After we left our Jericho area lunch stop we moved on up towards Jerusalem, but we stopped on the side of the road about ¾ of the way to Jerusalem. Yoni wanted to show us a canyon and talk to us about the wilderness. He warned us that where we stopped would appear barren but that after stepping off the bus there would almost immediately be a band of Bedouins trying to sell us trinkets. Yoni brings all his groups to this location and perhaps a few more guides do also, although it is not a usual tourist stop, therefore the Bedouins have taken advantage of this. PUFF! Sure enough, where there was just barren country side, immediately a donkey, camel and 4 or 5 Bedouin men of all ages appeared. Almost eerie really…. These Bedouin were apparently part of a group called the Tabare Bedouin and are one of the oldest Bedouin groups dating back at least 2000 years. Bedouin actually prefer the wilderness as their living environment. The Israeli government has made some overtures to these folks to build them towns or some permanent housing and apparently all offers have been refused.
So we trekked up a little rise and then went down a sheep’s path about 50 yards and Yoni had us sit on the side of the path looking north in a canyon: “This is the Parat Canyon, it separates Ephraim from Benjamin, and goes west- east all the way to Amman, Jordan. Parat means ‘fruitful ‘and there is a spring up the canyon called En Parat, or ‘fruitful spring’. One has to know where the water sources are or they could die in this wilderness one day without water.” Indeed, there was an impressive canyon or valley that sharply fell from where we sat. Some later said they had a hard time concentrating on what Yoni was saying because he was so close to the edge and they worried about him falling down into the canyon. Apparently it was somewhere in this huge canyon that God told Jeremiah to bury a linen garment and then later to dig it up.(Jeremiah 13)
While we sat listening to Yoni, he read us the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10. Yoni made the point that if one man could die in one day without water, how much more vulnerable to death would a wounded and beaten man be. The dangers of the wilderness were well known to all peoples during Jesus time, yet religious men walked around a hurting man essentially assuring his death by not assisting him. Yoni made the point that the roads were not wide as they usually were sheep trails that became roads with high traffic, and that the men talked about in the parable would have to literally go out of their way to avoid the wounded man! Obviously then, this was not just a parable about being a good neighbor, rather Jesus was also making the point that we may hold in our own hands the life or death of another person. This is even truer if we think about the spiritual death or life we may offer or withhold.
As we sat looking at the view and taking in all that Yoni was sharing, we could appreciate a little better how the hills of the Judean Wilderness are lined with many, many paths that are parallel to each other. Almost like cords running alongside the mountain sides endlessly for miles and miles. These were narrow paths. “Narrow” is the way that leads to life…these paths were made by centuries of sheep grazing. The paths are narrow but they lead from home to the pasture and back again. Psalm 23 talks about paths of righteousness…these may be narrow, but they take us from home to where we find life.
The Judean Wilderness…death is around the corner if one doesn’t have water or know the water sources, yet paths are all over the place that lead somewhere to safety. No big signs point the way or neon lights flashing directions…just paths…paths that lead to Righteousness. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me.”
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
"On to Jericho and Modern Day Walls"
We never did give our bus a name, but after we toured Beit Shean we jumped on “Old Faithful” and headed to Jerusalem. From Beit Shean, we headed south towards Jericho, and for the first time entered territory under the Palestinian Authority’s jurisdiction as we neared Jericho. We went through a check point without slowing down much as the real security issue is Palestinians going back into Israeli controlled areas. Nevertheless, we headed to Jericho for lunch on the outskirts of the city. Geographically, Jericho is below sea level and frequently is one of the hottest places on earth outside of the usual “hot spots”. This factoid being something I had learned as a kid in 7th grade or something like that and I mention this because all the way down from Beit Shean we saw unusually green landscapes. March is the end of the short rainy season in Israel and Yoni had mentioned something about a very wet season and thus the green hue to the otherwise and brown Jordan Valley Basin. Oh, one can see hundreds of green fields from drip irrigation, but this was rain supported greenery and I just couldn’t stop staring at the very pretty green hills along the way!
The Palestinian Authority has jurisdiction over Jericho and as a result it has been isolated by the Israeli government to the point that tourists are not allowed to visit and a new highway has been built to bypass the city. Therefore we were only able to see the outskirts of Jericho as we drove around it to our lunch stop. Our lunch stop did have a bit of a view of Jericho and it was even close enough that we could hear many noises clearly. Some heard a few “pop-pops” and later we found out that there had been some protests there and tear gas has been used or something like that. Our stop was very much a tourists stop but pleasant nonetheless, what with the camels waiting nearby for tourists to ride on, the little shops and western grade restrooms. I discovered some very good ice-cream and at the time didn’t even notice that dairy was allowed to be served with meat making it technically a non-kosher eating place. That could have been the Arab influence, I don’t know.
Jericho, considered the oldest city on earth and yet Scripture indicates very clearly that it was to remain destroyed. Jericho was mentioned frequently in the New Testament and is the location of such stories as the ones about Zacheus and the blind man. Jesus passed through Jericho on his last trip to Jerusalem. I mean Jericho is one talked about place in Scripture. Today it is isolated from tourists and most non-Palestinians.
There are some new walls around Jericho…I just don’t know what they mean. Something is going on spiritually also, I don’t know what that is exactly either…but something simmers….
The Palestinian Authority has jurisdiction over Jericho and as a result it has been isolated by the Israeli government to the point that tourists are not allowed to visit and a new highway has been built to bypass the city. Therefore we were only able to see the outskirts of Jericho as we drove around it to our lunch stop. Our lunch stop did have a bit of a view of Jericho and it was even close enough that we could hear many noises clearly. Some heard a few “pop-pops” and later we found out that there had been some protests there and tear gas has been used or something like that. Our stop was very much a tourists stop but pleasant nonetheless, what with the camels waiting nearby for tourists to ride on, the little shops and western grade restrooms. I discovered some very good ice-cream and at the time didn’t even notice that dairy was allowed to be served with meat making it technically a non-kosher eating place. That could have been the Arab influence, I don’t know.
Jericho, considered the oldest city on earth and yet Scripture indicates very clearly that it was to remain destroyed. Jericho was mentioned frequently in the New Testament and is the location of such stories as the ones about Zacheus and the blind man. Jesus passed through Jericho on his last trip to Jerusalem. I mean Jericho is one talked about place in Scripture. Today it is isolated from tourists and most non-Palestinians.
There are some new walls around Jericho…I just don’t know what they mean. Something is going on spiritually also, I don’t know what that is exactly either…but something simmers….
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
"Beit Shean"
Beit Shean is located about 20 miles from the Sea of Galilee, but I think it took more like 45 minutes to drive there because of the terrain. In a nutshell, Beit Shean was the most extensively excavated site we went to, outside of Jerusalem. In Biblical times this was known for being the area near where Gideon gathered with his army and then pursued the Midianites.
What we toured however was the ancient city of Sythopolis, which was very pagan and culturally Greco-Roman. The ancient city of was founded by Scythians. These were a Cossack like people living near modern day Russia. Alexander the Great bought their services as excellent soldiers and then rewarded them with land in what is now Beit Shean. Hence the very strong Greek influence on the old city. As we toured the site the large pillars, “Cardo”or Main Boulevard, houses, amphitheater, etc were very, very impressive no doubt. But for me it just lacked a bit of meaning outside pure history. Nevertheless, Beit Shean/Sythopolis would have been the largest most important city in the northeastern part of Israel for centuries. Located in the junction of the Jordan and Hadar Valleys, it was a very fertile area and thus agriculturally prosperous. It also maintained a central location on the eastern trade route from the coast to Damascus. You would have to Google Beit Shean and look at all the images to really appreciate how large a city it was and all the amazing excavation that has been done in the last few years. It really is amazing.
Modern Beit Shean was founded by Moroccan Jews in the early 1950’s, making the modern city very young. Modern Beit Shean is gorgeous with a lot of red tile roofs and white washed walls giving it a very Mediterranean look. I could live here very easily as far as the modern city is concerned. Climate, location near the Galilee and all would make this a good place to send Henry on a mission trip….
Another clash of modern an ancient history: the hill above Beit Shean has a dead tree that is a actually a prop from some scenes from the movie “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Not really a movie I would recommend…
I would easily go back to Beit Shean and tour it again and again as an example of Greco-Roman architecture and all that, but where I would go to feel a touch of Jesus or simply be in awe without a tour guide would be any number of places in Israel other than Beit Shean.
What we toured however was the ancient city of Sythopolis, which was very pagan and culturally Greco-Roman. The ancient city of was founded by Scythians. These were a Cossack like people living near modern day Russia. Alexander the Great bought their services as excellent soldiers and then rewarded them with land in what is now Beit Shean. Hence the very strong Greek influence on the old city. As we toured the site the large pillars, “Cardo”or Main Boulevard, houses, amphitheater, etc were very, very impressive no doubt. But for me it just lacked a bit of meaning outside pure history. Nevertheless, Beit Shean/Sythopolis would have been the largest most important city in the northeastern part of Israel for centuries. Located in the junction of the Jordan and Hadar Valleys, it was a very fertile area and thus agriculturally prosperous. It also maintained a central location on the eastern trade route from the coast to Damascus. You would have to Google Beit Shean and look at all the images to really appreciate how large a city it was and all the amazing excavation that has been done in the last few years. It really is amazing.
Modern Beit Shean was founded by Moroccan Jews in the early 1950’s, making the modern city very young. Modern Beit Shean is gorgeous with a lot of red tile roofs and white washed walls giving it a very Mediterranean look. I could live here very easily as far as the modern city is concerned. Climate, location near the Galilee and all would make this a good place to send Henry on a mission trip….
Another clash of modern an ancient history: the hill above Beit Shean has a dead tree that is a actually a prop from some scenes from the movie “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Not really a movie I would recommend…
I would easily go back to Beit Shean and tour it again and again as an example of Greco-Roman architecture and all that, but where I would go to feel a touch of Jesus or simply be in awe without a tour guide would be any number of places in Israel other than Beit Shean.
Monday, May 24, 2010
"Leaving Galilee"
(Matthew 5:1-20; Mark 5)
As we pulled out of the Hotel Ramot just above the Sea of Galilee, I really felt sad. This had been a really cool hotel, with amazing day trips and interesting near misses with breaking kosher laws. I had felt spoiled both from the hotel staff and from all that we had seen and talked about. Some of the best conversations with each other and with Yoni were after supper in the sitting area. We gave Rebekah a hard time because she was the only one without an iPhone. (Or so it seemed). We talked about this later on, how special this place was to us, but I wonder how it compared to other memories now that we have been home a while.
Thanks to Yoni I didn’t get to wallow in nostalgia very long as our first stop was only 10 minutes out from the hotel at a “wide spot” in the road just above the Sea of Galilee. This area is known as Kursi on present day maps, and is one of the best places by topography where the story of Jesus encountering the demonized man called “Legion”, may have taken place. “The area of the Gadarenes”, could be many places if you look at places that could fit that name or root syllables of that name. The topography limits where this story could have occurred because of all the areas “in the Decapolis”; only one spot slopes closely to the shore before it stops a small cliff. Many of the other areas have cliffs high above even the road we were on, or didn’t even make it to the shore.
What I didn’t know was that pigs were used for pagan sacrifices of many different kinds, just as temple prostitution was very common, so apparently was the sacrifice of pigs in different rituals of the time among the pagans. One of the reasons Jesus was asked to leave the region was with the pigs drowning and the demonized man healed, the religion of the area took a big hit, as it were.
One interesting example of a clash we saw often between modern history and biblical history was the mine field we parked next to while we learned about Jesus and the man called Legion. If this was where pigs ran off into the water, then modern pigs would likely set off mines if they got past the barbed wire fence with its’ yellow sign of warning. Ironically the field was covered with very pretty yellow wild flowers. There was also a bunker close where we stopped, both Syrian placed and dating back to before the 1967 war.
As I remembered all of this for the blog, it occurred to me…I wonder if Jesus goes back to places that hold a special place in His heart, just like I would do. When we were stopped by the road learning all this, was Jesus remembering when it all really happened? Did Jesus see again the look on the man’s face after a legion of demons left and he was healed? I kinda think he does stuff like that….
As we pulled out of the Hotel Ramot just above the Sea of Galilee, I really felt sad. This had been a really cool hotel, with amazing day trips and interesting near misses with breaking kosher laws. I had felt spoiled both from the hotel staff and from all that we had seen and talked about. Some of the best conversations with each other and with Yoni were after supper in the sitting area. We gave Rebekah a hard time because she was the only one without an iPhone. (Or so it seemed). We talked about this later on, how special this place was to us, but I wonder how it compared to other memories now that we have been home a while.
Thanks to Yoni I didn’t get to wallow in nostalgia very long as our first stop was only 10 minutes out from the hotel at a “wide spot” in the road just above the Sea of Galilee. This area is known as Kursi on present day maps, and is one of the best places by topography where the story of Jesus encountering the demonized man called “Legion”, may have taken place. “The area of the Gadarenes”, could be many places if you look at places that could fit that name or root syllables of that name. The topography limits where this story could have occurred because of all the areas “in the Decapolis”; only one spot slopes closely to the shore before it stops a small cliff. Many of the other areas have cliffs high above even the road we were on, or didn’t even make it to the shore.
What I didn’t know was that pigs were used for pagan sacrifices of many different kinds, just as temple prostitution was very common, so apparently was the sacrifice of pigs in different rituals of the time among the pagans. One of the reasons Jesus was asked to leave the region was with the pigs drowning and the demonized man healed, the religion of the area took a big hit, as it were.
One interesting example of a clash we saw often between modern history and biblical history was the mine field we parked next to while we learned about Jesus and the man called Legion. If this was where pigs ran off into the water, then modern pigs would likely set off mines if they got past the barbed wire fence with its’ yellow sign of warning. Ironically the field was covered with very pretty yellow wild flowers. There was also a bunker close where we stopped, both Syrian placed and dating back to before the 1967 war.
As I remembered all of this for the blog, it occurred to me…I wonder if Jesus goes back to places that hold a special place in His heart, just like I would do. When we were stopped by the road learning all this, was Jesus remembering when it all really happened? Did Jesus see again the look on the man’s face after a legion of demons left and he was healed? I kinda think he does stuff like that….
Friday, May 21, 2010
“Bomb shelters, Bunkers and Bullet Holes”
I had never seen an active bomb shelter before we visited the Wilsons in Haifa our first day in Israel. Oh, there was a bomb shelter in our hotel in Acco for sure, I just didn’t get to see it. It was located in the basement floor of the hotel. We had been to the Messianic congregations in Nazareth, Kiryat Yam and Haifa that morning, and then went to meet to Wilsons who are from Abilene and work with Operation Mobilization; an evangelical ministry to Jews around the world. They have a “real” bomb shelter that we toured and Mary Wilson explained was qualified for ordinary and gas containing missiles. Mary explained the two heavy doors with steel and cement frames, steel doors, inner room, outer decontamination room, shower, vents, supplies, bedding, etc. I don’t remember what the others in the group thought but for me the fascination of being in a “real” bomb shelter was tempered by the realization that I would never comprehend having a bomb shelter unless I lived in Israel. This same eire feeling recurred when I explored the bomb shelter in our hotel in Jerusalem. This hotel had at least two shelters on each floor. These had a few mattresses up against the walls but not much else.
The day we went to Hazor, Dan, Banias, etc., as I mentioned we visited the old Syrian bunker over run and captured by the Israeli army in 1967. Imagine a 55 gallon drum turned on its side, but large enough to walk through and that is essentially what the bunker felt like. However, this bunker was on top of a hill, 4000 feet above sea level where it is cold at night. Stark, Cold, Bare, vulnerable is how it felt to me…all the more so as I imagined scared Syrian soldiers chained to the metal.
Bullet holes were easily seen around the Jaffa Gate when we walked by it when we were in Jerusalem. This location was where the Israeli paratroopers’ swarmed the gate and modern 1967 weapons were used to overtake this ancient gate. Bullet holes could be seen easily around the gate; the proverbial “riddled with bullet holes” comes to mind.
The bomb shelters really have me thinking…they are made with the expectation that someday they will have to be used to preserve life. Much of north Israel spent a significant time in bomb shelters in 2006 during the war with Lebanon, especially our friends in Akko and Haifa. Indeed Eitan mentioned in late 2006 that much work needed to be done on the shelters in Haifa due to the time spent in them. Our friends Eitan, Connie, Avi, Hannah, Guy, Tali, Leon, etc. just to name a few spent a lot of time in bomb shelters.
Bomb shelters, bunkers and bullets are part of wars,and while I never felt danger while in Israel, there were always signs of past conflicts: minefields, old tanks, old army bases, fences, road crossings, etc.
A Biblical word for bomb shelter might be fortress, stronghold and of course refuge. We are in a war RIGHT NOW and there is only ONE Shelter, ONE Fortress, ONE Refuge. That is the good news…the bad news would be if that is ALL God was for us. Imagine going to Israel and staying 2 weeks in a bomb shelter and not exploring Israel. Doesn’t make sense…same with God…He wants us to explore all that He is. Much more could be said about all this...but bomb shelters, bunkers and bullet holes is a good start.
The day we went to Hazor, Dan, Banias, etc., as I mentioned we visited the old Syrian bunker over run and captured by the Israeli army in 1967. Imagine a 55 gallon drum turned on its side, but large enough to walk through and that is essentially what the bunker felt like. However, this bunker was on top of a hill, 4000 feet above sea level where it is cold at night. Stark, Cold, Bare, vulnerable is how it felt to me…all the more so as I imagined scared Syrian soldiers chained to the metal.
Bullet holes were easily seen around the Jaffa Gate when we walked by it when we were in Jerusalem. This location was where the Israeli paratroopers’ swarmed the gate and modern 1967 weapons were used to overtake this ancient gate. Bullet holes could be seen easily around the gate; the proverbial “riddled with bullet holes” comes to mind.
The bomb shelters really have me thinking…they are made with the expectation that someday they will have to be used to preserve life. Much of north Israel spent a significant time in bomb shelters in 2006 during the war with Lebanon, especially our friends in Akko and Haifa. Indeed Eitan mentioned in late 2006 that much work needed to be done on the shelters in Haifa due to the time spent in them. Our friends Eitan, Connie, Avi, Hannah, Guy, Tali, Leon, etc. just to name a few spent a lot of time in bomb shelters.
Bomb shelters, bunkers and bullets are part of wars,and while I never felt danger while in Israel, there were always signs of past conflicts: minefields, old tanks, old army bases, fences, road crossings, etc.
A Biblical word for bomb shelter might be fortress, stronghold and of course refuge. We are in a war RIGHT NOW and there is only ONE Shelter, ONE Fortress, ONE Refuge. That is the good news…the bad news would be if that is ALL God was for us. Imagine going to Israel and staying 2 weeks in a bomb shelter and not exploring Israel. Doesn’t make sense…same with God…He wants us to explore all that He is. Much more could be said about all this...but bomb shelters, bunkers and bullet holes is a good start.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
"Golan Heights"
After we basked in the Banias experience we went a little bit further in the bus to a gorgeous waterfall. Technically I believe we were still in Banias, but this place was breathtaking for at least two reasons. As you hiked down and back from the waterfall the hike was enough to make you short of breath if you were as out of shape as I am; but more to the point is the power with which the waterfall at Banias flows and the tropical appearance of the area. One could slip a photo of the Banias waterfall into a National Geographic article on the “waterfalls in the tropics” and no one would be the wiser. I had to assume that Jesus would want to visit places like this on his trips, that the disciples would ask him; “teacher when we are up near Caesarea Philippi may we go by the waterfall…Thomas doesn’t believe it’s there…”
Although it seemed disconnected from the theme of the day (Paganism, I guess was the theme…) we went a little further to Nimrods’ fortress. I know the ladies in our group enjoyed this entire day, but in retrospect it was a guy kind of day, what with Ashtoreth poles, huge caves, and waterfalls and now a huge fortress called Nimrod’s Fortress. It sits on top of a hill like ice-cream does on a cone, very visible and impressive. Over 630 yards long the fortress has been attributed to Crusaders but was probably built by the early Turks and is made all of stone. Even the huge archways, window arches, and arrow-shooting “slits” were of hewn stone. Whoever controlled this fortress controlled the crossroads from Syria to Israel, southern Lebanon to Syria and north Jordan to Lebanon. When Yoni told us we “only’ had 45 minutes to explore the fortress I thought he was being facetious but it took every bit of the 45 min just to check out the main parts of the fortress. This is most certainly a place where pictures describe a place better than words.
Lastly we ascended a small mountain to an old Syrian lookout lost to Israel in the 1967 war. This was sobering, at least for me, in that the bunker we toured was all steel, old, and tube-like and I could imagine the Syrian soldiers chained to the steel by their own officers so to not be allowed to retreat when the Israelis overtook the site.(Yoni had told us this story as we went up to the bunker) At the same time, the view north-ward from this point was breathtaking! Lebanon to the northwest and Syria to the northeast; both sworn enemies of the LORD’S chosen…Pretty schizophrenic really.
Amazing day…
Although it seemed disconnected from the theme of the day (Paganism, I guess was the theme…) we went a little further to Nimrods’ fortress. I know the ladies in our group enjoyed this entire day, but in retrospect it was a guy kind of day, what with Ashtoreth poles, huge caves, and waterfalls and now a huge fortress called Nimrod’s Fortress. It sits on top of a hill like ice-cream does on a cone, very visible and impressive. Over 630 yards long the fortress has been attributed to Crusaders but was probably built by the early Turks and is made all of stone. Even the huge archways, window arches, and arrow-shooting “slits” were of hewn stone. Whoever controlled this fortress controlled the crossroads from Syria to Israel, southern Lebanon to Syria and north Jordan to Lebanon. When Yoni told us we “only’ had 45 minutes to explore the fortress I thought he was being facetious but it took every bit of the 45 min just to check out the main parts of the fortress. This is most certainly a place where pictures describe a place better than words.
Lastly we ascended a small mountain to an old Syrian lookout lost to Israel in the 1967 war. This was sobering, at least for me, in that the bunker we toured was all steel, old, and tube-like and I could imagine the Syrian soldiers chained to the steel by their own officers so to not be allowed to retreat when the Israelis overtook the site.(Yoni had told us this story as we went up to the bunker) At the same time, the view north-ward from this point was breathtaking! Lebanon to the northwest and Syria to the northeast; both sworn enemies of the LORD’S chosen…Pretty schizophrenic really.
Amazing day…
Monday, May 17, 2010
"Banias/Caeseria Philippi"
So what do you say about a day that is so full of wonders that it holds something new and amazing at every turn? Mostly you take a lot of pictures and try to write down every single feeling and impression that you have. I did a lot of picture taking but not as much note taking as I wish I had done in retrospect.
We arrived near Banias/Caesarea Philippi at noon after our stop at Hazor and as our group considered food an important thing…we quickly went to the local eating establishment, only a stones’ throw away from the ruins. This lunch place, like so many we ate in while in Israel, was a local version of fast food…for tourists. The usual choice of Falafel, Shwarma and Schnitzel was offered and orders taken. This restaurant, I believe, was owned by an Israeli Druze. None of the three entrees were the best we had had, but hunger is its own spice, as they say.
Our guide, Yoni, taught us that King Jeroboam of Israel was worried that all of Israel would join Judah again if they started going to worship in Jerusalem again. To prevent this, Jeroboam set up worship centers; one in Bethel and one in Dan (I Kings 12:25). His excuse was that the 3 week round trip from North Israel up to Jerusalem for the 3 feasts was too great a hardship. (Attendance by the head of each household was compulsory). This was contrary to God’s instruction as clearly specified in the Torah. Worship at these two places quickly became pagan worship to Baal and Ashtoreth. Dan had actually been a center of pagan worship for centuries prior to that, even extending to the Greek and Roman empires and beyond.
What we saw in this place was a cave, a very huge cave large enough to park at least two pairs of 18 wheelers on top of each other and is very deep. Before an earthquake diverted some of the water that came out of the cave, it is said that a very, very large amount of water rushed out from the cave that is in solid rock. Just beneath the cave were pools of water and a large amount of foliage everywhere.
This water was believed to come from the underworld as it was very cool and Hades (the underworld) was thought to be a very cold and dark place. The god Pan; the half-man and half-goat creature; was god of the underworld as well as god of mischief and pandemonium. Pan was said to be rather mean in his mischief and from his activities we get the concept of “panic, panicking, etc.” Part of what Pan is said to have fomented was severe sexual immorality. His very appearance gave the image of bestiality…. This cave was therefore named after Pan as being the gate to the underworld. Panias eventually degraded to Banias due to an Arab pronunciation. However, during the Roman Empire Banias was renamed in honor of the emperor and thus became known as Caesarea Philippi during Jesus’ times. By Jesus’ times the area in and around the cave had multiple temples and niches carved into the rock. Horrible, horrible pagan activity was said to occur in this location. There was a temple to everything as it were and this entire worship center was very close to the main road from Damascus to the Galilee and Jezreel Valley. Most of the pagan worship centered on female and male temple prostitution!!
Just to the side of the huge cave is a small area with sitting stones and there we had a powerful time of worship. Very powerful, as we meditated and tried to imagine Jesus asking his disciples’ “who do the people say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-20) I tried to imagine how Jesus felt when Peter answered correctly…did He think “finally!”…or did He think “I knew they were getting it.”….or if there was a long discussion before Peter even confessed Jesus as Messiah.
It doesn’t really matter…it still comes down to answering that question for ourselves and then living out the answer. Who do we say Jesus is? God is dealing with me on that very issue right now. I shall never forget that afternoon…I told God I wanted to die to some worldly things and that I wanted to be as far away from the pagan in my life as I could. I told Him I really wanted to know Him as Messiah…not Elijah, Elisha or some other holy person…I just want to know my Father as my Father, my Savior as Messiah and to be full of the Holy Spirit. What do you want?
We arrived near Banias/Caesarea Philippi at noon after our stop at Hazor and as our group considered food an important thing…we quickly went to the local eating establishment, only a stones’ throw away from the ruins. This lunch place, like so many we ate in while in Israel, was a local version of fast food…for tourists. The usual choice of Falafel, Shwarma and Schnitzel was offered and orders taken. This restaurant, I believe, was owned by an Israeli Druze. None of the three entrees were the best we had had, but hunger is its own spice, as they say.
Our guide, Yoni, taught us that King Jeroboam of Israel was worried that all of Israel would join Judah again if they started going to worship in Jerusalem again. To prevent this, Jeroboam set up worship centers; one in Bethel and one in Dan (I Kings 12:25). His excuse was that the 3 week round trip from North Israel up to Jerusalem for the 3 feasts was too great a hardship. (Attendance by the head of each household was compulsory). This was contrary to God’s instruction as clearly specified in the Torah. Worship at these two places quickly became pagan worship to Baal and Ashtoreth. Dan had actually been a center of pagan worship for centuries prior to that, even extending to the Greek and Roman empires and beyond.
What we saw in this place was a cave, a very huge cave large enough to park at least two pairs of 18 wheelers on top of each other and is very deep. Before an earthquake diverted some of the water that came out of the cave, it is said that a very, very large amount of water rushed out from the cave that is in solid rock. Just beneath the cave were pools of water and a large amount of foliage everywhere.
This water was believed to come from the underworld as it was very cool and Hades (the underworld) was thought to be a very cold and dark place. The god Pan; the half-man and half-goat creature; was god of the underworld as well as god of mischief and pandemonium. Pan was said to be rather mean in his mischief and from his activities we get the concept of “panic, panicking, etc.” Part of what Pan is said to have fomented was severe sexual immorality. His very appearance gave the image of bestiality…. This cave was therefore named after Pan as being the gate to the underworld. Panias eventually degraded to Banias due to an Arab pronunciation. However, during the Roman Empire Banias was renamed in honor of the emperor and thus became known as Caesarea Philippi during Jesus’ times. By Jesus’ times the area in and around the cave had multiple temples and niches carved into the rock. Horrible, horrible pagan activity was said to occur in this location. There was a temple to everything as it were and this entire worship center was very close to the main road from Damascus to the Galilee and Jezreel Valley. Most of the pagan worship centered on female and male temple prostitution!!
Just to the side of the huge cave is a small area with sitting stones and there we had a powerful time of worship. Very powerful, as we meditated and tried to imagine Jesus asking his disciples’ “who do the people say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-20) I tried to imagine how Jesus felt when Peter answered correctly…did He think “finally!”…or did He think “I knew they were getting it.”….or if there was a long discussion before Peter even confessed Jesus as Messiah.
It doesn’t really matter…it still comes down to answering that question for ourselves and then living out the answer. Who do we say Jesus is? God is dealing with me on that very issue right now. I shall never forget that afternoon…I told God I wanted to die to some worldly things and that I wanted to be as far away from the pagan in my life as I could. I told Him I really wanted to know Him as Messiah…not Elijah, Elisha or some other holy person…I just want to know my Father as my Father, my Savior as Messiah and to be full of the Holy Spirit. What do you want?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
"Dan Nature Reserve"
I must say this was one of my favorite days in Israel. We left Hazor and went north along the Jordan River into the Hula Valley all the while ascending in altitude. Amazing place! There exists there the Hula Lake and all you have to do is Google Hula and one will see amazing pictures of lush green fields and a gorgeous lake. It turns out that this was an area that for centuries was swamp land. The Jews in the late 1800 to early 1900’s drained the swamp with Eucalyptus trees and drainage ditches resulting in a valley with very fertile soil and high productivity
.
We drove through Kyriat Shmona, or “village of eight”; so named after 8 soldiers from this area killed during the 1948 War of Independence. This was the same town that was so heavily damaged during the 2006 war with Lebanon. I would live in this town for the charm and beauty it held. Red tile roofs, parks, neat streets, very heavy Jewish Orthodox community and the beauty of the surrounding valley. Yes, I would live there at a drop of a hat. I am scanning their classifieds looking for PA jobs…. (He said with a smile on his face…)Nevertheless, I would really live there today and can begin to see the reason this was called the “land of milk and honey”.
Our next stop however was the Dan Nature Reserve. Our guide took us on a short hike along rushing streams, under trees, over rocks, into a sort of thicket of trees, plants, flowers, of all kinds: pine, root trees, the majority of which I never did know the name of. It was a cool fresh day full of “look at that…Yoni…what is that red flower…did you see that rock back there…wow…oh…geez…take a picture of that tree…”. Pictures do not do justice to the Nature Reserve. At some points it reminded me of being in Colorado in the summer. Full, lush, green, streams of water, thick foliage…who would have thought of Israel this way?
Going through the Hula Valley, Kyriat Shmona and the Dan Nature Reserve didn’t really unveil a great spiritual revelation as much as it was simply a sense of God saying to me:"I have something really cool that I created and that I want to show you"; then I can hear Him say: “I did good didn’t I? Just like I said in Scripture ‘it is good’”. It is indeed!!
.
We drove through Kyriat Shmona, or “village of eight”; so named after 8 soldiers from this area killed during the 1948 War of Independence. This was the same town that was so heavily damaged during the 2006 war with Lebanon. I would live in this town for the charm and beauty it held. Red tile roofs, parks, neat streets, very heavy Jewish Orthodox community and the beauty of the surrounding valley. Yes, I would live there at a drop of a hat. I am scanning their classifieds looking for PA jobs…. (He said with a smile on his face…)Nevertheless, I would really live there today and can begin to see the reason this was called the “land of milk and honey”.
Our next stop however was the Dan Nature Reserve. Our guide took us on a short hike along rushing streams, under trees, over rocks, into a sort of thicket of trees, plants, flowers, of all kinds: pine, root trees, the majority of which I never did know the name of. It was a cool fresh day full of “look at that…Yoni…what is that red flower…did you see that rock back there…wow…oh…geez…take a picture of that tree…”. Pictures do not do justice to the Nature Reserve. At some points it reminded me of being in Colorado in the summer. Full, lush, green, streams of water, thick foliage…who would have thought of Israel this way?
Going through the Hula Valley, Kyriat Shmona and the Dan Nature Reserve didn’t really unveil a great spiritual revelation as much as it was simply a sense of God saying to me:"I have something really cool that I created and that I want to show you"; then I can hear Him say: “I did good didn’t I? Just like I said in Scripture ‘it is good’”. It is indeed!!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
"Upper Jordan"
One of the fun things about Yoni our guide was how well he tied where we were and what we were seeing to scripture. As we left Hazor and kept north we entered the ancient tribal area of Dan. As Yoni explained; although originally assigned a small area on the plains of what is now Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport; the people of Dan undertook a large migration north to the area of the Hula Valley and foothills of Mt. Hermon. Among the many reasons for doing so was the severe snake infestation in the coastal plains. These snakes were vipers and very deadly therefore the Danitis were seriously affected by this infestation. In fact this was such an issue that one of the symbols for the tribe of Dan is a viper. The saying “From Dan to Beersheba” described the most northern and southern boundaries of Israel during much of its existence.
Dan is also what gives the Jordan River its name. Jor-Dan mean simply “the Dan descends” and refers to the many springs that flow out of the Mt. Hermon area that combine to make the Jordan River. The Jordan flowed year round in old times and did not “disappoint”. In Job 6:15 it says: “But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams”. The Hebrew for intermittent is the same word that means disappointing. The word is “nachel” which in Arabic is “wadi” and thus describes the “draw” that is mostly dry and occasionally floods with water after a rain.
Jeremiah 17:13 says that God is not a “nachel/wadi” or disappointing stream rather He is “…the LORD, the spring of living water”. God is a stream that flows regardless of the rainfall as it were.
Yoni then shared some of his personal testimony about learning the trust God; the Faithful Stream and read from Isaiah 58:11: “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail”. AMEN!!
Dan is also what gives the Jordan River its name. Jor-Dan mean simply “the Dan descends” and refers to the many springs that flow out of the Mt. Hermon area that combine to make the Jordan River. The Jordan flowed year round in old times and did not “disappoint”. In Job 6:15 it says: “But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams”. The Hebrew for intermittent is the same word that means disappointing. The word is “nachel” which in Arabic is “wadi” and thus describes the “draw” that is mostly dry and occasionally floods with water after a rain.
Jeremiah 17:13 says that God is not a “nachel/wadi” or disappointing stream rather He is “…the LORD, the spring of living water”. God is a stream that flows regardless of the rainfall as it were.
Yoni then shared some of his personal testimony about learning the trust God; the Faithful Stream and read from Isaiah 58:11: “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail”. AMEN!!
Monday, May 10, 2010
"Northern Israel: Hazor and the Ashteroth pole"
(Read Joshua 11:10 and Judges 4:2)
Wednesday March the 17th we left for a day-long trip up to northern Israel stopping first at Tel Hazor. The archeological remains at Hazor are extensive and some of the ruins date back to 350 BC. Hazor is mentioned in the Old Testament as the place from which King Jenin came down to the Jezreel plains and harassed the Hebrew people and for which crisis Deborah was raised up by God. The Hebrew general Barak (means lightning) on Deborah’s ordered defeated the commander Sisera near Mount Tabor.
Centuries later King Solomon used this same site to establish a garrison of cavalry with extensive stables, the remains of which are seen today. The Majority of the cut stone seen in the excavations today may be from King Jeroboam II and his time of prosperity.
The city sat up on the side of a hill with a great view back down towards the Sea of Galilee and west. I remember being a bit overwhelmed by all the ruins as they all seemed to be waist high walls of rock, and because we had so much to see that day, we didn’t really spend a lot of time there. Our guide did want to point out the Old Testament connections and also show us an Ashtoreth pole of some kind. It was clearly phallic, hewn out of stone and only 2-2 .5 feet high. I think we were stuck by how small the pole was, but clearly there were many kinds of Ashtoreth poles over the years.
It seems silly to me that humans would worship a 2 foot tall phallic shaped stone, but I REALLY am coming to believe that much of what I watched on TV was just as bad. Perhaps what I watched was not as obviously pagan as a phallic symbol is, but it is just as pagan.
LORD help me tear down the things in my life that would raise themselves above You.
Wednesday March the 17th we left for a day-long trip up to northern Israel stopping first at Tel Hazor. The archeological remains at Hazor are extensive and some of the ruins date back to 350 BC. Hazor is mentioned in the Old Testament as the place from which King Jenin came down to the Jezreel plains and harassed the Hebrew people and for which crisis Deborah was raised up by God. The Hebrew general Barak (means lightning) on Deborah’s ordered defeated the commander Sisera near Mount Tabor.
Centuries later King Solomon used this same site to establish a garrison of cavalry with extensive stables, the remains of which are seen today. The Majority of the cut stone seen in the excavations today may be from King Jeroboam II and his time of prosperity.
The city sat up on the side of a hill with a great view back down towards the Sea of Galilee and west. I remember being a bit overwhelmed by all the ruins as they all seemed to be waist high walls of rock, and because we had so much to see that day, we didn’t really spend a lot of time there. Our guide did want to point out the Old Testament connections and also show us an Ashtoreth pole of some kind. It was clearly phallic, hewn out of stone and only 2-2 .5 feet high. I think we were stuck by how small the pole was, but clearly there were many kinds of Ashtoreth poles over the years.
It seems silly to me that humans would worship a 2 foot tall phallic shaped stone, but I REALLY am coming to believe that much of what I watched on TV was just as bad. Perhaps what I watched was not as obviously pagan as a phallic symbol is, but it is just as pagan.
LORD help me tear down the things in my life that would raise themselves above You.
Friday, May 7, 2010
"Yardenit"
The last thing we did on March the 16th was go to Yardenit. This is the location on the Jordan River as it just runs out from the Galilee. Yardenit is where most people get baptized if they do so in the Jordan. There is no doubt it has become a very commercialized place, but something really cool happened anyway. We had been told there were changing rooms, and for a small fee, robes would be given out to us, but that these were very, very sheer and we should dress accordingly under the robes. We were also warned about our stuff being stolen and that we should give our clothes and cameras to someone to watch. Thus, most of us changed into our robes, got our clothes, cameras, passports and other valuables and took them down to the area we were assigned. As I recall, we also had an appointment time for our group, just one more sign of the commercialization of the area.
When we all gathered in our assigned area and instructions had been given, we had a time of worship and prayer. We then proceeded with the baptism. “The water is cold! Is that one of those fishy-things David McQueen told us about that I am feeling? What the heck…that was slippery…” Those were some of the very first and very un-spiritual thoughts I think we all must have had. In addition to all this, people from all over the world stop and stare to see how “we” got baptized. To say there were a lot of distractions would be an understatement!
Nevertheless, we each got into position, stated our name, name of home church, and why we were being baptized. That is when it got heavenly: it came down to who we were, what we wanted to be and why we wanted to share this very public act. There were many testimonies and I don’t really remember them much…but He does. I do remember weeping, I remember being touched by the testimonies, I do remember Andy helping baptize Renee, I do remember how special we all felt, I remember the four pastors from four different churches standing in the water next to each other; and how the tourist part of the whole deal disappeared. I remember more when I look at the pictures.
There is way more that could be said about Yardenit, like the way other people got baptized and other rituals we saw, but it’s what happened in the heart that was really cool. The physical part of the water is long gone, but the spiritual part is ongoing. Isn’t that what we believe? I am still discovering all that really happened and this blog is just part of His touch on me that afternoon.
PS: The cold water is why later we wanted hot coffee and almost broke kosher!!
When we all gathered in our assigned area and instructions had been given, we had a time of worship and prayer. We then proceeded with the baptism. “The water is cold! Is that one of those fishy-things David McQueen told us about that I am feeling? What the heck…that was slippery…” Those were some of the very first and very un-spiritual thoughts I think we all must have had. In addition to all this, people from all over the world stop and stare to see how “we” got baptized. To say there were a lot of distractions would be an understatement!
Nevertheless, we each got into position, stated our name, name of home church, and why we were being baptized. That is when it got heavenly: it came down to who we were, what we wanted to be and why we wanted to share this very public act. There were many testimonies and I don’t really remember them much…but He does. I do remember weeping, I remember being touched by the testimonies, I do remember Andy helping baptize Renee, I do remember how special we all felt, I remember the four pastors from four different churches standing in the water next to each other; and how the tourist part of the whole deal disappeared. I remember more when I look at the pictures.
There is way more that could be said about Yardenit, like the way other people got baptized and other rituals we saw, but it’s what happened in the heart that was really cool. The physical part of the water is long gone, but the spiritual part is ongoing. Isn’t that what we believe? I am still discovering all that really happened and this blog is just part of His touch on me that afternoon.
PS: The cold water is why later we wanted hot coffee and almost broke kosher!!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
"Woe to You...or Oy'"
We talked about Korazin, one of the towns that Jesus said “woe to you” to, in Matthew chapter 11. As Yoni explained, we generally assume Jesus was cursing these cities for their lack of response to His ministry. I must say I was surprised at my sense of relief at Yoni’s explanation. Almost as if I had been worried about these cities for all my life…I know that sounds strange, but being in Israel healed a lot of things even if small misconceptions.
So it turns out that if Jesus had really cursed these towns they would have dried up quickly almost like the fig tree. When Korazin was excavated in modern times, 10 olive presses were found. Usually one olive press sufficed for 200 people. This seemed to confirm the history that Korazin was a large prosperous farming community that actually thrived for 1800 years in one type of settlement or another. That certainly doesn’t seem like a cursed town.
In Hebrew the term Oy’ was used where we read “woe”, and this is more an exclamation than a curse. The better term would be “beware” along with an exclamation similar to “Oh my goodness”. Woe is a warning and not a curse. It is a warning to repent. Repentance in the Hebrew context means “return to your father”.
Our LORD Jesus never came to curse anything but to break all curses, He never wrote off anything or anybody, but desired to write things back into God’s plan. Capernaum, Bethsaida and Korazin would have gone the way of Sodom and Gomorrah if Jesus cursed them.
It is easy to buy a line from satan that God will write us off after we mess up for the millionth tim;, when God the Father actually says: “return to Me and My ways”. So I tell myself: “Henry it really is that easy, never forget! “. Today is the National Day of Prayer: let’s ALL return to the Father!!!
So it turns out that if Jesus had really cursed these towns they would have dried up quickly almost like the fig tree. When Korazin was excavated in modern times, 10 olive presses were found. Usually one olive press sufficed for 200 people. This seemed to confirm the history that Korazin was a large prosperous farming community that actually thrived for 1800 years in one type of settlement or another. That certainly doesn’t seem like a cursed town.
In Hebrew the term Oy’ was used where we read “woe”, and this is more an exclamation than a curse. The better term would be “beware” along with an exclamation similar to “Oh my goodness”. Woe is a warning and not a curse. It is a warning to repent. Repentance in the Hebrew context means “return to your father”.
Our LORD Jesus never came to curse anything but to break all curses, He never wrote off anything or anybody, but desired to write things back into God’s plan. Capernaum, Bethsaida and Korazin would have gone the way of Sodom and Gomorrah if Jesus cursed them.
It is easy to buy a line from satan that God will write us off after we mess up for the millionth tim;, when God the Father actually says: “return to Me and My ways”. So I tell myself: “Henry it really is that easy, never forget! “. Today is the National Day of Prayer: let’s ALL return to the Father!!!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
"Kosher"
(Exodus 23:19b)
It was at the hotel Ramot Gilead that some of us got in trouble for unknowingly breaking the kosher laws. I am pretty sure none of us did anything intentionally…except maybe Karen. Our first night at the hotel we had super on the east side of the dining room away from the scenic windows. I don’t think any of us noticed the absence of dairy products as there was so much food to be had. The next day for breakfast some in our group; the guilty shall remain anonymous; Ben, Ashley, Brennan, Karen, Ray, Rebekah, and Tammy just to name a few; sat in the same area of the dining room we sat the night before. The servers quickly moved us to where the place settings were and we thought that was the only issue: place settings. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our breakfast, which was abundant and included cheese and plenty of milk for our coffee. That evening we arrived back a bit early and were cold and tired and bought coffee with milk down at the bar. The stairs to the dining area were opened and Karen and I took our delicious cups of coffee up to the dining area but were told in no uncertain term we could not bring these in to dine. What the heck?
Apparently there are three principles that guide a rabbi’s thinking and his life: 1) be cautious in judgment, 2) raise up many disciples and 3) Make a fence around the Torah. These three principles are taken very seriously in rabbinic thought. This third principle led rabbi’s to make rules that would prevent the Torah commands from being broken. Sometimes rules were added to rules that were added to rules so that the original Scripture would be observed. Therefore when in Exodus 23:19b it says not to cook a young goat in its mothers’ milk, “making a fence around the Torah”; ultimately became don’t mix meat and dairy, then don’t serve them on the same plate, then don’t use the same cookware for dairy and meat and ultimately, don’t even eat them at the same meal!
When we switched sides the first time we might have used the wrong silverware, when we brought coffee and cream to supper we were in danger of mixing diary and meat and of violating kosher laws. “Gentile kosher law breaker” (GKLB) is not how I wanted to be known at that hotel…but I came pretty close.
In all honestly we talked about that a lot during the trip because it is so foreign to our lifestyle, yet in Jewish life it is practiced and taken so seriously that rabbi’s are known to make surprise visits to hotels and if kosher is being violated, the hotel’s kosher certificate is revoked and essentially the hotel is ruined. Big deal this kosher stuff.
It is very tempting to think of all of this as silly unless one remembers the original principle: build a fence around the Torah. A modern version might be; don’t let the Bible become diluted in meaning. It is the principle for which I left the denomination I grew up in for 41 years. I felt like the authority of Scripture wasn’t being practiced nor enforced in key areas of life and indeed some folks nationally essentially said the Bible was irrelevant to modern life!
So I will still drink coffee with cream and eat meat; as a gentile I am free from those laws, but I will try harder not to sit on the fence and come on down on the side of Scripture in everything I do. May not get there, but I’m going to try…what about you?
It was at the hotel Ramot Gilead that some of us got in trouble for unknowingly breaking the kosher laws. I am pretty sure none of us did anything intentionally…except maybe Karen. Our first night at the hotel we had super on the east side of the dining room away from the scenic windows. I don’t think any of us noticed the absence of dairy products as there was so much food to be had. The next day for breakfast some in our group; the guilty shall remain anonymous; Ben, Ashley, Brennan, Karen, Ray, Rebekah, and Tammy just to name a few; sat in the same area of the dining room we sat the night before. The servers quickly moved us to where the place settings were and we thought that was the only issue: place settings. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our breakfast, which was abundant and included cheese and plenty of milk for our coffee. That evening we arrived back a bit early and were cold and tired and bought coffee with milk down at the bar. The stairs to the dining area were opened and Karen and I took our delicious cups of coffee up to the dining area but were told in no uncertain term we could not bring these in to dine. What the heck?
Apparently there are three principles that guide a rabbi’s thinking and his life: 1) be cautious in judgment, 2) raise up many disciples and 3) Make a fence around the Torah. These three principles are taken very seriously in rabbinic thought. This third principle led rabbi’s to make rules that would prevent the Torah commands from being broken. Sometimes rules were added to rules that were added to rules so that the original Scripture would be observed. Therefore when in Exodus 23:19b it says not to cook a young goat in its mothers’ milk, “making a fence around the Torah”; ultimately became don’t mix meat and dairy, then don’t serve them on the same plate, then don’t use the same cookware for dairy and meat and ultimately, don’t even eat them at the same meal!
When we switched sides the first time we might have used the wrong silverware, when we brought coffee and cream to supper we were in danger of mixing diary and meat and of violating kosher laws. “Gentile kosher law breaker” (GKLB) is not how I wanted to be known at that hotel…but I came pretty close.
In all honestly we talked about that a lot during the trip because it is so foreign to our lifestyle, yet in Jewish life it is practiced and taken so seriously that rabbi’s are known to make surprise visits to hotels and if kosher is being violated, the hotel’s kosher certificate is revoked and essentially the hotel is ruined. Big deal this kosher stuff.
It is very tempting to think of all of this as silly unless one remembers the original principle: build a fence around the Torah. A modern version might be; don’t let the Bible become diluted in meaning. It is the principle for which I left the denomination I grew up in for 41 years. I felt like the authority of Scripture wasn’t being practiced nor enforced in key areas of life and indeed some folks nationally essentially said the Bible was irrelevant to modern life!
So I will still drink coffee with cream and eat meat; as a gentile I am free from those laws, but I will try harder not to sit on the fence and come on down on the side of Scripture in everything I do. May not get there, but I’m going to try…what about you?
Monday, May 3, 2010
"Ramot Galilee"
The hotel on the Galilee that we stayed in was perhaps my favorite. It was nice and fancy but not ornate. It was located up the hillside from the shoreline and if the Galilee was a clock, at about the 2 o’clock position. Trees, bushes, flowers of all types literally surrounded the area! It had 4 different levels with rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors, lobby sitting area on the 3rd floor and dining area on the 4th floor. The rooms had been recently remodeled and had been given an oriental theme using bamboo, glass and wood floors.
After meals, supper especially, we tended to gather in the sitting area that overlooked the Sea of Galilee. There was a nice balcony and the sitting area was surrounded with windows in a semi-circular fashion with hardly a bad view to be had in the house. Despite the haze from the “heat wave”, dust from the southwest brought in by ocean wind currents, the view was amazing. The lights of Tiberias twinkled liked diamonds across the Galilee at night! Amazing…sweet…breathtaking.
The best part was the fellowship during these times in the sitting area. Usually we were full, tired but rather jolly in mood. Most of us were iPhone in hand…or at least laptops, getting on Facebook, checking email at the same time sharing impressions of the day, laughing and drinking some really good coffee.
This fellowship was the best part of the day. You see, for one we could relive the impressions of the day which made the experience more real-I mean how can you really take in being where Jesus was 2000 years ago-“did you hear Yoni say that ‘woe’ meant beware and not ‘be cursed?’ “ Ya and what was that yellow sign by the road; oh, a mind field warning…how weird is that…orange blossoms…is that what we are smelling?” “Do you really think that was Peter’s mother-in-law’s house?” “Hey how much is the coffee…do they have Pepsi Max?’ On and on the fellowship went on those nights over the Galilee. Fellowship. Fellowship is community and community is what we are all about in Jesus.
Well, that got me thinking about what Jesus and the disciples did at night after all the craziness of the day: “did you see those all that left over food after we fed the people? What does He mean ‘Son of Man giving Himself? I can’t believe that lady touched the Master…but I’m glad she did…where is she now? How come no one says anything when Judas takes money from the bag-we all know he does it! Next time I’ m gonna get out of the boat too, like Peter did…”
I’m convinced that was the best part of the day for Jesus too, the fellowship I mean. That is true in the present day also.
After meals, supper especially, we tended to gather in the sitting area that overlooked the Sea of Galilee. There was a nice balcony and the sitting area was surrounded with windows in a semi-circular fashion with hardly a bad view to be had in the house. Despite the haze from the “heat wave”, dust from the southwest brought in by ocean wind currents, the view was amazing. The lights of Tiberias twinkled liked diamonds across the Galilee at night! Amazing…sweet…breathtaking.
The best part was the fellowship during these times in the sitting area. Usually we were full, tired but rather jolly in mood. Most of us were iPhone in hand…or at least laptops, getting on Facebook, checking email at the same time sharing impressions of the day, laughing and drinking some really good coffee.
This fellowship was the best part of the day. You see, for one we could relive the impressions of the day which made the experience more real-I mean how can you really take in being where Jesus was 2000 years ago-“did you hear Yoni say that ‘woe’ meant beware and not ‘be cursed?’ “ Ya and what was that yellow sign by the road; oh, a mind field warning…how weird is that…orange blossoms…is that what we are smelling?” “Do you really think that was Peter’s mother-in-law’s house?” “Hey how much is the coffee…do they have Pepsi Max?’ On and on the fellowship went on those nights over the Galilee. Fellowship. Fellowship is community and community is what we are all about in Jesus.
Well, that got me thinking about what Jesus and the disciples did at night after all the craziness of the day: “did you see those all that left over food after we fed the people? What does He mean ‘Son of Man giving Himself? I can’t believe that lady touched the Master…but I’m glad she did…where is she now? How come no one says anything when Judas takes money from the bag-we all know he does it! Next time I’ m gonna get out of the boat too, like Peter did…”
I’m convinced that was the best part of the day for Jesus too, the fellowship I mean. That is true in the present day also.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
"Capernaum"
Matthew 4:12-17
Capernaum (Kafe Nauhm or town of Nahum) is in the tribal area of Naphtali but borders very closely the area of Issachar. Matthew 4 says “Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-…’”
Capernaum is unique for many reasons, not the least of which is that here is simply where Jesus spent so much time. From a tourist standpoint the most important places to see are the Church of Peter‘s Primacy, the synagogue and a house described as being Peter’s mother-in-law’s house.
The Church of Peter‘s Primacy is where some believe Jesus cooked fish for breakfast and “reinstated” Peter. The Catholic Church owns some land on the Galilean shore where they think this event took place. It is a gorgeous place with green lawns, tall shade trees of many kinds, flowers and a small chapel constructed from a volcanic stone. I found myself wanting to do justice to the memory of Jesus’ time, as I took in the sights and sounds. I followed the group to the lake shore. Everyone was quiet or speaking in low voices. Brennan was kneeling, Tammy was taking pictures, Mike was holding a few stones, David McQueen was looking up at the hillside, Scott and Tim were speaking quietly, Susan was praying, and everyone seemed to be in deep personal reflection.
I guess that is when it hit me, and I was overwhelmed with a sense that Peter needed to know he was ok with Jesus more than Jesus needed to ask Peter if he loved Him. Reinstating and recommissioning is what Jesus’ death and resurrection were all about! New Covenant, newness, new life, new ANYTHING is what it’s about.
From my journal written that moment: “overwhelmed…w a sense of God’s Mercy! I am forgiven, like Peter, and reinstated and recomissioned! Thank you Yeshua!”
Capernaum (Kafe Nauhm or town of Nahum) is in the tribal area of Naphtali but borders very closely the area of Issachar. Matthew 4 says “Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-…’”
Capernaum is unique for many reasons, not the least of which is that here is simply where Jesus spent so much time. From a tourist standpoint the most important places to see are the Church of Peter‘s Primacy, the synagogue and a house described as being Peter’s mother-in-law’s house.
The Church of Peter‘s Primacy is where some believe Jesus cooked fish for breakfast and “reinstated” Peter. The Catholic Church owns some land on the Galilean shore where they think this event took place. It is a gorgeous place with green lawns, tall shade trees of many kinds, flowers and a small chapel constructed from a volcanic stone. I found myself wanting to do justice to the memory of Jesus’ time, as I took in the sights and sounds. I followed the group to the lake shore. Everyone was quiet or speaking in low voices. Brennan was kneeling, Tammy was taking pictures, Mike was holding a few stones, David McQueen was looking up at the hillside, Scott and Tim were speaking quietly, Susan was praying, and everyone seemed to be in deep personal reflection.
I guess that is when it hit me, and I was overwhelmed with a sense that Peter needed to know he was ok with Jesus more than Jesus needed to ask Peter if he loved Him. Reinstating and recommissioning is what Jesus’ death and resurrection were all about! New Covenant, newness, new life, new ANYTHING is what it’s about.
From my journal written that moment: “overwhelmed…w a sense of God’s Mercy! I am forgiven, like Peter, and reinstated and recomissioned! Thank you Yeshua!”
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