01/21/19 WE ARE TRAVELERS

01/21/19 WE ARE TRAVELERS

I asked the congregation (mostly our children and youth) to name the various terrains they would encounter if they traveled from Cedar Island, North Carolina to Long Beach, California.

They told me:
Bodies of Water (oceans, rivers, lakes).
Mountains (Allegheny, Appalachian, Blue Ridge, Great Smokey, Arizona Mountains, Rocky Mountains) and Mountain Peaks (Mount Mitchell, Mount Whitney), and Canyons (Big Bend, Grand Canyon).
Forests (Pisgah National Forest, Redwood Forest, Arizona Forests).
Plains (Great Plains).
Desert (Mojave Desert).
Valleys (Death Valley).

I then pointed out that we find these same kinds of terrain in the Bible. I also pointed out that these terrains represent various difficulties and obstacles we face in our Christian experience.

Here are several different mountains of importance in the Bible. I tell the names and the significant events associated with those mountains, and how we as Christians have moments or periods in our spiritual growth and journey. This list is more extensive than what I shared in service.

This is not intended as a blueprint or schedule of events in the Christian life. While each of these scenarios are part of the Christian life, they are not independent of one another. In fact, some of these events part of a common event taking place at the same time.

Though the Bible Mountains in this article have some connection to the principles I am addressing, either by name or history, this is primarily an arbitrary literary device that will help us grasp the message. Hopefully this articles will challenge us to move upward and onward in our faith, while learning Biblical facts at the same time. Remember, mountains stand between a traveler and his destination and mountains require great stamina and determination to overcome, but mountains also take us to higher heights.

#1 Mount Sinai: Mount of Conviction.
Biblical account when God gave the Ten Commandments, the Law to Moses and Israel.
We all come to a time when we are confronted with the moral laws of God and find ourselves as law breakers, in need of salvation.

#2 Mount Calvary: Mount of Conversion.
Biblical account of Jesus death on the cross for the sins of the world.
In order to be saved, we must all come to a point that we surrender and commit ourselves to the call of God.

#3 Mount Tabor: Mount of Confession.
Biblical account of Peter Confesseing that Jesus was the Christ.
Believers must be convinced by the Father that Jesus the promised Messiah and we must confess Him as our Savior.

#4 Mount Horeb: (related to Sinai): Mount of Commitment.
Biblical account when Moses encountered and committed himself to God at the burning bush.
Believers must decide they are going to be committed to the will of God.

#5 Mount Hermon: Mount of Confirmation (Transfiguration).
Biblical account of Peter, James and John witnessing the Transfiguration of Christ.
Believers need to see Jesus High and Lifted up and to see Jesus in His Glory and Transcendence. Jesus is more than a great man, great teacher, miracle worker, reformer. He is God with us.

#6 Mounts Gerizim and Ebal: Mounts of Cursing and Blessing.
Biblical account of Moses presenting Israel with the option of either Blessing or Cursing, after entering the Promised Land.
Christians need to understand that following Christ is a life of choices to either receive the Blessing of God or incur the Curse of God. We are not saved by our good works, but if we are saved we will demonstrate it by our good works. Salvation is salvation from sin. If we are saved, we are walking in the way of blessing, not in the way of sin and judgment.

#7 Mount of "Beatitudes": Mount of Christian Living.
Biblical record of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I call the sermon the State of the Kingdom Address.
Christians need to know the standards God has set before His children, His subjects, so that we might live by the higher standard of Grace than the standard of law.

#8 Mount Moriah: Mount of Consecration.
Biblical account of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac.
Believers are expected by God, to trust God with our all and surrender everything to God's will.

#9 Mount Carmel: Mount of Confrontation.
Biblical account of Elijah contesting the pagan priests, to see whose God could and would answer prayer.
Believers are expected to trust God without limit, in all situations. Our faith in God will be tested and put on display constantly.

#10 High Mount: Mount of Conflict.
Biblical account of Jesus going into the high mountain and being offered the kingdoms of the world by Satan.
Christians go through times, seasons of extreme trial, but like Jesus, we can defeat the enemy with faith and God's word.

#11 Mount Lebanon: Mount of Construction.
Biblical location where the lumber for the rebuilding of the Temple came.
Christians are part of the building of God and we are co-workers in the building of the Church of God. We are involved in raising the Gates of Praise and the Walls of Salvation.

#12 Mount Ararat: Mount of Clean Start (New Beginnings).
Biblical location of Noah's Ark and the family who had been rescued from the world wide flood, to start a new human society.
Christians sometimes fall away and they need a clean start, a new beginning.

#13 Mount Zion: Mount of Community.
Biblically it is associated with the City and People of God. In the Old Testament it was The City of David, Jerusalem and even Israel. In the New Testament it is associated with the Church or Kingdom of God or the gathered believers in heaven. During the Church age, it has been used metaphorically as the Church on earth i.e. the song, The Old Ship of Zion.
Believers should see themselves as a part of the city, kingdom, nation, people of God, headed for an eternal fellowship of God's people.

#14 Mount Olivet: Mount of Christ Coming in Glory.
Biblical location where Jesus taught the disciples about His Second Coming and it will be the place Jesus actually returns.
Christians must keep the blessed hope before them and be ready to meet the Lord in either death or the rapture, at any time.

#15 Mount Nebo: Mount of Coming Rest.
Biblical location where Moses looked into the Promised Land.
Christians should be leaving their past behind them and moving toward the next step in their journey with Christ, new believers in Christ should be anticipating the life of holiness in the Promised Land of Entire Sanctification, and we should be looking beyond the horizon of this world into the eternal day with Christ.

#16 Mount "Hebron": Mount of Caleb.
Biblical record of Caleb, in his old age, still wanting to take a mountain being held by the enemy.
Christians should never get tired of taking new territory for Jesus.