mountain top experience definition mountain top experience definition

We learned this word in school, a caterpillar goes through metamorphosis, that caterpillar wraps a cocoon around itself and goes through the process of change. 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. Jesus deity and glory would be hid; but they knew underneath his humanity, was deity. Pastor James McDonald describes the biblical mountaintop experience as one that involves your mind, emotions, and will. At those times, we receive revelation and teaching from God. Granted, Jesus did some of his best work on and around water, but he was a mountain man, too. It was a great privilege to see Moses and Elijah, but Jesus was the son of God! Then, only Moses and his associate, Joshua moved further up the mountain. was the founder of Israels worship of God. All Rights Reserved. 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. Just as the disciples heard the Word on the mountain (2 Pet. Lastly, the best part is the toppings. 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. My greatest insight from a week of mountain climbing came from the time spent at the bottom of the mountains. Heres another rhythm to add to the listcoming up the mountain to be with God; then going down the mountain to serve Gods people. Despite this uncertainty, the definition of a mountain is a landform that rises significantly above the surrounding landscape. Moses and company obeyed, hiking to the foot of the mountain where an astonishing thing happened: they saw the God of Israel, and they lived to talk about it! 17:4). 1:17), the words of Scripture are words from God as carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. A sermon delivered by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, Nc., March 6, 2011. Mountains are a symbol of steadfastness. The saved are in glory, this life is one of suffering and humiliation for the saints. A good book on a rainy day or with calming music is a wonderful way to take a break from the responsibilities of life and escape into another world. Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. Ron & Andrea Camier established Mountain-Top Experience in 1998 following Ron's retrenchment from brown coal research and development engineering due to the privatisation of the power industry. When I heard that story, I identified with it so very much. Mountains are a symbol of steadfastness. Running Together: Evening Worship at 5:00. A review of both the Old and New Testaments makes it clear as daywhen it comes to entering sacred space where you can meet God and/or Jesus face to face, theres no substitute for a mountaintop. Idioms: Sinai. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mountaintop, Nglish: Translation of mountaintop for Spanish Speakers. It is the most sacred spot on earth! As Christians, when we know what we have, we never want to leave the mountain of God. It is part of your sacred story and it will be a tremendous source of comfort and strength to you when you have to face the dark valley. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. When the Bible says that Jesus was transfigured, it means that He became on the outside what He was on the inside. Jesus is dazzling glory is talking to Moses who had been dead over fourteen hundred years and to Elijah who had been gone about nine hundred. As I rest in the valley and meditate on my mountaintop experiences, please have Your Holy Spirit reveal to me what I need to know.Here in the valley, I will rest and feed on the goodness of Your Word. And you don't have to settle for regular milk! Mountains typically have steep slopes and are understood to be. We will recognize our loved ones and others in heaven. for who he really is, in all of his love, grace and glory, it is a mountain-top experience! , it was a manifestation of the presence of God, the form in which God revealed himself to Israel. I walked down that mountain with a fresh, new fear for the Lord and new readiness to serve Him and only Him. You are not THE mountain of the Lord, but you are A mountain of the Lord. Tabor. V:36-And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone. These three disciples are none as the inner circle; Jesus let them in on things the other disciples didnt get in on. Do you understand that Jesus came to this earth, lived a sinless life; and took your sin, and died in your place that you might experience forgiveness and salvation? A time when you just felt like Gods Spirit was all over you, and around you, and joy filled your heart, and you just felt like you were going to bust! We cant disqualify a mountain top experience as just an emotional reaction. Through His Word, Jesus presents grace to frightened disciples on the mountain. Jesus was the fulfillment of everything the Law and prophets pointed toward. In later reflection, Peter described what he heard as the Majestic Glory (2 Pet. Our moments with God shouldnt remain hidden in the past. 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). Wood burning fireplace, gas grill, washer and dryer, central heat. It was simply a huge heap of stuff (both good and bad) that he had climbed up in order to get to where he was. 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. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. But never forget that it is a rhythmic, ordinary encounter with the Majestic Voice of God speaking in His Word. No wonder Peter fell to his face. the mighty apostle of Pentecost was a great leader in the early church, crucified upside down. Jesus skin and clothing no longer glowed. -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. 6. resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size. If youve ever been to a mountaintop, then you are familiar with the idea of feeling miniscule. The greatest experiences of my life have been the times when God moved in power, and make himself none to me through his word and by his Spirit; making Jesus real to my heart! The question is, will you enter into that change as you walk down the mountain into the valley? For this reason, friends, its only fair to tell you that mountaintops can be dangerous places. 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. 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. The fact that the transfiguration is reported in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. Peter immediately recommended the building of three shelters, presumably so that all six people could stay together on the mountain indefinitely. There, Jesus face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light (Matt. died on Mt. But the valley experience is just as important to our Christian walk. Sinai with Joshua and Owen during our last days in Egypt, watching the sun rise over the vast chains of mountains in the desert there, and experience a diverse and international group of pilgrims praying their unique prayers at the top. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. . Keep reading Matthew 17 and youll see that during their descent from the mountain the disciples have a frightening encounter with a demon from hell. Now, as we review Exodus 24 and Matthew 17, I want us to notice certain traits of mountaintop experiences. Peter himself later recounts that the disciples were "eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Pet. The distinction between the two is clear (now). Address it with all of them, and make them aware of the pros and cons of the mountain top. to love God more than anything else, and love your neighbor as yourself. Yet over time we go back to normal life. First things first, don't be afraid to talk openly about mountain top experiences with your students. V:31-Which he would accomplish at Jerusalem. The chosen son of God, the Savior of the world! MTE's 4WD tag-along tours throughout the Victorian High Country and passenger tours around Walhalla became very popular . Or you were convicted about something in your life that you now need accountability for from a friend or mentor. In any case, whenever something really wonderful happens to us, our excitement causes us to view it as one of lifes mountaintop experiences. Peter was hoping Jesus would settle in on the summit. And one day he would return with clouds of glory at his second coming. 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. The other gospel writers say his raiment was white as snow, as no washer on earth could make them. The glory of God shines the brightest with the topic of conversation is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ! The greatest things that have happened in my life have all been. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Above: Muhammad, Buda, Knish, or any other name. those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. 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. . But if we dont use what we have experienced on the mountain to affect the valley, then they might as well just be quick reactions to a fleeting moment. to what Jesus says in his word. There is a mountaintop experience all Christians seek. Yet, if we keep going and if we keep climbing, the sum total of all those experiences will keep us moving upward in the right direction. Sinai. He was the God-Man, Immanuel- God with us! Now, even though Joanis Listen to Your Life conference in Atlanta took place in the suburbs rather than on top of nearby Stone Mountain (which is where, by the way, I proposed to Joani), she still refers to the conference as a mountaintop experience. What is it about mountains that invoke a spiritual or religious response from us as human beings? Baptism is NOT something we do. This is so prevalent that the mountaintop experience has become a Christian clich of excitement and zeal. Believe: What Secret Does It Hold For You Today. 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. I created a Chill Pill playlist on YouTube for some relaxing vibes. What is the purpose of a Mountain-top experience? To grow and restore the family of Christ on the foundation of His Word and His promises. One trait that gets very little press is that mountain top experiences often involve waiting. To get on higher ground, to climb above the mundane, and get in the place where the glory of God can touch our lives, and we can see JESUS as He is in glory and power, and hear God speak to our hearts. So what next? However, the truth of the matter is simply this: the mountain really is made out of a lot of stuff (both good and bad). He and his disciples went up this mountain to pray. Thats almost seven weeks of sitting around in the fog! My help comes from theLord,who made heaven and earth. 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. I have had my fair share of mountain top experiences, both literal and spiritual. God, unlike Peter knew exactly what he was talking about. There were many heartaches and tears shed over painful relationships with family members and close friends which were also part of the pile. Jesus dead on the Cross as the Lamb of God means Exodus, freedom from sins bondage to all who will apply the blood of Jesus to their heart in faith! TheLordwill keep you from allevil;he will keep your life. It matters not that the mountain is composed of a lot of stuff. 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. Heaven will not be a place of strangers. Notice, too, that mountaintops offer a perfect setting for life-changing transformation. 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. They saw things they had never seen before, they were aware of things they were never aware of before, they were in the presence of God! Ironically, the three disciples misunderstood nearly everything about that experience as it was occurring. 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. How do you respond? Dedication to the Lord still brings special blessings into our lives! 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. 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. the last of the apostles to die, he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. The shekinah glory cloud was gone. Mountain top removal means a coal mining operation that will remove an entire coal seam or seams running through the upper fraction of a mountain, ridge, or hill by removing all of the overburden and creating a level plateau with no highwalls remaining instead of restoring to approximate original contour, and is capable of supporting postmining After hearing those commandments, Moses came back down the mountain and reported to the Israelites all that God had said to him. The mission field proves a common place where we experience God in new ways. 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. 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. , when Moses met with God on Mount Sinai he came down with the glory of God radiating off his face. For once weve faced them head on, then well have a better understanding of what to do next. Because whatever happens, God has it all in control. Frankly, I cant imagine being stuck in a dense mountain fog for six days with absolutely nothing to do but look at the fog!