Mountain View Conference

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“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Ps. 92:12, KJV).

As David poetically writes this Psalm dedicated to the Sabbath day, he uses verse 12 to instruct us on how to grow. He states that the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. This is no ordinary palm tree; it is a date palm, known in Hebrew as “tamar.” The date palm is tall and slender and stretches upward of 75 feet. This incredible tree grows amid the drought of the desert. It vigorously plunges its roots into the earth until it reaches the hidden waters beneath the surface. As a result, it is able to produce large clusters of fruit, about 100 to 200 pounds each year.

“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel” (Josh. 1:2, NKJV).

The servant of God has died. Moses, who spoke to God as a friend, has perished. The Israelites’ leader, friend and loving intercessor would no longer be with them.

Even in the midst of loss or pain, God always has a plan. After Moses’ death, God said to Joshua, “Now therefore, arise ...” Arise is a difficult word when living in sadness, clueless about how to confront the challenges of life. However, God invites us to trust in Him and calls us to “arise.”

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28, NKJV).

We need to understand that near the close of earth’s harvest, there will be a special outpouring of spiritual grace to prepare each and every one of us for the coming of Christ.

“And, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ... Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions” (Matt. 19:16, 21–22, KJV).

Letting go of his possessions and reaching his hand to grasp what Jesus offered was too high a cost for the rich young ruler to pay for the free gift of eternal life. And while Jesus didn’t tell the young man to go, He didn’t beg him to stay either.

Story by Valerie Morikone

The Mountain View Conference (MVC) camp meeting at Valley Vista in Parkersburg, W.Va., has impacted hundreds of individuals through the years. This year was no different for those attending in person or viewing online.

Conference leaders believe that everyone needs to be involved in sharing Jesus with others; it should be a coveted desire, not an option, to reach out to others with the good news of Jesus Christ and His wonderful love. That’s why, for the next few years, “Tell Somebody About Jesus ... Go Tell It on the Mountains” will be MVC’s theme.