WHAT ENDURES

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.'" (Luke 2:8-12).

The picture shows a tall hill/mountain in the background. That is the Herodian. It was a fortress that Herod the Great built for a quick escape, should that be necessary. It is located about seven miles from Jerusalem. The picture was taken from the shepherds fields near Bethlehem. What a study in contrasts! Herod was a great builder and built some marvelous things--the cost of which meant nothing to him. He just taxed everyone more. He built at least two great fortresses for his own proctection. But, you know what? He died anyway. He that seeks to save his life will loose it!

Jesus was born in the most humble circumstances, and those to whom the angel appeared with the good news of great joy were some of the most humble people. Yet is was Jesus who changed the world while Herods great buildings lie in ruins.

It is not wrong to have money and the things money can buy, but we need to check up once in a while and make sure we have what money cannot buy.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

HANDSOME MAN

"Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buldings of the temple, but he answered them, 'You see all these, do you not? Truly I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down. As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?'" (Matthew 24:1-3).

I just wanted to do a short blurb with a picture to show you that I was actually in the Holy Land. My son, Paul, helped me this morning. We were able to get the pictures out of the camera and onto the computor. Of the pictures that have appeared in this blog, I didn't actually take any of them, but I found them else where on the net, but I have very similar pictures on my own camera. So I wanted you all to see that I was actually in the Holy Land with one of my very own pictures. The picture you see was taken from the top of the Mount of Olives looking across the Kidron Valley to the old temple site and the golden Dome of the Rock. What Jesus prophesied about the temple really did happen, which means the other prophecies of Scripture will come about too. Are you ready?

Grace&Peace,

Tom

SIGNS OF THE TIMES PICTURE

These are just a few of the many, many thousands of prayer requests that have been wedged in the the cracks and crevices of the Western Wall of the temple.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

"He answered them, 'When it is evening, you say, "It will be fair weather; for the sky is red." And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening." You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times'" (Matthew 16:2-3).

In Israel, like in every other country, there are extreme conservatives to extreme liberals. The extreme conservatives want to destroy the Dome of the Rock so that the literal Temple can be rebuilt there. The extreme liberals want to "give away the store." They do not believe that the nation of Israel is even necessary in the Middle East for the Jewish people to maintain their identity. But a theme that is common to all Jews, conservative, liberal or atheist alike is their sense to be a light to the world. Is that the Jew gene that God implanted in them?

If I were looking for a general sign of the times, the return of the Jewish people to their homeland, and becoming a viable nation, stands out to me to be one of them. It was against all odds that should have happened, and yet it was predicted by the Old Testament prophets. So, to me, it stands as a general sign of the times. Jesus wants us to be aware of what is happening around us and to evaluate what those happenings mean. Jesus was healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out demons, but the people of his day seemed unaware that the Kingdom of God had come upon them. The modern nation of Israel and I are the same age, 60. I take some pride in that. Against all odds, the nation came into existence again according to the prophets, doesn't that seem to indicate that God is on the move again? I just happen to think that the rebirth of Israel is one of those general signs, like the storm clouds, that we need to make sure we are ready to meet our Lord and Savior face to face.

Grace&Peace
Tom

CAPERNAUM SYNAGOGUE & OLIVE MILL AND PRESS

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him..." (Matthew 3:13).

1-21-08 was our last full day in the Holy Land, and what a day it was! We left Tiberius by 8 a.m. driving north by the ruins of Magdala, Mary's home town (Mary Magdalene). We were driving to the valley of the winds and the doves. Jesus would have walked through this valley when he traveled from Nazareth to Galilee. The wind was blowing and it was very chilly!

We went to the Mount of the Beattitudes. Of course, a church has been built on the site where it is thought Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount. Interestingly, the church was built in 1939 by Mussolini. It is octagon in shape and the window are long, narrow and horizontal conforming to "pill-box" specifications. Do you suppose Mussolini was planning something other than worship?

We stopped at Nof Ginnosar to visit a museum in which an ancient boat was displayed. This boat would have been floating on Galilee during the time of Christ. One of the things that is interesting about this boat is that it had 10 different kinds of wood in it. Mostly it was oak and pine, but repairs were made with any kind of wood that could be found. With so many vast armies marching through the land, and so many wars fought there, the "land flowing with milk and honey" was stripped bare of trees. There was a time in the 19th century when there wasn't a boat floating on Galilee because there was no wood.

We took about an hour for a boat excursion on Galilee. For those who have gone to the Holy Land and were disappointed that Galilee was so small--I don't understand you. It is plenty large enough to have the severe storms and large catches of fish that the New Testament describes.

We had a short visit to Capernaum and saw the synagogue where Jesus taught. A short distance away was Peter's mother-in-laws house where Jesus healed her.

Then on to where the Jordan River exits Galilee. It was there that some of our group were baptized. Sprinkling with Jordan water is no better than being immersed in any other water (I promise, I didn't cause a problem).

Our last stop for the day was another city of the Decapolis that Jesus could well have been in, and it was a prosperous, sophisticated city, Beit Shean. It ruins were just like Jerash and Caesarea.

It took 2 hours to recross the border to Jordan. It was 9 p.m. when we arrived back at the Regency Palace Hotel in Amman. Supper was late but it was good. We were all tired, but we had a 10 a.m. flight to catch so it would be a short night.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

OUR JOURNEY NORTH FROM JERUSALEM

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God" (Acts 10:1-2).

Actually, Caesarea was the capital of palestine during the time of Christ. It was built by Herod the Great, and no expense was spared in making it a first-class city of luxury and administration. None of the Romans wanted to live in Jerusalem where it was hot and there was more tumult to deal with. Caesarea was a beautiful place to live on the Mediterranian coast, and the climate was much better too. The top picture is of the aquaduct which brought fresh water to Caesarea--the Romans were masters at moving water.

The ruins at Caesarea were similar to those at Jerash, though not as well preserved. Caesarea had all the amenities that were expected of any sophisticated Roman city. There was a theater, amphi-theater, a hippodrome, colliseum and baths. Herod built a harbor there using very modern construction techniques which included the use of hydraulic cement.

The lower picture includes some of Tiberius, on the shore of Galilee, and if you look carefully, the snow-capped Mount Herman can be seen. Tiberius is another beautiful city in Northern Israel. It was a beautiful view from my 7th floor room.

On 1-20-08 I was up at 5:00 packing my bags and setting them out so that we could all be gone by 7:00. Our first stop was at Caesarea on the Mediterranian coast. It would have been a beautiful place to live, and would still be a beautiful place to live.

From Caesarea it was on to Megiddo. Megiddo is an important place in Israel's history, and according to Revelation, the last battle in history will take place there. From Megiddo, Nazareth can be seen--it could have been that as a boy, Jesus might have played in its ruins. If you have ever read James Michener's The Source you need to know that the excavations at Megiddo were used as a model for his writing.

Next we went to Nazareth, which is now a city of more that 65,000. We saw the cliff over which the people of his home town were going to throw Jesus. Had they been successful, Jesus would have died there, but it was not his time.

In Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into non-alchoholic wine (don't argue) at the wedding celebration, the married couples in our group renewed their wedding vows. It was also in that rustic little town that we saw a tricked-out BMW coup with fancy wheels. It seemed out of place.

Finally we arrived, as usual, after dark in Tiberias, where we spent the night at the Royal Plaza Hotel.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

WONDERS IN THE DESERT WILDERNESS

"The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD'S anointed" (I Samuel 24:6).

The top picture is of the fortress Herod the Great built on the desert mountain top called Masada. Herod spared no expense in the building of it. Its accomodations were luxurious in every respect. There were pools for swiming and for bathing. The bathing pools were heated. Just getting water to the pools required hot and cold running slaves.

During the Jewish rebellion beginning in AD 66, Masada became the last holdout of Jewish resistance. The Romans would not tolerate even the symbolic resistance that was the last hold out at Masada, so they brought their war-machines there. As can be seen in the picture, a huge ramp was constructed by the Romans to push their tower and battering ram up. The Jews ended up committing suicide rather that to be crucified or sold into slavery.

The second picture is a picture taken in the same desolate, desert wilderness. This is a picture of the engedi where David and his men hid out from King Saul. Saul went into the cave where David and his men were hiding to relieve himself. David could have killed Saul but he had great respect for Saul because he was the LORD'S anointed. It is a reminder to me as to how I am to treat every Christian because they are all the LORD'S annointed.

The picture of the engedi is a wonder because it is so dry and desolate--it is truely an oasis in the desert!

We were off early again on the morning of January 19 because we wanted to be the first to reach Masada before the other tourists arrived. We weren't quite the first ones to arrive, so the first gondola to the top would not haul all of us at once. Each one holds about 80 people. So about 20 of the younger folks in our group decided to hike the trail to the top. I would have done it too, but I had an ill-fitting shoe that eventually caused me to lose a toe nail--my foot was really hurting. Our college kids made it to the top okay, but they were really tired the rest of the day.

In the Holy Land 3 Christmases are celebrated, the last one being the Armenian Christmas on the 19th. What we did to celebrate was to go swim in the Dead Sea. It was cool that day, like swimming in Iowa's lake Okaboji on Memorial Day--but very enjoyable. The Dead Sea is loaded with bromide, a major tranquilizing ingredient, so after a half an hour swim one starts to feel really good. You cannot sink in the Dead Sea! It is like floating on an air matress, but do not get any water in your eye!

From the Dead Sea we went back to see Jericho in the day light--it did not improve my opinion of the place from seeing it at night. The Palestinians are in charge of this site--they do not do as good as the Israeli's at presenting an archeological site. If the Israeli's weren't there I believe that there would not be very much archeological work actually done. The Muslims do not appear to be very interested in archeological truth.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

THE GARDEN TOMB

The lower picture is an alternative site to the crucifiction of Jesus the Christ. It fits the requirements of being outside the city walls and being on a well-traveled road. It was also a place that the Jews would have used for executions. They would throw a person over a cliff and even if that killed him, they would throw rocks at him.

About 300 feet from this site is a garden which contained a tomb that had only been used once, never to be used again (top picture). This site certainly looks more appropriate that the other site, but the evidence isn't as strong. In either case, Jesus Christ has risen, giving us a reasonable hope that our best days are yet ahead of us!

Our itinerary for 1-18-08 wasn't quite as demanding as the previous day, yet it took all day and it was dark by the time we returned to our hotel. We went to the location of king David's palace--it is just south of the location where Solomon would build the temple. I took a picture from the approximate place where David would have looked to see Bathsheba, but alas, there was no beautiful woman bathing on a roof top!

Next, we toured a part of king Hezekia's water-tunnel and went to where it emptied out into the upper pool of Siloam. It was on this part of the tour that we walked by the foundation of the tower spoken of in Luke 13 that fell and killed 18 people, "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:4,5).

We also stopped at the house of Caiaphas, and walked the very steps that Jesus would have walked as he went to appear before Caiaphas.

The last place we visited that day was the garden tomb. Our group closed that day, Friday, by celebrating the Lord's Supper together in the tiny chapel in the garden. On each day of our tour there has been a time when our group worshipped and prayed together.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

CHURCH OF THE EMPTY TOMB

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples. . .'" (Matthew 28: 5-7).

1-17-08

The top picture is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Tradition says that the tomb of Jesus is inside the church. I think the location is probably correct, but it certainly doesn't look like it. But the emperer, Hadrian, marked the spot in the second century by building a pagan temple over it, thus Christians would always know where it was. Then in the 4th century, Helena, the mother of Constantine directed that a church should be built there. Tomorrow I will have a picture of another site that actually looks like what the site should look like, but the evidence isn't as strong. All of the truth of Christian doctrine depends on the resurrection of Jesus (I Corinthians 15:17). I think a more appropriate name would be Church of the Empty Tomb.

The other picture is of the Western (Wailing) Wall. This is a place of worship and national ceremoney. The atmosphere was electric when our group was there. They were preparing for a military swearing in ceremoney. With the orthodox Jews crowded at the wall and the plaza filled with military personnel and their families, there was just an indescribable feeling in the air--like God was about to do something.

This was another long day for us that ended long after dark. We went to the Antonia Fortress, we saw the games the Roman soldiers carved in the pavement. We followed the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows. When we walked the Via Dolorosa it was very crowded with people. The streets are narrow and there are many corners to turn and street vendors to deal with, so it is easy to get lost and/or your pocket picked. So Dr. Harris, or group leader, asked me, and another man in our group, to bring up the rear and make sure we all stayed together. At one point in this walk, while I was trying to keep our group together, a Palastinian shop keeper thought I was moving too slowly. He yelled at me, "Move on American!" I didn't know if he was speaking to me so I looked at him. He said, "Yes, you! Move on American!" "We hate Americans here!" So, on the day we went to Bethlehem, one Palestinian shop keeper told our group, "God Bless America!" and we spent lots of money. On this day a Palestinians says, "We hate Americans here!" He didn't get any of our money and will make it more difficult for all Palestinians!

We spent the last part of our day at the southern wall excavations of the temple, Robinson's arch and the teaching steps where the apostles taught. It was lighted in the darkness. We could hear the military ceremoneys. It was inspiring to know that it was here that our Spiritual history was made.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

ONE THING I KNOW

1-17-08

"One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). The blind man in John 9 was healed when Jesus made mud from some dirt and his spit and put it on the blind man's eyes. Then Jesus told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, the ruins of which you see in the picture. The scholars assured us the pool was only a metaphore that John used, then, lo and behold, it was actually discovered. One thing I know, the scholars and scientists are not always right! The steps are the north and east steps that gradually ease entrance into the pool.

We saw both the pool of Bethesda (John 5) and the pool of Siloam. These pools were important to these healing miracles of Jesus.

It is just a short entry today. I need to take my computer in for some work; it will be 2 or 3 days before I will be able to post again.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

GETHSEMANE

"Going a little farther, he fell on his face to the ground and prayed, 'My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will'" (Matthew 26:39).

1-16-08

By this time in the tour I was beginning to suffer from information overload because it takes a little time for me to put all this in perspective--I'm still doing it. I think it will take another trip or two to do it.

On this day we would go to Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity, the shepherd's field, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Chapel of Ascension, from where it is believed that Jesus spoke his last words before he ascended into heaven, promising that in like manner he would return. We look forward with joy to the time when that promise is kept.

One of the matters about which I have mixed emotions is the churches that have been built in each of these locations. They are, for the most part, beautiful, but they seem to be a corruption of the simple story of Jesus, even though they tell the story of church history in the area and of world political history (more on that at a later time).

All of the locations which we visited on that day were no further than 5 miles from the temple site. Of course, the terrain is rugged and covering those 5 miles would have been very difficult.

When we went to Bethlehem our Israeli tour guide, Lilian, had to get off the bus because Bethlehem is controlled by the Palestinian Authority. So a Christian Palestinian got on the bus when we crossed over--he became our guide to his place of business. It was there I bought a hand-carved olive wood nativity for Helen and a few other things for family back home. That Christian palestinian did very well that day; he had the market cornered!

I am not one to venerate places or things. I do like to know the history of a place or a thing, however. There were many pilgrims that day who were venerating the places and things we saw. I would be lying if I said that walking in the land where the Bible was lived out didn't make me feel like worshipping. Still, the most important part of walking where Jesus walked is not in going to the Holy Land. It is in yeilding ourselves to the Father's will, just as Jesus did in Gethsemane. It is trusting God. It is loving as Jesus did and obeying as Jesus did. That is really walking where Jesus walked.

In Gethsemane there is an old, old olive tree about which is said that it was alive in Jesus' time (it isn't the one in the picture). While our group was praying in Gethsemane together, I was thinking, oh that this tree could talk. What a story it could tell.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

QUMRAN

Some caves in the area.

"John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. . ." (Matthew 3:4).

1-15-08 p.m.

After leaving Jerash our bus headed to Mount Nebo, "Pisgah's lofty height," from where Moses was allowed to view the promised land, but he was not allowed to enter in. In these modern days it is so hazey that it is difficult to see much of Israel from there (See Deuteronomy 34).

We only spent a short time at Nebo and then it was on to the border crossing into Israel. The border crossing took about 90 minutes. What was interesting to me was that on the Jordanian side of the border I had no phone service, but immediately on the Israeli side I had service. I had talked to Verizon about my trip to Israel, saying nothing about Jordan, so they only gave me service in Israel. Interesting that even radio signals obey the border.

After crossing the border Qumran was our destination. It was here that the Essenes lived 2,000 years ago. The Essenes were a very conservative group of Jewish men who were dedicated to preservation of the Scriptures. They were very concerned with the accuracy of the transmission as well as the preservation of them. The Holy Land was a land of dynamic tension. In its history vast armies of great civilizations past through it, destroying many things. The Essenes wanted to make sure Scripture was preserved so they made copies and sealed them in clay jars and hid them in the numerous caves of the area. These would become the Dead-Sea Scrolls that would reveal the accuracy of Old Testament Scripture. Thank God for the dedication of these men--though it has recently been discovered that there were a few women in their ranks.

It has been thought that John the baptizer was one of their number. It is possible that he was as he carried on his ministry in the same wilderness. Perhaps he did pop in for a visit, but the Scripture does not tell us that he was. Certainly, John was a conservative! Our guide tried to tell us that the honey that John ate was date honey. In ancient times any thick sweet liquid was called honey. I remain unconvinced. What John ate was wild honey. If it is processed it is not wild.

It was twilite. We drove to Jericho, arriving after dark--it was disappointing after dark, but it was not much better seeing it in the day-light a few days later. We saw the tell, but really there is nothing much of historical value there. I think the builders of ancient Jericho used inferior contruction materials (mud-brick) so it just sort of melted away.

From there we arrived at the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem at about 8:00 p.m. It had been a long day.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

JERASH, A CITY OF THE DECAPOLIS

"When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes; two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. . ." (Matthew 8:28)

1-15-08

The text is about Gadara, another city of the Decapolis. It was in that region that Jesus healed the gadarene-demoniacs. I wanted to point out that Jesus performed a miracle in a similarly sized and sophisticated community as Jaresh. Jaresh was a city of Roman design and culture; a city of about 30,000 people. A couple of things impressed me about Jaresh that I found to be true in other Roman ruins as well. Unless the geography forced otherwise, the streets were laid out true north/south and east/west. The stones in the streets were laid in a diagonal pattern so that a wheel would not impact it full-force. The Romans also put in an expansion strip in the streets every 20 feet.

The other matter that impressed me about Jaresh was their theater. It is one of the ways that we know that Jaresh was a community of about 30,000 for the theater had seats for 3,000. This is another example of excellent Roman engineering. Each of our group had an opportunity to stand at the echo center of the theater and speak. No matter where anyone was positioned in the theater, the speaker could be heard. When I had the opportunity to speak from the echo center, it was just like someone put a microphone in my hand and I was speaking through a good PA system. If I stepped one step in any direction, the amplification was gone. Virtually all of us asked, "Why can't we build this way today?"

The 15th began at 5 a.m. because we were to leave Jordan and cross over into Israel. It meant packing all of our baggage into the bus. We packed, ate breakfast and were on the road by 7:30.

After Jaresh, the day was only half over. I will tell you about that tomorrow.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

PETRA PICTURE

This is a picture of the most recognizable ediface in Petra.

PETRA

"Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down declares the Lord" (Obediah verse 4).

1-14-08

Actually, the book of Obediah was written to the Edomites, not the Nabateans who literally carved the city of Petra out of the rocks. But there was a sense in which those who inhabited this area of southwest Jordon thought themselves invincible. After the Edomites were destroyed, the Nabateans moved in and built their civilization. By controlling the trade routes they became very wealthy and powerful, developing a civilization that would last nearly 400 years.

The drive to Petra was 3 1/2 hours. During that time we passed landscape similar to Nevada's; it was extremely barren. Jordan is not an oil-producing state and it gets very little rain. In terms of population, it is about equal to the size of Israel, a little better than 5,000,000. The primary sources of income are phosphate mining and tourism, though there is some agriculture. We saw some greenhouse/nursery operations and some chicken ranches.

What makes Jordan such an important state in the middle east is its leadership. The royal family is highly regarded because their leadership is stable and sound. Jordan is an important dynamic for stability in the region. Any foreign aid we send them is well deserved. Jordan is predominantly Sunni; they are less rigid and easier to get along with.

This day the temperature was in the high 30's and low 40's. As we hiked the 2 1/2 miles into Petra I was glad that I had packed a fairly warm jacket. The city of Petra is a necropolis, a city of the dead. Many of the dwellings carved out of the rock were actually tombs. After the Nabateans left, the Bedouin's used them for dwellings.

Petra was our only site that day. We were there for about 4 hours. By the time we returned to the hotel it was nearly 7 p.m..

The Nabateans had a secure income, secure water and a secure dwelling place, yet when a civilization does not walk in God's ways, it is not secure.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED

"Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. . ." (John 14:1).

It wouldn't have taken much to talk me out of going to the Holy Land. Flying is not one of my favorite things to do. I knew no one else on the tour, and then there is also the question of safety while on the tour. But I had a purpose for wanting to go and resolved to see it through regardless of my anxieties. Once I started on my way to Sioux Falls Regional Airport, I was okay. I experienced anxiety only twice during the trip. Old city Jerusalem is a maze of narrow, crowed streets. I didn't think I would ever get out if I was lost in there, though I think I could handle it now after being in there a couple of times. The other time was when we were taking off on the flight home. The 747 was covered with snow even after a deicing. Even the little Jordanian stewardess, who apparently was a Christian, crossed herself on that very slow lift off. Even in those times, my anxiety was not a problem as I trusted being in God's hands, what ever His purpose may be. What ever a person may do, he cannot escape risk, our times are in God's hands.

We left Sioux Falls at 1:00p.m. on the 12th and arrived in Amman, Jordan at 4:20 on the 13th. We lost 8 hours, crossing 8 time zones. It is almost 6,000 miles from JFK in New York to Amman--not stop. We flew Royal Jordanian Airlines. While on the plane, they served us very well. We couldn't have asked for better service.

It was about a 45 min. drive from the airport to Regency Palace Hotel. The accommodations were excellent and the food is excellent too. There is something for every taste, though it is a thoroughly Mediterranean/Mideast diet. It is good, but after a couple of weeks and American Burger and fries will be a banquet.

Amman is a modern busy city. The four-lane highways are clogged with traffic. The culture is very contemporary. They have about every major American chain from McDonald's, Toys R Us, to a Cadillac-Hummer dealership. Their equivalent to MTV is decidedly Arabic in flavor.

I had talked to Verizon about enabling my phone so that I could use it in Israel. They set me up for that. I had assumed that I would be able to use it in Jordan too--I was wrong. I'll tell you more about that later.

We had to be up at 6:00 a.m. for the 3 1/2 hr. drive to Petra, so I didn't stay up late. We put in long days on this tour! We were not slackers.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

AN INTERNATIONAL LAND

"They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them as priests and a levites, says the Lord" (Isaiah 66:20-21).

One of the thoughts that struck me early on was that the Holy Land is an international land. During Jesus' early life and ministry in Galilee he would have seen, and perhaps, talked to the caravans that travel the road to the sea--the via maris. These caravans came from as far as India and China carrying silks and spices.

Following the fall of the Ottoman empire after WWI, about every country with a state church built a church building in Jerusalem. Each country battled to build the tallest church, I believe the Germans built the tallest. Each of these countries still maintains a presence there.

In Jerusalem there are more tour buses than in Branson, Missouri and each of them is loaded with tourists from many countries. We saw tour groups from Korea, Japan, China and India to name a few. All of them may not have been Christians or Jews, but they all came to see what happened in the Holy Land. It occurred to me that if a person was so motivated to become a tour guide, many seeds of the gospel could be planted without being offensive. The location itself tells the story.

I have the deepest respect for tour bus drivers. They drive those big buses around the narrow streets of Jerusalem without getting a scratch. They maneuver them through seemingly impossible tight spots. I had thought the best drivers were Iowa farmers, but after being in Jerusalem I have changed my mind. If you need a great driver, get a Jerusalem tour bus driver!

Grace&Peace
Tom

THE CHOSEN

"For many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14).

Most of the people who read this blog know that I have been in the the Holy Land during the last couple of weeks, arriving home on the 23rd. I went to the Holy Land with a group from Sioux Falls Seminary. I usually audit a January term class every year at the seminary in the areas of psychology, counseling, marriage and family. This year I saw the offering of an educational Holy Land tour and decided to do that. It was only by the grace of God that I made the trip because I registered at the last possible minute of the last possible day. In fact the one who did the registrations at the seminary for this trip did not think I would be able to go. I tell you all this because on the last day of our tour, the tour guide told us, 'Not everyone who says they want to go comes to the Holy Land. I believe that those who come are chosen.' I'm not sure I agree, yet in my case it certainly seems to be true that the Lord wanted me on this tour.

I had some personal reasons for wanting to go. One was simply to have a greater understanding of the Scriptures so that I could better teach, preach and counsel. We alter our environments, but our environments alter us too. How did the environment of Bible times shape the lives of those who lived in the land of the Bible? Our tour guide told us a story about one tour group that he led that went to the desert where Masada is located. One of the leaders of that group used the bus riding time to preach to his people; he was a Baptist preacher. He condemned the Hebrew people for so quickly falling away from the Lord when they were making their journey to the promised land. He condemned them for their grumbling and complaining. Then the air conditioning on the bus broke down. It was the Baptist preacher that started grumbling and complaining first. Traveling in that desert without food and water would make one wonder if Moses had led them to the desert to die--the environment shaped the people. Experiencing the environment of the area goes a long way towards understanding.

Over the next couple of weeks I will try to share more thoughts about why I was chosen.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

POLITICS AND MENTAL HEALTH

A good friend of mine sent me the results of some Gallup research that I wanted to share with you. Republicans report much better mental health than those of other political persuasions--independents or democrats (http://wwwgallup.com/poll/102943/Republicans-Report-Much-Better-Mental-Health-Than-Others.aspx). It is a very significant difference too--check it out.

I know that independents and democrats have their own theories as to why republicans report much better mental health: republicans are deluded; they think they are exceptional--everyone is out of step but them; etc.

However, I happen to think that the Republicans are, for the most part, Christians. Independents and Democrats would have a much more secular world view. They have a low view of human kind and a high view of secular government and science as the solutions to the world's problems--the chief one being global warming. Liberals are in a constant state of fear and anxiety. Every issue becomes a crisis to them. A little faith can do a lot to increase mental health, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7).

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PROPER GROWTH

"But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love" (Ephesians 4:15,16).

I receive a farm journal called FEEDSTUFFS. It deals with the availability of feedstuffs for agribusiness. As I was reading early this morning I read this blurb that was interesting and possibly could make for a good sermon illustration. This blurb is taken from an article written by Dr. M.W. Orth who is associate professor of skeletal biology with the department of animal science at Michigan State University.

"With the advances made in genetics, certain livestock species have attained some impressive growth rates. To try to give some perspective, if a week-old, 10 lb. baby boy grew at the rate of a market pig, he would weigh about 467 lb. at 24 weeks of age. If the same baby grew at the rate of a turkey, he could weigh as much as 1320 lb. at 22 weeks of age. That is more than four times the size of Shaquille O'Neal. In addition, his body composition would likely compare to that of a middle linebacker."

If our children grew that fast we would want to make sure they were properly disciplined early because they could get out of control very quickly!

Grace&Peace,
Tom