Jon-Jennings.com

History records that in 1517, Martin Luther ignited a reformation of the church. One of the basic principles that led his efforts for Christians to rethink things was based on the truth proclaimed by the Prophet Habbakkuk (2:4) and centuries later confirmed by Paul (Rom 1:17) that the just shall live by faith. Paul told the Ephesian believers that grace, through faith, saved us and any efforts to attain salvation by human deed or effort is futile.

I was reminded of this truth today.

We left early this morning to walk through the old city of Jerusalem, which has changed much since the time of Christ due to the various people and nations who have occupied the city over the last 2000 years. Most of the 1st century old city that Christ would have walked in is buried some 20 feet below the 2012 version of the old city, but even still you can get a feel for what it was like and even visit some of the ancient sites that have been preserved through the centuries or excavated by archaeologists. (Excavation is still going on, by the way)

Passing through the sukh (marketplace) we saw a wide variety of merchants lining the narrow streets similar to other cities outside the U.S. I have visited over the years. Unlike Muslim cities such as the ones we just visited in Morocco, here in Jerusalem it’s not uncommon to have a Jewish store next to a Muslim store with an Armenian Christian store just across the way. You have a blending of distinct cultures who have to manage incredible tension in their everyday lives, yet somehow they are able to do it.

As we navigated the sukh we came upon a sign that pointed to the famous Via Dolorosa, known as the way of suffering. It’s the route that Jesus is believed to have carried his cross through the old city after being flogged by the Roman soldiers. We, along with the many tour groups that were here today, walked a majority of the Via Dolorosa, while the scenes of the mob that would have lined the streets as Christ did this passed through my head.

The exact location of Christ’s crucifixion and burial are somewhat disputed but we visited 2 of the possible sites – one of which is the Garden Tomb area – the other (the more likely site) is inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (I will call it CHS from here )

Here is where my reminder of “the just shall live by faith” came in. The CHS was originally built by Constantine in the 4th century in an effort to preserve the site of Golgotha, the hill Jesus was crucified on, and the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea that He was buried in. After being virtually destroyed by the Muslims centuries later it was rebuilt and has been under control of the Catholic church ever since. To be frank, walking in there was more than I bargained for. At the risk of sounding condescending, it has turned into a religious shrine replete with all kinds of religious artifacts. Well meaning people wait through long lines to see and touch the hole in the rock where Christ’s cross is said to have been placed. Many fall to their knees and weep at this location as well as the proposed tomb site several hundred feet away.

I waited in the line just to get an up close view and that’s when “the just shall live by faith” hit me. While it is great to visit historical sites and retrace the footsteps of Christ, the real power of the finished work of Jesus (death, burial and resurrection) is appropriated and realized in our life when we put our faith in what he accomplished and invite Him to live in us and through us. Christ in us is the hope of glory. The same Spirit that raised Him from the dead dwells in us and whether we are in Jerusalem or Phoenix, or wherever, the resurrection power is the same.

As for CHS? Great place to visit. Wouldn’t want to live there. I choose to live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal 2:20)

The rest of the day was full. Too much to give detail about, but I do have to close by saying that it has been great visiting with our friends and co-laborers here in Jerusalem. Trish, Pam and Shmuel have expressed how blessed they have been to have us come and visit them. They are truly in a great place and God is using them mightily. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

3 more days. I miss all of you at the Fountain but I miss my kids more. Sorry. Just the way it is.

It’s been said that the number 8 in scripture represents new beginnings. That’s exactly how I would describe today (the 8th day of our trip) in my spiritual journey. Everything was so inspiring I don’t even know where to begin this blog tonight. For those of you just tuning in, I’m in Jerusalem – the city of our Great King. It’s everything I ever dreamed it would be and then some.

Our plans for the day took a sovereign detour almost immediately. Bob (my traveling companion) and I had planned to take a bus tour of the city since we only have 2 days here. We thought that would be our best option to get a panoramic view of Jerusalem and get a feel for the culture here. To get to the bus we had to walk about a mile from our hotel and as soon as we got near the place where we were to board the bus, the detour happened.

An Armenian taxi driver pulled up to the curb, which is common in this city, and asked us what our plans were. We told him and he offered to take us to various places that we could not get on the bus tour. After brief price negotiations, we agreed that it was indeed a better option, so instead of starting the tour at a hotel, we started on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem from them east. So many scriptures flooded my mind which I will not even attempt to catalog in this blog all at once but all of a sudden the Bible went from a Sunday School storybook to a living history with a secure future.

Just a few were the Olivet discourse (Matt 24), The ascension, and the poignant prophecy of Zechariah 14 where Christ is to return to that same mountain a second time without sin unto salvation. Like a lightening bolt from heaven, it all came flooding into my spirit. From there we could see the walls of the old city, the sprawl of the newer city, the famous temple mount, the Dome of the Rock which many believe houses the place where Abraham offered up Isaac; the city of David; Mount Zion; The Bethlehem hills and on and on and on….. I drank it in and craved for more.

From there we proceeded down the steep slope of the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane where Christ prayed the night before His crucifixion and was subsequently arrested. Then we drove briefly through the old city before going to the back side of the Mount of Olives to Bethany to see the tomb of Lazarus, and across the Judean desert to the city of Jericho on the edge of the lush Jordan valley. From Jericho we could see the Jordan river and beginning of the Dead Sea with Mt. Nebo (where Moses was permitted to view the promised land) staring at us in the background.

The sovereign detour grew more clear when we discovered that our cab driver is a believer who happened to be acquainted with a true Messianic Jewish Pastor living in Jerusalem. One phone call later and we were sitting down having tea with a Jerusalem born Israelite who had discovered the truth that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Folks, nothing happens by accident when you follow Jesus. Your steps are ordered by God and we realized the fullness of that truth today.

I leave you tonight with something profound that hit me at the tomb of Lazarus. It comes in the form of 3 short video clips which will take you about 2 minutes to watch all of them. As you watch them, keep this thought in mind. When you respond to the call of Christ to be free from things in your life, you may have to respond first, and wait for the fullness of your miracle afterward. Obedience may be the key to positioning yourself for God’s miracle in your life.

Tomb of Lazarus 1

Tomb of Lazarus 2

Tomb of Lazarus 3

Another day dominated by travel ended with our arrival in Jerusalem. I cried as soon as our plane touched the ground – guess it was the awe of the moment. Even though this will be a short stay in the Holy City, I hope to get a feel for the land and make preparations for a full trip in February, 2013.

The ride from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem was about 35-45 minutes in a small shuttle bus and it was drizzling rain, so visibility was somewhat limited but I was awed by the lush green farmlands and the number of trees that decorated the landscaping. What’s fascinating is that in 1948 when Israel became a nation again, the area surrounding Tel-Aviv was desolate. Reminds me of the closing words of Amos’ prophecy:

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God. (Amos 9:14, 15 ESV)

Granted there is always tension here with the Arab/Palestinian world, but if Amos is correct (and I believe he is) Israel is here to stay and regardless of what other governments, including our own, may try to do, this land is protected by a contract God made with Abraham over 3000 years ago.

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, (Genesis 15:18 ESV)

If you break down that chapter, you understand that by the nature of the covenant, God bound Himself to keep this agreement with the descendants of Abraham, and there is no government or national coalitions that can override the Sovereign Lord. The earth is His and the fullness thereof. The fact that He owns it all gives Him full rights to distribute and deed land to whomever He pleases. The fact is, this land was given by God to a man and His descendants. Case closed.

Enough preaching for now.

We linked up in the evening with one of our congregants, Patricia Hudgins, who is studying at the Hebrew University here in Jerusalem. She is doing well and sends her love to all at The Fountain. Tomorrow (today for me), we plan to catch a panoramic tour of the city before meeting up with our other friends here later this afternoon.

I hope these blogs are making you all feel a part of what we are experiencing on this trip. Heard Gary Webb did a great job preaching this morning. We miss you all but not as much as we miss our kids. My love goes out to my Fab Five. They are truly the delight of my heart.

Anyone remember the old Steve Martin/John Candy movie “Planes, Trains And Automobiles?” we did all 3 in Morocco and experienced none of the circumstances that took place in that movie. That said, no one should ever complain about the way Phoenix drivers navigate the roadways. Morrocan taxi drivers will make Phoenix drivers look mild. Living dangerously behind the wheel would be an understatement.

Thankfully we made it back to Paris even though our flight out of Rabat SW delayed nearly an hour. It was a relatively short flight, and we were able to grab a light snack before turning in for the evening. So overall it was a pretty mellow travel day. I did, however, get to make brunch quesadillas for our hosts before we left for the airport. 5 days without any kind of Mexican food is not normal for me, so I was able to bless a host and satisfy a craving at the same time.

Tomorrow we have an early flight to Tel Aviv and then a 45 minute taxi ride to Jerusalem. Just the thought of being in Jerusalem puts a lump in my throat. To walk where Jesus walked will truly be an amazing adventure. This isn’t a full tour of the country, but at least I will get a taste.

Be blessed everyone

We’ve almost reached the half way point on this excursion and what an honor it has been to see this country first hand. Our hosts have been spectacular and we have been able to forge a much deeper relationship with them, which I believe will serve us well going forward. As a church, we will have a better understanding of how to pray for this nation and the endeavors going on here.

As I stated yesterday, the light needs to shine into darkness and we need to pray that God will continue to raise up believers who will be that beacon of light and leverage their circle of influence for God’s Kingdom work in this nation.

We started the morning with a season of prayer before heading back into the heart of Marrakech. We had some great times taking in part of the old city (which is still behind the original city walls) via horse and carriage.

MOC Carriage Ride

It gave us an opportunity to witness the variety of life and culture that exists here. After that we had an opportunity to take a camel ride. THAT was awesome and no, it didn’t spit on me. My camel’s name was Fatima and she was 15 years old, the most experienced of the bunch, however, I was worried that her back would get crushed from the excess weight of this American. Here’s a link to a very short video of this experience.

Camel Ride

We finished our time in Marrakech prayer walking at a large Mosque. Friday is the holy day of the week for Muslims and as they were filing in to pray during the noon hour, we silently walked the perimeter, praying in the Spirit that God and believing God for breakthrough in this nation. We then boarded the Marrakech Express (someone tweeted to me that this was a song) and made the 4 1/2 hour trek back to Rabat. Tomorrow we transit back to Paris and Sunday morning we will fly on to Israel. Thanks to all of you for keeping up with me. We are having a blessed time.

We are now four days into this trip I am getting a great read on the spiritual climate of this beautiful country. The religious strongholds here are rooted deep into the history and culture of its people and today’s events proved to me that the light desperately needs to shine in the darkness.

This morning we boarded a commuter train in Rabat and journeyed 4 1/2 hours south to the city of Merrakech. The train ride itself gave us an impressive panoramic view of the Morrocan landscape which is replete with lush farming and numerous tiny villages. About an hour into the trip we passed through the historic city of Casablanca which houses the only Starbucks in Morocco. I couldn’t convince the conductor to stop, so my Starbucks fix will have to wait until we get back to Paris.

Merrakech is a quaint city and after checking in at the hotel, we boarded a taxi to take us to the inner city square where much of life happens. There is quite a large sukh (marketplace) here similar to Rabat in concept but much different in flavor. Private merchandise vendors, musicians and food stands line the square but the oppression I felt here was quite severe.

Aside from the fact that there are snake charmers in the open square (I kept a healthy distance) along with tarot card readers, monkey and falcon handlers, there is also a practicing witch doctor who will “cure” any ailment you have for a nominal fee. I am extremely sensitive to spiritual environments and my spirit was doing backflips as we weaved our way through the masses. All I could do was pray in the Spirit for God to send His light into this immense darkness so the blinders can come off the eyes of these wonderful people.

One doesn’t even have to be a follower of Christ to recognize that the effects of sin have taken their toll in this part of the country. We need to keep this country and our friends here at the top of our prayer list. Near the end of our time in the square we wandered to a small cafe on the rooftop of an adjacent building and prayed over Merrakech. Lord of the harvest, send forth laborers into your harvest – laborers who have the Holy Spirit and power who can penetrate this darkness with your light. Let it be.

After 3 flights, touching 3 continents and 7 time zones, we arrived safely in Morocco the night of the 14th. Our host, Connie, was gracious to pick us up at the airport and drive us to the hotel, becoming a much-needed interpreter as well as a taxi driver. The room here is small, yet affords us a spectacular view of Rabat (the capital city) and the Atlantic Ocean, which I saw for the first time today even though I am U.S. born and raised.

This morning we ventured into the Medina (Inner City), more specifically the sukkah (marketplace) where we were able to experience the cultural life flow of the Moroccans. Instead of focusing on the differences between life here and life at home, which are many, I decided to look for the similarities. Here are some of the things I noticed.

Small Business Entrepreneurs (aka street vendors) endeavored to sell their products to the masses with the hope that they will sell enough to pay the rent, eat, and perhaps better themselves along the way. Children smiled, laughed, ran, rod bikes and played games in the streets. (Somehow the smile and laughter of a child looks and sounds the same in any culture and it looks and sounds beautiful.) Teenagers with backpacks and cell phones pursued their educational dreams. Satellite dishes, cars, and yes, Phoenix, even a light rail system were prominent in the city.

I could go on and on, but one distinct similarity stood out. People here desperately need to know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

The commission of Christ to His followers to make disciples of all nations and teach them to follow His ways echoed in my mind as we meandered through the city streets, knowing full well that the harvest here is great but the laborers are few. The great commission is local, it’s regional, it’s global and it is NOT optional. How dare we claim to be followers of Jesus and refuse to take his charge seriously?

Here’s a challenge. Tomorrow when you encounter Entrepreneurs trying to best their competition, a child smiling, laughing or playing; a teenager on their phone or someone riding the light rail with you into the heart of the city; take a second look and recognize their need to know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Take it seriously. The similarities will jump out at you and hopefully capture your heart.