Yesterday morning we awoke, had breakfast and quiet time. Then made it to Bizzart Tattoo where I spent six hours getting a tattoo of the altar and columns of the ancient Temple. It's an idea I designed a few months ago, and thought it would be cool to get done in Jerusalem. So we went to a studio on the basis of several friends' advise, and I got it drawn up. The artists name happened to be Asaph! (That's the name of the head worship leader at the Tabernacle of David (1Chr 16). The gunner, Hiam, did a great and fast job. So after a tat, we hopped on a Sheru (van) and made it to Ben Gurion Airport to get hassled by security for packing too light for a two weeks trip! An hour later, we get through security and get our passes, then wait at the gate on standby to once again receive favor and get business class tickets home. Ashlee, Jenn, and Grace came to get us, and we had some good ol' Cracker Barrel to celebrate a return. I crashed for a couple hours, got up to attend section leaders meeting at IHOP-Atl. Came back home for a bit, but I'm about to head back to the House for my 10pm set. We're back! Shalom.

Sabbath Peace. This Shabbat like last week, is marked by a cessation of work in the city. The streets dramatically dropping in traffic flow. No horns honking and construction waking me up in the morning. Finally, I made it to the Garden Tomb today. We had tried before and couldn't find it! After going, I know that the Lord had an appointed time for me there, on this Shabbat. Unlike the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the area retains the feel of it's ancient heritage- a tomb in a rich man's garden. It certainly has a lot of evidence to be the very tomb. We are told in scriptures that the tomb was Joseph's, a rich man of the Sanhedrin. It was in a garden. The tomb was hewn out of the rock, and had a stone rolled over the entrance. Other sources confirm the Biblical account and add to it. Some priests feared that Jesus' disciples would remove the body, hide it, and falsely claim he had risen. So they requested Roman guards for the tomb. The Romans not only guarded the tomb, but actually drove spikes into the wall on the left and right of the stone to lock it in place, make it immoveable. The didn't put in place the God factor. On the morning of the third day, an earthquake again shook the city. Accounts tell us, this is what moved the stone. At the Garden Tomb, you can see a long crack in the wall to the right of the entrance (determined to have occurred in that time period). It runs right towards where the right side spike would have been. But in the picture you see a manmade construction. That's because the earthquake fractured those stones and thus the spike removed and the stone rolled away. It's modern buildup was due to concern that the weight of the street above was putting more pressure on the opening, was the wall was laid to strengthen it against possible damage. There are many more indicators... too much to blog about.

I enjoyed my time in prayer at the Garden and consider this very well could have been the place. The atmosphere there is sweet with prayers and singing. The Spirit near, as the bustling Arabic community around it seems altogether almost a different world, not noticed when you're in the Garden. I do not know what to say about where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. There is no certainty. God is good about concealing a matter. But if the place was certain, how much more would people come to worship the place, rather than the person? What good is knowing the true place anyway, apart from knowing Him? My time at the Garden was however, quite faith strengthening-- to see how indeed it could have played out 2000 years ago. To see it and touch it. Shabbat Shalom.

Yesterday and today were less eventful, but good. I've been studying and praying. We stayed in the city and enjoyed the culture. I had a very good conversation with a jewish merchant. He had never seen anyone with a tattoo like mine, and I let him read it. I explained that it was Tehillim (Psalm) 146 and he was very interested in why. That opened the door for me to share on my meditations of that psalm and my belief in Yeshua. It's a difficult line, to share in discussion when in public. Proselytizing is illegal in Israel, and Ashlee told me I had to come on time and was not to go to jail on this trip. lol. We talked about the roots of christianity in judaism. He said 'you must be a teacher,' expressing that my explanations and understanding made a lot of sense. May good seeds be planted! I hope to visit him again before I leave. I didn't buy anything from him, but if I have a few extra shekels on Sunday, I liked a ring he had. In hebrew it reads "if I forget Jerusalem I have forgotten my right hand." Quite a fitting ring for a watchman on the wall: "I have set watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night: you who call on Yahweh, take no rest, and give him no rest, until he establish, and until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." (Is 62:6) I had another encounter with a non-religious jew named Asaf. That is another story, for another time. For now i must be off. Shalom.

This morning I woke up and trekked to the house of prayer on Mt Zion. On the way I actually walked out of my sandals! They fell apart while I was walking... the left into three pieces. I had only worn them twice in the US-- that's a testimony to how much walking we've done here. Sooo anyway, I threw them in a trashcan on my shortcut through a park, and walked the rest of the way barefoot. I didn't have time to go shoe shopping. I was leading worship for the 10am- their main set of the day. It was a blessing to lead worship on Mount Zion, the very hill where 24/7 prophetic worship actually began 3000 years ago. I lead in weakness-- barefoot, a borrowed guitar, no tuner and a very out of tune starting point, no songbook, a congregation where I don't know the songs they know, no other musicians. It was a blessing to have Guy as a prayer leader. But in that two hour set, I felt the presence of the Lord, and we engaged as one. That's our Lord's way; He loves our weakness. Even in our strength we are still weak, we just let our own confidence get in the way of His move.

After worship, I walked back into the city center. It's amazing how many people look at you in a jewish neighborhood when you're a very tall Goyim with a hebrew tattoo and walking barefoot. I thought, this is just the sort of thing the Lord would do to declare a word to His people, and walked along the hot streets half anticipating the Holy Spirit to fall on me with the word of the Lord. It didn't happen. I was glad. I didn't want to be arrested today. Instead I found a shoe store, walked in barefoot, walked out in new sandals.

After lunch I went to Yad VaShem, the holocaust museum. I couldn't speak as I walked through the long triangular tunnel, listening to survivor stories, seeing pictures, personal articles, and watching videos. I was silent leaving, too. I can't express it, really. Appalling and unbelievable. I studied the holocaust in school, and I've seen shows on the history channel. I've thought about it, mourned. But seeing the hundreds of shoes that were found at a death camp where they were taken off the bodies before the bodies were thrown in a furnace-- it becomes very real. I saw german footage of a bulldozer pushing hundreds of lifeless human beings into a dug out crater and covering them with dirt. The anti-christ spirit that was in Hitler had the power not only to blind millions of people to the atrocity of their actions, but to motivate thousands of soldiers to commit those actions! Gentiles turned in their jewish friends for bread money. How influential will the anti-christ at the end of the age be? I cannot imagine. It's a terrible feeling, but one I hope everyone gets to experience-- it's a change-you-on-the-inside encounter. 8 hours later, I'm still haunted by the size of the room of names, where massive volumes of logbooks record the names of the victims of genecide, all around me, high above, and far below. Several stories high...just shelves packed full with books. Unbelievable. Absolutely real.

The lonely walking trail to Yad VaShem. No picture taking there. You need to see it in person anyway.

For several years I've been fascinated with Masada, a stronghold built in the Hasmonean period somewhere between 103 - 76 B.C. It was later expanded by Herod the Great, and eventually became the last great stand of the jews against the romans. It's a mountaintop fortress in the desert, and high above the plain of the Dead Sea. The fortress from the third Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was designed similar to Masada- a majestic mountaintop, with the Palace tiered on the pointed North corner. What an amazing site! Preserved in it's antiquity, Masada is mysterious and revealing at once. It's incredible to sit in such an ancient synagogue, or see how Herod's bathhouse was constructed to have cold and hot baths, and a sauna with heat from a furnace pumped through the double floor and up walls that were built with clay piping for the heat. After walking in the brutal summer heat through the ruins on top of this arid summit, it's refreshing and amazing to feel how cool it is inside one of the guardhouses that still stands- the stone walls chilly on the inside at 3pm. I spent several hours at the site, and I'm so glad I did.

On the way to the fortress I met some Israelis in the cable car. They were very kind, and asked if I was religious. They were surprised that I was christian (thinking I was jewish, and noting my tattoo). They called me a 'believer,' and asked why I came to Masada. That opened the door for me to explain that I was very aware of the jewish roots of christianity. I also shared how many christians are awakening to that reality, and how I and many believers pray for Israel. It seemed to be a remarkable thing to them. Something they were absolutely unaware of. May it be a good seed planted in their hearts.

Here's a view from Masada to the nearest Roman encampment. Winding two foot wide trails were the only passages into Masada. See why it was 'impenetrable'?



Some of the dwellings within Masada



The remains of an inside wall of Herod's Palace. You can imagine the opulence that once marked this place.


A preserved mikvah bath (ritual bath). This is the baptism pool of judaism, from which our tradition of baptism stems.

Today one Graham (from the US) left us, and another Graham (from Ireland) arrived. Shane and I grabbed Graham and went into the city again. I took them both to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Western Wall, and then we ate and explored the city some more. The day was about sharing what God is doing in Ireland and in the US. We passed on to Graham the knowledge that was passed to us about how to get around and where things were. Just as the previous Graham, and Sean, Josh, and Rob had helped us. The night brought with it dinner at Succat Hallel where we met several more staff and had good fellowship. We worshiped together for the new moon celebration on the First of Av, the month of the Father. Many key Biblical events occur on the first of the month (search the scriptures) and in ancient Israel a special celebration was given, and at the Temple a special sacrifice. Numerous scriptures show it's place in ancient Israel: Num 29:6 Ps 81:3, Is 66:23, Amos 8:5, Col 2:16. So as Num 29:6 calls for a new moon offering, we worshiped in special assembly from 8-10pm tonight. I've never celebrated for a new moon, what a wonderful experience to be a part of while actually able to see the Old City walls to the north! It continued the theme of meditation that's been in my mind today since I laid my hands upon the Western Wall just before lunch. Mainly, the King is returning to His city. The Temple will one day stand again, but in righteousness, with Yeshua reigning in all the earth. For the Lord declared: "And I will make that which was lame a remnant, And that which was cast far off a strong nation: And Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever." (Mi 4:7) And we know when this will happen, for John testified, "The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ. He will reign forever and ever!" (Rev 11:15).

Today Shane and I got up and heading into the Old City again. I wish I could have taken you with me in video or pictures, but most of the places I went didn't allow it, and others were simply too dark. So all I could do today was this walk through the open area of the Jewish Quarter: walkthejewishquarter. This time we found a great bookstore in the Jewish Quarter, then spent a long time at the Temple Institute, looking at newly made articles for use at the future Third Temple. T.I. made the Menorrah pictured a couple days ago. Today we saw the Golden Table of Shewbread, plus harps, lutes, bowls, forks, shovels, and other articles made to the ancient specs. I've seen most of these in pictures, but to stand two feet from the Table, was a meaningful experience for me. That meaning grew as Shane, our new friend Graham, and myself celebrated Erev Shabbat together at sunset. I shared about some of the things I've learned about Shabbat as we recited the blessings, and had a Shabbat communion. I loved how the city changed- all the shops closing early, families preparing, and the silence in the streets at the time approached. And now back to earlier today.... after the Temple Institute we had lunch at The Quarter above Misgav Ladosh, which I highly recommend. Then we travelled through much of the Old City and got wrecked by the differences between the Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim quarters. You immediately know when you've crossed from one area into the next. My heart aches for the multitudes in this city. There is so much to pray for. After about six hours exploring, we came back to our apartment and ate. My sandals are falling apart and my legs are very sore from all the walking we've done.




After a 30 minute nap, I went back into the Old City to find the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is a marvelous architectural and artistic accomplishment with many holy relics. What I found there was beauty, joy, and sadness. I could have spent many hours gazing on the artistry of the church. I saw people's reaction to the place that ranged from the disrespectful/oblivious tourist who didn't seem to care that he was in a church during prayer; to the manic pilgrim wailing and kissing a rock. I paused for prayer during the cantor. Then, through the ornate and dim-lit corridors, I found a stairway down into rough stone, and into a small chamber. Suddenly alone, I sat down and said, "my Jesus, I want to know you more." It was there I met the Lord, and sat in intimate communion with Him for the first time in the Holy Land. It's my most remarkable moment of the trip. Before leaving I wondered, 'is this the tomb where Jesus was laid?' Later on (returning to the apartment and reading up on the place) I realized that I had been in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. It was a humble place in comparison to the rest of the monument. The Church was originally built at the order of Empress Helena, mother of Constantine in 326. Helena was taken to Golgotha by Jerusalem's Bishop Macarius, and commissioned the construction. It was later destroyed and rebuilt several times. This is one of two sites over which the debate of Jesus' crucifixion and burial are set. I would lean towards the garden tomb by my natural inclinations, though most evidence supports this site. Now, I'd go for this site just from the experience I had today. lol.

I was awake around 3:30am this morning with a burden for the lost in Israel. For the next couple hours, I interceded on my bed for the salvation of those in Tel Aviv and for laborers with authority to come meet this desperate need. The harvest is ripe in Israel. By 5:45am Shane and I were walking on the beach. After breakfast around 7:30am, we packed up and got a bus to Jerusalem. Then, we made our way to Succat Hallel, south of the Old City. We sat in the prayer room a while in worship, and took communion. Then we trekked to the ministry house (which is actually an apartment). Got falalfels for lunch, and met our roommates. Took a nap, walked around a bit, bought a few groceries. Here's a movie clip from our exploration: MPEG0022. I'll have better clips later in the week. I didn't think about filming until it was almost dark. Anyway, we went out for pizza and a movie (the Jerusalem Film Festival is going on). But the movie was sold out, so we got ice cream and headed back. It's beautiful here! I've enjoyed the city, and the people. Guys at the apartment are each in different ministries, and I look forward to getting to know them more. One of them is from Rome, GA! We've had some blessed conversation today. Mostly I've been getting a grid on the spiritual atmosphere in Jerusalem from the other guys, and my interactions in transit. I'm also trying to get a grip on modern hebrew. Prayer partners, please pray that my language increases rapidly, and that I walk in a series of divine appointments. Tomorrow, we'll go into the Old City more and visit the Wailing Wall, the Temple Mount, etc.

Shalom from Tel Aviv! We had an easy flight, and took a bus into Tel Aviv to haYarkon, and got a room in the Shalom Hotel. Met several gracious Israelis here, one was talking to me about my tattoo, fascinated. He spoke hebrew too quickly for me to understand all of it, but we did have a bit of joyful, if awkward, dialogue. Tel Aviv is a very busy and tightly packed city. Finding ourselves rather hungry we discovered the aroma of food not far away and made our way on foot to Namal Tel Aviv which is a port with lots of people, live music, and places to eat. After our first meal on Israeli soil, we walked through Ha'Azma'ut Garden to the beach, and got our feet wet in the Mediterranean Sea. Now we're back at the hotel and about to crash. Tomorrow, we'll have breakfast here and step on the beach again, then we'll move on to Jerusalem.

I intended to bed early Sunday night, but ended up at the kitchen table writing a worship song until 4am. When you gotta write, you gotta write. I'm excited about the song and hope to borrow a guitar or keyboard at Succat Hallel to continue working on the composition. However, it made the day of departure a bit more hurried to get the last things done at IHOP and at home. I'm now on an eleven hour flight to Tel Aviv. It's a good time to sleep, but I've awoken and have been reading the book of Ezra.