THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIGH PLACES......Numbers 33 verses 52 - 53

INTRODUCTION

Oooooooooh la la, mon peuple it is that time of the month again.  More hard food, people we want to prevent high places developing in our lives and based on the discourse attack those that are present. As promised in last month's Blog we are dealing with household wickedness which is ever so present in my life at this time. Let us start by listening to Making War in the Heavenlies - by Ron Kenoly

Household Wickedness

I tell you people the Holy Spirit had to do a Nehemiah on me again in order to wake me up.  I remember one gentleman writing me an email in 2009 and accusing me of carelessness.  I had not a clue what was taking place. Now I have learnt to trust the Spirit, and when I don’t I am in trouble.

A number of things have been taking place in my accommodation. However, I have been so busy learning French vocabulary, conjugation of French verbs and trying to develop a business I got very careless.  The same reason I was so slow in catching on with the tapping of my telephone. Have my apologies my friends.  I put you all to great risk for that I am truly repentant.

After having my ears boxed and the few hairs that I have left yanked I sat down and started evaluating.  This is that small inner voice: Raphleta, Raphleta remember what took place in Mississauga.

1. The pink stubs on your hairbrush are not leaving because your hair has grown taller or thicker in fact it is quite the opposite.  You have been losing hair recently and we know why. Don’t we?
2. Your toothbrushes have not been losing the middles because your saliva has suddenly become acidic. God forbids!
3. Your body wash is not full of soap suds because they have changed the formula. Raphleta!
4. Your lily (my plant) when it came into your room was flourishing, Raphleta, remember persons tried to kill your plants.  That is why your plant has been changing colour.  People, I keep a piece of lily everywhere I go because they are a hardy plant that does not need a lot of care.  All I have to do is speak to the plant and it flourishes (yes people I speak to my plants and the birds etc.).  It also reminds me of Jamaica everyone has a piece of lily.  In addition, it reminds me that Jesus in the Lily of the valley and bright morning star etc.
5. I had a necklace it suddenly developed wings and flew off, it is nowhere to be found.
6. My favourite BLACK jeans that I left in my room was torn up. I mean my BLACK jeans. Can you believe it? MY BLACK JEANS!! That is high treason!!
7. My USB fell to the floor in my room and said I would look for it at a more convenient time.  The convenient time has come and it nowhere to be found.
8. My Tide laundry detergent getting lighter and I am not using it.

I am aware of what is taking place because the Pastor of a church I used to attend would say I am a Pharmacist by training and he had other Pharmacists in his leadership. I have been the victim of not only serious African bush medicine but the synthetic one also. Setting wicked things before his eyes and then talking about "Jesus Christ is the head of this Church.

Let me give you examples of what has taken place in the past why I am so adamant that these people have to be stopped in their tracks. I will look at five instances.  I will be brief and just treat this as a trailer to my book.  The book outline is 28 pages. In Jamaica I had written the final chapter but my loving brother borrowed my USB and it came back with my last chapter deleted and a virus on my USB. Everything that I will be writing can be verified by seeking documents from the Landlord and Tenant Board at Robert Speck Parkway in Mississauga, The Ontario Human Rights Commission or the Canadian Human Rights Commission.  If you need my signature all you have to do is ask. Here goes:

3267 Crimson King Circle, Mississauga L5N 8M8

Quite a few things took place at this accommodation most nights I had to call the Region of Peel Police of course, I got nowhere because of the collusion. Most times I came home my door was opened these people just went in and out of my residence with impunity.  The Region of Peel Police have the list of occurrences on file. Things came to a head one night in October 2008 I got up one morning and the floor looked very glassy.  When i placed my foot on the floor i realized that that my basement apartment was flooded. I got up went and looked in the other apartment across the way and found that the pipe was left on. I touched nothing.  I went into my apartment did my devotion got dressed and left. My books which were on the ground was destroyed and a piece of garment. When I returned in the evening the apartment was dry. The judge at the Landlord and Tenant Board ruled against me.

3928 Rippleton Lane, Mississauga

Things went well in this accommodation only for a season. I had to go to the doctor because things were being placed in my food and water without my knowledge.  It became so bad I could not use the bathroom. People are trying the same thing again but this time I have Dr. Cindy Trimm’s prayer. I went to the walk-In Clinic at Meadowvale Town Centre.  The one at Winston Churchill Boulevard.  Dr Ipshad (or whatever her name is) would prescribe the most expensive medications for me. When I went to the pharmacy the Pharmacist asked do you have any money? Why did the doctor prescribe the most expensive medication for you? There are generic brands. He gave me a bottle of the generic brand. I started working shortly after unfortunately, I wrote my goals in my journal.  You think i would learn by now to stop writing down things. The next thing I knew after I had paid the lady all the money I owed her. I came home one night and the door was closed, there was a note on the door saying I had been evicted and my things were in the garage.  The garage was closed. This was February 27, 2010 at 11:30 p.m. I had just completed a two and a half hour commute from Toronto.  February is one of the coldest month in Canada.  In fact there was a snow storm the next day which was a Saturday. It was my birthday that is why I remembered so clearly. I had to get the police to assist me to get my panties. I subsequently had to take out a restraining order against this lady because she decided that she had not terrorized me enough. This lady is a Christian. Lord help my Holy Ghost!!

80 Acorn Place, Apartment #1, Mississauga

All those pictures that you have seen were taken in this location. The ones where I was cringing under the blanket because of the cold. The Pastor of the church said he had to put newspaper in his window in England to keep out the cold.  The seals on my window were broken and the temperature lowered. I placed my coat in the window seals to no avail. The ones with my hair sticking up you have to speak to God about that he gave me kink hair. I am in my bedroom it is my business how I want to keep my hair. The nude ones you are also going to have to speak to God about them. He made me.  I just thank Him that I still have all things and they are all functional. I know people who would not complain about being as complete as I am. The ones with my little blouse; one morning I got up and my chest was full of fungus. I told you i wash the victim of bush medicine.  I went to the Walk-In Clinic again, this time Dr. Ipshad did not deal with me, a young doctor did.  He prescribed a dandruff shampoo and a useless cream. I used to walk around with the prescription. I burnt it so that people would leave me alone, to no avail. I had to use garlic to get off the spots I still have three. I could not wear any clothes. I would have made a nice garlic sandwich if you place me between two slices of bread. Now, people you can ask then to show you the pictures of me in church. I know some of you have already seen them. I see you dressing like me. All they did I missed not one week of church.

3170 Dover Crescent, Mississauga

My heart really went out for this lady because she was ill and the people harassed the life out of the lady and her son with all their evil. Persons knew that I like President Obama so with their sarcastic selves they placed a picture of his beautiful smiling face in the dining room right by the door where I exited or entered the room. For they know not what they did!! Every time I passed I would salute and say Le président or El Presidente. The sick lady would be in her bed and would be looking at me. I am sure she was saying people are trying to destroy this lady and she is saluting President Obama. I did it for the better. I knew not where and when the picture disappeared.

In that house I had to throw away 16 pounds of rice.  I left a bag of rice and when I came back it was opened, people were trying too hard to kill me so I disposed of the thing.

180 Chalkfarm Drive, North York, ON

By this time I had realized a little of what was happening, so all the booby traps were ineffective. Resulting, in persons wanting to displace me by fair means or foul.  The Landlord did all kinds of illegal things eventually the police came. I remember I called the police and an officer came.  This big Caucasian officer went into the kitchen and said “I see a roach”. I said “ Yes and that is one of the reason I called you I am being harassed.” When the two officers came they were reluctant to displace me because they realized that what was  happening was illegal. So, headquarters sent another officer. Ooooh la la, all I saw was the Gestapo, Taser and all. For those of you who don't know who the Gestapos were.  They were the enforcers of the Third Reich (Nazis).  They did all Hitler’s atrocities, gas chambers, mass shooting experimental human operations etc. I was also reading how someone was Tasered to death at an airport.  I got up and went patiently saying girl, you will live to fight another day.  Not being satisfied with my just walking out the apartment.  Rommel (the Gestapo police officer) told the other officers to handcuff me.  I was placed in the back of a police car and driven the long way to the police station.  I was released after 9 p.m. shaking my right fist and shouting amandla!! amandla!! I then went in the week and got my mug shots.

Persons have a tendency to deliberately set up believers specially to do all sort of despicable things and then talk about walk in love, when their weapons come to naught. This serpentine spirit to break down one's guard in order to attack again.  Dr. Cindy Trimm mentioned it in her "Atomic Power of Prayer" and I quote

"I take authority over human spirits which are being used as demonic host hotels and guest houses, whether they are friends, relatives, business partners, colleagues, associates, spiritual sons and daughters and protégés. Father expose their hearts, expose their motives and intentions of fake friends in the name of Jesus and associates and employees and colleagues. Bring their masquerade to a halt. Uncover their true identity, expose their hidden agenda. Reveal the driving forces behind their diabolical assignments. Let evil enquiries, fault finding mission, astral-projections and suggestions fail (X2). Let them fail NOW!... In the name of Jesus, Father we decree and declare that your hand is stretched forth causing the evil eyes of satanic surveyors and surveillance to be blinded. Destroy envious rivalry and competition. Break the backbones of conspiracy, tyranny and treachery. Blind satanic watches, and those that interfere through the use of astrological and cultic devices. Cause the ears of eavesdropping spirits to become deaf. We resist antagonistic spirits and ancient spirits, irritating spirits, irrational spirits, argumentative spirits, frustrating spirits, retaliatory spirits, provocatory spirits, lying spirits, defying spirits, deceptive spirits, hallelujah to be destroyed. Every abortive spirit, Philistine spirits, Amorite spirits, Pharoahic spirit be destroyed.  We come against mind numbing and controlling spirits and prohibit you from operating. Divide their tongues and bring their plans to naught.   Put to shame those that seek our demise, in the name of Jesus."

Read the prayer in its entirety it is right on!! I was lead to it by the Spirit of God when I returned to Jamaica.

Dr. Moses Aransiola has said and I agree, after you have turned the second cheek the Bible is silent on what to do.  This is not about black and white but about people's misguided notions of domination.  The Crusaders did it to the Moors, Hitler did it to the Jews, Botha did it to the Africans and McDonald did it to the First Nations.  Good people turned their backs then they will continue to do so now. Whatever demonic and diabolic contracts people have made among themselves they need to go and sort it out.  I was not a part of the negotiations. I left Canada and returned home not knowing that the Nazis had gone ahead of me and formed demonic alliances with the gun runners and drug lords in Jamaica other wise called politicians and businessmen who harassed the life out of me. I have returned to finish this. I took no money from anyone in fact they have stolen all that I have. Like Naboth in 1 Kings 21 I plan to die for my garden if I have to. We are going to tear down every high thing that wants to exalt itself against the knowledge of God.  I have left your churches leave me alone. As I have already said the person with the experience is not at the mercy of the person with the argumentation.

You can bring all the dogs you want with your Hitler selves so I can feed them with poisoned samosas.

REFLECTIONS

As per usual going through the Bible and of course as one goes through the books of I and II Kings one of the significant event in the lives of the Kings which determines their righteousness was if they pulled down the high places. The Bible would say King so and so walked in his father's footsteps and did evil in the eyes of God and cause the children of Israel to sin and to worship in the High Places or king so and so did right in the eyes of God and worshipped God and pulled down the high places.

We will be looking at a definition/description of high places and look at the modern day high places which are in people's' hearts.

CRITICAL DEFINITION

High Places – mentioned in the Bible 117 times. The word literally translates in Hebrew bamah, or plural bamot. Bamah means "place of worship". Mountain top, open-air altars on elevated knolls near towns. According to I Kings 14 verse 23, the Canaanites "built for themselves high places and sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree." Based on this scripture it would indicate that the high places are all encompassing and speak to the intent of the place. In Genesis 21 verse 33 Abraham built a grove and worshipped and there was nothing wrong which indicates also how a good thing can become bad.

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE HIGH PLACES

• It was often on the hill above the town, as at Ramah I Samuel 9 verses 12 - 14
• There was a stele (matzevah), the seat of the deity
• A wooden post or pole (asherah, named after the goddess Asherah), which marked the place as sacred and was itself an object of worship
• There was a stone altar, often of considerable size and hewn out of the solid rock or built of unhewn stones (Exodus 20 verse 25 on which offerings were burnt (mizbeh, lit. "slaughter place")
• A cistern of water
• Optional low stone tables for dressing the victims
• Sometimes a hall for the sacrificial feasts

WHAT TOOK PLACE ON THE HIGH PLACES

The high places were places of religious worship.  Five religious activities occurred here:

1. Animal sacrifices 1 Kings 3 verse 2
2. Prostitution Jeremiah 3 verse 2
3. The burning of incense 1 Kings 3 verse 3
4. Sons and daughters walking through fire  Jeremiah 32 verse 35
5. Human sacrifices 2 kings 23 verse 20, Jeremiah 7 verse 31

In addition, it appears that there were sacred pillars at the high places 2 Kings 17 verse 8 - 12. These appear to be carved pillars depicting the female goddess of fertility and male deities. It appears that each high place had priests Numbers 22 verse 41.

Not all high places were dedicated to idol worship. They played a major role in Israelite worship, and the earliest biblical mention of a site of worship, later called a “high place,” is found in  Genesis 12 verses 6 - 8 where Abram built altars to the Lord at Shechem and Hebron. Abraham built an altar in the region of Moriah to sacrifice his son there in obedience to God Genesis 22 verses 1 - 2. This site is traditionally believed to be the same high place where the temple of Jerusalem was built. Jacob set up a stone pillar to the Lord at Bethel Genesis 28 verses 18 - 19, and Moses met God on Mt. Sinai Exodus 19 verses 1 - 3.

THE GODS WORSHIPPED AT THE ANCIENT HIGH PLACES

The Jews were commanded by God to tear down every high place.  Today we might not have physical high places in terms of the Christian religion (I can't speak for the others). The parallel today would be 'ism idols' - rampant materialism, impure sexism or me-ism.

Moses' exhortation to destroy the High Places Numbers 33 verses 52, 55.

Why was God so concerned about these mythical Canaanite deities? Below is a list of just some of the gods that were worshipped in these high places.

• El—supreme head of the Canaanite pantheon of gods, supposedly the father of creation.
• Baal—lord of earth and rain (prerequisites for successful harvest in a dry land).
• Ashtoreth—goddess of fertility. Canaanite farmers visited her shrines to mate with cult prostitutes to guarantee crop fertility.
• Dagon—principal god of the Philistines. Dgn means grain in Hebrew and Ugaritic and is associated with wheat harvest. In 1 Chronicles 10 verses 8 - 10, when the Philistines found King Saul’s dead body on Mount Gilboa, they “fastened his head in the house of Dagon.” This was the same Dagon in 1 Samuel 5 verses 3 - 4 that fell before the Ark of  God and when they placed him upright again he was decimated he lost his head and his palms.
• Molech (Moloch, Milcom)—Ammonite god to whom children were sacrificed. At Gezer, archaeologists have found clay jars containing the charred bones of babies.
• Chemosh—a Moabite deity, “honored with horribly cruel rites like those of Molech, to whom children were sacrificed in the fire” (Unger’s Bible Dictionary).
• That’s just six of 26 major Canaanite gods and goddesses! Thank God for Jesus I have trouble keeping up to the one, I don’t know what I would do with so many. High places were not harmless shrines—God’s people were seduced to flagrant sin at these altars. Isaiah rebuked them: “Are you not children of rebellion … who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter the children in the ravines?” (Isaiah 57 verses 4 - 5).

King Solomon succumbed to wheedling from his Canaanite wives and built a high place for Chemosh and Molech on the mountain east of Jerusalem.

DEALING WITH THE HIGH PLACES – TWO EXEMPLARY KINGS.

King Hezekiah put paid to 800 years of idol accommodation he reigned from 715 to 686 B.C. 215 years after Solomon's collapse 2 Kings 18 -20. However, I prefer the story of King Josiah to say he was thorough is an understatement 2 Kings 22 - 23. This young King was classical far surpassing King Hezekiah his great grandfather. He reigned 641 to 609 B.C.

• REPENTANCE

The Canaanites were dispossessed because of their wickedness not because of the goodness of the Jews. Deuteronomy 9 verse 5. God is not casual towards sin especially idol worship.

The Jews were casual about idolatrous high places for 800 years. For example, King Solomon as he grew older his wives "turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God" 1 Kings 11 verse 4. And then he built a high place for his wives.

The idols in King Solomon's life which ultimately lead him to idolatry.  There is nothing wrong with being wealthy some of the fathers of faith were very wealthy, Abraham, King David and Job. However, if your possessions become more important than the God you serve it is an idol.  I am of the opinion that is the reason most rich Pastors can't speak out these days.  They are too bound by the system.  You can't challenge a system that you depend on.

King Solomon's idols according to 1 Kings 10:

1. Power and control – All the kings around him were subdued.
2. Money and riches – Silver was as stone (some of us can't even buy an ounce now).
3. Knowledge and wisdom – Wisest men in the Old Testament.
4. Sex and women – The fellow had stamina seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.

Like King Solomon, we might give ourselves permission to float with temptation but still try to retain a vibrant heart for God. But King Solomon, could not and we cannot either. The more we entertain worldly high places in our hearts, the more our love for God slips away.

The first thing King Josiah did was repented when he found out that the nation was in deep sin.  He tore his garments. This is reminiscent of Daniel 9 for we have sinned.

• DIRECTION FROM A TRUSTED GODLY SOURCE

Overcoming of sin is difficult when one dwells in the sin. However, if you trust in the character of God through His word especially 1 John 1 verse 9.  However, having confessed where does one go from there because the Bible says in 1 Peter 5 verse 8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

From King Solomon to King Hezekiah thirty kings (twelve in Judah and eighteen in Israel) did not remove the high places. Kings Asa and Jehoshaphat failed to remove the high places from the land. However; Kings Hezekiah and Josiah were of a different ilk in his walk with God and told himself that past failures should not dictate their future.

King Josiah went further than King Hezekiah the Priests who should have been the trusted spiritual leaders in the land had obviously missed it terribly.  He sought guidance from a trusted Prophetess relative to the keeper of the wardrobe 2 Kings 22 verse 14.  Thank God for the Rhoda's (in the book of Acts while everyone was praying she went to look for the answer, the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut off) and the Huldah's able to maintain their purity even in time of apostasy. God will not leave Himself without a witness.

• DECISIVE LEADERSHIP

I love this one, there's an old African saying: To travel fast – go alone. To travel far- go with others.

Instead of haranguing the nation to avoid the high places.  King Hezekiah recruited the Levites. In every Church God will have a remnant. The task of the Levites was skinning animals and assisting the Priests in holy convocations. Within sixteen days the Levites dramatically cleaned the temple in Jerusalem of Canaanite worship paraphernalia.  King Hezekiah then had a massive celebration and the Levites "sang praises with joy" 2 Chronicles 29 verse 30.

Then, King Hezekiah invited everyone to a Passover Celebration in Jerusalem, the reaction to this was mixed. Some came some did not. However, a historic seven-day Passover Celebration was held in Jerusalem. The people were so moved they spontaneously traveled to the cities of Judah to breakdown Asherim poles and destroy the high places and altars 2 Chronicles 31 verse 1. It started with a few persons who were sold out to the purposes who were willing to support King Hezekiah in following the Lord wholeheartedly.

However, in contrast King Josiah took the leadership of the nation church and state (one and the same) along with the people and went directly to the temple went over the law and sought wholesale repentance. The people repented and an extensive clean up began right back to the days of King Solomon. Even the things that King Hezekiah had overlooked. 2 Kings 23 verse 7 – they cleared the temple of the male prostitutes there is nothing new under the sun, they are in the Church no fire in the pulpits. Read about the full clean up in 2 Kings 23. King Josiah was motivated.  I like a person who is motivated. If anything is worth doing it is worth doing well.

It is highly recommended not to walk alone spiritually.  The book of Proverbs says "iron sharpens iron"  Proverbs 27 verse 17. The Master Himself sent out His disciples in pairs. St. Luke 10 verse 1 . The ideal situation would be to study with friends or attend a Bible study of substance.

The other thing would be to have a Pastor that one can confide in. However, the scriptures say there are many instructors but few fathers 1 Corinthians 4 verse 15
 

• KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE

Kings Hezekiah and Josiah didn't merely exhort people to stop going to high places. Instead they restored true, God-centered worship at the temple, and the people realized that they need not worship Baal or Ashtoreth  2 Chronicles 29 - 30

When dealing with sin one has to find a God pleasing substitute instead of focusing on the sin. It follows logically focusing on a negative situation only magnifies it. Focus on the solution and magnify the solution.  Psalm 34 verse 14

CONCLUSION

I am so glad that I have done this topic because I have had questions about the matter of walking through fire.  One popular motivational speaker does this practice and a number of persons who have done this have been recommending it. This is a heathen practice.

Let us be reminded of one of the second commandment in the Bible

Exodus 20:4-6King James Version (KJV)

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Believers today avoid obvious high places but indulge in respectable sins.

Galatians 5:19-21King James Version (KJV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Even though Abraham and Moses did things in the mountains; coming into the promise land the reason the Canaanites were disposed was because of their evil practices.  God is light and there is no darkness in Him.  If You don't trust His hand trust His heart. The directive given by Moses in the topical scripture was for their protection.

In like manner the instructions are still relevant today we are at an advantage we have the Holy Spirit residing on the inside.  We are the temple of God 1 Corinthians 3 verses 16 -17.

The artificial high that is sought through things outside of God will not work whatever the besetting sin there is only one solution nothing outside of God will satisfy.

I would like to look at church wickedness next month but I think I have sensitized persons enough this month.  However, I have a title for a book I would like to write PEAS AND RICE – An anthology of stories of the Afro-Caribe experience in Canada. You can all mail your stories anonymously. My information is on social media.

Next month I will be looking at one of all these titles I see people taking unto themselves.  My question will be "Are you willing to say like the Apostle Peter, crucify me upside down I am not fit to be crucified like my master." Lets end with Mr. Ron Kenoly - We Are Going Up To The High Places

 

Once again, this is me Lillene’s baby girl coming to you from up here in the true north.

À bientôt!

REFERENCES

What is the Significance of High Places

What Were the "High Places"?

Seduced by the High Places

High Place