Run the race set before us

Greetings from Jerusalem! We finally made it to the the place that is so important to those of us who follow Christ! Tomorrow we start exploring Jerusalem. Today was a travel day to Jerusalem and our chance to visit some more fantastic sites.

We said goodbye to the Sea of Galilee this morning and headed to Bet She'an. This is a ancient city from the 5th century BC. The Romans populated it in 63 BC and turned it into a thriving and beautiful city. It's quite likely that the early Christian church had difficulty spreading their message in a place like Bet She'an. The city had all that was needed to give its inhabitants a comfortable life and they were also quite comfortable worshipping their idols. The takeaway from our time here? Everything we build will fall down. Only our relationship with Christ will last forever.

Next up was Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley. This ancient city is 4700 years old (we have discovered that things are VERY old Israel!) and was strategically placed on the trade routes. Most importantly, for Christians, is this where the final battle will be fought during the second coming of Christ. (Revelation 16:16.)

We then headed to Mt Carmel. On the way we saw original burial caves on the side of the road. (In Israel "original" means thousands of years old.) Yes, things are really old here. For those of us who have imagined what Christ's burial tomb looked like (round stone covering a hole in a cave), we were probably right! Look at the pictures in this post and see what you think!

Mt Carmel commands a beautiful view of the surrounding area and is best known for the story in 1 Kings 18. It tells how King Ahab rebelled against the God of Israel and how Elijah stood firm and trusted in God. It's an interesting read and it even tells how Elijah taunts Ahab and his idols. This begs the question: what idols in your life are competing for your attention? (The disadvantages of idol worship seem to be the theme of this post!)

Our last site today was Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean Sea. Herod the Great built a spectacular seaport that had a European feel. The opulence included a freshwater pool overlooking the ocean. The ruins are spectacular, even today!
Two notable figures from the New Testament are connected to Caesarea:

Peter went to teach the Gentiles about Jesus (Acts 10) and Paul, accused of causing a riot, was to be tried before the governor. Paul insisted on being sent to Rome where he was tried, convicted and eventually executed. (Acts 25).

Many Christians lost their lives proclaiming the Gospel at Caesarea Maritima. Pastor Gordon challenged us to look at these stories from the Bible and then to run the race set before us, to proclaim our faith without fear and to push the Gospel forward. Some good lessons today!

Shalom friends!! Tomorrow is an early wake up and a long day as we explore Jerusalem!!