6/14/10 pictures and temple

I have posted about 44 pictures on my picasa web site (see link below).

http://picasaweb.google.com/109297634264283782385/IsraelTrip2010#

"The Lord will watch over your going out and your coming in from this time and forevermore." (Psalm 121)

41 "As for the foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel but have come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigners ask of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
1 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, 2 the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The LORD said to him:
"I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. (1 Kings 8:41-43; 9:1-3)



Yesterday we went to the western (wailing) wall of the temple- the holiest site of the Jews. It was very moving. Also went to the Mount of Olives- great view over Jerusalem. Walked down traditional site Jesus walked on Palm Sunday. Stopped at the place- last view of Jerusalem as a whole- where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Went on to the Garden of Gethsemane- very moving. I kept saying, "Lord, not my will but thine be done."

Please pray for us as today we need to work on Kay's getting her passport. Would love for this to come quickly so we can go to Jericho and Qumran this afternoon.

6/13 Sunday

Yesterday saw Christ as the Son of David- visited Mt. Zion- David's tomb, upper room, Caiaphas's house, and Bethlehem.

Today we go to the western wall and temple mount.

6/12/10 David's sites Micah 5:2

But you, Bethlehem Ephratha, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old. from ancient times.
(Micah 5:2)

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. (Luke 2:4)

Yesterday (Friday), we began our day by going to Cana in Galil7ee- the site of the first recorded miracle in John 2- where Jesus turned the water into wine. Then went to Nazareth- to the Church of the Annunciatio n(Greek Orthodox)- and saw the lone spring in the town- which is the ancient traditional place where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce Jesus' birth. We walked a half mile up and down hill to the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Anunciation- which is built over the old small village of Nazareth- and supposedly the grotto where Mary lived. Then we went to the Old Testament site of Meggido- near Mt. Carmel and the Mt. of Transfiguratio n(Mt. Tabor). Megiddo looks out over the Jezreel valley- site of many huge battles in history- and according to Rev. 16:16- the final battle of good vs evil at Armageddon (Har Megiddo).

Today we will go to Bethlehem- and to the sites around Mt. Zion both Davidic sites. David's home town was Bethlehem- about 30 minutes drive from Jerusalem. He was a shepherd whose line gave birth to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. David was admittedly a sinner, but he was noted for repenting for his sins. Without him the ancient kingdom of Israel- and probably the current country- would not exist. God used him very powerfully- and he kept turning back to God when he strayed away. So we should keep turning back to God, and never give up on Him.

6/11/10- 2nd day in Galilee

Mark 1:36- Very Early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus went to a solitary place where he prayed.
O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto you and I will look up. Psalm 5:3

Saw a beautiful sunrise on Galilee- see my facebook (John Benson Sloan).



Yesterday we saw a lot of great sites- historical- but very moving, very spiritual. I liked them for different reasons. For example- in Capernaum you can see that Peter's mother-in-law's house mentioned in Luke 4 (preserved by early graffiti and church structure) is only a block from the synagogue. So when Luke 4:38 says that Jesus left the synagogue and went to Peter's house- now you see it was a short walk.
Loved "Peter's Primacy"- a misnomer- it should be called "Where Peter was restored". Jn. 21. It is a rustic place. And here it is important to remember that we love the Lord, and ministers are called to "feed" his sheep.
Yesterday, about 80% of our group went into the Jordan to remember our baptism. One guy came up to me (from another group) and asked to be baptized for the first time!

Looking forward to a great day today.

6/9/10 we arrived

Today, we will see a lot of sites around the sea of Galilee- Capernaum, get on a boat in the Sea, the mountof Beatitudes (where the sermon on the mount took place), AND REMEMBER OUR BAPTISM at the Jordan River.

6/8/10- Psalm 139:1-12 Wings of the morning Travelling Day

Day 1- (6/8) Traveling (Psalm 139:1-12)
1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

(Wings of the morning statue- Brookgreen Gardens, SC by Marshall Fredericks);



This Psalm is one of my favorite Psalms to travel by and especially to fly by. God knows us wherever we are and whatever we do. He sees when we sit down and get up, he understands when we go outside and when we sleep or rest. There is nowhere we can go that will be away from His knowledge- and nowhere we can go that will be away from His Spirit. That includes Israel. It includes the skies. If I go up the heavens you are there (vs. 8). God sees through darkness. Perhaps you thought as a child that such knowledge is impossible. Now we see into the womb through ultrasound. We see millions of stars we couldn’t see with the naked eye. We can see someone across the world on satellite TV or by skype on our computer. We can track planes through radar all over the globe. If we can do it so rustically, cannot the Maker of all things do it purely? He understands your thoughts and your anxieties. But we can rest assured we are in His hands.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord that you know what we are doing, you are in fact, here with us in the airports and on the plane. But more than that, we can trust in you because you care about us. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to see another part of the world you see every day.

6/7/10 Psalm 84 The Pilgrim's Song- Day before leaving

PREPARATION DAY- -1 (6/7) Psalm 84 (Leave tomorrow)

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young— a place near your altar,
LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God |
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 LORD Almighty, blessed are those who trust in you.

(Cliff Swallows under ledge)


This is the Psalm of a pilgrim traveling to Jerusalem, thus it suits our trip perfectly. We should catch a bit of his yearning, longing enthusiasm to be in God’s temple in Jerusalem (vs. 2). This pilgrim would love to be a sparrow (vs. 3) or a lowly doorkeeper (vs. 10) in the temple just to be near the temple mount and the presence of the Almighty. Just a single day in the presence of God in Jerusalem is better than a thousand elsewhere. Psalm 124 (6/3) talks about a bird escaping the snare. Now the bird has escaped and found a home. This is how it feels to be in Jerusalem.
This Psalm has a promised blessing for the pilgrim to the holy land and the temple. It is a promise of God’s provision as they travel (springs in the desert). It is a promise of good rest stops along the way, and enough energy to make it. The Psalmist clearly wants those who are traveling to seek God’s favor to not be afraid. He says this plainly with a promise in verse 11- that God is a sun- to warm the cold and show the way; and a shield to protect from enemies and heat.
Instead of being afraid of the journey’s surprises and problems, we are called to be blessed by trusting in God.

Prayer: Lord, may my trip be a pilgrimage. May I grow in trust in you and peace. May this trip be a help to my faith, and a joy in my heart. May you use it in me, Lord, that I might make the world a better, more trusting, peaceful place.