Archives for April 24, 2012

Today was all about walking in the footsteps of Jesus and seeing what he saw. Firstly we visited the Mount of Olives. If we think about Jesus coming up to Jerusalem three times a year from childhood it is very likely that He would have known this mountain very well.

Jesus spent a lot of time with his disciples in this location. In Matthew 24 the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the age, when it would come and what the signs would be. Jesus replied “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there will be famines, and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. All these things are he beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When Jesus was sharing these words with the disciples and helping them to understand what would come at the end he was actually referring to what the prophet Zechariah had spoken of in Chapter 14 of Zechariah. In this chapter the end is described and the return of the Lord Jesus, when His feet would stand on the Mount of Olives, which would then be split in two.

The coming of the Lord is going to be something that the entire world will experience. Standing here in Jerusalem causes us to be expectant of our Lord’s coming. All of us as believers look forward to that day when he shall return. We thank the Lord for helping us in Matthew 24 so that we would not be fooled by false messiahs.

Boldness Because of Who we Serve

From the Mount of Olives we then went to the House of Caiaphas the High Priest at St Peter at Galicantu (meaning the cock crowed). We stood on a beautiful path surrounded by poppies and other bright flowers. Rev Taylor and Pamela then recounted when Peter denied Jesus three times. Typically we would focus on Peter, however to continue our theme of women in the bible we concentrated on the maids to which he maid the denials.

It was fascinating to consider these maids and their significant role in Peter’s denial of Christ. Even though they were servants, they were bold, persistent and accusatory towards Peter. Noting his reticence, they could sense that he was unwilling to communicate his knowledge of Jesus but boldly they demanded that he confess. It was unusual for a female servant to be so brazen and particularly towards a man. However knowing that they were in Caiaphas’ camp and that Peter was on the “enemy’s” this gave them a boldness.

How much more bold should we be? We are on the Lord’s side. We are on the side of the King of heaven and earth.

Jaffa Gate

In the afternoon we went to the Jaffa gate and reflected on the Passion of Christ, his innocence and faithfulness to the end. In addition we looked at the faithfulness of the women who followed Jesus all the way to the cross. Verse 55 and 56 of Matt 27 says “And many women were there afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses and the mother of Zebedee’s children”.

These women were in the background being faithful and Jesus noticed. We then asked ourselves are we always trying to be seen or are we happy to be in the background coming forward when called by Jesus? It is better that Jesus be the one to bring us forward.

We also considered the women who were following Jesus to the cross, with lamenting and mourning in Luke 23:27. They were possibly professional mourners or followers. Despite being physically exhausted and wounded, Jesus said to them “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs of those that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck..” What did these women think of this saying? Did they hear of his resurrection?

Jesus loved women and it is easy to see why they were devoted to him. Even when he was wounded and in severe pain, he wanted to make sure that his mother was taken care of and so he desired John to consider Mary as his own mother and John as her own son. Jesus showed love to the very end.

We then walked through Jerusalem moving from the Muslim quarter to the Jewish one. We visited the Temple institute where we learned about the Jewish hope and preparations for the third Temple to be built. Reader, pray that the Jewish people realise that they are the temple and that God wants to live in them.

We have one more full day in Israel so Shalom Alechem (Peace to you)

Today we went to En Gedi, a place that was well known to David during his days as a shepherd boy, before he became king. It was also a place of refuge to him when being chased by Saul. En Gedi is a beautiful place with lush oases, waterfalls and a perfect area from which to explore the love that Christ has for his bride, the church.

Rev Taylor and Pamela stood in the water, with a small cascading waterfall as a backdrop, ready to share the word of God to the group. En Gedi is mentioned in the first chapter of Solomon “My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire (henna blossom) in the vineyards of En Gedi”. There are three main ways that Songs of Solomon is interpreted; allegorically, as a means of explaining God’s love for Israel and the church, literally as a book about godly marriage and sexual relationship or typically as Solomon’s own personal experience.

Women are usually very romantic and love to feel loved. We are made to respond to love and there is only one person who truly knows about love and romance and that is God. In Songs of Solomon, God shows how he wants to love us; we are the apple of his eye. He also expresses that if we call him and run after him he will draw us to himself. It is a romantic pursuit by God for intimacy with us with the result being that we respond to Him.

In chapter 2: 14 it says “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely”. What a picture for us, to show us that these are the places where God meets us; the secret places, when we draw away from the crowd and busyness, when we are still before God.

Chapter 4:12 – 15 of Songs gives a beautiful picture of a woman. Rev. Taylor encouraged us that we all have these beautiful attributes of womanhood within us, we just have to draw them out.

The love that God has for us is a stubborn sincere love. He went to the lengths of sending his son to die on the cross for us. What a love, what a cost we stand forgiven at the cross.

He Leads Me Beside Still Waters

After a short prayer, some of the group then traversed the hills of En Gedi. The topography was such that it was not hard to imagine that this was the place (as well as the Judean desert) that inspired Psalm 23. We walked by still waters, experienced hills and viewed valleys. This was a place where the soul could be restored.

Having traversed the hill, we reached a splendorous waterfall. The group took pictures and then descended, our next stop was the dead sea..

The Dead Sea Experience

A few members of the group had never been to Israel, hence this were their first experience of the Dead Sea. It was amusing to see their expression as they put themselves in a chair position and then floated as if weightless. One day there will be life in the Dead Sea again! (Ezekiel 47:10)

Table Fellowship

We ended the day with wonderful fellowship with Pamela and her husband Sh’muel at Jerusalem House. Refreshments were waiting for us and after we partook of them we all sat around the large table to hear what was on Sh’muel’s heart.

Sh’muel reminded us that on Thursday, the day of our departure; it would be the 64th anniversary of the State of Israel. During this time the Jewish people remember the 2000 year exile without their land, Jerusalem and their temple. God has brought the Jews back from the nations (from which they were scattered) in 1948 and this is considered a miraculous event before the full and final redemption of Israel.

We read from Ezekiel 36:22 – 24 which says “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for our sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” These are the main verses that speak of the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel and Jerusalem.

The sanctification of God’s name is probably the deepest meaning of the State of Israel today. It’s not only about the people returning to the land or the spiritual restoration of the land of Israel when all Israel shall be saved. The sanctification of God’s holy name is what it is all about. For 2000 years God turned his face (presence) from Israel and scattered them amongst the nations. Church history teaches that God was finished with the Jewish people and has replaced them with the church even though Paul says in Romans 11 that God most certainly has not. Now we are in the time prophetically where he is turning his face back to Israel and turning to Zion.

We left knowing the most pertinent thing – how to pray for Israel. We read from Daniel 9: 3- 19 and were encouraged to pray these scriptures, making supplication before the Lord on Israel’s behalf. Reader, I encourage you to open your bible and do likewise…