You go from the “mountaintop” to the “wilderness” just as quickly as Moses, and Elijah, and Jesus did. And it describes how God came down on that mountaintop: “YHWH descended upon it in fire, and the smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked” and Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder. In spiritual terms, the wilderness offers retreat from the mundane things of life, where; in the quietness; the deeper things of God and man, can be sought, and discovered. And we find out maybe we didn’t really “keep” all of that. 2:14). Jesus in the wilderness did not try to escape from his 40-day experience. Every Christian gets some “spiritual highs” where we experience God in a fresh way, or take a special “leap forward” in learning and growing in Him — but we also need to learn that the “spiritual highs” don’t typically last very long. We were SO excited, and on the way home we were just so thrilled, and talking about that — when all of the sudden we got a call from our daughter Libby that our oldest son Paul had just been “let go” from his first job at a sandwich shop because he was too meticulous at putting the sandwiches together — they said he “wasn’t Subway material.” After we got that call, Cheryl & I looked at each and we said something like, “Can’t we just savor one day of victory in our kids’ lives, without having some crisis pop up again?” But that is often the way it is with kids; you go from highs to lows, over and over and over. I went to school the next day, and I was so excited, and I told one of my classmates: “I got baptized last night” and she just looked at me with the most condescending look on her face and said, “SO?” I have never felt so slapped in the face with cold noodle! Another way to think of it is that wilderness times are temporary. Then and only then can God set a table for you. The result from this lack of knowledge is, many years are lost and some even die in them without ever reaching their destiny. Isaiah 35:1 (KJV) “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” I want to talk to you about coming out of your wilderness experience. B. Beddome, M. A. Ezekiel 20:35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. But then secondly I want you to see that life in the wilderness is intended to help us obey. It WILL happen to you. It is all part of God’s design. In fact, that he was led into this experience by the Spirit suggests that there was a larger, divine plan in it. He went from a spiritual “high” right into a time of testing, as an example for us in our spiritual lives as well. This happens to every Christian. When I hear wilderness I sometimes think of pristine forests. It is very revealing that we see here in the temptations that follow in the next verses, that the devil tried to get Jesus to doubt what God had just told Him at His baptism. Bring him here to Me.” Again, the spiritual “high” of the glory of the Mount of Transfiguration didn’t last long, and Jesus was immediately “hit” with the problems of demon-filled people, and ineffective and powerless disciples. RULES FOR WILDERNESS SURVIVAL. ... Service Type: Sermons. •The 'Wilderness Experience' is the outworking of God's blessing. So when will all these “wildernesses” end; when will all this testing stop? Many awful threatenings and delightful promises are scattered up and down in the Word of God. In extreme situations, post traumatic-stress disorder can result. In the New Testament, Jesus claims to be the “bread of life” and Paul states that Jesus is the Rock that was struck by Moses in the wilderness. I hope it was. And we need to understand that the same thing happens in our spiritual lives as well. Are you in a wilderness? Spiritual dryness affects not only your spirit but also your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. You learn something, you grow in some area of your life, then you get tested. How To Survive A Wilderness Experience (8 of 11) Series: Fearless Dr. Larry Osborne THE ULTIMATE WILDERNESS EXPERT Moses and his 40 year trek through the desert Exodus 13:17 - 14:31/ Exodus 19:1 - 20:21/ Numbers 13:1 - 14:45/ Deuteronomy 2:7 and Nehemiah 9:18-21 HOW TO SURVIVE A WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE 1. Today we have reached the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. In the same way that national law makes us all criminals, so has Moses' law made us all sinners (. There is a great joy in that! Be ready for it; stand firm in it. You may feel as if your spiritual life is stuck in a rut. Topic: Spiritual Growth When Jesus Christ said “Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”, He was inviting you to a spiritual banquet, my friend. One time when our kids were in high school Cheryl & I had gone with our son David to the regional high school track meet where he was competing in the 400 meter run, and he surprised us, and actually PLACED at regionals — as a freshman! It won’t stop until you cross the last “river” to get into heaven. — Or you’re on the “high” of that “mountaintop” of that revival or the youth retreat, but then you come home to the same old family you had when you left: and your parents still get on your nerves, and your brother or sister is still annoying, and you’ve still got your chores and your homework, and all the things you’d left behind for a while when you went to “the mountain.” There are two aspects of salvation, what Jesus does within us. A wilderness experience may also cause feelings of discouragement, confusion, and even anger. The wilderness is happy to have you. A wilderness experience is a period in our life where there are many difficulties and trials. We ALL are; whatever our age. Spiritual Wilderness Seeking the Ancient Path Posts. Every single time. 5:3-12), Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog). So listen: although it may not be pleasant to hear, I am not here to “tickle your ears”, I am here to tell you the truth. The Hebrew word translated “wilderness” simply means a place where people do not live. Losing a loved one to death or divorce can be a family wilderness. Jesus knew that He was God’s Son. We may feel a sort of spiritual depression, and find it difficult to find the joy of the Lord. A wilderness experience is a period in our life where there are many difficulties and trials. Introduction The dictionary defines a Sign as something perceived that suggests the existence of a fact, quality or condition, either past, present or future. Can you imagine the “spiritual high” that Jesus might have been on, immediately after His baptism? Spiritual senses dull. We see that pattern over and over. Spiritual Wilderness. Yes, he can. 10:4. It IS coming. The tablets aren’t even “cool” yet from the fire of the finger of God that engraved them — and the people are already turning against God, and Moses has a crisis he has to address. ... sermon: Wilderness Wanderings (Part Two) #1539-AM John W. Ritenbaugh Given 15-Apr-20; 78 minutes Why should we fast in preparation for Easter? Proposition – God will always be with us in the wilderness experiences. Keith has led our students in a “Disciple Now” this weekend, and maybe some of you students would say this has been a “mountaintop” weekend for you. I. ... Christ’s temptation in the wilderness was an intense spiritual experience for him. — Maybe it is the initial “high” of your salvation. The wilderness experience is very much God-initiated. Bible > Sermons > Ezekiel 20:35. This is a sermon covering an overview of God’s judgment of Israel during the forty years in the wilderness. Survive the Wilderness Seasons of Life, Whitney Hopler - Read more Christian women spiritual life, faith, and growth. God is full of light and satan is full of darkness. Wow … welcome down from the mountain to the wilderness! From the Gospel of Mark chapter 1: The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The “Mountaintop” Before The Wilderness. — Or maybe it is the “high” of a revival experience at a camp or spiritual retreat, as God works in your life in a special way. It may be helpful for you to realize that this WILL happen to you; it is NOT unusual; it is most likely not your fault — it’s a normal part of every Christian’s experience. But there are a number of other “spiritual highs” in the typical Christian life as well: Cheryl & I have talked about this a number of times. It is characteristic of God in Scripture to lead chosen people into the isolation and barrenness of the wilderness or desert. We do not usually get to stay on the “spiritual mountaintop” for very long. How much of it will we really retain? And it is not a “bad” thing to have a spiritual high — but we need to always keep in mind: those “mountaintop” experiences are good: but they don’t last forever! Our forebears, camped at the edge of the wilderness, guided by a cloud and pillar of fire, panicked at the sight of the pursuing Egyptian army. where the spiritual church is treated of, which though inhabited and cultivated is called relatively a wilderness; for it is said, judgment shall dwell in the wilderness and righteousness in Carmel. Wilderness experiences are those times in life when circumstances force us to take time out. John 6:35&36; I Cor. When we have had times of spiritual growth on “the mountaintop” with the Lord (whatever form that “mountaintop” spiritual growth takes), God then allows us to come into a time of “wilderness” of trial and temptation, where Satan will to try to get us to doubt what we know that God has told us about Himself, or what we just learned about His word, or our ministry, or His call on our lives. Your challenge right now is: Don’t be surprised when you are brought into the “wilderness”. There are two aspects of salvation, what Jesus does within us. ... Sunday Sermon - "Wilderness" A sermon from Luke 3:1-6. Here in Matthew 3 and 4 we see that Jesus, who modeled so much for us about what it means for a man and to walk with God, went through this same thing. But you’ll never know as long as you stay in Egypt. Then as that happened, the Holy Spirit came down upon Him like a dove, anointing and filling Him for ministry; and the voice of His Father called down from heaven: “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” I had never really thought of it before I read this passage again recently, but this must have been, just from a human/emotional level, an amazing “spiritual high” for Jesus. This happens to every one of us. Going bankrupt or losing a house can be a financial wilderness. — but then on Monday morning you go back to your corporation or factory or office, and all the complainers, and those joyless souls who just seem to sap the life right out of you. See Page 3 of A Cartoonist’s Guide to Matthew. It is a place to return from, in order to undertake particular tasks; and a place … Ears of the death: speaks of our spiritual ears . I have been kicking this idea around in my head for a while. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness (desert) to be tempted by the devil! You will normally be well into a wilderness experience before you consciously know that you are. I remember a few months ago I had had the greatest worship and Bible reading time one day, and I was outside just walking and praying and looking up at the moon and the stars, and I was just so thrilled and thanked God. We see this SO many times in scripture: — In Exodus 19, the Bible tells us that Moses was called up to Mt. Jesus tempted in the wilderness appears Very different from the Christ seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Featured December 11, 2019 What is the Problem with Joel Osteen? What have you learned from your whole life of walking with God that has prepared you for this hour? As long as you live, God will continue to bring you through times of spiritual growth, and spiritual testing, over and over, to test and to consolidate what you have learned into your spiritual life. Live out what you learned in it. Exodus 24 says that “To the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of YHWH was like a consuming fire on the mountain top” “and Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.” (:18) Perhaps no one before or since has had that kind of personal experience with God. Sermon Illustrations provides sermon illustrations, sermons, eulogies, funeral helps, ... can be frustrating and time consuming. Countless Christians sincerely sing a petition to the Holy Spirit that he should - make me, break me, mould me, fill me. Spiritual Hiccups Thoughts on faith, musings on Scripture, sermons from Falls Church Presbyterian Church, plus sermons and postings from "Pastor James," my blog while pastor at ... or even out in the rural countryside. It didn’t take long for him to go from the mountain to the valley. … ( Log Out /  There were nine sermons in the series, on nine nearly consecutive Sundays one autumn. Most of you know that already. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness (desert) to be tempted by the devil! How much of it are you going to really implement in your life? So now God will take us into the next “mountain top”; to another lesson; to another close walk with Him — and yes, then He’ll allow us to be tested in the wilderness again after that. But now Satan was testing Jesus, in the very thing that God had just told Him was true. — It could be the joy you feel as you repent of a certain sin in your life, and that “barrier” that sin always puts between you and God is taken down, and you feel so good, and so close the Lord. He said in :16, “I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” And Jesus says in :17 “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? Abnormally elevated adrenaline levels are followed by a period of depression. 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