Towards Galilee

I have been trying to write my blog for several days but haven't had a very good internet connection in our hotel.  So, this is the first post in about 4 days.  There's no way I'll be able to fill in all the details, so I'll just touch on a few of the highlights.

Part of the ruins at Bet She'an

We left our beautiful setting at the Dead Sea and headed up the Jordan Valley towards Galilee.  That means we were getting closer to the stomping grounds of Jesus.  Our first stop was Qumran.  This is the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1948 by a Bedouin shepherd boy who was looking for his lost sheep.  Contrary to what someone said on the internet, it wasn't us who found them.  

On the way to Tiberias, where we would stay for three nights, we stopped at Bet She’an, which is the largest archeological dig in Israel. There are several civilizations buried under the rubble.  I could have stayed there all day exploring the ancient city.

Eitan Chamberlin - Our Israeli guide

We also were able to stop at Bethany Beyond the Jordan where I had the privilege of baptizing my good friend Cam.  We were both very moved by the experience.  He had been baptized as a believe already, but wanted to take this opportunity to rededicate is life to the Lord.

We also stopped at Tel Hazor- once the largest city in all of Canaan. The multi layered Tel of Hazor is a fascinating site that offers intrigue and insight into five thousand years of civilization.. Captured by Joshua and burnt to the ground this city was eventually rebuilt by Solomon in the 10^th century BC.(Joshua 11:10-14; Judges 4:2; 1 Kings 9:15).  Our guide, Eitan was in on that dig several years ago and believes it to be a very important find that substantiates the authenticity of our Bible.

Harod's Spring near where Gideon sifted the soldiers
to fight against the Midianites

 We made several stops on our way to Galilee and visited many more once we reached Tiberius in Galilee.  We've been here two nights and leave in the morning.  I am very tired and need to get some shuteye, so I'll simply list the sites and then tell you a significant story of how I tracked down my Arab Druze friend, Mahmod.

The group, minus, Cathy.

A Worshiper at Capernaum

In the last two days we spent time on the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7; Capernaum, which was Jesus' headquarters and where most of his ministry took place.  Peter lived there with his wife and mother in-law.  We went to Bethsaida, where five of the disciples were from, Tabgha, where Jesus is said to have fed the five thousand, and then across the lake to Kurzi where it is said he cast the legion of demons out of a demoniac and sent them into a herd of pigs.  We went to the Golan Heights to the border of Syria and Lebanon, to Caesarea Philippi where, in Matthew 16, Peter confessed Jesus as "The Christ, the Son of the Living God."  We went to Nimrod's Fortress, not a biblical site, but a historical one from the days of the Crusaders.  We sailed on a boat on the Sea of Galilee and was led in worship by Daniel, a Messianic Jew who loves Jesus and expresses his love beautifully in song.  At each site another piece of the puzzle, of who Jesus and his disciples were, falls into place.  "It gets better every day."  That's what I keep hearing from the group members.

Nimrod's Fortress in the Golan Heights

In our worship service at RBC before leaving on our journey, we prayed that I would be able to find my friend Mahmod and his family in the Golan Heights.  I had lost contact with them for the last year or so.  We stopped in his Druze town of Masade at the bakery that is a regular stop on our trips.  I asked if they knew him.  They drew a blank.  Eitan suggested I go next door to a restaurant and ask the owner.  I took Nabil, our driver over because he speaks fluent Arabic, among five other languages.  We asked the owner if he knows of him.  "Yes, he said.  We can show you where he lives."  He asked a young teenaged boy to walk me there.  The boy put up a bit of a fight, but the gruff restaurant owner won out and my reluctant guide walked with me up the street about two blocks away and pointed to a house.  "No, that's not it,"  I said.  "That's his wife right there," he replied.  "No, that's not his wife."  He shrugged his shoulders.

Secret Passage out of Nimrod's Fortress

A couple men walked by and the boy asked them if they spoke English.  "Yes," they said.  I asked if they knew Mahmod (and said his last name along with his wife and kids' names).  "Yes, I know them."  He pointed us to a different area.  Another guy walked up to us and said that he knew them too and would drive us.

I was starting to get a bit anxious anticipating surprising them with this visit.  By this time, Nabil showed up and was able to do some translating for me.  He came with me in the car of the stranger who was giving us a ride.

A couple minutes later we drove down a street that looked very familiar and then stopped in front of their house that was unmistakably the one I remembered from two years ago.  Nabil went with me up the long flight of stairs.  We knocked on the door several times.  No answer.  We kept on knocking to no avail.  It was a duplex with the neighbours door right next to theirs.  I recalled that Mahmod told me that his bother lived there.  We knocked on that door as well.  No answer.  We kept knocking until finally someone opened.  Reminds me of a parable of Jesus.

The Jesus Boat

Nabil asked if they knew Mahmod and his family.  "Yes.  They have moved near Haifa closer to his work.  The wife called Mahmod's wife and at the same time, the husband called Mahmod.  I talked to both of them.  They were very happy to hear from me.  I was ecstatic.  I could hardly believe God's providence.  It was an answer to prayer.  We exchanged contact information and over the next couple days we arranged that I would stay at their place for two days before visiting my Jewish friends, the Freimans.

Worshiping on the Sea of Galilee

I am so thankful that I can carry on these relationships.  God is at work.  I am going to continue praying that he would prepare us all for the conversations that would lead to greater understanding of Jesus for all of us.  The last time I stayed at their place, two years ago, I asked them about the Druze beliefs, and after listening and drawing them out I asked if they knew what the Christians believed about Jesus.Mahmod said that he had no idea. I asked if he wanted me to tell him. He said, “Yes, please.” I shared the Gospel from Genesis to Christ. After listening, Mahmod said, “I respect all religions: Judaism, Islam, Druze, and all others, but from what you said, Christianity seems to be the most reasonable.” We left it at that, but I am praying for them all that there would be more opportunity to share the love of Christ with the family this time around.  I'd like to dialogue with them more about their beliefs and, perhaps plant the seed of the Gospel of Jesus so that it can grow to fruition.  Please pray with me as I visit with both the Safadis and the Freimans.

You can go back and read my archives about my visit with both families. http://pastorjeffsblog.blogspot.com

Tomorrow we head to Mount Carmel where Elijah faced off with the prophets of Baal, Caesarea, a major Roman city that Herod built, Megiddo -- a site where multiple layers of civilizations are buried beneath the earth, and Nazareth village where Jesus was raised.  At each stop we will uncover more treasure into the life and personality of our Lord.  Each day we will be enriched spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and exhausted physically.  But, we will be satisfied and more in love with Jesus.