V:36-And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone. Peter, James, and John climb up this high mountain with Jesus; probably Mount. I'd love to go mountain - climbing. In other words, the fulfillment of the Messiahs mission of salvation was nearer than the three disciplesknew. So many of us begin to desire to leave God's mountaintop through lax engagement with God's Word because the experience feels so ordinary. As Christians, we long for experiences of the transcendent that we believe will forever change our perspective on life. I love life! Joe cartoons from the 80's that said, " Knowing is half the battle! One of the authors of the book, Sharon Swing says, Listening is the art of creating space so God can do His work in the heart of another., This time in Atlanta was a follow-up to similar work I did in Dallas two years ago. The greatest things that have happened in my life have all been. Lead me to those where the harvest is ready, for I am Your willing laborer.In Jesus name I pray, Amen. I wasnt so eager to leave the mountaintop. Some people need to journal each moment while still on the mountain. tain maun-tn often attributive Synonyms of mountain 1 a : a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill The sun set behind the mountains. for a mountain-top experiences is that you will: Jesus was not alone on the mountain, two famous men from the Old Testament show up. Copyright 2023 Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. On one day, we drove to the top of the mountains on Trail Ridge Road that cuts right through Rocky Mountain National Park peaking at an elevation of 12,000 feet - a literal arctic tundra in northern Colorado. Here at Mountaintop Worship Center, we spend every Sunday and Wednesday on the mountaintop. There closeness to Jesus is connected to Prayer! Though it had not been easy, it had all been well worth the journey to get to where he wanted to be in life. As I rest in the valley and meditate on my mountaintop experiences, please have Your Holy Spirit reveal to me what I need to know.Here in the valley, I will rest and feed on the goodness of Your Word. The word, . Proclaiming the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 1:17), the words of Scripture are words from God as carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. All Rights Reserved. The Word communicated the fullness of the glory of God manifested to them. Not all mountain top experiences drip with emotion. I love to see families encouraging and helping one another. What is the purpose of a Mountain-top experience? After his death, would come his resurrection and exaltation! , it was a manifestation of the presence of God, the form in which God revealed himself to Israel. Built a tabernacle of PRAISE for Jesus alone in your heart! But our mountaintop moments are not designed by God just to give us warm fuzzies at high altitudesthey are designed to go fill us with the Spirit of God that we have the courage and strength to do the work of the kingdom in the valley. We go down to the valley to meditate on our recent revelation, allowing us to learn from our mountaintop experiences. In the Bible, mountains are often the places where God encounters His people, changes their lives, and sends them back down to the world with a prophetic message. Keep reading Matthew 17 and youll see that during their descent from the mountain the disciples have a frightening encounter with a demon from hell. Romances and horrors are great genres to cozy up to in the dark. What was the difference? Notice, too, that mountaintops offer a perfect setting for life-changing transformation. Jesus dead on the Cross as the Lamb of God means Exodus, freedom from sins bondage to all who will apply the blood of Jesus to their heart in faith! For that reason, even people who follow God to the mountaintop will likely find themselves waiting patiently and praying for Gods guidance for their next move. It is always a good to say nothing when you dont know what to say! We forget what God said to us when we approached the altar during that sermon. Jesus is greater than Moses, and Elijah! Certainly, there is a rhythmic, ordinary nature to daily encounter with Gods Word. Any place be it mountaintop, retreat center, or worship service, that can change you inside out should be considered dangerous. Maybe your mountain top experience was giving your life to Christ for the first time at that altar call. Mountain Top TV No monthly fee. Baptism is NOT something we do. Would you pray and ask God to give you a mountaintop experience; when he does you will see his glory and worship him, understand his work and trust him, hear his word and obey him. The Cross was a great accomplishment; not an accident, tragedy, disaster! Like the testing of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19), the receiving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19-20:21) and, of course, the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). The law and prophets all meet in Jesus, they point to Jesus, and they preach Jesus. In the presence of Jesus with the saints, talking about the Cross! Once weve processed our mountain top experience, well be able to face the valley without resentment or guilt. I doubt any of us will go there. He has performed miracle after miracle and, in that mountaintop experience, my blinded eyes were healed. Idioms: Sinai still a third time because he shattered the tablets bearing the Ten Commandments upon hearing that the Israelites had manufactured and worshiped a golden calf in his absence. Not sure of the resources you need for Bible study? The greatest experiences of my life have been the times when God moved in power, and make himself none to me through his word and by his Spirit; making Jesus real to my heart! adjective situated at the top or summit of a mountain: a mountaintop house. Barkley spent his final four seasons with the Rockets, but the team's big threecomprised of him, as well as Olajuwon and Clyde Drexlerwas never able to get them back to the NBA, Later that day in February, Ms. Dean visited the, The Tanners handed the Red & Black their first loss of the season and reminded everyone who sits atop the Middlesex, The duo in recent days flew back to Los Angeles from the snowy city of Aspen, Colorado, where they were huddled in deep planning, and now like holy figures coming down from the, The best team in the states largest classification reached the, In the film, Korean detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) is probing the death of a climber who fell from a, Post the Definition of mountaintop to Facebook, Share the Definition of mountaintop on Twitter, The businesss new computer system proved not to be a. Howdoes that experience encourage you now? God, unlike Peter knew exactly what he was talking about. Through His Word, Jesus presents grace to frightened disciples on the mountain. The mission field proves a common place where we experience God in new ways. I commit myself to daily sharing with others good things You have done for me. 17:2). Scripture gives us stories of literal mountain top experiences that color our expectations for what it means to encounter the divine - Abraham and Isaac climbing together in an act of extreme devotion to God and experiencing the mercy of God at its apex. (Mark 9:2-3 ESV) Jesus takes his inner circle to a mountain with him and they experience a "God thing." It was something unlike anything they had ever seen. Sinai. Like the testing of Abraham ( Genesis 22:1-19 ), the receiving of the Ten Commandments ( Exodus 19-20:21) and, of course, the transfiguration ( Matthew 17:1-13 ). to what Jesus says in his word. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. 17:1). n. The summit of a mountain. Jesus asked his disciples, who do you say that I am? In the Bible, mountains are often the places where God encounters His people, changes their lives, and sends them back down to the world with a prophetic message. This is my favorite source for everything Christian. Despite this uncertainty, the definition of a mountain is a landform that rises significantly above the surrounding landscape. Maybe it was getting married or having children. They were catching a glimpse of the glory that God would reveal in Jesus Christ in the future. In the Old Testament, the mountains of Sinai and Zion are most significant. Scripture gives us stories of literal mountain top experiences that color our expectations for what it means to encounter the divine - Abraham and Isaac climbing together in an act of extreme devotion to God and experiencing the mercy of God at its apex. Define mountaintop. I have ordered from them with great satisfaction for over 20 years. as he calls you to leave bitterness behind, and to forgive and find joy. You come down from the mountaintop ready for a changed life. mountaintop [ moun-tn-top ] SHOW IPA noun the top or summit of a mountain. There, for Peter, the mountain-hearing of the Fathers Majestic-Glory serves as the paradigm for the churchs engagement with the Word of God. Get our latest tips and leader helps with our free monthly e-newsletter. When Jesus entered this world, he came as a man, he was born in a stable, wore peasant clothing, and worked as a carpenter in a small town. We wont be able to implant every detail of the mountain top into the valley, but we cant waste those moments. They saw for the first time the dazzling Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ! those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. First off, there are a variety of flavors, from White Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice, Mint, Caramel and the list goes on. The mountaintop transfiguration of Jesus Christ was certainly a transcendent visual experience for Peter, James, and John. Stick with that original version of your mountain-top experience--the way you have experienced God. Death moves our soul to another place, and that particular place is determined by what you do with Jesus in this life. It is the most sacred spot on earth! At first they were deathly afraid of what they had seenwho wouldnt be!? - the law and the, Prophets; the son of God and the three great apostles of the church they are talking about the Cross! But as Jesus and his inner circle stood on that mountain the Shekinah glory cloud overshadowed them. Why not Isaiah and Jeremiah? Here is our startling recognition: the Christians mountaintop experience is to come in contact with the Word of God. Christianity is living a life of obedience to Jesus! And if weve implanted them in some way in our present, then revisiting them will prove a way to spur us on as we continue to live changed. The transfiguration was a foreshadowing of that event, but Christs followers would not be able to clearly see that until after the resurrection. The "deeper something" comes when one takes the divine voice as a motivation to trust in God during the hardships on the journey. And it happened at the foot of Mt. Ironically, remaining on the summit for more than just a few minutes can be dangerous for climberseven life-threatening. To experience Christ in the midst of the Great Smoky Mountains. Thousands of people would say the answer is to stand on the roof of the world, the summit of Mount Everest. From this mountain-top experience, we learn the purpose of mountain-top experiences. But the valley experience is just as important to our Christian walk. Still others need to spend time contemplating it all in the quiet of their own prayers. 1:21). Yet over time we go back to normal life. In later reflection, Peter described what he heard as the Majestic Glory (2 Pet. As he stood there looking out over his life and all of his accomplishments, he looked down and realized that the mountaintop was not at all what he thought it would be. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. As a result, God often reveals himself on a mountaintop in the text. I'm sure you have left over hot chocolate from November and December, so it's time to finish them off. Mountains are a symbol of steadfastness. If we stifle what weve seen and heard and done during those mountain top experiences, then we wont know how to carry them with us into the valley. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. He who keeps Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep. Moses and Elijah had disappeared, the voice of the Father was silent, and the three disciples saw only Jesus! If you keep striving and climbing you will eventually get on top of it and you will have a life that is helpful to you, profitable to your family and a good influence on your friends. BRICKS IN THE VALLEY Text: Matthew 17:1 - 9 We all know from the laws of gravity that what goes up must also come down. 1:16). The words of Psalm 121 came to my mind each afternoon gazing upon the mountains, and they are what I expect will be transporting me back there over the next several months. Under his feet lay challenge after challenge that he had encountered along the way in his business and personal life. Because whatever happens, God has it all in control. Climbing the mountain we now claim as Mt. I found myself late every afternoon sitting and simply meditating on the mountains, remembering what it was like to be on top of them and giving thanks for their ancient and imposing beauty. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a mountain top experience. Youve never seen something so beautiful and peaceful. How do you respond? The disciples needed to know who Jesus was because in the days ahead they would be discouraged, disillusioned as they saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross. Salvation is not in a program, or a plan, but in a person-. Even so, flaws and all, God sends us from our mountaintops into the valleys below. Then, for another forty days he remained in the fiery cloud of Gods presence, receiving still more revelation from God. for who he really is, in all of his love, grace and glory, it is a mountain-top experience! Is what youre worried about really worth the worry? This unmediated view of the living God happened once, and only once in the Old Testament.
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