Transfiguration - track 1 - The Father reveals His GloryFlute music (Dave Hart) Track 1Rise up and see (Linda Entwistle)“Peter, who do people say that I am? And who do you say that I am?” “Lord, you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “‘Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah; for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood but by my Father in heaven. Now the Son of man must make His way to Jerusalem and suffer many things, before being put to death, and being raised from the dead on the third day.” “Peter, James, John; come with Me; we’re going up this mountain!”“Why this detour Lord? If You’re going to teach and feed the crowds again, where are they? And what about all the people in need down there in the valleys?”Peter and the others had no idea that they were about to witness something still more awesome than when the voice spoke from the cloud above Mt Sinai. The glory of the Lord was about to break through. As Jesus was praying, the appearance of His face changed; His face shone like the sun, and His clothes glowed whiter than light, brighter than the lightning’s flash. The Father had revealed His glory and set His seal of approval on His Son. Lord, at any moment, Your power and presence can break through. You could have met with Your Father on Your own, and we would have been none the wiser, but You wanted to share with us all that You received from Him.One moment a bare mountain, and then the veil parted, and suddenly the Shekinah glory that fills the heavens poured across the mountainside. You are surrounded with glory, Lord, and so, by Your mercy are we. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, Moses and Elijah appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His suffering and departure, which He was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:31) The era of the Law and the Prophets was passing away, for now the One the prophets had foretold was here – the Lord Jesus, to whom all majesty and Dominion are due.But what would we know of Your heart today if Your Son had not been willing to suffer? Just as You strengthened Moses and Elijah in their ordeals, and gave Jesus the strength He needed to continue on to Gethsemane, so You will send us, too, all we need to complete our journey. When trials and afflictions strike us, and all sense of glory fades, grant us faith to meet every challenge that lies ahead.Even though You lead us along surprising paths, You know exactly how to fulfil Your purposes. Add compassion to our wisdom and passion to our knowledge, so that we can follow courageously when You beckon us to venture out far beyond our comfort zone. Sometimes it takes more faith to lay a project down than it did to start it up. Shortly before he met a martyr’s death, Jim Elliot declared, ‘He is no fool who loses that which he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.’ As Elijah and Moses were leaving, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters–one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” But Peter did not know what he was saying. While He was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them all – and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. (Luke 9:34)Lord, we love the summits and the mountain tops. It’s hard when something that means a great deal to us comes to an end. Like Peter, we want to stay there forever, and build a shrine to preserve it. But just as You knew You had to go to Jerusalem, Lord Jesus, give us grace to embrace the next thing You are showing us, and not to continue one hour beyond Your anointing, for if we hold on to anything that You are asking us to lay down, the blessings will wither and become a burden.