Monday, April 11, 2011

April 12, 2011

"Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”   Matthew 17:4

Who doesn't enjoy a mountain-top experience?

If I ask how many would like to have to see fresh inspiring personal vision of our Lord and the manifestion of His glory - everyone would sign up! I don't think there is any doubt about that.

Is it realistic to expect a mountain-top experience every Sunday? How about every day?

Why don't we see more of them?

Even the inner circle of disciples only had one of them in their three years of following Jesus?

So, what SHOULD we expect?

While that would be an interesting discussion to have, let me tell you one thing I know from this Biblical account - REVELATION BRINGS RESPONSIBILITY!

The disciples where so excited about what they beheld during Jesus' transfiguration that they wanted to build some shrines and camp out up there! Who can blame them?

But, God Himself, shut that idea down by interrupting Peter in mid-sentence. God is not nearly as interested in happy days on the mountain as is about what happens in human hearts! He wants your worship to reflect in your walk! If your worship doesn't reflect in your witness what good is it?

Old-timers who were dubious about charismatic worship used to say, "I don't care how high you jump but I care about how straight you walk when you hit the ground!" I think that fits in this event!

Let me offer this opinion for your consideration, "We will have more mountain-top experiences when our witness and our walk reflects the passion, power and presence of our worship." Make sense?

Revelation carries with it responsibility. If you want the joy, sign up for the job! If you want to see His glory, live out His story! You can't have the experience His glory if your are willing to be an example of His glory! Mountain-top experiences are not about a thrill up your leg, it is about a transformation of your life!

The reason we are talking about this is not primarily because of what happened on the mountain-top but because what happened after they came down! John, James and Peter took the responsibility of the revelation!

Do you want more thrills on the hills? Live in the power of His Presence in your daily walk and be a witness to His glory! If you want the revelation - take the responsibility!


April 11, 2011

"After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus."  Matthew 17:1-8

"After six days" - so what happened six days before this that lead to this supernatural manifestation that is recorded in three of the four Gospels? It is important to get a context for a Bible encounter.

Jesus had begun shaping the vision for His Kingdom and calling them to disicpleship. As they began to understand the enormity of the challenges of their calling, Jesus sensed the fear rising within them. Let me add that if God's call on your life doesn't scare you, you aren't getting it! I find it a bit frightening that He calls us to do God-sized stuff in man-sized bodies. So did the disciples.

The Master, Himself, was facing some scary stuff in the coming days. He would be sold-out, scorned, shackled, spat upon, scourged, stripped naked, and suffer as a sinner on a cross. When facing a fearful future, even Jesus needed a fresh encounted with God. The only cure for human fear is holy fear!

When Jesus invited Peter, James and John to share a mountain-top experience with Him what He was saying was, "Fear this!" As you face the frightening events in your future, you will need a holy fear of Me to help you not be paralyzed by human fears!" Big jobs call for a big Jesus! Jesus was the God/man sent to help men connect with God and channel God's power and love to a needy world. Up until now, they had seen Jesus, the man. Now was the time to reveal Jesus, the Son of God! They needed to behold His glory!

Later, John would record in His Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."  John could testify to the light of God because he had seen it revealed on the mountain! And then later in that same chapter, John writes, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." He could testify to glory of Jesus because he had witnessed it at the transfiguration when Jesus peeled back His humanity to display His holiness!

If the guys who walked with Jesus and who worked with Jesus needed a fresh vision of Him to help them overcome their fears. What about you? Once they understand what Jesus wanted them to do, they needed to understand Who He was! So do you!

Peter, James and John were powerfully used of God after they understood Who He was. Their Godly vision brought Godly victories! From their fresh perspective came fresh power! When they were willing let Him out of their boxes, He was able to be Who He is!

What FredWes needs is a fresh vision of His glory! How about you?

We need that fresh vision of His holy fear to free us from our human fear!

There will be some Godly victories once we catch the Godly vision!

Are you willing to let Him out of your box?