Morning Star Testimony - Sermon Notes
"Ye Are Come to Zion" - by T. Austin-Sparks
by John Mark on 03/31/24
Dear Saints,
This
message was originally recorded October 12, 2014.
My
notes:
In
his introduction to this message, Doug recounts the history leading up to David
conquering the last and most formidable Jebusite stronghold, which then became
Zion, the City of David. It required the unification of the kingdom. Jump over
to the end of the church age and its final campaign to defeat the spiritual
inhabitants - squatters, principalities and powers in heavenly places - of the
stronghold of Zion now in the church, we read in Jesus' prayer that we may be
one even as He is one with the Father. This corresponds with Ephesians 4:13,
"until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the [full, mature,
complete] knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the
stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." This unification of the
church will only happen after 'that which can be shaken' (i.e.: that which is
not according to Christ) 'will be shaken'. Doug taught us the scriptures that
refer to this as the day of visitation yet to be fulfilled in these last days
of the church age. (Wow!... see how all this fits together??)
In
this chapter, Brother Sparks clearly defines Zion as it relates to Israel, and
then makes the distinction of that which is mentioned in the New Testament as
relating to the church, "to another one: a superior, transcendent Zion,
the heavenly Jerusalem, the spiritual Zion. 'Ye are come to Zion'. And coming
to Zion, amongst all the other things that it means, means coming to that very
thing, coming to the eternal counterpart of the temporal, that Divine choosing,
that Divine electing, that Divine calling, that Divine, that heavenly,
destiny." As Israel's kingdom was prepared for her from the foundation of
the world (Matthew 25:34), the church was chosen in Christ from before the
foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
As
Brother Sparks speaks of "election, choosing and calling", I'm
reminded of something he said in a different message about predestination, a
word that unnecessarily begets arguments and ultimately formation of opposing
denominations. When he said that wherever you find that word in the New
Testament, it doesn't apply to individual people, but only to the corporate
church. Instead of getting sideways with arguing about whether or not God
predestines those who will be saved and predestines (i.e.: pre-determines)
those who will go to Hell, it's not about that at all. It's the church that has
a predetermined predestined destiny - and that's what this message is about.
"...we are called, we are chosen, we are related to some tremendous
destiny"; and Doug adds, "that is, an eternal vocation that will
define our faithfulness on earth in time in the ages to come... who we became
in Christ in time." Our individual destiny is ours in Christ (i.e.:
positional), but the reaching of that destiny is determined by what choices we
made and how much we were conformed to the image of Christ (experiential).
[Sparks]
"'Look here: walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called'. Make
this something that comes into your every day life, and it will redeem your
every day life from the ordinary, from the monotony, from the trivial; it will
lift you right up on to another level. You know that you are, as a child of
God, related to some tremendous purpose. And you've got to live on the basis of
a great purpose."
Brother
Sparks reminds us of the importance of corporate relatedness, that our
Christian life is not independent nor isolated from other members of the body
of Christ. "And it's in that relatedness that we shall come into our
purpose in God, and we shall come into this mighty sense that God is after
something. He's after something, and that we are related to that. It's
relatedness, you see, that is essential to this motive, to this purpose."
Brother
Sparks defines 'Zion' in many ways. Here are a few examples, "Zion is a
means to God's larger, greater ends." "Zion is the testimony, living
testimony to, and expression of, His Son in fulness." "Zion is that
which will be the occasion of the overthrow of the whole kingdom of
satan." "God must have a ground of argument with satan, Zion is
that." Doug adds, "It's where God's eyes are; it's where His heart
is; it's where His dwelling place is; where He is central and at home."
Recommended:
T.
Austin-Sparks' The Cross and
Higher Ground
Filled Unto All the
Fulness of God
Watchman
Nee's The Normal Christian Life
Link
to today's audio:
https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/10-12-14+Sunday+Assembly.mp3
Maranatha!
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the
providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is
blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!
To opt out of
receiving these emails, please reply with a request to unsubscribe.
"Ye Are Come to Zion" - by T. Austin-Sparks
by John Mark on 03/27/24
Chapter 6 -
The Controversy of Zion
Dear Saints,
This
was the second of two messages from October 8, 2014.
My
notes:
As
Brother Sparks speaks of the controversy of Zion, Doug mentions the fact that
"Zion is being contested, and now Satan occupies Zion - right now - that's
the Temple mount." There is no way Brother Sparks knew of this controversy
as pertaining to SRA and the satanic stronghold that occupies the place
underground of the Temple as reported by survivors countless times in countless
counseling sessions.
[Sparks]
"Zion (if you like: Jerusalem) will be the scene and the occasion of the
final, consummate conflict of the ages of this world. It will be upon Zion that
everything is focused." Doug adds, more specifically, the Temple mount.
As
I'm listening to this message about Jerusalem and its significance as "A
sign of the times so far as the world is concerned, so far as the nations are
concerned", just the other day a good friend was talking about those who
quote Matthew 24:36 that "of that day and hour no one knows" as a
challenge to those seeking to know the timing of the rapture. He corrected them
by letting them know this passage speaks of the 2nd Advent, not the rapture.
The church was at that time a mystery. Additionally, there is no prophecy
related to the time of the rapture and the beginning of the 7-year day of the
Lord (i.e.: Tribulation; Daniel's 70th week).
It's
interesting as we read of or hear the headlines and news reports out of Israel
these last few months how they coincide with Brother Sparks as he speaks of
Zion and Jerusalem, "The convulsions, the upheavals, the conflicts, the
unrest, the frustrations in national and international affairs, are all related
to this testimony of Zion." Doug adds, "The church is right here in
the midst of all that's going on... Israel is there, but the primary reason for
the convulsions is the fact that the church is still on earth; it has not
attained its goal yet, the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
[Sparks]
"Just as the nations will vomit out the Jews and be glad to get rid of
them, as did Egypt, so the nations will. So, so, a true people of God in this
earth will make this world sick that the world will want to get rid of them.
And the sovereignty of God will make that very attitude of antagonism and
hatred and expulsion His, His own way of securing His people. He is working in
the nations." As I was listening to him saying this, I thought about
Revelation 3:16, "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I
will spit (vomit) you out of My mouth." Wow! I never made the connection
to Egypt vomiting out the Israelites and Psalm 2. Isn't it interesting how the
church, especially that which is not bearing the testimony of Jesus is so criticized
and hated by the world? It is God that will be behind this vomiting out - this
expulsion of what is assumed to be Christianity, but in reality is apostasy and
lukewarmness. We haven't experienced this here in the west yet - but we will
... soon. This is the great shaking that will come upon the church prior to it
coming upon Israel and the nations in the day of the Lord.
Brother
Sparks spends quite a bit of time contrasting the "Christianity" that
has its origin in the flesh - the old adamic nature - and that which originates
from Jesus Christ. He says, "you cannot draw even a thin line between
man's soul and its ambitions and its activities and its heat and what is
really, purely of the Spirit of God. It is all so mixed up and people don't
seem to be able to discriminate or discern between the two. Therefore many,
many innocent people are carried away by the semblance of things, thinking that
it is something quite good and quite right! Everything is indistinct; confused,
with very limited revelation." This speaks of much of what we find in
today's pulpits.
I
really like what Brother Sparks says about how so mixed up people get as
denominations form out of distortions and misunderstanding of scriptures,
especially when taken out of context. "Take any bit of Scripture and use
it to support something that is entirely in conflict with another thing based
upon the same Scripture. It needs the Holy Spirit's interpretation,
enlightenment, witness, and government to bring us to the truth of the Word,
but in the realm of Christian profession, there is not such a capacity or
faculty."
Without
going into detail, this message really encouraged me and went well with some of
my personal journey leading up to y'all reading this and listening to Doug's
recorded messages. "...this ministry of Zion is constituted by a drastic
work in the vessel, a deep work in the vessel. This is not something that we
can take up apart from something that has been done in us, that God is doing in
us: the undoing of us, the taking of us to pieces, the stripping of us, the
emptying of us, and bringing us to zero and starting from there all over again
with us. That's the sort of thing connected with Zion and Zion's
ministry." This corresponds to 2 Timothy 4:11 when Paul called for John
Mark to be sent to him as he believed finally at that point he would be useful
to the ministry.
I
stand into Doug's closing prayer in this recording.
Audio
Link: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/10-8-14+Wednesday+Assembly+-+2.mp3
Maranatha!
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the
providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is
blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!
To opt out of
receiving these emails, please reply with a request to unsubscribe.
"Ye Are Come to Zion" - by T. Austin-Sparks
by John Mark on 03/24/24
Chapter 5 -
The Children of Zion
Dear Saints,
This message
originally posted October 8, 2014, the first of two.
My
notes:
As
Brother Sparks is speaking of the wilderness journey of every Christian and
points to the fact we're not supposed to spend our entire life there, he says,
"Are you a people still out there wandering about, learning, slowly
learning by discipline and adversity, or are you a responsible person in the
gate?" The gate is the place of responsibility and authority. "He
(the Lord) does look forward to the time when you and I will be in a position
to turn what He has taught us to account for others. That's far more precious
to Him."
Our
growing up into Christ is not all about what we get out of it, but how the Lord
can use us in other's lives and spiritual journey. "What the Lord loves is
that kind of maturity which means that, well, we know from the way in which the
Lord has taught us, disciplined us, know what we ought to do and are able to
help others with counsel." "He looks for the day, and it will be the
day of His so far greater joy, when you and I will be in the gates of
Zion." And speaking of helping others with the abundant resources God
supplies to us and for us to share, Brother Sparks adds, "Hungry people,
let them come, let them queue up, we have still got something to give. Yes, all
the time that's the testimony isn't it, of the citizen of Zion. We lack
nothing, we have plenty, there is always a margin for others."
Sparks
asks the question we should ponder: "What would you consider to be the
most glorious thing that could be true of your life?" He answers with the
desire "to have brought satisfaction to the heart of God. If only, if
only my life could mean that God was well-pleased, that the good pleasure of
God rested upon my life, that God could say, "Well done, well done good
and faithful servant" I would want nothing more than that.
Speaking
about how the Accuser comes around to accuse us and condemn us, and remind us
of our sinfulness and failures, Brother Sparks reminds us of the fact we are
accepted and beloved by God. "Our refuge is what? Flee into Christ and
say, 'In Him God covers all my sin... There is no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus', taking the whip out of the hand of the enemy and lashing him
with it: justification by faith, made just through faith, accepted in the
Beloved, Beloved. And so the word comes back repeatedly - beloved of God,
beloved of God, beloved of God, and that to such miserable creatures as you and
I. 'Ye are come to Zion... Glorious things, glorious things are spoken of
thee'."
Recommended
resources:
Filled Unto All the
Fulness of God by T. Austin-Sparks
https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/filled_unto_all_the_fulness_of_god.html
Link
to today’s Audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/10-8-14+Wednesday+Assembly.mp3
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!
"Ye Are Come to Zion" - by T. Austin-Sparks
by John Mark on 03/20/24
Dear Saints,
This message
originally posted October 1, 2014.
My
notes:
As
Doug introduces Chapter 4, he gives a sweep of the history of Israel leading up
to the first Advent on to the purpose for which the Book of Hebrews was
written. "The Book of Hebrews was written for the Laodicean state and
condition of the church in our generation. When you come to Zion, you have come
out of anything that has to do with a shadow that is not the substance and
reality which is in Christ."
As
Hebrews 12 is taught, how many understand it is not only a history lesson of
how God judged Israel culminating in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the temple
and Jerusalem, but it is a prophecy of coming judgment, first in the church,
and then Israel and the nations. The church will not go through the Day of the
Lord (7-year tribulation), but will go through its own tribulation prior to the
rapture. See WARNING!!! To the Church (scroll down to view) where I go into more detail. Check out Haggai 2:6, 21 cp Hebrews 12:26).
"God is going to shake everything in the church that can be shaken in
order that that which cannot be shaken, that is, that which is according to
Christ, might remain. And that's coming! The shaking that's coming to the
church, this day of visitation, is as certain as God using the Romans to
destroy the Jewish temple and that whole system of religion in 70 A.D."
"There's
a change that's about to occur, and we, as the members of the body of Christ,
are going to be caught into a similar (to 70 A.D.) vortex in the very near
future. We can expect some radical changes in this nation and the world
beginning with the church." Brother Sparks adds: "Yes, a mighty age
crisis is represented by the letter to the Hebrews - nothing less than the
passing of a system or an economy."
I
wonder if in these last days of the church age when persecution of the church
comes here in the west if Christians will be designated an outlawed terrorist
hate organization. Don't be surprised if churches lose their tax exempt status
due to their pastors being convicted of hate speech and terroristic
indoctrination. It's always been in the IRS regulations that churches are
extremely limited on speaking about politics or recommending certain candidates
for office.
[Sparks]
"Dear friends, it is no exaggeration to say that you and I have come
actually to live in a time when the whole complexion of things in Christian
tradition is changing." Doug adds, "... and will be eventually swept
away in the same kind of crisis that we see in 70 A.D. that swept away Judaism,
and all those Christians who didn't get out."
[Sparks]
"There is a time fixed when God will sift out everything in Christianity,
sift it all out, to find out just how far the real purpose of its existence is
being fulfilled, and the things which can be shaken will be shaken... We shall
come to that crisis individually sooner or later... Sooner or later, it will be
found out whether we are Christ-ones or not, whether it is Christ; how far it
is Christ."
As Brother Sparks speaks of the way
missionaries cannot operate as in time past, he says, "There is a change
coming... it is going to be in another way, on another basis, by other
means." Doug adds, "Yes! It's called 'the day of visitation'
producing the effects in a remnant of people that will manifest Jesus Christ as
the bright morning star. And that will be something that never happened in
history, except in a foundational way in the Book of Acts."
[Sparks]
"...you are being tested now according to Zion - whether you stand or
whether you stumble." This brings to mind the passage in 1 Corinthians 3
about us standing at the bema seat where what was 'wood, hay and stubble' will
be burned in fire, and only that which is 'gold, silver and precious stones'
will pass through the fire and be that used to determine reward and placement
as to whether or not we rule and reign with Christ. As Doug and many of us
prayed for years, "Lord, burn what is wood, hay and stubble now in our
lifetime so all that is left is gold, silver and precious stones, and therefore
be no loss at the judgment seat of Christ." The gold, silver and precious
stones are that which corresponds to the life of Christ in us, "tested
according to Zion".
[Sparks]
"... what God is trying to do with us in our experience is to make us know
Him for ourselves, and have nothing second-hand, but direct. That will not make
us independent of one another, it will make us perhaps the more dependent upon
one another, but it has got to be like that. God will shake everything that can
be shaken, in order to find out how much there is of that kind: conforming to
Zion." It's not what we know about Christ that will count for eternity -
Satan knows more about Him than we do - but what is of Christ formed in us, and
to what degree we are conformed to the image of Christ.
"Ye Are Come to Zion" - by T. Austin-Sparks
by John Mark on 03/17/24
Dear Saints,
This message
originally posted September 28, 2014.
My
notes:
Some
of us may believe Jesus is "at home" in our hearts - that once we
receive Him as our Lord and Savior and we become children of God, that Jesus
'settles down' and our whole heart is His to live in. In fact, when we are
joined to the Lord, we are one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17 cp 2
Corinthians 1:22). However, the sanctification process, growing up in Christ
means a progressive submitting areas of our soul to Him to take over as Lord.
When we're saved we can certainly say "Jesus is Lord of all", but
there are areas in our soul life we hang on to where we are not allowing Him to
be Lord. In these places, He is not 'at home'. Ephesians 3:17 says, "so
that Christ MAY dwell in your hearts through faith". That word 'dwell'
includes the idea of settling down, always present, to pervade (to become
diffused throughout ever part) and govern our heart (the center of all physical
and spiritual life, the seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites,
affections, purposes and endeavors). Our choices as we activate faith will move
us in the direction where Christ is finally welcome and at home in every place
in our souls.
[Doug]
"If God is going to be at home in us, that means absolutely in us must
become 'according to Christ'."
Doug
reminds us of the conditions of the church that will bring about the rapture.
Once Laodicea is vomited out of the mouth of Jesus Christ and all other
judgments are carried out (i.e.: Thyatira and Sardis), it will only be a
surviving remnant that is raptured. There are so few who actually teach this...
and it's all right there for all to read in Revelation 2 and 3, 1 Peter 4:12,
17; Hebrews 12:25-29). Of local assemblies, "Anything that is not
representing Christ in His nature and character and the manifestation of that
is not the church; it's just a gathering of people, and they could even be
believers."
As
Brother Sparks takes quite a bit of time to describe what Zion is all about,
Doug brings it down to a practical description of what God is looking for in us
in corporate fellowship and relationship. "He must see the dominion of
Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords evidenced in people who bear
the testimony of Jesus Christ. When you look at that person, you see that
person is victorious. No matter what has happened, they are living in triumph -
and that company is in triumph. That is Zion." Brother Sparks summarizes,
"Zion is Christ in Person in the value of all His work in His people.
That's Zion."
I
hope you don’t mind if I share some personal observations regarding this post. To
be honest, I really struggled going through this chapter. I decided to listen
to Brother Sparks' original speech as he delivered this message (https://audio.austin-sparks.net/TAS0306.mp3).
Though he can be very slow in his presentation, sprinkling in long pauses, it's
the opportunity for me to better digest and ponder what he is saying. I was
really exercised in hearing him speak. As he is speaking of Zion, I thought
about how Doug taught us over the years about it - how within it was the last
to be conquered and most formidable stronghold, the Jebusite fortress (2 Samuel
5:6-7). Sparks gave this message the year I was born, 1954. It wasn’t until the
90’s that Doug became aware of SRA/DID and it being anchored in members of the
body of Christ. This is Satan’s most formidable stronghold and weapon against
God. I don’t believe Sparks could have known anything about this.
I
think this is what made this message difficult for me. I have been banished
from several assemblies because of my history with Morning Star Testimony
Church (i.e.: involvement with spiritual warfare and ministry to SRA
survivors). Others I left as they were not anything close to what Sparks defined
as a corporate expression of “Zion”. I do currently find it, however, in a
small group of us who meet twice weekly via Zoom, a place I’m discovering koinonia.
I realize this is not optimal, not what is described as a local church, but for
me it is closer than any other assembly I’ve been a member of. I’m definitely
open to where God wants me, even to relocate, but it’s not just me that will
come under the headship and oversight of an assembly. It must include the field
of ministry God gave me to continue to serve in.
I
pondered Sparks’ reference to Zion being a place of joy and festivity. Though I
wouldn’t trade my experience being a part of Morning Star Testimony Church for
anything, I can’t say we experience such festivity – certainly not all the
time. With a satanic occupation of Zion, as David had to conquer it before it
became the City of David, we were in a warfare for so many years. I believe
this fortification will finally be conquered by Jesus Christ in and through His
body. Satan is being crushed under His (our) feet, but it is really no time to
relax and not a time of celebration. I believe that will finally come as an
outcome of the ‘day of visitation’ and culminate at the completion of the bema
seat judgment when we will be caught up to God and to His throne
(Revelation 12:5).
We
can in faith enjoy the victory Jesus already won, “When He had disarmed the
rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over
them through Him”, but we must still carry out the process of dispossessing our
enemy and taking this last fortress. “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and violent men [seize] take it by force.” Though Zion is the optimal place for
the church to experience, the reality of the true condition of the church now
brings a solemnity to the festivities. Consider Ezekiel 8 and compare it to the
rebukes by Jesus to the churches of Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea. Judgment
must come before Zion will be the ultimate City of the root and offspring of
David, Yeshua Hamashiach.
In
the Discussion, Doug reminds us that the church is being scrutinized by Jesus
Christ as the plumbline - that what is not according to Him will be shaken and
removed prior to the rapture.
Recommended:
T. Austin-Sparks - The Cross and
Higher Ground
https://bookministry1.s3.amazonaws.com/books/The+Cross+And+Higher+Ground.pdf
Ministry
of Eric Ludy: https://ellerslie.com/
Link
to today’s Audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/9-28-14+Sunday+Assembly.mp3
Link
to Discussion: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/9-28-14+Sunday+Assembly-discussion.mp3