Give Me This Mountain

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Dear Ones, As you see by the date, this again from the archives. I prayed, Lord which one?  Thinking I should find one on celebrating the 4th - Independence!  God said, "This one, my child."  People need to be strengthened in faith.  Remind then I AM a mountain moving, earth shaking, ever-loving GOD! 

D

"And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to the mountain 'be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen". (Matt. 21:21).

Hey Gang:  Did you ever read something and then have it rattle around in your head?  I have often read the Scripture verse for today and wondered if Jesus was talking in the literal sense.  One of my very favorite places on this earth is the Teton Mountains.  There are no words that can describe the awesomeness of the Grand Teton Mountain.  And, as I think of standing at the foot of that awesome sight, there is no way I can visualize my having enough faith to say, "mountain be gone into the sea!"   

So I began to do some research to find a profound story that would certainly qualify as a ‘moving a mountain experience’.  I believed the parting of the sea, Jonah's ride in the whale, Elijah's confrontation and victory over the prophets of Baal could be classified as "mountain moving experiences".  But the one that kind of caught my eye was a story of Caleb, found in Joshua 14:12.   Perhaps because Caleb was 85 years old when he requested that Joshua award him a mountain, and I am starting up that eighty decade.

He was probably the oldest of the surviving wondering nomads of the Wilderness of Zin,  yet his faith and courage in a great God was vibrant and alive.  In fact, so great was his faith, that he asked Joshua to give him the cities of the mountains - the great and fenced (walled cities) where the enemies lived. He was willing to lay down his life for his fellow travelers - to be the first one to step out into the unknown future to face the enemy head on.  Truly, it was a mountain moving experience when he said, "If so the Lord be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said." (14:12c).

As I read this verse, and then reread it again and again, the Lord seemed to be saying to me "Hey, hillbilly, when will the people who have been called by My name step forward and say, "If so the Lord be with me, then  I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said".  There is no question that the most depressing part of my day is listening to the evening news (which I do less and less frequently).  My question is, "Where is the church? Where are God's warriors who cry out, "If so the Lord be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out"?

 Is there any doubt in your mind that Satan is in his al-out-attack mode and making inroads into the church by convincing us the practice of self-denial and submission is outdated and no  longer needed?  To that I ask, "Is our Lord God still not greater in His children than he that is in the world? We need to say, "be gone evil one!."

Soooo, my young friends ,yes, the dark clouds are gathering but, we serve a mighty-awesome God who developed His plan for His creation even before time began.  And this we know, He will never leave His children or forsake them.  Are you excited this morning?  If not, let me share a fabulous piece of news - one of these days, and I believe soon, "Heaven is going to open and a white horse will appear and He who sits on it will be called Faithful and True:...And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS".

Blessings,

Gramps