Bullets for the Battle

The Mountaintop Huddle

And six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; Mark 9:2

Football season is again upon us! The first games of the 2006 season begin this week. Football fans are an intrepid lot; they love to cheer for their team from the opening of the season to the last day the team plays. The only ones who love football more than the fans are the players and coaches. Not only are they excited about the season, their minds and hearts are fully on the field!

There are some great spiritual lessons to be gained from playing in the game rather than just watching the game! If you want to “play reality” on the team with our Lord Jesus, there are four essential steps that cannot be neglected:

• Join the team – yield to Christ as your personal Savior and Coach.


• Get in the huddle – get the current word from the Coach on what to do next.


• Accept your assignment – find your place in a local church team and take responsibility.


• Run the play – do something significant that will help win the game!

God’s people must get in the Master’s huddle to know what’s going on. They must know their position in the line up and play it in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Savior wants bold people playing on His team … The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1) He desires that each of us – at our own level and wherever we are placed – to be a difference maker, an impact player, to make a “big” play!

From this great experience on the mountain and following (Mark 9:1-29), we see that Coach Jesus wants His players and followers to be bold in a least six ways.

1. BOLD DECIDING, And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. (Mark 9:4) You don’t decide your own play when you’re in the huddle. You trust the one called by the “Authority”.


2. BOLD LISTENING, Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" (Mark 9:7) The huddle is not the most critical thing but it is essential to accomplish the most critical thing.


3. BOLD ACTING, And as they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man should rise from the dead. (Mark 9:9) You don’t change your position after the huddle … you play it!


4. BOLD BELIEVING, And He answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!" (Mark 9:19) Out of the huddle your greatest asset is the determination to give 100% of your life to the play. The old saint, John Cheyne, once asked life’s most pivotal question… “What have I ever done in my years of service for God that was really bold?”


5. BOLD CONFESSING, Immediately the boy's father cried out and began saying, "I do believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24) Some never really leave the huddle to run the play! They may move their bodies but they fail to move their hearts and minds. The coach never knows if he can count on them being “mentally in the game!”


6. BOLD PRAYING, And He said to them, "This kind (demon) cannot come out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9:29) You’re not in the game if you’re not in the huddle. Otherwise you will never understand your part in the team strategy and you can bust the play! Every morning our Lord asks you to huddle with Him to call the day’s play! What a shame if one doesn’t show up to learn what’s going on from the Head Coach!