The Lion Of Judah

Do you know what I fear most about my journey to Israel? No, it's not the violence. No, it's not sickness or disease. No, it's not imprisonment. My greatest fear is that my conservative spirit will block my reception of what God has for me there. You see I am surrounded by North American churches who offer a lukewarm religion. We are not to offend in church. We are to be conservative and quiet and not involved. It is acceptable to jump up and loudly cheer at a sporting event or dance and scream at a concert, but certainly not in church. We have it so wrong! I have witnessed churches that are alive in Mexico. They are loud and wild and wonderful. They value their salvation and their walk through the Kingdom and are not afraid to express it. They have so little in terms of worldly goods - but they sure have spiritual treasure.

When I read the book of Acts, it is so clear how radical the Apostles were. They were radical lovers of Jesus. They were so radical that all but John were martyred. John was imprisoned to the island of Patmos to remove him from "normal" people. David was radical when, not yet a man, he took on the giant Goliath with a few stones as his only weapon. Elijah was radical when he challenged the prophets of Baal. Jesus, our Best Example, was an offense to the Pharisees.

We are so close to the end time. I believe only radical believers will be able to stand when it comes. It is only the ones who shake off the spirit of lukewarm and put on the mantel of radical love will stand. Do you know what the mantel of radical love is? It is the breast plate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Do you see they are military clothes? God is raising up an army who will stand in the end. The commander is the Lion of Judah.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWpQ67J130g&feature=related

Shalom...

The term shalom contains such a depth of meaning to the Children of Israel. Americans cannot comprehend the burden constantly carried by Israelis as generation through generation through generation have lived through war or threat of war. It has been the same through thousands and thousands and thousands of years. The only time the descendants of Abraham have come close to possessing the land the LORD gave them was during the reign of King David and Solomon. The rest of their history is a story of sadness and loss. When they reach the depths of despair, they cry out to God for rescue. This is reflected in their music. Here is a contemporary expression by Sarit Hadad.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdaJNeUV9bU&feature=related

Jerusalem of Gold (Jerusalén de Oro)

Jerusalem of Gold is the second national anthem for the nation of Israel - enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlIJOAZ1pak

A Decision to Make...

As I prepare for the experience of Israel I am confronted with a decision on approach. This will profoundly effect what I receive from the experience. Shall I approach this experience from a historical-critical perspective or from a perspective of faith. Academia forces one approach while the Spirit declares the other. Historical-critical advocates that miracles do not happen today; therefore they did not happen in Jesus' time. The supernatural does not effect our world.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Jesus declared, "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then you know the Kingdom of God is upon you." If Jesus performed miracles by the finger of God, during Bible times, why would He not do them now? If Jesus declared the Kingdom of God is upon you, why would the Kingdom not be here now? How can any study of Biblical history not include the supernatural?
I won't begin to absorb what awaits me if I do not view Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Capernaum through spiritual eyes. I would miss the power, the depth, the indescribable if I don't go as a believer. There is no decision to be made. I am going to learn, not ignore.

So now I have an official blog. This is all about my studies in Israel. Most of the time I will be staying in Jerusalem but will be taking overnight excusions to Galilee and Jordan. You are invited to follow me as I experience this famed land. I can't promise I will be politically correct but will try to avoid extremism. I have had to pass many preliminaries to get this far. Admittance to Jerusalem University College, fees, permission from my work to be gone five weeks, airline tickets, physicals, concerns about terrorism, and purchasing desert clothes. I'm not departing for four months but I can't imagine being more wired for a trip...