Sometimes It Takes a Mountain

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Sometimes It Takes a Mountain

By Gloria Gaither and Mark Mathes

“Sometimes it takes a mountain

Sometimes a troubled sea

Sometimes it takes a desert

To get a hold of me

Your Love is so much stronger

Then whatever troubles me

Sometimes it takes a mountain

To trust you and believe.”

This song has captivated my heart. It resonates in my spirit even in my sleep. It has caused me to meditate on the mountains, the troubled seas and the deserts of life.

In scripture, mountains often represent difficulties and hardships that must be overcome.

Jesus assures us, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:22-24.)

Holding onto the promises of God, we discover that those mountains of obstruction in our lives can be removed, most often one layer at a time.

However, the mountain image is not one-sided. We often describe those victory moments in our lives as “mountain top” experiences. Remember the ark rested on Mt. Ararat. Abraham offered Isaac on Mount Moriah and received the provision of God for salvation. Later, Solomon built the Temple on that sight. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Elijah called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel. Golgotha gave us the ultimate mountain top experience when Jesus cried, “It is finished” and died to pay the price for our sin.

Whether the mountain offers obstruction or deliverance, a mountain top experience opens us to the revelation of God. God gets a hold of us on the mountain.

On the troubled seas of life, we can either be like Jonah or like the Apostle Paul. Jonah tried to escape the Lord on the tumultuous sea. Jonah asked to be thrown overboard in the storm and found himself in an unlikely and uncomfortable place of protection. God got a hold of him in the belly of the great fish.

God got a hold of Paul on the road to Damascus. Later, when the tempest arose, Paul prayed and fasted during the storm and received the assurance that though the ship would be lost, all the lives on board would be saved. When the stormy sea arose, Paul prayed because he knew his Lord.

God's love surrounds us even in the most turbulent times.

Then we come to the desert times when we feel empty, deserted and spiritually lethargic. During those times, we must remember the Israelites in the wilderness. God found his people in that desert: "He found them in a wilderness, a wasteland of howling desert. He shielded them, cared for them, guarded them as the apple of his eye" (Deuteronomy 32:10)

When the people of Judah were exiled in Babylon, God told them to return to their homeland. The desert wilderness that lay between them and Jerusalem became a pathway back to God: "A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!" (Isaiah 40:3.)

We are not deserted in the desert.

What we must learn in difficult times is that His love is stronger than anything that might trouble us. It is in those seemingly impossible situations that we learn to trust and believe. Sometimes it takes a mountain for us to accept that.

 

Haggai’s Message for Today

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The biblical prophecies all have a message for their time and for all times. God’s message for Israel through Haggai is a relevant for our time as it was for ancient Israel.

The Lord spoke to the prophet Haggai after the Jews had returned from their exile in Persia. The people of God had been diligent in rebuilding their own homes and lives, but had neglected the Temple and the worship of the Lord.

Haggai 1:3-8 (NKJV) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes." Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD.”

As He declared in the time of Haggai, the Lord is speaking to the church today. We have not only built beautiful homes for ourselves, but we have also often constructed elaborate edifices designated as places for worship. Yet, we have even more often neglected the building of God’s temple. God has set us aside for a time to consider our ways.

Consider Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. According to Easton’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Corinth “was noted for its wealth, and for the luxurious and immoral and vicious habits of the people.” Paul wrote the letter when he learned of the strife and sin practiced by members of the congregation. The purpose of the letter was to address the different factions within the church and to correct doctrinal errors.

The Corinthians had neglected personal sanctification and had, as a result, neglected to build the true temple of the Lord.1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV) “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Paul addressed the corporate Body of Christ in Ephesus as the temple of the Spirit of God. Ephesians 2:19-22 (NKJV) “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Individually and corporately, we are to be the sanctified temple of God, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Individually and corporately, we are to consider our ways. If our emphasis is on material wealth, we are impoverished and malnourished. If we are not good stewards of our wealth, we are putting our funds into bags with holes.

Like the ancient Israelites, we are to go to the mountains, to go up higher in our relationship with the Lord. We are to take the wood, the message of the cross and build on that relationship.

In Acts 7:48-50, the first martyr, Stephan, quoted Isaiah 66:1-2,:“However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 'Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?'” (NKJV)

It is time for us to lay aside the divisive philosophies and practices of the world, to take up the cross of Jesus Christ and to build, both individually and corporately, the true temple of the Lord.

 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 5:1-2,4 (NKJV)
¹  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
²  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

⁴  Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

            To mourn is to be sad or disappointed because someone or something has passed away or has changed significantly. We must be aware of at least two issues in the mourning process.  The first issue is that in order to receive comfort, we must be willing to mourn.  To be stoical in the face of loss is to drive the pain more deeply into our being and actually prevent the healing that can come from the grieving process. When we refuse to grieve, we deny the comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit.  We shut the door to the desire of God to be our Comforter.  One of my favorite songs is “For Those Tears I Died” by Marsha Stevens.  In the song the Lord speaks, “I felt every teardrop when in darkness you cried, and I strove to remind you that for those tears I died.”

            In John 14, just before the crucifixion, Jesus had much to say about the Holy Spirit as our Comforter.   In verse18, He promised, “I will not leave you comfortless.”  Be willing to mourn and, therefore, willing to be comforted.

            The second issue is to remember that mourning is for a season. Solomon wrote:  "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 (NKJV)

David wrote, “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”  Psalm 30:5 (NKJVB)

            To be overly mournful is to be lugubrious is to wallow in exaggerated, ludicrous or overly dramatic grief.  To be lugubrious is also to shut the door to the desire of God to be our Comforter and the joy-giver of our lives.

God can use even our grief to enhance His kingdom.  ^“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NKJV) Praise the Lord!  When we accept His comfort. we are then able to comfort others.

            “O, Lord God, I receive Your comfort so that I may be both comforted and a comforter. Amen.”

 

The Poor in Spirit

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

 

Matthew 5:1-3 (NKJV)
^“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Paul wrote in Romans 14: 17-1: " for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men."

 

The Greek word translated as “Blessed” is “makarios” which means “happy” or “happier”.  We are happier when we follow the word of the Lord.  In John 10:10, Jesus said that He came that we might have life more abundantly.  An understanding of that scripture is foundational to an understanding of the commandments and precepts of the Word of God.  God’s commandments are a handbook to the “good life”, or as the Italians say, “La dolce vita.”  God desires for us to have His best in spite of a world system that desires the opposite.  

 

God has said that we are happier if we are “poor in spirit.”  What does that mean?  The Message Bible interprets vs. 3 as "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” (Matthew 5:3 MSG). We are poor in spirit when we swallow our pride and realize that our way is never the best way and that God’s way is always the best way.

 

Adam and Eve chose to do things their way, and all of creation fell.  Abraham and Sarah chose to produce an heir through Hagar rather than waiting on the Lord to bring to them the promised son, the son of the covenant.  As a result, conflict arose between the children of Abraham, and today, the animosity between the descendents of Hagar (the Arabs) and the descendents of Sarah (the Jews) has not abated.

 

However, when Mary declared herself the handmaiden of the Lord, Jesus Christ was born and redemption manifested.  When Paul, blinded, accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he received his sight and became a champion of the One he had once denounced.  He evinced his depth of joy when he wrote from prison, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.”  (Philippians 4:4.)

One of the saddest television events in my lifetime was the reporting of the death of Elvis Presley.  One network ran a tribute to Elvis featuring a montage of his life.  In the background was Elvis’ rendition of “I Did It My Way.”  He did it his way and died at the age of 42.  

 

Are you doing things the way you have always done them and are still disappointed in the outcome? Have you reached the end of your rope and there is no knot to hold on to? Have you come to the end of yourself?   Are you willing to be poor in spirit so that God can bring the blessings of His Kingdom into your life?  Allow the following to be your prayer:  “Lord, I am so weary of my way.  In humility and with a submissive heart, I desire to live my life Your way.”

 

When we choose to be poor in spirit, when we choose submission to our Lord, ours is the kingdom of  heaven.  Ours is the righteousness, joy and peace of the Holy Spirit.

“Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.”         
---Thomas A. Dorsey

 Resurrection

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Jesus, beautiful Redeemer,

You who bore the agony of Calvary,

Pierced by the thorns,

Scourged,

Wounded,

Forsaken,

Reviled.

Your passion paid sin’s price.

Your death opened the veil.

Your tomb is the key to freedom

From death and the grave.

Your resurrection sealed our covenant

with the Father.

Your return is the culmination of creation,

The restoration of Eden,

The doorway to eternity.

You are the way, the truth and the life.

 Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread 

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

    Passover is also called The Feast of  Unleavened Bread and commemorates the finished work of the cross. 

In the Bible, leavening (yeast) symbolizes sin. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a seven day memorial of not only the Israelites being taken from the bondage of Egyptian slavery, but also, the journey of Christians as we have been set free from the bondage of sin and grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. 

This is a time to meditate on some promises of God that will empower us to walk away from doubt, unbelief and fear and into a restful relationship with our Lord.  

Consider the following scriptures.

 Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)  “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

John 14:1-3 (NKJV) "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV) "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)  "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

1 John 1:8-9 (NKJV) "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

James 1:5-6 (NKJV) "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

Our prayer:  Oh, Lord, may the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight  (Psalm 19:14).

Bless the Lord, oh my soul.  And let all that is within in me bless His holy name (Psalm 103:1).

“Baruch HaShem Hamashiach Yeshua.  Barach HaShem Adonai.”

“Blessing in the name of Jesus the Messiah.  Blessing in the name of the Lord.”

 

The Passover Mandate

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

 Maundy Thursday is often celebrated during Holy Week.  Maundy means mandate.  On this day, Jesus mandated the Passover in communion, the Lord’s Supper.  In Biblical times, when people ate together, they entered into covenant with one another.  As Christians, in various times and places, when we celebrate communion, we seldom realize that in the act we are entering into is not only covenant with our Lord, but with one another. 

After they had finished the Passover meal, Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn and went out to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.  There Jesus prayed.  He not only poured out His anguish before His Father, He prayed for believers through all the ages.  John 17:20-22:  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;  "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.”

As He faced the agony of the cross, the desire of Jesus’ heart was for unity in the Church—unity across denomination, culture and ethnicity.  His desire is the same today and forever more.

1 Corinthians 12: “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

Let’s join together spiritually wherever we are today and, in unity, celebrate the Lord’s Supper

.

Matthew 26:26-28:  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body.''  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.