If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee

The vista was breathtaking. We started our day a little early on the top of the Mount of Olives in our attempt to beat the heat of the day. We took our time really drinking in the view. Meir and Pastor pointed out various places of import along the horizon. We saw the new addition of the Hurva Synagogue whose roof we had been on just the day before. We looked to the Temple Mount discussing the placement of the Temple and which direction it faced. We talked about the new Jerusalem descending from heaven and how somewhere near where we were standing, he ascended into the heavenlies. What a place to ascend, it has quite the view already!

Pastor directed our attention to the Pilgrim Steps. He explained to us that these steps up to the Presence of God that dwelled at the Temple were purposely made irregular. Some were 4 ft. wide, some 6. They alternated in a random pattern. This was done, so that anyone ascending the hill of the Lord must pay attention and focus on what he was doing. He couldn’t get in a routine of trudging up to meet with God; it had to have been done prayerfully and thoughtfully. We were encouraged to proceed through our day in much the same way today. Each step being conscious of where we are and who we are with.

We stepped into the Chapel of Tears Garden. Meir pulled us aside and shared with us that this place was not only where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, but it was also where David wept over Absalom. Even though his son had tried to kill him, he still cried out, “Oh God take me instead!” He loved his son and would have rather died so that he might live. This is the heart of a father.

Meir continued: In much the same way, Jesus looked upon this city, his son, and wept, asking God to take Him instead even though he knew they were going to kill Him. This time God heard that prayer. (Wow!)

I must make mention right here. In this evening’s service Pastor shared that normally, He spent this time identifying with what Christ suffered on this hillside. It was easy to allow whatever suffering occurring in our own hearts to echo through what Jesus suffered in prayer in these very places, but that was not where we were at in our hearts today. Person after person shared that they were just peaceful. Sometimes it made some of us feel a little distant, but then when we would listen to our hearts we knew that we were exactly where He wanted us at peace.

You see, God has been doing so much healing in the different lives walking this walk. We don’t have to try and work anything up, to experience something. For years, Pastor has shared with us that when God is trying to get our attention, He touches our weakest spot, but what happens when your weakest spot is no longer there? The soulish part of experiencing Him and hearing from Him is left in the wind. Pastor has been sharing that He is having to relearn how to do almost everything because it was all done before based on the mentality that he was failing…. Failing people, himself and God. But now it is God’s divine nature that is healing from the inside out. (If you are interested in more, please listen to the sermons on xwalls.com/resources. God is still speaking this promise.)

Anyway, so we are all in this place of peace. We step in the Garden of Gethsemane on the side where the Church of All Nations is. Meir shared very sweetly that the atmosphere of this Garden is like no where else in the world. He said to us, “Now, don’t forget, I am Jew, but I still feel something incredible happened here.” (we chuckled together and I said, “How could I ever forget with you are Jewish!” Haha…We all laughed for a minute) I know there is something very special about this place!

He brought to our attention the 2000 year old olive trees in front of us. He said that olive trees do not die (unless diseased), they continue to grow and the outer part begins to wither but new life shoots out from the inside out! Pastor and I looked at each other. Did he just say what we think He said!!! God has been showing us that we have been trying to fill our own fountain from the outside in, but He wants to flow through us from the Inside-Out! He gave us an example of this in these olive trees! Our peace may look tired and worn from the outside, but when He moves upon us new growth comes from the inside out! WOW!

We had a sweet time of prayer in the side Garden of Gethsemane. Pastor shared on the Weight of Glory vs. the Light Affliction. He pointed out that at the top of this mountain was the church that memorializes “Teach us how to pray.... (Our Father, which art in heaven…) and at the base of the mountain is where Jesus came to pray. When He needed to release this prayer, he came here. Pastor asked us, if anyone had a prayer request to please ask.

David believed God’s healing for his foot and testified tonight that God had touched Him and it no longer was plaguing Him.

James (Doss) spoke up and asked for prayer. Pastor said, “I am glad you did. Now stand and pray for your children.” The Holy Spirit fell so sweetly as he prayed for the children God was about to give us.

Michelle shared that when we stepped into the Garden she had become heavy and Pastor said she was burdened for revival and we were able to lift that prayer to Jesus.

Heidi spoke up and said that she knew God was working in her right then, but she didn’t know what it was. Pastor believed that God was longing to resurrect her prayer calling. After having been used, over and over again to “perform” in prayer to stir up the anointing, Heidi and even Michelle who share a very similar calling are left with the residue of the carnality they had to press through to find Jesus. We had prayer that God would remove this, and release them both into their calling. That they would have more joy in their private times of prayer than anywhere else, rather than suffering through it.

Before we left, the song “If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee was on my heart, but I was going to hold steady, unless Pastor asked… and he did ask. Jesus is so good. I had been thinking about this song since early morning and I had wanted Meir to hear it (I don’t know why…) but he had had to step away and take a phone call. When I stood to sing, he had heard me and came running… haha… pulling up a chair and just bathing in it. It made my heart smile! Here are the words written in the 1600’s:

“If thou but suffer God to guide thee,
and hope in God through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee,
and bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God's unchanging love
builds on the rock that naught can move.

Only be still, and wait God's leisure
in cheerful hope, with heart content
to take whate'er thy Father's pleasure
and all-discerning love hath sent;
No doubt our inmost wants are known,
for Him who chose us for His own.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving;
so do thine own part faithfully,
and trust His word; though undeserving,
thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook at need
the soul that trusted God indeed.”

Another group began to sing in Italian, up on the hillside and we just listened joyfully for awhile it was beautiful.

We went from there to St. Peter of Gallacantu. This is the place where Jesus was imprisoned before His crucifixion and where Peter denied Christ. We stepped down into the dungeon prison and Pastor asked me to sing “Were You There?”
I don’t know what happened, but there was some kind of stirring. It fell on all of us! People started pressing to look through the windows. One beautiful and distinguished lady pressed past Meir to get in the room with us. (He is always so careful that we are not disturbed in our worship times, just one more thing I love about him!) He allowed her in to worship with us. It was beautiful.

We stepped outside. Pastor and Meir began to discuss what was next on the agenda for the day. If there is one thing I have learned about my dad and Meir, it is that they do business in a very ….. very direct manner. All of the group was eavesdropping into their conversation and I didn’t want anyone to think they were upset with each other, because I knew they weren’t. People…. Phlegmatic people always get a little nervous when two cholerics are working out a solution. I wanted to give them space to figure out what we were going to do next without everyone having to experience the process. So I stepped to the side and began to sing… as a diversion for the group. I began to sing Pie Jesus from Faure’s Requiem. Pastor told me later that he and Meir had a hard time continuing to talk. Meir turned to Daddy and said, “I could just sit and listen to her sing all day. When she sings something deeper always comes out.” They both agreed on that subject.  While I was singing, the Lord spoke to Pastor and said that we would not be going to the City of David. He did however help us to know that we would be going to Castel.

Castel…. Sigh… (and I just did.  ) Many of us have been reading a series of historical fiction that chronicles the struggle Israel pressed through in her war for Independence in 1948. Castel is one of those battlegrounds that turned the tide for Israel. Pastor asked that when we hiked to the top of the mountain, he wanted Heather and Elizabeth (me) to share about what meant so much to them in this place. Knowing that we were both passionate about it. (He told us to speak from the heart and that Meir would correct our details)

God helped me to share about the battle. The overwhelming odds against the men that fought and died here. You see this was the only road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. This was the only way they could get supplies into the city and yet there was a group of Arabs militants that would blow up any transit vehicle coming down this path. On this mountain they could see anyone coming from a long ways away. The Jewish resistance knew to ensure the safety and arrival of medical supplies and food they must overtake this…. Fortress basically. I shared about their passion. Meir and I had a wonderful conversation as we ascended the mountain about how there is a difference between fighting from orders and fighting for your life and your family.

Michelle spoke up and said that at Harvard University there are classes in military tactics, but they do not study Israel’s methods because too many unusual miracles occur. They can’t be explained away.

Meir shared that when officers in the Israeli military are sent to training school they are trained in warfare from the Bible. And the person they are told to imitate is none other than…. Gideon (those at Christ Fellowship can get excited; this is where Jesus has had us in the last weeks and months!)

So… Heather began to share about the people in Jerusalem who were waiting desperate for food and medicine. She wept as she shared that time was running out. In fact a convoy from Tel Aviv was sent out before they even knew whether or not Castel had been conquered because regardless of concern for their lives they had to be on the road to Jerusalem that day or people were going to start dying. They drove the winding road not knowing whether they were safe or not, but faithfully pressing to preserve life. She wept even harder when she began to talk about the celebration of the people in the Old City when the trucks arrived safely. They thanked God for His provision and protection.

Pastor spoke up and shared that this wasn’t some ancient occurrence, this happened only a little while ago and as evidence to that fact. Our driver David, a relative of his father had died before the taking of Castel. The truck of supplies they were trying to drive into the Old City was blown off the road. He sacrificed his life trying to help. Then Pastor shared that Meir and his family were living in the Old City at the time and were on the other end waiting for provisions. Both representations… those fighting and those desperate for help had been walking with us… this whole time! Wow!!!
Meir went on to share that God had ordained Israel to return to her country. This was evident in the many miracles. The world tried to say that the Jewish people had no right to this land, but God continued to have evidence come out during this season that proved the opposite. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found just before the war of Independence. Proving that there was an ancient Jewish voice that belonged in this land. The other evidence was at Masada, when they began excavations there. A piece of the Torah was opened to the book of Ezekiel… Can these dry bones walk again? Meir showed us the chills on His arms. The last free Jews in Israel were sending a message to those fighting to return. That in their perseverance and sacrifice… these dry bones would walk again!!

Sigh! I have so much more to share about the rest of this day and even these moments and I am hoping to get to them. The service tonight was amazing in review and revelation and I want to share that with you all, but I too must be on that bus, fed and ready to obey God! I will post more soon, but let this wet your appetite!