Ascending God’s Holy Mountain: A Call to Holiness and Revival
“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; he will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths’” (Isaiah 2:2-3).
Every time we gather as God’s people before the Lord, my heart’s desire is for God to pour out His Spirit on us again, making us fall in love with Jesus as never before. Every gathering, every Flourish conference and every One Body worship night, I long for that new Pentecost, and although it hasn’t happened yet, I have a picture in my mind of us climbing up a holy mountain, God’s mountain, rising higher and higher, drawing closer and closer to Him and to that great outpouring.
The idea of God’s holy mountain quickens my spirit. I want to climb this mountain and come as near as I can to God Almighty. The Psalmist asks, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?” He responds, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob” (Ps 24:3-4, 6). David answers that the person who has clean hands and a pure heart can ascend God’s holy mountain; in other words, holiness is required. The author of Hebrews emphasizes that point: “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).
The climb up the mountain of God is at times arduous. Like climbing a mountain in the natural, the spiritual climb up God’s holy mountain requires perseverance and grit. It is not for the faint of heart. Yet our perseverance lies not in climbing the mountain in our own power, but in continuously relying on the power of God to raise us higher and higher. And we can trust God to do it, for “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (I Thess 5:24).
Oh, Lord, make us a generation who seeks you and who seeks your face. Purify us and sanctify us that we may be among those who ascend Your holy mountain into Your presence. Lord, pour out Your Spirit on us like we have never experienced before, so we might behold Your glory and be transformed into the image of Christ Jesus (cf. II Cor 3:18).
