Israel Experience: Day Two

Breakfast in Israel

Day two in Israel started earlier than I'd hoped, like at about 4 AM. Because of the time change, most in our group awoke in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. The nice buffet breakfast at the Ramada Inn, Netanya, where we stayed, perked us up nicely, and we were ready for a busy day.

The Volvo bus left Netanya at 8:26 AM and headed up the Mediterranean coast to our first stop, Caesarea, located 31 miles north of Joppa, along the Mediterranean shores. The ruins of Herod's city are amazingly preserved.

Red lines mark the bus route. Green lines mark national borders.

Caesarea was a port city, built by King Herod the Great, who ruled Israel from 37 BC until his death during Jesus' childhood. Herod was responsible for the heinous "slaughter of the innocents" when he ordered the deaths of all boys under age two in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. He did this in an attempt to kill the newly born "king" of Israel, later known as Jesus Christ, who posed a threat to Herod. Herod was known as a ruthless dictator who even killed members of his own family.

On the upside, Herod was known as a master builder, who authorized the construction of several grand, state-of-the-art projects, based on Roman architectural style. Caesarea was perhaps Herod's most lavish project, showcasing all that is Roman, including a royal palace, theater, amphitheater, hippodrome (stadium/arena), temple, man-made harbor, and a 6-mile aqueduct.

Roman statue in Caesarea

Pastor Paul Glazner talks in Caesarea's Roman theater 

A not-so-private bathroom by the hippodrome (stadium)

In the Bible, Caesarea is where the first Gentiles (non-Jews) are specifically mentioned as converting to Christianity.  The Roman centurion Cornelius and several other Gentiles were led to Christ by Peter. “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.” (Acts 10:44-45 ESV).

 Our next stop was Megiddo, a historically strategic hill, layered with the remains of about 20 ancient civilizations.

King Ahab (one of Israel's ancient kings) built a tunnel that goes straight down from the top of the mountain to the bottom. It enabled ancient Israel to smuggle water from a spring up to the high fortress.

Megiddo overlooks the Jezreel Valley, also known as the Valley of Armageddon, where the final battle on earth will occur. This is mentioned in Revelation 16:14, 16 -- “For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty…. And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”

Then we visited Mt. Carmel, where, in 1 Kings 18, the prophet Elijah faced off the false prophets of Baal.

Our next stop was Zippori, the capital of Galilee during the rule of Herod Antipas (son of Herod the Great) in the early 1st century, the time of Christ. Incredible Roman architecture, along with elaborate mosaics, characterized the city from Roman times through the early Byzantine (beginning 330 A.D.) era. The Mona Lisa of Galilee (pictured at bottom) is part of a large mosaic floor in a Roman villa known as the Dionysus (god of wine) house, built in the early 3rd century.

Herod's fresh-water aqueduct in Caesarea: 6-miles long

Stop for lunch: falafel and chicken

Valley of Armageddon in view from top of Mt. Megiddo 

Our final stop was in Nazareth, where Jesus spent most of his childhood. A quick biblical reference: “…they [Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus] returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:39-40 ESV).

Today, Nazareth is part of the Palestinian West Bank. It is a busy, crowded city, of a largely Arabic population. Since the actual stomping grounds of Jesus are buried several layers below today's city, I couldn't get any sense or feel of ancient Nazareth.

 The Church of the Annunciation (in Nazareth), built in 1969 over the ruins of previous shrines, is built over the spot where, according to Catholic tradition, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. The first shrine was built in the 4th century. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” (Luke  1:30-32 ESV).

As the day drew to a close, we drove to the Leonardo Club Hotel in Tiberias, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We ate a relaxing buffet dinner and looked forward to the next day's boat ride on the sea where Jesus walked on water.

King Ahab's tunnel down through Mt. Megiddo

Nazareth pomegranates

Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

 Mary with Christ: Church of the Annunciation

Amazing ancient ruins in Zippori

The Mona Lisa of Galilee (3rd century AD) mosaic in Zippori 

Israel: Trip of a Lifetime (Day One)

Denise and I toured Israel for eight days in February 2014. I'll devote the next eight blog posts to the trip. It'll be kind of a journal/slideshow of our experience. Lots of photos.

From old Joppa, modern Tel Aviv is visible to the north. Who's that girl?

Visiting Israel was a pilgrimage, I suppose, but not in the usual sense. I didn't visit Israel to find God, because I'd already found Him (or should I say, He found me). Certainly it was an inspirational journey, but in the end it was a rational confirmation that the places and things in the Bible existed and exist in space and time. We saw cities, towns, mountains, valleys, a river, lakes and oceans -- all mentioned in the Bible. We saw the ruins of an ancient synagogue where Jesus preached. We saw a pagan altar specifically mentioned in the Old Testament. The list goes on and you will see photos of these places.

Red lines mark our bus route. Green lines mark national boundaries. 

During the tour, I was constantly assessing the Biblical authenticity of places and things. I asked myself, What is the likelihood that this is the actual place or thing that was mentioned in the Bible? For example, many believe that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem is built over the exact spot where Jesus died, was entombed and resurrected. How valid is this claim? Is it impossible, unlikely, possible, plausible, probable or 100% certain? We do know that He was crucified and raised from the dead in the outskirts of Jerusalem. At this juncture, I think it's only plausible it happened at the precise location of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. I'll explain the arguments when we get to Jerusalem on day seven. And since I'm no expert, I'm open to new information that could sway my opinion.

So, let's begin day one.

Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. We made it!

We flew into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport after a grueling (20 hour?) intercontinental flight (Portland-Chicago-Frankfurt-Tel Aviv). Our group of 28 gathered at the terminal and met our tour guide, Harrison Cohen, an Israeli native. Pastor Paul Glazner (the guy who married my wife and me) of Sutherlin, OR, hosted the tour. He and two young pastors gave short Bible messages during most stops throughout the trip.

We had an afternoon to kill and boarded a Volvo bus, driven skillfully by a man named Isaac. He drove us to the scenic town of Joppa on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Joppa by the Great Sea

Isaac: bus driver extraordinaire

Joppa is where Jonah set sail en route to being swallowed by the great fish. In Acts 9, Joppa is where Tabitha (Dorcas) was raised from the dead, after Peter prayed. And it is where where Peter saw the vision of unclean animals, which he was told to kill and eat -- a lesson preparing him for the conversion of Gentiles to Christ. “And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’” (Acts 10:15 ESV).

The group congregated on a cobble-stone street, where Pastor Glazner gave a 10-minute devotional. Modern Joppa has an old look to it, virtually all the buildings are made of stone. We enjoyed a relaxing, scenic walk through this beautiful town. Though we didn't see any 1st century ruins, the town itself is quite significant.

Tour guide Harrison Cohen (arms crossed) and host Paul Glazner (w/Bible)

We watched the sun set over the Mediterranean and drove north to Natanya by the sea. There we ate a yummy buffet dinner at the Ramada Inn, where we stayed the night. Due to the effects of the time change, most of the group awoke in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. Would jet lag and lack of sleep take the joy out of day two? Find out next week. See ya.

Joppa at sunset with the Mediterranean Sea in the background. What a way to end a busy first day!

The Rise of the Nones

Not that it comes as a surprise, but in 2012 the Pew Research Center conducted a poll documenting the steady decline in "religious affiliation" by Americans. In only five years (2007-12), Americans "who do not identify with any religion" grew from 15% to nearly 20%. This group has been labeled "The Nones." Atheists are a minority in this group. Most of the Nones believe in God, but not in a specific religion. 74% of the Nones were raised in a religious tradition. In general, they are not seeking a church, they do not adhere to New Age spirituality, and they don't feel the need to belong to a community that shares their values and beliefs. Nones believe organized religions focus too much on money and power, politics and rules. On the other hand, they believe religious organizations strengthen communities and help the poor and needy. 32% of those under age 30 are unaffiliated, thus forming the largest age group within the Nones.

I won't speculate on the whys of this unfortunate trend. The Pew article offers four theories, which I won't mention. I'll just touch on the Nones' beliefs that organized religion focuses too much on money, power, politics and rules.

I agree, churches often do focus too much on money. The solution? Go to a church (like mine) that doesn't focus on money. Okay, I understand it's not that simple. The big question is why has the church messed up in this area? The quick answer is that greed doesn't disappear at conversion. Christians need to guard their hearts against it. Not that I've entirely overcome greed myself. Hey, it's tough!

Politics and power are more complex issues. I think Christians should get involved politically and promote laws upholding significant Judeo/Christian ethics. Of course, the trick is deciding which ethics should be made into law and which should not. For example, it's morally wrong to murder. This ethic is clearly serious enough to warrant laws against murder. Christians also believe it's morally wrong to be prideful. Should we pass laws against pride? I sure hope not. So we have to be choosy about which moral values should or should not be made into law.

Historically the church has really messed up whenever it has gained political power. For example, in the late 4th century, Christianity was made the official state religion of the Roman Empire. This, in my opinion, was a very bad thing. As the years passed by, the powerful, state-sanctioned church began to force its hand in nasty ways. Heretics beware. This power culminated in the 15th century Spanish Inquisition, which primarily sentenced Jews and Muslims to the infamous "burning at the stake." To a lesser extent, protestants ( the reformation was underway) were also victims.

I'm currently listening to a great course on church history (Dr. Gerald Bray, BiblicalTraining.org). Though it's fascinating, it's also discouraging at times, due to the repeated abuses of power by the church. In future posts, I'll elaborate and perhaps offer an apologetic defense of why Christianity is true, despite huge blunders by Christians. In essence, Christianity and earthly power don't mix. When the church gains political

Jesus cleanses the Temple

power, the Holy Spirit leaves.

Back to the Nones. To a certain extent I agree with them that religious organizations can focus too much on rules. Remember the pharisees in the days of Christ? Jesus rebuked them for their legalistic practices that laid burdens on the common people. But ironically, when Jesus explained God's spiritual intent for the law, it became even harder to follow. For example, the pharisees rightly said it's wrong to commit adultery. But Jesus said, by simply looking on a woman to lust, one commits adultery in the heart. How was this resolved? In essence, the law was nailed to the cross at Christ's crucifixion. So, we are no longer bound to the law when we place our faith in Christ's sacrifice for sin. God knows we can't obey the moral law, so that's why He gave his Son as a propitiation. That being said, we need to love and obey God and follow his rules as outlined in the New Testament. The Heavenly Father knows best.

Personal Relationship with Jesus? Huh? What?

I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I really do. As far as I know, the specific term "personal relationship" isn't in the Bible and I suspect its meaning differs from one Christian to another. All I can do is explain what it means to me and try to shed scriptural light on it.

Like my namesake, Thomas, I sometimes doubt

Let's start with what my relationship with God isn't. First, I don't physically see Jesus or hear His voice with my ears. In 1980, I underwent a period of revival when I experienced, a few times, the supernatural presence of God. I didn't see or hear Him physically, but sensed His presence, intense love and overwhelming peace. This period of my Christian walk had a lot of spiritual highs, along with some intense lows. The Biblical basis for this is in Romans 8:16-17: " The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

Although the peak experiences in 1980 significantly impacted me, my current day-to-day walk with God is much more mundane. In my daily quiet times, I typically feel a very subtle peace or stillness. But this is hardly dramatic and I wouldn't describe it as a supernatural feeling. My relationship with Christ, then, is based on faith, not sight or ecstatic feeling. I believe He is with me because the Bible says so. "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Mat. 28:20).

My relationship with the Lord involves conversation. I talk to God through prayer. He talks to me primarily through Scripture. Sure, the Holy Spirit sometimes whispers to my heart and mind (via the very still, small voice), but by and large, the Lord speaks to me through Bible reading. He also speaks through fellow Christians, whether pastors, teachers or everyday lay people.

My relationship with God is unequal -- in a big way. He is the perfect Father, all-powerful, all-knowing, complete in holiness and love, without blemish. I, on the other hand am his adopted child, unwise, misbehaving, dependent on His love, grace and discipline. My place is one of submission. He is the Master.

My relationship with Jesus is both complete and growing. This sounds like another paradox, but it's true. God will never love me more than He loves me now. He is 100% pleased with me because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ for my sin. However, I am growing in my love and knowledge of Him. The Bible talks of knowing God. Paul considers this his highest priority: "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:8). Peter describes this as a growing process: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18).

Psalm 42:1 says, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, oh God." This verse describes me. My soul longs to be in God's presence. Doesn't yours? This thirst will only receive partial satisfaction this side of Paradise. However, when I get to Heaven, I will experience Him fully, blissfully -- and without the mundane dry spells.