TD Jakes - Zion Is Calling Me
This is why whenever you get down, whenever you get depressed, whenever you get in trouble, the first thing the enemy wants you to do is shut up. Don't talk, don't tell anybody, don't scream, don't make no noise, stay quiet, because the devil knows that the power of life is your mouth. You shall have whatever you say. Slap your neighbor, and touch 'em, and say, "Say something". Don't sit there and let the enemy have all of your stuff, say something. Don't let him destroy your mind, say something. Don't let him destroy your finances, say something. Don't let him destroy your child, say something. Don't let him take away your body, say something. I want you to understand that praise is a command.
See, I came from a very conservative background. I was raised by a very conservative woman. You can't tell, but my other was very conservative, very conservative. Prided herself on being very conservative. Her whole entire side of the family were unemotional. If we got emotional, my mother would slap you and tell you to get yourself together. Don't nobody care if you cry, shut up. Stand up, take it, be tough. So, when I came around you sanctified people, it was a struggle, because I thought you were jumping and hollering because you were emotional. And then, I thought maybe it was denominational. And then, there are those who think it's cultural. No, it's obedience.
Praise is a command, it's not a question. God didn't say feel like praising me, he didn't say get chill bumps and praise me, he said, "Let everything that has breath praise ye". Praise him with your Baptist self. Praise him with your Catholic self. Praise him with your Pentecostal self. Praise him with your Presbyterian self. If God gave you breath, give it back. You understand that when you open your mouth, not only are you giving sound, you're giving wind. You're giving breath, glory to God.
The symbol of the Holy Spirit is wind, what Job calls deep calling unto deep. Because you blew at me, God, I blow back at you. If you blow at me, I'll blow back at you. And God breathed into him the breath of life, and he's been blowing back ever since. Make a sound. Something in this place is about to shatter. I felt it ever since the first song was sung. We're on the verge of something. Touch your neighbor and tell 'em, "Zion is calling me". I don't normally jump up like this, but Zion is calling me. I don't normally holler in church, but Zion is calling me. I don't know why I'm crying, but Zion is calling me. It's not my nature, but Zion is calling me. I knew something was missing out of my life, it I didn't know it was God. Zion is calling me.
Sit down, let me teach some more. I'm doing good, yeah, yeah. David's tabernacle... see, what I want you to see is that Moses's tabernacle is still on Mount Gibia when David puts his tabernacle on Mount Zion, and they're both coexisting at the same time. The former and the latter are coexisting at the same time. Ain't that always the way? That which was is still there while that which is, is standing in your face. You would think that God would knock this down, but change takes time. You can't wait 'til the former is gone to activate the latter. You have to build the latter in the face of the former. Y'all don't hear what I'm saying. Somebody's in the middle of a transition, and you're waiting on the former to be gone before you move into the latter, but God said right in the face of that which was, it's time to step into that which is. Do you hear what I'm saying?
Oh, my God, I'm talking to somebody. Who am I talking to this morning? This pattern, watch this, of the former and the later coexisting at the same time, has been with David all his life. He has always progressed in the face of that which was. Bear in mind, God anointed him to be king while Saul was still sitting on the throne. So, the anointing was over here, and the appointing was over there. Saul had the position, but David had the presence. So, what you see in David's life, you now see in the picture, the duality of circumstances. It is the best of times and the worst of times all at the same time. You have to choose where you're gonna pull your energy. You pull your energy toward where you're going, not drag it back into where you've already been. I'm helping somebody. This is good for somebody.
So, the Bible says David was 30 when he was made king. And so, he was a young man, and young people tend to be radical. Where are my young people at? Make some noise. God uses your youth for transformation, because you're radical. Because you don't care about rules. Sometimes you don't know the rules no way. Touch somebody and say, "You're gonna be a rule-breaker". Nobody else in my family went to college, but. Nobody in my family ever owned their house, but. Nobody in my family ever owned their own business, but. Where are my rule-breakers? Where are my rule-breakers? Make some noise if you're a rule-breaker. Make a joyful noise. The noise that you made can be measured in decibels. The noise that you just made can be measured in decibels. The decibels determine the frequency. The frequency, you need to get a new frequency. David's tabernacle is a new frequency.
I'm gonna give you some heavy stuff. Sit with me just a minute. I'm gonna give you some heavy stuff, and I'm gonna give it one time, but it's gonna last forever. I'm gonna teach you this one time, but it's gonna be true when I'm dead. If you live in Europe, it's gonna be true in Europe. If you live in Africa, it's gonna be true in Africa. If you came here from Australia, it's gonna be true in Australia. God is putting you on a new frequency. There is a frequency in the spirit that few people ever touch. Jamel, I was gonna go to Exodus first, but I'm gonna go to Hebrews 12 instead. Go to Hebrews 12, I'm gonna go right to it. Hebrews, the Book of Hebrews is called Hebrews. The theme of the book is the book of better things. The writer of the Book of Hebrews is now trying to show the Jews that what is is better than what was. Somebody say, "Better".
So, if I want better in my life, I'm reading Hebrews, because it is the book of better things. Whoever wrote it, some people say it was Paul, I don't think so, I think it was Apollos, we don't know, I wasn't there, but it just don't sound like Paul to me. Anyway, "You have not come to a mountain that cab be touched and that is burning with fire to darkness, gloom and storm. To a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them". Oh, wait a minute, what is he talking about? He is talking about Sinai.
You remember when Moses came to Sinai with the children of Israel at the bottom of the mountain, and they wanted to hear God speak? But when God started coming around the mountain, the people said, "No, we'll hear Moses and not God". And they couldn't touch the mountain, because the mountain was on fire, and God said, "Don't let the animals come near it". That's the law, that's the Old Testament, that's where the plans of Moses's tabernacle were given, from that place. But the writer of Hebrews says you have not come to a mountain that burns with smoke, that cannot be touched, because they could not bear what was commanded. Even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death. That's what was, but that's not what is. Come on with me, give it to me. "The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, 'I am trembling with fear.'"
That's what was, that's not what is. God doesn't want you to be trembling with fear, God wants you to be moving in faith. So, the writer says take it... go back to the top again. Go back to the top and come down again, because I wanna get, "You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire to darkness, gloom and storm". That's not where you're coming. You haven't come to a trumpet blast, or, "To such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them". "No, we'll hear from Moses," because they could not bear what was commanded. Even their animals touching the mountain, if an animal touched the mountain, they were stoned to death, come on. The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear".
Touch your neighbor and say, "But that's not what we've come to". No, "But you have come to Mount Zion". "Zion is calling me to a higher place of praise". You have come to Mount Zion. The problem is, we sing things that we don't understand, and we say things that we don't understand. Now, buckle your seat belts, 'cause I'm getting ready to take you somewhere. "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God". It means that when you praise God on this frequency, you are coming into a realm that is not of this world.
Oh, I'm gonna prove it to you. I know you think you're in your kitchen. I know it looks like you're in your kitchen, but if you praise him deeply, and get on the right frequency, don't believe your sink, and your washing machine, and your oven over in the corner, 'cause when you really praise God, you are not in your kitchen anymore, you have come to Mount Zion. Now, you have to be a real worshiper to understand this feeling. There is a place in the spirit that even though you know you're in the house by yourself, you don't feel alone anymore. Where are my real worshipers at? You have stepped into another frequency. You have come to Mount Zion. Touch somebody and tell 'em, "I've come to Mount Zion". "To the city of the living God".
I have tied into the heavenly Jerusalem. I know my ZIP code is in Dallas, but I'm really not in Dallas. When I praise him, I come into the heavenly Jerusalem. That's why, when you are sick, and you start praising God, the sickness has to leave. Because there is no sickness in Zion. So, you were depressed when you started praising him, but when you really got into the praise, depression got stopped at the gate. Look at your neighbor and say, "I'm coming into something". Addictions cannot go, depression cannot go, defeatism cannot go, fear cannot go, that's why I love to praise him. Sometimes the devil is chasing me, but if I can make it to the gate...
Touch your neighbor and say, "If you keep praising him, you're gonna step into something. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. When you start praising God, you get energy that you didn't have. You get peace that you can't explain. You get power that boggles your mind. Who am I talking to? I dare you to praise him. I know your friends are looking at you funny, and they've been telling you that you're changing, and they're right. Stop denying it. Tell 'em, "You're right, I changed. I came into something. I moved to another city. I changed my frequency. I stepped to a higher power".
Sometimes on you job, when all hell is breaking loose, instead of taking a coffee break, go somewhere and take a praise break. And when praises go up, blessings, blessings, blessings, blessings, blessings, blessings come down. Tell your neighbor, "I'm about to step into something". I feel the glory of the Lord about to take over this place. I feel the power of God. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Zion is calling me to a higher place. Zion is calling me to a higher place, Zion, Zion.
Come on, give me some more of this Word. Put my text up there. "You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels". Angels in your kitchen, angels sitting on your dishwasher, angels sitting on your oven, angels sitting on the roof of your house. When you praise God right, the angels start sitting on your rooftop, saying, "Holy, holy, holy. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts". Somebody take a moment and give God a praise.
Slap your neighbor and tell 'em, "I just stepped into something". I stepped into another level. I stepped into another frequency. I stepped into another realm. I stepped into another power, shout yes! I'm gonna go on in a minute, but touch ten people and just say, "Zion". Zion, Zion, Zion, Zion, Zion in your house, Zion in your finances, Zion in your body, Zion in your emotions, Zion in your mind. You can brag a little bit. Look at somebody and say, "I got thousands of angels". I got thousands of angels. I got angels all around me. I got angels sitting on my car. I got one sitting on the hood, I got one sitting on the trunk. I got angels in my house. I got angles over my children. I got angels over my body. If you see the devil, warn the devil, "Leave me alone, the angels of the Lord encamp roundabout me, and no weapon formed against me..."