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They were the Lords closes friends, they were with him when he raised Jarius daughter from the dead, and they would be with him in the garden of Gethsemane. My purpose is to lead believers into a deeper relationship with God, resulting in them becoming A Bold Christian. They were catching a glimpse of the glory that God would reveal in Jesus Christ in the future. Yes it is, it is good to be in the presence of Jesus, it is good to be in good company, Moses, Elijah, James and John. Im guessing most of us have had at least one episode in our lives wed call a mountaintop experience. The sun shall not strike you byday,nor the moon by night. We long for the mountaintop. But as Jesus might say, We cant work effectively for God in the valley until we have been transformed spiritually with God on the mountain. Moses and Elijah were known by Peter, James and John. there is only one way to be saved and that is through. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. When the Word is preached, the power and majesty of God are communicated to His people. It also known valleys are quiet places of rest and peace. And if such an experience is to be sought after, how can the Christian be found on the mountaintop time and time again? Peter, James, and John thought that Elijahs appearance on the mountain with Jesus that day surely was a fulfillment of prophecy. Click the link below to sign up for updates from Good Faith Media via our daily or weekly e-newsletters. Heaven will not be a place of strangers. the law and the prophets. Christianity is living a life of obedience to Jesus! revisiting them will prove a way to spur us on as we continue to live changed. V:33-let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Living on a spiritual high all the time would make for an exhausting life, but there are lessons we can take from each moment and implant them into our routines. Horeb, which is described in the bible as the mountain of God. Later, Moses will climb Mt. Then in Matthew 17, Jesus is once again climbing a mountaintradition says its Mt. 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. 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. Taborthis time with his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John. 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. There we can change the world and share Gods love and faithfulness that is as stolid as the mountains.We come down from the mountaintop because very few people are there. Finally, Jesus directed the three disciples not to tell others about their experience until after His resurrection. II. Things may not be the way you want them to be right now, but as long as you do the next right thing and move in a positive direction, you will continue to learn and grow. Soon, weekends can be filled with park trips and beach adventures, but for now, the weather is temperamental, so a movie night can suffice. The mountaintop transfiguration of Jesus Christ was certainly a transcendent visual experience for Peter, James, and John. 6. resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size. died on Mt. 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. I have ordered from them with great satisfaction for over 20 years. Mountaintop. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mountaintop. the cloud which covered the Tabernacle with Gods glory. But Jesus was not reflecting the glory of God; He was shining out the glory of God from within. Address it with all of them, and make them aware of the pros and cons of the mountain top. 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! He reflected on the massive amount of time, effort and energy it took to reach the specific goals that he had laid out for his life. Sinai a third time to get a new copy of the commandments we read in Exodus 34 that Moses face was shining so brightly with the spirit of God that he had to veil his face when he was around people. Heres another rhythm to add to the listcoming up the mountain to be with God; then going down the mountain to serve Gods people. 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. Gorgeous mountain views off the deck 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. 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. Properly understood, it is something we receive just like our salvation. Some of us may prefer to not be confronted with such a frightening voice whenever our Bibles are opened. Enjoy the teamwork of tackling 4WD challenges, being part of caring community and learning about history and nature as we travel. 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. Confront the Danger. This reminds me of Church! It doesnt mean well have an answer to every question we faced on the mountain top. Their eyes opened and they saw a whole new reality; the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Most of us have had a similar experience, maybe not as intense, but a "mountain top" experience nonetheless. Now for the Lords prophetic word: This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Mountaintop Worship Center. 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. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths. For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3 CSB). And dont forget that Jesus didnt make a move until he had spent his own forty days and night on top of a mountain, and thirty years plying his trade as a carpenter before that. The chosen son of God, the Savior of the world! That is what happens to Peter, James and John on that mountain. We cant disqualify a mountain top experience as just an emotional reaction. 17:1). Though it had not been easy, it had all been well worth the journey to get to where he wanted to be in life. When the Bible says that Jesus was transfigured, it means that He became on the outside what He was on the inside. Every Christian needs a place to be alone and talk with the Lord, when he described this mountain top experience, he called this high mountain; . And then there was Jesus. Jesus was the fulfillment of everything the Law and prophets pointed toward. If youve ever been to a mountaintop, then you are familiar with the idea of feeling miniscule. Our moments with God shouldnt remain hidden in the past. (see Exodus 19)We need the mountaintop experiences to experience the glory of God and receive revelation. You feel overcome by a greater awareness of God's reality. Perhaps it was getting our drivers license at the age of sixteen. If you need it, they have it. And you will walk away changed!. No wonder Peter fell to his face. But as great as those experiences are, there not the greatest experiences of my life. You come down from the mountaintop ready for a changed life. The people live in the valleys. SEE IT FOR THE FATHOMLESS MYSTERY THAT IT IS. We also learn something about how things will be in the next life for the saved: When your body dies, you are not annihilated. Joe cartoons from the 80's that said, " Knowing is half the battle! Through His Word, Jesus presents grace to frightened disciples on the mountain. If there ever was a time for silence, this was it. Many people want special blessings, and mountain top experiences but they do not want to be dedicated to Jesus. First off, there are a variety of flavors, from White Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice, Mint, Caramel and the list goes on. Remember, it was on top of Mt. The word, . glory cloud Ezekiel saw rise from between the cherubim and move to the threshold of the Temple because of Israels apostasy and then slowly rising to be seen no more from the Mount of Olives. There is an actual valley connected to rough times and depression in Psalm 23, known as the shadow of death, that is outside of Jericho in Israel. It was a Mountain experience, because JESUS was there! Now that you have you hot chocolate, it is time to relax. Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Just as the Majestic Glory spoke on the mountain (2 Pet. The realization that I could release control was like lifting bricks off my shoulders. Mountains have a logical religious symbolism for Jewish and Christian cultures since they are "closer to God" who dwells in the heavens (as in the sky). When it happens, they become excited and zealous for God. 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. But the Holy Spirit is not constrained to work through baptism only in the moment when it is administered. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? 2023. Above: Muhammad, Buda, Knish, or any other name. And Im guessing wed have a mountaintop experience at church if we took the time to listen to each other describe our mountaintop experiences. Both can be mountain top experiences, moments when we see God in a new way. David Briscoe is a content editor at Lifeway for Explore the Bible resources. Peter himself later recounts that the disciples were "eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Pet. The stress I feel towards a particular class is so small compared to what really matters in life. For once weve faced them head on, then well have a better understanding of what to do next. 4. of or pertaining to mountains. 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. Define mountaintop. I have established you on the mountaintop. The story in our text today is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke and I believe it's the source of the phrase "A Mountain Top Experience.