The mountain of the Lord refers to the culture of the kingdom of God on Earth. We refer to mountains of influence within a culture. The mountain of the Lord is the kingdom culture. The mountain of the Lord is not “one of the mountains.” It is the mountain. The influence of kingdom culture dominates the existing culture.
That does not mean that everyone is born again and attending Sunday School. That means the existing culture responds to God’s principles, processes, and protocols. “He reigns in the midst of His enemies.”
That does not mean all the rulers, principalities, and cosmic dominator move to the moon. It means that Jesus has a greater claim to the people and place than any other spiritual influence.
It does not mean that every person reaches sinless perfection. It does not mean that no one ever sins. It does not mean every baby is born perfect. That does not mean all the churches finally have an annual event that everyone attends and promotes.
That does not mean that no one has an abortion. That does not mean no one commits adultery. That does not mean the absence of theft, racism, poverty, or fraud occurs. That means that the dominant principles of the culture answer to the Bible. That means we can see this level of influence in some measurable way.
The mountain of the Lord is a culture. The culture speaks to “the habits of the heart.” The people in a place share predominate habits of the heart. This an identifiable culture. People in the place who do not share those habits of the heart are a subculture.
Jesus sends His representatives into the Earth to establish His claim to the people of the place. He begins with a Remnant. He wants it all. The representatives of His kingdom share the habits of God’s heart. They are a challenge and offense to the existing culture. They expand influence by spiritual dynamics, not military or political might. The principles, processes, and protocols of kingdom culture gain influence.
The Remnant rises like a mountain with the land. As the cultural impact increases, greater dominion in the spirit alters the atmosphere. The existing culture embraces more and more of God’s heart. The Remnant expresses God’s heart in kingdom culture.
Discipling Cultures
“Training them to obey all I have commanded you” is the third plank of the kingdom platform. It is the application of the commission to disciple cultures. Once individuals shift allegiance by death to the old lifestyle, they establish a new lifestyle. That is the individual lifestyle. “Immerse them in the Name and Authority of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The individual lifestyle shift brings people into the spiritual kingdom.
The combined lifestyles of born of the Spirit believers is the kingdom culture. What is lifestyle and behavior to the individual is culture to the whole kingdom.
This is the mountain of the Lord. Kingdom culture is the corporate lifestyle Jesus commanded His representatives. Kingdom culture is the Didache of apostolic order. Kingdom culture is the culture of the Remnant. Increasing the influence of that culture is the work of the Ecclesia.
Getting people into the kingdom by announcing the entry points is one essential. Discipling citizens within the kingdom to live the culture is another essential. Preparing and positioning individuals within the culture is something else. It is no less essential.
The mountain of the Lord is a spiritual eco-system. Culture is the systematic principles, processes, and protocols of that spiritual system.
We understand one aspect of this eco-system in the metaphor of a building. We understand another aspect of this eco-system the metaphor of the human body. We understand another spiritual aspect of this eco-system in the metaphor of bride. These are metaphors.
Kingdom is not a metaphor. Kingdom is real. Within kingdom, the culture operates in an Ecclesia. It is a system-wide assembly of those prepared to make decisions and solve problems. Those participating understand the relationships, roles, and responsibilities of their positions. They know the points of connection in which they function to receive and release. They know the alignment of their individual assignments within internal systems. They know the effect of their operational integrity through those systems.
So, discipling is a process. The influence of kingdom culture changes existing cultures. Discipling is also training kingdom citizens for lifestyles consistent within kingdom culture. Discipling is a leadership function. Discipling produces leaders who make leaders. Leaders is influence. Improving kingdom leaders improves kingdom leadership. Kingdom culture gains influence through the development of mature individuals.
Without discipling, citizens remain sheep. They need someone to lead them to food and water. They cannot feed themselves. They need someone to protect them from danger. They cannot protect themselves. They need someone to identify infiltrating wolves. They cannot discern wolves from sheep.
Sheep is a behavior. Shepherds care for sheep until discipling matures them. In reality, the last people we want in an Ecclesia are sheep. They are too immature to take part. They continue to crowd the feeding stations and watering holes. They cannot make kingdom judgments. They cannot solve kingdom problems. They are as likely to link arms with wolves as they are to connect with assignments. They are babies. They are children blown about by whatever influence stands in front of them. They have no influence on the existing culture. They are dependents.
While shepherds are necessary during this stage of growth and necessary for those incapable of growth, shepherds disciple sheep out of their sheep behavior. That is why shepherds and training teachers work together.
The Mountain of the Lord
No one can measure the influence of the mountain of the Lord by any natural plumb line. We measure the influence of the kingdom can by a spiritual plumb line. We can attempt to measure by staring at the existing culture. We miss the most important dynamics of transformation if we do.
We then err on the side of natural world parameters and markers. We begin to think numbers, money, political sway, and earthly wisdom represent influence. We are wrong to make that assumption. We fall into it because we use a natural plumb line.
We can never accurately measure influence by natural means. We cannot look at natural conditions to understand spiritual dynamics. We discern kingdom influence. We look at spiritual conditions to determine “what next?”
God is doing something incredible in America, for example. The next steps for kingdom influence must respond to God, not natural improvements. The natural improvements set the stage for increased kingdom influence. They can never cause an increase in kingdom influence.
The mountain of the Lord begins with kingdom culture. The culture includes worship, intercession, leadership, personal and corporate assignment, alignment, and authority. The culture carries relational design and dynamics. The kingdom culture defines and designs its Ecclesia.
While the kingdom is universal, the Ecclesia is regional. While the kingdom is universal, the focus of leadership is regional. While the kingdom is universal, individual saints surrender to kingdom agendas.
Each has assignment that points to alignment. Each has the authority of assignment that submits to alignment. Each has assignment and alignment to produce agreement.
Leaders prepared and positioned saints. Authorization flows through this spiritual matrix by revelation. In this way, Jesus becomes more involved with His kingdom Ecclesia in ruling His domain.
The blueprints of this eco-system come from the Head, Chief Capstone, and Groom. Leaders receive blueprints to prepare and position. Positioned people posture themselves to produce purpose.
The orderly fashion in which a kingdom culture operates wins the existing culture’s attention. Influence increases as the Ecclesia of the kingdom makes decisions and solves problems. The influence of Jesus increases through His representatives.
