Jerusalem

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Dana

Thursday, after the Bar Mitzvah, Susan and I stopped by the Dead Sea then drove to Jerusalem, less than an hour away. After getting lost, making u-turns, and asking strangers for directions, we finally found the place to turn in our rental car. Within ten minutes our friend Dagmar walked up and greeted us. We followed her through Jaffa Gate with suitcases bumping along the cobblestone roads while taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells of the ancient city. Women with veiled faces sold fresh fruit and vegetables, men persistently invited us into their shops, and teenage boys pushed carts full of freshly butchered beef to the meat markets. In this part of the city, adults wore clothes that look the same as in Bible times, while children wearing play clothes kicked a soccer ball in the ally. The first level of apartments we entered are over a thousand years old, but our missionary friends live upstairs in the ‘new’ five-hundred-year-old section. Dagmar is from Germany and Harry is from Holland and they are the only Europeans living in the Muslim Quarter. They’ve been there over twenty-one years.

What makes Old Jerusalem so unique is the obvious importance of religion in the city. We were only there a day and a half, but the observations were constant. Overlooking our apartment was an orthodox school where fully robed Jews constantly sing, chant, or recite Scripture. Five times a day the loudspeakers sound the Muslim call to prayer. Friday, Susan and I took a wrong turn and found ourselves in a mass of people walking to pray at the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. Israeli soldiers saw we were out of place and pointed us the opposite direction – against the flow of hundreds of people. As we turned a corner, we were almost run over by a guy carrying a cross followed by twenty or thirty young adults singing Italian hymns. They were walking the Via Dolorosa, remembering the path of the suffering Savior. Late Friday afternoon, as we exited Jerusalem through the Damascus Gate, we met a multitude of Jews on their way to celebrate Sabbath at the Western Wall. While all were dressed in black and white, there was quite a variety of hats, head coverings, hair styles, and beards as Jews from all over the world made their way to the location of Herod’s Temple from Jesus’ time. I wonder what Jesus thinks about Jerusalem today…

I always love conversations with sold-out believers from other parts of the world. God sees one Body of Christ on earth and I think he really wants us to know we need each other. “So what’s God showing you these days?” I asked Harry. “Dana, we need grace. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we are constantly dealing with people of the law. Muslims follow their law. Jews follow the law of Moses. Even many Christians seem to only emphasize the law. But God knows we need grace. ‘The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’ In this city, it seems all are trying to justify themselves by what they do or what they don’t do. Deep down, though, each knows he’s not really righteous. Jesus is the only One who ever lived a life of purity and perfect obedience. He was most frustrated with those who missed the very nature of God while claiming to follow all the rules and regulations. Let me describe a familiar old scene from this city. On the Day of Atonement a man would bring a lamb to the priest at the Temple to atone for his sins. In the very act of bringing a sacrifice, the man was admitting he was a sinner. The priest would ask him if it was his own sheep – one he raised or purchased with his own money. Once the man confirmed it was his sheep, the priest took the animal and ignored the man. He checked the wool to make sure there was no spot or blemish. He checked the feet to make sure the lamb was not lame. He checked the eyes and teeth to make sure there was no blindness or disease. If the lamb passed inspection, the priest would ask the man to put his hands on the head of the sheep. At this point all the sins the man had committed the past year were transferred to the sacrifice and the symbolic perfection of a spotless lamb was transferred to the man. The animal’s throat was then slit, the blood was spilled, and the man walked away clean and forgiven.”

“Oh if the Muslims could see what God has done! Oh if the Jews could realize that Jesus was the perfect Lamb! And oh if we as Christians could keep our eyes on this One given in our place! God knows we are sinners and it does not matter how great our sin. He looked at his Son and declared him the acceptable sacrifice. Our sins were transferred to him and his righteousness is transferred to us. We should realize we are free… free to love, free to worship, free to bless others, and free to thank God for his immeasurable grace that restores relationship between us and our Father. This is what we need in Jerusalem… and this is what you need in the States.”

It is good to be reminded.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” John 1:29

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Bar Mitzvah

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Dana

Susan and I took a quick trip to Israel last week. Some of you may remember the story of a little boy named Roy I met on a flight from Paris to Atlanta six years ago. Well, his dad Steve invited us to Roy’s Bar Mitzvah to be held at Massada on April 21 and 22. Susan and I landed in Tel Aviv on Sunday afternoon to be welcomed by a downcast father. “We’ve got to talk,” Steve said. “Due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland, the Paris airport is shut down and Roy can’t get here. We’re going to have to postpone the celebration for a week. I am so sorry. I wanted to inform you but you had already left before we knew for sure.”

So what do you say? The whole reason we made a trip had just been canceled. But I knew Steve already felt horrible and I knew God had arranged for us to be there, so I just said, “Don’t worry about us, Steve. We’re happy to be here and we’ll pray that something works out where the celebration can still take place.” Steve said there was really no hope for the Bar Mitzvah to happen. The dinner was canceled, the rabbi was canceled, the photographer was canceled, and fifty (or so) people were asked to re-schedule for the next week. Thankfully all the guests were from Israel except us and Steve’s sister from New York City.

So for a few days, Susan and I lived with Steve, his wife Anat, two-year-old Hilla, and three-year-old Sagi in Binyamina near the historical city of Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea. We happened to be there for two national holidays. The equivalent of our Memorial Day was celebrated Sunday night and Monday. On this holiday, all Jewish citizens remembered the fallen soldiers from the past sixty-three years. A television station dedicated the day to the memory of those who had given their lives. Pictures were shown and relatives spoke on camera about their loved ones. Periodically a siren sounded throughout the country and all stood in silence to remember those that had made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation. Monday night the grieving turned to celebration as Independence Day began. Food was enjoyed, flags were waved, and fireworks lit up the skies of the small coastal town. All day Tuesday we were on the top of Mount Carmel for a cookout. Most of the people we met assumed we were Jewish and asked when we were planning to immigrate. When they discovered we were Christians we had some very interesting conversations. Our new friends were very intelligent, very friendly, and very talkative. Children played, people sang and danced, and we all enjoyed delicious food.

Tuesday night, Steve burst into our room yelling, “God may be answering your prayers!” Roy’s mom had found a way to Israel through Spain. For a long time Steve made numerous phone calls to try to bring everything back together. Sixteen hours later we found ourselves at the Dead Sea checking into the Massada Guest House. More people came to the celebration than they had originally planned. Thirteen-year-old Roy was surrounded by friends and family at a huge feast held in his honor. We were wakened at 4:30 Thursday morning to take the cable car up the historic Massada mountain to watch the sun rise. There, at an ancient synagogue, the Torah was read and the rabbi welcomed Roy to manhood before the God of Israel.

To tell you the truth, when I think of this trip, my head starts spinning. We’ve been trying to encourage one another lately to say “yes” to our Heavenly Father… no matter what He asks. I’ve come to the conclusion that God likes roller coasters. In six or seven days our plans probably changed a dozen times. Most of the time the only profitable thing we could do was pray. (I think I hear God whispering, “Exactly! And believe I can do all things!”) But that’s the challenge in walking by faith, isn’t it? It is easy to rejoice when everything’s going according to schedule, but what happens when a little volcano shuts down an entire continent? “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” Jesus said this to his disciples a few hours before their world turned upside down. His encouragement is the same today.

As Susan and I lived in a Jewish home and walked in a foreign neighborhood and met a diverse people, I felt God’s pleasure. When we arrived home, Steve sent an e-mail that made me think. If we are simply kind… if we will simply pray… if, by God’s grace, we simply say “yes” to his invitations, maybe it makes a difference. “Dear Dana and Susan, Thanks for the prayers and great wishes. They surely did something and maybe thanks to those prayers this whole event occurred after all. Thanks! Steve.”

“In the same way,  let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

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hope

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Dana

“May the God of hope give you all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

This verse fell out of my Bible our first morning in Africa. Kinsey had written it in a note while I was in the hospital this past summer. I quoted it to our friends, the Hunters, one morning and reflected on the name of the school they started in Namibia – Community Hope School. “God gave us that name six years ago on Easter Sunday,” Suzanne said. “The pastor was preaching about the hope Jesus had – even while hanging on the cross. His death was bringing hope to the world. His sacrifice would not be in vain. And since all things are possible for God, Jesus knew there was going to be a resurrection. We felt like these children we are serving and the community in which they live need this same miraculous hope.” Maybe we all need this miraculous hope.

“… that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” I often think of the power of the Holy Spirit healing the sick or casting out demons or performing signs and wonders. But God knows in this world it takes the power of his Holy Spirit to hope the way we should. Katatura is the poorest section of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Many think it has the highest rate of AIDS in the nation. We hear statistics about AIDS and shake our heads, but I have a different perspective now. I rode to school one morning with Jodi, a Canadian missionary we’ve known for several years. We stopped to pick up Bless and Katerine, a four year old boy and nine year old girl. As they ran to our car, Jodi said, “I’ll be back.” A few minutes later a frail lady walked out of the house to tell her kids goodbye. “Bye bye Mommy,” the children shouted. I was introduced to Agnes and then we drove off.

“Agnes is my age and she is about to die,” Jodi said. “She has AIDS.” “How old are you?” I asked. “Twenty-seven.” Statistics become more powerful when you see a face or when you carry impacted kids to school or when you think of your own twenty-something year old children. So where’s the hope? Bless and Katerine aren’t the only students at Community Hope School with such difficult circumstances. I think every child has already lost loved ones to this deadly disease. But when you walk into the school, hope is all around. Smiling faces reflect peace and joy. Teachers overflow with hope and love. Eager first graders through sixth graders study English, Math, Science, Health, and Bible. Beautiful African ladies prepare daily meals for the eighty-eight students. Each child gets a dose of vitamins for dessert. There is laughter, mischief, nurturing, and discipline… the things common in good schools. By the effort of committed educators and workers and by the power of the Holy Spirit, hope abounds.

So I’ve decided I want to overflow with hope at my school and in my city and in my home. And when things seem dark and hopeless, I’m going to remember Jesus on the cross. No act of obedience will be in vain; resurrection is a part of the plan; and “with God, all things are possible.”

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:2-5

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marathon

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Dana

Taylor crawled out of his girlfriend’s car Sunday morning in a bit of pain. But he had a smile on his face because he had just completed a marathon in Atlanta, breaking the time goal he had set for himself. “Do you remember the words, ‘Run with perseverance the race marked out for you’?” he asked. “Dad, that verse just took on new meaning.”

We know ‘perseverance’ involves putting one foot in front of the other and never quitting, but I wonder if it also involves a certain type of belief. I talked to Taylor yesterday. “To finish that race, you had to believe you could do it, right?” He agreed. We know Peter sank because he took his eyes off Jesus, distracted by the wind and the waves surrounding him. But I imagine self doubt also crept in. “Why did I step out of the boat? I can’t do this!”

Our friend Scott Harsh just got a great report from the doctor. No cancer activity was found in his body. We praise God. I know exactly how Scott felt as he came to the end of three months of chemotherapy. “I don’t think I handle this last treatment.” But you press on… because you must. You’re persevering for your wife and kids more than you’re doing it for yourself. When the race seems far more brutal than a marathon, but it is the one you’ve been given to run, you remember: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient” so we must believe and persevere.

But what if the end comes? What if the job is lost or the relationship is severed or death occurs? How do we persevere when there is no more hope? Surely we must follow Abraham’s example: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” Believe God can still bring good… is this not what we’re called to do? Jesus even has the power over death. Is this not true? You know I am not being flippant about such matters. We all want to know: “How does God want me to think? How does God want me to live?” Sometimes I take the next step because I’m young, I’m healthy, I believe I can do it, and I hear my girlfriend cheering me on. Other times I take the next step because I simply know I must. Christ is with me… that’s his promise and he cannot lie. But there are occasions that seem utterly impossible. I’m not young; I’m not healthy; I don’t believe I can do it; I can’t feel Christ’s presence; I can’t remember his promises; and I don’t even see a next step. What now? God says, “Believe, my child. Hope in me. Wait on me. In the end you will not be disappointed.”

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:27-31

(I won’t be able to write the next couple of weeks. Susan and I are going to see our missionary friends in Namibia. Thanks for your prayers.)

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not our own

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Dana

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” I Corinthians 6:19-20

Randy Moore is a friend who is a nurse. When the earthquake struck Haiti, he went down to offer his services. Randy was so struck by the needs and so attached to the people that he found it hard to leave. He hopes to stay in the country at least two more months. Our daughter, Karlyn, and a group from school plans to leave at the end of the month to assist with the overwhelming needs still present in Haiti.

Reading Randy’s stories and thinking of God’s heart for the poor and the suffering, I imagine internal conflict is common. “I’m tired, Lord. There’s too much to be done, Lord. I don’t think I can go on, Lord. I see the needs, Lord, but is healing possible?” He gently reminds us, “You’re not your own; you were bought at a price. My grace is sufficient. Be filled with my Spirit and share my love.”

We met a couple in Riobamba who left their home in Canada to take care of orphans in Ecuador. They had ten children of their own at the time and some would say they were foolish to go to a foreign land with no friends and no support. But that’s what they did and for the past fourteen years they’ve taken care of over 450 children.

Glenda and Ron would say they were hippies who found Jesus and knew they were to spread his love to those who didn’t know him. They’ve experienced God’s grace, God’s provision, and God’s miracles. But the journey has not been easy. Besides the normal work of changing diapers, feeding babies, and raising children, they’ve experienced the opposition Satan creates when someone wholeheartedly says “yes” to the Lord.

So how do you deal with fatigue, discouragement, worry, or any of the other things that come against mind, body, or spirit? We must go to the Giver of Life.

“Yes, Lord, I am yours, but I’m not sure I can make it. Please give me the energy I need, the courage I need, the attitude I need, and the love I need to do what you’ve called me to do.” No one understands this prayer better than Jesus. He poured his heart out to his Father in the Garden and God gave him everything he needed to complete his journey. And now Jesus lives to intercede for us.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

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