And the thought of spending an additional 40 days in the fog listening for the voice of God doesnt excite me either. I love to see goals attained after hard work. Jesus face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. It doesnt mean well have an answer to every question we faced on the mountain top. , when Moses met with God on Mount Sinai he came down with the glory of God radiating off his face. Jesus asked his disciples, who do the people say I am? What we should do is go back every now and then to the memories, the journal entries, the conversations. 1:17). Wood burning fireplace, gas grill, washer and dryer, central heat. Like you thought you grasped the concept of our large world, but then you realize its more incredible than you believed it to be. Here is our startling recognition: the Christian's mountaintop experience is to come in contact with the Word of God. Accessed 4 Mar. This past week I attended a two day conference in Atlanta for facilitators of a program called Listen to Your Life. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. Yes it was temporary eclipsed by the cross, but they remember it after the resurrection and they spoke about it for the rest of their lives. In those moments, do we lose the passion and the awe we once felt on top of that mountain? Psalm 90:2; Exodus 19:17-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Isaiah 52:7; Psalm 121:1-2; Isaiah 54:10. A sunrise view from the Solid Rock Hideaway our Vision. It dishonored Jesus; it put Jesus on the same level with Moses and Elijah! Afterwards, we go back into the valleys where we live our lives. The voice of God clearly identified Jesus as his only son, his beloved son, unique one-of-a-kind son. What is it about mountains that invoke a spiritual or religious response from us as human beings? Then, only Moses and his associate, Joshua moved further up the mountain. He and his disciples went up this mountain to pray. It involves a series of visual maps which are designed to help us sort through the chapters of our life story and rediscover clues about those places in our life where God has been, and is continuing to work. Why not Isaiah and Jeremiah? It was the voice of the Heavenly Father, saying, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. The experience completely mortifiedPeter, James, and Johnuntil Jesus calmed them, and they saw that only Jesus remained. Now that you have you hot chocolate, it is time to relax. Those are great experiences that God has given to me, and I am thankful for them. It was a Mountain top experience, as heaven came down on that mountain. How does a congregation go There is so much to be done here in the valley. Just as Christ shone before the disciples in radiant majesty (2 Pet. Jesus is the only one to ever walk this earth who was absolutely sinless and holy! Moses is a prime example of this. Since the first reported successful climb of that 29,000-foot peak in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, more than four thousand different individuals have experienced the thrill. 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. The stress I feel towards a particular class is so small compared to what really matters in life. I would classify Atlanta as a mountaintop experience. Maybe it was getting married or having children. Heaven will not be a place of strangers. Jesus was always getting away to pray and draw strength from His father. The Father speaks from the cloud (Matt. The next time you have a mountain top experience, whether its at church, on the mission field or in the comfort of your room for not all experiences are charged with emotion know those moments arent wasted. By now, its a Christian clich: the mountaintop experience. Here at Mountaintop Worship Center, we spend every Sunday and Wednesday on the mountaintop. Did we really experience change? We forget what it felt like to trust God while on the mission field. The way to cultivate a close relationship with Jesus is to spend time with him in prayer. The only way to properly do this is to be comfortable, because why relax when you could relax? To hear the voice of God in His Word is to be led to the mountaintop of glory and grace. My help comes from theLord,who made heaven and earth. TheLordwill keep you from allevil;he will keep your life. 1:19). Processing doesnt mean well understand each detail of our experience. Finally, Jesus directed the three disciples not to tell others about their experience until after His resurrection. To grow and restore the family of Christ on the foundation of His Word and His promises. Mountains are a symbol of steadfastness. We wont be able to implant every detail of the mountain top into the valley, but we cant waste those moments. So what next? Jesus was the fulfillment of everything the Law and prophets pointed toward. And what does really matter in life? But the Holy Spirit is not constrained to work through baptism only in the moment when it is administered. Thats when you see people all around you move forward as they listen to the call of their mountain top experience. died on Mt. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Enjoy the teamwork of tackling 4WD challenges, being part of caring community and learning about history and nature as we travel. The people live in the valleys. Cable TV and high speed internet. The mountaintop experience enables the believer to remain stable when they reach low points in their life. For once weve faced them head on, then well have a better understanding of what to do next. First things first, don't be afraid to talk openly about mountain top experiences with your students. You feel overcome by a greater awareness of God's reality. Then in Matthew 17, Jesus is once again climbing a mountaintradition says it's Mt. 3. a huge amount: a mountain of mail. Once weve processed our mountain top experience, well be able to face the valley without resentment or guilt. Valleys contain lakes and streams and are where rich grasses and varied types of trees grow.Therefore, ranchers take their cattle and sheep to the valley for the rich food. Taborthis time with his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John. Baptism is NOT something we do. With this idea, though, one final observation must be made. Some experiences are more calm and rational moments. Our future includes a great change- corruption-incorruption; mortal- immortal. V:35-And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, this is my beloved son: hear him. After a certain amount of time the caterpillar comes out of the cocoon a butterfly. Jesus climbing to the top of a mountain not to receive, but to give a new interpretation and understanding of those laws shaping our communal life together as Christians through the Sermon on the Mount. The chosen son of God, the Savior of the world! A sermon delivered by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, Nc., March 6, 2011. The other gospel writers say his raiment was white as snow, as no washer on earth could make them. -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. Then in Matthew 17, Jesus is once again climbing a mountaintradition says its Mt. Im guessing most of us have had at least one episode in our lives wed call a mountaintop experience. Moses climbing Mt. Others need to share with a close friend a detailed description of all they experienced. It is the most sacred spot on earth! And minds that were already spinning are now completely blown. What an amazing sight! In later reflection, Peter described what he heard as the Majestic Glory (2 Pet. If the bible is any guide, theres no better place to meet the divine than on or around a mountain. 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. 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! My purpose is to lead believers into a deeper relationship with God, resulting in them becoming A Bold Christian. Yet we can quickly walk down off the mountain and return to normal life in the valley. God knows how our brains work and how our individual personalities respond. But the valley experience is just as important to our Christian walk. Most of us have had some type of mountaintop experience during our lifetime. When the Word is preached, the power and majesty of God are communicated to His people. Perhaps they were previously lost, or filled with anger, depression, addiction, confusion. It matters not that the mountain is composed of a lot of stuff. Im glad Joani could share today because I really needed a fresh illustration of a mountaintop experience for this sermon! those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. Horeb, which is described in the bible as the mountain of God. Later, Moses will climb Mt. Peter immediately recommended the building of three shelters, presumably so that all six people could stay together on the mountain indefinitely. A bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud. Pastor James McDonald describes the biblical mountaintop experience as one that involves your mind, emotions, and will. The glory of God shines the brightest with the topic of conversation is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ! But what, biblically speaking, is a mountaintop experience? TheLordwill keepyour going out and your cominginfrom this time on and for evermore. No wonder Peter fell to his face. Nighttime temperatures drop wellbelow zero, the air is razor-thin, and killer storms can strike without warning. Delivered to your inbox! When I heard that story, I identified with it so very much. It is interesting to imagine what it would be like to staff other peoples mountain top experiences. Is what youre worried about really worth the worry? It actually turned out to be a good place. And Im guessing wed have a mountaintop experience at church if we took the time to listen to each other describe our mountaintop experiences. Now for the Lords prophetic word: This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Mountaintop Worship Center. Ironically, the three disciples misunderstood nearly everything about that experience as it was occurring. This is what all our experiences, all our theology, all our work should come to; bring is to the place to see Jesus! Believe: What Secret Does It Hold For You Today. Certainly, there is a rhythmic, ordinary nature to daily encounter with Gods Word. If there ever was a time for silence, this was it. 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. 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; . It is time to drop the negative connotation attached to valleys and embrace their true purpose. My belief is the valley is as good as the mountaintop and just as important to our spiritual growth. Jesus does not fall to temptation but whips the Devil soundly on the mountain, and the Evil One slinks away, biding his time until he can harass Jesus again. 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. Yet over time we go back to normal life. We stayed just outside the park, in full view of the snow-topped mountain range. 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. It had been six hundred years since anyone in Israel had seen the Shekinah glory cloud. From this mountain-top experience, we learn the purpose of mountain-top experiences. What is the purpose of a Mountain-top experience? The transfiguration was a foreshadowing of that event, but Christs followers would not be able to clearly see that until after the resurrection.