church must choose:  the spectacle of the high place, or the surrender of the altar.

---

[⚓ Floatie] [✒️ Forge] [⚒️ Anvil] [🔥 Ember] [🌿 Covenant Triumph]
This post follows the Forge Baseline Rule—layered truth for the discerning remnant.