Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age."
The above was said while the disciples were on the mountain with Jesus. He called them up there for instruction. When we commune with God on our "mountain" (closet, porch swing, bed, locked bathroom) we receive instruction. We are filled up (Matthew 5) as we talk with God (Mark 6:46). I see the importance of the mountain top in a new and fresh way. I want to be there daily.
My mountain is in my closet. I have a generously sized closet. I grab my Bible, journal, pillow, and a pen and head in there. Often the journey to get there can be tough, like climbing a mountain. When I crawl (literally) out of bed I risk waking our youngest who is very sensitive to my presence, especially when it is missing. She's exceptionally needy in the morning and if she wakes, the mountain waits. I have to choose carefully whether I will tell my other kids where I am going. On one hand they are old enough to know not to disturb me but on the other, they will know where I am. My bathroom doesn't lock, so it's not an option. It requires a certain level of discipline to get there each morning but as I have been observing the events of my life post mountain times I realize discipline is also a product of that time.
This is not meant to be an exercise in legalism or works based theology. Often when I have been admonished to be in God's word, pray without ceasing, and have a quiet time I have counted my success in that area as meaning I was pleasing to God. Consequently, I saw my failure to be faithful in these areas as a personal offense against God.
So how has that changed for me? I now see "quiet time" as relationship building time. What brings us joy when we are with others? Singing, dancing, laughing, reading, talking, or being quiet and still together? Do these things with God daily. I like to talk (and write), so I take joy in sharing my thoughts with God and knowing he is listening. I take joy in knowing there is a time of the day set aside for me to pour my heart out and have undivided attention. I do listen, and pray, and read the word during those times. The desire for those things comes out of knowing God is listening to me and will always give me wise counsel through his word and prayer.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
It's Quiet Up Here
Matthew 5:1 "Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain and when he sat down, his disciples came to him."
The mountain top experiences I have been referring to have been those times spent in the presence of other believers sharing in the message given by a Spirit lead speaker. But those times don't happen everyday. Even if you regularly attend a church and the pastor is a gifted teacher, one can not live on Sundays alone. We are meant to get in to the presence of God, up on the mountain as often as we need it and we need it more often than we realize.
When Jesus went up to the mountain in Matthew 5 he was going away from the crowds of people. His disciples followed him likely because they had the same need, to be alone with their teacher. It was no big planned event. They didn't pay big bucks to have a speaker flown in or string extension cords up there so that the guitar would sound just right. It was just the disciples and their teacher. I could be wrong, but I'd be willing to say Jesus probably didn't have a bunch of notes prepared for what he would share with them either. It was his heart to theirs, pouring out, refueling, and filling up.
Mark 6:46 "And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray."
Jesus went where there was peace and solitude to pray. Turns out a mountain is a pretty good place for that. The mountain is where God pours in to you. You talk to God and then sit and listen.
I am a busy minded person. If my body isn't moving you can be sure that my mind is. In fact I have to repeat the word "off" and I imagine turning off a light switch at night so I can go to sleep. Even then I start making up scenarios in which I might be turning off a light and before I realize it my mind is wide awake again counting down a row of 572 light switches. I understand the difficulty of quieting the mind but I want to imitate my savior. He went to the mountain for quiet and to fellowship with the Father.
Matthew 28:16-17a " Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him the worshiped him..."
They went there to SEE Jesus. Jesus is on the mountain. I want to be WITH Jesus.
The mountain top experiences I have been referring to have been those times spent in the presence of other believers sharing in the message given by a Spirit lead speaker. But those times don't happen everyday. Even if you regularly attend a church and the pastor is a gifted teacher, one can not live on Sundays alone. We are meant to get in to the presence of God, up on the mountain as often as we need it and we need it more often than we realize.
When Jesus went up to the mountain in Matthew 5 he was going away from the crowds of people. His disciples followed him likely because they had the same need, to be alone with their teacher. It was no big planned event. They didn't pay big bucks to have a speaker flown in or string extension cords up there so that the guitar would sound just right. It was just the disciples and their teacher. I could be wrong, but I'd be willing to say Jesus probably didn't have a bunch of notes prepared for what he would share with them either. It was his heart to theirs, pouring out, refueling, and filling up.Mark 6:46 "And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray."
Jesus went where there was peace and solitude to pray. Turns out a mountain is a pretty good place for that. The mountain is where God pours in to you. You talk to God and then sit and listen.
I am a busy minded person. If my body isn't moving you can be sure that my mind is. In fact I have to repeat the word "off" and I imagine turning off a light switch at night so I can go to sleep. Even then I start making up scenarios in which I might be turning off a light and before I realize it my mind is wide awake again counting down a row of 572 light switches. I understand the difficulty of quieting the mind but I want to imitate my savior. He went to the mountain for quiet and to fellowship with the Father.
Matthew 28:16-17a " Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him the worshiped him..."
They went there to SEE Jesus. Jesus is on the mountain. I want to be WITH Jesus.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Let us go up the mountain
"Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths." Isaiah 2:3b
We NEED the mountain top. It is a place of growth. From there you can see the vision that God sees and look out over the vastness of his perfect plan. It gives new resolve to putting one foot in front of the other and clarity in walking along the path.
A large gathering of born again believers can be one way to climb the mountain. There is power and passion when we all get together. Usually there is an anointed speaker, an on fire worship leader, and a well thought out program that has been bathed in prayer. Typically those in attendance at these events are the ones truly hungry to grow which also provides a clear invitation to the Holy Spirit. All of those things help to bring us to the mountain and the feet of Jesus. But those events are few and far between, or too costly and time consuming to commit to more than one or two a year.
We need passion, vision, and direction every day of our lives here on Earth if we are to live God filled lives that pour out on to all those we minister to. We need to be filled ourselves.
Each Christian possess within themselves the ability to be filled to the top with the rich blessings of God. Not material or worldly things but the abundance of God's treasures to us on Earth. The fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). The Holy Spirit does not only show up when we put on a show.
I am learning in this time as well. I will continue to share my thoughts and meditations about how we can be in the high places with God each day of our lives.
We NEED the mountain top. It is a place of growth. From there you can see the vision that God sees and look out over the vastness of his perfect plan. It gives new resolve to putting one foot in front of the other and clarity in walking along the path.
A large gathering of born again believers can be one way to climb the mountain. There is power and passion when we all get together. Usually there is an anointed speaker, an on fire worship leader, and a well thought out program that has been bathed in prayer. Typically those in attendance at these events are the ones truly hungry to grow which also provides a clear invitation to the Holy Spirit. All of those things help to bring us to the mountain and the feet of Jesus. But those events are few and far between, or too costly and time consuming to commit to more than one or two a year.
We need passion, vision, and direction every day of our lives here on Earth if we are to live God filled lives that pour out on to all those we minister to. We need to be filled ourselves.
Each Christian possess within themselves the ability to be filled to the top with the rich blessings of God. Not material or worldly things but the abundance of God's treasures to us on Earth. The fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). The Holy Spirit does not only show up when we put on a show.
I am learning in this time as well. I will continue to share my thoughts and meditations about how we can be in the high places with God each day of our lives.
Friday, August 9, 2013
No one really wants to come down off the mountain
"Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain..." Ephesians 32:15
We had an amazing mountain top experience for 5 days this week while at the World Indigenous Missions International conference. Our whole family was bathed in the love of God and we climbed to a spiritual high. The worship was anointed, the speakers were anointed, the fellowship was anointed (and the food was good;o). Each experience a ledge which we used to hoist ourselves higher in to the presence of God.
Yesterday I lamented to a few of our fellow attendees that I was sad to leave, feeling as though I was climbing back down the mountain when I really wanted to continue to sit in the presence of God.
Moses had to come back down. In fact his climb up the mountain and his resulting time with God wasn't much good to anyone besides himself unless he came back down. The purpose of our time this week was to receive refreshment and new resolve for our time on the mission field, where we suspect we will spend time in some very deep dark valleys.
However, I know that one can not survive on a triannual climbs up the mountain alone. So my heart before God has been, Lord how do I stay right here and yet serve down there.
"And now I will go up to the Lord...So Moses returned to the Lord..." Ephesians 32:30a, 31a
Many times over my 15 years of being a born again believer have I heard "read the Word every day", "pray without ceasing", "go to church", "fellowship with the saints". All with good intentions but received by me in a spirit of legalism. Just another thing to do to be a good Christian. I have wanted a deeper relationship and I thought these "things" would bring that about.
I have grown in the Lord, but not because I did these things. I hope to write a few posts about how my mountain top experiences, the valleys that I climbed down in to, and a fresh outlook on being in God's presence have brought me to a place of maintaining a spiritual "high" and a deep relationship with God, even in the valley.
We had an amazing mountain top experience for 5 days this week while at the World Indigenous Missions International conference. Our whole family was bathed in the love of God and we climbed to a spiritual high. The worship was anointed, the speakers were anointed, the fellowship was anointed (and the food was good;o). Each experience a ledge which we used to hoist ourselves higher in to the presence of God.
Yesterday I lamented to a few of our fellow attendees that I was sad to leave, feeling as though I was climbing back down the mountain when I really wanted to continue to sit in the presence of God.
Moses had to come back down. In fact his climb up the mountain and his resulting time with God wasn't much good to anyone besides himself unless he came back down. The purpose of our time this week was to receive refreshment and new resolve for our time on the mission field, where we suspect we will spend time in some very deep dark valleys.
However, I know that one can not survive on a triannual climbs up the mountain alone. So my heart before God has been, Lord how do I stay right here and yet serve down there.
"And now I will go up to the Lord...So Moses returned to the Lord..." Ephesians 32:30a, 31a
Many times over my 15 years of being a born again believer have I heard "read the Word every day", "pray without ceasing", "go to church", "fellowship with the saints". All with good intentions but received by me in a spirit of legalism. Just another thing to do to be a good Christian. I have wanted a deeper relationship and I thought these "things" would bring that about.
I have grown in the Lord, but not because I did these things. I hope to write a few posts about how my mountain top experiences, the valleys that I climbed down in to, and a fresh outlook on being in God's presence have brought me to a place of maintaining a spiritual "high" and a deep relationship with God, even in the valley.
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