Written by Adam Jackson
The past weekend we live streamed the Stronger Mens Conference at Real Life Church. Over all the conference was fantastic as always. Though I'd rather been there live but there is next year. I encourage you men to purchase your ticket at www.strongermen.org before the rates go up. It is a great experience each year. I've attended these conferences since 2016 and haven't missed unless you count 2020 where the conference didn't happen. But let's not talk about 2020. I want to share in posts this week some notes I took during that conference starting with something that Pastor Logan shared on Sunday called "Highs and Lows."
Mark Ch 9:2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed, 3 and his clothers became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. 4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. 5 Peter exclaimed, "Rabbi, it's wonderful for us to be here! Let's make, three shelters as memorials - one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 6 He said this because he didn't really know what else to say, for they were all terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly loved Son. LISTEN TO HIM." Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was with them."
I've read this passage many times over the years but this conference really put this in perspective for me. Starting off, Peter, James & John didn't know what to make of all that was happening before them. They were terrified. All Peter could do was in that moment offer to build shelters, to do some work. But in reality all Jesus wanted from them was to just be in the presence. Peter's knee jerk reaction was to build shelters. But the best thing you can do for Jesus is to just be with Jesus. When God's presence shows up just be with him. Be in the presence. Take in that encounter. Worship him, spend time with him, talk with him. That's all you really need to do. We get so caught up in the work & in the busyness of life that all we need to do is to go up that mountain & be in his presence.
But eventually you have to come down from the mountain. Verse 9 says "As they went back down the mountain..." I think about Church Summer Camp. That entire week you are isolated from the world, you have all these fun camp activities but then those camp services each night. WOW! But then you have to return home, to your job, to school, ect... But that's where the work begins. To serve people, to love people, to share the gospel with people, to be a light in a dark world.
If you recall in Exodus Ch 33, Moses had an encounter with God on top of the mountain. And when he came off that mountain he was radiant with glory that they had to cover his face because it was so bright.
Both Moses & Elijah had highs & lows in life.
Elijah had depression. He had some really low moments. He couldn't find God in the fire, or in the wind, or in an earthquake but in a small still voice. God is closer than you think when we are in low moments in life.
For Moses he had anger problems. Moses didn't even make it into the promise land. That honor went to his successor Joshua & that generation. But... Look at Ch 9 of Mark. Moses is there with Jesus & Elijah and they are on top of a mountain with in the promise land, Israel. Moses entered the promise land! It didn't happen in his life time but there he is on top of this mountain with Jesus & Elijah so many hundreds of years & generations later. Isn't that incredible! Jesus snuck him into the Promise Land!
I'll wrap it up here. Look at Mark ch 1:9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voices from heaven said, "YOU ARE MY DEARLY LOVED SON, AND YOUR BRING ME GREAT JOY!"
The Jordan river which is connected to the dead sea, is a lowest area where God spoke to Jesus "You are my dearly loved son and you bring me great joy." While in Ch 9 God speaks again on the highest of highs, on top of a mountain "This is my dearly loved son, listen to him." God will speak to you in the lowest of lows & the highest of highs. God is with you in the lows points of life and God is with you in the highest of highs in life. We always look for the audible voice of God. Elijah tried to find him in the fire, in the wind, but it was the small voice that was closer than he realized. We may not hear his audible voice but we have his scriptures, the pages of his Holy Word that speaks to us. Be in the presence of Jesus. Have that encounter with Jesus. It is vital that we make time with him today & everyday!
We are going to face lows & highs. Lows such as James 1:2 talks about "when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." We will face troubles. But troubles gives our endurance a chance to grow. It helps strengthen our roots in God.
John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
With these words Jesus told his disciples to take courage. In spite of the inevitable struggles they would face, they would not be alone. Jesus does not abandon us to our struggles. If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won, we can claim the peace of Christ in the most troublesome times.
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