Have You Been to the Mountaintop?: Eyes on
Eternity
Purity 476 07/21/2021 Purity 476 Podcast
Good morning
Today’s photo comes to us from a friend’s recent trip to Rocky Peak Ridge, the twentieth highest peak in the High
Peaks Region of the Adirondack Park of New York, The name of the mountain is
due to its geology, a rocky ridge to the east of the better-known Giant
Mountain which is near St Hubert’s NY. I
just love how the makeshift monument of rocks in this photo contrasts with the
mountain peak beyond and how the color schemes seem to naturally flow from the
gray rocks to the green fauna of the nearby peak, to a cool blue for the ranges
beyond and finally to the white clouds above.
Its Wednesday and I tend to share something that visually represents a
peak to symbolize the midpoint in the work week, but I especially like the
contrast that exists in today’s photo of what is made by man and what is
created by God, to shift our perspective from the things of earth to the things
of heaven.
As nice as that rock pile monument was put together by the enthusiastic
mountain hikers that have gone before us, its pales in comparison to the majesty
of the mountains that are on display hear that God created.
Often in life we become consumed with the life we are trying to build
and the day-to-day problems that we have to face, and we run the risk of
missing the big picture. I recently
heard the news that another friend’s mother has passed away and I was somewhat
shocked to here that they were only 56 years old. My friend’s family loss reminds me that life
can be short and that we need to encourage one another to appreciate the time
we have on earth and the people that are a part of our lives.
Considering the cold reality of death, the importance of building our
own little empire is put into perspective.
Planning for home improvements, retirement homes, acquiring all the toys
that go with them, and amassing large balances in financial accounts won’t
matter when you leave the earth. The
investments that will matter are in the relationships we have. We should be sure to spend quality time with
our loved ones and assure them of our love on a continual basis because we really
don’t know when we will say our last goodbye.
We don’t know when the Lord will call us into eternity, so it is even
more important to have a relationship with Him before He does. God sent Christ
to earth to pay for our sins and to make it possible for us to be reconciled to
Him. While putting your faith in Christ will make you an instant citizen of
heaven, it also establishes a relationship with the living God here and now.
Unfortunately, some people have the wrong view of a life of faith. They
see religion, a set of restrictive rules and mandates that take away the joy of
life. I personally hate religion and the
Lord knows that my dislike of the idea of some authoritarian system of religion
that would decide my fate kept me from knowing Him for most of my life, that,
and my sin.
But thankfully, the Lord sent me a message in the form of a radio gospel
sermon that told me that a life with Him wasn’t about “doing everything right”
or “earning it”. God’s love for us was
shown in Christ and all I had to do to be right with God was to put my faith in
Christ’s work on the cross to save me.
When I said “Yes” to Jesus the floodgates of heaven were opened and God’s
love was poured out on me.
I realized that everything I had thought about God was wrong. He wasn’t some cold hard taskmaster demanding
perfection, God is a loving Father who is calling us home.
So as you go about your day, thank God that you’re alive. Thank Him for
your family and friends. Thank Him for
everything you have and after you do let Him know that you appreciate it all
and that you want Him to be a bigger part of your life.
A relationship with God doesn’t take away from your fun. When you follow
His lead, the Lord will show you the truth of this world and take you to deeper
levels of understanding and new heights of joy and peace. With God, you are assured a good place in eternity,
but your relationship gives you an ever-present hope for life right now. So seek Him and know that He will never let
you down.
This morning’s meditation
verse is:
Luke 9:27 (NKJV)
27 “But
I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till
they see the kingdom of God.”
Today’s verse comes from Jesus and His words have an almost
immediate fulfillment, can have a present-day fulfillment, and will have a
future fulfillment.
These words of Jesus followed Peter’s proclamation that
Jesus was the Christ of God”, Jesus’s prophecy of His impending death and
resurrection, and an encouragement for the Apostle’s to take up their crosses
and to follow Him..
As for the wording, of today’s verse, we may wonder what
Jesus means about “shall not taste death till they see
the kingdom of God.”
If we read the immediate text, the following verses speak of
experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, where James, John, and Peter saw
Jesus’ face become altered and his robe became white and glistening. And then
Moses and Elijah show up! And then God speaks from the heavens saying: “This is
my beloved Son. Hear Him!” Talk about a
“mountain top experience.”
So, considering the context, I would say that James, John,
and Peter were those who got to see a glimpse of the kingdom of God before they
died. Considering this happened 8 days
after Christ’s words, that’s the more or less immediate fulfillment of His statement.
In a figurative sense, Jesus’s words can also apply to us
today as present-day believers can have “mountain top experiences” in their
life of faith. Salvation, sanctification, visions, dreams, miraculous moments,
and the baptism of the Holy Spirit can all figuratively qualify as instances
where we too can see the kingdom of God in our lives of faith.
Also as we have been in the “end times”, ever since Christ
ascended to heaven over two thousand years ago, it is possible that this
current generation can literally see the kingdom of God when Christ returns.
So, have you seen the kingdom of God in your life?
While I haven’t seen angels, been taken to the third heaven,
or heard God’s audible voice from heaven yet, I can say that I have experienced
multiple moments with the Holy Spirit and have been guided by Him in my walk. I
can also say that I have seen the goodness of God in my life and in the lives
of other believers.
I can admit that I never saw it before coming to Christ, but
since I put my faith in Jesus I have been seeking Him and brother when you
continue to seek Him you will see the goodness of God in your life, and you may
just have moments in your walk of faith where you can honestly say that you
have seen the kingdom of God.
So keep walking and talking with God. Keep going where He
leads you and keep your eyes open. He’s
got wonderful things to show you but if you’re not looking for them, you’ll
miss it.
As
always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from
prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with
their walk.
Today we continue with Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory
Over the Darkness, continuing Chapter 8.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase Dr. Anderson’s books for your own private study
and to support his work. If you need this title you can find it online at several
sites for less than $15.00:
Proper
Guidelines Lead to a Proper Walk
4.
Satisfaction. Key Concept: Quality
Satisfaction comes from living righteously and seeking to
raise the level of quality in relationships, service, and product. Jesus said,
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall
be satisfied” (Matthew
5:6). Do you believe that? If you do, what are you doing? You are hungering
and thirsting after righteousness, and if you aren’t doing that, then you
really don’t believe it.
What causes you to become dissatisfied
with someone or something? It is usually because the quality of the
relationship, service or product has diminished. I often ask people if they can
remember when they became dissatisfied. Inevitably, they identify the time when
the quality of a relationship, a service rendered, or their work diminished.
Satisfaction is a quality concern, not
a quantity concern. You will achieve greater satisfaction from doing a few
things well than from doing many things in a haphazard or hasty manner. The key
to personal satisfaction is not found in broadening the scope of your
activities but in deepening them through a commitment to quality.
The same is true in relationships. If
you are dissatisfied in your relationships, perhaps you have spread yourself
too thin. Solomon wrote, “A man of many friends comes to ruin, but there
is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
It may be nice to know a lot of people on the surface, but you need a few real
good friends who are committed to a quality relationship with you.
That is what our Lord modeled for us.
He taught the multitudes and equipped 70 for ministry, but He invested most of
His time in the 12 disciples. Out of those 12, He selected three—Peter, James,
and John—to be with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, on the Mount of Olives
and in the Garden of Gethsemane. While suffering on the cross, Jesus committed
to John, perhaps His closest friend, the care of His mother. That is a quality
relationship, and we all need the satisfaction that quality relationships
bring.
Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.
—————————more tomorrow————————
God bless
you all!
Join our “Victory
over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” series of Discipleship Classes via
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