Adorned in Glory

~~~ Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord ~~~

~~ Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 ~~ Psalm 97 ~~

~~~ 2 Peter 1:16-19 ~~~ Matthew 17:1-9 ~~~

"This is my beloved Son, with whom

 I am well pleased;

listen to him."

Both times recorded in the Bible where God
 speaks words about Jesus we have witnesses.

During this mountain top transfiguration
Jesus brought three of his most trusted followers.
Peter, James, and John, they walked beside Jesus...
They were witnesses to his public ministry of healing.

They knew first hand of the power he had at his disposal...
power he shared in with God the Father.
The same God who spoke to Moses
on the mountain.

The same God who gave Moses the stone tablets.
The same God who spoke through the prophets.
The same God who called Moses to lead
his chosen people to the land of milk and honey.

God brought Moses down to stand with Jesus
on the mountain to witness the transfigured glory of Jesus.

Moses and Elijah were given the privilege
to hear God speak about his Son, Jesus.

They did not have the opportunity to witness
God's power demonstrated on earth
through Jesus like the disciples present had.

In a way God was saying to Moses and Elijah...
now you see why your work was so critical.

Simultaneously God was saying to Peter, James and John...
now you have even more proof that your work must continue.

This Transfigured Glory of Jesus
transcends all time.

"Do not tell the vision to anyone 
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

We are not first hand witnesses,
but this incredible event has been passed down
to us so that we can pass it on to others.

Seeing this Glory of Jesus
is what we believe Heaven has in store for us.

Jesus touches his disciples and dissolves their fears.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."

I hope to have this experience one day
 as I lay on my death bed.

Seeing the Glory and hearing the voice of God
can indeed be frightening
unless you trust that Jesus will come to
calm you with his touch of peace.

May the Transfigured Glory of Jesus
bring peace into the depths of your soul.

~~~Peace~~~

Light of Hope

~~~ Second Sunday of Lent ~~~

~~~ Genesis 12:1-4A ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ 

~~~ 2 Timothy 1:8B-10 ~~~ Matthew 17:1-9 ~~~

Jesus called Peter, James, and John to follow him.

They had no idea that when they followed him

 up this mountain they would be stunned 

by what happened to their leader.

They climbed the mountain to witness 

the blinding light of the divine glory of Jesus.

...he was transfigured before them; 

his face shone like the sun 

and his clothes became white as light.

They were given a glimpse of heaven.

God also sent down Moses and Elijah.

Moses, chosen by God to lead the people to the promised land.

Elijah, one of the greatest Jewish prophets.

When we look at the sun our vision is greatly effected.

You might call it a sunburn of the eyeball.

If the sun is brightly shining in your face you instinctively

 want to protect your eyes from the light.

The human eye is very sensitive to bright light.

During the Transfiguration the face of Jesus 

was as bright as the sun.

The three apostles with Jesus must have initially reacted 

by turning away or covering their eyes.

Subsequently they saw a dark cloud...

heard the voice of God and succumbed to fear.

Jesus immediately responds to their reaction.

He comes to them...

Jesus came and touched them, saying,

"Rise, and do not be afraid."

When we take our last breath many people

 have reported seeing a bright light.

This bright light seems to be an invitation to come closer.

If this is the light from the face of God

 it might explain why there is an experience

 of peace and not fear.

The Transfiguration gives us hope.

"Do not tell the vision to anyone 

until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Let this second week of Lent

bring you closer to realizing that Jesus 

will never leave you or abandon you.

The Transfiguration is the Light of Hope.

~~~ Blessings & Peace ~~~

The Glory Experience

Second Sunday of Lent

~~~ Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~

~~~Philippians 3:17—4:1 ~~~ Luke 9:28B-36 ~~~ 

 ...from the cloud came a voice that said, 

“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

The Transfiguration of Jesus.

Today we hear the second time in scripture 

where God the Father speaks from a cloud.

He address Jesus as his chosen beloved Son.

God continues with the statement for us to listen to him.

God is validating the person of Jesus before his closest believers.

During the Baptism of Jesus we also saw light

 surrounding him and a hidden voice speaking from above.

Peter, James, and John were speechless.

Imagine if you had been with them on that mountain top.

Many saints have had visions of the Lord, but this was not a vision

this was more than that...it was really happening.

The three heard the voice of God, the Father.

...becoming fully awake, 

they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

They were not dreaming this was reality.

After this experience I cannot imagine these three men

 could have been the same.

Have you ever had an experience that profoundly changed you?

Are you willing to have such a life changing experience?

God wants to transform you this Lent.

How will you let him?

...our citizenship is in heaven...

If we want to get to heaven

 then we must allow the grace 

and mercy of God transform us.

This process of transformation

 is ongoing all the days of our life.

God made this covenant with us way back in the days of Abram.

Jesus will change us into a being of light and glory

to abide with him in heaven.

Oh what a glorious day that will be... 

Until that time we have our work cut out 

for us here on Earth.

Use it well.

So many Blessings in store for us.

~~~Peace~~~

Mountain Climbing

~~~ Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord ~~~

~~~ Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 ~~~ Psalm 97 ~~~ 

~~~2 Peter 1:16-19 ~~~ Mark 9:2-10 ~~~

Jesus took Peter, James, and John on a mountain climbing excursion.

These three did not have a clue the surprise they were in for.

It was the belief then that going to a high place,

such as a mountain top, you would be closer to God.

God resided high in the mountains.

The mountain top was holy, apart from daily life.

The mountain top is where you go to commune with God.

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John,

and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.

As they climbed this mountain together;

I wonder what questions they might have held inside.

Where were they going?

Why were they going into the mountains?

Why only the three of them and not the others?

They were soon to see a sight that they could have never imagined.

They knew of the encounters Moses' had had with 

God on the mountain top.

They even knew of the clouds that hugged the mountain top.

When Jesus transformed into his glory right before their eyes;

it was no wonder that they fell to the ground in fear.

They were witnessing the brightness of Jesus' glory

as well as the vision of Moses and Elijah.

They were seeing dead people while seeing the 

body of Jesus radiate a dazzling light.

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; 

from the cloud came a voice, 

“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

In the midst of this miraculous vision

 the voice of God speaks from a cloud.

It was not unusual for God to be in the clouds.

But it was unusual for God to speak of his son, Jesus,

with such tender affectionate words.

As has been written here in the past entries...

Jesus is called God's Beloved only one other time in the Bible,

after his baptism in the river water.

The Transfiguration filled every fiber of the mind, 

body, and soul of Peter, James, and John that day.

We to often long for a mountain top experience.

When we do get a taste we do not want it to end.

We look for ways to hold on to the experience...through writing, 

poetry, music, or expressions of art.

Peter chose to give us in writing his first hand account of his experience.

He did not just stumble onto this mountain top,

Jesus led him and the others.

They were led by Jesus...

just as today Jesus leads us too.

The mountain journey is rocky and steep,

but the reward of finding God there is immense.

Take the time to make the journey

Blessings wait there for you to arrive.

God calls you his Beloved too. 

~~~ Peace~~~

Steps in Obedience

~~~Second Sunday of Lent~~~

~~~ Genesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ 

~~~Romans 8:31B-34 ~~~ Mark 9:2-10 ~~~

 I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

Abraham was a good, faithful, God fearing man.

He walked before the Lord almost to a fault, in our eyes.

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his flesh and blood, 

his own son, if it was God's will.

I know I would not have been able to commit 

such an act of obedience.

The Lord put Abraham to the ultimate test.

Abraham loved his son and he loved his God.

How was he able to discern the right action to take?

Abraham believed with his whole being

 that God needed for him to sacrifice his son,

God waited until he was about to make the final act 

of obedience until he stopped him.

I have this picture of Abraham's hand raised ready to come down 

with the ax when he heard the voice of God.

God was greatly impressed with Abraham.

I will bless you abundantly 

and make your descendants as countless... 

as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore...

This is a promise that we stand as witnesses to in the present time.

We are among those who are the descendants of Abraham.

God the Father sent his only Son whom he loved greatly to die for us.

During the Transfiguration we see the shadow cast by the cloud 

and then we hear the voice of God.

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; 

from the cloud came a voice, 

“This is my beloved Son.

Abraham was not in the shadow of any cloud;

 he was walking with his God.

Jesus was obedient to the Father

 just as Abraham was obedient to God.

Abraham gained for all his future generations favor with God.

Jesus gained for us through his obedience eternal 

salvation for all future generations.

God calls each of us his Beloved...

during Lent it is especially humbling

 to consider oneself to be one of God's Beloved.

Returning to God with our whole being...

allowing God to love us...

this is the message of Lent each and every year.

Allow God to Bless you as his 

Beloved Daughter or Beloved Son.

We belong to him...we are his.

~~~Peace~~~

The Multi-Tasking Messiah

~~~ Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord ~~~

~~~ Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 ~~~ Psalm  97 ~~~ 2 Peter 1:16-19 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 17:1-9 ~~~

The second letter of Peter gives a description of his personal experience.
He was there, he went up the mountain with Jesus.
Peter saw Jesus transform right before his eyes.

Jesus did not dress up in his best white tunic for his transfiguration.
He simply went to the mountain top and presented himself to the Father.
He even brought his friends along, but they were not there to minister to him.
They were there to be eye witnesses to the majesty of God the Father.

...eyewitnesses of his majesty...
...voice come from heaven...

How were they able to get all of the details of such an event?
We have a better chance of remembering those events
 that have strong emotion connections.
Fear is one such emotion;
we remember well things that frighten us.

Jesus was the prime multi-tasker.

Moses, representing the law and Elijah,
representing the prophecies
appeared one on either side of Jesus.

Jesus came to save us, to secure eternal life on our behalf.
He also came to make the law perfect,
to fulfill all that the prophets had spoken about the Messiah.

He brings his closest friends with him to witness the glory
 God had in store for not only him but for each of us.

His entire countenance and physical being
 became brilliant right before their eyes.

How could they not experience fear?
It was the equivalent of seeing a ghost only they knew
 Jesus was a real person.

The dark cloud came over them and out of this cloud
came the voice of the Father
loud and clear.

“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

God the Father was validating
his Son by flanking him with Moses and Elijah.
Both of these men had had great relationships with the Father.
The disciples were having a great relationship with Jesus.
God wanted this connection to be solidified;
carried into the future for generations to come.

God wanted the three apostles to see
what God had in store for all who believed.
God wanted them to see just how close he was to Jesus.

Today I invite you to consider just how close Jesus is to you.
He Blesses us with his
 glory on this day of Transfiguration.

~~~ Peace~~~

Surrounded by His Glory

~~~ The Second Sunday of Lent~~~

~~Genesis 12:1-4a~Psalm 33~2 Timothy 1:8b-10~Matthew 17:1-9~~

The Transfiguration...
Jesus took three of his closest friends up to a high mountain.
God, the Father, shows up with a couple of his
long time buddies...Moses and Elijah.
Something monumental was about to happen.

Jesus revealed to them the definition of hope.
His transfiguration proved that the apostles
should not despair in the coming days.

No matter how bad things would become in the days ahead
the glory of Jesus would prevail.

Jesus changed before his mortal friends,
before the prophets of old as well as his heavenly Father.

For only the second time recorded in the Bible
God the Father spoke from the cloud...

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”

Understandably the apostles were frightened by the voice coming form the cloud.
Jesus immediately touched them and calmed their fears.

The Apostles were never the same after this experience.
They came to believe that there was reason to have hope in Jesus.
He had been about his Father's business of healing and teaching.
Now he was taking it a step farther...
he was showing them the glory to which
they would come to hold close to their hearts.

Today we are being reminded, this second Sunday of Lent,
that we must return to the Lord
so that we too may participate in the glory of Jesus.

If today you hear his voice do not waste any time repent now.
We have been given the vision of the glorious radiance of the Lord.

We are blessed to have hope
 that we are being invited to join him in his glory.

Do not be afraid to change.
Raise up your eyes Jesus is there for you...
he has been raised form the dead.
Hope in the Lord for he is near.
Peace.

High-tech Special Effects

~~~ Feast of the Transfiguration ~~~

 

~~Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14~~Psalm 97~~2 Peter 1:16-19~~Luke 9:28b-36~~ 

 

The recent readings from the book of Exodus has set the stage

 for the transfiguration of Jesus.

 

Jesus goes up to the mountain to pray.

 

While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.

 

As we know Moses had a similar experience when in the presence of God.

His face was also changed.

 

What, if any, does the outward appearance tell us about

what might be happening inside?

 

In both the case of Moses and with Jesus their appearance is caused by God.

They were not wearing makeup...it was not some fancy special effects.

Unless you consider this God's special effects.

 

God does not hesitate to dazzle us...it comes naturally for him.

 

Another parallel with Moses is the cloud.

For Moses the cloud represented the God's presence.

During the transfiguration the cloud came over Peter, James, and John too.

 

This cloud cast a shadow over them...it enveloped them

 and they were struck with fear.

For they knew that in the time of Moses,

 the people did not enter into the tent

when the cloud of God appeared over the tent.

 

To increase their fear even more they heard a voice coming from the cloud...

"This is my chosen Son; listen to him."

 

When you see and hear something frightening at the same time

the whole experience is more intense.

Think about the last time you went to see a scary movie.

Even in the safety of your own home the unexpected can startle you...

even causing you to jump.

 

Of course the transfiguration was not meant to frighten the three friends of Jesus'

but it most likely did any way.

 

 

The transfiguration was not a magic act of illusion.

It was not orchestrated with smoke and mirrors...

but God himself.

God has the best high-tech special effects.

He could no longer keep his son shielded from his true self.

The human person they were familiar with was not really who Jesus was.

His true nature is dazzling.

 

Even the prophet Daniel speaks of seeing the Ancient One

in clothing bright as snow.

 

Clouds, fire, glory, majesty...

altogether God is waiting until that day

when he will reveal his true identity to you. 

 

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

One day we too will be an eyewitness to the dazzling,

 magnificence of God.

 

God plans to dazzle us with his blessings.

His Radiant Face

 

~~~Second Sunday of Lent~~~

~~~ Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18~~~Psalm 27~~~Philippians 3:17—4:1~~~Luke 9:28b-36~~~

 

The Transfiguration is how Jesus revealed to his closest companions his true self.

They were given a glimpse of his glory.

They were given the privilege of hearing the voice of the Father

speaking of his beloved Son.

 

The readings today contrast to me darkness and light.

God led Abram away and darkness fell over him,

but from the darkness a light of fire erupted.

God did not leave him in the terrifying darkness.

 

Abram put his faith in the LORD,

As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

 

God will not lead us into darkness just to abandon us there.

Most of us do not like to be in the dark. We feel more vulnerable.

We feel uneasy, unsure of our surrounding.

 

God promises to be our light.

He is the light of the world.

He dispels the darkness...literally and figuratively.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

Lent is a somber season for Christians,

 yet we are given this glorious vision of what we too have been promised.

When we will be joined with God in heaven our body will also be changed.

We will be taken in to the glorious light of the Trinity.

 

'...we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body...'

 

 

 Our face will become radiant with his glory.

We will hear the sound of the voice of the Father

claiming us as his own beloved son or daughter.

 

Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transform before their eyes.

They  understandably were awe struck beyond words.

 

While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.

becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory

 

By this time they had become comfortable keeping company with Jesus.

All that he had attempted to tell them was now revealed to them.

He truly was the Son of God

they saw his glory.

Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

 

They heard the words that we all long within our hearts to hear.

We want God to be proud of how we have lived this life

he so graciously gave to us.

We want to know we have pleased him.

 

Lent is a time for conversion and today if there was any doubt about why...

we have been given the answer...

So that we can share in the light of the glory of God for all eternity in heaven.

 

May the presence of God give you strength and perseverance

during these forty days of Lent.

Fix your eyes on the glorified face of Jesus.

Today we are given the reason for our faith in the love of God.

The Revelation of Glory

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

~~~ Dn 7:9-10,13-14 ~~~ Psalm 97 ~~~ 2Pt 1:16-19 ~~~ Mark 9:2-10 ~~~

The Transfiguration of our Lord is quite special.

This is when Jesus reveals his his true nature to his most intimate friends.

This just occurred to me; not even his own mother was present for this event.

Jesus led them to a deserted place away from others.

He led them to a high mountain.

It was a glorious revelation!

Through this transfiguration Jesus demonstrates his connection with the prophets...Elijah and the Israelites...Moses.

Jesus unites the past and the present.

If James, Peter or John had any doubts about who they were

keeping company with this convinced them.

The sight they were blessed to witness left the three breathless.

They wanted to capture the moment. They wanted to remain there;

Peter even suggests pitching tents.

But as we well know through our own experiences

 you cannot hold on to mountain top experiences.

They are given to us to inspire, fill us with grace,

and keep us longing for more.

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

When we leave  our every day routine it is more likely

that we too will hear the voice of God.

Like the three, you may be confused following a mountain top experience.

It may take extra time to discern what happened while you were away. 

The voice of God from the cloud

"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

An eye witness has much more credibility than someone reporting from hearsay.

Personal testimonies carry with them the emotional energy

from the original experience.

These stored energies give life to each recounting of the experience.

If an experience is retold from a third person

it is missing the original emotional content. 

It may still be worth retelling, but it will always be more powerful

coming from the individual who was there.

The three may not have had a journal to record

what they had experienced.

They were even asked not to speak of it

until after the resurrection of the Lord.

It was not until later that they would experience 

the concept of the resurrection.

I invite you to begin keeping a journal...

record those experiences that touch your soul.

When you are no longer in the presence of the transfigured Lord

you can return to your journal.

What you recorded will help remind you of your special time with the Lord.

A time when you truly felt He was calling you His Beloved.