What is a mountain top experience? I am not talking about one of those moments that glows forever embossed on and lost in our memory. I am not concerned about the time we had an overwhelming feelings of love and unity with others. I am not seeking to hear about the time when we developed a deep sense of our own self-worth. Contrary to popular opinion, a mountain top experience is not the end of our journey. A mountain top experience is the wisdom we received after we boldly approach the Throne to personally talk with God. A mountain top experience is that excellence that our talk with God places inside of us just so we can run the race. During our mountain top experiences, we receive the wisdom that in spite of what we went through and despite the sins committed by us, we are still a son of God.
A mountain top experience begins when we realize that God called our name. It means our place remains set at the table. A robe is waiting to be put on us, and room has been made for us to sit and reign on the Throne with the Son of God. However, before we travel up to the mountain top to have a talk with God, we must first kneel down before Him and confess our sins. Lastly, we must stand up in our own greatness and be willing to do greater works than even Jesus did. More importantly, we must realize that since God is God and Jesus is the Kings of Kings, all who follow in His way are called a royal high priesthood. A mountain top experience is when as a Son of God, we step out of our own greatness into the royalty and excellence of our relationship with God. Truthfully, the greatness of a person chosen by God is not found in the work that they willingly do for God because the greatness of a person chosen by God is their relationship with God.
On the genesis of the nation of Israel, Moses stood upon the top of Mount Nebo to survey the valley that was below him. His aged eyes saw the lay of the whole land. The seed of Jacob, the children of slaves ejected by God into the barren wilderness no longer had to wander through the vast desert called Sin. Moreover, just as God had promised to Abraham, God had given the seed of Israel the Promised Land to call their own. Therefore, at the border of his greatness, a man chosen by God weary and worn eyes observed as the hand of God carved the name of Israel into the records of antiquity as a nation created by God. More importantly, Moses stood on the mountain top and beheld the birth of his greatness into the nation that even in this day is called Israel.
At that point, God said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said I will give it to your descendants. I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.” On that momentous day, Moses was allowed to stand upon the mountain top at the border of his greatness to talk with God. More importantly, in spite of Moses’ greatness, the servant of God died there in the land of Moab. Just as God had said Moses saw the lay of the Promised Land. Nevertheless, this man chosen by God could not get in because he was told by God that he had to come home. Truthfully, the greatness of a person chosen by God is not found in the work that they willingly do for God because the greatness of a person chosen by God is their relationship with God.
Anyway, centuries later, King Ahab told Queen Jezebel that Elijah, another man chosen by God, had killed all the prophets of Baal with the sword. Unwisely yet promptly, Jezebel sent a messenger to scream at Elijah, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Without a second thought, because hell has no fury like a mad psychopathic woman scorned, a man chosen by God forgot about the greatness he had just done, become afraid, and ran. Elijah ran all the way to Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant behind because not even the fastest chariots can keep up when a man chosen by God tuck in the tail of his greatness and run.
Therefore, after running for yet another day, Elijah saw a broom tree where he sat down under it, caught his breath, and prayed, “I have had enough, LORD! Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he laid down under the tree, wrapped in his greatness, and fell peacefully asleep. Elijah decided to sleep because this man chosen by God still trusted in that God his soul to keep. However, for a man chosen by God on the run, sleep was not in God’s plan. The Scriptures states all at once an angel touched this AWOL man chosen by God, and said, “Get up and eat.”
Elijah looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water from God’s well. The man chosen by God ate, drank, and then lay down again. Once more, the angel of the LORD returned and touched him and said, “Man chosen by God, get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So Elijah got up, ate and drank. He was strengthened by that food and traveled on until he reached the mountain of God called Horeb.
While hiding out in a cave for the night, Elijah again prayed, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” To help the fearful and complaining man chosen by God come to his spiritual senses, the voice of God said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of God, for God is about to pass by.”
Without warning, a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before God; but God was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake; but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire; but God was not in the fire. And after the fire came peace encased inside a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood. As a result, at the zenith of this man chosen by God’s greatness, an exhausted Elijah stood at the mouth of his hideout inside of a cave upon the top of Mount Horeb waiting to talk to God.
Then, out of the blue, God’s voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” The man chosen by God replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” That is when God said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Furthermore, anoint Jehu as king over Israel, and anoint Elisha to succeed you as the prophet.'’ More importantly, this man chosen by God stood upon the mountain top with God only to be told to come home because he was being replaced. Truthfully, the greatness of a person chosen by God is not found in the work that they willingly do for God because the greatness of a person chosen by God is their relationship with God.
As God had spoken, King Ahab soon died and Moab rebelled against Israel. Then, Ahaziah injured himself and sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if he would live. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, a man chosen by God, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah, a man chosen by God and promoted to a son of God picked up his greatness and went.
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?” They replied, “A man came to meet us and he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?” They replied, “He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah, the Tishbite.” More importantly, the king knew who Elijah, a man chosen by God, was because his greatness had preceded him.
So, he sent to Elijah a captain and fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah as he was sitting on a hilltop of a hill, and said, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!” We can only guess why Elijah did what he did. Some say that he was teaching Elisha how to be just like him. Nevertheless, a man chosen by God answered the captain’s interruption with, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men just to prove his point. Again, the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. Once more, the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed them.
Later, the king sent another captain with his fifty men. However, this wise captain knew exactly what to do to save his life. The captain of the King of Israel went up and fell on his knees before His Excellence Elijah and begged “Man of God, please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!” The captain of army of the King of Israel humbled himself before a simple Man of God. He realized that since God rules the Man of God is royalty because of his relationship With God. So, the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. Truthfully, the greatness of a person chosen by God is not found in the work that they willingly do for God because the greatness of a person chosen by God is their relationship with God.
Many decades later, Jesus, the Nazareth took Peter, James and John, up high on a mountain top to be alone. Instantly, as these men following the man chosen by God watched, his clothes glowed as white as a light. Jesus’ greatness revealed itself and transformed his face until this man chosen by God shone like the noonday sun. Then, unexpectedly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with him. Eagerly, Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials, one for each of you.” Nonetheless, even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them as the ever revealing voice of God said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”
The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground because Jesus, the man chosen by God that they had followed that day was really His Excellency, Jesus, the Son of God. However, Jesus just covered up His Excellency with his greatness, walked over, touched them and said. “Get up and do not be afraid.” Moreover, when the men looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus, the Nazareth alive and wrapped in just His greatness. Again, a man chosen by God went to the mountain top and stood in his greatness to talk with God. More importantly, this time he traveled back down to be lifted up as His Excellency, the King of the Jews. Truthfully, the greatness of a person chosen by God is not found in the work that they willingly do for God because the greatness of a person chosen by God is their relationship with God.
Therefore, the next time he traveled up the mountain, he only traveled into the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Later, the man chosen by God would return to stand up and be recognized by the world as the King of the Jews. On that day, Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” After he walked just a few steps away, the man chosen by God knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Out of the blue, an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him. Even so, being in anguish, Jesus just wrapped himself in His Excellency covered by his greatness and prayed more earnestly. He prayed until sweat like drops of blood rolled to the ground. When he finally rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep and exhausted from sorrow. The man chosen by God asked, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Just a few hours later, after the soldiers led Jesus into their palace, they called for the whole company of soldiers, put the royal purple robe on him, and then set a twisted together crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. Moreover, the conqueror began to call out in the hearing of the conquered, “Hail, Jesus, His Excellency, the King of the Jews!”
Repeatedly, they humiliated him by violently striking the proclaimed King of Jews on the head. However, the last thing they did was what should have been done first and what will be done by all in the end. Lastly, the soldiers, falling on their knees, paid homage to him. When they had finished their mocking, they took off the royal purple robe, redressed him in his own clothes, and then led him up toward the hilltop of Golgotha and crucified him. Understandably, Jesus’ beaten and bruised body just could not stand up under the pain of carrying the cross.
Therefore, on the way to the top, Jesus, His Excellency, the King of the Jews dropped. For the first and only time in history, the man chosen by God could not carry his assigned load. However and just for that reason, there on that very same day stood an African from Cyrene named Simon. An African man enslaved into history as the one chosen by God to carry the cross that Jesus could no longer bear. By the third hour of that momentous day, the soldiers brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha. Then, after offering him some spiked wine that he did not take, they finally crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him said it all. The placard place upon the memory of time read Jesus, the Nazareth, and His Excellency, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
As a final insult, they crucified two robbers with him, as those who passed by hurled insults his way. Jesus’ own people, shaking their heads, said, “So, you who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself! He saved others, but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” As darkness slowly encompassed the whole land, at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” However, when some of the people heard the man chosen by God cry, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah. Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.” Just then, one man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink and left.
Alas, with a great cry, Jesus breathed his last breathe. Some say his last breathe was so powerful that the curtain of the temple was torn in two. However, that was when the centurion heard the cry of relief from the man chosen by God just to die. Astonished, he watched as the Greatness of God died. The Roman centurion proclaimed, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” More importantly, that day, he witnessed the man chosen by God wrapped in the greatness of God voluntarily lay down his life for the sake of his people. Nevertheless, Jesus, the Nazareth climbed up on the step of the cross and died just so he could rise on the third day and stand up as “His Excellency, the King of Kings.”
Truthfully, the greatness of a person chosen by God is not found in the work that they willingly do for God because the greatness of a person chosen by God is their relationship with God. However, few men survive their mountain top experience after receiving their greatness. Some like Moses do not survive and are not allowed to step into their excellence on earth because just like the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Still some people chosen by God do not step into their excellence on earth because like Elisha they decide to tuck tails and run. Nevertheless, Jesus, the Nazareth showed the way that a man chosen by God can have a mountain top experience and survive. He survives when he descends from the mountain top, take up his cross or his greatness, and become like Jesus. More importantly Jesus, the King of Kings rose from the grave to give us the power to rise into Our Excellency.
Child of God, the time has come for us to step out of the greatness of our own religions and beliefs. The call from God has been sent out for each of us to travel up to the mountain top of God. We go there to receive the final blessing God has stored just for us on earth. A mountain top experience is where God tells us to step out of our own greatness and put on the Righteousness or Excellence of Christ. Child of God, the voice of God is calling for you. Listen for the peaceful sound of His voice as He whispers to you. Child of God, please will you come home to the household of God. Child of God, come on so God can anoint you. God is waiting to place the Royal Robe upon you. He promised to announce you to the world as the blessed His Excellency, (fill in your name here), A Son Of God. Child of God, come on inside the household of God and step out of your greatness into Your Excellence in God. Come on, child of God, God is waiting just to talk to you. Child of God, your name is being called from the Throne inside the Household of God. Child of God come on, let's go and have a mountain top experience inside the household of God.
