Sovereign over every circumstance

We began our day by visiting a restored village dating back to the 3rd century A.D. The village is Katsrin, and the emphasis was to see how an ancient family and community lived together. We crowded together in a reconstructed house and learned of the faith of 4 friends who lowered their friend through a roof to bring him to Jesus (Mark 2). True friendship is a relentless introduction to Christ.

Also in the village of Katsrin, we visited a working olive press and made olive oil. We learned that a community came together to produce an economy that would fund the prosperity of subsequent generations. We also baked and ate warm bread to learn how a community must work together to survive and thrive.

From there we traveled up to Mt. Hermon along the border of Syria on The Golan Heights. We heard the stories of Israel’s struggle for freedom as they captured the region in the 1967 Six Day War. It is still a politically charged area that is strategic to Israel’s interests as a growing nation. Virtually everyone in Israel knows someone who perished in the conflicts of the nation; it is still very real and impassioned in the hearts and minds of Israelis. Amazingly, the entire region was covered in snow; several snowballs were thrown!

We then visited Caesarea Philippi in the northern region of Israel on the border with Lebanon. We heard the story (Matthew 16) of Jesus asking His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” It is a pressing question for all of us to this day. Jesus was strategic in asking the question here, as Caesarea Philippi was the center of lewd pagan practices, and viewed as a gateway to the underworld. The Church has indeed prevailed against those gates.

We briskly hiked to Banias Falls, a gorgeous waterfall that flows from Mt. Hermon and supplies the Jordan River. It was refreshing to walk among the lush landscape and see the significant difference between the northern country compared to the wilderness of the south.

We concluded our tour for the day by visiting Tel Dan. We saw an ancient ruin where worship of God took place in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. We saw an ancient Canaanite city gate that dates back to approximately 1,800 B.C. The tribe of Dan had moved north to avoid Philistine conflict, but it was not the land God had given them in the allotment. We learned that we must never give up on what God has given us…no matter how difficult it may seem. He is sovereign over every circumstance.

Eric Barton
Bethel Bible Church – Tyler, TX