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V:30-31-And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. It means when you worry, stress, or get angry, think about your struggles from a different perspective. Jesus would rise in a glorified body, ascend to heaven and sit on the right hand of the throne of God. Accessed 4 Mar. This is the walk Jesus makes of his life. He will not let your foot be moved;he who keeps you will not slumber. In later reflection, Peter described what he heard as the Majestic Glory (2 Pet. Soaking in the memory of what God revealed to us on the mountain will remind us of our purpose in the valley. I recently heard a man say that he had worked all of his life to get to the top of his own personal mountain. Peter immediately recommended the building of three shelters, presumably so that all six people could stay together on the mountain indefinitely. Living, Planning, Dying Well: Getting Your Affairs in Order, 2023 Youth Sunday & Souper Bowl of Caring, Interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Advent Gift Market a yearlong commitment to mission. Im glad Joani could share today because I really needed a fresh illustration of a mountaintop experience for this sermon! Theres only one tabernacle where God dwells, Jesus Christ! 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). This past summer I worked every day in a place surrounded by mountains. 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. You can read my full article about the importance of the mountaintop experience HERE. If youve ever been to a mountaintop, then you are familiar with the idea of feeling miniscule. Pastor James McDonald describes the biblical mountaintop experience as one that involves your mind, emotions, and will. My time in Dallas was informative and meaningful and challenging, but I would not say it was a mountaintop experience. Copyright 2023, Good Faith Media | Site by, Lincoln Lessons: Real Church, Real Theology, New GFM Podcast on Race, Religion and Politics Drops in, Five Things to Listen for in Raceless Gospel Podcast. mountain noun [C] (VERY LARGE HILL) A2 a raised part of the earth's surface, much larger than a hill, the top of which might be covered in snow: The Matterhorn is one of the biggest mountains in Europe. This past week I attended a two day conference in Atlanta for facilitators of a program called Listen to Your Life. 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. Time to forget about any work you have to do, and treat the weekend as a weekend. 17:1). Climbing the mountains in Western North Carolina with my former youth from Indiana who made it a tradition to climb together early in the morning and then share affirmations on the mountain top at the end of a Montreat Youth Conference. God's benevolence stretches this description to the breaking point. But those were all just moments. 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. But it will give us time and space to allow the intensity of those moments to sit raw and open as we transition back to the valley. 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. There, for Peter, the mountain-hearing of the Fathers Majestic-Glory serves as the paradigm for the churchs engagement with the Word of God. What we should do is go back every now and then to the memories, the journal entries, the conversations. Under his feet lay challenge after challenge that he had encountered along the way in his business and personal life. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Even though winter is ending soon, it does not mean the cold is. Did you notice that Joani is in a waiting period after her time on the mountain? Mountain Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster The people live in the valleys. But the valley experience is just as important to our Christian walk. For six days Peter and the other 11 disciples have their heads spinning by the prediciton that Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, would die on a cross. 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. The sum total of the Christian life is listening to and doing what Jesus says. Not sure of the resources you need for Bible study? But as Jesus and his inner circle stood on that mountain the Shekinah glory cloud overshadowed them. I have placed you on the mountaintop for my glory in the last days.. Moses climbing Mt. On the Mountain of Transfiguration it looks like things happen in a hurry. But dedication to Jesus is the key to blessings. All rights reserved. -They spoke about his decrease, which he would accomplish at Jerusalem, There on that high mountain with the representatives of the O.T. They would come down that mountain knowing without a shadow of a doubt who Jesus Christ was! Became pastor of the church in Jerusalem, and was martyred for Preaching Jesus. Delivered to your inbox! And I find myself squirming when I read that Moses spent six days engulfed in the clouds on the top of Mt. 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. The believers present experience of hearing the Word of God parallels the experience of hearing the voice of God on the mountain. That thought even reminds me of a song that was once sung by a group that was known as Blood, Sweat and Tears entitled "Spinning Wheel". How do we come down the mountain and begin living normal life while holding onto what weve learned? This past week we spent our vacation at the base of the Rocky Mountains and went into the National Park each day to climb this mountain or that mountain - all reasonable morning hikes. The term "mountain top experience" comes from those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. It is the most sacred spot on earth! -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. Christianity is living a life of obedience to Jesus! 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. Simon Peter and the brothers James and John accompanied Jesus one day up on a high mountain (Matt. Together they represent the entire O.T. As Christians, when we know what we have, we never want to leave the mountain of God. Is what youre worried about really worth the worry? Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Baptism is NOT something we do. Some only lasted for mere minutes. 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. But as great as it will be to see our loved ones, the main person we will want to see will be JESUS! When we read His Word, the Majestic Glory of God speaks through His Spirit. My belief is the valley is as good as the mountaintop and just as important to our spiritual growth. But sitting each day in the shadow of the mountains made me wonder how we can find better ways to continue to connect with and draw inspiration from those brief moments when we have been on the mountain - meditating on the scripture or hymns that remind us of our mountain top experiences, bringing images back with us from our spiritual mountain tops and keeping them in places that call to mind our moments on the mountain. Yet over time we go back to normal life. 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. It could have been graduating from college and then stepping into a dream job. I would classify Atlanta as a mountaintop experience. 5. living, growing, or located in the mountains. Jesus would rise in a glorified body, ascend to heaven and sit on the right hand of the throne of God. When is the last time you had a mountain-top experience? God doesnt intend for us to live in a perpetual state of emotional highs when it comes to faith. Theyre moments when we experience God in an intense, intimate way. Now suddenly, Jesus invites Peter, James, and John for an evening hike up Mt. In other words, the fulfillment of the Messiahs mission of salvation was nearer than the three disciplesknew. As soon as Jesus and company reach the summit, he undergoes the mysterious process of transfiguration. 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. Those are great experiences that God has given to me, and I am thankful for them. Death moves our soul to another place, and that particular place is determined by what you do with Jesus in this life. At least, that pattern held true for the likes of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. On that mountaintop I realized that all the problems and worries that suffocate me daily were so worldly. This reminds me of Church! Branded DISC Profile Service Back Office Login (has a different login than this website). Appropriately enough, both Moses and Elijah, the greatest lawgiver and the greatest prophet, show up to talk with Jesus. 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. Sinai. It is regularly updated with the latest 4WD developments, and with amusing anecdotes and stories . And if we keep moving upward an onward, we will eventually get to the peak or sum total of our own personal mountaintop experience! Mountain top removal Definition | Law Insider Amen, we all agree with that; to be on the mountain top in the presence of Jesus and to see His glory! 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. It had been six hundred years since anyone in Israel had seen the Shekinah glory cloud. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Worrying about finances doesnt measure up to what really matters in life. Granted, Jesus did some of his best work on and around water, but he was a mountain man, too. Perhaps they were previously lost, or filled with anger, depression, addiction, confusion. Taborthis time with his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John. Moses is a prime example of this. 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. Mountain Top TV No monthly fee. Jesus was the fulfillment of everything the Law and prophets pointed toward. The Cross was a great accomplishment; not an accident, tragedy, disaster! This is my favorite source for everything Christian. When you looked at Jesus he was a common, ordinary Jew-, YET Jesus Christ was much more than a common man when he walked on this earth. You might have been counting down the days until spring, but make the most of these chilly and cloudy days. The way to cultivate a close relationship with Jesus is to spend time with him in prayer. And the thought of spending an additional 40 days in the fog listening for the voice of God doesnt excite me either. Prophecy is not about a happening, an event, is about a person. Then in Matthew 17, Jesus is once again climbing a mountaintradition says it's Mt. We forget what it felt like to trust God while on the mission field. We long for the mountaintop. By now, its a Christian clich: the mountaintop experience. To grow and restore the family of Christ on the foundation of His Word and His promises. And appropriately enough, a bright cloud overshadows them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom I am well pleased; listen to him! As great as Moses and Elijah were, Jesus was and is greater still. We are to listen to no voice that contradicts his voice, his word! Yes, I was on a literal mountaintop, but I am talking about a biblical mountaintop experience. - the law and the, Prophets; the son of God and the three great apostles of the church they are talking about the Cross!