That night on the mount of Transfiguration, the glory of God that was within shined-forth through his humanity. , and respond as he calls you to trust him for eternal life. 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. 5. living, growing, or located in the mountains. TheLordwill keep you from allevil;he will keep your life. Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. The term mountain top experience comes from those moments in the Bible when God revealed Himself to people on a mountain. After hearing those commandments, Moses came back down the mountain and reported to the Israelites all that God had said to him. The people live in the valleys. Peter a man who always had something to say when nothing should be said; said: V:33-Jesus, master, it is good for us to be here. I call them mountain-top experiences! Both had famous departures from this earth. Scripture gives us stories of literal mountain top experiences that color our expectations for what it means to encounter the divine - Abraham and Isaac climbing together in an act of extreme devotion to God and experiencing the mercy of God at its apex. The voice of God clearly identified Jesus as his only son, his beloved son, unique one-of-a-kind son. Telling the stories from our mountain tops with others, sharing the insights we have learned and intentionally seeking out stories from others about their time on the mountain. What is your ultimate mountaintop experience? But seriously Im glad to have an excuse for Joani to describe the stirrings of the Holy Spirit in her life. As soon as Jesus and company reach the summit, he undergoes the mysterious process of transfiguration. Theres only one place to meet with God; only one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus! Frankly, I cant imagine being stuck in a dense mountain fog for six days with absolutely nothing to do but look at the fog! And minds that were already spinning are now completely blown. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! 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. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Now would be the time to get involved in a church or Bible study. 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. 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. But as great as it will be to see our loved ones, the main person we will want to see will be JESUS! V:31-Which he would accomplish at Jerusalem. 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. That somebody is my wife, Joani, and Ive asked Joani to briefly describe her mountaintop experience with us today. 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. 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. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. 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. -They spoke about his decrease, which he would accomplish at Jerusalem, There on that high mountain with the representatives of the O.T. In Atlanta, as we met and talked and worshipped, I had a strong sense of energy and enthusiasm and knew clearly that God was saying to me, The time is right and you are ready to begin this work of listening. Whereas before, Listen to My Life sounded really interested and well-done, this time it felt truly life giving. The glory of God shines the brightest with the topic of conversation is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ! But heaven will be a place of glory! 1:19). The relationships he had with family and friends had caused him both happiness and sorrow. Jesus visage became as bright as the sun even as the long-dead Old Testament heroes Moses (representing the law) and Elijah (representing the prophets) appeared and talked with Jesus. From this mountain-top experience, we learn the purpose of mountain-top experiences. The next time you have a mountain top experience, whether its at church, on the mission field or in the comfort of your room for not all experiences are charged with emotion know those moments arent wasted. At those times, we receive revelation and teaching from God. Howdoes that experience encourage you now? The sum total of the Christian life is listening to and doing what Jesus says. Now suddenly, Jesus invites Peter, James, and John for an evening hike up Mt. This meditation allows us to digest the revelation so we can be more effective ambassadors for Christ. Romances and horrors are great genres to cozy up to in the dark. As a result, God often reveals himself on a mountaintop in the text. God met me in Atlanta and it seemed to me that He was saying, Lets do this together.. I have placed you on the mountaintop for my glory in the last days.. Delivered to your inbox! 4. of or pertaining to mountains. 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. You respond in Worship, praise, awe, thanksgiving, tears, and joy!! Jesus is above all men, Jesus has no Equal! But the valley experience is just as important to our Christian walk. 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. 17:5), and Peter and the disciples fall to their faces (17:6). What we should do is go back every now and then to the memories, the journal entries, the conversations. You feel overcome by a greater awareness of Gods reality. Jesus asked his disciples, who do the people say I am? In the presence of Jesus with the saints, talking about the Cross! Enjoy the teamwork of tackling 4WD challenges, being part of caring community and learning about history and nature as we travel. Both these men had talked with God on mountaintops before. To hear the voice of God is to be led to the mountaintop. Psalm 90:2; Exodus 19:17-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Isaiah 52:7; Psalm 121:1-2; Isaiah 54:10. I have separated the list into Free Resources, Basic Resources, and Advanced Resources. encourage them and help them in the days ahead. 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. Jesus would die on the Cross, be buried in a borrowed tomb, and rise again three days later. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. First off, there are a variety of flavors, from White Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice, Mint, Caramel and the list goes on. Jesus death on the cross is the topic of conversation when you have a mountaintop experience! We go down to the valley to meditate on our recent revelation, allowing us to learn from our mountaintop experiences. They would come down that mountain knowing without a shadow of a doubt who Jesus Christ was! Properly understood, it is something we receive just like our salvation. So what next? Define mountaintop. For this reason, friends, its only fair to tell you that mountaintops can be dangerous places. We dont know the name of the mountain or its heightthe tallest peak in the region was less than ten thousand feet highbut we know this eventbecame the trios ultimate mountaintop experience. 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. Copyright 2023 Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. First things first, don't be afraid to talk openly about mountain top experiences with your students. In the Old Testament, the mountains of Sinai and Zion are most significant. So when it is too cold for an ice cream party, you can have a hot chocolate party instead! Shes still not sure whats she supposed to do with what shes learning, and now shes in her own personal waiting period trusting God to clarify her next move. Now that you have you hot chocolate, it is time to relax. Have you been born again? Why does God allow you to have a Mountain-top experience? Yet over time we go back to normal life. 3:17). You can read my full article about the importance of the mountaintop experience HERE. The Cross was a great accomplishment; not an accident, tragedy, disaster! When the Bible says that Jesus was transfigured, it means that He became on the outside what He was on the inside. It had been six hundred years since anyone in Israel had seen the Shekinah glory cloud. After a certain amount of time the caterpillar comes out of the cocoon a butterfly. Running Together: Evening Worship at 5:00. Remember, it was on top of Mt. Mixed in with all of that were some great memories and wonderful times of happiness, too. When I heard that story, I identified with it so very much. Heaven will not be a place of strangers. They took my breath away from ground level and, when I climbed them, they whisked away any anxious thought Id ever have. 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. How does a congregation go Father of 5 (David, Jenny, Elisha, Esther, Seth). God knows how our brains work and how our individual personalities respond. Jesus transformationcalled a transfigurationwas even more dramatic. Both can be mountain top experiences, moments when we see God in a new way. I have established you on the mountaintop. Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. He has performed miracle after miracle and, in that mountaintop experience, my blinded eyes were healed. Philippians 4:13. Did you notice that Joani is in a waiting period after her time on the mountain? If we stifle what weve seen and heard and done during those mountain top experiences, then we wont know how to carry them with us into the valley. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mountaintop, Nglish: Translation of mountaintop for Spanish Speakers. Their eyes opened and they saw a whole new reality; the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Peter himself later recounts that the disciples were "eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Pet. And if we keep moving upward an onward, we will eventually get to the peak or sum total of our own personal mountaintop experience! Moses and Elijah were known by Peter, James and John. Living on a spiritual high all the time would make for an exhausting life, but there are lessons we can take from each moment and implant them into our routines. Sleeps up to 6 (one queen bed, one double bed, and two twin beds). 2. a large mass or heap; pile. It was a Mountain experience, because JESUS was there! But as great as those experiences are, there not the greatest experiences of my life. We forget what God said to us when we approached the altar during that sermon. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples God's benevolence stretches this description to the breaking point. from that experience knowing more about Jesus, more prepared to live and die for him! Why Elijah and Moses? Maybe your mountain top experience was giving your life to Christ for the first time at that altar call. Peter, James, and John were transformed by the transfigured Christ. Thats because mountaintop experience is a figure of speech that comes right out of Holy Scripture. It means when you worry, stress, or get angry, think about your struggles from a different perspective. This is so prevalent that the mountaintop experience has become a Christian clich of excitement and zeal. Mountain Top Experience's season generally runs from April through December each year. Since the first reported successful climb of that 29,000-foot peak in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, more than four thousand different individuals have experienced the thrill. There were many heartaches and tears shed over painful relationships with family members and close friends which were also part of the pile. On this mountaintop; theyre going to see who Jesus is; theyre going to see the glory of the son of God; theyre going to hear the voice of God as he says this is my beloved son. was the founder of Israels worship of God. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. My purpose is to lead believers into a deeper relationship with God, resulting in them becoming A Bold Christian. Jesus deity and glory would be hid; but they knew underneath his humanity, was deity. the mighty apostle of Pentecost was a great leader in the early church, crucified upside down. The sum total of all of the things he had done and experienced in life had brought him to the place where he stood at that moment in time. The words of Psalm 121 came to my mind each afternoon gazing upon the mountains, and they are what I expect will be transporting me back there over the next several months. It so happens that I know of somebody thats had a mountaintop experience just this past week. After his death, would come his resurrection and exaltation! And I find myself squirming when I read that Moses spent six days engulfed in the clouds on the top of Mt. 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! and try to imagine what it was like went Jesus showed them His glory up on that mountain. This reminds me of Church! b : an elongated ridge 2 a : a great mass a mountain of a man E. K. Brown b : a vast number or quantity a mountain of mail a mountain of debt Then in Matthew 17, Jesus is once again climbing a mountaintradition says it's Mt. There closeness to Jesus is connected to Prayer! This past week I attended a two day conference in Atlanta for facilitators of a program called Listen to Your Life. There, Jesus face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light (Matt. To answer this question, it seems wisest to evaluate the mountaintop experience par excellence of Scripture, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 17:1-3, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36, 2 Peter 1:16-21). I created a Chill Pill playlist on YouTube for some relaxing vibes. Sinai. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths. For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3 CSB). As the transfiguration reveals, the voice of Majestic Glory in the Word is a fearful thing. Jesus is the only one to ever walk this earth who was absolutely sinless and holy! The glory cloud was the sign of Gods approval on the work that Jesus Christ had come to do; to die on the cross as a sacrifice for mans sin, and be raised from the dead the third day. Then, for another forty days he remained in the fiery cloud of Gods presence, receiving still more revelation from God. DISC Certification, Speaker Boot Camp etc. A variety of day trips, long weekends, and extended . 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. Maybe it was getting married or having children. This was the glory of God that had been veiled by his human flesh shining through. I wasnt so eager to leave the mountaintop. Even though winter is ending soon, it does not mean the cold is. Simon Peter and the brothers James and John accompanied Jesus one day up on a high mountain (Matt. Despite this uncertainty, the definition of a mountain is a landform that rises significantly above the surrounding landscape. But make no mistake Jesus was the unrivalled son of God. You come down from the mountaintop ready for a changed life. Jesus was always getting away to pray and draw strength from His father. Moses climbing Mt. mountaintop synonyms, mountaintop pronunciation, mountaintop translation, English dictionary definition of mountaintop. Those moments will hide themselves away, unsure as to their place in our routines. Just as the Majestic Glory spoke on the mountain (2 Pet. A bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud. At first they were deathly afraid of what they had seenwho wouldnt be!? 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. The transfiguration was a foreshadowing of that event, but Christs followers would not be able to clearly see that until after the resurrection. They knew a lot about Jesus; but on that mountaintop they. Joe cartoons from the 80's that said, " Knowing is half the battle! Moses finally made it to the promise land! The saved are in glory, this life is one of suffering and humiliation for the saints. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a mountain; and they see His glory, they have a Mountain-Top Experience. 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. When the Word is preached, the power and majesty of God are communicated to His people. Hermon. (see Exodus 19)We need the mountaintop experiences to experience the glory of God and receive revelation. But it seems that the visual experience did not generate the immediate fear and awe one might expect. When we read His Word, the Majestic Glory of God speaks through His Spirit. Perhaps they were previously lost, or filled with anger, depression, addiction, confusion. 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.