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Posted: 10/19/2009 at 3:12pm
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God’s High Mountain
By Duane Stewart ;
Is it not becoming more and more evident that God is moving among His people in a way that establishes a new precedent? In this era of rapid modern day communications, which reaches out to all the earth, man is becoming aware of God’s movements that are taking place in the supernatural. In this, God is manifesting Himself in a far reaching effect, more so than ever before. Thus, man is having the opportunity to see the results of God’s supernatural arm, which is being extended toward His creation.
Could it be, that in this, God has always desired to relate Himself to man, but man has rejected God’s desire, that man might build for himself a great edifice to glory in? These giant places and institutions, for the most part, have separated themselves from God in that He no longer is given rights of leadership over them. These edifices, in scripture are called “high places”, a people who have rejected God while instituting for themselves other gods in which to do homage. In this position of idol worship and other gods, the whole world now sets in a place of judgment.
(Read Ezekiel the 7th chapter), with Ezek. 7:1-4 declaring, “Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, and you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. Now the end has come upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and I will repay you for all your abominations. My eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity; but I will repay your ways, and your abominations will be in your midst; then you shall know that I am the Lord”.
How is it that these institutions of men, that which they still call God’s church, come to such a place as in the above scripture? A place wherein God’s glory has departed from because these man made institutions have ceased in allowing God His rightful place of headship.
Rev. 3:14b-16, “These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth”.
This scripture is describing a state of rejection, because mankind, for the most part, has not allowed God His desired place of habitation. God’s purpose has always been, to make from out of mankind a people of oneness with Him, wherein He could dwell in them and them in Him.
In this, let us take note and learn from the mistakes and victories made by the children of Israel as their kings followed or rejected God’s leadership. God’s covenant, in place, left instructions through Moses, for their conquest of Canaan, the promise land and therein the promises which also apply to the church of the living God.
Num. 33:50-52 and 55-56, “Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying, speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places; …But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. Moreover, it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them”.
Victory is promised and assured to these children. The requirement was obedience to purify the land from all abominations. Why? So that God could prove Himself to these Israelites in supplying all their needs in abundance. Likewise the body of Christ, His true church, also has an inheritance reserved for them with a like requirement.
I Peter 1:13-16, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy”.
With our bodies becoming the “temple” of God, it then becomes a requirement that we likewise cleanse ourselves, declaring a need to slay all the old inhabitants of our carnal mind that God might dwell within the temple. These old inhabitants consist of all that has been used to make up our characteristics and nature, the product of all that comes from the natural environment and influences generated from the fallen man. And this place of victory over these carnal characteristics has been provided.
I Peter 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”.
The word “time: used here speaks of opportune time, set time, appointed time, due time, definitive time, seasonable time, proper time for action. It is this time that God wants us to redeem. Knowing that God made us stewards over our most irreplaceable possession called time; we are to be good stewards of our time, using it wisely, constructively, and in the worship and service of our Lord.
Has it not been God’s desire and purpose from the beginning to dwell upon the high mountain wherein His glory might be manifest for all mankind to behold?
Isa. 40:9-11 is an invitation extended for those called ones to ascend unto this mountain of glory, “O Zion, You who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young”.
Herein, God has purposed to meet in man, His dwelling place, called a high mountain. It is upon this mountain that God’s perpetual care is exercised to extend to its inhabitants in all nourishing and protection, always caring for the new coming offspring. In feeding His flock from the above verse, the word “feed” speaks of to shepherd, feed, and tend; to pasture; to cause one’s herd or flock to graze. Thus, tending and caring for the flock. Could this not be the reasoning behind the enemy of God always desiring to establish his own places of worship in the “high places”?
Take note of the Apostle Paul’s declaration to the church while remembering that the church is to always operate in the mind of Christ, God’s high place.
Rom. 8:5-8, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God”.
Therefore, to be carnally minded, to follow after the impulses of our own will, the lust and desires of the mind and emotions of the flesh has no place in God’s church.
Returning to the ensamples of the children of Israel, we take note that the enemies of the Israelites always established their places of idol worship in the high places. “High places” meaning a height; high place, mountain, hilltop, crest, ridge, summit, a shrine upon a lofty site. These high places were often those hilltops upon which idolaters offered sacrifices to pagan gods.
These places became a snare for the Israelites, who mixed the worship of Yahweh with the worship of idols. God is not a God who endorses mixture. As we recall the kings of Israel, it was said of many of them, “but, the high places were not removed from Israel”. Even some kings like Asa, who ruled as a king who did “what was right in the eyes of the Lord”, yet he did not remove the high places. Because of this failure, the enemies of Israel were given freedom to play havoc among the Israelites, who were having no lasting victory.
What about the church of our day?
Are there high places left standing which rob the church, individually and collectively, of a victorious life-style? Does the carnal mind have freedom to instruct, teach and to impart a fleshly environment and life-style to the people? Does this not speak of idol worship in the form of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life? In the book of Revelation it is revealed for us that the carnal conditions which would exist throughout the church age caused them to be known as a loveless church, a compromising church, a corrupt church, a dead church and a lukewarm church. These all remain today, manifesting a defeated church and except they humble themselves, repent and overcome they will remain defeated.
For this cause God, as He did in rising up in the prophets, among the children of Israel, is likewise raising up an anointed ministry today. This anointed ministry is those who have come unto Mt. Zion, the city of the living God. (Read Heb. 12:18-24). These are those who have ascended to stand before God and His throne, to be sent forth in the spirit without measure. All the high places of man’s idolatry shall be destroyed and all the mixture shall be removed as “Babylon the Great” shall fall.
God is even now bringing forth an anointing ministry of purity, holiness and righteousness which is flowing forth from the top of God’s mountain and in this the kingdom becomes an established entity in the earth.
(Read Rev. 14:1-5). Thus, God’s high mountain, the eternal dwelling place of the saints is glorifying God while the old things of corruption are passing away and all things are to become new. Rev. 21:5-8, “Then He who sat on the throne said, behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, write for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, it is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But the cowardly, unbelievers, abominable, murders, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”.
Therefore, all high places which still exist shall be brought down and destroyed. The high mountain of God shall flow forth with the water of life as God’s Christ appears to manifest the glory of God in all the earth. Come; let us ascend to the top of the mountain.
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Topic: God’s High Mountain - Duane Stewart
