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...

How I Am Related to Beth Moore

While in Nashville, I had the privilege of visiting with one of my former pastors, Dr. Dale McCleskey and his family. It was a great time to see Dale, Cheryl, Jason, Jodi, and the four grandkids.

Dale is a senior editor at Lifeway Christian Resources (http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/). You may know him best as the editor of, occasional co-author with and good friend of a lady named...Beth Moore. Dale gave me a tour of Lifeway. I had no idea how large it is! The picture you see is of the newer tower, one of numerous buildings in downtown Nashville.

As I met employees there, Dale recounted the story of how "I was the reason that they were stuck with Dale all these years." I wasn't sure how to take that statement at first! Well, it was 1992 and I had just read an article stating that Lifeway was looking for someone to help them edit and publish the new RAPHA materials. Knowing my pastor and his passion for educating others about addictions, etc., I took the article to Dale. To make the story short, he applied and the McCleskeys moved to Nashville in 1993.

In 1994, my family moved from Roswell to FBC Bloomfield and I lost touch with Dale. You know that's how life is sometimes. We lose touch with significant relationships, etc. from our past.

So here's the lesson learned from my time spent in Nashville and at Lifeway...God's God and we're not! In my wildest dreams in 1992, I could not have imagined that Dale McCleskey would be the editorial force behind Beth Moore and I, Lamar Morin, would be the senior pastor of the great First Baptist Church of Bloomfield, NM! But God knew, God gifted each of us with a unique skill set, God led others to hire/call us, and God led us to follow Him. Isn't God good? I think it would be wise for all of us to follow God instead of playing God. You??

Tuesdays are Terrific!

Wow! Tuesday was terrific. I really enjoyed Drive '09 and learned mucho on Cinco de Mayo. The breakout sessions were excellent as was the main session (see pics). We had fun, including blindfold musical chairs!

I had a free evening and chose to go to an Atlanta Braves game. Gotta love that Atlanta traffic! The traffic jams here are a bit worse than in Bloomfield, NM. Live baseball is always good and I had a great seat.

Ever notice how passionate fans are at the game? I wonder...how passionate are followers of Christ? Something to ponder today...

Rainy Days and Awesome Night

Well, here is my airport self-portrait. If you were in church Sunday, you may get a chuckle out of this picture. Yes, I actually borrowed this Kit Kat in a Sunport shop!

Had a rainy day and long travel day...and then, the opening night of Drive '09. What a night at this conference at North Point Community Church! I entered at a side door and was able to sit only six rows from the front. Guess who was only two rows in front of me (I have cell phone pictures to prove it)? Dr. Charles Stanley and his son, Andy Stanley (host of conference)!

I was able to meet them and then I felt bad as countless others did the same (pictures, etc.) for almost half an hour. They were gracious...yet I wonder how tired they get of having to do that.

The worship was absolutely amazing! So creative and strong! Andy spoke on "leading in uncertain times." Did you know that the only thing certain today is uncertainty? It was a great night for leaders and I "are" one.

Time to go to the exercise room and work out. Hope you see the Son today!

Hoping to also see the sun today...

The Journey Begins

My first night away from home on my sabbatical! Exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in my life these next weeks.

I'm staying at my recently married son's new house. It is a beautiful home on Albuquerque's west side. No, this is not a picture of their home.

Our home was recently flooded. What a pain! When something like this occurs in life, we are forced to be patient and look for lessons to be learned. This picture shows some of the damage in our den. How we long for carpet again!

As I have walked on the cold concrete floor for a week, I have remembered all the people who helped us add this big room onto our house a number of years ago. What a blessing they have been to us! As I reminisce about the construction of the room, I think about people. People are so important! I want to encourage everyone to invest in people this week. Show them love and concern!

Well, tomorrow brings airports and adventures...here I go!