Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Holy Land - 11.17 (Part 2)

We entered the West Bank and made our way into the crowded, dirty streets of Jericho. It was quite a change in scenery and a drastic contrast from the Dead Sea. The West Bank is under Palestinian control, with a dominant Arab population. The Arabic food (chicken) was wonderful and there were many other dishes to sample. The staple at EVERY meal was pita bread and hummus.

At this one location, there was a fresh market with souvenirs, produce, and Pomegranate juice. In addition, it was the first of several places to ride a camel, Elisha's well/spring was in the parking lot, and there was a rooftop patio on top of the restaurant that offered a great view overlooking the old city of Jericho.

The remains of the old city of Jericho offered another shock to our system. In reading the Bible story, I've always pictured a large city with massive walls. The city was actually rather small. While it was unexpected, it also made perfect sense that the city could not have been too big, if the people marched around it seven times! The remains proved that the walls indeed fell outward and pots were discovered that were still full of grain, proving that this city was not defeated through the normal method of starving the people out. From Jericho, we could see the Mount of Temptation. There is a monastery built up on the mountain, making it easy to spot the general vicinity where Jesus spent 40 days being tempted.

Next, we made our way to the Sycamore tree that is symbolic of the one that Zacchaeus climbed in this effort to see Jesus. The tree was HUGE and really looked like the Keebler elf tree. Interestingly, the tree was surrounded by a fence, I would suppose it was an attempt to keep future Zacchaeuses from climbing it. As soon as our bus stopped, we were surrounded by street vendors and they kept selling as we were trying to take a group picture. They did have some good prices and products; and we DEFINITELY had a group of shoppers! It was there that Zack got his Arab headdress called a Keffiyeh. Several of our ladies also purchased some beautiful necklaces.

We made our way to the next hotel - the Gai Beach Hotel located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The rooms were very small and very plain, but the view of the Sea of Galilee was beautiful! We enjoyed our choice of steak, liver, chicken, an Italian dish, and several other items for supper. I don't think they expected the rush for steaks, as people waited in line for more steaks to be prepared, while passing on the other items! (Let's see... steak or liver...is that really a choice?) This restaurant also had a Hummus bar in which they would prepare your personalized dish of Hummus with whichever spices you selected mixed in. The final course... the dessert bar. It was great!

We capped off the night by using Justin's iPad to Skype our daughters; followed by listening to the Jewish hotel singers "butcher" American songs. They did a beautiful job on the Jewish songs... at least we think they did. :-)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Holy Land - 11.17 (Part 1)

We followed our normal routine of waking up at 6:00am, bags out and heading to breakfast by 7:00am, and on the road at 7:45am. The bus ride was short and we were soon at our first site -- Masada. We rode the cable car to the top and were amazed by the site, by Herod's creativity, by Roman ingenuity, and by the story of those Jews who chose to die there. Rather than be captured by the Romans and in order to avoid "suicide," the Jews devised a plan of mass murder, in which they divided nearly 1,000 people into 10 groups. Ten men were selected and each was instructed to kill 1/10 of the people, or one of the ten groups. The next man would kill the killer, then kill those in his group. The process was repeated, until the last man took his own life. Those who did the killing used a lottery system to determine the order and the one man who would ultimately be guilty of suicide. The story was told by two women who hid themselves and survived the attacks. You can read more about this event and see some pictures by clicking on these links: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Masada1.html or http://www.bibleplaces.com/masada.htm

From Masada, we continued to En Gedi and saw the cave where it is believed that David hid when he fled from King Saul. Click on this link for pictures http://www.bibleplaces.com/engedi.htm

We stopped by an Acacia tree for a quick lesson on how soldiers made arrows and how God shapes us, then continued along a designated road (between the mine fields) to the place of the Jordan River where it is believed the Israelites crossed and Jesus was baptized. This was one of the most shocking sites, as the river was very narrow. We could have easily tossed a rock across the river and landed it in the country of Jordan. The river was dirty and full of bull rushes, but plenty deep enough to baptize.

From there, we went to the Qumran Cave #4 in the Essene community, the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found in the late 1940's. The Bedouin boy's father first made a pair of sandals from one of the leather cases, the scrolls were then sold for $29, and then in 1954 they sold for $250,000 (the equivalent of over $2 million today). An earthquake had greatly changed the area, but the cave was easily recognizable.

From here, we set out for lunch at the city of Jericho.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Holy Land - 11.16 (Part 2)

As we left Joppa, we saw the beautiful Mountains of Judah, and the Valley of Ajalon (Joshua 10) where God caused the sun to stand still. Our guide also pointed out the traditional road to Emaus, where Jesus met and walked with the two disciples. He explained how the disciples knew Jesus when He broke the bread in Luke 24:35. The "religious" Jews took the wine, then the bread. Jesus followed traditional Judaism and broke bread, then took the wine. This was quite interesting and proved to be one of many things that non-Jews miss when reading the Scriptures.

In explaining other Jewish cultural aspects, our guide explained that only the city of Jerusalem and the Tribe of Judah focused on exclusive worship of God; while the other cities engaged in "inclusive" worship of a variety of gods. This shed light on how Samson (tribe of Dan) would even consider taking Delilah (a blue-eyed daughter of the Philistines) to be his wife. Again, a simple illustration of what we miss, by not having an understanding of Jewish culture.

The guide continued to explain the Book of Judges from a Jewish perspective. While we think of Judges as if it pertains to legal aspects; the Judges were actually war generals or military leaders. We would probably better understand the biblical period of the Judges if we called it the "Book of Military Leaders."

Our travels next took us to the Valley of Elah, the place where David defeated Goliath (1 Sam. 17:40). We were able to walk in the the brook (now dry) where David picked up the five smooth stones. Several in our group took a rock from the brook as a souvenir. The site has been confirmed by archaeologists after discoveries (including pig bones & pottery) from the Philistine camp.

We continued to Be'er Sheva, to see Abraham's well (Gen. 21). The guide pointed out that the name "Abraham" means "Father of many, but Abraham didn't have any." Abraham was actually a laughing stock among the people, but he believed God in spite of it!

We got a lesson pertaining to desserts. There are actually six different words used in the Hebrew Bible, pertaining to six different types of deserts found in Israel, but our English word "desert" limits our understanding to one type of desert. We got a detailed lesson on the differences between them and were drilled with the fact that the "desert will bloom again" and saw evidences of it.

We concluded our travel day by reaching the Dead Sea at 1270' below sea level, bordered on one side by Israel and the other by Jordan. It is really a "lake," but there is no word for lake in the Hebrew language, so it is called a sea. We ate lunch beside the Dead Sea, checked into the Le Meridian Hotel (one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in) and later swam in the Dead Sea. Justin and Zack swam (floated) out to where we almost couldn't see them and collected bottles full of Dead Sea salt. The lake bottom goes from soft to jagged, due to the salt and mineral deposits. See pictures and read about the Dead Sea here http://www.bibleplaces.com/deadsea.htm

I think most in our group passed on the optional hotel spa treatments, massages, etc.; and after a huge buffet supper, most retired for the night. Justin and Zack found a McDonalds where they could access free Wi-fi, and Flora & I went out to walk and explore the small city. We later met Justin at McDonalds so we could Skype with our girls. Interesting note... we must have seen 12+ cats that night, but have only seen one dog since landing in Israel.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Holy Land - 11.16 (Part 1)

On Wednesday morning, the wake-up call came at 6:00am, left for breakfast and put bags in the hallway by 7:00am, and the group was scheduled to depart at 7:45am. Breakfast was interesting. It was the first of many Israeli buffets consisting of many familiar and unfamiliar items. For the traditionalists, there were eggs, cereal, yogurt, fruit, etc. For the adventurers, there were barely recognizable eggs, other unknown dishes, and plenty of bagels and lox. It appeared that most stayed with the "safe" dishes for the first day. While everyone was claiming their luggage, I spotted computers in the hotel lobby with free Internet. I quickly went over to check my Fantasy Football scores from Sunday, and to set my teams for this coming week.

The bus pulled out of Tel Aviv (the "City of Springs" with a population of 500,000) by 8:00am and we started the day by learning a few Hebrew terms: boker tov means "good morning;" toda means "thank you;" and shalom means "peace, but can also be used for "hello" and "goodbye." After the language lesson, we learned about the Israeli military. Every Israeli man is required to enlist from ages 18-21, women 18-20, and all remain in the reserves until age 46. The only exemptions are for Hasidic Jews, and no Arabs are permitted to serve in Israel's military!

We soon arrived at Joppa (written and pronounced Jaffa in Israel). Jaffa means "beautiful" and is best known as the place Jonah tried to flee from God, and boarded a ship heading to Tarshish. We also read about Tabitha (Dorcas), Peter, and Simon the Tanner in Joppa. We visited St. Peter's Church, built on the location of Simon the Tanner's house and had a very interesting experience. With people sitting in the pews waiting for mass to start, our group leader paid the priest to delay the service and allow us to meet in there for a brief service. The priest took the money and delayed the Catholic service so the Baptists could meet. That gained a few chuckles from those who realized what had occurred.

Read more & see pictures of Tel Aviv, Joppa , and St. Peter's church at http://www.bibleplaces.com/joppa.htm

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Holy Land - 11.15

Tuesday, November 15, was a blur. The day started over the Atlantic ocean. The pilot actually asked everyone to close their window shades as soon as we took off; since by flying east, we would be experiencing the sunrise in just a few short hours. We were served supper, then breakfast on the plane; but due to the time change (7 hours ahead of USA), we skipped lunch and didn't even miss it.

The flight took over 10+ hours, and we arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at just before 3:00pm Israel time on Tuesday. We collected our luggage, gathered everyone together, then passed through Customs as a group. It was seamless and surprisingly easy.

After Customs, we left the airport and immediately boarded a Mercedes brand charter bus where we were introduced to our Arab driver, Adel, and our Italian guide, Fabresio. The bus took us to the Grand Beach Hotel in Tel Aviv. The hospitality of the Israeli people is admirable and we were greeted with drinks and desserts in every hotel, and even in some shops. In the hotel lobby, we were handed an envelope with our room keys and luggage stickers with our room numbers printed on them. We put the stickers on our luggage and the hotel delivered the luggage to our rooms. That especially worked well, since you could only get about 6 people on the three small elevators, and there would have been no room for people, plus luggage. We were given about an hour to freshen-up, then we met in the dining area for our first Israeli buffet. It was delicious... especially the array of desserts! Water, juice and coffee were included with most meals; and Coke products could be purchased for $3-$4 each. (That only sounds high, until you hear that gasoline is $12 per gallon in Israel.)

After supper, several of us took a stroll to the Mediterranean Sea, which was located just across the street from the Hotel. We then retired for the night, and and prepared for the next day that would start at 6:00am. Oh... I must confess that in misreading my watch, I was up MUCH earlier than we needed to be, and checked it carefully in the days that followed.

Holy Land - 11.14

Staying overnight in Atlanta was a GREAT decision. It allowed us to sleep-in, start fresh, and enjoy a good hot breakfast at the hotel. It also removed the stress of leaving early, traffic delays, possible car problems, extending the travel day, etc. It added a little expense to the trip, but it was definitely the way to go! When we were ready, we simply locked our cars in the secure parking lot, and loaded onto the hotel shuttle bus.

The driver dropped us off at the Delta entrance and the check-in process began. I used to frequent the Atlanta airport when living in Marietta, GA; but haven't been there in a while. The Delta self check-in and lack of real people to assist with our questions about a seat change was frustrating, but not earth shaking. In the end, everything worked out fine and all requests were accommodated at the gate.

In Atlanta, we met half (approx. 40) of the total travel group (approx. 90) that were going to tour the Holy Land with us. Our flight left at 1:40pm and we were on our way to JFK in New York. On the flight, I started the book, "Radical Together" and finished it during the layover at JFK. It was a great read that challenges Christians to think about reaching the world with the Gospel.

While waiting at JFK, we enjoyed a slice of Sbarro's pizza, followed by coffee and a donut from Dunkin Donuts! We had plenty of time to walk it off during the extended layover. At approximately 8:00pm, we started loading aboard the 747 and left on-time at 8:55pm for our 10+ hour flight that would also result in a loss of seven hours with the time zone adjustment.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Holy Land - 11.13

Sunday, November 13 was the departure date for our EBC Holy Land travelers. Those in our group included Gary & Flora Colboch, Justin Facenda, Milton & Pat Frazier, Billie McManus, Ramona Pippin, Zack Pippin, James & Jane Sparrow, and Dickie & Tammy White. We had a great time and I gained MANY sermon illustrations througout the trip, but I promised not to share too many!

On Sunday, we attended the morning services at EBC, enjoyed a Bojangle's chicken lunch together in the Fellowship Hall, then loaded for the trip to Atlanta. We took 3 vehicles (1 being a Suburban for sake of the luggage). Our departure goal was 1:00pm, and we were right on schedule. For the sake of convenience, we stopped in Lexington to save Zack the trip to Hartsville. When Zack got out carrying a bag only slightly larger than a computer bag, I thought he was joking; but having traveled extensively, he had truly packed for a 10 day trip in a bag smaller than the typical carry-on. I was taking notes for my next trip!

The rest of the travel day was rather uneventful and we arrived in Atlanta at approx, 6:00pm. Upon arriving at the Drury Inn at the Atlanta Airport, I was informed that they didn't have a reservation for us. The company we booked with had actually made our reservation at the Drury Inn in Marietta, which was 1 hour away. The hotel staff was great, made the correction, and accommodated us without any delay. I'd recommend them to anyone, and will definitely stay there again when flying out of Atlanta. Another great example of the benefits of customer service!

There was a Ruby Tuesday next door to the hotel, where we enjoyed supper. There was excitement in the air as we were finally "really" underway on our long anticipated trip!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Just Returned From the Holy Land

Last night, we returned from a 10 day trip to the Holy Land. The trip started when our church family designated our 2010 Christmas offering toward sending the Frazier's back to the Holy Land for one more visit. Milton & Pat served our church for 36 years, before he went to serve as the Chaplain at Piedmont Bible College in Winston Salem, NC. The Frazier's led 17 trips to Israel and we all knew they wanted to go one more time. Our church family desired to be a blessing to them, so God's people gave generously. Once we knew they were going, we opened the trip to the church and had an additional 10 people (including my wife and I) who joined them for the trip.

The trip was absolutely amazing and really brought clarity and understanding to the places and events recorded in the Scriptures. I plan to tell you about the trip on a day-by-day basis via this blog. I feel this will be the easiest way to convey the information to the most people. So, check back daily over the next week (or more).

I feel that EVERY Christian should visit the Holy Land at least once in his or her lifetime. In fact, every church should make a concentrated effort to send its pastor to Israel, and seminaries should require the trip for pastoral majors. It was eye opening and confirmed our misunderstandings and efforts to "Americanize" the Scriptures, without regard for or understanding of the culture, customs, language, geology, and geography of the Jewish people and land.

One thing is for sure... I will never be the same after this trip!

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Trunk-or-Treat 2011

AMAZING... doesn't quite cover the experience of last Sunday night EBC's Trunk-or-Treat. Nearly 2,000 people showed up for this Halloween alternative event. Over 40 car/truck/and motorcycle trunks were decorated and candy was being given out from each trunk! Prizes were given for best decorated trunks and the winners were: 1st Place - the circus side show, which included a bearded lady; 2nd Place - Popeye & Olive Oil, who were handing candy out of their boat; and 3rd Place - our own cafeteria staff serving it up with pots and pans!

In addition to giving out over 1,200 pounds of candy, those who came enjoyed concessions, ponies, and inflatable games. Almost 500 Bible were handed out to those who said they didn't have one in their home (that still blows my mind), and gospel tracts were given to each person!The only snag of the whole night was that the inflatable provider only provided 1/2 of what he was contracted to bring, so the lines were a little longer than they should have been. For that we apologize and that problem will be fixed for next year.

I want to thank all of our EBC folks who brought candy, decorated trunks, helped with concessions, security, keeping candy stocked, event setup, cleanup, and anything else that was needed. God has truly blessed EBC with some amazing people!

Sunday Summary 11.06.11

This past Sunday was EBC's 85th Homecoming service. Pastor Emeritus, Milton Frazier, reminisced during our Life Group hour. He and Pat served EBC for 36 years and he shared much of the history of our church and then gave us a challenge to keep reaching people with the gospel.

Paul & Cathy Youmans returned as our guests of honor, and Paul preached in our morning service. The Youmans served as Youth Leaders at EBC in the early 1990's and God is now using them to lead a church in Orange City, FL. This was our first year without a Homecoming feast, but we did enjoy a time of Krispy Kreme Donuts, coffee, and milk between the Life Group hour and worship service. The Life Groups met for prayer and fellowship groups on Sunday night.

In the past two weeks, we have seen 3 people baptized and to join our church family. Jamie and Brandi were recently saved, followed our Lord in believer's baptism, and joined our church family. Bill & Jody have jumped into service with both feet. We had two more children register for AWANA... which is now running over 100 children! It's been exciting to see what is happening at EBC after 85 years!