On The Mountain By Night, On The Plains By Day

In His Steps, this is the heartbeat of every Christian youth. What youth can afford not to thread therein? A youth must cross the Rubicon of the way of multitudes to the side of no return, the side of the Saviour, come to an inexplicable awareness of this great Lord, the incomparable model, Jesus Christ. Thereafter he becomes a Christian who can be identified anywhere many years after (read the article  titled: "And They Were Called Christians".)

This article before you is to launch you into the secrets of His exploits if you must fulfill His injunction and promise (Lk. 19:13; Jn. 14:12). The teaching is "On the Mountain by Night, on the Plains by Day".

On The Mountain By Night: Explanation And Examples

In the physical, a mountain is a land mass that projects well above its surroundings. It takes great efforts and determination to climb a mountain because of its rough sides and slope but at the end the climber achieves his purposes. A mountain can be a place of extraordinary experience where God and man meet. The people of Old Testament including the children of Israel at different times had glorious visitations as the Lord descending on the mount. On one of the mounts at Moriah, Abraham experienced God as Jehovah Jireh (Gen. 22:11-14), at Mountain of God in Horeb, Moses saw the bush that burned which was not consumed (Exo. 3:1-2), when God came down in fire on Mount Sinai, there was smoke, quakes and the children of Israel heard the voice of the Lord (Exo. 19:16-19; 20:18; Deut. 4:9-12); there God gave Moses and Israelites the ten commandments and His statutes and judgments (Deut. 4:13; Exo. 20:1-3). At mount Carmel, Elijah and the Israelites saw the God that answers by fire (1Kgs. 18:36-39). When Jesus took some of His apostles to the Mountain, they (the apostles) saw a scene that so made them afraid that they temporarily forgot everything about themselves (Matt. 17:1-3). The different experiences at these different mountains remained memorials for generations after those that experienced them and for us today (Rom. 15:4; 2Pet. 1:16-18; Deut. 4:10-13; Heb. 12:18-19). They were glorious experiences indeed.

Now one may wonder if these experiences belonged to only those who have mountains in their areas to climb in order to encounter God. The coming of the Messiah, Jesus, has given every one of us a better privilege and we do not need a physical mountain to enjoy the mountain experience (Jn. 4:19-24). The worship of God MUST be in spirit and in truth which is what the conference has been addressing since we began. So, what then is the mountain today? The mountain for a child of God is that place and time when he separates himself and rises above his surroundings through prayers, supplications, wrestling, studying and meditation of God’s word (Gen. 32:24-28; cp. Ezra. 7:10; Neh. 8:1-3, 5-6, 8; Matt. 26:36).

Night is not necessarily that evening or time of thick darkness but a time when activities are very minimal or close to nothing, a time of calmness and quietness, and when there is the opportunity ti be alone (Judg. 16:2; Matt. 13:24-25; 14:23).

Therefore being on the mountain by night is setting out time when one will be alone and undistracted to appear before God in serious prayers and diligent study and application of the word of God. It could be personal (just one person) or more than one person. On the mountain by night, supplication and prayer that change lives and circumstances are made (Mk. 1:35-42).

It is on the mountain that a soul winner like the fisherman spreads his net for the soul by the word of God (Act. 5:29-31). There the counsel and activities of the wicked are thwarted (Act. 12:5-11) and the enemies subdued (Is. 25:7-10; 2Kgs. 6:13-15). There, decrees are made by the righteous and unrighteous decrees made by the adversaries are destroyed and obstacles are broken (Jms. 5:17-18; Dan. 6:10-13, 20-22). Secrets are revealed and answers to puzzles are given when God’s children climb the mountain by night (Dan. 1:8-9, 17-22; Ps. 25:14; Amos 3:7; 2Kgs. 6:8-12). Awareness, knowledge, insight and understanding into God’s word, power, gifts and glory are available at the mount of the Lord for as many as dare to climb (Is. 2:2-3; Matt. 5:1-2; 1Kgs. 8:22-23; 9:1-3; 8:5-11). Youth who desire to go all out for the Lord and do exploits are prepared, ordained and equipped as they continually come to God’s presence (Is. 6:5-8; Act. 13:1-3).

The experiences of the mountain by night are innumerable. The volume of your experiences depends on your input on the mountain. Their fruits are the things that manifest in different ways on the plains.

  

On The Plains By Day

The mountain is ‘where you sow’ and then come down to display your harvest on the plains. The plains by day refers to the face of the earth, the situations on ground needing solutions and intervention. Multitudes including youths today are enveloped in darkness and ignorance which have tied and held them bound (Is. 60:2; Hos. 4:6; cons. Is. 49:24; Jn. 5:2-3; Mk. 6:55-56). There are forces and spirits to contend with if the sinner, sick, oppressed and possessed must be free to follow the Lord. It is only those who have tarried on the mountain by night that can penetrate to deliver the blessings on the plains by day (1Cor. 16:9; cons. Matt. 11:12; 17:14-16, 21).

Jesus saw and appreciated the predicament of the people and knowing the will of God for His coming to the world (Heb. 10:5-9; Jn. 6:38-40; Lk. 4:18-19; 19:10; Jn. 8:36), went about doing same and at the end He finished it (Jn. 4:34; 19:30). Those that sat in darkness saw a great light through His ministration (Matt. 4:13-17), sinners received salvation, the ignorant got knowledge, the sick, lame, blind rejoiced for freedom, the dead were raised to life and the oppressed and possessed got into liberty (Matt. 9:35: 8:1-3; Jn. 11:14, 32, 38-44; 8:4-11). Jesus affected many lives.

Clearly, the actions of children of God on the mountains brought reactions on the plains. Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Peter, Paul and many others affected their world in various ways just like Jesus did (Heb. 11:32-35; Act. 14:8-11; 3:1-8; 5:12-16; 8:6-8).

 The Inference

"For the earnest expectations of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19).

Children, youths and adults the world over in search of pleasure, peace, freedom and joy are getting into ungodly and soul damning programs most of which are initiated from the kingdom of darkness. There are also children of God who are not enjoying the blessings and privileges left at their disposal simply because they are not able or do not bother to climb the mountain so as to transform their lives, homes and circumstances. All these are waiting for those who know what it is to climb the mountain. Jesus needed to send His disciples out for this reason after empowering them (Lk. 9:1-2; 10:1, 9, 17-19). He commanded that His followers should occupy till He comes. As they spend the night (including the literal nights) on the mountain to receive His glory and get into extraordinary experience, they descend on the plains by day with power and anointing to declare the irresistible word in their mouths to youths, men, women, circumstances and spirits bringing miracles, calm stormy seas and stop the activities of the wicked (kidnappers, ritualists, oppressors, etc. (Lk. 4:18-19; Mk. 16:17-18; Is. 49:1-2; Jer. 1:10).

Jesus did it by the power and Spirit of God in Him (Act. 10:38; Lk. 4:18-19; Jn. 3:34). He charges the Watchman youth to walk in His steps and do greater works than He did (1Pet. 1:21; Jn. 14:12). It means dwelling on the mountain continually. He has sent what it takes to dwell on the Lord’s mountain - the spirit of supplication (Zech. 12:10; 4:6-7; Rom. 1:8).

Christian Youth, Get Ignited!

Who shall trod in the path He has trodden? Who shall walk in His steps? Who is that Christian youth who desires to become enviable, a sought-after youth and walking as a model of his time because of the fire of his Saviour upon him? Let such a youth get ignited and be empowered to climb the mountain that he may do exploits on the plains to the glory of the Lord and the rejoicing of the people (Act. 2:1-4; 4:31). Get ignited now as the Lord is passing the fire around. This is your chance!