Mountain Top Experience

Mt. 17;1-5

Every one of us needs a mountaintop experience in our lives in order to get through some of the valleys we have. Mark 9:2-13 and Luke 9:28-36 records the mountaintop experience that our Lord experienced. Our Lord knew there were some rough valleys that lay ahead for Him. He knew there was the time when all his friends would turn their backs on Him. One of His own inner circle would betray Him. He knew the mock trial awaited him and He would be condemned to death. He knew there would be nails driven into His hands and feet and a spear would pierce his side as well as a crown of thorns would be placed on His head. No wonder verse two records, "and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment (clothes) was white as the light. I believe when the Spirit of God has total reign in our lives there will be a glow about us. Our faces need to radiate the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

I'm sure we will never shine like Jesus and we may never suffer as he suffered but my dear friends we are going to have some valley experiences that if we don't reinforce ourselves against them we will be washed away with the troubled waters of life. Each of us is going to have some trials and I'm telling you now while there is time get up on the mountain with Jesus and you will find the trials won't be so hard. Peter, James and John no doubt was greatly affected by being with Jesus. You can follow Peter into the valley of denial a few days later, he was accused of being a follower of Jesus but we hear him say I don't know Him three times he denied our Lord but there is something in Peter that caused him to go out and weep bitterly. Could you deny Jesus without being corrected? What about the way you talk, treat others, the way you attend church and how you witness for Him? Has there been a mountaintop experience in your life that will cause you to repent? Look at James, we find him a few years later being killed By Herod because of his faith. And of course Brother John, his mountain experience helped him no doubt to be inspired to write the Gospel of John, 1,2,3 Epistles of John and Revelation and later John was exiled on the island of Patmos. Yet we can hear him say, "And I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Rev. 1:10.

Dear friends, I don't know what valley you will be going through but I do know that whatever you go through, our blessed Lord will go with you and He will teach you some wonderful things as you go. He doesn't always lead us around the fire but there are times He goes through the fire with us.

Isaiah 43:2-3 says, when thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they will not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle thee.

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel.

Have you been on the mountain with Jesus lately? There are some valleys ahead for all of us and many of them only Jesus can get us through them. Don't stay too long in the valley.