Israel

"Raise a banner for the nations"

Our journey to the Holy Land is coming to an end. We have found this small patch of land to be a tiny treasure in the center of the world, boasting the greatest resource to come out of any nation in the world - the Word of God. Every square inch of land we have traveled in the land of the Bible has provided us a rich pathway of understanding into the heart God and His workings toward mankind. The Scripture now leap of the pages of the Bible, as if in Technicolor, providing a fresh understanding and clearer picture of the events that have led to the first coming of the Promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, and of His imminent return.

Walking the terrain, seeing the sites, touching the walls, putting every sense to work in this amazing land, has allowed the truth of God's Word to become even more deeply rooted and grounded in our lives. The Word of God is not a book we read, it is a person, Jesus Christ, whom we are meant to know and to fall deeply in love with because He first loved us and has provided us a clear pathway into an abiding relationship with Him (John 15:4; 1 John 4:19). The ground we have walked has brought to life the stories we have treasured, and some we may not have known, so that in all we may learn to trust in the Lord and depend upon Him more fully. This land has been the great testing ground of faith throughout history and the Lord has left us with the wonderful remains of His story so we can dig deeply, growing our faith with each new discovery of His Truth.

I'll never forget that first morning waking up on the Sea of Galilee. How blessed we were to have our hotel room facing the water. Stepping out on the balcony I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise, welcoming me to a wonderful journey in the land of promise: "Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:1-3). I couldn't wait for all that the next few days would hold as we began our journey in the land that would give birth to the Light of the world.

On the sea that day, two fishermen were out in the middle of the water in a small boat casting their nets. Here we were on the very water that Jesus walked, the same shores He taught on and called His first disciples, "Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). The Scriptures declare that we are held accountable for the knowledge that we learn (1 Corinthians 4:2). How much more so we will be entrusted to share His truth after putting our feet to the very path that our Lord walked.

The beautiful, peaceful green landscape of the northern region was quite a contrast to the busy city life of Jerusalem. The night we arrived in the Old City a group of about a thousand young people were being sworn into the Israeli military. We listened in as the commander blessed them in Hebrew with the words of Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." The area was crowded with people. We watched as the Jewish men were coming to their section of the Western Wall to pray; many were dressed in their traditional garments: black clothes, long side burns, a kippa (skull cap) or black hat, and tallit (prayer shawl). They stopped by special sinks to perform a ritual hand-washing ("netilat yadayim") before approaching the wall; they would pour the water over their hands three times with a cup alternating their hands in between. The little boys would follow right behind their Abba. How sweet to hear them call out those words, "Abba!"

The Western Wall is one of the most sacred places in the Holy Land. It is a remnant of the Second Temple; a part of the retaining wall that was enlarged by Herod the Great when he expanded the Temple. Known as "the Wailing Wall," people from all over the world come here to pray and worship. Tiny slips of paper tucked into the cracks and crevices of the wall give silent testimony to the thousands upon thousands who have made pilgrimage to Jerusalem to offer their prayers in this most holy place. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels" (Psalm 122:6-7).

One day the temple will be rebuilt and the Lord will return and all those who have stood in opposition to the Lord's chosen people and His kingdom plans will be thrown into the fire. The Jewish people have suffered tremendously throughout history; many of the battles that we have visited during our journey were a direct result of their own unfaithfulness to their covenant commitment with the Lord. However, one of the most horrific events in all of history went beyond the boundaries of God's discipline and showed the level of man's evil - the Holocaust. Our visit to Yad Vashem provided a sobering glimpse of the injustice and inhumanity poured out on God's chosen people. The entrance to the museum, however, stands as a banner, providing a message of hope to His beloved nation: "I will put My breath into you and you shall live again, and I will set you upon your own soil..." (Ezekiel 37:14).

The message of the Bible is a message of hope. It is a letter of love providing a promise of life, available only through the saving grace of Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17). The pages of the Bible unfold across the landscape of Israel, bringing to life the promise of the Messiah who has come to bring everlasting peace, not only to His chosen people, but to all who would come to believe in Him. The story of history is revealed to us in black and white in the pages of the Bible, and as we continue to walk in these last days we can hold onto hope in all the promises that are yet to be fulfilled. For now we can continue to pray for peace - true peace - for Israel and the world. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. You heard Me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you" (John 14:27-28a). Your journey does not have to end here...keep walking through the pages of the Bible...there is still so much He wants us to know!

Shalom!

"In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples;

the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

In that day the Lord will reach out His hand a second time to reclaim

the remnant that is left of His people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt,

from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia,

from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner

for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the

scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth"

(Isaiah 11:10-12)

Heavenly Father,

How blessed we have been to take this journey with You.

Each day we meet with You in Your Word and in prayer

is another glorious day of adventure walking in Your will.

You have knitted our hearts to Your people Israel

and we praise You for allowing them to be used of You

to radiate Your light to us that we might know You

and experience this amazing relationship with You.

Our prayer is for Your people Israel. Protect them,

guide them. Keep them safe and open their eyes

to see the peace that You have to offer them

through Your Son Jesus Christ, their Messiah.

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD,

'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give

you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me

and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me

with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the LORD,

'and I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you

from all the nations and places where I have banished you,'

declares the LORD, 'and will bring you back to the place from

which I carried you into exile."

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Psalm 122:6-7; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 62:1; Jeremiah 29:11-14;

Luke 2:32)

[My Israel journal, June 2008: "...we had spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane today and then went into the Old City where we had an opportunity to pray at the Western Wall. I tucked a slip of paper with three Scripture promises on it into the crack in the wall. Afterwards we drove to the City of David for lunch. On the hilltop overlooking the city, Rich and I renewed our wedding vows. We had come here in celebration of our 20^th Anniversary and my 40^th birthday. Earlier in the week we had Hebrew wedding rings made with Jeremiah 31:3 inscribed on them: "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Here, under a natural chuppah, made of two olive trees, we reconfirmed what was written on our wedding invitation 20 years earlier: "Let this be our destiny to share our lives together so that we may with one voice glorify God." Lord, truly You have drawn us with loving-kindness. May Your Bride return to You with all our hearts so that You may return soon and take us home, and may Your people Israel return to You, their Husband, so they can experience true and everlasting peace..." (excerpts taken from my personal journal during my trip to Israel with Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, California, June 5-15, 2008)]

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