The foundation of Christianity

It has been another wonderful day in The Holy Land! The weather was much more kind to us today, with an overcast sky at times, and a nice breeze. I didn't see it, but I am told there were a few raindrops last night. We got an early start this morning, with another great devotional, complete with singing praises to Our Lord alongside the Sea of Galilee. It was a beautiful and moving moment and a perfect way to start the day.

Our first stop was at Qatzrin where we toured a village from the Talmudic era. The village contained a house which had been excavated and reconstructed, that was very typical of family homes in the communities during the time of Jesus. So we were able to walk through this house and really get a feel for what it might have been like when Jesus entered Capernaum, as described in Mark 2:1-12. This passage tells of Jesus preaching to a crowd that had gathered in a home. Word had spread that He was there and so many people crowded into the home, there was no more room, not even space at the doorway. Our group of more than 50 people crowded into that house and stood as the members of that community would have so many years ago, which added another dimension to my understanding of the message. This story is about a paralytic and his friends, so desperate to reach Jesus and so certain of His ability to work miracles, that they opened the roof of this house to bring their friend to be healed. Jesus saw this act of faith and said his sins were forgiven, and, upon Jesus' command, the paralyzed man got up and walked away. There is, of course, more to this story, and I encourage you to read for yourselves. But the focus of this time for me was about pure acts of faith. Pastor Terry gave a very moving lesson about this story, and asked a simple, yet challenging question: Am I willing to do whatever it takes to get close to Him?

While touring the village, Yehuda provided education about the layout of the area, and they way things were done in that time. We learned that it was the size of the spring which determined how many people could inhabit the village. This was very likely the reason there were so many small villages in the area. While getting a sense of the proximity of the people, the place of worship, the animals, the work areas, and the water source, one gained a clear understanding of how important family and community must have been to these people. In our time, with technology and travel and numerous other things pulling people in a dozen directions, we must be ever more vigilant to preserve that sense of family and ensure our children understand the importance of this bond.

Our next stop was a tour of the Olea Essence olive oil factory. We learned about the process of making olive oil, and the difference in the first, second, third, and even fourth presses, what constitutes true "extra virgin olive oil", and how the trees grow. From a whole olive, only 16-20% is actually oil, and the remainder has traditionally been a semi-toxic waste product. The water from the oil making process is called black water, and when disposed of, it seeps into the ground, polluting the soil and water. The founder of this company discovered a way to use these "waste" products to make an innovative line of skin care and household cleaning products, which are safe for people, animals, and the environment. There is an olive tree growing inside the entrance to the facility, which is estimated to be from 700 to 1,000 years old, and was moved to it's current location nine years ago. It is a huge, beautiful tree, and I wondered how incredible it would be to hear the stories if that tree could talk.

We passed through part of the Golan Heights, on the way to Merom Golan, which is an old military installment at the base of Mount Bental. There is a bunker at this site and there were UN and Israeli military personnel posted there to monitor the Syrian border. While looking out from this site, Yehuda pointed out a fence line marking where Israel stops and Syria begins. He indicated a field of rubble which used to be houses, and informed us there are Al Qaeda personnel there currently, who are most likely looking at us as we were looking towards them. It was an eerie feeling, but made it even clearer to me that a strong Israel is absolutely vital to the safety of the rest of the world.

As we left this area, Yehuda spoke of the Druze people, and provided a lot of interesting facts about this religion. The two which most prominently stand out are that they believe the messiah will be born of a man, and that when a Druze person is dying, their soul moves to and inhabits a newborn Druze baby, as there are only a certain number of Druze souls and not an infinite supply. We passed through Neve Ativ Village, which maintains the ski area on Mount Hermon. Yes, ski area. I had no idea one could ski in Israel!

Next stop Caesarea Philippi region, at Banias, which was very Greek in that there were shrines to Zeus and Pan, and other gods. It was basically the center of all things pagan. There is a spring here, and ages ago the water flowed from a large cave, which was understood by those in the area to be the entrance to the underworld. The whole place was a symbol of paganism. Pastor Terry explained this in reference to a passage in Matthew 16:13-28, where Jesus asked Simon Peter "Who do you say I am?" The man answered that He is the Messiah, and the Son of the Living God. This lesson helped me to understand a particular verse, which I had not really understood in the past. Matthew 16:18 - "...and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." The "rock" symbolizes Peter's confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah. Confessing or proclaiming aloud, and faith in the proclamation of Jesus' identity, is the foundation of Christianity. We, as Christians, are the church to be built. The reference to the "gates of Hades" would seem to be about this particular cave in Caesarea Philippi. Jesus was here, surrounded by debauchery and deity worship and deviancy. He existed in that environment, to make a point; neither the Roman Empire, nor the Greeks, not even hell itself, shall ever prevail against His church. This lesson left me wondering if the disciples felt strengthened and more resolute after hearing these words of encouragement from Jesus. To me, it felt like a shield. And a reminder to be bold.

Our next stop was Tel Dan, near the border with Syria. There is a water source here called Dan Springs, which provided a beautiful setting for the lessons to be learned at this site. We saw many antiquities, the oldest being the Canaanite Gate, which dates to approximately 1,700 BC, possibly during the time of Abraham. We saw the trunk of a 2,000 year old pistachio tree, which burned and died about 30 years ago due to a careless barbecue. There were many waterfalls and springs, surrounded by lush vegetation, and the sound of the flowing water was incredible. We toured the city known as Ancient Dan, and learned the history of how it came to be. Pastor Terry explained, what has been learned about the archaeology of this location provides scientific corroboration of the historical accuracy of the Bible.

We boarded the bus and made an hour-long drive back to the hotel. Yehuda continued providing information about the area as we traveled, and he pointed out at different times throughout the day, we were able to see Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, from our various locations in Israel. This painted a very clear picture for me of the fact that Israel is a small place, and they are quite literally a stone's throw from thousands and thousands of people bent on bringing about her demise. Please join us in continued prayer for this part of our ever-shrinking world.

Now, it is time to rest, reflect on all we have seen and experienced thus far, give thanks for this amazing opportunity, and prayers that God will continue to open our hearts and minds along this journey.

Thank you for reading.

~ Terri