Still Building Churches
“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!’”
Today’s Text: Matthew 17:1-13 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Every once in a while, we may experience something so spiritually powerful that we are immediately motivated to do something to maintain our spiritual high. There is no rebuke from the Lord when we respond with such enthusiasm. How could He rebuke us?
Sooner or later, the Lord brings us back to earth and the day to day realities of walking with Christ. And the one lesson we need to hold on to from our experience is “Listen to Him!”
I remember after one of our youth retreats, I heard a young sister say, “I wish we could stay there forever.” Amen to that. And one day, we will (I think) when Jesus returns to make all things right.
But in the meantime, we always have to come down from that mountaintop experience and learn to apply our passion for Christ in the context of mundane living. If we can only hear the voice of Jesus in the din of excitement, then we are missing His voice throughout the majority of our lives.
I’m sure, Jesus loves the time that we spend with Him on the mountaintop. But does He miss us because of our absence on the valley floor?
The one thing that many churches do wrong is to train our next generation to listen to Christ only on the “mountaintop”—through exciting experiences. I love a good retreat and revival as much as anyone. But I’m convinced that the emphasis on the “mountaintop” experience is why many young folks lack the proper perspective to sustain their faith as young adults.
I am very thankful for our next generation ministries here. They work hard week in and week out to teach our children well. I pray that our next generation learn to listen to Jesus not just on the “mountaintop,” but during our Sunday service, at school, in the extracurricular activities, with friends, in their homes.
Father, Your glory is beautiful and awe-inspiring. Show us Your glory so that we might know Your power. But forgive us if we respond with excitement only when we experience Your glory. Thank You for those moments of excitement. But teach us to listen to You in all matters all the time. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
