MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry

What a day this has been! We've been emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually stretched and we're loving it. Traveling to the Holy Land is such a great way to personalize the Scripture. Below is a highlight of our itinerary today. We just got back in to our hotel and finished dinner.

1. Bethlehem - the birthplace of our Lord Jesus. We arrived at the Church of the Nativity early this morning and actually beat the crowd. It was so good to be able to slowly walk around and take time to reflect on what we were seeing. Seeing the birthplace with my own eyes really helps me to understand the significance of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. He, being God, became a man. And He started out so humbly and experienced such a difficult life on earth - including His birth in a cold and dirty cave (stable). For God to go through all of that in order than I might one day be able to receive His free gift of grace and forgiveness is an overwhelming thought.

2. Herodion - one of the palaces of King Herod (also his burial chamber). We were able to visit Herodion in the West Bank. What an amazing archeological discovery. It was a picture of extravagance, arrogance, and beauty. We climbed the mountain and explored the ruins, went back down by way of a secret escape tunnel, and saw Herod's burial chamber from a distance (no one is allowed there yet). Herod was a hated, wicked, cruel, and disloyal king. He tried to eliminate Jesus shortly after He was born by killing all male children 2 years old and younger. At the top of the palace, we had a panoramic view of all the Holy Land. We could see Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tekoa, Mt Nebo, the Dead Sea, and so much more from there. It also was breathtaking. A few of our group opted to stay in the bus for this adventure since the walk was pretty steep. Learned a lot about the huge difference between those who were rich in the time of Jesus and those who simply worked hard to feed their families and live another day. The extravagance and opulence of royalty was sickening because it was always at the expense of others. The wealthy devalued those who were not and treated them as objects to pamper them. No wonder Jesus told the rich young ruler that in order to follow Him, he would need to sell all he had first and give it to the poor.

3. Shepherd's Field - one of a few possible site where the angelic host appeared to shepherds announcing Jesus' birth. This was a great excursion because we saw shepherds leading their sheep throughout the region and acquired a new understanding of the Gospel of John, chapter 10, when Jesus was talking about His being the Great Shepherd. To see how the Shepherd becomes a door in front of a sheepfold helped to us all to visualize the significance of Jesus' statement, "I am the door of the sheep." It's hard not to trust a God who is committed to taking care of us as a shepherd would His sheep.

4. Upper Room. We were able to visit the location where it is believed that the disciples and the Lord had the Last Supper, where Jesus appeared to the disciples twice after His resurrection, and where the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples on Pentecost. It was amazing. To imagine what it must have been like those last few hours with Jesus. To imagine what it must have been like to see the One you saw die on a cross appear in a locked room - twice. To imagine what it must have been like to be so filled with God's Spirit that it mobilized everyone to not only witness to everyone around about the Gospel, but to do it in the languages of everyone one who had been visiting Jerusalem during the Passover Feast. It reminded us all of the need to wait on God and trust Him to empower us to do the unimaginable and miraculous. You know, that's what it's going to take to get the Gospel to all the world.

5. City of David. This is the oldest part of the city of Jerusalem. It is surrounded by the Vally of Gehenna (used to be a garbage dump that was always on fire and likened to hell during the time of Jesus) and the Kidron Valley. It was a reminder of how many things have happened since King David lived and how the city has grown and changed since he was King.

6. House of Caiaphus (high priest who oversaw crucifixion of Jesus). This was a most sombering visit. We actually walked on the steps that Jesus would have been led up after being arrested by the Roman solders in the Garden of Gethsemene. We visited the jail under the house of Caiaphus where Jesus would have been tortured and lowered into a dungeon while awaiting an audience with Caiaphus. There wasn't a dry eye in that dungeon as we stood there reading the Biblical Account of this arrest and Psalm 88. It's one thing to say that Jesus suffered for our sins. It's quite another to be able to use our senses to experience it. What He went through to secure our salvation was awful and we should never take it lightly.

Well there you have it. What a day. Wish we had about a day just to process and meditate on what we learned and saw just today. But tomorrow we're off to the Dead Sea, Masada, Qumran, and Jericho.

Oh Lord, give us strength and the capacity to worship You in a way You deserve.