Jerusalem

Jerusalem is first mentioned in Gen. 14:18. It was later an Amorite city (Jebus). It means "peace", even though there have probably been more wars fought here than any other city on our planet. It was completely destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, fulfilling prophecies of Jesus.

Here is my first look at Jerusalem! It was so cool...our guide spoke of us leaving the barren Judean Hills and heading to Jerusalem and we began climbing a hill in our bus. As his voice crescendo-ed, music to "Jerusalem, Jerusalem" began to play. Wow! Right on cue the city appeared to our left. What a view!

On June 6, 1967, Israel captured the Arab portion of the city during the Six Day War. Jerusalem was divided no more. I felt very safe in this city and received a lifetime of experiences walking its streets and viewing its amazing sites!

Today, spend some time thinking about Jesus and his travels to Jerusalem. And remember the cross was there, and the tomb, and...the Resurrection!! We serve a risen Savior and Lord!

Spelunking in Israel

Spelunking is the technical word for cave exploring. Think Carlsbad Caverns. When Lynn and I lived in Carlsbad we went to these magnificent caves a few times. An amazing place! If you've never been, put it on your bucket list.

This picture is of some really old caves. Not a huge cavern like in Carlsbad, but dozens of small caves. This is Qumran...the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 20th century. Here's the short story of how the first DSS were found. A 15 year old Bedouin was doing what bored boys do: throwing rocks. After throwing a certain rock into a cave, he heard a crash. Upon exploration (spelunking, remember) he discovered clay pots containing some ancient scrolls. To keep the story short, the discovery of the DSS was on. Of the fragments found, all but two OT books were found, including the entire book of Isaiah. Wow!

Here is a picture of myself standing in a cave. Yes, I almost killed myself hiking up the mountain to the caves with Zac (19 year old). Maybe a fragment was found in this cave. Maybe not. The important fact to remember here is how these scrolls found in the 1900's matched up to OT books written thousands of years prior.

I came away from this visit with something powerful. No, not the pounding of my heart in my chest or extremely rapid respiration from climbing. But, rather, the trustworthiness of God's Word, the Bible. How big is your God? Do you believe He is totally capable of preserving His Word for us, even today? I do...and the DSS give me a small glimpse of this truth. Take a moment today and read the Bible a little, OT or NT!

My Most Meaningful Experience To Date

Sometimes it is good to pay extra for something really good. And it's not always what you know but who you know. This trip was a little more expensive than some, but well worth it because of the quality and quantity of the experiences.

As we arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane, I noticed the throngs of people. The entrance was closed, so everyone was having to enter and exit through the exit. All of a sudden our group crossed the tiny street and our guide, Pitch, spoke to a man and we entered the small, private part of the Garden through a locked gate. We were so fortunate! Only our group was present.

We had a lesson from our guide and then from pastor Eric. And then...we took part in Communion. It was absolutely amazing to do this and to remember what Jesus did for me right in the Garden! I must say that the tears flowed from a number in our group, including mine.

I spent quite a few minutes in a corner of the Garden with the Lord. It was incredibly important to me and so special.

What if each of us treasured our time with the Lord each day as if we were in the private Garden of Gethsemane? Chew on that a little today...

A Camel and a Temptation

Wow! It is hard to find a computer with public Internet access here in Jerusalem. We have been very busy each day and one word sums it up...un-be-lieve-able!! This picture shows that a pastor really can ride a Bedouin camel if he has four dollars! What I want you to do is to look behind the camel and see the desolate country. So barren. And imagine looking to the right a little and downward to see the Wadi Kelt - the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Imagine further to the right the town of Jericho and picture Jesus coming up into this hostile countryside and fasting for 40 days and then being tempted by Satan.

The difference between Jesus and me is that He withstood the temptation without sinning. Isn't it awesome to know that our Savior and Lord is God! Without sin! Yet able to understand our sufferings and temptations. Think about it today...

Another Great Day in Israel

Here is a picture of a baptism at the Jordan River. How powerful of an image it was to observe this! To think about John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in this same river is mind boggling. Truly remarkable!

We have seen and studied 5 or more sites each day so far. It has been such a blessing.

I especially enjoyed the Golan Heights today. To be able to stand in an Israeli bunker from the war and look into Syria and Lebanon is a rare thing. There is even some snow still on Mt. Hermon.

Eating meals is a pleasure with this group. Here is a picture of St. Peter's fish (I call it Tilapia). And no, I did not eat the head!

Praying for you today...

My Latest Boat Trip

Thanks to pastor Eric Christensen for allowing the use of his laptop. Israel has been more amazing than I ever could have imagined. Words cannot describe the way the Bible has come alive as I've seen the geography and heard the history. Here is a shot of me on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. The other picture is somewhat rare these days...actual fishermen pulling up there nets on the Sea of Galilee.

Even riding on the tour bus and having time to meditate about all the things we are seeing has been so special in these first days.

Praise God for this amazing blessing!

Shalom!

Memphis and the Mighty Mississippi

Memphis is one of my favorite cities in America. Weird, huh? How can this be? Well, I love the Blues and I love BBQ. The pictures you see are very descriptive. The first one shows an amazing blues band in the park (kinda) next to Beale Street. Let me tell you, the bands that play in this park are phenomenal. But for some reason, they will never get the big break and make it big time. Christianity is often like that. We may never make it "big time" and become famous; but still we continue to follow Christ, some doing it phenomenally!

The next picture is of an alley. Yes, an alley! If you will look at the sign you will see where one enters to go down into an old cellar that serves some of the best BBQ in the world. But to taste this BBQ, you have to know where to find it. The same is true with following Jesus...you have to know where to find Him. My recommendation: the Bible!

The final picture is a shot of the Mississippi River. Yes, I took the picture while driving three wide across the I-40 bridge! Every time I cross the Mississippi River, I am reminded that the term "river" is relative. Where I live in NW New Mexico, we have three rivers, the San Juan, the Animas, and the La Plata. For New Mexico that's pretty good! All three could be placed by the Mississippi and you would not even notice them. This is a river!! Even though our rivers are very, very small compared to the mighty Mississippi, they still are just as important. Why? They give us water to drink, irrigate, produce power, etc. This made me stop and think about a Christian's testimony...some may be shorter, not as in-depth, or not as dramatic as someone else's, but still just as important. Why? Because they all tell about the life change that occurred when we met Jesus. This week would be a great time to share your Christian testimony with someone else. Think about it...