by Bill Johnson
Some of the statements about Mount Zion are quite amazing to consider.
“Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King” (Ps. 48:2). Mount Zion is to be the joy of the whole earth.
“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2). Zion is perfect beauty. It is from there God shines forth.
“The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwelling places of Jacob” (Ps. 87:2). Gates are praise (see Isa. 60:19). He inhabits praise. And the praise/gates of Zion are His favorite dwelling places.
“Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain which God has desired for His abode? Surely the Lord will dwell there forever” (Ps. 68:16). All the other mountains are envious of Mount Zion. It is where God has chosen to dwell. And because it says “forever” it carries a New Testament application. It is referring to the worshiping community as His Mount Zion. Again, what it lacks in elevation it more than makes up for in significance.
Worship Affects Nations
Psalms is the great book of worship. Songs were written to exalt God. But something unique happened in a few of these psalms. The writer would start to make declarations about the nations rising up to give God glory. Decrees were made about every nation worshiping the one true God. Now, regardless of where you think this fits into God’s plan for the nations, worshipers first declare it. Why? Worshipers are in a place to call nations into their purpose, into their God-given destiny. It is the sacred privilege of those who worship. Below are a few verses that lend themselves to that thought.
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before You (Psalms 22:27).
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth (Psalms 67:4).
May His name endure forever; may His name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men bless themselves by Him; let all nations call Him blessed (Psalms 72:17).
All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify Your name (Psalms 86:9).
Praise the Lord, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! (Psalms 117:1)
A Last-Days Surprise
There’s a prophecy declared both by Isaiah and Micah that has spoken to my heart now for many years. It speaks of the mountain of God’s house. This can be none other than Mount Zion. This is prophetically fulfilled in the last days. I believe that it is referring to the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David—the New Testament combining of believers from all nations into one company of people called worshipers.
Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it (Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1).
Look at the effect of this house being established as chief of all mountains. Chief means head. This government will be the head of all governments. As a result all nations will stream to it, asking for the word of the Lord. I believe this is referring to the massive harvest that will take place before the end comes. It is brought about by worshipers. It is the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David. Worship affects the destiny of nations.
ENDNOTES
1. The greatest present-day model of this that I know of is Mike Bickle’s IHOP—The International House of Prayer, headquartered in Kansas City. It is a remarkable ministry, where worship and intercession have continued nonstop now for over ten years.
2. The finest materials I am aware of on this subject are from Ray Hughes at http://selahministries.com. I highly recommend both Ray and his materials.
3. Historically, religion is used as a good term. Of late it has largely been used to describe Christianity when it is in form without power, or ritual without life. It is in that sense that I use it.
8
Red-Letter Revival
Jesus Christ is perfect theology. What you think you know about God that cannot be found in the person of Jesus, you have reason to question. He is the standard—the only standard given for us to follow.
As simple as that thought is, I never cease to be amazed at how many people try to improve on the example Jesus gave us and create a new standard—one that is more relevant. There seem to be two extremes in this regard. One is the Old Testament prophet-type ministry, whose view of God and man are accurate for their time, but very incomplete in regards to this hour that we live in. It is missing one significant ingredient—Jesus, the reconciler. He fulfilled the demands of the Law and made reconciliation with God possible. He would not allow James and John to minister under that anointing when they asked for permission (Luke 9:54). That season is over! (See Luke 16:16.) And then there are the ones who take great efforts not to offend anyone with the gospel. Honestly, that did not seem to be a value that Jesus carried. The heart is good in the sense they want everyone included in the family. But if we water down Jesus’ message and get converts, whose converts are they? If they did not hear the same gospel of abandonment of all to Jesus, then whose message did they hear? Do we honestly think that the people who were unwilling to sell all in Jesus’ day would be any more converted in ours?
There has been a struggle in the church for millennia about two contrasting challenges: maintaining the standards that Jesus set without going backward. So many want the Old Time Religion so much that they try to preserve a day that no longer exists in the heart of God. The other is the challenge to stay relevant with the current culture. The challenge is difficult as many forsake the moorings of the simple gospel to become contemporary. Jesus is always contemporary, current, and relevant, more so than anything going on anywhere around us. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are ageless. They are relevance at its best.
Bible schools and seminaries prioritize teaching instead of doing. Greek and Hebrew are important, but not more important than learning to recognize His voice and release the miracle of healing to someone. Leadership courses are important, but not more important than being able to lead someone to Christ or through deliverance. Management of finances is a big emphasis, and should be, considering how many failures there are. But Jesus taught the importance of managing our tongues and our families as well as our money. These are only hard classes to teach when the professors have no experience. Therein lies the problem. People with theories are raising up a generation who are satisfied with theories. Many stop short of a divine encounter because they are satisfied with good theology. One is to lead us to the other.
Massive efforts are made to do church in a timely fashion so we can continue with the rest of our lives. Apparently, many have not yet discovered that we really don’t have a life outside of Christ.
We can attend one of the many fine Bible schools and seminaries across our land and take many courses on the study of Scripture, on leadership, music, administration, how to debate with other religions, etc. These courses have their place. And I’m only choosing from the schools that are true Bible believing, born again preaching schools. Examine the courses. How many teach how to heal the sick or raise the dead? How many have classes on prayer and fasting, or casting out demons, or interceding for the nations until there’s a change? The courses taught are good and valuable. But can they be more important than what Jesus commanded us to learn and do? Perhaps the reason they are not taught is that those who do the teaching don’t know how. These things cannot be taught merely from the head. They are not concepts. Truth that is separate from experience is divisive by nature. Truth experienced is inclusive.
This doesn’t even take into consideration the multitude of schools that now question everything from the virgin birth to the miracles of Christ. Those are an abomination. One of the most foolish thoughts to ever enter the mind of a person is the thought that the “God who is now” is not relevant. The church may lose its relevancy, but God never will.
We a
re never relevant because we mirror the culture of the world around us. We are relevant when we have become what the world longs for. So many are accustomed to the idea that the gospel is to be constantly rejected and only a few of us will make it. I believe that is in error. Jesus is the desire of the nations. When we as His people represent Him well, people find what they are looking for, as we illustrate the desires of their hearts. We are His body on earth, the only Jesus that many will see. The representation of Him must be accurate.
Red Letters
I heard a great message recently from a dear friend, Lou Engle. He leads one of the most important prayer movements in all of history. He preached a masterful message from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5–7. Lou asserted that the words of Jesus, the life of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the example of Jesus, and the commission of Jesus are what our lives are to be patterned after. There is no Plan B in the Kingdom of God. God is quite confident in His ability to accomplish Plan A just fine.
Of all the things that Jesus taught that challenge me to my inner core, I am even more stunned by the things unsaid. He carried the person of the Holy Spirit into the earth. He illustrated a lifestyle that is within reach but must be reached for. It will not come to us. Much of what we need in life will be brought to us, but most of what we want we will have to go get. It’s just the way of the Kingdom.
My beginning years in ministry were filled with teaching from the Old Testament. I don’t mean I taught Mosaic Law. I just loved the stories and learned to make New Testament applications. Those were important years—years I would not trade. But something has happened to me in recent years that I also would not trade. Jesus has come alive to me in ways I never understood before. His example is the inspiration for this book. Looking at how He lived has provoked me to jealousy—He successfully carried the “Dove that remained.”
Personal Jealousy
Since I’ve discovered Jesus lived His life in a way that we could follow, I have found myself jealous for many things that were so natural to Him. My heart burns, as though with lust, for something that Jesus carried that is available for all. It’s free, but not cheap. Don’t be offended by my use of the term “lust” in this context. It is the actual thought Paul used when teaching us to earnestly pursue spiritual gifts. It is obviously not sexual, but does involve an inner burning. This phrase means to lustfully pursue. It is way beyond the casual mental agreement to a concept. It is a wind-driven fire within us.
Picture this well-known story in Jesus’ life: The streets are crowded with people who are hungry for more. Some are in pursuit of God; others just want to be close to this man who has become so famous for wonderful things. He has raised the dead, healed the sick, and has become the single subject of a whole town. People followed Jesus anywhere and everywhere. As this throng of people are walking down the road, a woman, a very desperate woman, sees her chance for a miracle. She has carried her affliction for many years without any hope of recovery. She presses into the crowd until Jesus is within reach. But she is way too embarrassed to talk to Him or even get His attention. She merely reaches out to touch the edge of His clothing.
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace” (Luke 8:43-48).
It’s important to understand that power in the Kingdom of God is in the form of a person. It is not a separate entity apart from God Himself. Jesus realized that anointing, the person of the Holy Spirit was released from Him, by the demand of somebody else’s faith. This really is amazing.
Now it’s one thing to become aware of the Presence of God in worship, and quite another to realize when the Holy Spirit is released from us in ministry. On occasion, I have felt the anointing of the Holy Spirit released from my hands when I’ve prayed for someone for healing. It’s so encouraging. But it is a whole new level to be so aware of the Holy Spirit who rests upon us that we notice when someone else’s faith has put a demand on what we carry. It can be said that she made a withdrawal from Jesus’ account. How aware of the person of the Holy Spirit do we have to be to notice such a release of power when it flows from us? Add to this equation that Jesus was walking and talking with others when this happened. To me, this is astonishing. He is conscious of the Presence even when He is talking to others or listening to their comments and questions. It is for this that I am most jealous.
A withdrawal was made from the One who has been given the Spirit without measure. An anointing cannot be depleted. It wasn’t the lack of anointing He discovered. It was the Holy Spirit moving that He recognized—the Holy Spirit was released from Him. This amazes me beyond words.
A Dove on the Shoulders
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is of Jesus’ water baptism. We’ve already looked at it in part. But there’s one more part of the story that is central to this book. It is recorded in John’s Gospel.
John testified saying:
I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God (John 3:32-34).
Jesus sets the stage for a whole new season. The Old Testament prophets modeled this possibility amazingly, especially for their day. They showed the impact of the Presence of God upon a person for a specific task. But it was Jesus who revealed this as a lifestyle. The Holy Spirit remained upon Him.
Now I realize that we are not to live by feelings. Emotions are wonderful, but not reliable indicators of God’s Presence and moving. But there is a feeling that goes beyond emotions, and quite frankly can work regardless of our emotional state. It is the mood of the Holy Spirit Himself that we can become so in tune with that we move as He moves.
We know that the Holy Spirit lives in us as born-again believers. The amazing promise that accompanies this reality is that He will never leave us. What a promise. What a comfort this is. But the sad reality is that the Holy Spirit doesn’t rest upon every believer. He is in me for my sake, but He is upon me for yours. When the Holy Spirit rests upon a person without withdrawing, it is because He has been made welcome in a most honorable way.
I often ask people what they would do if an actual dove landed on their shoulders. How would they walk around a room, or even go about their day if they didn’t want the dove to fly away. The most common answer is carefully. It’s a good answer. But it’s not enough. It is this—every step must be with the dove in mind. This is what I believe to be the key to the Spirit that remains. He is the single greatest reference point, not only for direction and power in ministry, but actually for life itself. We’ve been chosen to carry the Presence of God. Amazing.
Stewarding the Relationship
I remember as a young man hearing someone talk about being full of the Spirit. Having strong Pentecostal roots, I didn’t consider this a new subject. But what I heard taught that day was new. The man of God simply spoke of two verses, neither of which referred to the baptism in the Spirit. It’s not as much in my heart to make a doctrinal statement right now as it is to make a relational statement. These two verses are guidelines.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30).
Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:1
9).
This simple insight took my focus from the expressions of the Spirit (gifts, etc.) and shifted them to what the Holy Spirit actually felt because of me. And the more I walk with the Holy Spirit, the more my priorities shift to contribute to this relationship. This opens up new realms in walking with God that I had not considered.
To not grieve the Holy Spirit is a command focused on the issue of sin: in thought, attitude, or action. “Grieve” is a word that means to cause sorrow or distress. It describes the pain the heart of the Holy Spirit can feel because of something we would do or allow in our lives. It is character centered. This is a boundary that must have the attention of anyone who is interested in hosting His Presence more powerfully.
To not quench the Holy Spirit is a command that zeroes in on the co-laboring aspect of our relationship. The word “quench” means to stop the flow of. The original language defines it as to extinguish, or put out. This word brilliantly uses two metaphors to illustrate this connection with God. “To stop the flow” could be illustrated by bending a garden hose in half until water no longer flows from it, while “extinguish” portrays the passion part of our walk with God. To lose passion for God always affects our ability to allow the Holy Spirit to flow from us to change circumstances around us. This verse is power centered.
A Failed Experiment?
I don’t understand those who consider sin to be a light-hearted matter. It is especially disturbing when those individuals seem to be gifted in power ministry. This reality causes some to reject the gifts of the Spirit altogether. For them, it seems to be evidence enough that the gifts can’t be from God because God would never use people walking in sin. Others go to the other extreme and are offended at God for allowing people who live in sin to still function in some measure of anointing. I agree; it is a great mystery. But perhaps we would be less troubled if we could realize that God always honors His Word, regardless of the vessel in question. His Word reveals His character, not ours. And to not respond to His Word is to violate the covenant He created.