Full Circle

Today was our longest day so far with multiple stops all around the Sea of Galilee. The very first thing we did was get onto a boat and ride across the Lake. In the middle we stopped and turned the motor off so it was silent…we were one of two boats on the lake this morning. Marshall taught a lesson on how Jesus not only sees us in our storms, but He is WITH us in our storms. He played a couple worship songs and there were many tear filled eyes among us. It was a powerful time of reflection and awe at the fact that Jesus walked on these very waters.

We landed on the other side of the lake in Genazerat where were were able to see an ancient fishing boat from 2,000 years ago…the kind of boat that Jesus would have been in with his disciples. It was fascinating how they found and preserved this incredible artifact. From there we went to Tabgha, which is where Jesus called Peter and Andrew to follow Him, where He called out to the disciples who were fishing after the resurrection, where He made breakfast for them on the beach, and were he told Peter to “feed my sheep” (John 21). It was a bit surreal to be standing on the same beach where Jesus and his disciples stood before and after the resurrection.

Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida create a triangle and among these three cities is where Jesus performed 70% of His miracles and teachings. Capernaum, which was the home town of Jesus, was also where Peter lived. There was a really incredible synagogue there that was built in the 4th century right on top of the original foundation during the time of Jesus.

Chorazin, which was only 3 miles north was also where Jesus taught and performed miracles. The people in these cities did not believe and were unrepentant and so Jesus cursed them (Matthew 11:20-24. It is interesting that only 100 years later, the city was destroyed.

After that we went to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and where He fed the 5,000 (Mark 6). It was amazing to picture all those people sitting on the mountainside listening to Jesus teach extraordinary and life-altering things.

And that was all before lunch!! For lunch we had delicious falafel, which if you don’t know, is fried chickpeas in pita bread.

After lunch we made our way up Mt Arbel, which is traditionally where Rabbis would go to the top to pray all night about who they would choose to be their disciples. Jesus did the very same thing in Luke 6:12-13. It is also from here that Jesus saw the disciples struggling in the storm below; He descended Mt Arbel and walked out to his disciples on the water. Not only was the view stunning, but it was surreal to think that Jesus spent time in prayer on top of this mountain.

Cana was the last place we went and for me, was a beautiful picture of the gospel coming full circle. Cana was the place Jesus did his first miracle by turning water into wine at a wedding (John 2). We even had two couples in our group renew their wedding vows at an evangelical church there. Current day Cana is almost entirely an Arab populated city. There are about 1.5 million Arabs living in Israel and only about 125,000 Christians; Christians are a tiny minority in Israel but they are here!! We met with an Arab pastor and he desired two things from us…1- to let others know about their existence and 2- to pray for them. They are isolated and almost entirely unknown by the global church. Theses Arab Christians are doing an incredible work among their Arab Muslim neighbors and friends. There are six couples who started six churches around the area and they are being the hands and feet of Jesus…even to those that hate them and persecute them. They are not necessarily safe and have counted the cost to reach Muslims and are willing to lay down their lives to love and spread the gospel to Muslims. Reaching Muslims is a very long, slow, often discouraging process…but God is moving!!!

I was overcome with emotion because I so clearly saw how the ministry of Jesus had come full circle. We visited multiple places were Jesus ministered and yet at the end of the day, they are just places. The Kingdom of God is not in those places…it is in us! It is in our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ, it is in every Jesus follower on the planet. All of us are the fruit the Christ’s ministry here and we are the ones who will continue to spread His Kingdom. We prayed for these precious believers and they prayed for us in their native language, Arabic. It was a very powerful and eye opening experience.

If you want to know more about the work that is going on here in Israel among the Arab Christians, please go to: www.CHLF.org (Christian Holy Land Foundation)

Pray for continued safety and deep transformation in each of our lives. Pray also for our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ who are living out the Great Commission in the land of Israel. God Bless!