Peter, James and John gaped in stuporous wonder as Jesus briefly lifted the veil of His human flesh. Their teacher and friend, the one whom they had followed for nearly three years, was transformed, framed in light, clothes glowing whiter than the sun in a holy moment none of them ever forgot, And somehow without an introduction, the disciples knew the other two men with Jesus were Moses and Elijah. Peter’s excited voice broke the silence of these holy moments. “Lord, it’s good that we are here. Let’s build three tents for You and Moses and Elijah.” God the Father silenced Peter. “This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him.”
Peter knew this was a holy place, a holy moment, and that he preferred fellowship with the heavenly trio and his friends to returning to the hubbub down the mountain. But not knowing what to say, Peter blurted out the first thing that came to mind. But I get it. Don’t you?
Why can’t I stay on the mountain?
I’ve experienced holy moments that I didn’t want to end. Sometimes I have been enraptured by a worship service when time seemed to stand still. Or my personal prayer time transformed from mundane to extraordinary and I knew God was present in a special way. Just like Peter, I reluctantly leave those moments. Who wants to return to ordinary life after being in the presence of the Holy One?
The glory cloud lifted, and Jesus again gathered His cloak of flesh around Him before leading the three awe-stricken men back to their ordinary life. There was much left to do and they couldn’t linger here. There was a boy tormented by demons waiting with his anguished father for the healing only Jesus could provide.
Chasing spiritual highs?
Have you ever found yourself chasing a spiritual high? I have. It’s healthy and normal for us to want as much of God as possible. But God gives us those glimpses into His glory for a reason. Often, He is preparing us for a specific task that lies ahead.
Peter, James and John needed to understand who they were following. They would lead the Church for its first years. James would be the first of the apostolic band to die and John the last. And Peter? After a brush with abject failure, he was destined to lead them all. But Jesus gave them a special gift to prepare them for what came next.
Pentecost was the best of holy moments
A few chapters later in Acts, Jesus returned to Heaven and left His followers with the mandate to take His gospel to the world, and just as Jesus promised the Holy Spirit arrived in a flurry of fire, wind and excitement. And the one hundred twenty men and women assembled in that room had a spiritual experience like nothing they had ever encountered.
And they left the upper room spilling into the streets of Jerusalem with the message of the gospel. 
They couldn’t stay in their comfort zone and still fulfill their mission. They were empowered for a purpose. The holy moment led to obedience and transformation.
Holy moments empower holy service
All through Acts, God repeated a similar pattern. They had a new encounter with God followed by a new opportunity to share the gospel with others. Their obedience led to new empowerment and new opportunities. And it also led to new persecution. The apostles didn’t shirk from the persecution, but asked God for more power to preach more boldly.
Sometimes I think we miss this pattern in our spiritual lives. It’s easy to chase after whatever spiritual high we last experienced. But God doesn’t give us power and His Presence for us to luxuriate in the nice feeling. He sends us holy moments to transform us more into His image and to take that transformation to the world around us.
God can create holy moments anywhere
It is tempting to go from one retreat to the next conference to or revival meeting seeking yet another spiritual high. And sadly, there are individuals who broker these moments in an unwitting parody of Simon the magician who only wanted the power but not the relationship.
I’m not downplaying how God can move in a conference or retreat, especially when we set aside the distractions of the world and focus on Him. I can take you to a specific bench at a nearby retreat
center and show you where God met with me in an intensely powerful holy moment.But I can’t stay there and expect a repeat.
Idolatry?
Worse, when we find ourselves looking for one spiritual high after another, we are in danger of making holy moments into something God never intended. When we seek an experience more than we seek God, experience had become an idol and we have become idolaters bowing to a false god.
Blessed to bless others!
Back in Genesis when God first called Abram to leave Ur and go to Canaan, He promised Abram that He would bless him. But the blessing wasn’t the goal. God blessed Abram so that he could bless others. And the end goal was that because God blessed Abram, Abraham’s seed would bless the entire world.
The purpose of God’s blessing is both inward and outward. God’s kindness leads us to repentance. And He can use my pastor, my friend or a speaker at a conference to bring about that repentance. But He can also use a stranger or an enemy. Remember, He once spoke through a donkey.
What holy moment? I didn’t feel a thing!
If I find myself leaving a worship service thinking, “I didn’t feel anything. That was a waste of time.” that is a red flag. Worship is not about how I feel or what I do. Worship has one goal, to honor God. It’s not about me or my feelings.
The same thing is true of sermons and seminars. While sometimes my pastor’s sermon will address my deepest need, other times the message may be needed by someone else more than me. My responsibility as a part of the Body of Christ is to be open to correction and exhortation and to use the gifts God has given me to serve others. I trust Him to provide the holy moments when I need them most.
To whom much is given, much is required. Ouch!!
Here in America, we have access to a mind blowing number of resources to help us grow spiritually. We are free to attend church or listen to sermons on line. I have dozens of Bible translations through smart phone apps. That abundance can backfire if I use it to read and hear only the things that make me feel good.
But am I listening?
When the apostle John was an old man, the last of the disciples left on earth, God gave him the powerful visions that make up the Book of Revelation. And through John, God sends messages to seven prominent churches. And each message ends with the words “He that has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
I think God’s word to us today is the same. Quit looking for the next spiritual experience, and listen to what God has to say. Let those who have ears hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This is our holy moment!