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  MOUNT ZION

  (From Chapter 4)

  By Matthew Hester

   apostlematt@dominionchurch.net

   www.DominionChurch.net






(This is only a portion of the article, the rest can be found at www.ThirdDayChurch.com)

Psalm 132:13
For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: (NIV)

Psalm 99:2
Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. (NIV)

It is time for the revelation of who Zion is to be restored to the hearts of the Sons of God. Zion has forever been engraved upon the heart of the Father. The people that are Zion have been chosen by God for a divine purpose to become aligned with His divine nature. Zion is not the piece of real estate that religion has made it out to be. The Father is not a real estate agent, but He is the King of kings and the master of all things. When we recognize Zion as a geographical location we rob its importance. Zion is a people ordained and commissioned by God. Zion is also the place of habitation for God Himself. There is a cornerstone which is set in Zion who is the Lord. Our job as Zion is to be the people that exude who Christ is in our lives in every sphere of influence. If the world has any hope of seeing Christ they must come to Zion.

Isaiah 28:16 -
"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. (NIV)

Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone. We must begin to live the life of Christ in the way that He wants us to. The person of Christ is manifest in a people. We are literally the Body of Christ here on earth. There is no need to look to heaven for your needs to be met--you are already in heaven. There is no need for you to search out a far and distant Christ--He is inside of you. We must have our perception changed in some drastic ways in order for us to impact the world in the way we were designed.

Behind the faces of your brothers and sisters is another face. The potential within us corporately can never be greater. There is no difficulty in recognizing struggle and heartache. I challenge you to begin to discern the Body of Christ. Look for Christ and He will be found. He can be found many times in many places in many people in one Body. Search for the cornerstone and you will find yourself in Zion.

Holy Hill

Hebrews 10:10
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (ESV) In order for us to begin to accept that we are the dwelling place of God in the fullness of measure we must come to terms with the finished work He already accomplished. We were made holy according to the sacrifice of Christ which occurred both 2,000 years ago as well as before time began (Rev 13:8). The holiness and righteousness of the Body of Christ has never really been an issue as far as God is concerned. What we need to do is believe God when He proclaims something over us that we may not fully understand.

We must recognize the full power of the death of Christ. Our righteousness has always been wrapped up in Him not in works. The life of a Christian is amazingly frustrating when he attempts to live life from his own ability as opposed to the finished work of Christ in his life. We have never been called to live “for” Christ. Get this enslaving idea out of your head. God’s plan from the beginning was that we would live “as” Christ in the earth. You cannot live “as” Christ except that Christ lives His life in and through you.

You are part of the Holy Hill of God. When God speaks to a people, He is speaking to you. When the Father sounds a trumpet, He is sounding you. You are the voice of the Lord in the earth. God has taken His residence within a people. You are the tabernacle of the Lord, and He sees you as a “fit temple” to carry His glory to the far reaches of the earth.

I Am Dead

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NIV)

The only way to properly live “for” Christ is to die. We must consciously partake of the crucified life that we may prepare the highway of return for Christ within us. The Father loves the smell of burning flesh. The Adamic nature has been dealt the supreme death blow, and the fullness of life has come. We must die to the flesh that we may live the ascended life of the King in the earth. It is clear that instead of the Church’s current infatuation with life after death, we should really be focusing on what it is to have life after birth.

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (NIV)

Romans 5: 17
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ (NIV)

We do not have to leave this earth in order to live the life of Christ. For too long we have postponed righteousness for the hereafter. The Word of God reveals to us that death is not the place where we reign. We reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Zion is a people of abounding life. Since Christ is the “living” Cornerstone who is hidden within us we have no choice but to let all of the life and light that He is be manifest. From the pinnacle of the mountain top Christ is calling out for His people to change the way they speak. Do not say, “Lord, I will die for You”. What He longs to hear is, “Lord, live Your life through me.”

There is a sound that is beginning to come forth from the Holy Hill. It is the sound of repentance and rejoicing. From Zion flows both tears and wine. We have found that we have been waiting for a Christ that has been waiting for us. The feast of the ages is upon us. The Lord has shown us the quality of His vessels and He finds them deserving, worthy, holy and undefiled. We are His people of reflection. The face of Zion is the corporate face of Christ in the earth.

Fear has no part to play in your life. Do not be intimidated by your beginning. You have more to offer than you know. Your purpose is larger than you think. Your paradigms are beginning to shift. Do not resist. God has you by the hand, and now it is time to go farther. Sons of valor, stand up and proclaim who you are. There is no higher shout, no higher mountain, no higher calling and no greater story than the one that is currently unfolding. It has all been told from the beginning. Do not resist.