Give me this mountain


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Give me this mountain

A MESSAGE TO THE ENGLISH SERVICE

2ND ECWA CHURCH, ILORIN

DATE: 14 August, 2005

TOPIC: "GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN" JOSHUA 14 1:14

Caleb, in the passage we read this morning, asked Joshua in verse 12, “Give me this mountain.”

After many battles and struggles the children of Israel had taken Canaan and now ready to divide the land up as inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel.

It was Joshua and Caleb who encouraged Moses and the elders to march on, and to enter and take the land, even when the place, from the spying they did, will require a formidable effort to capture and subdue.

Caleb and Joshua believed that with faith in God. they could take the land because God had promised it to Israel. And so it turned out to be.

Let Us use the following points for sharing the message this morning.

(a) What is a mountain?

(b) Why do human beings want or like mountains?

(3) Why did Caleb ask for the mount Hebron as part of his possession?

(4) Are you ready to take your mountain?

A mountain is a high ground above surrounding level grounds. A mountain is usually rocky and difficult to use for farming and even for buildings. But some mountains are rich in minerals or timber and aesthetic values.

Human beings throughout history like mountains because they are usually protective. They usually have very refreshing climate, airy and give fresh and clear view of the surrounding lands.

Generally, mountains give challenges because they are different from the surrounding lands. It is for this reasons that people who live on mountains are hardy and tough and adaptable wherever they go..

Throughout the scriptures mountains are often referred to as places of refuge, and righteousness. The Psalmist said in Psalm 36:6. “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains…”

Taking a mountain is to face our challenges in Christian life.

There are many challenges facing Christians, for example:-

The Challenges:

  • of faithfulness,
  • of obedience,
  • of love,
  • of growing in Christian maturity,
  • of courage in living a Christian life in the present age.

I have some mountaineering friends overseas and they told me that there is tremendous joy in climbing mountains. They first start with small mountains and later go for bigger mountains. They usually prepare very seriously for a climb because a fall can be fatal. They equip themselves with tools and gadgets that will help them to secure each step they take. They take along first aid medicine in case of minor injuries. No wonder, they feel joyful when they succeed.

The preparation to overcome challenges in Christian life is similar to those of mountaineering but more profound. In Christian life, taking your mountain and overcoming it gives PEACE, PERFECT PEACE and not just joy.

I do not think that Caleb is just a man who is looking for mountains to climb. The Bible tells us that he was a man who has faith and not afraid of difficulties and challenges as demonstrated in his spy mission into the land of Canaan.

(a) He had peace in his heart.

(b) He was still strong enough at 85 to go to war if called,.

(c) He did not select the plush plains of land. Instead he said to Joshua, “GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN.”

(d) He was ready to take the rugged and hardy Mount Hebron as his inheritance.

(e) He was not afraid that the dreaded Anakims giants lived there.

(f) To him those giants were just another challenge and he was ready to deal with them.

APOSTLE PAUL took his own mountains as we can see in the gospels he wrote and particularly in -- Acts 21:8-14. In all of Paul’s missionary journeys he faced many risks and challenges including ship wrecks. In one of those journeys that took him to Syria, Tyre and Caesarea, a prophet warned him not to go back to Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit had told the prophet that Paul would be captured by the Jews and tied hands and feet and handed to the gentiles. Paul’s answer in verse 13 is instructive. He said he was prepared to die for Christ if need be!

There are many others in the Bible who took their own mountains.

DAVID was one when he faced the giant Goliath.

NOAH was another when at God’s command he built an Ark which was used to save many animal species that would have perished in the great flood.

Far away in Europe and the United States of America in 1893, some Christians were concerned about the Sudan which at that time remained the darkest part of the world. How could the Sudan be penetrated by the Gospel? The challenges of the Sudan were lack of education, lack of healthcare and inhospitable environment of disease and squalor. This was called the BURDEN OF THE SUDAN.

           A Christian woman (Mrs Gowon) was continually in prayer for God to open up the Sudan. When her young son, Walter Gowon with Thomas Kent and Rowland Bingham, under the Sudan Interior Mission, volunteered to go to the Sudan, it was God’s answer to the prayers of Mrs Gowon and many others who had been praying on the problem of the Sudan for many years. Gowon and Kent died in this first attempt to open up the Sudan to the gospel. Subsequent attempts succeeded to some degree. But gradually under a series of other volunteer attempts, the Sudan was opened up. If Bingham, Gowon and Kent did not take up the Mountain the Sudan might have remained closed to the gospel and indeed to education and modern science up to this day.

When Mrs Gowon was told about the death of her son from malaria and that he was buried in a corn field near Zaria, she said that she would had preferred it that way rather for his son to remain at home! Today, we are living witnesses to the opening up of the Sudan with the Gospel, education and healthcare. That is the joy of taking the Sudan’s Mountain or challenge. Continue in next column >>>

THE 2ND ECWA church in which, by the grace of God, we are worshipping today, took her mountains when for more than twelve years she battled the forces of darkness that were bent in dispossessing us of our land.  I recollect vividly that one day, as we were about to start the elders meeting in the main auditorium of the Church, the loud speaker of the mosque built on the adjacent land was beamed directly to disturb us with the Moslem call to prayer – Alhawakubar. We felt sad and helpless. But we intensified our prayers and when the Lord’s help came, it was like a miracle. At the end of it all, God gave us the victory AND THE PEACE we want - the peace to do whatever we like on our land without interference.

Many of us here this morning have taken or are still taking their mountains.

What about you? Are you ready this morning to take your own mountain? What about our youths?

The mountains facing Christian youths in our nation today are enormous:

(a) Cultism is one.

(b) Drugs is another.

(c) Sexual promiscuity.

(d) Marital unfaithfulness.

(e) HIV/AIDS.

(f) Get rich  quick syndrome, and so forth.

Someone said that our youths are a reflection of our society. I agree, but Christian youths should be different. When we take our mountains and overcome, we will gain a profound peace that only Christ can give.

There is a story on Perfect Peace by David Langerfeld, published in the Encourager of June 8, 2005. The story is instructive and relevant.

It is a story of the king who ordered a painting of a picture to depict PEACE. The King offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace.  Many artists tried.  The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them. There was no 2nd or 3rd price because peace cannot be judged that way. Just one price! 

One picture was of a calm lake.  The lake was a perfect mirror of peace. The lake in the picture was surrounded by towering mountains.  Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.  The sun was shining brightly and its reflection on the waters of the lake created a more beautiful scenario. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace. 

The other picture had mountains too.  But these were rugged and bare.  Above was an angry dark sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played.  Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall which drained into the lake.  The scenario did not look peaceful at all. 

But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock of the mountain.  In the bush a mother bird had built her nest.  There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest in peace. 

Which picture do you think won the prize?  The King chose the second picture.  Do you know why?  "Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.  Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart.  That is the real meaning of peace."

Your Mountain may be rough and rugged, but when you overcome it you will gain peace, perfect peace. That is what Philippians 4:6-7 told us. “Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

One other example of the sort of Perfect Peace that Christians can gain is illustrated in the life of the composer of the hymn we chose for today’s service-- SSS 901 “When Peace like a River attended my Way.”

The Song was written by Mr Haratio Spafford, an American Christian business man, in 1873. He planned to go to Europe on holidays with his family – wife and four children aged 2 – 11 in that year. Because of sudden business demands he was unable to go with them when the ship was due to sail. He therefore asked his wife and the children to go ahead and he would join them later.

A few days after the ship sailed from New York, news came to him that the ship his family was sailing in to Europe collided with another ship on the high seas and sank. (Navigational aids at sea were very poor in those days).

The other ship that survived the collision was able to rescue some passengers from the sinking ship, including Mrs Spafford, but her four children were lost - drowned.

So Mr Spafford decided immediately to join his wife on the ship on the high sea. When he arrived on the ship the Captain took him to the bridge and pointed to the place where the tragedy occurred. Then Mr Spafford went to the cabin to join his wife. Just imagine the sorrow both of them were in. Here was a man who said goodbye to his wife and four children about a week ago and now the children were no more!

After awhile, Mr Spafford went to the writing desk in the cabin, pulled out some sheets and with a very heavy heart sat down and wrote the poem that begins with – “WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER…”

The poem gave expression to the PEACE in his heart in the midst of his sorrow. And today the hymn gives hope and courage to many in the Christian world at all times.

Many have tried to find out more about this man Mr Spafford. All they could find was that he was a very successful businessman with courage. Just as you need courage to do business as a Christian, so also do you need courage to take your mountains in Christian living. Christian living does not permit us to be two different personalities - One for business, profession or academics and another for the church. In fact, this dual personality style of living is one of the problems of our world today.

Christian sisters and brothers let us be up and doing to take our MOUNTAINS in whatever God gives us to do. In so doing we shall have in Christ Jesus the peace of God, which passes all understanding.

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