Ascending Father Mountain

My husband and I were recently with our daughter in Turkey and had an amazing experience that I believe was a God orchestrated encounter and surprise. One day we enjoyed some beach time and loved watching the Paragliders sailing above the beach we were visiting. Then, our daughter read that there was a restaurant on top of Babadag Mountain nearby where you could watch the Paragliders take off. We thought that sounded like fun, so off we went. The drive up the mountain was incredibly beautiful, but extremely curvy, and towards the top it became more and more steep, treacherous, and of course, no guardrails to be found! The temperature of our rental car engine was beginning to rise and we all began to wonder if we should turn around and not attempt the rest of the climb. But, there was nowhere to turn around, so we pressed on!

When we finally arrived at the top we soon forgot the perilous journey as we were greeted by phenomenal beauty, and a gorgeous restaurant overlooking the panorama of both majestic mountains along with the Mediterranean sea. A large, sloping, concrete paved area covered an area at the top of the mountain where the Paragliders would wait for the wind, then run and take off into the sky above the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. We sat with our eyes glued to this scene for several hours never tiring of the wonder, beauty, and awe we witnessed.

It was a little later that day when God began to speak to me about the things we saw and experienced on top of that mountain. On the drive down, our daughter casually informed us that Babadag actually means "Father Mountain". The moment she told me this, suddenly, everything shifted into place and I began to see and hear the Lord speak to me about the prophetic significance of what we had just experienced.

I feel He spoke that many have been on this difficult and harrowing climb towards their promised land and towards their destiny. All along the way the enemy has shouted his lies, "It is too hard, too difficult, and you will never make it!" In fact, I heard the Lord say that the enemy has used fear to try and "short circuit" the destinies and movement forward of the sons and daughters of God. But, the Father is pressing the "reset button" and restoring current and flow so that progress and momentum forward will continue.

The Father's call is louder, more powerful, and always trumps the lies of the enemy. But, the Father uses the journey toward destiny to purify our hearts and rid us of fears, lies, and false identities so He can release our true identity to us.

"Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god." Ps. 24:3-4.

Many have been in this place of purification, where the fire of His love has burned away the impurities or things that would hinder His pure flow in us. He has been exposing shaky foundations and false identities built on false beliefs and bringing us into truth and greater inheritance as His sons and daughters.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." (John 14:6) Jesus is the way. He opens up the path before us, but the Father is the destination. It is in the Father that our true identity is found, released, and restored to us. We are in a time of significant Father encounters. The Father is drawing us to Himself. He is beckoning, "Come up higher. Come all the way to the top of the mountain of My love for you."

It is Launching Time!

It is in the Father's heart that identity and destiny are released. The Father's timing is PERFECT and He knows when it is time for each of us to launch forward into all He has prepared.

The Paragliders on Father Mountain were all instructed to wait until the wind was there to carry them forward. There were wind socks mounted, and all eyes were watching to see when the socks were flying high enough to indicate adequate wind for launch.

The Father launches us into our destiny but it is the wind of the Spirit, or the "Paraclete" that will carry us and cause us to soar on wings like eagles. Paraclete, or the Greek "parakletos" according to Vine's Expository Dictionary literally means "Called to one's side, or called to one's aid." Our precious Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, has been summoned by the Father to be ever with us on our journey.

Wait for the Wind!

And, just as the "para"gliders were instructed to wait for the wind, it is vital that we seek to be immersed in and be empowered by our life companion, Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1, Luke recounts Jesus' words to the apostles when He appeared to them after His crucifixion and resurrection. "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4-5

Just as we are in a season of fresh, life-changing Father encounters, we are also in a time of FRESH BAPTISMS of the Holy Spirit to heal, energize, and empower us for the new vistas, arenas, and assignments the Father is launching us into now. The Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost in unprecedented ways. I believe the Holy Spirit is releasing FRESH BAPTISMS OF FIRE in this season to those who linger and wait for the breath of His wind to fill their wings for flight.

I hear Him saying "You must be totally dependent on me and yield yourself to My leading. It will not feel like anything you have experienced before, so entrust yourself to Me. I am bringing you into a new perspective, a higher way of seeing. You will be above your circumstances and not underneath them as you allow My wind to carry you. Open up your heart and spirit to receive the more that I long to pour out to you. I am calling forth a super-natural army, an army born of my Spirit and filled with the fire I'm releasing to laid down lovers. Ascend the mountain of the Lord My laid down lovers! Climb up into the welcoming embrace of your Father and launch into fullness and inheritance."

"In the last days, the mountain of Yahweh's temple will be raised up as the head of the mountains, towering over all the hills. A sparkling stream of every nation will flow into it. Many peoples will come and say, "Everyone, come! Let's go up higher to Yahweh's mountain, to the house of Jacob's God; then he can teach us his ways and we can walk in his paths!" ...(Isa. 2: 2-3 TPT)