Redeeming October

Last month people were commenting on how early people are switching into the next holiday. It used to be we would actually celebrate a holiday in the month it was slated for. An example is we celebrate Christmas in December, Thanksgiving in November, Halloween in October, Easter in April, but it seems as though these holidays have crossed their boundaries and are bleeding into other months. Now if it is Christmas, for some it is okay, but when people spread the October holiday into September some were not happy about it. Comments were made about the decorations they were seeing in stores so early and in people’s yards.

I love how the Lord has an answer for every one of our issues. Many times I wished I would have been mature enough to hear His voice like I do now at a much younger age, but maturity has its benefits and one of those benefits is not only hearing the voice of God but knowing His nature. The nature of God declares everyone is redeemable, so when He looks at something He always finds a redemptive way to deal with it. I wonder if this is why He says He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose? Nonetheless, He has done it again, He has redeemed October for us.

I asked my son to drive by 202 Church Street in Franklin, TN last night, because when I saw this the other day the Lord spoke to me and said, “Prophesy to the dry bones and tell them to live!” I knew this was God’s answer to many of us who do not celebrate this October holiday. Now everytime I drive or walk past dry bones, I prophesy to them and the people who have them near their house, I say what Yahweh told Ezekiel to say, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded” (Ezekiel 37:4-7). Next time you see dry bones, prophesy!

Two Mountains

Two mountains represent two covenants. One is Mount Sinai which represents the old covenant; the other other is Mount Zion and represents the new covenant. Everyone who claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ says they are new covenant believers, however, many believers are listening to prophets, preachers and media that is speaking from the old covenant, Mount Sinai message. Hebrews 12 describes Mount Sinai like this, “For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.” This is the message of Mount Sinai, fear and judgment. Many are preaching, prophesying and discussing Mount Sinai, but we have not come to that mountain in we are in Christ.

If we are in Christ, we are not in sin. Those who are in sin, but want a message that says their sin is acceptable to God are what Hebrews 12 calls illegitimate children (Hebrews 12:8) and not sons. Our sins, no matter who we justify it, brings consequences, for the wages of sin is death. Death to relationships, prosperity, health, intimacy with God, many consequences. Consequences for sin is not judgement, it is the result of choices made to live in sin, whatever that sin may be. Therefore, when people preach or prophecy judgment on a nation, they are prophesying from Mount Sinai, the old covenant. The demarcation is obvious as to who is preaching or prophesying from Mount Sinai and who is speaking from Mount Zion.

Hebrews 12 continues by saying, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” This is the new covenant we are called to preach, prophesy and project to believers of the new covenant. Legitimate sons of God, who are living in the truth, who are abiding in Christ, who are walking in intimacy with God will prophesy from this mountain and preach this mountains message.

It is easy to discern which mountain people are prophesying from, preaching from and proclaiming news about. Many amplified voices needs to be corrected, so we will see discipline coming from the Lord for their good, because the Father loves them, but they are not preaching from the right mountain, so their message is fear based, rather than filled with good news. You can speak the truth that leads to repentance without having a spirit of fear attached to it. God corrects us up, He wants us to live and not die and see the glory of the Lord in the land of the living and His discipline is not to hurt us, but to heal us, to help us, but we must turn from sin, listen to truth and be set free, so we can dwell in Mount Zion and proclaim the good news of this mountain. We can be transformed from illigetimate children to sons of God, but we must be willing to do all the Father says. I live in Mount Zion.