Be a Climber Not a Crier by Brother Curtis Hansen

         Good morning. As we start the new year, many of us will look back and recap the previous one. Looking back you can see your gains and victories, your shortcomings and losses. The message this morning is a continuation of my last message a few weeks ago at the beginning of December when Jesus and his disciples went to Jerusalem. There Jesus was hungry, cursed a fig tree which looked as if it bore figs and didn't. He then cleaned out the temple of the businesses and money changers assembled in the courts.

        If you have been on this walk for a period of time, you will have taken some scriptures from the Bible and apply them in your speech and in your prayers. There are some scriptures in the Pentecost faith that are hot buttons for the congregation. If the preacher is up at the pulpit and there is a drifting of attention by those in the sanctuary to what he is speaking on, he can always speak some scripture that is very familiar to the people. It grabs their attention on the spot. It's a hot button he hits. There is one scripture believers use in their day to day life that is used incorrectly. Many of us, myself included, have prayed to God that he move a mountain that is in front of us. In emphasis on this word we try and harness the power of the scripture but many of us are ignorant of understanding what it means. It's as if we abuse this scripture and demand the almighty to clear a path for us in whatever we are doing. We have the mentality he's a mere servant on call for us to push around. God does not work like that. He's not going to move you out of a situation you put yourself in, or remove obstacles you walked into. The burdens and generational failings you face in your walk, God isn't plucking those up and drop them out of the way and into the sea of forgetfulness. That action is on you and I to do. God's there to comfort, support, and lift up. He's in your walk encouraging you to be better in him over your failings. 

        Our scripture is going back to the book of Mark chapter 11. We will begin to read at verse 1.

        And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sended forth two of his disciples.

        2 And saith unto them, Go your way unto the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

        3 And if any man saith unto you, Why do ye do this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

        Jesus instructing his disciples in taking a donkey and bringing it to him to ride into Jerusalem is profound. It fulfills the prophecy that was given in Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 9. The question he asks today as he did then was Do you trust God? In that instance it was taking the colt, not paying for it. There's a trust there to follow through with that. A lot of times he's asking you to take a step out of your comfort zone, move forward in your walk, but your insecurities and anxiety always get the better of you. You need to afflict and purge those insecurities by being put or allowed to be placed in uncomfortable situations. In order to grow and receive knowledge, you need to be in a certain spot for God to work. For many people, it's easier to cry out Hosanna to him rather than live for him daily. If you find him in the heat of emotion you will lose him just as quickly in another emotion.

        God demonstrates his points through symbolism and a lot of times man really overthinks it. We muddle his clarity as mystery. You need to have a working relationship with Jesus. Working. Day to day. Not a moment where you prayed to him for salvation and you've since lived your life how you see fit. You living your life to your own pleasure and then getting to him late in life is not a relationship. Quit lying to yourself that you have the time to pull that off. Let's go to verse 20. We are going back to after Jesus had cursed the fig tree and cleaned out the temple.

        20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

        21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursed is withered away.

        22 And Jesus answering him saith unto them, Have faith in God.

        God didn't move the mountain or problem with the patriarchs, the prophets both major and minor in the Old Testament. He didn't do that for himself while he was on earth. He could have. He could had replenished the fig tree or turned a rock into a loaf of bread because he's the almighty, yet he didn't.

        23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he said shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

        24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

        25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespass.

        Whoever believes on what Jesus says will be fulfilled. He doesn't restore the fig tree. Peter was pointing out the obvious. Jesus was saying in order to overcome your mountain, you need to climb it up and over. 

        Look at the people of the Old Testament who climbed a mountain at God's command in obedience. You had Abraham take his son, Issac, up the mountain. Moses went up Mount Sinai for the Ten Commandments. Jesus himself went up the mount for the moment of transfiguration. He's wanting you in this year to be a climber and not a crier. There are people in the scripture who have climbed mountains as well as people in the church who have as well. God is a God of process. If you are feeling disconnected, if you feel that there is an obstacle hindering you for connecting with God this morning, grab hold and cast it aside. It could be your pride, your anger, your fears, your past, your insecurities, your anxiety. These obstacles we project as mountains on our walk of faith can be removed. He will give you the strength to do so.