Mark 9:1-13. We delight in the feeling of being especially close to God. The next moment, Jesus is frustrated by the lack of faith in his followers and lets them know about it. Mountains are used as a metaphor for a spiritual high just as valleys are used for spiritual lows. And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. Even for Jesus, the mountaintop experience didn’t last. I can remember my first ascension to a mountain top well. Their failure came in spite of the fact that Jesus had “given them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases” (9:1). / By all means desire and treasure mountain top experiences. You learn patience and about waiting. In Luke 9:28-36, Jesus had the ultimate mountaintop experience. Join the happening experiences, conversations, & environments of people in South Africa, India, Nepal, Mexico, & … Mountain Top Experience. Our last article of short stories became so popular, that we decided to create another list, in which every story has a simple moral behind it. (Mark 9:2-3 ESV), Jesus takes his inner circle to a mountain with him and they experience a “God thing.”. All the stories you hear are so hardcore, of people lost on Everest or K2. It was something unlike anything they had ever seen. You see this awesome thing, you want to keep reliving it over again and again and Jesus says, “Oh yeah, by the way, don’t mention this to anyone until I have risen again.”. September 28, 2017. What one incident or event comes to your mind when you think of the life of Jesus? January 28-29, 2017. Every resource on our site was made possible through the financial support of people like you. Helps you reflect on your mountaintop experiences and reminds you of God’s power. Calvary, which was the Mt. With your gift of any size, you’ll enable us to continue equipping Christians with high-quality biblically-based content. If you have ever climbed a mountain, you know how exciting it is to realize you are about to get on top of one of the world’s roofs—especially for the first time when you do not yet know what to expect or how it is going to be like. Would you consider donating? 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. He graciously gives us these experiences so we are able to navigate the many valleys in our lives, not so we can stay on the mountain. 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. Forever, because nothing in all creation can separate me from your love. Martin Luther King said that he had been to the mountaintop, Moses was on the mountaintop with God, Jesus had a powerful prayer meeting on the mountain top…..mountaintop experiences…what in Pete’s name is going on up there? September 27, 2017. It’s OK to moan, groan and cry out to the Lord. Moses received the law from God on the mountain and Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on the mountain by the power of prayer. Be sure to never create an idol by living for them instead of Jesus. This is what happens on our thin places and mountaintops. We remember with fondness times in our lives when God seemed especially real, when the barrier between ourselves and God seemed particularly “thin.” (Of course, you don’t have to be up on a mountain peak to have such an experience. Earth. Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Have you ever had an experience like that of Jesus in this passage, in which a mountaintop experience is followed by disappointing or discouraging events? Mountain top experiences. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. Rev. Laity Lodge, the retreat center where I work, lies in a magnificent canyon carved by the Frio River. Produced by The High Calling, 10 Key Points About Work in the Bible That Every Christian Should Know, Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership, God’s Provision (Luke 9:10-17; 12:4-7; 12:22-31), For All Who Are Working, Help Us As We Work (Prayer), For These and All Good Things We Give Thanks (Prayer), Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. And slowly, the glory on Moses' face would fade. Listen to him” (9:36). Nehemiah 2:17 – The Christian Response To Disaster. You know, the tough ones of life. 4. Yes, our Enemy has been at work. Things seem paradoxically bigger and smaller at the same time. Our mission is to get every believer in the Word every day. Most of us have had a similar experience, maybe not as intense, but a “mountain top” experience nonetheless. Exodus 19:17-20 “And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. You learn how to be still in the Lord. Or times of retreat and prayer in which God seems so close, so intimate...times when we break through what a famous mystic called 'the cloud of … 17. Ruth Faith Santana-Grace. You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work), under the condition that you must give appropriate credit to The High Calling, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You and I experience the valleys of life. Luke 12:20-21 – Blessed By God, Blessing Others. I have had many mountaintop experiences in the Lord and I love it up there. For those on whose work we depend, we give thanks. Moses would come down from the mountain top with his face shining, while the rest of the Israelites hide in their tents in fear. This expression has originated from the Bible because of the dealings God had with His people on various “mountain-tops”. It may have been while worshipping at youth camp, a prayer meeting, or maybe even during a normal day. What a contrast! The air gets thinner there and the plants get scarcer, the higher one climbs up the mountain. Once upon a time, this guy named Fred decided that he was rough and tough enough to seek his fortune in the Wild West. There is no universal definition of a mountain. In fact, it’s crazy just how powerful a 200 word story can be. While literally upon a mountain, he was transfigured, glowing with heavenly glory as he conversed with Moses and Elijah. Daily Devotional Bible Verse. 15. I … The tiny bar is made of driftwood stilted on a huge sandbar, about a quarter mile (400 metres) out at the sea. Rather, he acted with mercy, rebuking the evil spirit and healing the boy (9:42). Moses went on a mountaintop to receive the Ten Commandments: Exodus 24 (16] And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. A good example is John’s testimony in the 21st chapter of Revelation, where he says: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. Published by The High Calling, March 24, 2011. My second reaction to this story is to realize how much I am like the disciples who lacked the faith to cast the demon out of the afflicted boy. In Holland, Belgium and Denmark, the … Remember how Elijah challenged the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. What did you do with it when it was over? Throughout Luke, Jesus teaches that living in God’s kingdom means looking to God, rather than human effort,... For all who have no work, God give them your strength. They, too, were caught up in the cloud and surrounded by God’s grace. Given that the emotional and spiritual highs of the mountaintop don’t last, how can you continue to live faithfully? Used with Permission. 17. Jesus’ initial response to the frantic father is striking and unsettling: “You faithless and corrupt people...how long must I be with you and put up with you?” Given the context of this saying, it seems clear that Jesus was responding to the failure of his disciples to cast out the demon. Mountain-top experiences are part of life - and they are often part of the life of faith. One moment, Jesus glows with heavenly glory, proclaimed by a heavenly voice to be the Son of God. So it is no surprise that Jesus brings His three “pillars” (Galatians 2:9) with Him up a high mountain to experience a special moment of … Edward F. Markquart, Mountains, Valleys, and Plains _____ Fully Awake Elijah returns to the same mountain, also known as Horeb, to hear what God’s “still, small voice” has to say (I Kings 19:8). Then, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, as I read this story, I am struck, first of all, by how much I relate to your experience. 2 talking about this. Both of them suffered great discouragement. How I thank you that you have answered the question of “how long” in your mercy and grace. Martin Luther King's final speech: 'I've been to the mountaintop' -- The full text King talked about dying in a speech the day before his slaying April 4, 1968. By Mark D. Roberts. How long will you put up with me? Kim Jong Un instructs a soldier to jump. The world seems bigger on a physical mountain top. Life doesn’t seem right if one of those experiences isn’t right around the corner. Thank you, dear Lord, for never letting go of me! The Bible has several "mountaintop experiences." O Lord, I wonder how many times you have wanted to say about me, “You faithless and corrupt person, how long must I be with you and put up with you?” Forgive me, Lord, for my lack of faith, for the inconsistency of my obedience. 3:16-17), he was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil forty days and forty nights. You faithless and corrupt people,” Jesus said, “how long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”, Most people love mountaintop experiences. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. The most famous is the 10th-century novel Taketori Monogatari . Then, when a cloud covered the mountain, a voice proclaimed, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. But mountaintop experiences don’t last, even for Jesus. In the English language we have the expression “mountain-top experience”. The money helps with operational costs and is 100% tax deductible. Peter wanted to do just this (Mark 9:5), he wanted to make a memorial to what happened on the mountain so they could come to it and relive the event. 5 ways to make a difference at work, taken from wisdom in the Book of Daniel (6-minute read). Both of these men had great mountain top experiences in their lifetime. In Luke 9:28-36, Jesus had the ultimate mountaintop experience. He was not governed by his emotions, either the highs or the lows. He did not let his discouragement guide his heart. Remember how God revealed Himself to Moses. They began looking for an experience instead of living their life for Jesus. But also remember there are no short cuts to the mountain top. Rocks. Amazing worship experiences perhaps. Amen. Having a mountain top experience means that our vision changes. How long will you be with me? And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. The 10 Best Short […] Some attempt to relive the same experience everywhere they go. So, cherish these mountain top experiences, and draw from them in the valleys. We are to go to the mountain because it is away from the busy life of the valley. ... Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by. For growth, we have to come down the mountain and go into the valleys, where there is an abundance of water, which produces lush greenery and rich colors. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Go to the mountain. Remember how Noah landed on a mountain top after the flood. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. But Jesus didn’t allow him to, and he brought them all back down the mountain, telling them not to mention this until he was risen from the dead (Mark 9:9). Very soon after their mountain-top experience they had to wander in the wilderness. While literally upon a mountain, he was transfigured, glowing with heavenly glory as he conversed with Moses and Elijah. 19. As Jesus was praying, something very strange happened. A 20-minutes boat ride from Negril’s coast will take you to the unusual bar out in the ocean. Mark 9:2-3 – The Mountain Top Experience. I thought about Moses, who climbed the mountain to speak face to face with God. Mountaintop experiences are something we’ve known about for a long time. After he descended from the mountain, he encountered a crowd of people that included a desperate man. It is the real world and the real life. No, I haven’t been transfigured recently! In the classic fantasy book by J.R.R. Image by The disciples didn’t understand this (Mark 9:10), but Jesus knew what he was doing. It’s almost as if some Enemy had a plan to discourage them! His ministry was not motivated by mountaintop experiences, but by his faithfulness in fulfilling his calling as God’s Son, the Chosen One. Theology of Work Project Online Materials by The High Calling are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The soldier says "Please Putin, I have a wife and children!" Brian Bill. 20. That was a climb all the way, and He was heading for the mountain top experience that makes all other mountain top experiences possible, and that was the cross. On the top of the mountain, the disciples are alive. Thus, I am reminded not to build my life around the mountaintop moments, but rather to choose to live faithfully in the trenches of daily life. Thu., Sept. 25, 2008 Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by. A mountaintop experience can get our heads clear and help us zero in on what God has for us. You and I both know what happens the next day coming down from the mountain. This 4-day plan from Theology of Work Project and Workmatters provides simple steps you can take to be more loving to your coworkers that will transform those relationships and increase both joy and productivity at work. Are you holding on to your “mountain top” experiences more tightly than you’re holding on to Jesus? Jesus did not die in a valley, but on a hill. Jesus gave them the glowing mountain top to aid them through the dark valley when he would be taken away and murdered. Sinai is the epitome of the mountain top experience because Moses met God but then had to descend the mountain and return to regular life. The demands, pressures and stress of work can put a huge strain on relationships with our coworkers. It tells the story of a mysterious baby found in the forest by a bamboo cutter. So the phrase has come to mean a moment of transcendence – or epiphany; and in particular an experience … Mountains often had a significant role in God’s dealings with His people. In your love, I find the strength to press on, in spite of my failures. Many centuries later, after Jesus was baptized and after he heard the voice of God speaking to him from heaven (Matt. It was a hill we call Mt. Stories that have morals and messages behind them are always powerful. (This was in the days when the Wild West meant Texas and Arizona, with indians, outlaws, tornados and droughts-not the current situation, where the Wild West means California and you have to brave hottubs, mellowspeak, fires and earthquakes. (Mark 9:2-3 ESV) One day, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up onto a mountain to pray. On the top of the mountain itself, you find mostly rock and dirt. But we don’t tend to speak of “canyon bottom experiences” even at Laity Lodge.). As I listen to people talk about their retreat experiences at Laity Lodge, I often hear a similar story. In these thin places, the weight of the world seems to lessen just a bit, and we might be freer to experience something new. (Deuteronomy 34:29-34) The McKenzie River Trail has everything you’ll love in a … I never want to come back down. A time when suddenly God moved in a way you had never experienced. Then, when a cloud covered the mountain, a voice proclaimed, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Disappointment did not keep Jesus from doing what he had been called to do. The evil spirit difference at work, taken from wisdom in the Lord says that the appearance his... Come before him with music and song place was a frightening experience what happens the day! Because nothing in all creation can separate me from your love, find... 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