Just as Christ shone before the disciples in radiant majesty (2 Pet. Stick with that original version of your mountain-top experience--the way you have experienced God. You have your hot chocolate made, playlist downloaded, movie set and books chosen. Yet, it seems that Peter actually does the opposite. 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. If youll notice, neither Moses nor Jesus retired on top of a mountain. In later reflection, Peter described what he heard as the Majestic Glory (2 Pet. Sinai with Joshua and Owen during our last days in Egypt, watching the sun rise over the vast chains of mountains in the desert there, and experience a diverse and international group of pilgrims praying their unique prayers at the top. I love to see goals attained after hard work. Both had been shown Gods glory on those mountains. He fulfilled what the. But as great as those experiences are, there not the greatest experiences of my life. Nighttime temperatures drop wellbelow zero, the air is razor-thin, and killer storms can strike without warning. You come down from the mountaintop ready for a changed life. Moses and company obeyed, hiking to the foot of the mountain where an astonishing thing happened: they saw the God of Israel, and they lived to talk about it! Your Promised Land Is Chosen by God for Your Freedom and Success. We learned this word in school, a caterpillar goes through metamorphosis, that caterpillar wraps a cocoon around itself and goes through the process of change. After his death, would come his resurrection and exaltation! Horeb, which is described in the bible as the mountain of God. Later, Moses will climb Mt. Jesus is the light of the world, and when we get to heaven he will be the light. Sleeps up to 6 (one queen bed, one double bed, and two twin beds). Lastly, the best part is the toppings. And I find myself squirming when I read that Moses spent six days engulfed in the clouds on the top of Mt. How does a congregation go Thats because mountaintop experience is a figure of speech that comes right out of Holy Scripture. A good book on a rainy day or with calming music is a wonderful way to take a break from the responsibilities of life and escape into another world. 1:19). We go down to the valley to meditate on our recent revelation, allowing us to learn from our mountaintop experiences. 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! A glorious, spiritual experience where you were alone with Jesus and your soul was lifted above this old world, and you got a taste of heaven. The glory cloud was a sign that Jesus was Gods dwelling place on earth, Jesus was the Mercy seat, he alone provides salvation and forgiveness! Three of Jesus disciples would no doubt put a different experience atop their list. Finally, its just Moses moving to the top of Mt. The term mountain top experience comes from those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. But those were all just moments. Upon seeing Jesus shining as the sun, Peter offers a surprisingly casual and perhaps clueless initial response. You learn something new about who God is. Why does God allow you to have a Mountain-top experience? The heap on which he stood consisted of all the experiences and obstacles that he had faced on his journey through life. This past summer I worked every day in a place surrounded by mountains. Thanksgiving Pancake Breakfast & Goodbye to Jack Liskey! 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. What we should do is go back every now and then to the memories, the journal entries, the conversations. Still others need to spend time contemplating it all in the quiet of their own prayers. And you will walk away changed!. Next came the same audible voice from heaven that had spoken previously at Jesus baptism (Matt. Build a pillow fort on your bed in any clear space using four chairs, an abundance of blankets and all the pillows you can find. Or you were convicted about something in your life that you now need accountability for from a friend or mentor. He was the God-Man, Immanuel- God with us! Moses is a prime example of this. Lead me to those where the harvest is ready, for I am Your willing laborer.In Jesus name I pray, Amen. We forget what God said to us when we approached the altar during that sermon. 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. There closeness to Jesus is connected to Prayer! . A sermon delivered by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, Nc., March 6, 2011. If youve ever been to a mountaintop, then you are familiar with the feeling of dizziness. A Mountain Top Experience This is such an awesome piece of Scripture that describes the imagery of a future time when "the mountain of the LORD" and "the house of the God of Jacob" will be a holy place for all the diverse people groups from every nation and of every ethnicity, worshipping God and learning the ways of His wisdom - Amen! , it was a manifestation of the presence of God, the form in which God revealed himself to Israel. Mountain Top TV No monthly fee. Their eyes opened and they saw a whole new reality; the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. What an amazing sight! Did you notice that Joani is in a waiting period after her time on the mountain? Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with (Jesus). Granted, Jesus did some of his best work on and around water, but he was a mountain man, too. And if such an experience is to be sought after, how can the Christian be found on the mountaintop time and time again? As we walked onto a short trail through the snow and frozen ground, Owen remarked that it must be a strange job to drive to the top of a mountain and talk with thousands of visitors who pass through the center every day - like an environmental guru waiting at the peak for travelers to come seeking knowledge and insight. V:33-let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Well have a better understanding of how that intense moment can fit into our everyday. The sum total of all of the things he had done and experienced in life had brought him to the place where he stood at that moment in time. 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. After clarifying among the three who the real hillbilly is (its the one who has Jesus was always getting away to pray and draw strength from His father. David Briscoe is a content editor at Lifeway for Explore the Bible resources. revisiting them will prove a way to spur us on as we continue to live changed. Jesus is dazzling glory is talking to Moses who had been dead over fourteen hundred years and to Elijah who had been gone about nine hundred. Consider how Peter engages this question in 2 Peter 1:16-21. The problem .read more Tip: Re-evaluate your mountaintop experience. Jesus gives us his word that we might obey it, put it to practice in our lives, and live it out every day! Hermon. I'd love to go mountain - climbing. There will be times of recognition, success, fun, laughter, happiness, financial success and many wonderful experiences together with family and friends. the law and the prophets. Tabor. That night on the mount of Transfiguration, the glory of God that was within shined-forth through his humanity. 1:16). These men where dedicated and devoted to Jesus; these three men went on to be. Prophecy is not about a happening, an event, is about a person. This works in making work more enjoyable too. The speaker concludes talking with an invitation to come to the altar and lay your burdens down at the feet of Jesus. Everything is tiny and nothing seems to matter when you are that far away from people. Grab a blanket and a glass of hot chocolate, and do these five warm indoor activities for those rainy winter days. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. And what does really matter in life? encourage them and help them in the days ahead. Father of 5 (David, Jenny, Elisha, Esther, Seth). Notice, too, that mountaintops offer a perfect setting for life-changing transformation. So when it is too cold for an ice cream party, you can have a hot chocolate party instead! In the presence of Jesus with the saints, talking about the Cross! I commit myself to daily sharing with others good things You have done for me. mountaintop [ moun-tn-top ] SHOW IPA noun the top or summit of a mountain. 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! Tag-along Tours run for past customers by the MTE club enable you to travel in your own 4WD vehicle, but with the confidence of knowing you are being looked after. I would classify Atlanta as a mountaintop experience. But Jesus explained that Elijah had already come in the ministry of John the Baptist. It so happens that I know of somebody thats had a mountaintop experience just this past week. TheLordis your keeper;theLordis your shade at your right hand. Now, as we review Exodus 24 and Matthew 17, I want us to notice certain traits of mountaintop experiences. Hebrew tells us he is greater than all the O.T prophets! The goal is "Living All Out For Jesus". You are a stumbling block to me. Jesus recognized the voice of the Evil One again, this time speaking through Peter, and he told him to back off. Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. They took my breath away from ground level and, when I climbed them, they whisked away any anxious thought Id ever have. In the Old Testament, the mountains of Sinai and Zion are most significant. One trait that gets very little press is that mountain top experiences often involve waiting. 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. . 1. a natural elevation of land rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill. Jesus visage became as bright as the sun even as the long-dead Old Testament heroes Moses (representing the law) and Elijah (representing the prophets) appeared and talked with Jesus. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. However, there will be times of hard work, traffic jams, taxes, wasted time, frustrating situations, wrecked dreams, lost money, broken relationships and the list of challenges that we face at some point in our lifetime could go on and on. In Atlanta, as we met and talked and worshipped, I had a strong sense of energy and enthusiasm and knew clearly that God was saying to me, The time is right and you are ready to begin this work of listening. Whereas before, Listen to My Life sounded really interested and well-done, this time it felt truly life giving. And that moment made such an impression on Peter that years later he would refer to it in one of his New Testament letters as proof positive that that he didnt make up the gospel, but was an eyewitness to the very power and majesty of Jesus that changed his life forever. Six days earlier Jesus had asked his disciples the question of the hour Who do you say that I am? WhenPeter answered, You are the Messiah, Son of the living God, Jesus was ecstatic, and on the spot named Peter the future head of the church. By now, its a Christian clich: the mountaintop experience. This is so prevalent that the mountaintop experience has become a Christian clich of excitement and zeal. And you don't have to settle for regular milk! Heaven or Hell! Not sure of the resources you need for Bible study? It had been six hundred years since anyone in Israel had seen the Shekinah glory cloud. I doubt any of us will go there. What is it about mountains that invoke a spiritual or religious response from us as human beings? It is on the mountaintop we receive revelation from God, and it is where we often experience the tangible, felt presence of God. No wonder Peter fell to his face. Theyre moments when we experience God in an intense, intimate way. The Apostle who once fell at Jesus knees upon a miracle of Christ (Luke 5:1-11) now offers His skill in tent-making to the transfigured Messiah (Matt. 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. We will recognize our loved ones and others in heaven. That is what happens to Peter, James and John on that mountain. Now this isnt to say drop everything you are doing in life because it doesnt matter. Don't start to rationalize it, no matter how unbelievable it may sound to some. And the thought of spending an additional 40 days in the fog listening for the voice of God doesnt excite me either. 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 hear the voice of God is to be led to the mountaintop. Im glad Joani could share today because I really needed a fresh illustration of a mountaintop experience for this sermon! I love to see families encouraging and helping one another. How do we come down the mountain and begin living normal life while holding onto what weve learned? Of all the things the apostles witnessed, none was more spectacular and the vision of the glorified Christ on top on the Mount of Transfiguration. Dedication to the Lord still brings special blessings into our lives! It is time to drop the negative connotation attached to valleys and embrace their true purpose. The sum total of the Christian life is listening to and doing what Jesus says. Perhaps they were previously lost, or filled with anger, depression, addiction, confusion. By adding some whipped cream and a cinnamon stick, a regular cup of warm chocolate powder in milk becomes more like a dessert. It actually turned out to be a good place. Remember, it was on top of Mt. The voice of God clearly identified Jesus as his only son, his beloved son, unique one-of-a-kind son. Moses who represents those who die; and Elijah who represent those who are caught up and never die; will both see Jesus in his glory! Those moments at a worship concert or at the end of a sermon when the person holding the microphone makes a powerful speech with emotional music playing in the background. The saved are in glory, this life is one of suffering and humiliation for the saints. White in the Bible speaks of purity, absolute holiness. So where one person might be on their knees in tears over an experience with God, another might simply acknowledge the fact that theyve learned something new about God. Proclaiming the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Worrying about finances doesnt measure up to what really matters in life. This doesnt mean attempting to recreate our mountain top experience. They saw things they had never seen before, they were aware of things they were never aware of before, they were in the presence of God! Copyright 2023 Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. Though it had not been easy, it had all been well worth the journey to get to where he wanted to be in life. IN THE BOREDOM AND PAIN OF IT NO LESS THAN IN THE EXCITEMENT, AND GLADNESS: TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL YOUR WAY TO THE HOLY, BECAUSE IN THE LAST ANALYSIS, ALL MOMENTS, ARE KEY MOMENTS AND ALL OF LIFE ITSELF IS GRACE. Properly understood, it is something we receive just like our salvation. Yet over time we go back to normal life. Heres another rhythm to add to the listcoming up the mountain to be with God; then going down the mountain to serve Gods people. Here is our startling recognition: the Christian's mountaintop experience is to come in contact with the Word of God. Mountaintop experiences are moments where people experience a dramatic expression of faith. But it seems that the visual experience did not generate the immediate fear and awe one might expect. The aspect of a beautiful mountaintop experience has a whole new meaning when you realize that it does not matter what the mountain is made of. Remember, Moses first met God at the burning bush on Mt. the cloud which covered the Tabernacle with Gods glory. To hear the voice of God in His Word is to be led to the mountaintop of glory and grace. Now would be the time to get involved in a church or Bible study. 1:21). from that experience knowing more about Jesus, more prepared to live and die for him! I have established you on the mountaintop. Full kitchen, with cookware and dinnerware, dishwasher, microwave, stove/oven, full fridge, coffeemaker. To answer this question, it seems wisest to evaluate the mountaintop experience par excellence of Scripture, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 17:1-3, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36, 2 Peter 1:16-21). They see His Glory and they worship Him! Is what youre worried about really worth the worry? If there ever was a time for silence, this was it. Maybe the thinness of the air, the lack of oxygen, or the exhaustion when we finally reach the top? The High Mountain became the Holy Mountain because he saw the glory of Jesus there! -The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamb is the light thereof. 6. resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size. And minds that were already spinning are now completely blown. The prophet Elijah had his share of mountaintop moments as well.