An Insulated Life

God is good. We have heard it so many times that we probable do not pay much attention to what is being said. But it is an amazing fact that God is good. In fact let me tell you how good he is for us. In John 17:15 Jesus said something awesome. He said "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." Notice that Jesus said we should not be taken out of the world but that we would be kept from the evil one.

Now the word for "evil one" simple means "the one who personifies evil" or literally it speaks of "one who is evil". So literally we are being kept from the evil one by the Word that Jesus has spoken to us. His Word is all we need to stay healthy from the evil one and keeps us from living a lifestyle of sin. We also are not taken out of the world until Jesus returns. He has never wanted us to be out of the world just not influenced by the world. In other words we can live in the world but not be part of the world as far as thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

This concept could be called the "Insulated Theory", not to be confused with the "Isolated Theory". We are insulated from the world but not isolated from the world. In other words Jesus wants us to be in the world going full throttle for Him. He wants us to be the ones who determine the influences and become the trend-setters. He never called us to a life of being influenced by the world so that the church would be a conformed church. No! He empowered us with His Word and that causes us to be isolated and then we are empowered with His Holy Spirit so that we do not have to be isolated. We can be in the world and influencing it for Jesus. We are insulated from evil and, if I can get this into my thinking, I can live victorious, knowing that the evil influence of this world or the evil one of this world is not effecting me because I am insulated by His Word.

On the Job Again

It's Monday morning and I am on the job again. Well, really I never left my job. What I really did was vacate my office for 10 days and worked while I toured. I am not sure I really know how to leave on vacation or on a church tour and not be on the job. Once something gets in your heart you can never leave it entirely. So what I really did was take 10 days, went to Israel and now I am back at my desk physically doing what God called me to do which is be a Pastor to the sheep that he has given me oversight of.

The Apostle Paul had a lot of things going on in his life in II Corinthians 11. He spoke of how he had received things such as five times he received 40 stripes less one, three times he was beaten with rods, was once stoned, three times shipwrecked, in perils with robbers, and well...you get the picture. Amid all the things that came on Paul on the outside, he had things working on him on the inside. II Cor 11:28 says that the cares of all the churches worked him so that he could not let them go. Why? Because he loved them and the churches were in his heart.

That is what I mean by not really leaving my job to go on this tour. The care of the church does not leave you. Thinking about people who God puts on your heart, praying for them and staying in touch are all part of who I am. You cannot outrun it and you cannot deny it. One such case is Joe and Lois. They are lovers of Israel and were not able to go due to health issues. While we were in Israel, Jaida and I thought of them. We prayed and sent a message that we missed them and were thinking of them. That is God's way of keeping us connected.

So now I am back in the saddle and enjoying a great week of ministry with VBS. It's great to reconnect with God's family and friends.

Home at Last

It's Friday and I am glad to be home. Our trip to Israel was a wonderful trip but there is something about coming home and sleeping in your own bed. It is a great feeling and then you also get caught up with all your friends and loved ones. It really is a neat process.

For 10 days Jaida and I traveled to and from the US with 29 other people. Most of whom we knew and some we had never met. In those 10 days we developed a bond with all these 29 people. We have traveled the Holy Land together and made memories with each other that will last a life time. Every stop on the tour you get on and off the bus, moving quickly from site to site. It really keeps your adrenaline pumping in the extreme heat. The anticipation of seeing sights we have never been to before and also re seeing and hearing about places we have been seen before. You try to take it all in but it is still overwhelming after three visits to the Holy Land. You take pictures, stand in awe of what you are seeing, and begin to discuss the impact that each of these unique sites are having on you personally. What I have discovered is that the more I tour the Holy Land the more my eyes are opened to what God is doing in Israel. It really is the land that flows with milk and honey. Funny how all the world is focused on this one small piece of real estate. When you consider how small Israel is and how big the Arab Lands are it amazes me that the world, including the US is wanting to give this land away to the Arabs. What about the Jewish people to whom the land was promised? Do they not have any right to settle and return to the place that brought blessing to the world? Well anyway I am glad that I went again.

God touches my heart every time I go and I get to make new relationships with people and discover with them the reality that God's word is true and will not change. What memories we make and what imparting we received when we take the trip of a life time. I invite you to come and go with us in 2012. Begin to save up now and plan for God to change your life on a journey to the Holy Land of Israel. Oh, by the way, it is good to be home in my favorite chair with my favorite people around me. God is good!

Day Ten of Our Israel Trip

Well here we are after 10 days of travel through the Holy Land. We are standing in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza located at the Dead Sea. There was a cool breeze blowing but the forecast was no snow in Jerusalem on this day. It has never snowed at the Dead Sea. It is the lowest point on the planet. Yesterday we saw 6 F16 Israeli fighter jets flying below sea level. That has to be cool. Anyway, we boarded our bus for our final day of touring and then being dropped at Ben Gurion Airport for our long flight home.

We loaded the bus and left for En Gedi. What is neat about this spot is that this is the location where David hid in the caves of En Gedi from King Saul. It was here that David and his mighty men hid from Saul in the caves when Saul showed up. They took his water bottle and cut off a piece of his robe when he went to sleep. It is the only fresh water spring in the desert. It was beautiful and quite a climb up to the springs. We saw some local animals and then made our way back to the bus.

From here we went to Qumran. Qumran is the site where the Essenes, a religious sect, had kept the scrolls of the writings of the prophets for studies and copies. It was here that the Dead Sea scrolls were found in the 1940's. These are some of the most important finds since they verify the accuracy of the scriptures.

From this site we traveled to Jerusalem for lunch at Ramot Rachel Kibbutz. It was a great lunch and then we visited the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. While there we heard from Dr. Jorgen Buhler a staff member from Germany. Dr. Buhler's father was recruited by Hitler's SS during World War II. He refused to join and went to another station and joined the army. It was here that he was captured by the Russian army as a POW. While he was captured some Jewish people nursed him and helped him survive. It was Dr. Buhler that helped to raise money and dedicate an Assisted Living Home for Holocaust survivors in Haifa, Israel. What a turn of events. His heart beats greatly for helping bridge the Christians and Jewish people together. Our church is a monthly supporter of ICEJ and it is good seed in good ground.

After the ICEJ we went to Ben Yahuda street for some last minute shopping. We spent about two hours and then made our way to the location of our farewell dinner sponsored by Jerusalem Tours our tour host. It was a great meal with kabob's, veggies, juice, pita bread, watermelon and fellowship. We then made our way to Ben Gurion airport for our final departure back to the US. Needless to say we made it through security and customs with no problems. That 777 airplane was a welcome sight to a bunch of weary travelers. Our 14 hours of flight will be worth it when we unite again with our families and friends.

Day Nine of Our Israel Trip

Day nine got underway on a heat wave. We began our trip from the Dead Sea Hotel the Crown Plaza. We quickly boarded our air conditioned bus for the short ride to Masada. Masada is a Hebrew word for Fortress. It was build by Herod the Great. He was quite the architect and had great vision.

This fortress was initially built because Herod needed a get-away from the pressure of the Romans and the Jews. It was designed so that it could not be accessed unless you were cleared to be there. His palace was built on three levels and the Fortress itself sits on top of a mountain that is straight up on all sides except one which has a path to the fortress. It was highly guarded and is the sight where about 900 Jews held out agains Flavis Silva after revolting against Rome. The Romans built a seige ram that took about 2-3 years to build so that they could breach the walls of the fortress only to find that all the poeple in the fortress had committed suicide.

We took a cable car up to the Fortress and walked down the back side to the bus. It was quite the hike and a lot of fun to see this historical ruin. From there we rode for 30 minutes to a Bedoiun camp. While at the camp we took a camel ride and enjoyed a great lunch with the Bedoiuns. While we were there we received a talk from one of the village leaders and learned a lot about the Bedoiuns. From there we drove for an hour back to the hotel for a chance to float in the Dead Sea or get some treatments. The Dead Sea is drying up at an unprecedented rate. The Sea is about 100 feet lower that in the day of Jesus.

It was good to have some free time to begin to unwind before we head back to Jerusalem tomorrow for our trip home to the US.

Day Eight of Our Isreal Trip

Day eight began with a early departure from the Hotel in Jerusalem. We will later in the day return to Jerusalem to bid farewell to the City of the Great King for the last time on this trip. It will be a somber moment. You begin after a short time to sense the destiny that is associated with Jerusalem, and that God has his hand upon this city. You know it is unique and that the world will continue to focus on this city more and more.

When we left the hotel we traveled to the Dung Gate which is at the foot of the Western Wall. Most of us call this the Wailing Wall because it is the site of the place where the Jews pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the coming Messiah. We first, however, visited the temple mount. It now is in control of the Muslims. We went through a lot of security and then made our way to the Dome of the Rock. What is interesting is that Mohammad the prophet of Muslim faith, never was in Jerusalem, according to recorded history. However, the Dome is the site where he supposedly rode his white stallion into heaven. Go figure that one out. In fact Allah was a moon God which was part of a pagan worship. Mohammad elevated him to who he is now with his writings. This is a deceptive religion. On the Dome, written in Arabic, are the words "God has no Son" which is in keeping with what is written in the Koran. What is also interesting is that this site will host the site of the new Temple which will be built by the Jews for the Messiah. What I am trying to say is that this is not a holy site for the Muslim's, yet they claim this to be, and it is the site of where King Solomon's temple was built years ago.

From the Temple Mount we moved to the Wailing Wall and took time to go and pray for our needs, and the needs of the Jewish people. From there it was on to the Jewish Synagogue located next to the Wailing Wall and them off to the tunnel that runs under the Western Wall of the old city. What is significant here is that Herod built the wall and used two stones weighing over 600 tons, and moved them from his rock quarry to the place they are today. This in itself is quite the accomplishment since he had no cranes or the technology we possess today.

After the wall we moved over to the Jewish Institute which is preparing the instruments for the new temple. We saw the menorah which is huge and has been overlaid with 77.7 pounds of gold. It is about five foot tall. From this location we boarded our bus and made our way to En Getti for lunch and then to the Dead Sea for our last location for the next two days.

Once we made the Dead Sea we saw a McDonald's, and some went for a quick bite to eat. The rest made their way to the Dead Sea and the pool for some rest and relaxation. I was able to Skype the church during service to give some updates and then the day ended.

Day Seven of Our Israel Trip

June 5th was the day and we had a great day of touring. The weather was just right with a lot of sunshine, and a cool breeze to start the day. We boarded the bus at 8:00 AM after a great Jewish breakfast at the Crown Plaza Jerusalem. Our first stop was the Mount of Olives for a group picture.

You may recall that the Mount of Olives is where Jesus ascended into heaven after his death, burial, and resurrection. It is found in Acts chapter one verse 12. This is also the site where Jesus is to step out of heaven onto the earth when he returns the second time. It is so awesome to be in these places and to know and experience some biblical history.

From the Mt of Olives we made our way to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed as if it were drops of blood. We were right outside of the Eastern Gate of the Old City where the Jews are looking for the Messiah to enter the Holy City (this will be His second return to us believers). While here we visited the Church of All Nations and saw the crest of the US in the ceiling. As we moved from this location we went past Absalom's tomb, and the tomb of Hezekiah. We then began our ascent up through the Kidron Valley to the Garden Tomb. This is the place where it is believed that Jesus was buried. There are two theories, but this is the most plausible. It has a rock shaped skull overlooking it. It has a plush garden and a tomb of a rich man. While here at the Garden Tomb, Pastor Glen Burks ministered on Communion, we partook of Communion together, and Lana Pratt lead us in some hymns. It was very moving and significant since we were outside of the Holy City.

From this location we went across Jerusalem to the Israel Museum. This location has the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem . This find of the Dead Sea Scrolls is probably the most significant find to prove the Bible. We then moved on to a Kibbutz which is a collective community of Jewish settlers for lunch. Then we were back into the Old City for a look at David's and Solomon's tomb, as well as a visit to the Upper Room.

The Upper Room was significant in that it was the place of the fulfillment of Joel chapter two -- the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Richard Farley ministered to us from Acts and gave us the significance of this event. He has become our resident Jewish scholar. From this location we walked to the house of Caiaphas the High Priest of Jesus' day. Why this is significant is that it was the location of the punishment of Jesus. This is where they would have imprisoned Jesus and then put the Roman scourge to Jesus' back to fulfill Isaiah 53. It was very powerful. It would have also been the site where Peter denied Jesus and heard the cock crow. Can you see it in your mind? We are literally in the place where our Lord fulfilled prophecy and completed our redemption.

From the place of judgement we moved back to the hotel. On the way we dropped some of the gang at the Jaffa Gate to do some shopping in the Old City shops. After dinner at the hotel, we went to a sound and light show of the history of City of Jerusalem at the Tower of David Museum. As you can see these are touring packed days and nights.

Day Six of Our Israel Tour

Day six was a very exciting day. We walked the Via Dolorosa which is the walk of Jesus on His way to the cross. We saw the church of Ascension, St. Anne's church, pool of Bethesda, and other neat sites. We made our way over to the Holocaust Museum. It is probably the most moving site here in Jerusalem. It is hard to think that today Arabs and some European countries are trying to erase history by saying this event never happened.

From the museum we made our way to Bethlehem. We had to cross over from the State of Israel to the area controlled by Palestine. We visited an olive wood factory and had some lunch Palestinian style. We then went to the Church of the Nativity built over the place of Jesus birth. From there we made our way back to Jerusalem.

While on the way to Jerusalem some of us got off the bus at the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem while the others went on back to the Town Plaza Hotel for dinner. We made our way through all the shops and had some fun. At the end of the evening we found a great pizza place called Jacob's. It was some great tasting pizza, a chocolate eclair, and a wonderful experience with friends.

Just Some Thoughts

I was just sitting here in my hotel room thinking about being here in Israel. It is so amazing to be in the place where Jesus walked and performed miracles that are still talked about today. Some believe and some do not believe just like it was in Jesus day. But here is the thought that struck me. I was in Iraq in the fall of 2009 where it is believed that the garden of Eden was, which is where God started with man, who fell to evil. And on Monday I was in Megiddo which is the valley where the battle of Armageddon will be fought. What is significant with that is Megiddo is valley where the place of the final battle of good and evil will be fought.

Now whether you believe or not, I have now been in two places that are significant to man and God. The Word says that every word that the Lord has spoken will come to pass. It will not matter whether you believe it or not for it to come to pass, and I have been in both places. I think that is so cool. God has blessed me to be able to be in both areas and to experience these great happenings in my life. I do not know when Jesus will come or when the final battle will be fought, but I have been there. What a blessing!

Now whether or not your theology lines up with these things, whether I was in the exact spot or not, is not the issue. God is still God, and He is faithful to bring things to pass. He is also good to allow me to experience these things in this lifetime. I have always believed I have been called to the Kingdom of God for such a time as this, and so to experience these two events in the past year is to me exciting!

Well, what can I say. I am pumped and I am enjoying the blessings of God. So, have a great day and take a blessing.

Day Five of Our Isreal Trip

Well we have completed day five and we are now in Israel, and in fact we are in the city of the great King, Jerusalem. It was a great day of travel and sight seeing.

Our morning began at 7:30 as we boarded the bus for Petra. This city is an ancient city that was built in the mountains of Petra. It was a bustling city and it literally was carved out of stone in the mountains. We walked into the ruins that were discovered in 1812. This city had been covered up after a massive earthquake destroyed the city. There was evidence of pagan god worship, a Treasury, burial sites and caves that people lived in. Jaida traveled into the city on horseback along with David Kress and Karen Butler. The rest of us, in desperate need of exercise, walked about 2km to the site.

It is hard to believe that man could build the things that he has build throughout history. These old buildings were carved out of the stone of the mountain with none of the modern equipment that we now possess, and the detail is awesome. We spent about 2-3 hours in the ruins looking at what used to be a bustling city and then made our way out of the mountains. We had a three hour bus ride in front of us so that we could be reunited with our guide Zvi and our driver Colby. We traveled about one and a half hours and stopped for a traditional Jordanian lunch. It was very good. We then re-boarded the bus for the Jordanian border. We said goodbye to Khaled our Jordanian guide and crossed over into Israel without any problems (namely me).

When we cleared customs and passport control we headed for Jerusalem. It took us about 45 minutes to drive. We passed by Jericho which is the oldest city, and traveled up through the West Bank to enter Jerusalem. Once in the city we made our way to Mt Scopus, which is where it is believed that Jesus would have looked over the city and wept when He made His way into Jerusalem. It was a great moment and we prayed a thanksgiving prayer for the trip and a blessing to the city of Jerusalem. We then made a toast to the city with some grape juice. After leaving this area we made our way to the Grand Plaza Hotel for the next three nights.

We will be visiting several sites while here in Jerusalem. It will be a great three days and I will post our visitations tomorrow. In the meantime be sure to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Day Four on Our Israel Trip

Hi! I am back online after making a trip into Jordan. While in Jordan we were unable to use the Internet so I had to wait until today.

Day four began with a trip to Beth-She'an. This city is best known for the place in the Old Testament where the body of Saul and Jonathan were hung on the city Gates. It was also a very cultural city during the time of Jesus and was highly influenced by Maximus Auerelius the Emperor of Rome. In recent modern times it was known as the sight for the filming of Jesus Christ Superstar back in the 70's. From this very historic city we moved to the boarder of Jordan to begin the process of passing over the border of Israel to Jordan for our journey to Petra.

We made it to the Israel side of the boarder and it was a unique experience going through customs and passport control. We had no problems clearing the Israeli side of the boarder and boarded another bus to be driven to the Jordan side of the boarder. We said goodbye to our current driver Colby and our guide Zvi until Thursday afternoon and made our way to the Jordanian border. There we were greeted by our new guide for the next 24 hours, Khalide and a new driver that we could not pronounce.

Let me tell you that the Jordanian side of the boarder was a little more interesting. Once again, being a savvy international traveler, I was detained while all the rest of the group passed through the passport and customs area. They were taken to the bus while I was detained for questioning. It was fun for a while. My new guide and Jim Brown stuck around for help and moral support. Finally after about an hour of questions and answers I was approved to go into Jordan. I love it and thank God for his help getting me there. We quickly exited the building and got on the bus before someone could change their minds.

We traveled to our first stop which was Mt Nebo where Moses was buried by God. As you recall Moses could not go to the promised land due to disobedience of striking the rock twice. He was however able to climb Mt Nebo and see the promised land. You will find this in Deuteronomy chapter 34. At a restaurant on Mt Nebo we ate lunch after a three hour bus ride. We then visited a Holy Catholic church which had a very nice mosaic floor. The view from outside the church to the Jordan Valley was breath taking. You could almost see the Israelites traveling through the valley on their way to the promised land. From here we traveled to the city of Mabada to see the worlds oldest map in the form of a mosaic. It was really neat to see. Over two million pieces were used to put this together. From Mabada we moved on to Petra were we retired for the night to get ready for day five.

Pastor Mike and Team Greeting from Israel

Pastor Mike Greeting from Israel

Day Three of Our Israel Tour

We got off to an early start this morning. Our first stop was at a site that displayed a 1st century boat. This was the type of boat used during Jesus' time, and it was quite a find several years ago. After the video explaining how it was found and the process of preserving and moving the boat, we saw it firsthand. We then had time to shop in the gift shop for some souvenirs. From here, we went on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where we enjoyed the worship ministry of Daniel Carmen.

From there, we boarded the bus where we headed to the Mount of Beatitudes. Jaida ministered from Matthew 5 and 6. We enjoyed the gardens and the beautiful church on the site. It was quite exciting to see where Jesus spoke to so many, and it was evident by the lay of the land how the sound works in a natural amphitheater. We moved to one of the cities that Jesus cursed, Capernaum, where we saw the home of Peter where he healed his mother-in-law. Jesus did much of his ministry in that area, and we saw the ruins of an old synagogue and many ancient artifacts.

For lunch, we went to a local Israeli restaurant for St. Peter's fish. Yesterday, we experienced felafel, an Israeli food, and today we enjoyed fish and salad in pita bread. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and firsts.

After lunch, we went straight to Banias, which is the site of worship of the god Pan at the place called "The Gates of Hell." In Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples "Who do men say that I am?" This is the location of that conversation. There we had ice cream, and then traveled to the Golan Heights. There we saw the UN station near the Syrian border. We saw many old bunkers and tanks that are remnants of the Yom Kippur War of 1973. It was quit amazing looking at old history, and having a guide who fought in the Six Day war.

From the Golan Heights we went to a Shofar factory and then to the River Jordan for a good old fashioned baptismal service. It was a great experience and a wonderful day. We all rejoiced at what God has been doing in us and through us. We then headed back to the Ron Beach Hotel for our evening meal and packing for tomorrow. In the morning we are heading to Petra in the Nation of Jordan. See you then.