Petra - Part One

On Saturday, April 26th, I had the opportunity to go to cross the border into southern Jordan and visit Petra. Petra is a city that was carved out of the mountains around 300 BC by the Nabateans. For hundreds of years, it was forgotten about until being rediscovered less than 200 years ago. Most recently, it took a 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan to make Petra a true tourist attraction. I went with Stephen, a young co-volunteer at CFI from Canada, and his roomate, Marcus, from Finland. Friday afternoon we drove to the very southern tip of Israel to a very popular resort city called Eilat. The tour group would pick us up at the hotel for a one day trip to Petra. It would be a long day but very rewarding. Petra was everything I anticipated it would be and more. Below is the most recognizable structure in Petra, the Treasury Building.

Below we are standing in line waiting to exit Israel. Passports are checked by both Israel and Jordan coming and going.

As we walk the short walk to Jordan just like a prisoner swap in the movies.

Below we are approaching the border of Jordan. Jordan is country that was created after World War I by the British for the HaShemite Kingdom. When he served as Foreign Minister in early 1920's, Winston Churchill was a major player in creating Jordan. Jordan actually is part of the Biblical Land promised to the Jews which God Himself divinely gave to His Chosen People. He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance," Psalm 105: 7-11.

Giant pictures of King Abdullah are everywhere in Jordan. He took over the throne from his father, King Hussein, who died in 1999. No democracy here.

The little gift shop at the border. One tourist from Panama or somewhere was supposed to have a pre-entry Visa to Jordan. The lack of that Visa caused us an extra 30 minutes.

The men's room at the Jordanian border. No comment, "a picture is worth a thousand words".

The Israeli city of Eilat as seen from Jordan.

A kitten came out of this rug at the gift shop and was wanting to jump down. I started to help it down but then decided I might get arrested for touching a cat. So I left it alone.

After we cleared passport control, it would be a 2 hour drive to Petra. It was a beautiful day. Southern Jordan is all mountains. Biblically it is the land of Edom and Moab. Jacob's twin brother, Esau, settled here. Esau also became known as Edom, which means "red" in Hebrew. Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary." Therefore his name was called Edom. Genesis 25:29-30.

The Bible is full of stories of the Edomites especially when they did not allow Moses and the Israelites pass through their land on the way to the Promised Land. Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’" Then Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword." So the children of Israel said to him, "We will go by the Highway ... " Then he said, "You shall not pass through." So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from
him. Numbers 20:17-21.

Our little tour bus to Petra.

The visitor's welcoming center at Petra.

King Hussein on the left came to power in the early 1950's after his grandfather was assasinated at the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. From 1948 to 1967, Jordan had control of The Old City in Jerusalem which included the Temple Mount. They also had control of the area that is know as the West Bank (of the Jordan). In 1967, King Hussein made a "pact" with Abdul Nasser, the leader of Eqypt to fight against Israel. In 1967, during the 6-Day War, Jordan actually fired first at Israel. In just a few days, Israel regained their divinely appointed Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria (the West Bank). In the 1980's, King Hussein declared that Jordan no longer cared about the West Bank. Today the "Palestinian Authority" is saying "give us our land back". The "West Bank" and East Jerusalem was never under Palestinian Authority but only under Jordanian control. No one seems to pay attention to the true facts including the US government. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Psalm 101:7.

It is a few kilometers walk to Petra. It's all downhill and you pass through a tall canyon called the "siq". The ending of the 3rd Indiana Jones movie was filmed here.

The scenery is beautiful along the way to the siq.

This is just a sample of the carved out dwelling places inside Petra. Petra is Greek for "rock". Very similar to the apostle Peter who's real name was Simon.. ...Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). John 1:40.

Because of so many "red" rocks, Edom is an appropriate name.

As we begin entering the siq. The canyon walls just got larger the further you walked.

Edom is a very prophetic location. It appears to be one location that the false messiah to come, the antichrist, cannot touch. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. Daniel 11:41.

When people are in the photo, you can see how massive the canyon walls are.

There are young Arab men willing to lead you down the siq on a horse, donkey, or modern day chariot (buggy). Walking down was not bad, but riding out later might be a good idea.

It was a hot day, but you did not notice it because of the splendor of the landscape to see.

Rocks are definitely red.

Still on the pathway.

The canyon narrows as you approach the entrance to Petra.

A desert taxi.

Getting closer to the end of the siq and the entrance to Petra.

You can see the Treasury Building in the distance.

When you see the Treasury Building, you realize the Nabateans must have been very good sculptures to carve this out of the side of the mountain. Below I would assume they are Jordanian police or park police. We actually had one young kid with the Tourist Police ride on the bus with us. I don't know if he was supposed to be watching or protecting us.

The Treasury Building is good for photos.

From inside the Treasury Building looking out.

The area adjacent to the Treasury Building.

Looking straight up.

This is the inside wall.

Kay always wanted a camel and I'm not sure why.

Next week I will post more photos as we continued downhill in Petra. It was an exciting day in the Middle East. There was a lot to see.

Passover in Israel

Saturday evening, April 19th, was Passover Night when Jews around the world are commanded to remember God's deliverance from Eqyptian bondage. Passover comes from the 10th plague described in Exodus 12. ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. Exodus 12:12-14. Below is our copy of the Haggada which we would use tonight. A Haggada describes the order of the service. In Hebrew, order is "seder". This year we were invited to a "seder" in Modi'in halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our saviour know that the Passover night described in Exodus 12 is a preview of His sacrifice for us. Just as we are saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus, that night in Eqypt, the Jews were saved also saved by the blood of the lamb. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. Exodus 12:23. Below is our row of English speakers at the seder. Everyone else spoke Hebrew. One of the sisters of our hostess interpretted the seder as we went along. Our Haggada was both Hebrew and English, so sometimes it was just a matter of making sure we knew what was being read.

The night before the crucifixion, the Lord Jesus and His disciples celebrated a Passover Seder. Mark record portions of a seder. “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mark 14:20-26 Below our seder started this evening with a little worship and praise.

Before the seder started.

As the leader explained the seder, we followed along in our Haggadas. There were both Jews and Gentiles present that know the Lord Jesus. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Romans 19:12-13.

Just to make sure all the leaven was purged from the house, we all wrote a "piece of leaven" in our life that needed to be purged. That leaven was burned. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. Exodus 12:15. There were also some Jewish friends of the hosts who do not the Lord Jesus as they saviour. Pray that there many questions at the end of the seder will be answered shortly to the glory of the Lord Jesus.

Our "sins" produced a small bonfire.

As the seder went along, several songs were fun to sing. One song had thirteen short stanzas to it. As each stanza was added, all the other stanzas had to be repeated. Similar to singing the Christmas carole "Partridge in a pear tree". However, this song was sung very fast and picked up speed as your went along. There was a lot of laughter when the end was reached (below).

The apostle Paul referred to the Lord Jesus as our Passover Lamb and also mentions purging the "leaven". Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast (leaven), the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 1st Corinthians 5:7-8: Like the Lord Jesus 2000 years ago, our seder also concluded with some beautiful praised and worship.

Some beauty in Modi'in before Shabbat ends.

On our way to Modi'in, I took a wrong turn and we were headed in the opposite direction just like Jonah. Below is a very sturdy-looking prison near Ramalah.

Care Packages for the IDF; Ha Neviim Street

Friday, April 11th, at CFI was a day designated for assembling "care packages" for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Last fall we did some care packages designed for the winter which included fleece jackets, scarves, and gloves. The summer packages we did on Friday included a water bottle designed for hiking; a sturdy, reusable towelette that could be wet and then allowed to dry in a separate pouch; large package of sunflower seeds which is a good snack while hiking, walking; small package of disposable razors; a copy of Psalms in Hebrew; and a pocket scripture of encouragement. We were to assemble 1000 packages. Below is the Christian Friends of Israel building in Jerusalem where we work.

We assemble the packages in our lunch room. Similar to playing musical chairs or doing a "cake walk", we walk around in a circle. First, you pick up an empty bag, then add the water bottle, the towelette, sunflower seeds, etc. etc. While you are walking back to where you started, you tie a knot in the care package and leave it on the table. Then you get another empty bag and start over. The 1000 packages were completed in less than two hours.

The older gentleman with his back to the camera is Shimon who comes to CFI 2 or 3 days a week just to see if he can help. Today his job was to have the plastic bags ready for each volunteer they walked by. Shimon had quite a history in Russia. One day he was showing me various photos of himself as a young man. He fought in World War II and was a German prisoner of war. After the war, Stalin sent all the POW's to Siberia because "they might be spies." Shimon showed me a letter to his mother from the Russian government stating that "he had been killed in action." After Stalin's death in 1953, Shimon was allowed to go home. For 11 years, Shimon's mother thought he was dead, then he was released from Siberia. Can you imagine? Shimon and his wife made aliyah in the mid-90's. Kay and I first met Shimon in 1998 just shortly after his wife passed away. After making aliyah, Shimon has come to know the Lord Jesus as his personal saviour. “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers. Jeremiah 16:14-15.

These are the reusable towelettes in a pouch.

The Word of God. A Book of Psalms, Tehellim in Hebrew, designed for your pocket or a small space in a backpack. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11.

The completed packages go into larger bags for carrying. We only had 500 of the water bottles which is a very popular item. CFI buys directly from the Israeli Army Suppliers and the soldiers are very appreciative that someone cares. CFI does have a tremendous opportunity to show the love of the Lord Jesus. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:25

Frank and Karen are from Australia. They run the kitchen and cook for about 30 of us each day. It is a blessing to have a good, hot meal especially for me since I don't cook. Last week a soldier that had dropped by CFI joined us for lunch. When young soldiers of the IDF feel comfortable to "stop by and see the Christians", to me, we bring honor to the Lord Jesus. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1st Peter 2:17.

Friday afternoon on my way to congregation which is just a few blocks away. I was the last one out the door and had to lock up. The photo below is from the front steps of CFI.

Right by the entry way.

Roses starting to bloom in our parking lot. I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys. Song of Songs 2:1.

Below are the flowers along the wall by the drive-in gate. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. Song of Songs 2:12.

An Israeli restaurant located behind CFI actually wanted to know who did our landscaping so they could call them. That is a being a good witness for Jerusalem.

I do like the orange flowers below.

Pansies by the walk-gate.

The congregation that I attend is currently meeting at Israel College of the Bible which is located at the corner of Ha Neviim and Strauss Streets. "Ha" is "the" and "Neviim" is "prophets". In English, the name would be The Prophets Street. A Hebrew Bible which commonly is referred to as the Old Testament, is divided into three sections: 1) Torah. The first five books of the Bible written by Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). 2) Neviim. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. 3) Ketuvim which means "writings". Books of the Bible like Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, etc. In a Hebrew Bible, the words are the same, the books are the same, just arranged differently. The last book in a Hebrew Bible, also called a Tanach, is not Malachi, but II Chronicles. Tanach is an acronym from Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim.

On one corner of Ha Neviim and Strauss is the Bikur Cholim Hospital. Bikur Cholim is the oldest hospital in Jerusalem being 170 years old. It is the only hospital in the City Center. Much more modern hospitals like Hadassah are away from "downtown". These buildings made of stone last forever. There is no insulation. Once the stones get cold in the winter, they stay cold. Likewise in the summer. The apartment buildings are the same.

The emergency entrance to Bikur Cholim is adjacent to our congregation entrance.

The old church building which currently is part of Israel College of the Bible. Our congregation rents week by week to meet here.


The main entrance.

The photo with the stain glass did not turn out real well but if you zoom in, you will see the seven species that God described to Moses in various parts of the stained glass. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; Deuteronomy 8:7-9
Also, if you zoom in, you will see the words of a song during our praise and worship. The overhead has Hebrew on the right; an English transliteration on the left; and English words on the bottom. This particular song in the photo is a classic hymn, Living for Jesus. Only in Jerusalem can the entire congregation be singing Living for Jesus in Hebrew while one old man from Texas quietly sings the English portion.