Our readings in this series are from the book, Such a Great Salvation. Here is a brief excerpt from page 21:
“The allure of the mountaintop is undeniable. Noise, singing and dancing, excitement and music, the glory of God all around us! Even the disciples would have preferred to remain indefinitely on the mount of Transfiguration, so great was their joy in the Presence of Christ and His glory.
“But for many believers, the essence of Christian life consists of perceived mountaintop experiences, especially their Sunday morning service of worship. If it’s lively and upbeat, if the people are all happy and singing, if the testimonies are sincere, and if the pastor preaches a comforting message, then this is what it’s all about to be a Christian. If my church fails to deliver such mountaintop experiences, I might complain to an elder or the people in my small group, or I might go looking for another mountaintop experience somewhere else.
“But the mountaintop is not the place where we find the rest promised in our great salvation. The people of Israel might have wished it were so, and we might wish it, too. But the rest God promises—that freedom from fear, want, uncertainty, doubt, loneliness, and self-loathing—is merely glimpsed during our services of worship. It is realized, and we grow in it by laboring to obtain the promises of God and to live for His glory within His appointed place and calling for our lives.”
Life in Christ is a journey toward His promised land of rest. And we grow as we press on in that journey together. We always grow more when we are growing with others. You can order a copy of Such a Great Salvation, either in book form or as a free PDF, by going to The Ailbe Bookstore. And if you have not yet signed up to receive Read Moore on your desktop every Monday through Friday, then go to the home page of our website, www.ailbe.org, and scroll to the bottom to subscribe or to update your existing subscriptions. Don’t make your journey in Christ alone. Find some friends to read and study with, and share a free copy of Such a Great Salvation with them all.
T. M. Moore
