Zion! Our High Calling! 2008/1 01/06/08

Praise God! Happy New Year!! (5768/2008) We are off and running, and it appears from fondly looking at all your smiling faces that all is well in spite of any news that we hear or generate, in fact, to start the year off, as with every other year, God’s promises are still valid, and ready to be received. I did not know what to start off with, but I have been reading a lot and have been touched by parts of a book by Kelly Varner and felt that the Holy Spirit spoke to me to do what I am going to attempt to get across today, because what I read is what I was hearing. It is important because the days that we are in are important to our eternity. (our position/condition in these days)

First, I feel that the Lord spoke to me, in early September, that we have negotiated the first seven years of the seventh millennium, and as we all know that seven is God’s number of completion. We are now entering the eighth year and the number eight is the number for new beginnings and many times is used for infinity or eternity. We see it used in Ezk 43:27 as the day when the priests, after sanctifying themselves and the temple, began their sacrifices to God on the eighth day. Reading just before this, (vs 25-26) they had been purifying themselves. Now look at Romans 13:11-12;

Note: The new year [5758] began Sept. 12]

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. [high time to move into our high calling]

Note: The word ‘knowing’ here is from a word meaning a divine insight into the time which we are in, much like redemptive revelation. [we will go into this again, maybe even next week]

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

Note: Reference the word ‘night’ in just a few moments, when we bring up the point, that God’s day starts at dark, so in this we see that He is speaking of a new day about to dawn, with God’s new thing at hand.

So, the bottom line to start with is, that this is a new day, and God said that He is going to do a new thing Understand this from the scriptures, as we read in Amos 3:7;

1 “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

In conjunction with the above, Isaiah 42:9; also Isa. 43:18-19

“Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

“ The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” [Duet 29:29]

Now, Let us put down a foundation for where we are headed. First, God’s day begins in the evening, at dusk or dark, and it does not end until morning. And what will we find on that day? There is good evidence from past things that God will, in His love, put us in a dark place, and then allow us to find our way out. It is in these times, that He is training us to follow after Him in our spirit, in those night seasons, where we can’t see nor hear. This is basically the faith that we spoke of in this class in the last lesson, entitled “Purpose Faith”. His desire is to develop us into the mature sons that will walk after Him wherever and whenever He leads, but, also to teach us, that He is ever present with us.

Note: Those that have been in military service, and have had night training exercises, will understand what I mean. There are times when you wonder if you will ever see light again. Most of this training is performed to save lives in combat instances, and I can personally tell you, it works.

Listen, in this time together, we are going through quite a bit of the word. Turn to Acts 17:27-28;

“ … that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel (grope, seek) after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us, [the dark alley or way the Lord puts us in.] for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.”

To train us to the level of a mature manhood [generic], the new thing is going to be in uncharted waters, unprecedented and unheard of things. It will be truly be a new walk of faith, and we must be brought to the next level, to walk in the here and now, in

2 the victory that has already been won for us. He wants us to truly know, in the deepest recesses of our spirits, that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but this does not mean that we will always “feel” His presence. We need to learn how to dwell in the secret place of our God. It is in this place that you will only be a spectator. [inaccessible to any foe] (Psalm 91:8-9 Amp)

Keep in mind, the word “unprecedented” and uncharted, used here. We will be involved in this new thing that God is going to do, but He wants us to not forget when His day starts. When He begins, and this will be in the ‘new’ day. His day will start, but don’t forget; Its still dark out there. The realm is unheard of and unknown, for God said it is “new” and it will begin in the night season.

The good news is that Zion [the church] is awakening and we are that people, and it is time that we become alert and watch for what is on the spiritual horizon.

Note: Be aware of the activities in the secular world too, especially the governmental world and the events going on around the world, they are capable of the power of distraction.

What we need and hunger for, is far more than revival, for in truth we need true restoration, returning with all our hearts to our first love. The cloud has moved, so arise and go after the cloud of God’s moving. He (Jesus) alone is the Way! Directing us by the Truth into the Life (Zoe) of God, which He ( Jesus) is. This is all the Power and Energy of resurrection life, and it is the New Day Dawning, with His strength needed 24/7.

I remember, in this class, a few years ago, we looked into the book of Joshua and found guidance, which is still just as relevant now as it was then, especially in spiritual moves. Remember, this happened on the third day. Lets look and get a glimpse of the route of new beginnings in any journey. Look at Joshua 1:11; and this is Joshua speaking;

“ Pass through the camp, and command the people. Prepare your provisions; for within three days you shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land, which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.”

In chapter 2:4b, he tells them that they have not passed the way that they are going to go before. That, as you can imagine, has more meanings than just geographical, and that goes for us as

3 well. The new beginnings or the new thing God is preparing us for is unprecedented and it is in uncharted waters. He told them and is telling us, that we they, and now we, should prepare our provisions. [I am being redundant on purpose…do not forget]

Let me share with you something that God spoke to me in mid November. I was questioning in my mind what He might mean by my provisions. He quietly said, the gifts of the Spirit are a portion of your provisions and the authority that has been imparted to you, plus testimony to the power of the blood. He then said something that made me take notice of the responsibility suddenly mine and ours together. He said that the gift that is going to have to be reverenced greatly, is the gift of choice, or our will. I suppose the reason that he had me look at Joshua, is that it was he that said in chapter 24:15c; “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Every decision that we are faced with spiritually, will require a response of our will to go His way, and the way may not be clearly marked, for we must remember, that it is still dark out there. We are in the early part of the day, but keep your heart focused on Him, He, by the Spirit will lead and guide you.

Just to stay in tune with our journey, let us look at the other part of Joshua and see the five steps that they undertook. In verse 1, they were in preparation to begin, but they had already prepared their provisions. In verse 2, they were in mobilization, and on the move. In verse 3, they had to participate by moving together. In verse 4, as we have just looked at, the move was becoming a reality, or realization. In verse 5, they were told to sanctify themselves and this is for a holy purpose, and by the way, this is an ongoing process. It is a time of repentance, prayer and times of praise and worship. Make a note for yourself; this is all necessary in order to venture anytime, into uncharted waters…in the dark!

Note: I remember reading somewhere, that the word preparation used here also carries the suggestion, that we practice our provisions, and rehearse the word

I want to read you a word that Mr. Varner wrote and it fits right here;

We are in awesome days, in which God is about to do a new thing. Something so big, it will have to be His faith in us to endure. He is searching to and fro on the whole earth for those of Zion who will covenant to function in this new thing with Him.

4 The true burden of the Lord is the weight of what He has spoken. We all need to start with a time of repentance for any mixture of faith and compromise we have allowed in our lives. We need to stop labeling mental assent as spiritual understanding. We have the mind of Christ and His wisdom to direct our decisions. This new move will allow only true spiritual knowing and discernment.

The bible speaks of the “valley of decision” in Joel 3:14, and we are closer to that, than any could imagine. Even daily we are in a valley of decision. For instance read, Duet. 30:19;

“ I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.”

When we sense that God is moving, then it is time that we open our spirit and run our check list, for sensitive direction to follow Him.

We need to make sure that our will is aligned and submitted to His will so that we may follow Him in whatever direction He calls.

Get intense about in depth study of His Word and seek to know more and more about Him and His love for you.

Begin to worship Him in your quiet times and learn to Praise God in and for every circumstance and in all things give thanks. (the hard, lumpy/bumpy ones are growth moves.)

Begin to let Forgiveness be your lifestyle, so that any offense is forgiven as soon as it happens. It will not be something you have to think about, you’ll just do it. Include anyone and any event and release it all into His hands. [Die to every offense and every offender.]

Submit to the King and His Kingdom. (seek first the kingdom and His way of doing things and then follow that pattern in your life.)

We may be speaking of a coming global harvest. It will be seen and experienced in the Feast of Tabernacles, and will be, as we have read it in the Word, the Spirit without Measure. As it was poured on the Lord Jesus, it will be poured out upon the overcoming people of Zion, and it is the power needed to move

5 into the high calling! This is a dimension that God is calling His people to function in. It is that dimension that encompasses all that Adam lost at the fall, and the major portion is dominion, and that is total dominion of all that is on the earth. Listen, in the Amplified Version to Genesis 1:26 & 28, and God has not changed His mind about this decision of dominion.

“God said, Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority [dominion] over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.

And God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.”

Now, how much of this are we supposed to have been using, or, what have we left behind? Well, in this new move of God, I feel, as do several others, that we are going to be calling on that faith that is in God, in order to be the new creation that we were called to be when we were first born again. [putting us back to the beginning, before the foundation]

The direction will be new, and if we have any spiritual maps [the way God did things before], in this new way, they are old and obsolete, for God said that this is to be in uncharted waters, so maps do not help. Maps point to where God used to be, so what we need is a compass, a high calling compass, directing us to where God is, and where His is going. This is a dimension where all we have is a sense of direction, but we have been called up into an unprecedented move, the fullness of Zion, the resurrection power of the Most Holy Place. All we have in our hand is a compass. That is surely enough, because our compass is “Christ”!

We are a generation that have been labeled the Gideon people, the Joshua generation, and, even the Remnant people, and now some, who, I believe are in a prophetic stance, are labeling us the people of Zion. It really makes no difference what we may be called, but one thing sure, is that we are called to come up higher, to shout from the Holy of Holies. We are to become victorious overcomers and that carries promise. There are several familiar verses in Revelation, that I want to read to you, but I want to begin by saying that I do not think that Revelation is the last book

6 of the bible by coincidence, so keep that in the front of your mind as you read the many last days stages of the book. The promises that I just spoke of, fit us in our time frame and you will see why Revelation 12:10-12;

“Then I heard a strong (loud) voice in heaven, saying, Now it has come—the salvation and the power and the kingdom (the dominion, the reign) of our God, and the power (the sovereignty, the authority) of His Christ (the Messiah); for the accuser of our brethren, he keeps bringing charges against them day and night, has been cast out!

And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].

Therefore be glad (exult), O heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury), because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]!

This is surely a last days scenario and we are in that time, at least all the prophets and the prophetic teachers believe that this is so. But I want you to understand something, and this too is from the book of Revelation. The seven churches mentioned by Jesus, were real geographic locations, real congregations (believers), but they, as we, are still part of only one church and that is the body of Christ world wide. However, it is said and I believe we would agree, that the weaknesses of seeemingly all, except Smyrna and Philadelphia, have promises if they overcome. Listen to the promises:

Eat of the tree of life, and gain by that the activation of the wisdom that is alive in each of us in Christ, and have the dominion of Eden restored. Rev 2:7

“ We (overcomers) are a people who are protected, and walk spiritually immune. Make sure that your love for Him now is truly as deep as it was when you first met Him. Also receive the crown of life”. Rev 2:11

It is further known that we, as overcomers will walk in alignment with the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) That is what hidden manna is. We will have favor in very troubled times. Rev 2:17

7 “Then, when we return with Christ, we will be those, with Him, that rule or shepherd (mentor) the nations”. Rev 2:26-27 [See Rev 12:5].

“We are those that are attired in white raiment, which is the robe or righteousness of the saints of God”. Rev 3:5 [Rev 19:8]

We, in His strength, are like strong pillars, that are stable and upright, steady in character regardless of the situation facing us and in our spiritual walk. Rev 3:12

“As overcomers we will rule with the Lord, being now seated with Him in the heavenly sphere, then ruling with Him from His place of authority”. Rev 3:21

In line with all this, look at Romans 8:17-18, which I will now read and then we will look at one other scripture that speaks to this whole call to the higher plane that we are already heirs to.

“And if we are [His] children [and we are], then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His sufferings, if we are to share His glory.

[But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us.”

Wow!! That is a bundle of power and promises that are already ours as His children, but then let’s listen to another promise made to us as overcomers. Rev 21:7;

“He who is victorious, shall inherit all these things, and I will be His God and he shall be My son.”

Note: Read this week all of Revelation 21 and 22, they are a true blessing, as is all of this precious book.

Let us tie this “Zion” name to this lesson. The Hebrew that relates to Zion is Tsiyown (Strong’s 6726 and 6725) and it here means, a sign post, a strong, guiding pillar, a conspicuousness, a land mark or a sunny mountain. It is also mentioned many times as an established position. I here will quote from Brother Varner, who has said;

8 “The people of God are awakening with fresh perspective as we discover the reality of a place called Zion. We are returning to the original vision, the high calling. Our citizenship is settled in the heavenly places, from whence we view the earth.

King David and his priestly band fetched the Ark of glory from Obed-Edom’s house and moved it to Zion (1 Chron. 15:25; 16:1). God’s people have begun to relocate from the Feast of Pentecost to the Feast of Tabernacles. Strike the tents (Num. 9:17-18). Move out of the sophomoric adolescence into the full proof of our ministries. We must be borne along by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). There is no Plan B and we don’t get a vote. We are under new orders, new direction.

God has waited patiently for the precious fruit of the earth (James 5:7). He has worked on some of us for decades, pruning and processiing, getting us ready for this day. The set time for Zion has come.

But many are fainting in the Day of the Lord. Some are unhappy because they have a hundredfold calling and a thirtyfold commitment. Divided hearts have pursued other lovers. Anyone or anything that we put ahead of the Lord is an idol of the heart. This is not a time to faint. REMEMBER, REPENT AND PRESS ON!!

The last thing that I am going to say, and I first apply this to myself in the place that I am standing, is that we have to learn to get out of God’s way, planning how we might accomplish anything of kingdom value by our own intelligence. We must learn to put all in His hands and await our ‘high calling’ marching orders and get on with His program and it is all a part of the “new” thing that God is now going forward with. Get in on what He is up to and don’t be tempted to take anything for granted, for too many have looked up and found that while they were taking His next move for granted, He moved on into waters that they had not counted on. We are in exciting days, so be alert and listen for His next call, for it may be the one we have awaited.

Class! Be Abundantly Blessed!!

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