Faith
I was reading an article on the Gift of Faith by a friend, Josh Hawkins, and wanted to encourage you to read it. Click here to read it.
Successful
Throughout Christianity it seems like we have distorted the truth of what it means to be successful in our life with God. When we serve and give in ministries we usually don't primarily do it for the people. Most times we are not confident in who we are before the Lord and so we serve in order to prove ourselves to God. This is completely wrong. The truth is that God is in love with us and we don't have to prove anything to Him.
With this truth in place we can now serve people with a pure motivation instead of having the secondary purpose of trying to gain God's favor. This truth has started to rock me. I have been trying to serve in this way and it makes life so much easier. It makes it to where we want to serve people because we are doing it while delighting in the father.
SO GOOD!
With this truth in place we can now serve people with a pure motivation instead of having the secondary purpose of trying to gain God's favor. This truth has started to rock me. I have been trying to serve in this way and it makes life so much easier. It makes it to where we want to serve people because we are doing it while delighting in the father.
SO GOOD!
Israel
Well, obviously I was not able to update each day while in Israel. I had limited internet, but more than that our schedule was packed for most of the days while we were there giving me little time to update. I am now back in Marietta and it is great to be home, although I already miss Israel. It was a hard place to live at, but it was also a hard place to leave.
We flew into Tel Aviv and went all the way up north to where the tribe of Dan would have been located, then all the way south where we floated in the Dead Sea, and we finished in Jerusalem - the City of the King. Here are some pictures with some small comments, hope you enjoy them! (The descriptions are under the picture, and you can click on them for a bigger picture).
This is Jaffa right near Tel Aviv. It is where Ezekiel went in Ezekiel 3.
This was a baby of the owner at a place we ate lunch. She was so cute! They were a Druze which is a break off from Islam.
This is a view from Mt. Carmel that looks over the Megido Valley. Mt. Carmel was where Elijah called down fire from heaven. The Megido Valley is also known as the Valley of Armageddon which is in Revelation 16:16.
These are ruins from Caesarea where Jesus did some of his ministry. Although, this was likely ruins from a Crusader Castle.
Beautiful Caesarea
Me standing on a 2,000 year old Roman Road. Now that is crazy history.
Looking over the Valley of Megido again, but from a different place.
Another Shot of the Valley of Megido, but this time from Mt. Tabor where the transfiguration is believed to have happen.
Me sitting on a Donkey :-). We went to a guy who reenacted what a normal jewish life would have been like 2,000 years ago. It was tons of fun!
This is a city called Hiafa, just to the North of Tel Aviv. Located on Mt. Carmel. It is one of the largest Sea Harbors for Israel.
This is a big hole in a mountain at Caesarea Phillipi that Pantheistic tribes believed was Hades. So it was likely that when Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am." in Matthew 16:14 they were standing here, and when He said, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." BEcause this hole was believed to be Hades and is in Casarea Phillipi.
This was one of my favorite parts. That whole passage just came alive at a new level with this perspective.
These are the waters at Casarea Phillipi. The water was so clear that they say you can drink out of it. I did :-)
THis is a place called the Golan Heights. Beautiful.
These are the Vultures that fly around in the Golan Heights. Some of them go up to 6 feet in Wing length. That is crazy. It is also thought that these could be the birds mentioned in Rev 19:21 that will gorge themselves on the flesh of kings.
This is Mt. Gamala in the Golan Heights.
Me on our Boat! We took a boat across the Lake of Galilee. THis was the same water that Jesus walked on!
This is a monument put where it is believed one of the feeding of the multitudes took place.
The church on the Mount of B-attitudes.
This is a beautiful picture at the Mountain of B-attitudes over looking the Lake of galilee. This place was glorious. The place where Jesus set up the culture for HIs Kingdom.
This was a Canaanite gate that was found and dates back to the time of Abraham, and even believed that he walked through this gate. Wow.
This is the Church of the Primacy where it is believed that Jesus had breakfast with the Disciples.
Peter house
Boat
This is En Gedi where David went and found the streams of living water that flow in the desert.
Beautiful En Gedi again.
These are Date pits that were probably from 2,000 years ago. They also have some in a museum. Crazy.
This is a picture of Qumran which is in the desert. The dead Sea scrolls were found here which date back to 100 BC. They were matched with the scrolls of the bible word for word. This is the greatest proof for the bible that we have.
Another beautiful picture of the Galilee.
This is a picture with a Jewish scholar at the Tomb of Samuel.
This is a picture of the Tomb of Samuel. This was very interesting. This group was a Jewish sect that believes Samuel is interceding for them based on Psalm 99.
People swimming in the Dead Sea. All you do is float!
The beautiful sunrise over the Dead Sea.
Picture of me with our tour guide Gedion. He was awesome!
Picture of Jerusalem from our Hotel
This is Kahlin in Hezekiah's Tunnel. This was a water way from the time of Hezekiah. That is over 3,000 years old. Wow!
Jewish men praying at the Western Wall. The primary reason they pray here is because this is the closest they can get to what would have been the temple. This area is only 1/8th of the whole western wall and it is all the Jews have. The Muslims own the Temple mount.
Another picture of the Western Wall.
This a picture of the Garden Tomb at Golgatha. It is very likely that this was the tomb of Jesus although we will never know for sure. All that matters anyway is that He is alive and His body will never be found.
This is the Tomb of King David.
This is a little Jewish boy that I fell in love with. The Lord broke my heart for Him. He is the one in the middle.
This is Christy Lynch on a Camel. It looks like they were both smiling, but I think the Camel was pretty mad.
This is a picture of Jerusalem from The Mount of Olives.
This picture explains the main thing I gained from the trip. Don't get me wrong, it was incredible walking where Jesus did and the Lord really opened up my heart and let me experience Him through this, although there is a day coming that will be so much greater. Jesus is going to return again and He is returning to Jerusalem. Romans 10 and 11 talk about Israel and Paul says that all of Israel will be saved. This is the Lords will and I believe it will happen.
While walking around and interacting with the Jewish people the Lord broke my heart. They have been pushed away for 2,000 years and groups have always attempted to kill them (such as the holocaust, etc.). Currently they are struggling to have their own country because of Palestine. The tension between the two groups can be sensed in the atmosphere. Therefore, we must pray for them, for their peace, but more than that for their salvation. They are the Apple of His eye.
I hope this encourages you as it did me. Thanks!
We flew into Tel Aviv and went all the way up north to where the tribe of Dan would have been located, then all the way south where we floated in the Dead Sea, and we finished in Jerusalem - the City of the King. Here are some pictures with some small comments, hope you enjoy them! (The descriptions are under the picture, and you can click on them for a bigger picture).
This is Jaffa right near Tel Aviv. It is where Ezekiel went in Ezekiel 3.
This was a baby of the owner at a place we ate lunch. She was so cute! They were a Druze which is a break off from Islam.
This is a view from Mt. Carmel that looks over the Megido Valley. Mt. Carmel was where Elijah called down fire from heaven. The Megido Valley is also known as the Valley of Armageddon which is in Revelation 16:16.
These are ruins from Caesarea where Jesus did some of his ministry. Although, this was likely ruins from a Crusader Castle.
Beautiful Caesarea
Me standing on a 2,000 year old Roman Road. Now that is crazy history.
Looking over the Valley of Megido again, but from a different place.
Another Shot of the Valley of Megido, but this time from Mt. Tabor where the transfiguration is believed to have happen.
Me sitting on a Donkey :-). We went to a guy who reenacted what a normal jewish life would have been like 2,000 years ago. It was tons of fun!
This is a city called Hiafa, just to the North of Tel Aviv. Located on Mt. Carmel. It is one of the largest Sea Harbors for Israel.
This is a big hole in a mountain at Caesarea Phillipi that Pantheistic tribes believed was Hades. So it was likely that when Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am." in Matthew 16:14 they were standing here, and when He said, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." BEcause this hole was believed to be Hades and is in Casarea Phillipi.
This was one of my favorite parts. That whole passage just came alive at a new level with this perspective.
These are the waters at Casarea Phillipi. The water was so clear that they say you can drink out of it. I did :-)
THis is a place called the Golan Heights. Beautiful.
These are the Vultures that fly around in the Golan Heights. Some of them go up to 6 feet in Wing length. That is crazy. It is also thought that these could be the birds mentioned in Rev 19:21 that will gorge themselves on the flesh of kings.
This is Mt. Gamala in the Golan Heights.
Me on our Boat! We took a boat across the Lake of Galilee. THis was the same water that Jesus walked on!
This is a monument put where it is believed one of the feeding of the multitudes took place.
The church on the Mount of B-attitudes.
This is a beautiful picture at the Mountain of B-attitudes over looking the Lake of galilee. This place was glorious. The place where Jesus set up the culture for HIs Kingdom.
This was a Canaanite gate that was found and dates back to the time of Abraham, and even believed that he walked through this gate. Wow.
This is the Church of the Primacy where it is believed that Jesus had breakfast with the Disciples.
Peter house
Boat
This is En Gedi where David went and found the streams of living water that flow in the desert.
Beautiful En Gedi again.
These are Date pits that were probably from 2,000 years ago. They also have some in a museum. Crazy.
This is a picture of Qumran which is in the desert. The dead Sea scrolls were found here which date back to 100 BC. They were matched with the scrolls of the bible word for word. This is the greatest proof for the bible that we have.
Another beautiful picture of the Galilee.
This is a picture with a Jewish scholar at the Tomb of Samuel.
This is a picture of the Tomb of Samuel. This was very interesting. This group was a Jewish sect that believes Samuel is interceding for them based on Psalm 99.
People swimming in the Dead Sea. All you do is float!
The beautiful sunrise over the Dead Sea.
Picture of me with our tour guide Gedion. He was awesome!
Picture of Jerusalem from our Hotel
This is Kahlin in Hezekiah's Tunnel. This was a water way from the time of Hezekiah. That is over 3,000 years old. Wow!
Jewish men praying at the Western Wall. The primary reason they pray here is because this is the closest they can get to what would have been the temple. This area is only 1/8th of the whole western wall and it is all the Jews have. The Muslims own the Temple mount.
Another picture of the Western Wall.
This a picture of the Garden Tomb at Golgatha. It is very likely that this was the tomb of Jesus although we will never know for sure. All that matters anyway is that He is alive and His body will never be found.
This is the Tomb of King David.
This is a little Jewish boy that I fell in love with. The Lord broke my heart for Him. He is the one in the middle.
This is Christy Lynch on a Camel. It looks like they were both smiling, but I think the Camel was pretty mad.
This is a picture of Jerusalem from The Mount of Olives.
This picture explains the main thing I gained from the trip. Don't get me wrong, it was incredible walking where Jesus did and the Lord really opened up my heart and let me experience Him through this, although there is a day coming that will be so much greater. Jesus is going to return again and He is returning to Jerusalem. Romans 10 and 11 talk about Israel and Paul says that all of Israel will be saved. This is the Lords will and I believe it will happen.
While walking around and interacting with the Jewish people the Lord broke my heart. They have been pushed away for 2,000 years and groups have always attempted to kill them (such as the holocaust, etc.). Currently they are struggling to have their own country because of Palestine. The tension between the two groups can be sensed in the atmosphere. Therefore, we must pray for them, for their peace, but more than that for their salvation. They are the Apple of His eye.
I hope this encourages you as it did me. Thanks!
Israel Day 5
Israel has been incredible so far. I will make a longer post later because I am currently paying $4.00 for 30 minutes of internet. Thats Crazy!!!! But here are some sweet pictures from our first few days at Galilee.
And I have eaten a ton of Hummus. I have a new favorite food!
One of those pics is an old synagogue dating back to the 4th Century. Wow!
Cya Soon!
Israel Day 1
We made it to Israel safe! Obviously we are all tired, but we went ahead and went to Japa (I think thats how you spell it) in Tel Aviv. We were standing next to the place where Jonah left! This is also the same place where Tabitha was raised from the dead in Acts 9 and where Peter had his vision in Acts 10.
It is a crazy reality to be over here. One of the craziest things was hearing all the Muslims pray. Right around 7:30PM we started to hear all these voices. It was the muslims praying. It was a really sobering thing.
Well, hopefully I will update more soon! thanks for checking in!
It is a crazy reality to be over here. One of the craziest things was hearing all the Muslims pray. Right around 7:30PM we started to hear all these voices. It was the muslims praying. It was a really sobering thing.
Well, hopefully I will update more soon! thanks for checking in!
Update
Well, It has been a little while since I have updated, and for all you regular readers I apologize tremendously. School is now done, and it finished in a fantastic way. The Lord continued to move in power and it was lots of fun! Finals week was hard, but great at the same time. Now, I am leaving for Israel tomorrow!
I am going on a trip with my school (Lee University) to Israel. We leave tomorrow and will be back on May 20th. I realize this was a quick update, but I must go. I am going to try and update while in Israel. If not, get ready for pictures as soon as I get back. THanks!
I am going on a trip with my school (Lee University) to Israel. We leave tomorrow and will be back on May 20th. I realize this was a quick update, but I must go. I am going to try and update while in Israel. If not, get ready for pictures as soon as I get back. THanks!
