Pastor Matt Clark
THE ASCENDED LIFE John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father: and to my God, and your God.” - One of the great keys to living this life in the higher realms of God, is the knowing that you have a man in you that came from that realm, and he is teaching you how to return and live in that realm. This is most definitely the testimony of the Apostle Paul who stated it him self in II Corinthians 12.
Glorious Liberty 2:37
THE SPIRIT. Here there are no unanswered questions, cloudy looking glasses, or unsolved mysteries. Here is ALL LIGHT and ALL TRUTH and everything hidden is there revealed. We must KNOW that man who has walked with God in eternity. The one who has things imparted to him that this NATURAL man h
Philippians 3:7-14, Ephesians 4:10
II Corinthians 12:1-5 “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I KNEW A MAN in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one CAUGHT UP to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory but in mine infirmities.”
Now we too must come to this knowledge that Paul had I KNEW A MAN. We must know this man that can ascend into the heavenly realms of God, for it is in this realm that FULL KNOWLEDGE IS IMPARTED TO as longed to know all of his life. That SPIRIT MAN has been there he KNOWS the plan of God. To live out of him is to live the ASCENDED LIFE.
- When John came into this life on the isle of Patmos, there was nothing pleasant to what the natural man went through. Dipped in a vat of boiling oil, they could not kill him, so they secluded him to the isle no man had ever survived from. But there in that place of death and suffering, the Isle of Patmos became the PARADISE OF GOD. He went now where in the natural, he went everywhere in the Supernatural. The vision is wrong to say that John’s catching away is the flying away of the church, for John NEVER WENT ANYWHERE OFF OF THE EARTH, that same spot that in the natural offered him death, and sickness, and disease, has now become the very throne of God. ALL BECAUSE HE KNEW THIS MAN!!!!
Remember, all of this took place while he was standing on the Isle of Patmos.
Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, COME UP HITHER, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (2) And IMMEDIATELY I WAS IN THE SPIRIT and behold a throne was set in heaven, and ONE sat on the throne.”
The key in this verse is most definitely I WAS IN THE SPIRIT, he found that place in God where the REAL TRUTH is and the words he heard COME UP were calling him into this ascended life. There is a contact we must seek to make on a constant basis, it is not with our natural man, nor with our carnal mind, but it is with that Holy Ghost man on the inside of us. “The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord searching the INWARD parts of the BELLY.”
I. MOUNTAIN OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
A.) This ascended ministry is not just for one man here or there, but it is the plan of God for the entire body of Christ. We MUST come into the fullness of ZION, we have to leave the carnal and ascend into God so that his full blessings can flow out of ZION.
B.) Micah 4:1-2 “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be ESTABLISHED IN THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us GO UP to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the world of the Lord form Jerusalem.”
The Mountain of the house of the Lord is the high place of God or the ZION of God which refers to God’s people who pursue and OBTAIN the HIGH CALLING. Mountains in the Bible speak of Kingdoms, Zion was the Mountain of the Lord, or the Hill of the Lord, where the Kings ruled. It is here the place of the tombs of kings as well (death to self) It was upon Mt. Zion that David brought back the ark of the covenant. This term Zion is used first of all collectively to represent the whole church, the church is the New Jerusalem, and a city which is set upon a hill, that hill is Zion.
C.) We are told by the word of God in Hebrews 12 that WE ARE COME TO MOUNT ZION, AND THE NEW JERUSALEM, as well as the general assembly of the first born church of the redeemed of God, the innumerable company of Angels, Spirits of just men made perfect, and the blood that speaketh better things than that of Abel, and to a Kingdom which cannot be moved. It is through this promise that God has determined to shake (Greek means to agitate, move, and stir) heaven and earth in the eh end of this age. Every thing that can be shaken or moved will be removed. God is not going to remove the righteous. He is already removing the wicked and will continue to do so until there is a Kingdom in this earth expressed through a GLORIOUS church which cannot be moved. As in the days of Noah, the wicked will be taken out, and the righteous shall remain to inherit the earth. Everything that is a product of man’s wisdom and strength is going to be exposed and removed. The shaking o the heavenly realm of Spirit will produce a shaking in the earthly realm. God will have a people that CANNOT be moved.
D.) To fully come into Zion and inherit the full knowledge of God we must enter the phases of revelation, or levels of Zion. Just as we know about the third dimension, 30,60,and100. The three feasts, and the third day, we know Paul ascended into the THIRD HEAVEN. Zion can be learned on THREE levels as well.
OPHEL - the word means bulge or hill. This speaks of the 30 fold. It is that which is lifted above the very low lands. It is a type of the Passover, and Calvary where the work begins. Here also was the Pool of Siloam, where we who have been born blind, can have our eyes washed and opened with the water of the word.
MORIAH - The word means JEHOVAH PROVIDED here we find that God is so willing to reconcile and restore us back to our lost heritage in him that he has become the sacrifice in our stead and made us one with him through the ministry of reconciliation. This is where Abraham saw the ram caught in the thickets. It is the place of death, burial and resurrection. The place of spiritual sacrifice.
ZION- the word means mountain of LIGHT and speaks of the 100 fold realm, which is where you live the ascended life.
II. DEGREES
A.) There are levels, dimensions, and degrees of God that we ascend into. We are never asked by the Spirit to remain in the same doctrine at all times. We are commanded to GO ON TO PERFECTON. This is done through the ascended life, to enter into Him and allow the Spirit to lift us up constantly changing us from glory unto glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
B.) In the book of Psalms we find a whole group that are titled the Song of Degrees. These are fifteen different chapters which are also called the song of steps, the Songs of going up, ascension Psalms, Gradual Psalms, and Pilgrim Psalms. All of these if read spiritually speak of our maturing in him and coming into the full revelation. Psalms 120 - 134
C.) When David established worship in the top of Zion the pilgrims from near and far traveled every year here for the feast celebration. As they approached and started up Zion they would sing these songs. Once they reached for a new level they sang a new song. Years later when Solomon built the temple atop of Mount Mariah, the term song of the steps was used. These songs rang out as the people ascended up to the temple. They were also used even in the New Testament whenever the Priest stood each on a step of the temple they uttered the SONG OF DEGREES. This word DEGREES - means levels of elevation, the act of journeying to a higher place, arising to a place or condition (when Paul uses the word air, in I Thessalonians 4, it is not “air” but “aer” meaning a condition or environment) of superiority, ascending up steps or stairs.
C.) Some of this truth is found as well in the Song of Solomon for we are told that during the brides seeking to know her beloved she is aware he is withdrawing from her. This is not to LEAVE her, but to LEAD her. (we need to be aware of this. Some of the time when you feel the Lord has left he has not, he is simply moving you out of your comfort zone and into new territory of himself.) He never totally disappears he reveals himself through the lattice, awakening her heart to seek after what he has for her. Finally she sees what he wants her to see:
Song of Solomon 2:14 “O my dove thou art in the clefts of the rock, in the SECRET OF THE STAIRS, let me see they countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. This is the Ascension, up these stairs, we truly find our beloved. Coming up level by level. There is not a true spirit filled person in this earth that have not seen these stairs. And furthermore we have ascended. First of all in all things I believe with all my hear WE HAVE ALREADY ASCENDED IN HIM! I mean by that we have been positioned IN HIM so where he is SO ARE WE. But I also know him to be the forerunner, and this means not only have we been positioned in this HIGH CALL we must experientially come into it until FAITH IS TURNED INTO SIGHT WITHIN THE VEIL. Having said that we look over our life from the time we were born again, and see we are not where we were then. We look at our walk with God, our holiness, sanctification, divine call, gift of the Holy Ghost and we know even through those things we are not the same. The only answer is WE HAVE ASCENDED. We have ARISEN in him. Our only danger in the Feast of Pentecost is things can become so powerful we tend to lose thought of anything being any better, which causes a spiritual rut. We must not fall into this rut. We must look up to the next step, the next level, the next dimension.
- It is here Paul’s words ring out FORGETTING that which is behind and REACHING to that which is ahead. The ascended life is to never stop, never cease, never give up. Reach, Press, push on there is HIGHER GROUND AHEAD!!!!
III. WALKING IN THIS LIFE
A.) It is very clear from all of this that the ascended life is our walk with God. The full meaning of the word ascend is literally to walk up. This implies the way for this life to flow to us is already made, it is completed, and ready. All we need do is walk INTO it. It is better said TO WALK INTO HIM!!!
When Paul says “In him I live and move and have my being” it should be evident that HE IS OUR LIFE. “When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we appear also with him in glory.” (personal appearance.) For that to be said, everything I do spiritually I do in him.
B.) I live in him, and I walk in him, therefore I am caught up INTO HIM. The Bible makes many suggestions to our walk in him even from the beginning.
- Adam walked with God in the cool of the Day
- Enoch the seventh from Adam walked with God till he was not.
- Paul says in I Corinthians that when we are carnal we walk as men. (natural)
- But we are told by Jesus himself that he walked in heaven while in earth.
- Walk in the Spirit and you’ll not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
C.) It is foolish to believe that walking and progression are not one and the same. To walk in him is to progress in our knowledge of him. It is the ascended life. We walk into the perfection we’ve been called to.
James 1:17 “Every good and every PERFECT gift is FROM ABOVE and COMETH DOWN from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 3:17 “But the wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and east to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (7 pillars of Proverbs 9:1) Understand this to mean that once a person is living in this higher life the very WISDOM OF GOD FLOWS FROM HIM. He is above this carnal realm of thinking, thus he has tapped into to that which flows down from above, and it will flow out to mankind. This is the ANSWER. The true remedy for the healing of the body of Christ, is for us to quit seeking someone with the answer and let HIS answers flow through us. Reconquering our stolen identity will cause us to function in this FROM ABOVE!!!!!!!!!!!
IV. GOD’S WILL FOR MAN
A.) Never has it been, nor will it ever be God’s desire, to live in one realm and his people in the other. The whole truth of this matter is the fact that he has positionally placed us IN HIM. We are destined to enter his seventh day. We like Moses have stood beholding the Glory for the first six days in the mountain of the Lord. But it is in the seventh day God calls us yet UP another level and says come up into the cloud.
Psalm 24:3 “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully.”
Remember this man on the inside of you knows how to ascend. He came from that world and lives in that world. You have got to find him. hold him. live in him. Be lifted up!!!!! Go higher & higher. No more limits!!!!
