Israel - Day 5

Let us go up to Jerusalem! Today is the day that we left the Galilee and headed up to Jerusalem.  Our first stop was the Well of Harod, where Gideon learned God's math principles of addition by subtraction. Each of the preachers on the trip took a picture dipping the water from the spring and lapping it like a dog, as those who God chose to use to defeat the Midianites.  It was only after the fact that our guide said, "You didn't really drink that water did you????"  So, for the next several hours the three of us who actually drank from the spring wondered if we might eventually suffer from Midianite's revenge.

We stopped for lunch, just north of the Dead Sea and after our falafel break, we stepped out into the parking lot and rode a camel.  By the time we were finished, the camel was breathing harder than I was at the end of my 5k.  I rode an elephant when I was in Thailand so I thought I needed to ride a camel in Israel.

After we had lunch, it became evident that we were 'going up to Jerusalem.' The city is higher than most of the surrounding area.  It is in a pretty desolate area, but as we continued on we knew that we were getting close to Jerusalem.  We entered a tunnel and the bus driver started playing the song, "The Holy City," over the loud speaker.  When we came out of the tunnel, the Temple Mount is clearly visible and the feeling was overwhelming.  I was in tears as I saw the familiar scene that we all recognize as the city of Jerusalem.  I was given the opportunity to speak to the group on the Mount of Olives.  I spoke about the last thing that Jesus told His disciples.  As soon as He had given them the Great Commission in Acts 1:8, while they were watching, He ascended into heaven.  They stood there gazing up into heaven and the angels peeked back through the door and said, "What are you waiting for?  Didn't you hear Him? Get busy!"  When you look at the city, you can see the starting point, but God sent us to the ends of the earth. 

Our day ended with a visit to the Garden of Gethsemene.  There are olive trees there that are reported to be 2000 years old.  Our guide said that they have confirmed that several are at least 800 years old.  The interesting thing that we noticed about the trees was that the trunk of the tree was old and dry, but that the new shoots came from the inside of the trunk.  This is an amazing illustration of the new life that comes through knowing Christ.  The new growth begins on the inside before it ever springs to the surface.  The work of God in the life of a person begins in the heart and springs forth with new life, and the new shoots are where the fruit is.

Tonight, a few of us walked up the street to a coffee shop where they have free internet and spent a couple hours fellowshipping and discussing the things that God has been teaching us on this trip.  Tomorrow, we will walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel and the City of David.  Later in the day we will go to the site of the upper room, where the Holy Spirit fell upon them, empowering them to fulfill the Commission that he gave them on the mount.

This trip has been amazing, but nothing has overwhelmed me like the opportunity to speak the words of Christ on the Mount of Olives.  The signs of the times indicate that it won't be long until we will all see the Mount of Olives together as we follow Him back in victory, riding on a white horse.  I think that will be even better than a camel.