Fed by Ravens

This morning we had a delicious breakfast with a view of the sunrise over the Mediterranean. Haifa did not disappoint. Several of the pilgrims found Wi-Fi in the lobby and were video conferencing with family and friends over FaceTime. Isn’t technology the best?

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog how the weather has just been wild! Over the last 50-60 years that people have been coming to Israel from our group, the Lord has testified over and over again of His presence through the weather. Many were here when it lightning and snowed at the same time in Jerusalem. In a couple of the trips in the past we were here in June and the air, typically, is stagnant and hot. But throughout our day today there was wonderful breeze.

As we drove up to Mount Carmel (where Elijah called fire down from heaven.), a fairly large raincloud hovered over. It then began raining. With this being my seventh trip, I have only seen rain a handful of times and never during the summer. It was amazing to see God’s hand in it all. Pastor Thomas commented that we were driving to the place where Elijah looked for a cloud. And one the size of a man’s hand was good enough for him. This is quite a bit more.

We stood atop the mountain on top of the monastery; we had a spectacular view and a wonderful breeze. Mom and dad said that they have been on top of that monastery in 104° temperatures. It was almost unbearable at that time to stand in the sun with no shade. But we had these huge white fluffy clouds that block the sun every once in which made it very nice and the breeze kept us cool.

We looked out over Megiddo, the Valley of Armageddon.

God was with us on the mountain and Pastor Jerry began to share with us. As he was getting ready this morning, the Lord had already begun to show him that he would be speaking about Elijah being fed by the ravens. He had taken a walk to look over the vista at the Mediterranean. He came around one corner and there were ravens. He took this as confirmation he was on the right subject. He went on to say that the ravens are not very pleasant birds. They are loud scavengers that fight one another for food. They leave behind not so nice things (Mrs. Susan made him clean that part up, he joked.)

He went on to share that Elijah was fed by ravens. Ravens were considered unclean because they would feast upon dead, rotting animals. Pastor Jerry said, “When you’re being fed by ravens, you can’t be picky.”

He shared with us that we are to be fed by the Holy Spirit. Even still, you can’t pick and choose what feeds you. Elijah probably would not have chosen to receive his meals from such an unclean, unpleasant animal, but that was how the Lord provided for him. When you are hungry,  you will not snub your nose at so obvious a miracle and provision.

Pastor Jerry and Mrs. Susan are on this trip because it was on, their son, Taylor’s heart that they be honored for their 30 years in the ministry. When Pastor Jerry had graduated from college, he began to look at different job offers and churches that wanted him to come. He added one to the very bottom of the list, even though he had not received an offer from them, nor did he really desire to go there. He prayed over that list quite a while. The last church on the list called him out of the blue and said we can’t offer you a salary but we would love for you to come. He knew this is where he was supposed to be.

Sometimes ravens, sometimes other sources, fed us, but we never went hungry following the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

You’re feeding will come as you stay where the Holy Spirit is leading you.”

Pastor Thomas went on to share that there seems to be a theme of passing through what you’re not expecting. From Peter, seeing the unclean things that God said not to call common. To baptizing the centurion and all. And here, Elijah being fed by ravens. All of these disciples had to walk past what they had always done and thought to be right, to walk in obedience to God.

“To get to the sweet release of His presence, you must walk where you weren’t planning on walking. You must pay in memorial to see God’s plan to come to sight just like Cornelius. What if Peter would’ve said, “ No, I will stay with what I’m comfortable with? With my natural inclination? With my trained inclinations? What if Elijah said, “No, thank you, Mr. Raven! I’m not eating anything unclean. I’ll fast instead.” We would have missed the whole branch that came through that. We would’ve missed the whole branch that came through Peter. A lot of times to get where you’re going you’ve got to pass through some ravens. How many times are we getting fed by that thing that seems opposite to what were familiar with? Yet here it is over and over again.”

Our journey continued to Zippori. Where? You may ask. This not a typical stop on our trips, but it was really on Pastor’s heart that we stop.

In the time of Jesus, this was a Greek village. We know this from the theater, as well as, other archaeological finds. This was a town of wealth and contemporary philosophy. Meir pointed out the fact that Nazareth was only about three miles away. What is the significance of that?  Jesus probably was an assistant to his earthly father, Joseph. Joseph & the Son Finish Carpentry. Daddy said they probably threw their tools in their pickup, aka. donkey, and headed to the big city to find well paying jobs. Israel in those days wasn’t building wooden structures. Their homes were mostly made of stone with thatch roofing. So Jesus, his dad and brothers were probably stonemasons. It is very possible that some of the structures we were looking at were carved by Jesus, Himself.

One clue that points to the idea that Jesus might have went there is that He used very Greek concepts and words to describe and teach with. For instance, the word “hypocrite” he uses over fifteen times in the New Testament is the Greek word for actor. It may be a little more than coincidence that three miles from his house was a theater with practiced hypocrites.

We walked further up the path and began to hear haunting music, all echoey. We turned to go into the room where the “Mona Lisa of Galilee” had been unearthed.  “Her gaze is riveting; in fact, it appears she looks directly at you from every corner of the room.” There was a group of ladies all finely dressed standing before the portrait singing a capella madrigals that bounced off of the walls and ceilings of the cave.

After this, we drove into Nazareth for shwarma and falafel. Ladies and gentlemen, it was delicious and super fast!

We arrived at Nazareth Village and took a lovely tour around this place where they reenact what it must have been like in the village that Jesus grew up in.

Our final stop for the day was at the 1st century synagogue located in the center of downtown Nazareth.

Before he shared, Pastor Thomas begged the woman worshipping in the chapel for forgiveness for this small interruption of her worship time. She nodded (whether or not she understood.) He shared on how we were standing in the room where Jesus began His ministry. Our guide at Nazareth village shared that there was a prescribed number of men that read from the Law and then the final man would be handed a scroll of the Prophets and be expected to deliver the sermon for the day.

Jesus was handed the scroll of Isaiah and he read,

““The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.”

 

His message got the crowd fired up at Him. It says in the Scripture, they were filled with wrath the drove Him from the synagogue, out of the city and brought Him to a hill that they may push Him over a cliff for His blasphemy of their precious Scripture.

Pastor shared that if you have been despised and rejected you are in good company. Shake the dust off your feet and walk right through it to get to what you are called to.

I (Elizabeth) stood and sang, “Still Believe” by Kim Walker-Smith and then “Pie Jesu” from Faure’s Requiem. An unusual combo to be sure, but the first declared in this place, I believe that He has come to fulfill the Prophet’s Words.

Your blood mends the broken hearts right now
Your blood propels me to forgive right now
Your blood transforms my mind right now
Your blood brings the dead to life right now
 And I still believe
You’re the same yesterday today, and forever
And I still believe
Your blood is sufficient for me.

As I sang in Latin, and the acoustics took charge of the room our lady friend who had been sitting quietly in the front row. Lifted her hands to her head scarf and covered her head and bowed it as she understood those words…

“Pie Jesu” translates:
 Merciful Jesus, Lord,
Grant them rest.
Grant, grant them rest,
eternal rest.

During this whole time there was a man at the back who was very nicely dressed taking care of this small chapel and collecting offerings for the maintenance of the synagogue and as we found out, also, for help in running the church near by. He walked over to Dad and said he would like to invite us into the main church next door. Daddy thanked him and walked out of the room, but then he realized what was said and asked Meir to make sure and answer yes we would love to.

We have come to this ancient synagogue for at least the past four trips and we never knew that there was a church steps away, let alone one of such opulence and life. There is a group who gather in this room to worship weekly. There were gilded paintings on the wall that were vibrant and depicted the life of Christ. The ceiling had a domed portion. It was beautiful and luxurious complete with crystal chandeliers. To have such wealth right next to the humble rock upon rock built room was a stark comparison. Its almost like this is what Jesus was born into, but this is how he should be honored.

The gentleman allowed us a few moments in the space. Daddy whispered to the crowd, “This is not common. This man heard something in our time down in the chapel that caused him to trust us. I did not expect to be welcomed where Jesus had been rejected... Do you feel what is in this room? There is life here. In all the churches, in all my trips, I have never felt the power of a vibrant congregation alive in any of the cathedrals or churches like I feel in this room…

Jesus, bless our brothers in Nazareth. Speak to them in the way they can hear You. Encourage and move in Jesus name.”

Daddy asked me to sing “Ave Maria”. We had a little crowd gather at the door.

He asked if anyone had anything on his or her heart. Meg said that when Pastor read the Scripture in Luke of what Jesus read, it was on her heart that we pray for the blind.

We began to cry out for those we knew, believing that if Jesus healed then, he can heal now. Lord… touch, move, heal and open in Your precious name Jesus.

It was time to go… Daddy thanked the man for his generosity and expressed his recognition that the life of God was alive in the space.

 From there we took in a view from a mountaintop. Where we could see Mount Tabor aka. Mount of Transfiguration, and in the other direction the sky was so clear we could see Mount Carmel clearly even at that distance.

We journeyed on to Tiberius and got some swim time before dinner. Enjoyed each other’s company and the beautiful buffet. Then we all headed down to the street market beside the Sea of Galilee for the end of Shabbat when all the shops and restaurants reopen. We enjoyed our gelato, as well as our spectator sport of watching Mari bargain her way into a Buy One, Get One with a street vendor. ;)

Now to rest and look forward to the new day. (Finishing this… close to two am… I guess it is the next day!) Addendum: (Make that 3:30am... Thank you slow "internets"! Night!)

Pastor and Mrs. Barbara in Zippori