Right away you see the water and you know there's something different about this place. I've never seen water that sparkles blue like the Sea of Galilee. These are the beaches that Jesus walked, the waters where Peter, James and John learned to fish. Yesterday I had the privilege of spending the entire day in Galilee. This was something I had been looking forward to the entire trip, the chance to truly go back to the beginning with Jesus.
It was so simple and so peaceful. I could see Jesus walking out there on the beach, just being a regular guy. I laughed as I remembered all those miedeval pictures of some pious-looking monk who didn't exactly inspire the phrase "Lion of Judah." The Jesus who walked in this place was strong, confident and fun-loving. Probably had a lot of fun playing around in the sea from time to time. As I looked out on the water I was reminded that nothing in this life is impossible because on these beaches the amazing and miraculous happened. The blind saw, the lame walked and the broken-hearted were made whole. I saw the spot where five loaves and two fish fed 5,000. I saw the town of Capernaum. Jesus lived here for most of his ministry, and you can still see the site where Peter's house stood (A Catholic church now sits elevated over that spot). This is where the disciples hung out. You can see the old tables where they broke bread and drank wine together. They lived life together, a generation of world-changers from some small town that nobody ever heard of.
But there was one spot that stood out above all others. There's a little beach just down the road from Capernaum with a chapel. While some of the other holy sites blocked access to the beach, here you could walk straight out into the water. As the waves rolled across my feet I heard the final chapter of John come to life. This was the place where the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples, and where Peter had an encounter that would transform him into a man of destiny.
It was on this beach that Jesus asked Peter the same question three times...do you love me? Three times, once for each denial. I've never believed it was an accident, or done to shame Peter. As John Eldredge wrote in Waking The Dead, Jesus knew this issue had to be dealt with head-on, or it would haunt Peter for the rest of his days, block him from the destiny he was called to walk into. A matter of the heart, a matter of true freedom. As I stood in those waters, I could feel the love Jesus had for Peter, and for me. Then I heard the question. What is down in your heart that needs to be dealt with? What past events, what hurts, what mistakes, what misguided beliefs are blocking you from true freedom? Will you let me deal with it?
I'll be totally honest and say it's a question I'm still wrestling with. But as I stood on the beach I knew that this was a question that was bathed in total and pure love. I believe we all get them from time to time in life, a reality check to keep us in check and on the road to freedom. I don't have the answers, I just know I want to stay humble and let the answers come from the word of God. Man's opinions are a dime a dozen, but there's nothing confusing about God's word. Jesus said "Follow me". Peter did, and he lit the fuse for a fire that's never been put out, a fiery blaze called the body of believers. An ordinary man who made an extraordinary decision that changed the course of history. The words roll in right off those waves...follow me.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Israel-Week One
First off, my apologies for not updating this sooner. A busy week here in Israel dealing with travel issues, computer connection problems, yada-yada...But the past seven days have been some of the most amazing experiences of my entire life. I can tell you after being here for just a few days that there is no place on this earth like Israel.
There are so many stories, but here's a quick rundown on where I've been lately: Monday-The Old City: Mount of Olives (where Jesus will touch down when he comes back), the Garden of Gethsemane, King David's town, the Western Wall.. Tuesday-Israel's Foreign Ministry of Affairs, the Kennesset (Israel's version of congress/parliament) Wednesday: The Market, Downtown Jerusalem, Thursday: Yad Vashem (National Holocaust Museum).
Like I said last week, the main objective of this trip for me is to go back to the beginning, to truly know who Jesus really is. Not the Alabama version, not the U.S. version, not my version, not your version. The real deal J.C. Now that I've had a couple days to digest all of these powerful experiences, here are some of my thoughts...
On Monday afternoon I walked into a garden called Gethsemane. It is a sobering place, a feeling that honestly can't be described. It's one thing to read the gospel account of what happened here, or see the visual reenactment in The Passion of the Christ. But nothing can prepare you for physically being there. I felt the presence of God in a way like no other. My eyes filled with tears as I got just the slightest, slightest, slightest glance at what Jesus felt. I don't pretend to know what that must've been like, but I felt overwhelmed with thankfulness because I knew nothing that I've ever done means anything in this place, and it didn't matter. Then I opened my eyes and saw a dove literally touch down on one of the olive trees. I felt the Lord telling me that this garden was all about freedom, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. There is no standard of performance, no opinion of man, no rule or regulation, no past failure, no nothing that can make you any more or less "free". Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise, just go to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Today (Thursday) I visited the National Holocaust Museum of Israel, known as Yad Vashem. Six million Jews killed in just a few years. That would be 1 out of every 3 Jews alive at that time. If you want to see humanity at its worst, stroll through the halls there. The one display that got me the most was a pile of thousands of shoes. They were worn by the concentration camp prisoners, who were forced to remove them shortly before their death. One pair that was so small it could only belong to a child caught my eye. The hopes and dreams of a kid who didn't even know what was happening, just snuffed out like that. Sometimes there are things you just can't explain.
The last exhibit was a room called the memory hall. Complete silence was the rule, and you had to cover your head out of respect for the victims. It's a plain and empty room, no pictures, no movement, just cobblestone bricks. In the middle of the room was a small flame that was burning. I felt almost immediately that the Lord was speaking to me about his heart for the Jewish people. The Babylonians and the Romans annihilated their land and scattered the people everywhere. The Nazis stomped and stomped until there was almost nothing left. Now radical Muslims are plotting a new evil. But despite all that, they have not been broken. The flame was small, but it was burning. I felt the Lord telling me that his heart still burns for his chosen people, and the fire is not going out. Jesus is walking the streets of Jerusalem just like he did back in the gospels, and he's not giving up.
Jesus has been constantly misunderstood throughout the ages, both in the Holy Land and around the world. It all started with his ministry here in Israel. The Pharisees tried taking a sledgehammer to him because he defied the Jewish man-made religious laws, "violated" the Sabbath, drank wine and ate with "sinners". Check out the book of John to see what I'm talking about. Jesus is freedom. There are still 613 laws that Orthodox Jews are required to follow..That's one of the reasons that Orthodox Jews are on the decline in Israel. Many of the Jews here that I've talked to are sick and tired of going through all the rituals and traditions, many of them nothing more than man-made. They're Jews by birth, but not by practice. They're turned off by the thought of God, because that's who they see him as, a tedious lawgiver. You may think there's almost no hope for them, but I think they're on the brink of freedom. When you get to the point of throwing up your hands and throwing the laws and traditions of man out the window you're right down the street from Jesus. There's something going on here. I think there's about to be a new revelation of Jesus in my life, in the life of the church, and in the land of Israel. You can take what I say however you want to. I just want to know the real deal, the Jesus who's walking these streets.
There are so many stories, but here's a quick rundown on where I've been lately: Monday-The Old City: Mount of Olives (where Jesus will touch down when he comes back), the Garden of Gethsemane, King David's town, the Western Wall.. Tuesday-Israel's Foreign Ministry of Affairs, the Kennesset (Israel's version of congress/parliament) Wednesday: The Market, Downtown Jerusalem, Thursday: Yad Vashem (National Holocaust Museum).
Like I said last week, the main objective of this trip for me is to go back to the beginning, to truly know who Jesus really is. Not the Alabama version, not the U.S. version, not my version, not your version. The real deal J.C. Now that I've had a couple days to digest all of these powerful experiences, here are some of my thoughts...
On Monday afternoon I walked into a garden called Gethsemane. It is a sobering place, a feeling that honestly can't be described. It's one thing to read the gospel account of what happened here, or see the visual reenactment in The Passion of the Christ. But nothing can prepare you for physically being there. I felt the presence of God in a way like no other. My eyes filled with tears as I got just the slightest, slightest, slightest glance at what Jesus felt. I don't pretend to know what that must've been like, but I felt overwhelmed with thankfulness because I knew nothing that I've ever done means anything in this place, and it didn't matter. Then I opened my eyes and saw a dove literally touch down on one of the olive trees. I felt the Lord telling me that this garden was all about freedom, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. There is no standard of performance, no opinion of man, no rule or regulation, no past failure, no nothing that can make you any more or less "free". Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise, just go to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Today (Thursday) I visited the National Holocaust Museum of Israel, known as Yad Vashem. Six million Jews killed in just a few years. That would be 1 out of every 3 Jews alive at that time. If you want to see humanity at its worst, stroll through the halls there. The one display that got me the most was a pile of thousands of shoes. They were worn by the concentration camp prisoners, who were forced to remove them shortly before their death. One pair that was so small it could only belong to a child caught my eye. The hopes and dreams of a kid who didn't even know what was happening, just snuffed out like that. Sometimes there are things you just can't explain.
The last exhibit was a room called the memory hall. Complete silence was the rule, and you had to cover your head out of respect for the victims. It's a plain and empty room, no pictures, no movement, just cobblestone bricks. In the middle of the room was a small flame that was burning. I felt almost immediately that the Lord was speaking to me about his heart for the Jewish people. The Babylonians and the Romans annihilated their land and scattered the people everywhere. The Nazis stomped and stomped until there was almost nothing left. Now radical Muslims are plotting a new evil. But despite all that, they have not been broken. The flame was small, but it was burning. I felt the Lord telling me that his heart still burns for his chosen people, and the fire is not going out. Jesus is walking the streets of Jerusalem just like he did back in the gospels, and he's not giving up.
Jesus has been constantly misunderstood throughout the ages, both in the Holy Land and around the world. It all started with his ministry here in Israel. The Pharisees tried taking a sledgehammer to him because he defied the Jewish man-made religious laws, "violated" the Sabbath, drank wine and ate with "sinners". Check out the book of John to see what I'm talking about. Jesus is freedom. There are still 613 laws that Orthodox Jews are required to follow..That's one of the reasons that Orthodox Jews are on the decline in Israel. Many of the Jews here that I've talked to are sick and tired of going through all the rituals and traditions, many of them nothing more than man-made. They're Jews by birth, but not by practice. They're turned off by the thought of God, because that's who they see him as, a tedious lawgiver. You may think there's almost no hope for them, but I think they're on the brink of freedom. When you get to the point of throwing up your hands and throwing the laws and traditions of man out the window you're right down the street from Jesus. There's something going on here. I think there's about to be a new revelation of Jesus in my life, in the life of the church, and in the land of Israel. You can take what I say however you want to. I just want to know the real deal, the Jesus who's walking these streets.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Beginning- 7/22/09
And so it begins. I'm in a 6th-story hotel room in Newark, New Jersey surrounded by a half-eaten plate of spaghetti and chicken parmigiani. My journey to Israel starts here. Sorry to disappoint those of you who were expecting something a little more glamorous or "spiritually compelling". Just keepin' it real, and by the way, the parmigiani is a little crusty.
Have you ever found yourself in the day-to-day grind of life when all of a sudden a moment comes upon you that changes everything? I don't know what it is or why it is, but I sense that for me, this trip is a life-changing moment. A door of opportunity opens up, and now I'm walking through it. I was just minding my business and it happened . I sense the moment, so now what? The answer is, I don't know. By the way, it's alright to say those words. We'll find out the answer together.
As I sit in this hotel room, one burning desire fills my heart and floods my ears. To go back to the beginning, to know Jesus. I'm not talking "knowing" in the traditional Christian sense of salvation through the cross. I'm talking about knowing-knowing. Not who I thought Jesus was, who I think he should be, or how some pastor defines him. I'm talking about knowing him as he truly is. When Jesus walked through Israel, what was his burning desire? What was important to him, and what could he have cared less about? Who did he spend time with, where did he like to hang out, and why did he like to go to these places?
Tonight I was reading John Chaper 1. Verse 10 says, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." The context here is that even though Jesus made everyone and everything, many do not even recognize their own maker. Let me take that one step further. I'm saying this just doesn't only apply to non-Christians. I think there are many Christians who do not truly understand the real Jesus. I'm humble enough to say I'm probably one of them. Sometimes I wonder if Jesus isn't staring wide-eyed and saying "Now where did you ever get that idea about me?" My question to myself and to you is, who is the real Jesus?
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the false preconceived notions and spiritual-sounding cliches that are so often regurgitated. I just want to truly know the real J.C., the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Sometimes to revolutionize your thinking you need to go back to the beginning. So I'm going to Israel, where it all started. I want to know his heart, his vision, his spirit. Throw out all the man-made traditions and beliefs, and give me the one and only original. You don't know need to physically go with me, we'll take the trip together wherever you are. I'm sure there are many other discoveries that will come out of this experience, but this is my top priority. I'm so humbled and grateful for those of you who've been praying for me. Please continue to do so. I'll do my absolute best to keep this blog updated.
Have you ever found yourself in the day-to-day grind of life when all of a sudden a moment comes upon you that changes everything? I don't know what it is or why it is, but I sense that for me, this trip is a life-changing moment. A door of opportunity opens up, and now I'm walking through it. I was just minding my business and it happened . I sense the moment, so now what? The answer is, I don't know. By the way, it's alright to say those words. We'll find out the answer together.
As I sit in this hotel room, one burning desire fills my heart and floods my ears. To go back to the beginning, to know Jesus. I'm not talking "knowing" in the traditional Christian sense of salvation through the cross. I'm talking about knowing-knowing. Not who I thought Jesus was, who I think he should be, or how some pastor defines him. I'm talking about knowing him as he truly is. When Jesus walked through Israel, what was his burning desire? What was important to him, and what could he have cared less about? Who did he spend time with, where did he like to hang out, and why did he like to go to these places?
Tonight I was reading John Chaper 1. Verse 10 says, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." The context here is that even though Jesus made everyone and everything, many do not even recognize their own maker. Let me take that one step further. I'm saying this just doesn't only apply to non-Christians. I think there are many Christians who do not truly understand the real Jesus. I'm humble enough to say I'm probably one of them. Sometimes I wonder if Jesus isn't staring wide-eyed and saying "Now where did you ever get that idea about me?" My question to myself and to you is, who is the real Jesus?
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the false preconceived notions and spiritual-sounding cliches that are so often regurgitated. I just want to truly know the real J.C., the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Sometimes to revolutionize your thinking you need to go back to the beginning. So I'm going to Israel, where it all started. I want to know his heart, his vision, his spirit. Throw out all the man-made traditions and beliefs, and give me the one and only original. You don't know need to physically go with me, we'll take the trip together wherever you are. I'm sure there are many other discoveries that will come out of this experience, but this is my top priority. I'm so humbled and grateful for those of you who've been praying for me. Please continue to do so. I'll do my absolute best to keep this blog updated.
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