Mountain Top Experience

-


Scripture:

Matt. 17:4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Matt. 17:5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
Matt. 17:6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.
Matt. 17:7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”

Observation:

Jesus took the "inner circle" of his disciples with him to the Mount of Transfiguration.  Here they experienced something that they had never experienced before -- the very presence of God.  Peter was probably a little ADD -- and always had something to say before really thinking about the situation….but he is interrupted by the voice of God.  In this moment Jesus -- the Messiah - is declared to be the Son of God.  The disciples are instructed to listen to him.  They are overcome with awe at the moment of being there and they fall to the ground.  But Jesus touches them, encouraging them and tells them to not be afraid -- and so they come down from the mountain.

Application:

Last evening was one of those mountain top experiences here in Estes Park, Colorado.  Maybe it seems that way because we are up here in the beautiful Rocky Mountains -- or maybe it's because the presence of God settled down upon us in such a powerful way.  I don't think I've ever been to a service where the presence of God was so thick that no one wanted to move.  We sat there in holy hushed silence soaking in the very presence of God.  Every now and then a single voice would begin to lead us in a song of worship before our God.  This went on for -- actually I don't even know how long -- time seemed to stand still in the kairos of God. 

There is a sense of being strengthened and encouraged by having been in the very presence of Jesus but today we will go back down the mountain.  It's been an incredible time and yet now Jesus is coming to us and saying "Get up and do not be afraid."  Our mountaintop experiences strengthen and encourage us and prepare us for what God has in store.  But after those experiences we must pack up our bags, head back down the mountain and go in the strength and grace of God. 

I'm grateful for these mountaintop times -- but I will rise up and move forward and not be afraid -- for he is with me.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for allowing us the privilege of being blessed by your holy presence.  Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more