Fear Not

We all come to this world with fears. Fears of public speaking, spiders, and tight spaces. Fears of being alone, a failure, and rejected. We all have a set of fears that Satan can use to bind us up and take hold of our hearts. Sometimes we even give in, take our eyes off of Jesus, and begin to panic and doubt, but as we were reminded in nearly every one of our discussions today, we as God's children, do not have to be afraid.

We need to believe. We need to believe that God will protect, provide, guide, carry, and show us His faithfulness. We need to step out boldly and wildly for God's Kingdom when He asks us to. He does His part, we must do our part. God called Abraham to kill Isaac. God allowed David to negotiate with death. God (in the form of Jesus) asked the man at the pool of Bethesda if he really wanted to be healed. God asked Jesus to die a terrible and painful death as a sacrifice for many. What is God asking of you?

Whatever the answer may be, we must not fear. We cannot let it cripple us to the point of inaction. We cannot allow it to become a tool for Satan. When we believe in faith that God will come through for us and in our situations, we will see the amazing things that God can do with us in helping us utilize the gifts He gave us. We must be obedient through our fears and the suffering that God might call us to.

*****

It's hard to sum up a day like today, beginning on the Mount of Olives we joined together for the most incredible church service overlooking where the Temple Mount sits, where Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice in giving up His life for our sins, where He was buried, but where He rose again in victory. Seeing with our own eyes the way that God made a way for the entire world to be saved, is truly too much for words.

After church we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. We then made our way to the Pools of Bethesda and St Anne's church and heard from Pastor Tom. What a refreshing and moving message. Jesus stirred our souls and we shared stories how we have seen God's miraculous healing. These healings weren't merited by us, but as we sat at Bethesda (literally House of Mercy), we became overwhelmed by how true that is in our lives. Our Great and merciful God can heal and mend the brokenness inside each of us. This moment was just one more on a great list of many where God knit us even more into the bonds of community and, wow, was it powerful!  

We then walked the Via Dolorosa, - the road of suffering - in Jesus' footsteps and identified with the pain and suffering He must have been feeling carrying His cross in a very public place. Once finished on the road, we entered the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and saw the final stages and lengths of His obedience to the Father and His love for us. We entered the tomb, but many of us realized that HE IS ALIVE! No need for sadness, no need for fear, Jesus is alive. The tomb is empty! Hallelujah!

After lunch and a little time in the local market to purchase our last few souvenirs, we visited the Western Wall where we offered up our prayers to the Lord. We then went back to the Mount of Olives. Pastor Jim brought a message of great encouragement to us based on the Olivet Discourse. Christ WILL come back, the plan is already in process, and we must be vigilant and without fear in preparing for that return by our actions! We cannot waste time! If we do the consequences are grave. We must work for the Kingdom, bringing it glory and giving our all in preparation for His glorious return to the Mount of Olives for the final battle where He will emerge VICTORIOUS!

It was a life-changing day. THANK YOU for your prayers. We think of you all back at home and we are excited to get back to our bigger community and work together to serve our God and our King!

Here are some pictures from today:

Jerusalem's skyline

Church. 

Leta sharing her testimony, LIVE! It's like we were with you Calvary! 

The Garden of Gethsemane a sober reminder of the anticipation of the cross 

Shelly reflecting 

Pastor Tom teaching at Bethesda - house of mercy 

Before entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher 

Going up to Golgotha 

A man praying at the slab where they laid Jesus after taking Him down from the cross 

The empty tomb! 

Prayers at the Western Wall 

Those tall Americans...

Jim preaching on the Mount of Olives 

Prayers to our Lord and Savior 

Our little community in Israel 

The sun setting over the Jerusalem skyline. Promises that Jesus will return!