Listening on the Mountaintop

 

    When you are on the mountaintop and you allow yourself to be still, you hear all sorts of things.  If you meditate and pray on the mountaintop you may just hear a whisper from God.  The Holy Spirit speaks within you, but you can hear him much more clearly when you are still and ready to listen.

    When you listen for God's voice, then you will receive information.  God speaks to you because you choose to listen.  Do not be afraid.  Instead be open and ready to follow obediently wherever He may lead you.  

    God can only use the people that are willing to listen and obey.  With the gift of free will, God will never force Himself upon you.  He waits patiently for you to present yourself to Him.  It does not mean that He is idly waiting on you.  He is always active and involved in everyone's lives.

    God sent Jesus to the world at just the right time.  Jesus was born and lived like a regular human except the fact that he was still God.  He chose to die and resurrected himself to open a door for everyone to have a relationship with God.  In following God's plan, Jesus made it where every living person can have salvation if they choose to have it.

    Jesus was the last blood sacrifice.  It always took blood to be freed from the guilt of sin.  We don't like to think about it because we have stubborn hearts.  We don't want to see our guilt.  However, we have to face our guilt to see the freedom in the covenant that Jesus made with his sacrifice.  It is a marvelous gift, but we have to acknowledge our part in it.

    There are consequences in ignoring Jesus' gift.  Jesus works on all of our hearts, but if we never are willing to hear the message, then we will never experience the miraculous mountaintop experience.  Don't leave the mountaintop without experiencing God's presence.  

    Do not go back into the world as if you had never been on the mountaintop.    God doesn't need us, but He loves us enough to give us purpose and involve us in His plans.  Following His lead is the only way to experience His glory.

Exodus 34:1-11, Matthew 1:20-23, & Luke 9:28-36