Israel – Day 2

It’s only our second day touring Israel and we already feel like we are drinking from a fire hydrant. Today we worshipped in a church atop Mount Carmel, explored the 3,500 year old ruins of the ancient city, Megiddo, and visited the hometown of Mary Magdalene, where we also saw a first century synagogue that Jesus most likely attended and even ministered in.Magdala, the birthplace of Mary Magdalene (“of Magdala”) is an ongoing archeological dig that was discovered only a few years ago. We saw a distinct difference between the houses of wealthy people and commoners by the homes they lived in. The wealthy had expensive tile mosaics and immersion baths for their own private cleansing rituals. On the way to Magdala along the highway (which had been the site of a walking path), we drove by an ancient cemetery that you see here. Notice the grave on the left has a round stone that would have been rolled in front of the tomb, just like Jesus’ tomb.Megiddo was a strategically located city at the junction of four major roadways, and alongside the valley of Armageddon. It was abandoned by Jesus’ day, but was the site of forty cities, all rebuilt on top of one another.  We explored the ruins and descended into the water shoot and hiked through the tunnel that supplied water to the city.But the real story of the day was our worship experience at a church that sits atop the tallest peak of Mt. Carmel. Mt. Carmel was the site of Elijah’s showdown with the priests of Baal in 1 Kings 18.This church was like none I had ever seen. The founding pastor is American, his wife is Jewish. The church is made up of Jews, Arabs, and refugees from Syria, Egypt and Sudan, all considering themselves one body in Christ. In the world, they are shooting at each other. But in Christ, they are praying together, studying the Bible together, and worshipping together. I prayed with a former Muslim young man named Jihad (you know what that means) and a Jewish young man named Aviv. Both are zealously following Christ! Imagine worshipping in a congregation like that.I’m looking forward to learning more. But today, we got a glimpse into the work that God is doing in Israel, fulfilling his prophetic promises. Pray with me that the attention our world is paying to strife, war and hatred, be turned to the unifying invitation that Jesus gives to all who will repent and believe on him.