From the Mountain to the Valley: Recharging the Spiritual Battery.

Did you ever experienced the glory of God in a way that you didn't want to leave that place, that you hoped it would last forever? I did and i can tell you that i felt like that! That's what i call, "the mountain top experience". Jesus revealed His glory to three of His disciples and they were overwhelmed by it and wanted to stay there forever. Matthew 17:1-4. As you can see, Peter told Jesus that it was good for them to be there and he had the idea of building "tabernacles". That's what usually happens when people have "the mountain top experience", it's not enough for them to have Jesus Christ, they have to build something to prove that Jesus is (was) there, thinking they can "confine" Him in their "tabernacles" or "shrines". That's one of the reasons why we see so many "tabernacles" (church buildings) nowadays, of course other reasons are "money", "control", "entertainment", etc. Of course, as Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God cannot be confined, right after they came down to the "valley" and already faced some challenges. Some people are against "mountain top experiences", they say that it is just "emotionalism", that it doesn't do any good for the believer. I completely disagree with that, i think the "mountain top experience" is not just necessary, it is vital for every christian to have that experience once in a while. Why? Because you will realize how sinful you are, how awesome God is and how much you need Him. The mountain is as real as the valley! Unfortunately, most believers think that the "mountain top experience" is just for Moses, Elijah and Jesus' disciples, that it does not apply for them. That's why most believers are unhappy,  ungrateful, spiritually empty or lukewarm. Why am i saying that? Because i used to be like that! But when Jesus Christ revealed His glory to me, i realized that He is the most Loving, Beautiful and Peaceful person i ever met. I think without the "mountain top experience" we will never experience the JOY OF A TRIAL: James 1:2. Is it possible to be joyful in trials? If we believe in the Bible it sure is: Acts 5:41. One of our problems here in America, is that Christians think that persecution and trials are just for believers that live in communist or islamic countries (among others). That's why even if the Bible is not clear about the subject, the vast majority of christians here believe in the "pre-trib" concept, because in the bottom of their hearts they don't think that we will ever have persecution here in America, if we will, it will be after the "rapture"! Am I suggesting that you have to pray to be persecuted or reviled? Of course not! What I am saying is that once you "enlisted" in God's army, you must go through an intensive training in order to become a soldier, well prepared for the battle. See what Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:4. If you are wondering why you don't grow spiritually, here is the reason: Luke 8:14. There's a parallel between what Paul teaches about the soldier and what Jesus teaches about the Parable of the Sower. If the soldier does not forsake everything to be prepared for the battle, he will never be. The same way, if the seed grows among thorns, they (thorns) will choke it, there will never be a mature fruit. If our hearts are divided between our lives here on this earth and the Kingdom of God, THERE WILL NEVER BE A MATURE FRUIT (fruit of the Spirit). That's the reason Jesus said this: Luke 14:33. It is time to bear fruit, otherwise we will be cut of from the tree (Jesus Christ). We must be willing to pray Habakkuk's prayer: Habakkuk 3:17-19. If Job (Job 1:21), Paul (Philippians 4:11-13) and many others were able to pray like that, so are we, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Righteousness: The Proper Garment for the Wedding.

Matthew 22:1-14 In this parable, Jesus is saying that we can have the INVITATION (calling) for the wedding and yet, not be PREPARED (garment) for it. We can even be the bride, as the five foolish virgins (read the post: "Wisdom vs. Foolishness: What kind of Believer are You?"), and yet not be ready for the marriage. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Christians believe that once you receive the calling (ministry) and gifts (healing, prophecy, etc.), you are already saved (married), but this is far from the truth! Calling and Gifts are only the evidence of God's character. Because God loves us He speaks to us (prophecy), because He loves us he heals us, because He loves us and we don't know how to pray (talk to Him), He gives us the gift of tongues, etc. Our calling and gifts are not evidence that we are saved, our CHARACTER is! Matthew 7:22-23. I can give you a personal example: I grew up in the church. When I was about 19 years old, I went to my friend's house and there I saw a lady from the Presbyterian church I used to go. When she saw me, she hugged me and said: "Julio, I am praying for you my son". I thought that was very nice of her and even if I felt loved by her, I wasn't impressed because I knew there were other people praying for me at that time. Many years latter, after God's work in my life (deliverance, salvation, anointing, etc.), I was praying one morning and asking God why He didn't allow the devil to kill me (a demon told me he was going to kill me), and God showed me that scene, the old lady (her name was Canuta) hugging me, and then He said to me: "You didn't die because there were many righteous people praying for you!" For me it came true the verse that says: James 5:16. What am I trying to say with this example is that our faith has to be followed by our works. Because people believed that God could save me (even if many times I didn't), they prayed for me, and because they were righteous, God answered their prayer. I love king David's story, because I can relate to it in many ways. There's a proverb that David quoted that is very interesting, is found in 1 Samuel 24:13. When David said this proverb, he was saying that Saul's works were showing who he (Saul) was, because Saul was wicked he practiced wickedness. That's a principle, it works for everything else. If we are lovely, we will show love, if we are peaceful we will show peace, if we are evil, we will show evil deeds. OUR WORKS WILL EXPRESS OUR CHARACTER. We can fake for a while, but sooner or latter we will show our character. James also says that faith has to be followed by works: James 2:20. So, why am I saying that "righteousness is the proper garment for the wedding"? Because we can only practice RIGHTEOUSNESS (works) if we are RIGHTEOUS (faith). Do you remember what is said about Abraham? Genesis 15:6 (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). If you remember Abraham's story you know that his works (deeds) were the result of his faith. If you got an invitation to Jesus Christ's wedding, check you works (acts), if they are righteous then you will be the bride: Revelation 19:6-8. God is calling us (His people) to a life of holiness, Jesus is coming for a "spotless bride" (church), if we are not wearing the "proper garment" (righteousness), we will be "cast into outer darkness". Holiness is not an option for the believer, is a commandment: I Peter 1:15.