A Right End From A Right Means

So says [Yahweh], Keep judgment and do justice; for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.  Isaiah 56:1  NKJV

 

Do justice. In order to do justice one must know what justice means. Justice can be defined as ”ensuring that persons receive earned rewards and punishments fairly and squarely based on their behavior–with no favoritism.”

You will notice that justice has no room for compassion. The pragmatic liberal concoction known as “Social Justice” is based on a false definition of justice distorted by a faux compassion which robs justice of its just-ness (righteousness).  God forbids this!

Note: For compassion to be enacted, Justice & Mercy must Kiss and find a way to cover for the wrong done. If this was not the case, Jesus would not have died on the cross. His flesh pleaded for another way to satisfy the Justice of God, but there was no other way, so He yielded to only way and died for us because He loves us.

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.  Proverbs 21:3  NKJV

We’ll look at a few more “justice and righteousness” scriptures later in this blog, but it seems clear that Yahweh demands righteous justice. So how does God’s demand for righteous justice fit in current thought and practice among liberals and conservatives? 

The left pragmatically demands just outcomes.  Liberals promote unequal, even unfair, treatment enforced by government to get what they see as “fair” results. Liberals believe it is acceptable to unjustly take wealth (jobs, property, benefits) from some and give it to others.

The right stresses just laws and procedures. Conservatives insist that individuals be allowed to own, use, and dispose of personal property as they see fit. Their property  should be safe from seizure by neighbors or by government. Conservatives allow for  unequal, and possibly unfair results if they are based on just treatment.

Scripture reveals God’s view of justice and that view is promoted by Conservatives who believe the Bible reveals God’s will to man for our good. The Conservative view has been the foundation of Western civilization for millennia but it is being undermined today by Liberals who distort and/or dismiss God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 16:20 says, “Justice, justice, shall you pursue.” 

When a word is repeated in scripture, there is a reason. Let’s look at it. The Hebrew word repeated in this passage is “Tzedek.” It translates as ”justice” and “righteousness.”

One could therefore have translated the verse as “Righteous justice shall you pursue.”  Or “Just righteousness shall you pursue.”

Either way, the command is given by God that justice must be accomplished in the right way or it is not, in fact,  justice.  A pragmatic person or governmental policy is without a moral foundation when attempting to accomplish a “right thing” in a “wrong way.” If a desired outcome is obtained through illegitimate means, the outcome as well as the means is illegitimate. Someone was robbed of justice to help someone else receive an unjust benefit. Two wrongs– not right!

To be more precise, the Bible condemns the social engineering methods used by the Liberals and Progressives today. The Bible forbids meeting the needs of the poor by confiscating the wealth of those who inherited, created or earned it. To achieve a righteous end you must employ only righteous means.

The Deuteronomy passage is not isolated. Leviticus 19:15 says, ”You shall not commit a perversion of justice; you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the great; with righteousness (Tzedek) shall you judge your fellow.”

This passage covers both our natural temptation to favor the underdog, which feels like compassion, and our temptation to kowtow to the wealthy. Both are strictly forbidden as perversions of justice!

While the Bible in both Testaments demands that compassionate acts are required in dealing with widows, orphans and the poor; those acts are to be freely carried out by individuals and are never to be the result of coercion. Charity is to be freely given. Just justice is to be enforced by the courts. The courts may not enforce charity and deny justice to satisfy anyone’s faux compassion. The compassionate should show compassion from their own personal possessions and/or by their own personal labors. 

Since this is the clear teaching of scripture, why are so many divinity schools and pulpits filled with dogmatic liberal clergy who twist and contradict the Bible? This state of affairs is based on the anti-literalist interpretation of scripture in these institutions. They think that much of scripture is outdated and irrelevant and therefore does not speak to issues today; so, they alter, misinterpret or dismiss its teachings altogether.

This anti-literalism has led to pragmatism among liberals. And this pragmatism makes ”unjust justice” (legal favoritism) perfectly acceptable to them. In fact, they demand it and accuse conservatives of lacking compassion because conservatives believe in and practice ”just justice” and individual charity based on a literal interpretation of God’s Word.

In this era of Liberal Political Correctness, such topics are rarely discussed with openness and clarity. I trust this article will shed some light on the subject and God will open eyes to the truth that is clearly revealed in His Word for those whose eyes can see.

Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Amos 5:24 NKJV

…for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.  Isaiah 56:1  NKJV

Obama’s Audacious Peace Speech: The Land of Israel or of Arab Refugees?

I don’t often engage in discussing current political events but President Obama’s anti-Israel stance in his recent speech requires Israel’s supporters to speak out. I hope there are many blogs on this topic and Americans strongly express their outrage at Obama attemptimg to force the State of Israel to give up more land for their dream of peace.

The speech was too lengthy to respond to every remark so I’ve noted specific excerpts that concern me and responded to them.

Obama Speech: “For decades, the conflict between Israelis and Arabs has cast a shadow over the region.”

A more truthful statement would be, “For decades the assault on Israel by the Arab nations and Arab refugees within or near Israel’s borders has cast a shadow over the region.

Obama speech: “For Palestinians, it has meant suffering the humiliation of occupation, and never living in a nation of their own.”

For the Arab refugees in Israel, it has meant suffering the humiliation of being used as a pawn by the Arab nations to keep a thorn in Israel’s side and deny them the peace they should have been afforded when returning to their ancient homeland in 1948 with the consent of the world community after suffering the atrocities of the Holocaust in Europe.

Obama Speech: “Israeli settlement activity continues. Palestinians have walked away from talks.”

Attempting to reprove both sides in the conflict, Obama chides Israel for building homes in her own homeland, which effectively justifies the poor Arab refugees who have merely waked away from the talks.

Obama Speech: “Palestinians will never realize their independence by denying the right of Israel to exist.”

Now, that is a true statement (other than the misnomer); however, it will not stop the Arabs from hating Israel and plotting her complete destruction.

Obama Speech: “Israel too must act boldly to advance a lasting peace.”

Israel acts boldly everyday of her life in hopes of advancing a lasting peace. Everyday of her existence as a modern state surrounded by hostile Arab nations has required utmost courage and strength. To call upon her to surrender land (won in an unprovoked war in 1967) which has greatly enhanced her ability to survive as a nation, is not asking her to act boldly, but foolishly. It would be assisting one’s would be assassins. Land will not buy peace when given to a sworn enemy who has no change of heart.

Obama speech: “The international community is tired of an endless process that never produces an outcome.”

This is a shameful statement made by someone who has not felt the heat of the fire of living daily in the midst of mortal enemies.

No one could be more weary of this endless process than Israel. She has put up with endless insults and assaults from Arabs, trying to avoid contention and conflict.

One cannot visit Israel and endure the daily calls for prayer from Muslim minarets in Jerusalem which blare out into all public spaces and hinder normal conversations for people of other faiths– just to appease Muslims– without beholding the patience of Israel.

Consider that Muslims, who have their Holy Sites in Mecca and Medina and elsewhere, have control over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel’s only Holy Site. It’s the only legimate site for them to rebuild God’s Holy Temple. Behold the patience of Israel.    

Jews can’t visit Bethlehem or Jericho or Hebron. Muslims have possession of Abraham’s burial cave and Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem– which they have looted and defaced. Muslim authorities deny Israel the right to excavate in the Temple Mount area and deliberately conceal or destroy evidence of Israel’s past on theTemple Mount when they find it.

I could go on. It’s disturbing and indefensible. But, the media doesn’t even want to tell you about it.

Obama speech: “The dream of a Jewish and democratic state cannot be fulfilled with permanent occupation.”

This statement is so twisted, it defies logic. The Jews don’t have to dream of having their own democratic Jewish State, it’s been a reality since 1948!

They are not occupying someone else’s homeland, they are denied peace in their own homeland because of bogus claims about the Arab refugees. According to Joan Peters in her detailed and highly documented book called From Time Immemorial,  “68% of the Arab refugees left (Israel) on their own (during the 1948 Arab war against the newly created State of Israel). They were not expelled.”

The Arab refugees left Israel because “Arabs in neighboring countries encouraged” them  "to leave ‘Palestine’ until the Jews were purged from the land.” Then when Israel won the war against the Arabs the “refugees” status became confused. Some Arab leaders demanded that Israel let the so-called “expelled” refugees return to their homes. While Arab leaders sought to prevent their ”return” because they did not want to recognize Israel’s existence.

Since Israel became a modern nation in 1948, Jewish refugees have poured into Israel from throughout the Middle Eastern Arab countries (as well as from around the world).

“more than half of the people in Israel today are Jews or offspring of Jews who lived in Arab countries and have fled Arab brutality; Israel’s present population consists mainly of refugees and their descendants from two oppressions, European-Nazi and Arab.”  pg 79 of From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters

Israel welcomes all Jewish refugees. And many of those Jewish refugees were forced to abandon lands, homes and possessions in Arab countries.

“The Jews who fled Arab countries (Morroco, Yemen, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt) left assets behind in the Arab world greater than those the Arabs left in Israel.”  pg 25 of From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters

With Israel’s abandoned assets, those Arab countries could easily have absorbed and blessed the Arab refugees displaced by their unprovoked wars against Israel, if the Arab nations loved their own people more than they hate Israel. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. It is the Arab nations who have treated the Arab refugees shamefully, not Israel, as was admitted by King Hussein of Jordan in 1960.

“Since 1948 Arab leaders have approached the Palestinian problem in an irresponsible manner…They have used the Palestinian people for selfish political purposes. This is ridiculous and, I could say, even criminal.” pg 23 of From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters

If the world really wants to solve the Arab refugee problem they should put pressure on the Arab nations to welcome their brethren to settle in Arab nations. Their actual roots are there, not in Israel. Jordan is the true Palestinian state. It, by law, allows any Palestinian to immigrate and obtain Jordanian citizenship if they  surrender their Palestinian citizenship. Approximately half of Jordan's population claims Palestinian roots.

Obama’s chide against Israel in this remark is despicable and deceptive.

Obama speech: “But what America and the international community can do is state frankly what everyone knows: a lasting peace will involve two states for two peoples. Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people, and the state of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people; each state enjoying self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace.”

This is not the belief of America or the international community. It’s the opinion of an Arab-biased speech writer which the president of the United States had the audacity to articulate. It is stated as if two new states are soon to be created from land that both parties have a co-equal claim to. It assumes that this division of land will bring peace to the Middle East! Land is not the problem or the solution. As long as the Arabs want to annihilate Israel, there will be no peace. So, this claim is a deception, no matter whose silver pen or tongue it flows from.

The land of Israel is the Jewish homeland from time immemorial. God gave them their land and it's already small. Reducing the size of their homeland is not a legitimate goal or option!

Obama speech: “The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.”

Again, a speech writer’s opinion expressed as accepted wisdom when the outcome of such a move would be disastrous for Israel. Israel would have to give up Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, the Sinai Peninsula, and East Jerusalem, which includes the Temple Mount itself.  This land loss would make her remaining territory essentially indefensible. And over 300,000 Israelis now living in those areas would become refugees.

Also, if a Palestinian State is created, no one would want Israel to expel the 1.2 million Arabs currently peacefully integrated into the Jewish State of Israel. Some of them serve in the Knesset (Jewish Parliament). Can you imagine Jews being allowed such liberties in a Palestinian State?

Obama speech: “Israel must be able to defend itself – by itself – against any threat.”

In other portions of the speech, Obama expressed commitment to the security of Israel. This statement is enigmatic. Why must Israel be able to defend herself– by herself– if we truly stand with her? Is this a veiled threat of some kind? 

Obama speech: “…how can one negotiate with a party that has shown itself unwilling to recognize your right to exist. In the weeks and months to come, Palestinian leaders will have to provide a credible answer to that question.”

This is a good question and there is no good answer. Arab leaders consistently refuse to accept Israel’s right to exist and support her annihilation. Just because a speech writer says Arab leaders “will have to provide a credible answer,” it doesn’t ensure they will. And, are their words reliable? Obama’s aren’t. During the campaign he said he would stand by Israel and Jerusalem would never be divided. So much for campaign promises. Can he change? Yes, he can.

I was thrilled to see Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, stand up to Obama in the Oval Office meeting Friday. He clearly rejected a return to pre-1967 borders and explained why that is an impossible prelude to a peace agreement.  Hopefully, Obama gained a little better understanding of history through the exchange.

If you want a better understanding of the so called “Palestinian refugee” problem, I would recommend you read From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters. It is an excellent expose’ of the facts about the birth of the modern nation of Israel and their relationship with their Arab population and the surrounding nations.

By siding with the "Arab refugees" in the Gaza Strip, the Obama Administration shows it is out of step with the American people.  I stand with Israel and hope you will show you do too by helping this administration out the door during our next election.

Rightly Dividing God's Word

One cannot hope to discuss honest questions about the Bible until one is open to the possibility that the Bible is God’s Word and Truth is to be found therein. Why? Because that is the claim the Bible makes for itself. If it is not what it claims to be, it is entirely worthless.  

Also, one cannot find the Truth in the Bible until one is willing to study it as a whole, reading all passages in their original context, and comparing them to the entire Word of God for confirmation and clarity. That is what "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" is all about.

For those liberals and atheists who cherry pick every "problem" passage in the Bible and pull it out of context to demean and belittle scripture as a whole and deny that it is the inspired Word of God, the problem is not with the Bible but with their methodology. No book could be properly understood using that approach to its contents. 

I have been "discussing" Biblical truth with a self-described "progressive Christian" who challenges my use of quoted scripture in discussions because he feels they can too easily be pulled out of context. 

My question is,"How then can we use scripture in a discussion at all?" It is obvious that one cannot quote the entire Bible or even quote a book or a chapter to discuss each point made due to time constraints.

The honest use of scripture involves quoting it in a sense that is true to its context and allowing others to check it out if they need to verify its use. 

To abandon scripture and simply discuss men's ideas leads to a mental morass. The quicksand would soon swallow us all. There would be no standard. No Rock.

The progressive says, "...although some parts of the Bible are clearly inspired, other parts are just as clearly based on superstition and represent undesirable ways of dealing with others."

This statement clearly contradicts God's Word. It says: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Tim 3:16

I believe God's Word is true even though I don't understand everything revealed therein. The progressive rejects some of the message so he also rejects the inspiration. He said,
"Raping virgins, or stoning people to death for minor transgressions of outdated customs, or wiping out those of non Judaic descent on Gods command does not fit with my views, but if you honestly believe that is the word of God, or even was ever the word of God, I doubt if I could persuade you otherwise."

I responded. "I’m very aware of the two main passages you refer to about raping virgins. That would be Lot’s daughters (which Lot offered to the men of Sodom to protect his male visitors who turned out to be angels–- and ended up protecting the daughters so that they were not raped).

You are offended that Lot offered them and so am I. It was outrageous! The Bible reports what Lot said and did, but does not approve of it. The fact that the angels intervened to save them shows they disapproved of his intention.

The other incident is in the book of Judges. A Levite is traveling with his concubine and ends up in Gibeah of Israel at dusk.   An elderly man offers hospitality to them but the wicked men of the town surround the house and demand the man be given to them to sexually abuse. The old man offers them his virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine– considering the rape of women to be less heinous than homosexual rape. The men persist in their demands until the Levite shoves his concubine out the door. The depraved men use and abuse her so badly she dies. This leads to a war and further undesirable behavior to save the tribe of Benjamin from extinction.

Where you and I differ is in perception of the Word of God concerning these issues. The Bible reports the wicked activities of men without approving of them. The Book of Judges clearly states that the Israelites (as a whole) were not following Yahweh at that time but were “doing what was right in their own eyes”. The entire book of Judges is about the cycle of sin leading to bondage leading to repentance and then deliverance over and over again. It teaches how quickly societies become depraved when they refuse to live by God’s laws. And it is a historical background for how Israel changed from a Theocracy ruled by Judges to a Kingdom ruled by an earthly King.

The only way the Bible could be an accurate history of the world without discussing the sinfulness of mankind would be to leave us out of it altogether– and that would annul its purpose since Jesus came to save us from our sins.

I could discuss the other things you mentioned as well with the understanding of how they fit into God’s Word and do not disqualify the Bible, as a whole, from being God inspired, but it would be very lengthy.

My point is, pulling scriptures out of context and making sweeping negative statements about them without looking into the actual setting and purpose of those scriptures is very misleading." It leads one into slandering God, His law, the nation of Israel and even Christianity.

To believe and receive Jesus Christ into one’s life is the best decision one can make. Offering this opportunity to all mankind is clearly the purpose of the Bible. All our questions may not be answered in this life, but salvation can be received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And, that is the most important truth to be found by "rightly dividing" God's Word to gain a correct understanding the Bible.

Hide God's Word In Your Heart

Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.

I have recently been exposed to the thinking of some of those who would belittle God's Word and question its value. This got me to thinking about how important it has been in my life and how much we personally need the Word to survive in this heathen world we live in.

Our society has deteriorated rapidly and drastically since the Ten Commandments and prayer were removed from schools. But, this would not have happened if the Word had been honored and preserved in our homes and our lives. It has obviously been neglected to our personal and national peril and destruction.

Below I have listed a smattering of the scriptures hidden in my heart that minister to me and even preserve me in various life situations. There are many more. With all the new versions of scripture available, it is sometimes hard to keep all the wording precise but I believe it is the message (the wisdom) contained in the Bible that keeps us. 

So, even if you aren't good at remembering the location, don't let that keep you from learning the message. 

Each scripture, when meditated upon, is a sermon about the important issues of life. The more we know and live, the better our lives and influence.  That is true wisdom!

Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

The Word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword... revealing the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. The testimonies of the Lord are pure making wise the simple. More to be desired are they then gold, yea than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

We know that we have passed from death unto life if we have love for the brethren.

This is the greatest commandment. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and your neighbor as yourself.

Love not in word but in deed.

If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally... and it shall be given unto him. But let him ask in faith, not wavering. Let not him who doubts think that he shall receive anything from the Lord for a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

No man is tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, neither does He tempt any man. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Lust when it has conceived brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death.

There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle but will, with the temptation, also provide a way of escape that you may be able to stand it.

All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient.
All things are lawful unto me but all things edify not.

Anyone who thinks he knows anything, knows nothing yet as he ought to know.

If everything you have, you received, why then do you boast?

Measuring themselves among themselves, they are not wise.

Love is patient, love is kind...it envies not, is not puffed up, is not easily provoked, keeps no record of wrongs, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. 

...three remain, faith, hope and charity, but the greatest of these is love.

Have you got faith? Have it unto yourself before God.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restore my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.
Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
For You are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. 
You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths..

Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

"Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love."

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."

It is not God's will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.

He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believe on His name.

He has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus said, "You must be born again."

Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life."

Jesus said, "No man comes...unless the Spirit draws Him. And He who comes to me I will in no wise cast out."

Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you and when I come again, I will receive you unto Myself, that where I am you may be also."

For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Jesus said, "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Have you hidden God's Word in your heart? The time may come when it is the only place you will be able to find it. And, if that time comes,  you will need it more than you need anything else.

I encourage you to be diligent and to hide God's Word in your heart!



Happy Mother’s Day

For all the love you give,

For all the patience you share,

For all the ways you show others

How much you really care,

We Thank You!

For all the "mothering" we've received,

For all the gentleness you exude,

For taking time to meet our needs,

We express our gratitude,

We Thank You!

For being all that you are,

For doing all that you do,

On this special day of the year

We have the chance to say to you,

We Thank You!

Cherel Justice

My Mother's Place

There is no one who can

Take the place of Mother.

I long to hear her voice

And see her one more time.

I'd like to share with her

About so many special things.

Hear her talk about her children,

Show her mine.

She never even lived

To see her children grown.

She never got to see

One grandchild's face.

In all the years I live,

Her loss, I'll ever know.

Because there's no one who can

Take my Mother's place.

Cherel Justice

Mother

Why did your life pass so quickly?
Why did the years hasten by?
If only I could have known then
At thirty eight years you would die.
To you, I’d have given more comfort.
Your desire’d have been my delight.
Nothing for you would have troubled…
Ease your mind, give you rest, with my might.

I was blessed beyond measure to have you
For the short eighteen years you were near.
And, could I roll back the time, gently,
I’d hold you much closer, my dear.
Why is it we always see clearly
Those things that we just didn’t do,
When the time has passed for the doing
And darkness covers the blue?

If I could, I’d have changed your life,
Given you health and more time.
But God had heavenly plans for you
When He took you away in your prime.
I’m sure that you’re happy in life now,
So, regrets for me are but a few.
I wish I’d have shown you much more,
Mother, dear, of my love for you so true.

A Tribute To My Mother

Charlotte Earlene Ridenour

Cherel Justice

The Wondrous Word of Yahweh

Yahweh inspired more than 40 men to write down His messages to us in 3 languages over a period of 1500 years.  He then moved men to collect and preserve those writings throughout history. What an amazing accomplishment! Nothing is too difficult for Yahweh, The Almighty God.

However, many people today do not know Yahweh or acknowledge His accomplishments, so they deny the accuracy of scripture. Entire books have been written hoping to undermine widespread confidence in the eternal Word of God. I have read some of these writings intended to cause a loss of faith and have been encouraged by what I learned about the history of the Bible. My post today is to encourage an informed understanding of the issues and the facts.

Even those scholars who believe some errors have crept into the Scriptures through its long history are forced to admit those changes are few and far between and do not affect the Bible's overall message. The Jewish scribes who copied the Hebrew Old Testament by hand over many centuries followed very strict procedural guidelines to insure its accuracy. A partial list of those guidelines I found in The Story of the Bible by Larry Stone follows. (Great book!)

     a.  Nothing could be written from memory. A scribe was required to copy from another scroll and pronounce each word out loud before writing it down.

     b.  If a letter touched another letter or was written incorrectly, or if there was a hole, or a tear,
or a smudge which made reading difficult the scroll was not usable.

     c.  No column was to have less than 48 nor more than 60 lines and it was to be an exact copy of the original.

     d.  An editor would review the copy within 30 days of its completion counting every letter (304,805) and every word (79,976). The middle word of each copy was checked to make sure it was the same as the middle word on the scroll being copied. 

     e.  Revisions within 30 days of completion were allowed as follows. A scribe could fix up to three mistakes on a single page. If a single letter was added or left out and not fixed within 30 days of completion the manuscript had to be buried. (see The Story of The Bible by Larry Stone.)

During the New Testament era, Jesus (God in the flesh) grew up using the Old Testament scrolls and did not complain about errors in them. In fact, Jesus and the New Testament writers quoted from 34 of the 39 Old Testament books.

In his public speaking, Jesus confirmed the accuracy of the Old Testament by referring to many portions of scripture.

In defense of monogamous marriage for a lifetime, He spoke of the creation of the first man and his wife at the beginning. He also spoke of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Lot and Lot's wife, Moses, Elijah and the widow in Zeraphath, Elisha, Naaman, David, Abiathar, Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, Zechariah, Daniel, Jonah, Satan, Sodom, Gommorah, The Law and the Prophets and Psalms.  

He spoke of the people as historical figures and the places as historical places and He used the scriptures to confirm His identity and His mission.

Therefore, if we believe Jesus, we must believe what He said. He clearly endorsed the Old Testament as the inspired and prophetic Word of God. He said, "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:18

In addition, the modern day discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has confirmed the remarkable accuracy of the Old Testament which was maintained by following those strict scribal guidelines. 

The New Testament has been copied so many times there are thousands of ancient manuscripts to compare to each other today which verify its accuracy as a whole. Yes, there are a few scriptures considered to be spurious by some scholars. These few verses are rejected or questioned by some scholars because they are not found in the oldest known manuscripts. The debate continues but, even if a few verses are spurious, they do not have the effect of cancelling the inspiration of God in the 99+% unquestioned portion of the New Testament. They simply reflect human error or misplaced zeal.   

For further insight see:
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/5518/Spurious-Scriptures.htm

Yahweh gave us His Word for a purpose and has preserved His Word for that same purpose. Let's look at what the Word itself tells us about that purpose.

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 NLT

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 NLT


May you believe and receive eternal life. May you be fully equipped for every good work. May you have hope and be encouraged as you await the fulfillment of God's promises!  

"One" Gospel, Faith, Body & Way

There is one body and one Spirit—…one hope…—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Eph 4:5-6 NLT

All true believers are a part of the body of Christ, have the same Spirit, and the same faith. Denominations and sects do not represent “different forms of Christianity” any more than people of different colors and languages represent different races of humans. There is one human race with one blood exhibiting many genetic variables. There is one body of Christ (form of Christianity) manifesting through many doctrinal facets. The Cross: salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ by faith is the central doctrine of all true Christians.

Paul also made it clear there is no other gospel.

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead—… To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Gal 1:1-9 NLT

Succinctly, there is only one way to respond to the gospel and that is to accept it by faith. Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. Jesus said, “…unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” How much clearer could it be?

It's such Good News. Won't you believe today? 

Foolish Ideas About God

There seems to be no limit to the foolish ideas people will embrace in an attempt to escape accountability to God.

I was reading a blog about the many twisted ideas men have about what God is like. The blog was essentially saying we can't really know God. Of course, this claim ignores both natural revelation and special revelation (the Holy Bible). 

One comment in response to that blog included the following statement.

“There is no difference in claiming the universe always existed or God always existed...” He was saying no First Cause was needed.

My first thought was, "That's not true because the universe is showing signs of age and decay, whereas, God is eternal! But, not wanting to make a statement which would require extensive documentation, I decided to just leave it to God's quick and powerful word. So, I posted the following quotes and left it at that.

Romans 1:18-22,28,32

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.

20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.

32 … Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, forbearing, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4

Friends, we were not born into darkness, but into light. God created light before He created man for a reason. He wanted us to know the truth about our relationship with Him!

Adam and Eve opened their eyes for the very first time looking into the eyes of the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ who had just formed them and breathed into them the breath of life!

They had daily fellowship with Jesus in the Garden of Eden. He regularly came in a physical body and talked with them in the cool of the day. He taught them what they needed to know and He instructed them in the ways of righteousness.

Since they were without sin, the only restriction required of them was to avoid doing something that would break their relationship with God. And, as we know, that meant not eating from only one tree in their garden. Everything they needed for life, health and happiness had been amply provided for them.

They lived in the light of God's loving presence and provision. They had no questions unanswered. They had no needs unmet. They had no natural inclination to disobey God or to care about one tree out of so many. Nothing within them shunned the light. They were fulfilled.

That is, until a beautiful creature in the garden tempted them to question God's Word and God's goodness.

You know what happened. And foolish people have been questioning God's Word and God's Goodness ever since. 

You've heard the questions. You may even have questions. If so, I urge to to read the Bible for yourself. It is God's living Word. If you read it with an honest heart, an open mind and a seeking spirit. You will find Jesus speaking to your heart just as He spoke with Adam and Eve. He wants you to know Him.

There is no reason to have foolish ideas about God when you can know Him.

You might want to start with the Gospel of John.

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. Jeremiah 29:13

May you know Him is my prayer for you!

Is Tolerance A Virtue?

Father Dominique Pire
Let us not speak of tolerance. This negative word implies grudging concessions by smug consciences. Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding and mutual respect. I have engaged in making comments on some blogs recently. The activity has possibly taken me further into liberal territory than I have ever been before. I am still naïve enough to be shocked by reasonable people losing the ability to think rationally when discussing their perspective of political and religious issues. Perhaps I just don't understand why they can't understand my point of view. Lol

One of the most grating habits liberals engage in is constantly harping about their "tolerance and compassion," while denying those perceived virtues in conservatives. So, that's what I want to address in this blog.

First of all, as you can see in Father Pire's quote above, tolerance is not a virtue and this is why many conservatives lack that trait. Conservatives, who base their lives on the Bible, or at least on solid moral values gained from their Christian heritage in this nation, believe in the integrity of the foundation they live on and, are therefore, not willing to sacrifice their moral standards to please people who lack those standards. And, contrary to what liberals would have you believe, standing up for what you believe is a virtue! Exercising that virtue is how our country gained its freedom from Great Britain to begin with.     
As Father Pire says, tolerance is a negative word. Tolerance doesn't embrace the beliefs or even the intrinsic value of other human beings, it merely--yes, even grudgingly--allows room for the beliefs of others when it has not the power to forbid or extinguish them. And, this allowance is only given out of a superior attitude which Father Pire calls a "smug conscience." Yes, the liberal "knows" his ideas are right, but he will allow you to hold to your ideas (in the short term) as long as they in no way hinder, block or alter his ultimate agenda, which is to deny your freedoms altogether.

If. however, you hold to any ideas that hinder, block or alter the progressive agenda's implementation, you must be stopped at all costs (by votes or by physical or emotional means). Wait a minute, you may say. What happened to tolerance? You must have misunderstood. Progressives always define tolerance as behavior which furthers their agenda and stops yours! Rules and the definitions of words are changed arbitrarily to confuse, mislead, and deceive non-progressives and aid leftist causes. The left will only use new rules and new definitions as long as they can gain advantage with them. If the advantage fails, those rules and words are abandoned. In other words, the "tolerant" are never ultimately tolerant. 

First, you will be called intolerant and any other names deemed appropriate or effective to stop you from hindering a liberal's progress toward his goals. He will not openly and honestly discuss his goals because he would be hard pressed to defend them in a rational way since they are irrational. So, he will block the opposition mercilessly. Histrionics, labeling and name calling will be used consistently to draw attention away from the real issues--again, because they are indefensible.

They will bypass legislative bodies and use liberal judges in the courts to force their will on others. (This reveals what they will do if gain absolute control.) They will attempt to be the loudest voice. It doesn't matter if the message being pushed is true or the methods being used are moral. The message and the agenda are supreme. Pragmatism rules!

Next, let's talk about compassion. Does this use of tolerance sound compassionate? No, because it's not. Compassion is another red herring for liberals. Their compassion primarily resides in their "smug consciences" alongside their bogus tolerance.

They revel in talking about the needs of the "poor" and the "disadvantaged" and how those needs can be met by the government. They call that compassion! They are thrilled to spend someone else's money on ineffective programs and think that means they ooze with compassion. They sidestep personal sacrifice or actual involvement with the needy? By their definition, that has nothing to do with compassion.

How little wealthy liberals give to charitable causes has been consistently documented. The social and financial damage their programs have inflicted on our country is incalculable.

Facts are facts and it's time to break free of the liberal political correctness that silences the truth as it blares the propaganda of "liberal tolerance and compassion" and "conservative intolerance and lack of compassion" throughout our society.

It would help if we could discuss the dire issues facing our country today with "mutual understanding and mutual respect." But that can only happen when the censure ceases and both sides are open and honest.

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) British political writer
There is a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue.

Your thoughts are welcome-- even if you disagree. We should use our freedom of speech while we still have it.

Day 6 and 7: Trip to Israel 2008

We started our day at the Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum.

Yad Vashem, on the Mount of Remembrance, is a huge complex which houses the Holocaust History Museum and several memorial sites; such as, the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. It also includes The Museum of Holocaust Art, many sculptures, memorial sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, archives, a research institute, library, publishing house and an educational center, The International School for Holocaust Studies.

Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust are honored as the Righteous among the Nations. They receive a certificate, a medal, and have a memorial plaque in the Garden of the Righteous. 23,000 non-Jews had been honored as of 2008. The project continues as stories are submitted.

                                                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem

"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (a "yad vashem")... that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah 56:5)

                                                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem

                                          The Hall of Names

                                                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem

 The Hall of Remembrance with the eternal flame.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem   

Memorial to the victims of Concentration Camps by Marcelle Swergold 

The Children's Memorial was deeply touching. As you enter the cave-like structure there are pictures of actual children who perished. Then, there is a voice sharing the names and ages of the children who were killed and the light of memorial candles is reflected by a system of mirrors, so that innumerable flames seem to shine in the darkness, in commemoration of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust.

We spent several hours inside the Museum and other memorials and walking the grounds. It was not enough. One could spend the whole week there and barely touch the surface of the information available. There were countless videos of survivors telling their stories. There were hundreds of thousands of documents and pictures and endless memorabilia. And all to good purpose. It leaves a profound impression.

Since I really like jewelry, I was drawn to a diamond and emerald necklace and the story behind it. A wealthy Jewish man had liquidated all his assets and had purchased the necklace in hopes of preserving his ability to support his family once the crisis had passed. He and his wife were both taken to concentration camps. He survived and his wife was incinerated. He donated the necklace to Yad Vashem because wealth meant nothing to him without his wife. Only one heartbreaking story among millions.

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yad_Vashem_view_of_Jerusalem_valley_by_David_Shankbone.jpg

This is the view of Jerusalem from Yad Vashem. The notable aspect of the picture is the trees. The landscape was almost barren of trees when the Jews returned to Israel. It grows greener by the year.
 

We returned to the Old City of Jerusalem for lunch in a sidewalk cafe. And then we visited the Two Brother’s Store. It was very interesting and I'll talk about them later.

From there we went to the Wailing Wall again. This time we took pictures. I went down into the Women's Section and touched the wall and prayed among the Jewish women. It was akin to praying in the Upper Room. The presence of the Lord is evident in a place where so much prayer is offered up.

 While we were visiting the wall, someone left a backpack unattended in the open area and the bomb squad was called. We had to wait while a robotic machine inspected the backpack and its contents. It was a false alarm but it illustrated how seriously threats are taken in Israel.

                              Then we went through the Rabbi's Tunnel. 



This is an underground tunnel exposing the full length of the Western Wall. While the public portion of the Western Wall is approximately 190 feet long, the majority of its original length, some additional 1500 feet, is hidden underground.

                             This is one of Herod's original columns.

   This plaque in the tunnel marks the spot Rabbi's believe is beneath the Holy of Holies.

The largest stone is about 40 ft long and 4 ft high and estimated to weigh 570 tons (1,140,000 lbs).

We walked the length of the tunnel and went up a stair case and exited onto the Via Dolorosa and went back out of Lion’s Gate to our bus.

The bus then took us to the site of the Garden Tomb and Golgotha.

Stone Sepulcher in the Garden believed to be Joseph's Tomb where Jesus was interred.

        Modern door which replaces the stone which was rolled away.

                             Another exterior view of the tomb.

                             Actual burial stone inside the tomb.


This is an actual stone door but not the door for Joseph's Tomb--which hasn't been found. This one is  too small at about 5 ft diameter. The original stone door was about 12 ft diameter.

                        View of Golgotha from the Garden's edge.

    Another view of Golgotha, located north of the Damascus Gate.

The Garden Curator gave us an historical lecture about the Garden tomb and Golgotha as we gazed at the mountainside. Golgotha was discovered by British General Charles Gordon in 1883. He thought it was the likely site of Golgotha and when the ancient rock hewn tomb was found nearby, it fit the Biblical description and the site was adopted by some as the genuine place of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

The land was purchased in 1892 by an association of believers and has been maintained since that time by a resident Garden Curator. He discussed the differences between those who believe Jesus was buried in the area now known as the Church of the Sepulchre and those who believe Jesus was buried in the Garden Tomb.

An ancient spring fed cistern was uncovered which further confirmed that a garden had been maintained in the area. The garden has been restored and the site has been maintained in a natural state, unlike nearly every other significant site in Israel which has been covered by a church. It was a refreshing change.

They gave us olive wood communion cups and we shared a very special communion time in the Garden, led by Bob McNaul.

As we left the garden, I bought some homemade Bedouin silver bracelets from a Bedouin street merchant for $5.00 each and we headed back to the hotel for dinner and rest.

Just for fun I've decided to share Ishah's Garden Tomb & Golgotha art project for school with you.

Ishah's  "Empty Tomb" creative project for art class at Rhea County Academy 

Ishah's "Golgotha"

Final Day In Israel

Day 7                                                               Free Day.

We got ready and packed our bags. Around noon we started walking to the Old City area.

We walked through the King David Hotel and looked at all the famous signatures on the floor. They had Golda Meir, King Hussein, Pres. Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Hillary Clinton, Jacqueline Onassis, Barbara Streisand, etc.

                                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel at night 2008

About halfway to our goal a Palestinian taxi driver persuaded us to ride with him. He drove us without fare  and dropped us off at a relative’s store in the Palestinian Quarter of the Old City. We browsed and considered but made no purchase there. Then we continued shopping on our own. I preferred the Jewish quarter because there was no pressure to buy. I bought a star of David necklace for a friend and a Jewish blessing bracelet for myself.

We went back to the Two Brother’s Store I mentioned earlier and talked to the brother who is a Rabbi again. He was very interesting. He reads the New Testament in order to keep the dialogue open between Jews and Christians. Some of his ideas surprised me.

He believes Satan is simply a faithful servant of God.
He believes the book of Daniel has already been fulfilled.
He believes the Messiah will be just a man– anointed by God.
He believes the serpent pushed Eve against the tree to ‘show her’ she would not die if she touched it and he thereby deceived her into believing she could also eat the fruit without ill consequences.
He said the serpent approached Eve because she was the more difficult of the 2 to convince.
He said the serpent knew if he got Eve, Adam would follow.

Those are just tidbits of the conversation. We had a lengthy discussion. Questions and answers were going both ways and it was open and pleasant.

Then we met with some of our group and headed back toward the hotel. Mike and I stopped to buy a Wailing Wall print and caught up with them at a coffee shop for a light lunch. Then we all walked back to the hotel, checked out at 4 p.m. and waited in lobby for the bus until 6 p.m.

Our tour guide took us to eat at a Jerusalem Restaurant and then drove 90 minutes to Tel Aviv and waited 3 hours to fly out. Our bags went through the x-ray machines twice and then we had to open 2 of them. They were concerned about our purchases. They wanted to make sure the items we packed were the ones we picked up in the store– no substitutes that could contain dangerous materials. We assured them that they were and they let us go with all our stuff.

We had an uneventful flight home and landed in Newark around 6:30 a.m. Due to bad weather coming in later in the day, we caught a flight out around 7:30 a.m. to Houston. We then ended up spending the night in Humble, Texas, because of bad weather. And, when we got back to the airport the next day for our 1:10 flight, we got voluntarily bumped because the flight was overweight. They bought our lunch and gave us $500.00 worth of free future flights. Our flight to Knoxville ended up being at 5:20 p.m., so we got home around 11:00 p.m. on the 14^th– Valentine’s Day.

It was a wonderful trip. I'd love to go again. Hope you've been blessed by the trip information and get a chance to go to Israel if you haven't already and want to!

                                                                Israel: God's Country

You Can Know You Are Saved By Your Creator

Jesus, The Word, Created All Things

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:1-5 NLT

He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn– not with a physical birth … but a birth that comes from God. John 1:10-13 NLT

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see– such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. Col 1:15-17 NLT

We can be Confident of Salvation and Eternal Life

—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7 NLT

…God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1John 5:11

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 NLT

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31

Day 5: Israel Trip 2008

We started our day again with a delicious breakfast and then headed down to the Old City to walk the Via Dolorosa (The Way of Suffering). There are 14 Stations of the Cross along this walk which mark significant events as Jesus carried the cross. We visited the churches built to commemorate specific events such as the flogging of Jesus (Church of the Flagellation) and the traditional spot where Jesus was condemned to death (Church of the Condemnation and Imposition of the Cross) and the traditional burial site at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Some of these sites are contested, of course, but the walk is informative and well worth it.

We entered the Old City through the Lion's Gate. The gate is about 300 feet from the Via Dolorosa.

There are eight gates into the Old City. The Golden Gate (Eastern Gate/King's Gate) is closed. The other seven gates are usable. They are the New Gate, the Damascus Gate, Herod's Gate,the Lion's Gate, the Dung Gate, Zion Gate and Jaffa Gate or Tower of David).

           Church of the Flagellation stained glass window.

Church of the Flagellation: Crown of thorns in the ceiling.

Stone revered as the site used to wash the body of Jesus when He was removed from the cross. 

             Depiction of removing Jesus' body from the cross.

                               Section of the Via Dolorosa

                      Mary with Jesus at a Station of the Cross

                                          Pool of Bethesda Sign

                                 The Pool of Bethesda

Bethesda means "house of mercy." Water was supplied from a nearby spring. Archaeological digging has confirmed the Bible's description of five porches.

"After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked" - John 5:1-9

            We shared a Palestinian bagel near the Damascus Gate.

Our tour bus took us to the Bethlehem wall. Since Bethlehem is under Palestinian control Schlomo could not go with us and our bus couldn't enter. So, we got off of our bus and walked across the border and boarded a Palestinian bus with our new Christian, Palestinian guide, Avraham.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/upyernoz/2877428954/sizes/z/in/photostream/

                               Separation Barrier

Avraham took us to a restaurant for lunch. We had lamb shish-ca-bobs, which tasted great and then headed out to the Fields of Boaz.

I was quite taken with the idea of being in the fields where Ruth may have met Boaz. Nature is so permanent as opposed to all these churches that have been built, destroyed and rebuilt through the years.

The Fields of Boaz, about a mile and a half from Bethlehem, are home to the Shepherd’s Grotto (cave), and The Church of the Shepherd's Field which is shaped like a nomadic tent and has a dome that allows the chapel to be flooded with light to commemorate the Star of Bethlehem.

Mike and the 2009 group entering the Shepherd’s Grotto, a cave which the shepherds who were visited by the angels may have used for shelter in bad weather.


Inside the Shepherd’s Grotto.  Our guide, Avraham practically preached during our visit in 2008.

Avraham spoke 5 languages and was very knowledgeable. He told us all about the historical sites, as Schlomo did, but he also shared his Christian faith. That added a whole new dimension to his talks.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/upyernoz/2876595585/in/photostream/
                    
                The Church of the Shepherd's Field

                     Dome of The Church of the Shepherd's Field

Picture of the shepherds being greeted by a heavenly host, inside The Church of the Shepherd's Field. 

Then we visited the Church of the Nativity. St Justin Martyr identified it as the site of Jesus' birth in the second century. The entrance door was only about 4 feet high. This forces people to humble themselves to enter. The church covers about 36,000 square feet. It houses a number of chapels and several convents of  different ‘denominations.’ It is believed to be the oldest continuously operating Christian church in the world.

   

                                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity
The Door of Humility: Main Entrance into the Church.

The entrance to the church is a low doorway that has its own legends. One story is that the door was installed by the Muslims during their rule to remind Christians that they were guests in the country and must bow to their hosts. An alternative explanation is that the height of the door was designed to prevent unbelievers from entering the church on horseback. Yet another version holds that it was to protect the Christians from their hostile neighbors.

 http://www.farsinet.com/christmas/nativity_church.html

                                         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity
 Interior of the Church of the Nativity beyond the Door of Humility.

                                       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity

Believed to be the birthplace of Jesus in the cave beneath the church. A 14 point silver star marks the spot.

A newer section of the church is used every year to broadcast Christmas services worldwide.

Finally, we  visited another cave under the church where Jerome lived for 35 years or more translating the scriptures into the Latin Vulgate. Mike commented that he thought I could do that! (Occupy myself for 35 years with some kind of project! :-)  Jerome was also buried there.

From the Church of the Nativity, we went to a local Bethlehem gift shop. Mike got a replica of the Ark of the Covenant carried by priests. I got a 12 stone ephod necklace and a few knickknacks. Then we went back to the Dan Panorama in Jerusalem for the night. Our week was almost over!  It went too fast.