rightly_related_to

From The Mountains To The Valleys

Keeping Rightly Related To God

Adapted from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio

Lesson Introduction

What this lesson teaches:

* We will have ups and downs with our walk with the Lord, but we must learn to listen closely when He does speak, and be obedient to the vision or word He gives us.

* 'Mount of Transfiguration' or 'mountain top' experiences are wonderful, but not the normal, everyday life of a believer. We must learn to use and draw on the 'peaks' of life while we are in the 'valleys' of life.

* We are to worship God and only God (1st Commandment), and we are not to worship any idol (2nd Commandment). That includes not 'worshipping' our experiences with God.

Scripture references used:

* Mark 9:2-4,7-8; Genesis 15:5-6; Exodus 4:10-12, 20:4, 33:11; Numbers 20:6-13; Luke 24:32; Deuteronomy 4:15-16; Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 29:18; 1 John 5:21.

Other scripture that may be helpful:

* Genesis ch 12,15,17,18 and 22; Exodus ch 3, 33:20; Numbers 12:13; Deuteronomy 3:21-29; 4:1-20.

Discussion questions for study:

1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion?

2. Do you understand the analogy of 'mountain top' and 'valley' experiences by our look at Jesus and His disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration? How He and His disciples ascended the glorious mount (A spiritual place) for a short time, and then returned to the 'valley' (The world) of a sin-filled world?

3. Have you ever experienced a 'mountain top' experience? Did God teach you a lot? Did you listen and obey? Do you want to do it again?

4. Have you ever before reflected on the long, long years that Abraham spent with relatively few 'mountain top' experiences in his life? Is there some encouragement in that thought for you, especially if you fell as though you haven't received your fair share of 'mountain-time' with God?

5. Was it something of a revelation to you to see how Moses was most qualified for God's service because of his humility? Was it also a surprise to see that even Moses suffered from pride attacks because of his time spent with God?

6. Were you aware of the relative ease and danger of idol worship? Can you see how God took the greatest of care He could to prevent it?

7. Will you take more care to worship and love God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and not any experiences?

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. . . Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

A 'Mount of Transfiguration' experience. We Christians have them occasionally in our walk with the Lord. They are times when God speaks directly to us in an indescribably special and intimate way. They are times when our lives literally change because God has nudged us in the direction He wants us to go - at least for that moment. But the 'mountain top' is only a peak. We must be careful to remember that most of the time, our walk is somewhere other than on the mountain.

In Genesis chapter 15, Abraham was found by God to be righteous, but NOT because he believed God's Word and Promise. No, Abraham (Abram at the time) was found to be truly righteous when he KNEW that it was GOD HIMSELF, the ETERNAL and FOREVER JEHOVAH that he believed in. It was a belief in the character and presence and REALNESS of God that made Abraham righteous in God's eyes.

Genesis 15:5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

At that very moment, when Abraham looked up into the stars while God was calling him into the covenant relationship, Abraham's FAITH and BELIEF and REALIZATION of Jehovah God "ka-chunked" into a higher gear.

Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

QUESTION: How often do you suppose Abraham conversed in this 2-way "face-to-face" dialogue with God? How often did he have these 'mountain top' experiences? (Remember - Abraham was 75 to 85 years old at this point, and the Bible records only a few instances of God speaking to him in this way.)

Was Abraham a man of prayer? He certainly was. But were the dynamic and exciting and life-changing dialogues as recorded in Genesis chapters 12, 15, 17, 18 and 22 the norm for this man of God?

The truth is, Abraham's 'mountain top'

experiences were probably few in number.

Why do you suppose that is? Do you think God knows what He is doing? Let's find out.

Exodus 33:11 gives us a summation of the way in which God spoke to Moses - AND IT IS TRULY AMAZING!!

Exodus 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.

Face-to-Face! Because God later told Moses (In Exodus 30:20) that "you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live", the 'face-to-face' of verse 11 means in the presence of each other.

" . . . as a man speaks with his friend."

THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE!

Moses had an unusual relationship with God. Probably no other human IN ALL OF HISTORY had as many 2-way, 'face-to-face' conversations with God as Moses did. Much of his life was spent 'on the mountain' we have been referring to.

There is a danger in that, but Moses had

special qualities to prepare him.

Numbers 12:13 tells us that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth. That was a quality that was required in order to deal with God in this manner. In fact, it was probably the single most important character trait Moses possessed. You see, God knew Moses needed tremendous humility in order to do the job God had called him to do. Why do you suppose Moses had trouble with his speech? A 'thorn in his flesh' that would keep him reminded of God's powerful grace perhaps?

Exodus 4:10-12 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Moses went to the mountain top with God - literally - on a number of occasions, most notably to Mt. Horeb (The burning bush - Exodus 3) and Mt. Sinai (The 10 Commandments - Exodus 20). But being in God's direct presence so often eventually took it's toll even on Moses' humility. It is possible that even Moses had grown somewhat "accustomed" to hearing from God in 'mountain top' experiences. He may even have gotten a bit 'cocky'. In Numbers 20:6-13, he and Aaron do not pay very close attention to God's instructions regarding the bringing of water from the rock. God told them to 'speak' to the rock . . . .

Numbers 20:8 Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.

But what did Moses do in order to draw water from the rock? He drew attention to himself as well, which is not what God wanted. . . .

Numbers 20:11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

As a result of Moses action, who's arm appeared to do the job? Did you also notice that Moses never did 'speak' to the rock as God commanded? Our humble servant with the speech impediment did speak, but only to the people for dramatic effect. Why do you suppose God specifically told him to bring his staff? The same seemingly powerful staff that had parted the Red Sea. That staff, when held high, assured victory in battle. God didn't tell Moses to use it, but He told him to bring it!

Can you see the effect of too many 'mountain top' experiences?

THE "BIG PICTURE" MESSAGE:

The moral of the life of Moses is this: Our OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP with God is SACRED and PRECIOUS and not to be trivialized! What happened to Moses is what would happen to us if we spent to much time on the 'mountain' with God. Moses' protection, which was not 100% effective, was his God-given humility. That is why we see, as believers, that we spend most of our life 'in the valley' where the sin and dirt and toil is. Let's go on . . . .

THE BURNING HEART OF RELATIONSHIP:

On the road to Emmaus --

Luke 24:32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Some thoughts from Oswald Chambers:

"We need to learn the secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart - a heart that can go thru anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with it's commonplace duties and people, that sometimes smothers the burning heart - unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus."

The secret? Simply that a single 'mountain top' experience keeps you going in the 'valley' for a very long time. For it is in the 'valley' that we are really proven as Jesus' disciples.

"We cannot stay forever on the 'Mount of Transfiguration' (Mark 9), basking in the light of our 'mountain top' experience. But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action."

* Abraham grew thru his experiences in life - most of them in the 'valley'. But he also learned from his wonderful 'mountain top' experiences with God.

* Moses was a one-of-a-kind. God used him mightily like no other man. But God also used him to teach us to live in the 'valley' with righteousness and humility.

* Never forget: We walk our walk in the 'valley'. We carry our cross in the 'valley'. We need the vision, but we must work it out in the valley.

A FORGOTTEN WARNING FROM GOD:

Deuteronomy 4:1-20 details God's requirement that the Israelites obey the laws and decrees given to Moses. An example of the penalty of NOT believing is given just prior to this passage in Deuteronomy 3:21-29, where Moses pleads once more with God to let him enter the promised land. But God says - "That is enough . . . do not speak to me anymore about this matter" (Deut 3:26). There sometimes is a limit to God's grace and patience.

But in God's outline for obedience from Deuteronomy chapter 4, He gives us a warning regarding idol worship. It's worth careful scrutiny because it's not something you might expect, and it is vital to understanding how to be rightly related to Him.. In fact, it's quite radical!

Deuteronomy 4:15-16 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire (the burning bush). Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman.

If your Bible were a newspaper, this simple but profound verse would be hidden away on page 10 of section C next to the obituaries. This verse is a repeat of the Second Commandment which tells us NOT to worship idols, but it is interesting to note the occasion referenced by God - the burning bush incident at Mt. Horeb.

QUESTION: Why do you suppose God used a simple bush from which to speak to His servant Moses that day? After all, He is GOD! Why use a bit of shrubbery?! Why not a majestic oak or a flaming mountain lion? There is an important relational idea that we must learn from the Second Commandment. God knew we wouldn't worship shrubs. Let's continue . . . .

THOU SHALT NOT . . . . MAKE IDOLS:

Exodus 20 gives us the 10 Commandments. The Second Commandment reads like this:

Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

You see, it says we shouldn't make an idol in the form of ANYTHING. Nothing. No idols - period. End of statement. No, not even something in the form of a heavenly object. God is certainly a heavenly object isn't He? But it's quite clear. NOTHING!

Remember Deuteronomy 4:15-16 above (read it again). Also, take a look at Hebrews 11:6.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

God so dearly wants us to believe in Him, to have faith in Him, to have a relationship with Him, to reward us for earnestly seeking His face. But He can't make it too easy! There is a definite and tangible connection between our 'mountain top' experiences with God and idol worship and our living out our Christian 'walk' in the 'valley'.

We need mountain top experiences to refocus and to get a refueling VISION

(Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.)

BUT WE CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY OF THEM!

We mustn't involuntarily make IDOLS of our 'mountain top' experiences. God loves us so much (His Son died for us!), and He wants to speak with us face-to-face, in His very presence, just as He did with Moses. But He simply can't too often, or we will make those experiences our idols. We couldn't handle it!

God will give us the visions, the "fuel" to do our job,

but He needs us to use our FAITH to act those visions out

in the 'valley' of life the majority of the time.

It's arguable that the Israelites suffered from this 'mountain top experience' idol worship throughout their history. Even today, they are still looking for a Savior in a white hat who doesn't get dirty when He saves them. Why are they expecting this? It's as if they experienced too many miracles and saw too much of the wonder of God's power during their travels with Moses. Their history is so rich (oceans parting, manna from the sky, pillars of smoke and fire, etc.), even subsequent generations still expect this "white hat" savior.

* Receiving the vision on the 'mountain top' is not the end-all of being a Christian, not what living as a disciple of Jesus means. Acting that vision out in the valley is what we are to do.

* Have courage and faith and God will keep you supplied with just what you need just when you need it. Not too much, and not too soon. After all, He just loves to see you show your faith!

And finally, always remember this verse with the knowledge of this lesson . . . .

1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.




		From The Mountains To The Valleys Keeping Rightly Related To God Adapted from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio




Lesson Introduction What this lesson teaches: * We will have ups and downs with our walk with the Lord, but we must learn to listen closely when He does speak, and be obedient to the vision or word He gives us. * 'Mount of Transfiguration' or 'mountain top' experiences are wonderful, but not the normal, everyday life of a believer. We must learn to use and draw on the 'peaks' of life while we are in the 'valleys' of life. * We are to worship God and only God (1st Commandment), and we are not to worship any idol (2nd Commandment). That includes not 'worshipping' our experiences with God. Scripture references used: * Mark 9:2-4,7-8; Genesis 15:5-6; Exodus 4:10-12, 20:4, 33:11; Numbers 20:6-13; Luke 24:32; Deuteronomy 4:15-16; Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 29:18; 1 John 5:21. Other scripture that may be helpful: * Genesis ch 12,15,17,18 and 22; Exodus ch 3, 33:20; Numbers 12:13; Deuteronomy 3:21-29; 4:1-20. Discussion questions for study: 1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion? 2. Do you understand the analogy of 'mountain top' and 'valley' experiences by our look at Jesus and His disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration? How He and His disciples ascended the glorious mount (A spiritual place) for a short time, and then returned to the 'valley' (The world) of a sin-filled world? 3. Have you ever experienced a 'mountain top' experience? Did God teach you a lot? Did you listen and obey? Do you want to do it again? 4. Have you ever before reflected on the long, long years that Abraham spent with relatively few 'mountain top' experiences in his life? Is there some encouragement in that thought for you, especially if you fell as though you haven't received your fair share of 'mountain-time' with God? 5. Was it something of a revelation to you to see how Moses was most qualified for God's service because of his humility? Was it also a surprise to see that even Moses suffered from pride attacks because of his time spent with God? 6. Were you aware of the relative ease and danger of idol worship? Can you see how God took the greatest of care He could to prevent it? 7. Will you take more care to worship and love God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and not any experiences?



After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. . . Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. Mark 9:2-4, 7-8 A 'Mount of Transfiguration' experience. We Christians have them occasionally in our walk with the Lord. They are times when God speaks directly to us in an indescribably special and intimate way. They are times when our lives literally change because God has nudged us in the direction He wants us to go - at least for that moment. But the 'mountain top' is only a peak. We must be careful to remember that most of the time, our walk is somewhere other than on the mountain. ABRAHAM: In Genesis chapter 15, Abraham was found by God to be righteous, but NOT because he believed God's Word and Promise. No, Abraham (Abram at the time) was found to be truly righteous when he KNEW that it was GOD HIMSELF, the ETERNAL and FOREVER JEHOVAH that he believed in. It was a belief in the character and presence and REALNESS of God that made Abraham righteous in God's eyes. Genesis 15:5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." At that very moment, when Abraham looked up into the stars while God was calling him into the covenant relationship, Abraham's FAITH and BELIEF and REALIZATION of Jehovah God "ka-chunked" into a higher gear. Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. QUESTION: How often do you suppose Abraham conversed in this 2-way "face-to-face" dialogue with God? How often did he have these 'mountain top' experiences? (Remember - Abraham was 75 to 85 years old at this point, and the Bible records only a few instances of God speaking to him in this way.) Was Abraham a man of prayer? He certainly was. But were the dynamic and exciting and life-changing dialogues as recorded in Genesis chapters 12, 15, 17, 18 and 22 the norm for this man of God? The truth is, Abraham's 'mountain top' experiences were probably few in number. Why do you suppose that is? Do you think God knows what He is doing? Let's find out. MOSES: Exodus 33:11 gives us a summation of the way in which God spoke to Moses - AND IT IS TRULY AMAZING!! Exodus 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Face-to-Face! Because God later told Moses (In Exodus 30:20) that "you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live", the 'face-to-face' of verse 11 means in the presence of each other. " . . . as a man speaks with his friend." THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE! Moses had an unusual relationship with God. Probably no other human IN ALL OF HISTORY had as many 2-way, 'face-to-face' conversations with God as Moses did. Much of his life was spent 'on the mountain' we have been referring to. There is a danger in that, but Moses had special qualities to prepare him. Numbers 12:13 tells us that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth. That was a quality that was required in order to deal with God in this manner. In fact, it was probably the single most important character trait Moses possessed. You see, God knew Moses needed tremendous humility in order to do the job God had called him to do. Why do you suppose Moses had trouble with his speech? A 'thorn in his flesh' that would keep him reminded of God's powerful grace perhaps? Exodus 4:10-12 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Moses went to the mountain top with God - literally - on a number of occasions, most notably to Mt. Horeb (The burning bush - Exodus 3) and Mt. Sinai (The 10 Commandments - Exodus 20). But being in God's direct presence so often eventually took it's toll even on Moses' humility. It is possible that even Moses had grown somewhat "accustomed" to hearing from God in 'mountain top' experiences. He may even have gotten a bit 'cocky'. In Numbers 20:6-13, he and Aaron do not pay very close attention to God's instructions regarding the bringing of water from the rock. God told them to 'speak' to the rock . . . . Numbers 20:8 Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. But what did Moses do in order to draw water from the rock? He drew attention to himself as well, which is not what God wanted. . . . Numbers 20:11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. As a result of Moses action, who's arm appeared to do the job? Did you also notice that Moses never did 'speak' to the rock as God commanded? Our humble servant with the speech impediment did speak, but only to the people for dramatic effect. Why do you suppose God specifically told him to bring his staff? The same seemingly powerful staff that had parted the Red Sea. That staff, when held high, assured victory in battle. God didn't tell Moses to use it, but He told him to bring it! Can you see the effect of too many 'mountain top' experiences? THE "BIG PICTURE" MESSAGE: The moral of the life of Moses is this: Our OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP with God is SACRED and PRECIOUS and not to be trivialized! What happened to Moses is what would happen to us if we spent to much time on the 'mountain' with God. Moses' protection, which was not 100% effective, was his God-given humility. That is why we see, as believers, that we spend most of our life 'in the valley' where the sin and dirt and toil is. Let's go on . . . . THE BURNING HEART OF RELATIONSHIP: On the road to Emmaus -- Luke 24:32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" Some thoughts from Oswald Chambers: "We need to learn the secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart - a heart that can go thru anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with it's commonplace duties and people, that sometimes smothers the burning heart - unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus." The secret? Simply that a single 'mountain top' experience keeps you going in the 'valley' for a very long time. For it is in the 'valley' that we are really proven as Jesus' disciples. Oswald continues: "We cannot stay forever on the 'Mount of Transfiguration' (Mark 9), basking in the light of our 'mountain top' experience. But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action." * Abraham grew thru his experiences in life - most of them in the 'valley'. But he also learned from his wonderful 'mountain top' experiences with God. * Moses was a one-of-a-kind. God used him mightily like no other man. But God also used him to teach us to live in the 'valley' with righteousness and humility. * Never forget: We walk our walk in the 'valley'. We carry our cross in the 'valley'. We need the vision, but we must work it out in the valley. A FORGOTTEN WARNING FROM GOD: Deuteronomy 4:1-20 details God's requirement that the Israelites obey the laws and decrees given to Moses. An example of the penalty of NOT believing is given just prior to this passage in Deuteronomy 3:21-29, where Moses pleads once more with God to let him enter the promised land. But God says - "That is enough . . . do not speak to me anymore about this matter" (Deut 3:26). There sometimes is a limit to God's grace and patience. But in God's outline for obedience from Deuteronomy chapter 4, He gives us a warning regarding idol worship. It's worth careful scrutiny because it's not something you might expect, and it is vital to understanding how to be rightly related to Him.. In fact, it's quite radical! Deuteronomy 4:15-16 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire (the burning bush). Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman. If your Bible were a newspaper, this simple but profound verse would be hidden away on page 10 of section C next to the obituaries. This verse is a repeat of the Second Commandment which tells us NOT to worship idols, but it is interesting to note the occasion referenced by God - the burning bush incident at Mt. Horeb. QUESTION: Why do you suppose God used a simple bush from which to speak to His servant Moses that day? After all, He is GOD! Why use a bit of shrubbery?! Why not a majestic oak or a flaming mountain lion? There is an important relational idea that we must learn from the Second Commandment. God knew we wouldn't worship shrubs. Let's continue . . . . THOU SHALT NOT . . . . MAKE IDOLS: Exodus 20 gives us the 10 Commandments. The Second Commandment reads like this: Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You see, it says we shouldn't make an idol in the form of ANYTHING. Nothing. No idols - period. End of statement. No, not even something in the form of a heavenly object. God is certainly a heavenly object isn't He? But it's quite clear. NOTHING! Remember Deuteronomy 4:15-16 above (read it again). Also, take a look at Hebrews 11:6. Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. God so dearly wants us to believe in Him, to have faith in Him, to have a relationship with Him, to reward us for earnestly seeking His face. But He can't make it too easy! There is a definite and tangible connection between our 'mountain top' experiences with God and idol worship and our living out our Christian 'walk' in the 'valley'. We need mountain top experiences to refocus and to get a refueling VISION (Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.) BUT WE CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY OF THEM! We mustn't involuntarily make IDOLS of our 'mountain top' experiences. God loves us so much (His Son died for us!), and He wants to speak with us face-to-face, in His very presence, just as He did with Moses. But He simply can't too often, or we will make those experiences our idols. We couldn't handle it! God will give us the visions, the "fuel" to do our job, but He needs us to use our FAITH to act those visions out in the 'valley' of life the majority of the time. It's arguable that the Israelites suffered from this 'mountain top experience' idol worship throughout their history. Even today, they are still looking for a Savior in a white hat who doesn't get dirty when He saves them. Why are they expecting this? It's as if they experienced too many miracles and saw too much of the wonder of God's power during their travels with Moses. Their history is so rich (oceans parting, manna from the sky, pillars of smoke and fire, etc.), even subsequent generations still expect this "white hat" savior. * Receiving the vision on the 'mountain top' is not the end-all of being a Christian, not what living as a disciple of Jesus means. Acting that vision out in the valley is what we are to do. * Have courage and faith and God will keep you supplied with just what you need just when you need it. Not too much, and not too soon. After all, He just loves to see you show your faith! And finally, always remember this verse with the knowledge of this lesson . . . . 1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen!

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