A Great Light

On our pilgrim’s final day in Jerusalem, God began speaking on the bus. They prayed the Lord’s Prayer as they drove toward the Old City.  Pastor Jerry continued in prayer that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” There was prayer made for healing: physical, emotional and relational. Pastor Jerry believed that there was healing coming for this very day and also that while they were in Galilee God is going to perform a major healing. (I personally am looking forward to the work God has promised!) Pastor Kathy wanted you to know they included us all as they prayed.

The Temple Mount awaited them. Many of you will recognize this place from the Jerusalem skyline. This is where the gold domed mosque sits on the side facing the Mount of Olives. This is also the place where the Temple was in the time of Jesus and of Solomon.

This is a place of ceremony and sacrifice. We walk around imagining what it must have been like. It was God’s house. It was the place His Glory dwelled. God prescribed what He needed to happen in a precise way.

You see, one the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, all of Israel would gather as an animal would be sacrificed to cleanse them of all of their sins. This may seem harsh, but God wove this demonstration of forgiveness into the heart of the Hebrew people as far back as Adam and Eve when he killed and covered their nakedness with the skins of animals. He covered their sin of partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It continued through Cain and Abel. One’s sacrifice pleasing and one insufficient because without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Even as, Abraham stood over his son, Isaac, with knife in hand, and the ram appeared. And of course the culmination, and final sacrifice for the Believer being that Jesus was “led like a Lamb to slaughter” and became sacrifice once and for all. 

Meir began to share on the scapegoat:

Two goats were chosen. They were led behind the High Priest. With his back to them, lots would be cast. One goat would be deemed: “For the Lord” and one “For Azazel”. Azazel is a high rocky place in the Judean desert where the scapegoat was sent over the cliff to its death. The sacrifice was presented to God as an offering on the altar. The scapegoat left until the end of the ceremonies dedicated to God. The High Priest would lay his hands upon the scapegoat and confess the sins of Israel upon him. The scapegoat was then led out of the Temple and straight off the cliff to its death.

Pastor Jerry stood before the Eastern Gate and shared:

“Take your hurts, bind them to the scape goat, take it to the wilderness, kill the goat and throw it all the way over the cliff. Get free from it.”

The group then took some time of quiet retrospection to deal with their own situations and leave them in the desert.

The City of David is a fairly newly excavated site. In fact, on our first tour several years ago they were still digging. This is the place of David’s palace. But it is also the entrance to Hezekiah’s tunnels. An underground system that runs all the way to under the Old City of Jerusalem.

Pastor Jerry read from 2 Samuel 5:6-10:

“And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.”

 

He shared:

David went up to take the stronghold. The powers of hell screamed that it was not possible. Evil powers, even the blind and lame can defeat you. It looks like there is no way in. When David faced this opposition, he did not accept that word. There are strongholds God wants us to take. Do not listen to the evil voices or taunts. Respond in obedience to God, do not go by feeling.

It has been a very rich day.

On this very rich day, the pilgrims find themselves in The Upper Room. This is the traditional place for the birth of the church described in Acts Chapters 1 and 2. This is a place of prayer and worship. This is where they kept the command of Jesus, one He spoke only moments before ascending into heaven after His sacrifice for them was made, after He was resurrected overcoming death and the grave, once, for all:

Acts 1:4-5

“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

 Pastor Jerry addressed the group: “

God's Word is eternal. He said to wait on Him. He is calling us to wait. It is a spiritual principle but no one wants to do it. As they/we wait, it is not wasting time. It is preparation time. Must become in one accord. We do not know what this concept means exactly but it unlocked the Power of GOD. They had waited hour after hour, day after day; all of a sudden there was a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire, speaking in other languages. The Power fell, people were drawn to see what was happening. Jesus prayed in John 17:10,

“And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.”

My Glory is shown thru them. May they be one as you and I are one, that the world may believe. This is the only way the world will believe. Joel spoke of the latter rain. We must deny self, obey, and become one. 

Then Pastor Jerry prayed for oneness. Molly sang Burach Haba B’shem Adonai (Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord)

The group sang:

“Bless the Lord, Oh my soul

And all that is within me

Bless His holy name”

It was a blessed anointed time.

Friday morning, leaving Jerusalem, they awakened to pouring rain, thunder and lightening.

Pastor Jerry shared on the bus as they headed to the desert from Proverbs 4:22.  “For they are life to those who find them,
 And health to all their flesh.”  Do not harbor hurts and insults, thoughts and offense. Do not let them steal your joy. Little foxes spoil the vines.  Song of Solomon 2:15 “Catch us the foxes, 
The little foxes that spoil the vines,
 For our vines have tender grapes.” These thought processes steal from us life and health and joy.

As we left Jerusalem and watched the rain stream down the windows, Meir gave us a word of the day 'wadi' which means a dry river bed. But today they were gushing with fresh rain.

Our service on the bus continued with singing Days of Elijah! It was powerful! Then Agnus Dei: Hallelujah, the Lord God Almighty Reigns. And finally: Above all. It rained till we passed Engedi.

Just as we pulled into Masada the rain ceased in time for our mountain top tour. At Masada in the movie, it talked about how Masada was the last stronghold. It took the fire, burning the gates, for the Romans to finally take the stronghold. Reminding us of Pastor Jerry’s word earlier about strongholds.

Standing in the synagogue, Meir shared about the Ezekiel scroll found here on Masada. Upon excavating the grounds immediately after the war of Independence in 1948, a piece of the Torah was found upon the mountaintop where the last free Jews had lived and died in Israel rather than be taken captive by Rome. This was two thousand years before. The scourged scrap revealed this ancient message which became prophecy of Israel becoming a nation again:

Ezekiel 37:3

And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.  I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord…”

Continuing in verse 11:

“Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.  I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”

Meir shared that the dry bones of the last free Jews became flesh as the New Israel, the New Zion came to life. Recalling earlier on the bus we sang, “These are the days of Ezekiel, those dry bones becoming as flesh.” Meir said he had goose bumps on his arms  from his belief that finding the Ezekiel scroll with this story is a fulfillment of prophesy for the coming of the Messiah.

Also on Masada, King Herod built Masada as a palace where no one could get to him. He was fairly paranoid and had these huge cisterns dug as a way to have plenty of water. If he was trapped on the mountain by his enemies, he would have a way to survive. Herod had strategically built these palaces along the way he would need to take to retreat to Moab. Pastor Jerry shared that we must be done with self preservation.  Trying to save ourselves as King Herod did. We can’t have these palaces of self preservation lining our way back to what is most familiar to us. We forsake our trust in the Lord when we save ourselves.

Jeremiah 2:13

“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

As we left, Masada, it began to rain again. It actually began to rain quite heavily, but when we pulled up to where we were going to go swim in the Dead Sea, the rain stopped. As we walked down to the Dead Sea, there was a big beautiful rainbow. And of course we had to have our fun times. Molly joined with David Young in a synchronized swimming exhibition. It was quite good and very hilarious as Molly narrated with her Sarah Palin accent. “We must beat these Russians!” Lol. As we loaded back on the bus, it began raining again. Pastor Thomas has been praying that the weather would be precise and they sure are thankful!

The reflection of the lights on the Sea of Galilee speak of home. We arrived at the kibbutz we are staying at and had a wonderful meal. As Pastor Jerry was leaving the dining room last night, God impressed him to speak to a gentleman there. This led to a wonderful Kingdom connection. It turned out that this man, Bishop Brian, is the host of the 700 Club in Canada. When they met at breakfast, Bishop Brian told Pastor Jerry that "You had me at, ‘Hello.’" Who knows what will come of this meeting!

Our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee was beautiful. Pastor Jerry shared about Peter walking on the water. God gave one word, "Come", then he encouraged use to take His hand when He reaches down. Pastor Jerry started the dancing on the boat. Of course, John Jackson and David joined in. Then Meir played Hava Nagila and did the dance with us. Party Barge on the Galilee.

They proceeded to the Mt of Beatitudes where they started with a few minutes of individual quiet time. The vista from this mountain always talks to me of why God chose this place for His Son’s ministry to thrive. It is breathtaking and full of beauty and life.

 Then, Taylor Keller shared on the Light of Galilee. Galilee is in the area that belonged to Naphtili, one of the tribes of Israel. Isaiah was a prophet in this area. Prophets speak the mind of God. He read from Isaiah 9:1-7:

 

“Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,


As when at first He lightly esteemed


The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,


And afterward more heavily oppressed her,


By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,


In Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people who walked in darkness


Have seen a great light;


Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,


Upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation


And increased its joy;

They rejoice before You


According to the joy of harvest,


As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For You have broken the yoke of his burden


And the staff of his shoulder,


The rod of his oppressor,


As in the day of Midian.

For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,


And garments rolled in blood,


Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

For unto us a Child is born,


Unto us a Son is given;


And the government will be upon His shoulder.


And His name will be called
 Wonderful, Counselor,

Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace


There will be no end,


Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,


To order it and establish it with judgment and justice


From that time forward, even forever.


The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this”

God's Word is Eternal -it is multi-functional and multi-layered. Isaiah spoke of a coming light. God has not forgotten the 12 tribes, even Revelations refers to them. The light is Jesus. The Kingdom is Jesus. A great light has dawned. We have walked in darkness but now we see a Great Light. Verse 3, multiplied the nations. Look at how many nations are here during this time.

Matthew 4:12-end of chapter (Matthew was writing to the Jews):

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
 By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
 And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, 
Light has dawned.”

Jesus is still walking and calling disciples today. He called the lowly, the outcasts - fishermen and tax collectors who would never left their towns or occupations without His call, but Jesus is calling!

Verse 23 – 25:
 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

People followed from everywhere.

Matt 5:1-12:
 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

When Jesus saw the crowds, that is what drew Him to teach.

The Kingdom must be our obsession. We sat in gloom, in darkness, but no more. Seek the Kingdom.

Kathy shared that this was an awesome sharing and how fitting for a young pastor, just beginning, to start an anointed ministry here where Jesus began his ministry. Beautiful!

Unto Us

"O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still, we see thee lie"

Still? The tranquil picture painted around many of our nativities rarely depicts the torment this relatively small town has undergone millennia after millennia. In this current season of tension between Palestinians and Israelis, we were not sure our pilgrims would be able to cross the border. God is so good. 

Not only were they able to cross into the West Bank, but something unusual was afforded them. Typically, when we go we must switch buses and guides causing us to have to walk through a checkpoint either at the beginning or the end of our visits. There have been a couple of moments of tension when our large group would pass through along with the everyday transients. People aren't expecting the line and get a little heated.

 

So! What a blessing when the group found out that their driver is one of thirty-five that has permission to drive in Israel and the West Bank. They still had to switch guides from Meir to Johnny, but in this interesting season they did not have to endure the extra strain. Even though, it is a different country, they didn’t have to present their passports like a typical visit would require. Praise God!

First stop, the Church of the Nativity. This place has always been interesting. The religious spirit of control the priests enforce over this property can be stifling. Pastor Thomas has always said, "There's still no room for Jesus." There was a bit of strain until finally the group descended into the grotto- the cave where Jesus most likely was born.

You see, shepherds didn’t build barns. There simply isn’t that much wood in Israel for building. Most houses in Israel were built of stone. So shepherds would use the natural caves found in Bethlehem to bed down their sheep. Typically the shepherd lay down across the entrance so no sheep could escape and no predator or thief could get past without waking them. I think of Jesus as my Good Shepherd laying down His life, about Him being the door, the gate. The only entrance to the Father.

Pastor Jerry Keller began to look around the group and call upon the mothers (paraphrased):

“Standing here in this room. Imagine bringing your child into this world, your first child. What joy and love pours from a mother when she looks upon the face of her child for the very first time.” The mothers nodded and smiled remembering their own experiences. “Now, imagine that the face you beheld in your arms was the face of God. What must that have been like?” Pastor Jerry asked each mother. Ms. Victoria spoke up, “I can’t even begin to imagine…” Her voice broke as she became overwhelmed with enormity of the realization. She began to cry at the beauty of the thought. They sang, “Silent night” which speaks of sacred peace and tranquility of this space and this word. Then, “Joy to the World.” Counterpoint to the peace is the joy at the established fact that: The Lord has come!”

 

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6

I love that: unto us… So, we each can look upon His face and know He was born unto Mary, but He was born unto us. Glory to God in the Highest!

The group pressed on to Shepherd’s Field. They spent some time in the larger cave. Pastor Jerry began to share on shepherds.

These shepherds were ordinary men and boys who were invited to bear witness to the extraordinary. Usually shepherding was left to the youngest, the oldest, and the ones that weren’t necessarily good at anything else. You watched where the sheep walked. You watched the sheep drink. You watched them eat, and eat, and eat. You slept with them. You smelled like them. This was not a prestigious line of work. Yet, one night not that long ago they were special guests with front row seats to the advent of the greatest event in all of history. They beheld the birth of Redemption.

Johnny, their Palestinian guide, spoke up at the end of Pastor Jerry’s sharing. He said that he longed for people in the church who would really fall in love with Jesus. In his church, he said the priests say one thing and live a different way. He was desperate for that love to purify the Bride of Christ.

After he finished sharing the group was about to move on, Mrs. Sondra Haggard spoke up and said it was on her heart to pray. She called upon the Lord, asking that this heart cry of a man of Bethlehem would be heard around the world. That the church would awaken to her first love- Jesus. To love Him as the Beloved should.

Oh, Jesus. Stir my heart. Awaken my love. May I fall in love with You. Not seeking only Your hands, but to really gaze upon Your face.

The group continued on to an olive wood factory, where the most beautiful olive wood carvings were being whittled. Pastor Jerry asked Molly (his daughter) to sing to the shop owner. As she began to sing, workers began coming out of back rooms, and side doors. Drawn to the music, but more so to the anointing. (Click here to get a taste of what drew them...)

Pastor Kathy went on to share that they crossed back into Israel and spent some time at the Garden Tomb. She was shocked at the large number of tourists. You would think that in this turbulent season it would have deterred pilgrims, but apparent theirs is not the only group determined to continue their journeys.

John Jackson. Just typing his name makes me smile. John is one of three pilgrims joining the trip from Maranatha Fellowship of St. Albans, WV. He is a native son of Scotland and has wonderful stories to tell. I was curious about how his trip was going. Apparently, he just walks about with a smile on his face. “Thes haes bin uh drehm ay mine fur sae lahng an’ it’s coomin’ truh reit haur, reit noo.” Translation: “This has been a dream of mine for so long and it is coming true right here, right now.” (Said in his striking Scottish accent J ).

Glory!