“A Voice for the Gathering Saints”
Duane Stewart
www.avoiceforthegatheringsaints.org
“A Cry from Zion – God’s Dwelling Place”
Among God’s people, especially during this our time and season, we find an intense desire expressing itself likened unto the cry that came forth from King David concerning natural Israel. This cry continues through the church as the spiritual house of Abraham cries until its fulfillment is complete and manifesting a full measure as spoken by God. Deut. 30:3-6, “that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity [where the church, for the most part, is now], and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the lord your God will bring you to the land, which your fathers possessed and you shall posses it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul that you may live”. The key phrase spoken in this context is “the Lord your God will”. Speaking concerning God, according to that which He purposed before the foundation of the world He will completely fulfill. It has been set within the heart, the soul of God’s new creation man, to see and know the realities of a God that dwells fully within the hearts of committed and obedient men who in turn shall rule and reign with Him. For this cause, King David cries in Psalms 14:7, “Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad”.
Zion, the mountain of God wherein He manifested His glory unto the children of Israel as David, used of God to establish a place on this mountain for Gods abiding presence to dwell. On this mountain, a tent was set up to contain the Ark of the Covenant (God’s presence – that which had been absent), for all who desired to come and stand in God’s presence and look upon His glory. From this mountain God’s fire and His cloud manifested and brought release to all those who were willing to stand in that presence and glory. This brought prosperity to yielded people in every area of their life. This life was a life of God’s perpetual presence dwelling in and among the people. Nevertheless, history reveals for us a truth concerning the continual backsliding of the people of natural Israel until the northern tribes were scattered into the four winds with Judah taken into Babylonian captivity, with both loosing out on the greatness of God’s abiding presence and glory. Likewise, we can see a similar kind of history concerning the spiritual house of Abraham. We see a church which was birthed into the power and glory of God as His promised Holy Spirit came to dwell and manifest Himself through a people to establish God’s presence to the then known world. However, like the natural house of Israel, backslidings have through the pages of time, taken place, so that Mount Zion, the church, has also become an empty shell without the power and glory of God.
Among most of the Christian community’s ritualistic services, there abides a form of godliness but they are denying the power of God. But, liken unto King David, a cry is going forth, a remnant of God’s people from among them are travailing before God for the salvation of spiritual Israel to come forth from Zion, God’s appointed and inhabited dwelling place within the hearts of men. Isa. 52:1-2, “Awake, awake! Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean [that which carnal minded ministers are today] shall no longer come to you. Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion”. Remember, God has purposed to reverse the curse and bring His people to a place of possessing the promised inheritance. They are to establish God’s kingdom as it manifests itself through His body of people. Herein, God reverses the yoke of captivity as the anointing oil and the works of the Holy Spirit completes Zion’s deliverance.
Has not the shining light of revelation come forth to brighten the pathway so man might walk in obedience to that light? Even with the things of this world being darkness around us, His glorious light shines brighter and brighter in the purifying of Mount Zion, His people. Isa. 60:1-2, “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you”. This word “glory” is the Hebrew word “chabod” meaning “that which is substantial or heavy; glory, honor, splendor, power, wealth, authority, magnificence, fame, dignity, riches, and excellence”. This speaks unto those who allow the indwelling accepted Holy Spirit to enlighten and direct them; they have received all that is involved in God’s “chabod or glory”. This means that spiritual maturity releases the pureness of God’s glory to glorify Him in all things. This means the seeing of God’s glory as His glory manifest through the soul. A mind changed to think the thoughts of God. The will changed to do only that which the Father does. The desires that are changed to reach out an encompass that which God purposes. This change also includes man’s emotions, emotions that respond and express even as God responds to every situation.
Does not this mean that spiritual maturity brings forth such a change within man that the man can now live according to the nature of Christ written upon the heart? Who then shall dwell upon and within Zion? Psalms 15:1-5, “Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change; he does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved”.
Abiding in this presence of God is the place wherein we are now to live. We are to identify with all that Christ is because the old Adamic man no longer manifests himself through this temple. It is the Lord God Almighty, who sets us upon and in His high places, to take dominion over all His creation. Psalms 18:31-33, “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places”. Because God is our rock, we now stand upon a firm foundation in the high places of God. Upon Mount Zion, the abiding place of His glory and for overcomers our dwelling place wherein Christ lives. Do you believe this? Thus, a life of continuous communication and fellowshipping with Him provides an atmosphere of faith in trusting God. This kind of faith makes all things possible because of our trust in Him. Mark 9:23, “Jesus said to him, if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes”. This word “believe” is more than credence to church doctrines or articles of faith. It expresses reliance upon and a personal trust in God that produces obedience. It includes submission and a positive confession of the lordship of Jesus Christ. The word “possible” in the above scripture means “the inherent idea of having the ability to act and the power to accomplish”.
Christ gives assurance that however powerless our efforts are to make things happen, He can demonstrate His dynamic power that translates people into God’s kingdom. Therefore, it is God transforming a people into the place of His glory and kingdom. Thus, we ask, who is it that ascends to this place called Mount Zion? Psalms 24:3-6, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessings from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face [Jacob becomes Israel, the former supplanter who is now a prince with God]”.
While a large portion of the Christian community continues in serving religious rituals and forms, these have only a form of godliness while denying the power of God. However, from out of the realm of darkness, a light does shine. A remnant of people is ascending from carnal darkness to the light of God. Thus, they are leaving behind all forms and rituals of carnality. They are now being motivated by but one desire and that is that they might know God, a knowing that comes through experience. Their cry is one that goes up before the Lord continuously as spoken of in Psalms 25:4-5, “Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; on you I wait all the day”. Two words we need to take note of in this scripture are first, “truth” a word meaning “certainty, stability, truth, rightness, trustworthiness. It also means to be firm, permanent, and established; which conveys to us a sense of dependability, firmness and reliability”. Truth is therefore something upon which a person may confidently stake his life. Secondly, the word “teach”, a word meaning “to instruct, train; prod, goad; teach, to cause someone to learn; thus a teaching and learning which is attained through a variety of goading by memorable events, techniques, or lessons”. This speaks to us of not only learning about but also becoming those things taught. Psalms 25:14-15, “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net”. To fear the Lord then speaks to us of deliverance.
In considering and ascending to the place called Mount Zion, we find ourselves in the place of redemption. Redemption is to become the life for which God created us. In this redemption, we find a growing maturity, which results in knowing Him, a birthing that manifest His life because our fallen Adamic life is now dead. Psalms 26:2-3 & 8, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For your loving-kindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in your truth …Lord, I have loved the habitation of your house, and the place where your glory dwells”. Yes, there is a cry coming forth from Mount Zion. A cry of travail is now echoing forth throughout the earth desiring the manifestation of God’s corporate sons. What is it that establishes these travailing ones, even as they are becoming the habitation, the dwelling place of God’s glory? A glory that is coming forth in the now as God’s kingdom is being established in all the earth. Psalms 27:4-6, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord”. What is the cry of your heart? Are you satisfied with lifeless forms and empty rituals or do you long to see Him, to know Him and become like Him? If so, come up to the top of the mountain of God, His holy hill called Zion and see Him, become like Him and manifest His glory. Psalms 43:3, “Oh, send out your light and your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to your holy hill and to your tabernacle”.