He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3a

Monday, July 29, 2013

He is not here, He is risen!




Jerusalem
            Our last day in Jerusalem.   I could hardly believe how quickly time passed, how much I learned and how much I knew I would miss this amazing place once we left.  Still, my heart was full to overflowing even as we began at the top and edge of the Mount of Olives for another view of Jerusalem.  Rabbi Dennis shared the message from Ezekiel of dry bones coming back to life.  This is fulfillment of prophesy in Israel, even now.   To be in this place at this time was significant in each of our lives.  As the days passed, even after we returned, I knew it was certainly true for me.
 
                                                                  Our view from the Mount of Olives included another look at the Temple Mount where the Muslims have the dome of the rock.  It's interesting to note the Golden gate is to the right of the Dome of the Rock, which means the new Temple could be built even with the Dome of the Rock in place!  This is the place where Jesus will return….and here we go again with “Jesus bumps!”   



Note the gate to the RIGHT of the Dome of the Rock














My “Jesus bumps,” continued as we walked downhill to Garden of Gethsemane.  It was beautiful, yet heart wrenching when I consider it was here Jesus suffered in great agony, and prayed "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)  We were encouraged to spend time alone with the Father in this special place and reflect on the impact Christ’s sacrifice had on our lives.  It is truly immeasurable. 
Gethsemane

Gethsemane

Gethsemane


Church of St. Peter
                                                                                                                                                                 Our journey then took us to Zion to see the church of St. Peter, which it is believed to have been Caiphas’ house and where Peter denied Jesus three times.  We saw the huge pit where Jesus would have been lowered by his wrists into the dungeon the night he was arrested and then pulled out the same way.
Where Jesus would have been lowered into the dungeon















After lunch in Jerusalem and little shopping we went to Mount Calvary/Golgotha also known as the Place of the Skull. (Golgotha is an Aramaic word for skull and Calvary comes from the Latin term Calvaria, which also means skull, giving us the word Calvary).   This just made me shudder!  It really does look like a skull, even though the area directly in front of it now is part of a busy bus terminal.  From there we took a short walk to the Tomb of Resurrection.  
Golgotha

It really does look like a skull!







                                                                                                                                                                                                  Giddy with excitement is the best way to describe my feelings as I waited my turn to enter the tomb.  I can not imagine how the women and disciples must have felt when they entered the tomb and He was not there.  We know what happened because we have His word to tell us.  At the time, they had to reflect on all His teachings and make that deduction and come to that understanding.  

                                                                                                                                                   We know! He is not here, For He is risen!  This is powerful stuff; life changing! Even as I write this I can feel my pulse race.  What a gift of overwhelming joy, great peace, redeeming grace, compelling purpose, enduring strength, and more; all because of Gods boundless and intense love of his human creation and Jesus willingness to be a living, pure sacrifice on a cruel cross.  All God wants in return is acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, and our lives as a living sacrifice.  These thoughts were culminated in the sharing of communion before leaving Jerusalem.




 
        










                                                                              












         This ends my series on our Israel trip and I hope you have enjoyed reading about it as much as I have writing about it.  It is an experience I will never forget, an experience that enabled me to grow and learn about our Savior.  And Charles and I made wonderful, forever friends we will cherish always.
            One added note.  Upon returning home, I was honored to be asked to write an article on why a believer should visit the Holy Land.  The link is attached and I hope you will not only read it, but share it with others.  http://hope4israel.org/a-believers-pilgrimage-to-the-holy-land    

Monday, July 22, 2013

Just a Breath Away



Ruins of King David's Palace
            Our ninth day in Israel began in the city of David, where the Holy city began about 6000 years ago. We first enjoyed a visit to ruins of King David’s palace, even to taking in the view he might have witnessed when he spied Bathsheba in the distance before he knew her.  Later, I was captivated by the virtual tour of how the city of David looked so many years ago via advanced technology.  It allowed us to experience what it might have been like during the Second Temple time period.

Where King David might have viewed BathSheba
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     What we did next though was completely amazing, although not nearly as technologically advanced!  We took a hike through the Lower part of the city which included a walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, learning about the water supply system in Bible times.



Hezekiah's Tunnel


          

                 After coming up out of the tunnels we found ourselves on the Temple Mount.  This was fantastic!  We witnessed the excavation on the southern wall of the Temple mount and the Hulda gate along with the steps that led people to the gate to get in the Temple.  This is a place Jesus probably would have walked.  To know, again, that I walked where Jesus walked just gives me “Holy Ghost bumps!”    In this place, Pastor Dennis shared a message before we moved on to the Pool of Bethesda where the Paralytic was healed.




          
Southern wall of the Temple Mount


At the Temple Mount


Steps leading into the Temple








Steps into the Pool of Bethesda


       






























             Following lunch in the Aramaic section of town, we found ourselves standing on Via Dolorasa Street.   The Latin word Via Dolorosa means “Way of Grief, Sorrows, Suffering" or “Painful Way."  This would have been the path Jesus would have taken when he carried the cross to Calvary.  Again….a reason for “Jesus bumps!”




   Our next adventure took us into the Herodian drainage channel which was the actual stepped road and sewer tunnel from Jesus’ day.  It was about a mile long, under the city of Jerusalem.  The Muslim community built their houses next to the outer wall and so excavation couldnt be done there, so they started digging underground, and discovered an old tunnel that was used for water drainage.  


In the Herodian drainage tunnel



The walk was fairly intense and given Charles medical issues, found himself really stiff and sore when we finally got through it.  Moran, the tour company owner sat with Charles later and discovered the pain Charles was suffering.  On the spot Moran laid his hands on Charles and prayed for healing.  About an hour later, Charles was feeling good again, which is a true miracle given the dynamics of the medical situation.  God was good all through the trip and He again demonstrated his great love for his children.  

At the Western Wall
Our day ended at the Western Wall also known as the Wailing Wall, dating from the second temple period.   It is the only surviving ancient wall that surrounded the Temple courtyard which causes some to consider it to be the most holy place to pray.  It is here men and women (who each have their own side) can come pray, morning, noon and night. 




It makes me wonder how we, as Christians truly feel about prayer. Do we have a special place of prayer?  How often do we commune with the Father?  Does prayer only happen when we find ourselves in a holy sanctuary or when we are in particular need?  Can we say with certainty that we rely on God with every decision we make in a given day?   I know the Spirit of The Lord was very apparent during our visit in Israel; from the daily messages given by the Pastors to the laying on of hands for prayer by Moran to the private time we experienced individually at the various sites.  God is always with us, and just a whisper away.  All we have to do is breathe His name.

Monday, July 15, 2013

He Knows Just What I Need




Masada…..what a cool place; unless you are talking temperature, then it was downright hot the day we visited this dry, desert place.  We drove downhill to Masada from Jerusalem and then oddly enough had to take a cable car up to the top of a mountain with really steep sides and a flat top, to be able to walk through the area that housed the winter palace of Herod the Great.  
 
Besides King Herod’s palace, there is a storeroom complex for provisions for lengthy stays, an elaborate bath house, living quarters for others, a courtyard and a synagogue for worship.  I was particularly intrigued when I saw a large, relatively modern door closing off one of the rooms to this otherwise open area.  When asked what it was, I learned it was a room which housed scrolls for services which are still held there from time to time.


What the palace would have looked like


Like the aqua duct he had built in Caesarea Maritime, King Herod realized the need for water in this dry, arid place, as well.  He used the wadis  (a valley that remains dry except during rainy seasons) and an elaborate water system, which provided the means for water to go into large cisterns on the side of the mountain, that would hold enough water to sustain the inhabitants of the area for a long period of time.

The views from the steep cliffs are breathtaking.  It seems like you can see on and on forever.  Due to the strategic geographical setting, it was private and protected, yet elegant and inviting.  Still it was here battles were won and lost.   In fact, in 73 BC the Jewish zealots, who were living at the top of Masada, at the time, chose mass suicide instead of allowing the Romans to capture them.















A view all the way to the Dead Sea!






Cave where Dead Sea scrolls were discovered











Our next journey of the day took us to Qumran located in the West Bank where, in the desert cliffs, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.   Over 900 scrolls were found in these cliffs in 1947-1948.  The first was located quite by accident really.  But what a wonderful discovery!  What a gift!


















We also made our way to the Dead Sea which borders Jordan, Israel and the West Bank.  Oh my goodness!  That was incredible.  We were instructed on how to correctly get in the water and that splashing or even swimming was not recommended because the water is so salty.  Any of the moisture getting into your eyes or ears would likely cause much discomfort!  




As instructed we walked into the warm water and found ourselves sinking in the dark, gooey, black mud.  Once freed from the mire of mud and standing a bit more solidly, we sat down onto the water and then laid back.  At a saltiness of nearly ten times more than other oceans, you really do just float!





Many of the visitors were busy covering themselves in the sticky mud.  It is suggested that this mud has an unusual abundance of healing minerals that will soften and aid healing to myriad skin issues.





When considering the strategic geographic protection given to King Herod on top of Masada and how he used the Dead Sea as the world’s first health resort, it’s amazing to me that the Dead Sea still provides a large variety of products for people all over the world.  

The other remarkable reflection of the day was the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  To think these scrolls were written on parchment and papyrus dating back as early as 250 BC although most are from 50-100 AD.  These are the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible!  That they were preserved for us these thousands of years later seems mind boggling!

God has a way of giving us just what we need from protection to healing minerals to copies of his Divine Word.  It was a great day and the “icing on the cake,” which blessed my heart, was the young people from our group who actually sang praises on the beach!  At some point someone retrieved the guitar from bus and they blessed those who would listen, with their beautiful harmonies.  These young people were a gift that brought sunshine to every day, another gift from the Father, who knows just what we need!