It’s not the reaction most people have to that film, because almost everyone dies; maybe I just needed more adventure in my life. wo years ago, on a flight to New Zealand, I watched the film. 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. 476 likes. Putin lets him go. I have had many mountaintop experiences in the Lord and I love it up there. Things are different between the two. Join the happening experiences, conversations, & environments of people in South Africa, India, Nepal, Mexico, & around the globe! “Lo, I am with you always, even until the end.”  Let us pray…Waken us afresh O God, to goodness, to the reality of evil, the pain of suffering and the beauty of your creation. Moses who represented God’s Holy Law, and Elijah, who represented all of the prophets that God had ever used to foretell the coming of the Messiah. Peter didn’t! He is with us in our remembering of Holy Baptism, the day claimed us as His own; He is with us in His Holy Supper where He nourishes us with His own body and blood, promising nothing less than the completed forgiveness of sins. His father was the owner which he would not accept. RELATED: A Story of Personal Survival | Survival Lessons From The Field In this article: Ricky Megee Joe Simpson and Simon Yates Aron Ralston Mauro Prosperi Douglas Mawson […] Pisgah; now that would be similar to looking down from Mt. So Jesus led Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain to pray and find clarity, peace and strength for what lay ahead of them. He had just told them for the first time that in the not too distant future his fate included being rejected, beaten, and killed in the very city that they were slowly making their way towards, Jerusalem. We must leave the mountaintop because Jesus must leave it. Now this terrified and confused them. When we hear God call us in this way, we must be confident that when we look up, we will see no one except Jesus leading us down off of the mountain. I don’t have many friends who like to climb, and sometimes you want to have someone to share the experience with. From all around them, God’s glory beamed, making the words of the discussion unimportant. We want to stay right there in that moment, because in that moment it seemed as if heaven and earth are joined. 360 degrees of pure beauty. In many ways, the victory of the Eagles has been a city-wide mountain top experience – providing us with a glimpse of what can bind us. It’s OK to moan, groan and cry out to the Lord. Businessman standing with arms raised in elation on the top of a mountain peak. You learn patience and about waiting. Now He asks us to take the same path, a path where there will certainly be sacrifice, but there will also be joy as we follow Him. Helps you reflect on your mountaintop experiences and reminds you of God’s power. “The best view comes after the hardest climb.” As mentioned above, one of the best mountain treks we’ve done was when we did Everest Basecamp. Come trekking with us! Mountaintop Experiences • Abraham, who had a vision in which God told him all that was to come, how he would bear a son and, through him, become... • There was Jacob, who wrestled with an angel all night until he received a blessing … and a new name. I made an itinerary, starting in Switzerland, where I would climb Dufourspitze (4,634m), but a snowstorm made me cancel. But for what purpose? I don’t like not being in control, but you cannot control anything on a mountain – the weather, the circumstances. They were afraid of what was ahead of them, but Jesus was with them to teach them how to live for others and finally how to die. A peaceful mountain top experience without the God of peace, is only a placebo effect. With God’s Spirit within you, Jesus is saying, ‘Friend, take me to your home and allow me to love your family through your sacrificial kindness and love. 4:3-6; Luke 9:28-36, Living Between The Mountaintop Experiences, Transfiguration of our Lord-February 18, 2007, “This is my Son, my chosen one; listen to Him.”, ILLUSTRATION: You may be familiar with Peter Jenkins, author of the best-seller "Walk Across America." Sinai is the mountain where we received the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy and Exodus. "The feelings lasted a long time, but that mountain top hasn't lasted all these years. Earth. 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. Things seem paradoxically bigger and smaller at the same time. They are in a hotel at the top of a mountain near a cliff. Mountain Top Experience. In the summer of 2017, I decided to climb the highest peak in every European country – officially 49 mountains – in one year. Germany. ... Jon Krakauer went to Everest for Outside magazine to report on how commercial expeditions were changing the mountain. The 10 best survival stories. He decided to attend, and at some point, God’s Word grabbed him. I didn’t do any preparation for the first mountain, which was Mount Elbrus in Russia, Europe’s highest at 5,642m. We need those experiences to renew our strength for the difficult tasks that we face as we follow Jesus each day. Sinai on the Sinai Peninsula. By day, look out over the valley to multiple rolling layers of mountain range, looking into the National Park. So I’ve used Instagram to find people, and sometimes even Tinder; if they had a climbing photo in their profile, I would swipe right. 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 … Then may we serve you with urgency, knowing full well the necessity of your saving love working through us in this fallen world. I was wearing a superhero suit. We are to go to the mountain because it is away from the busy life of the valley. A mountaintop experience can get our heads clear and help us zero in on what God has for us. I don’t climb mountains that I am not totally ready for. I never want to come back down. And we must not forget Mount Zion – the place where King David built his city (later called Jerusalem). 17:7-8)  Like the apostles, we too must leave that place of wonder and follow Jesus. Who would want that to end?! Mark 9:1-13. John Hosk. The air gets thinner there and the plants get scarcer, the higher one climbs up the mountain. Amazing worship experiences perhaps. III. God knew the confusion and fear that was in their hearts, and as a loving Father He sought to give them peace and confidence in His Son, who was in fact their long awaited Savior. I had 14 plasters on each foot and got even more blisters. Mountain Jokes. "I was on a mountain top that night," Peter reflected. This morning, all of our scripture readings are centered upon wonderfully spiritual mountaintop experiences that were nothing short of miraculous. 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. Vladimir Putin instructs a soldier to run and jump off the cliff. A few days later, I went to Iceland’s Hvannadalshnúkur (2,110m); my blisters became infected, so my guide cut them out with a knife. Mountain Top Experience. It felt a bit like cheating, but I decided I would climb them regardless. In Holland, Belgium and Denmark, the highest peak is … Very soon after their mountain-top experience they had to wander in the wilderness. Matthew, in particular, has six significant mountain scenes in his gospel: Jesus’ temptation (Matthew 4:8), the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12), a number of healings (Matthew 15:29-31), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), Jesus’ final discourse (Matthew 24:3), and the commissioning of the Apostles (Matthew 28:16-20). So it is no surprise that Jesus brings His three “pillars” (Galatians 2:9) with Him up a high mountain to experience a … The world seems bigger on a physical mountain top. Dear Father, we are thankful for the wonderful mountain top experiences you give us to renew our strength for our daily walk with you. There is no universal definition of a mountain. It seemed as if heaven had enveloped them, and indeed it had. It was exhausting, but I thought I would get fit climbing the rest, and I did. The is a time coming when we will live eternally within the “mountaintop” experience, but that time is not now. We sometimes hear of Christians who have ‘mountain top experiences’. My goal now is always to have a mountain in my calendar. The inspiration gained from what has been the story of determination and courage has been epic. Take me to your school and place of work, and allow me to shine through you so that they too can experience my care and concern through you.’. I also climbed four in Peru, and one in Argentina, just for fun. In the days of Jesus ministry, God walked the earth in human flesh and blood with His Apostles, and in our time, Jesus walks and ministers on earth through His means of grace and through our service to our neighbor. And slowly, the glory on Moses' face … 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? Friends, what these two inspired Saints are saying is that when we follow Jesus by faith, we become part of Christ Himself. So, cherish these mountain top experiences, and draw from them in the valleys. Jess Catcher Mount Everest is renowned as the highest mountain on Earth. We are not so different from him; we too love our “mountaintop experiences”. As Jesus was praying, something very strange happened. Amen. Well to walk with Him and to learn from Him! The soldier says "Please Putin, I have a wife and children!" Mountains are used as a metaphor for a spiritual high just as valleys are used for spiritual lows. The people have another mountain top experience seeing the mighty work of God. Perhaps it was at a church retreat, a Billy Graham Crusade, or perhaps a certain sermon, moved you to go deeper in your faith. Peter, James and John needed to hear these words, not only to confirm that what they had just experienced was true, but also so that they could by faith, trust in Jesus leadership and follow Him where ever He led them. It makes you so much stronger, physically and mentally. The vision of Moses and Elijah is not what shaped the three, but instead it was the three years they spent with Jesus, which eventually led them to the Garden of Gethsemane where He was arrested and then to the cross where their Savior was crucified. Friends, the greatest growth in the apostle’s lives did not take place on the mountaintop, but instead it took place on the way to a garden and a rocky hill. In Kosovo, there are two mountains and no one knows which is higher, so I climbed both. Then God leads the people to Marah, the place of bitter water, the valley experience. "Yes," Peter replied. Brian Bill. In Jesus name… AMEN. When the invitation was given to become a Christian, Jenkins walked down the aisle. ", Mary, the woman who first spoke to him, said "Peter, this great elation that you're feeling now - You are feeling great elation, aren't you?" 3:16-17), he was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil forty days and forty nights. You have to work on your weak sides while climbing. The Bible has several "mountaintop experiences." For growth, we have to come down the mountain and go into the valleys, where there is an abundance of … You could park your car on the top. Well, where did Jesus go? Then, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. There is no universal definition of a mountain. At his table, we see the very veil separating heaven and earth part as we feast with all the company of heaven, eternally praising God and saying “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbath rest; heaven and earth are full of your glory!” And finally he is here with us through His Holy Spirit who continually carries our prayers, even the ones that we can’t seem to find words for, and when those prayers reaches the thrown of Heaven, God hears the voice of one who is perfectly pleasing to Him; one whom He has loved with an eternal and everlasting love; He hears you! I will climb Everest one day, when I’m ready for it. He decided to walk across the U.S. to find out what life was all about. Two years ago, on a flight to New Zealand, I watched the film Everest, in which adventurers get stuck on the mountain in a blizzard. 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. Mountain encounters: The many celebrity experiences of one 91-year-old Jasper resident With the cast of The Bachelorette coming to Jasper, long-term resident Sandy Robinson recalls his … While traveling through Alabama he came across a huge revival. Glory on Tabor – Transfiguration. After all, life is lived in the valley, not on the mountain top. 19. I skied up and down Norway’s highest mountain, Galdhøpiggen (2,469m), and my boots were so uncomfortable. As he put it, "I was so thrilled that there could be good feelings mixed in with faith that I really didn't care about her opinions." In Deuteronomy, Moses was somehow allowed to see the “entire promise-land” of Canaan from the top of Mt. A Mountain Top Experience. For now we must go down into the valley with Jesus, but even there He ministers to us through His means of grace. I had a few moments that were sketchy, but not super scary; I never feared for my life or got injured. It’s made me a better person. On the top of the mountain itself, you find mostly rock and dirt. The people of Israel had been delivered, but were in great need of structure and assurance. Click Here To See The Comments These true survival stories will leave you in awe of the incredible human spirit and sheer will to survive whatever the odds. You are in a beautiful environment and, when you reach the top, you feel incredible. Always the fast talker, Peter blurted out, “Master, it is good that we are here. of Transfiguration is inferior to the experience at Calvary’s holy hill, because it is only a Calvary where you receive forgiveness of sins. It has two peaks: the north is rocky and the south, which was always the higher one, is glacial. You can see visions of beauty in an unforgettable way. We love to live in the moment where it seems heaven and earth meets, but eventually we must leave because…. Laguna and seeing not only the Imperial Valley, but all the way to the eastern state line of Texas and everything in between. (Well), "at this moment it may seem like these great feelings are going to last forever, but they won't," she told him. Jesus did not go up that hill to pray, but he did pray for you: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”  You see friends, the experience at the Mt. It is a powerful image - even the movie "Forrest Gump" did a parody of his epic quest. "Get up." The incredible panorama at this location offers essentially a "double view". Rev. "Your Christian walk is based on faith, not feelings," Mary explained. 15. Peter would later explain the result of His walk with Jesus in these words, “As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5-6)   And St. Paul described the Christian life like this, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” ( 1 Cor. In Holland, Belgium and Denmark, the highest peak is really just a small hill. I immediately knew I had to start climbing. Peter had never thought about that. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah!”  Peter was trying to delay the inevitable; he did not want the out of this world experience to end. Jesus wants to do the same thing through you. Well God provided for that contingency as well, when He said, “This is my Son, my chosen one; listen to Him.”  Here in these 10 words, we along with the apostles are ensured that Jesus ministry to seek and save the lost was not just the mission of a well-intentioned man, but the mission of the God-man, which was empowered by God’s Spirit, and finds its source from the very heart of God the Father. Mountain-top experiences are part of life - and they are often part of the life of faith. 6:14). Sometimes, when you are on top of a mountain, you can see forever. King talked about dying in a speech the day before his slaying April 4, 1968. I wanted to end the project at home, on Sweden’s Kebnekaise (2,097m). A big list of mountain jokes! Email experience@theguardian.com, Experience: I crossed the Alps on a space hopper. Monday, December 31, 2018 Topic(s) of this poem: peace READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES. More than twenty years have passed since that revival. We also need mountain top experiences in our daily walk with Jesus. Moses would come down from the mountain top with his face shining, while the rest of the Israelites hide in their tents in fear. There is a mountain called Mt. 34:1-12; 2 Cor. I climbed both with my camera assistant. You will experience the comforting and healing power of the Holy Spirit over your life. Jesus gave them the glowing mountain top to aid them through the dark valley when he would be taken away and murdered. We might say that Jesus gave them “all that and then some”. I did two big mountain tours in a car all over Europe and the rest I did on weekends. You may even wonder if all this ever happened. He calls this thinking sinful because those who think like this have not had the veil of unbelief removed from their eyes; a veil which the devil or the “god of this world” has worked very hard to make sure stays in place. You learn how to be still in the Lord. (Mat. 17. But also you have to climb down, which is when most accidents happen – people are tired, it gets dark, it’s harder. In our 2nd Corinthians reading St Paul relates to us a very real battle going on in the spiritual realm, the battle between “good and evil.”  Paul later explains that to some this concept is foolishness because it can’t be perceived with the naked eye. 14. They were amazed by what they had just experienced there on the mountaintop. But to do this we like Peter, James, and John must by faith respond to the command of God which orders us to trust, listen and follow Jesus. Elijah who fled to the mountain out of fear of being killed, encountered God and then went down the mountain with a new vision of his situation. It was the ultimate mountaintop experience. The day Jesus was crucified, that hill became the highest mountain in the world, because it reached heaven for us. "Being a Christian is not based on feelings. Jesus is with us in His Word, which promises that because Jesus died for our sins, God is for us and not against us. If you read ahead a bit in Mark’s gospel, the contrasts are stark. But with climate change, the south peak has been melting, and two days after I climbed it, the north became the higher summit. II. But when I put it on Instagram and people started congratulating me, I felt proud. If you’re on a mountain for hours, alone with your thoughts, it’s like meditation. We must follow Him where ever He leads us, even if we know where He leads will be painful and difficult. Mt. BACKGROUND:  Before Peter, John and James ascended to this mountaintop            with Jesus, they heard some very alarming news from Him. He did this so that they could live; He did this by living to die Himself. Exodus 15:1-19 is Moses' song of victory celebration! These describe a time when God was especially close,when our love for him and his love for us was utterly clear,when circumstances were such that we could experience the goodness of God without ambiguity or question. Climbing mountains is an experience that is hard to put into words. We don’t like going there, because of the veil of evil that wants to blind us of God’s grace, mercy and peace, but still we follow, because that is where Jesus desires to be and where He will be with us! There on that mountain, God allowed them to see two important figures of Biblical history meeting and talking with Jesus. Having a mountain top experience means that our vision changes. 20. 2,204 mountain top experience stock photos are available royalty-free. The energy, the joy, the hope of Philadelphia has been palpable. INTRODUCTION:  Most of us have had mountaintop experiences, perhaps not just like Peter Jenkins, but similar in that we were invigorated by an encounter with God’s Word. Peter, James and John were allowed to see what no man had seen before, but what if this mountaintop experience was nothing more than a passing dream, a wisp of smoke that would soon vanish, as the emotion faded? Once I was at the top we did a shoot – it was like a day on the job; it didn’t feel as special as I’d hoped. But where are we to go? What one incident or event comes to your mind when you think of the life of Jesus? Reset All Filters. The Bible says that the appearance of his face began to change and that his clothing became as bright as a flash of lightning. To Paul then, a denial of this spiritual battle is a sign of sinfulness or being under the control of the devil, because to any person of faith this battle is just as real as God’s love. Only a handful of people had done it before. Thrill seekers regularly swarm its peaks, each attempting to reach … CONCLUSION: As we begin our Lenten walk this Ash Wednesday may we remember that we can’t stay on the mountaintop; even though we felt God’s presence so strongly and clear there once. He heard words like: "Born again...," "Saved...," "The Lord led you here tonight...," "Praise the Lord...," "Ain't God good? How can Jesus save us if He is dead? We can’t stay because Jesus calls us out into our families, neighborhoods and where ever else He leads. Who of us would not be? Martin Luther King's final speech: 'I've been to the mountaintop' -- The full text. 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). 18. He returned with the Ten Commandments. 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. 106 of them, in fact! I wouldn’t climb K2 tomorrow, but each one I climb takes me to the next step. Emma Svensson climbing the Arête des Cosmiques in Chamonix, France. This poem has not been translated into any other language yet. 16. I wanted to be a role model for girls and to tell a story that had never been told. Let's look at the personal experience of Moses, the leader of the people. mountain top experience stories essays. [Read Mark 9:14-24] On the mountain, we encounter almighty God; in the valley, there is an encounter with the demonic. Mountain Top Experiences. Some of us have had a mountaintop experience or two. We don’t want to leave that moment of clarity and venture out into the real world where there awaits worry, fear, suffering, pain and disappointment, but Christ taps us on the shoulder as St. Matthew describes in His account of the Transfiguration and says, . I work as a fashion photographer and most of my friends won’t even come to the climbing gym in case they ruin their nails. I. 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. While these experiences can be powerful they also are always short lived, but our human nature fights to make them last. "Don't be afraid." Go to the mountain. In the UK, I climbed the highest mountains in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Guernsey and Jersey. Sky. Even though the apostles couldn’t hear what was being discussed, this meeting confirmed everything that Jesus had been telling them, mainly that He had come to fulfill the demands of the Law and bring the promise of God’s forgiveness, mercy and peace for the world. Jesus made sure that Peter, James and John left the mountain and returned to the valley. It was not Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration that impacted them eternally but instead, it was His resurrection and ascension into heaven, which confirmed that “truly He was the Son of God” for them and for the world. Take me to your neighborhood, and allow me to love your neighbor through you, just as I have loved you.