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We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. If youve ever been to a mountaintop, then you are familiar with the sensation of inexplicable awe. 2. Yet, right after this, Christians often go back into the valley where they seem to dwell most of the time. Any place be it mountaintop, retreat center, or worship service, that can change you inside out should be considered dangerous. Just as the disciples heard the Word on the mountain (2 Pet. We wont be able to implant every detail of the mountain top into the valley, but we cant waste those moments. as he tells you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow him. the law and the prophets. And minds that were already spinning are now completely blown. The Israelites were deeply moved by what Moses reported, and promised to obey all that they had heard. When is the last time you had a mountain-top experience? Sleeps up to 6 (one queen bed, one double bed, and two twin beds). This unmediated view of the living God happened once, and only once in the Old Testament. 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. But what, biblically speaking, is a mountaintop experience? We go down to the valley to meditate on our recent revelation, allowing us to learn from our mountaintop experiences. Or you were convicted about something in your life that you now need accountability for from a friend or mentor. Nighttime temperatures drop wellbelow zero, the air is razor-thin, and killer storms can strike without warning. Then later, on the top of Mt. V:29-his arraignment was white and glistening. top maun-tn-tp Synonyms of mountaintop : the summit of a mountain Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web Barkley spent his final four seasons with the Rockets, but the team's big threecomprised of him, as well as Olajuwon and Clyde Drexlerwas never able to get them back to the NBA mountaintop. Or did we just respond with emotions that were not actually genuine for the long run? Then, for another forty days he remained in the fiery cloud of Gods presence, receiving still more revelation from God. As he stood there looking out over his life and all of his accomplishments, he looked down and realized that the mountaintop was not at all what he thought it would be. Moses was reflecting the glory of God because he had been in the presence of God; that is something we all should do! Simon Peter and the brothers James and John accompanied Jesus one day up on a high mountain (Matt. That is the reality of the experience of this thing we call life. We experience gratitude most naturally and intensely when a giver (1) unpredictably and (2) at cost to him- or herself (3) transfers to our full possession (4) a benefit that pleases us. It was their ultimate mountaintop experience. Remember, Moses first met God at the burning bush on Mt. Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. It was a Mountain top experience, as heaven came down on that mountain. Jesus deity and glory would be hid; but they knew underneath his humanity, was deity. Why does God allow you to have a Mountain-top experience? The glory cloud was a sign that Jesus was Gods dwelling place on earth, Jesus was the Mercy seat, he alone provides salvation and forgiveness! 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. 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. Not all mountain top experiences drip with emotion. That had to be a long six days. Because whatever happens, God has it all in control. Like if you take one step forward you will fall endlessly and helplessly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a mountain top experience. Now would be the time to get involved in a church or Bible study. Thats why he wanted to build dwellings or booths on top of Mt. Carmel that Elijah staged his mesmerizing victory over 450 prophets of Baal when God breathed down fire from heaven at Elijahs request. Climbing the mountain we now claim as Mt. We also learn something about how things will be in the next life for the saved: When your body dies, you are not annihilated. while Peter is still talking; God interrupts Peters speech. Maybe youve realized a new passion you have that you can practice in your community. As soon as Jesus and company reach the summit, he undergoes the mysterious process of transfiguration. If you have Netflix or Hulu, the possibilities of movies are endless. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. Recently, when I was complaining to a friend about waiting for God to do something, this spiritually wise person noted that God almost never hurries. Barkley spent his final four seasons with the Rockets, but the team's big threecomprised of him, as well as Olajuwon and Clyde Drexlerwas never able to get them back to the NBA, Later that day in February, Ms. Dean visited the, The Tanners handed the Red & Black their first loss of the season and reminded everyone who sits atop the Middlesex, The duo in recent days flew back to Los Angeles from the snowy city of Aspen, Colorado, where they were huddled in deep planning, and now like holy figures coming down from the, The best team in the states largest classification reached the, In the film, Korean detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) is probing the death of a climber who fell from a, Post the Definition of mountaintop to Facebook, Share the Definition of mountaintop on Twitter, The businesss new computer system proved not to be a. Lead me to those where the harvest is ready, for I am Your willing laborer.In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 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. God met me in Atlanta and it seemed to me that He was saying, Lets do this together.. Our job is to share Gods reconciliation with them and bring them to the mountaintop for their own personal experience with God. Now that you have you hot chocolate, it is time to relax. Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. It actually turned out to be a good place. We cant disqualify a mountain top experience as just an emotional reaction. But then Jesus touched them and told them to get up and not be afraid. And if we keep moving upward an onward, we will eventually get to the peak or sum total of our own personal mountaintop experience! God's benevolence stretches this description to the breaking point. I found myself late every afternoon sitting and simply meditating on the mountains, remembering what it was like to be on top of them and giving thanks for their ancient and imposing beauty. The Mountaintop Experience. However, there will be times of hard work, traffic jams, taxes, wasted time, frustrating situations, wrecked dreams, lost money, broken relationships and the list of challenges that we face at some point in our lifetime could go on and on. If youve ever been to a mountaintop, then you are familiar with the idea of feeling miniscule. White in the Bible speaks of purity, absolute holiness. Finally, its just Moses moving to the top of Mt. The relationships he had with family and friends had caused him both happiness and sorrow. These guys had seen Jesus on multiple occasions, do amazing things, but they had NEVER seen him like they are going to see him on that mountain. Like the testing of Abraham ( Genesis 22:1-19 ), the receiving of the Ten Commandments ( Exodus 19-20:21) and, of course, the transfiguration ( Matthew 17:1-13 ). 1:16), so the Word is as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Pet. the mighty apostle of Pentecost was a great leader in the early church, crucified upside down. Frankly, I cant imagine being stuck in a dense mountain fog for six days with absolutely nothing to do but look at the fog! If youll notice, neither Moses nor Jesus retired on top of a mountain. These three disciples are none as the inner circle; Jesus let them in on things the other disciples didnt get in on. It matters not that the mountain is composed of a lot of stuff. It is on the mountaintop we receive revelation from God, and it is where we often experience the tangible, felt presence of God. It means when you worry, stress, or get angry, think about your struggles from a different perspective. Enjoy the teamwork of tackling 4WD challenges, being part of caring community and learning about history and nature as we travel. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. The term "mountain top experience" comes from those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. That is what happens to Peter, James and John on that mountain. They took my breath away from ground level and, when I climbed them, they whisked away any anxious thought Id ever have. This is what all our experiences, all our theology, all our work should come to; bring is to the place to see Jesus! What matters most is that you end up standing on top of it all rather than being consumed by it! It is interesting to imagine what it would be like to staff other peoples mountain top experiences. 17:4). TheLordwill keepyour going out and your cominginfrom this time on and for evermore. On one particular hike, the sun was setting, the warm air brushed against me, and the silence engulfed me. And eventually Peter would deny the very one who changed his life. But heaven will be a place of glory! Sinai again and again to commune with God and to better understand not just the essential laws for the life of the community, but the rhythms and cycles of what their covenantal life together will be like in the Promised Land. Accessed 4 Mar. the cloud which covered the Tabernacle with Gods glory. So what next? They were catching a glimpse of the glory that God would reveal in Jesus Christ in the future. I love to see families encouraging and helping one another. The problem .read more This is so prevalent that the mountaintop experience has become a Christian clich of excitement and zeal. Dear Lord, I thank you for every mountaintop experience I have had and look forward to more of them. Jesus would rise in a glorified body, ascend to heaven and sit on the right hand of the throne of God. Taborthis time with his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John. At the very least, tell a fellow Christian about your decision and ask for guidance. Lastly, the best part is the toppings. They are solid and unmovable. Many people want special blessings, and mountain top experiences but they do not want to be dedicated to Jesus. I doubt any of us will go there. TheLordis your keeper;theLordis your shade at your right hand. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Gorgeous mountain views off the deck 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. 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. Those moments at a worship concert or at the end of a sermon when the person holding the microphone makes a powerful speech with emotional music playing in the background. There, for Peter, the mountain-hearing of the Fathers Majestic-Glory serves as the paradigm for the churchs engagement with the Word of God. The only way to properly do this is to be comfortable, because why relax when you could relax? Ironically, the three disciples misunderstood nearly everything about that experience as it was occurring. Check out my Recommended Resources list. One of the principles of listening to God speak through scripture is that you should notice what causes you to resist as well as resonate. Youve never seen something so beautiful and peaceful. The sum total of the Christian life is listening to and doing what Jesus says. A sermon delivered by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, Nc., March 6, 2011. Peter, James, and John climb up this high mountain with Jesus; probably Mount. Dan Allender has written, God has crafted our character and gives us a role that will reveal something about Him that no-one elses story can reveal in quite the same way. I am excited to see How God can lead us to discover our unique stories and then become Holy Listeners for each other. Here is our startling recognition: the Christians mountaintop experience is to come in contact with the Word of God. DISC Certification, Speaker Boot Camp etc. Yet over time we go back to normal life. 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. We are to listen to no voice that contradicts his voice, his word! You learn something new about who God is. This past week I attended a two day conference in Atlanta for facilitators of a program called Listen to Your Life. I suddenly gained a perspective about life I had never had up until that moment. (. What we should do is go back every now and then to the memories, the journal entries, the conversations. This is the walk all . Yet over time we go back to normal life. In the last days the mountain of the Lords house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. A variety of day trips, long weekends, and extended . Sinai. But our mountaintop moments are not designed by God just to give us warm fuzzies at high altitudesthey are designed to go fill us with the Spirit of God that we have the courage and strength to do the work of the kingdom in the valley. 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. Do what I have called you to do, and people will say, Let us go to Mountaintop Worship Center. n. The summit of a 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". 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. Both can be mountain top experiences, moments when we see God in a new way. And if weve implanted them in some way in our present, then revisiting them will prove a way to spur us on as we continue to live changed. about evangelism. When we read His Word, the Majestic Glory of God speaks through His Spirit. It is the most sacred spot on earth! Despite this uncertainty, the definition of a mountain is a landform that rises significantly above the surrounding landscape. tain maun-tn often attributive Synonyms of mountain 1 a : a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill The sun set behind the mountains. Peter said it is good to be here. I have ordered from them with great satisfaction for over 20 years. After surviving his 40 day and night fast, Jesus climbs down one mountain only to go up another, where he delivers the greatest sermon of all time, the "Sermon on the Mount.". IN THE BOREDOM AND PAIN OF IT NO LESS THAN IN THE EXCITEMENT, AND GLADNESS: TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL YOUR WAY TO THE HOLY, BECAUSE IN THE LAST ANALYSIS, ALL MOMENTS, ARE KEY MOMENTS AND ALL OF LIFE ITSELF IS GRACE. II. 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. I'm sure you have left over hot chocolate from November and December, so it's time to finish them off. Jesus skin and clothing no longer glowed. Even so, flaws and all, God sends us from our mountaintops into the valleys below. You come down from the mountaintop ready for a changed life. Here at Mountaintop Worship Center, we spend every Sunday and Wednesday on the mountaintop. In other words, the fulfillment of the Messiahs mission of salvation was nearer than the three disciplesknew. there is only one way to be saved and that is through. And so: Often, 2 Peter 1:16-21 is presented with the idea that Peter contrasts the visual mountain experience with the Word-based experience of heeding the prophetic word more fully confirmed (2 Pet. Copyright www.personality-insights.com. For this reason, friends, its only fair to tell you that mountaintops can be dangerous places. And one day he would return with clouds of glory at his second coming. 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. As the transfiguration reveals, the voice of Majestic Glory in the Word is a fearful thing. For after the disciples fall in fear, the Divine Voice speaks again on the mountain. Heaven or Hell! 2023. 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. -For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit really works through the sacrament of baptism. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples will come and say, Come, lets go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. We see Him working and moving throughout the lives of the people there, and we come home with a new vigor to live life differently, more passionately. Many of us have walked through our own mountain top experience. 3. a huge amount: a mountain of mail. For Christians, it seems that anything from a relaxing woods retreat to a Mountain-Dew-induced sugar-high at a youth conference can gain the mountaintop moniker. Did we really experience change? Wood burning fireplace, gas grill, washer and dryer, central heat. Those moments will hide themselves away, unsure as to their place in our routines. But, maybe you say, The church doesnt hear the voice like Peter did. In any case, whenever something really wonderful happens to us, our excitement causes us to view it as one of lifes mountaintop experiences. Both had been shown Gods glory on those mountains. Appropriately enough, both Moses and Elijah, the greatest lawgiver and the greatest prophet, show up to talk with Jesus. for a mountain-top experiences is that you will: Jesus was not alone on the mountain, two famous men from the Old Testament show up. 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. It is regularly updated with the latest 4WD developments, and with amusing anecdotes and stories . Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. I call them mountain-top experiences! When the Word is preached, the power and majesty of God are communicated to His people. Then in Matthew 17, Jesus is once again climbing a mountaintradition says it's Mt. Their eyes opened and they saw a whole new reality; the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. I love to see groups of people work together and everyone succeed. those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. This will make any chill session that much more enjoyable. When I heard that story, I identified with it so very much. 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. Build a pillow fort on your bed in any clear space using four chairs, an abundance of blankets and all the pillows you can find. . Moses who represents those who die; and Elijah who represent those who are caught up and never die; will both see Jesus in his glory! In. After hearing those commandments, Moses came back down the mountain and reported to the Israelites all that God had said to him. 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. As a result, God often reveals himself on a mountaintop in the text. You might have been counting down the days until spring, but make the most of these chilly and cloudy days. Amen. First things first, don't be afraid to talk openly about mountain top experiences with your students. Psalm 90:2; Exodus 19:17-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Isaiah 52:7; Psalm 121:1-2; Isaiah 54:10. 2. a large mass or heap; pile. But dont forget that six days prior, the disciples spent their own time in a theological fog, utterly confused about the proposed suffering and death of Jesus. 1:20). We recognize that many of us will not have the privilege to live our lives on the top of a mountain, whether literally or figuratively. Top selling author and speaker, Robert Rohm Ph.D. is founder of Personality Insights Inc. and The Robert Rohm Co. As you will see, Dr. Rohm specializes in helping people better understand themselves and others. Define mountaintop. Maybe it was getting married or having children. The training notes 'Mountain-Top 4 Wheel Driving or reflections on over 40 years of mistakes in the Victorian high country' is a 44-page booklet covering 'Getting the Right Gear', 'Tackling Tough Trails' and 'Touring Tips'. You have your hot chocolate made, playlist downloaded, movie set and books chosen. For once weve faced them head on, then well have a better understanding of what to do next. Mountains typically have steep slopes and are understood to be. Those who separate themselves to pray are the ones who see the Glory of Jesus! Would you pray and ask God to give you a mountaintop experience; when he does you will see his glory and worship him, understand his work and trust him, hear his word and obey him. Metamorphosis- An outward change that comes from the inside. But make no mistake Jesus was the unrivalled son of God. He has it all in control. By now, its a Christian clich: the mountaintop experience. How can we reach this mountaintop?. Not sure of the resources you need for Bible study? Built a tabernacle of PRAISE for Jesus alone in your heart! But then, everything about Peters mountaintop experience changes. The question is, will you enter into that change as you walk down the mountain into the valley? We need to pray with Neil Griffith, Builder of mountains, make me like a mountain, Firm let me stand against the winds of strife; Give me a soul that reaches up to heaven, But plant my feet in needs of human life.