Jabbok River

"So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, 'For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.' The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip." -Genesis 32:30-31

Danny

Limping in the Jabbok

During the second half of the second day, we made a fairly quit stop at the Jabbok river wadi. Just for clarification purposes, a wadi is a river cut valley that water flows through continuously, or just when it rains. It’s basically a valley. They create some pretty awesome views.

The significance of this story comes in the story of Jacob wrestling with the man/angel/God in Genesis 32. If you are a faithful follower, you know that this was referenced in my first post in preparation for coming here, so it had a special place in my heart. It was fitting that I would start with this passage, and on the last trip, actually see it.

Here’s the gist of the story. Throughout Jacob’s whole life, he was a deceiver. That’s what Jacob literally means in Hebrew. Some call it cheating, some call it cleverness, but he was deceitful. The context of this story has to do with Jacob’s deceiving coming back to bite him in the butt. Jacob deceived Esau for the birth right by disguising himself as Esau, so that Isaac would bless him first. Thus, he holds the inheritance of his father. After this, Esau wants to kill him, naturally, and Jacob flees. After about 12 years, he’s on his way back through the land, and a messenger tells Jacob that Esau is on his way towards him with a large people group. Jacob sends forth most of his belongings in succession, and finally his own wife and children, as he stays alone at night in the Jabbok wadi. This being the only water source in the area, the animals (lions, etc) come down at night to catch easy prey. You could imagine his fear and anticipation that night as he sits alone at the bottom of this huge valley. You could also imagine his hurt and anger at God for bringing this upon him- his deceitfulness has finally caught up with him. What characterized him- his name literally- has caught up with him. It always hurts when what is most deeply engrained in you is exposed and shown- that’s never a pleasant experience- especially when that’s a sin and not anything Godly. But Jacob wrestles violently with God that night until morning. He won’t let go of God until he blesses him. And then there’s this line- Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” What defined Jacob- his name and character- is changed. His essence and what was so deeply engrained in him is changed- how? By wrestling with God. And notice what it’s changed to- Israel- to strive with God. He is no longer going against God in a deceitful manner, but is striving- determined, motivated, ruthless- running with God. He wasn’t satisfied with his sin. He wasn’t content. He wanted more of himself and of God. His sin was exposed and he hated it. He wanted God’s blessing and victory.

I’m not going to give myself a self-proclaimed nickname, but I do hope that I have been striving with God and striving for God and against sin and all things evil. Sometimes sin’s exposure is all that can do that- as painful as that is. And for that I’m thankful. God came and wrestled with me, and like Jacob, I am changed forever by an experience with God and now walk with a limp- of God’s power and my sin.

No swagger Sos

Baptism and Sactification

Baptism has always been something I have ignored. I came to faith at a very young age, but I've always neglected baptism because of its serious implication I read in Scripture. I remember having a conversation about baptism a few months ago with my Messianic Rabbi, Matt Koons, which definitely planted a seed in me as I began to ponder the nature and the implications of baptism. It's such a strange thing. I mean, I like to go swimming, and I shower every 3-4 days sometimes... So how is baptism any different? Why is baptism a biblical command? Does baptism change anything? Or is it just an outward sign of an inward change? And if that's true, why is baptism such a big deal? These were some of the questions I began to wrestle with as I thought about baptism. And I don't know if I have any clear answers, but like Sos said in his post, the Spirit does move in baptism. And I believe totally in the power and the gifts of the Spirit.

This past week I have been meditating hard on Romans 6 and how baptism relates to sanctification, because Romans 6 is clearly making a connection between the two. There is a logical shift in Paul's train of thought when the book gets to chapter 6, as he moves from talking about justification to talking about sanctification. And the imagery of baptism is then woven all throughout the chapter.

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." -Romans 6:3-4

Like Sos, I do not believe there is any magic in the waters. But I do believe there is power in the Spirit. More than a baptism in water, I desire a baptism in the fires of the Holy Spirit. The water is only a outward proclamation of my desire to be baptized and sanctified by the Spirit. So baptism is not only an expression of the justification I have received in Christ, but it is also an act of submitting myself to the Spirit for the purpose of sanctification.

So, if anybody actually reads this blog, my request is this -that you would read Romans 6 and pray Romans 6 for me. Pray that Romans 6 would happen in me. Pray that my baptism would portray my death in the death of Christ, and my newness of life in the resurrection of Christ. That is what I want my baptism to proclaim tomorrow. I love you all, and know that your prayers mean the world to me.

Uniting myself with Christ,
Danny

Jordan Experience

So we’re back from Jordan and finished the last of my journeys for our Physical Settings class. We go back to Jordan for Cultural Backgrounds at the end of the semester, but this is the last trip of the learning, tested semester. Sad, but I learned a lot and it was really fun to travel and see pretty much all of the big spots in the Biblical world. What an incredible experience. Just from reading the Bible today, I can finally put names of places with spots and locations that I never knew before. Now I just need to go to Asia Minor and Greek to finish up sometime.

This trip was a lot more relaxed than the other ones. It was a lot more site seeing than learning, which was a nice change of pace. I liked just relaxing a bit and seeing some incredible things- sites and views. There are INCREDIBLE views in Jordan. I was surprised by so many majestic, awesome views. I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, but I think I could compare some sites with that- or at least that would be most comparable.

I thought entering Jordan was going to be like going to Iraq or Syria, since these countries border Jordan. But Jordan wasn’t so bad. It had some relatively nice spots and cities. The hotels we stayed in were actually really nice. The first night we stayed in Ammon, which was a HUGE city. The second night we stayed in Petra, and the third night we stayed in Kirak, which is right outside of a Crusader castle that we saw the next day.

Jordan had a lot more Roman influence in the New Testament period than I imagined or knew of. It had some pretty incredible cities. The first day we went to a city called Gadara. It was a pretty incredible Roman city. I wish I could describe these thins better, but you just need to see pictures, or see it yourself. It had a bunch of Corinthian columns, had the Cardo (the center Roman road of the city) intact, a couple temples, an amphitheater, etc. It had some pretty incredible views overlooking the Sea of Galilee, too. I thought this was really cool, but the next day we went to Gerasa. This place was like Gadara on steroids. It’s called the city of a thousand columns, and there were probably more. It’s said to be the most put together of the ancient Roman cities in the world- even Rome itself. There was a hippodrome, two theater, preserved streets, stairways, churches, temples, you name it. Again, only pictures can describe. I hope I can upload them, but you may just have to wait till they hit facebook.

Well, that was the first day and a half. More coming.

Sos

Prayer for Baptism

I had a hard time thinking of what to write this week, so I decided for a prayer request. Our baptism is coming up on Thursday. This is going to reveal some of the charismaniac in me, but I’ll go for it anyway. I was baptized as an infant in the Catholic church, but now I’m going under again for the believer’s baptism, which I believe to be Biblical. Double-dunk just to be safe either way.

The fruit of the Spirit is love. 1 Corinthians 13, the great “love” chapter is about fruits of the Spirit. A lot of people desire gifts, but the truest test of the Spirit is love for souls and the fruits listed in Galatians 5, among other places. So my prayer is that the Spirit will change my character and heart, more than an external gift. I earnestly desire a great love for souls and their eternal destiny.

The other thing I’ve been praying for is the spiritual gift of prophecy. I know that’s goofy. I know there’s nothing magic about the water. I know that this will not make me complete or perfectly sanctified. But I do know the Spirit works in baptism. He’s working all up in Acts. There have been two texts that I’ve been thinking about in regards to my baptism. The first is in Acts 19. It reads, “And he said to them,“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying” (2-6). So obviously, baptism is a means where the Spirit can work, as long with the gift of prophecy. The other text in regard to this is in 1 Corinthians. “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but x even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up” (14.1,5). Right after the Spirit of love chapter, it speaks of the gift of prophecy by the Spirit. This is the basis of my prayer.

I know spiritual gifts always run the risk of spiritual pride. So I’ve also been praying that this gift of love and prophecy will be used properly- to build up the church and to glorify God. So I know it’s goofy and a little different, but these are my prayers and thoughts on my baptism. I’m asking you to join with me in this end. I desire great spiritual revival and renewal, and that He is glorified. I know more than the gift, I have Him, and He’s enough.

Longing for the Spirit,
Sos

Meditations on Maundy Thursday

I love Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. But Danny… What about Easter Sunday? Yeah, I like that too, but I’m more of a Lenten season kind of guy than an Easter Sunday kind of guy. The celebration of Easter Sunday would be nothing without the lament, mourning, silent contemplation, reverence, and awe of the days leading up to it. The light of Easter Sunday shines most brightly when it is contrasted with the darkness of the Lenten season. The more terrible the darkness, the more glorious the light.
On the night of Maundy Thursday, I went to a service in the Old City where we took Communion and then walked out of the city to the Mt. of Olives to mediate on the betrayal of Christ. And I don’t think my mind and my imagination have ever been more stirred by the spirit. Never have I been more in tune with the mind of Christ and the disciples, thinking and feeling that fateful night. I had such agonizingly glorious thoughts that my words will only be a shadow of them.
As we left the Church after our remembrance of the Passover feast and headed for the Mt. of Olives, I could see it all so clearly. Truly I was walking in the footsteps of Christ. I imagined myself a disciple, following Jesus to the solitude of the Mt. of Olives. I could hear their conversation, whispering to each other as Jesus walked silently in front of them. The questions that must have follow that Passover meal! The bread is his body and the wine is his blood? Are we cannibals? New covenant? The only covenant we know is the one from Mt. Sinai. And why are we going to the Mt. of Olives? We just came from there. Why are we leaving the city? It’s been days; we should have overthrown the city by now. Jesus is the Messiah, what is he waiting for? And what was all that talk about betrayal? Surely not! Why did he say, “Where I am going you cannot follow me”? For three years we have followed him. We are his loyal disciples; we would follow him to the depths of hell. Are we going outside the city to plan our attack? Why hasn’t Judas returned? He was only going to buy food for the feast, and we will need him when the Messiah rises up. This has been a strange Passover, unlike the last couple we have shared with him.
Meanwhile, I could only imagine the war being silently fought in the mind of Jesus as he walked to the Mt. of Olives to fulfill the Scriptures. He was in a completely different world than the disciples, for he knew the pain that was to come. His eyes have been fixated on this moment ever since the transfiguration, ever since the incarnation, ever since the foundations of universe were laid! And now the time has come for the Son of Man to deliver himself into the hands of men. The stage has been set for the greatest slaughter in human history.
What could have been going through the mind of Christ as he walked to Gethsemane? Surely it was an inconceivable agony to a point greater than death. And last Thursday, as I walked under the full moon, I could almost feel it. The fear and the anguish screaming inside of him, but if he loses his composure now, all will be lost. The shortness of his breath as he descended into the Kidron Valley and the heaviness in his legs as he climbed the Mt. of Olives. Every step seeming like an impossibility, but somehow he took another, and another, and another. The night air was cool, but the sweat of his inner garment was soon to be mingled with the drops of blood falling on his outer garment. And telling his disciples to keep watch and pray, Jesus disappears into the olive grove of Gethsemane. Now, the real battle begins. Alone, he staggers through the garden, the fresh scent of flowers and trees filling the air, but only the stench of death fills his nostrils. Eventually his legs give out, and falling to the dirt he cries, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Now is his moment of greatest temptation. He is alone, outside the city, on the Mt. of Olives, he could easily escape down the backside of the mountain and within minutes be in the emptiness of the Judean wilderness. Nobody would ever be able to find him. One of the most inconceivable things Jesus ever did was rise from his knees and return to his disciples in Gethsemane. How could he possess such courage and strength? What kind of man is this? How is that even possible? Well, according to Hebrews 12, “For the joy set before him, he endured the cross.” But what joy? How could there be any joy in this moment? What is the joy that caused Jesus to return to the sleeping disciples and not flee to the wilderness? I would say that it was the promise of future joy that allowed Christ to suffer the cross. A hope in future joy. Presently, there would be only pain and sorrow, but he was not without the hope of an everlasting future joy. He was not blinded by the moment because he had the perspective of the promises of the Father. He could endure the cross with joy because his death meant the reconciliation of creation back to God. It meant that God was just and his wrath was satisfied. It meant victory over the grave and a propitiation for the sins of all those born of God. And it meant not only clemency, but also the perfect righteousness of Christ. For that joy, Christ felt the sting of Judas’ kiss, so that we would never have to feel the sting of death.

Hoping in future joy,
Danny

Jesus Day

Day 4 in Galilee we finally got to talking about Jesus. Our Jesus day was long over due. I’ve learned way more about rock types than I have about Our Rock. (Pretty good play on words, right?) Anyway, it was one of my favorite days yet. The sites may have been a little less interesting and intriguing in look, but the historical value and significance was much higher for me.

We started out taking a boat on the sea of Galilee, which was pretty awesome. I mean being on any lake is sweet, but the backdrop and horizon of Galilee is awesome. Not to mention that’s it’s THE SEA OF GALILEE!! So that got me pretty psyched.

Then we really just talked about Jesus the whole day and went to a couple significant sites. We went to the place where it is “remembered” that Jesus cast the demons into the swine and they ran off the cliff. Then we went to the place it is “remembered” where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. The latter spot is especially significant for me. I’ve studying the Sermon on the Mount while I’ve been here in Israel and it’s been some really valuable time. I’ve been supplementing my study with reading Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by The Doctor Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I won’t forget that spot for a while. (A little word about “remembering” a spot where something happened- there’s no way to tell where a lot of things happened, but the Orthodox churches just build a church at a “good spot.” Regardless, it’s nice for me, not as historical veracity, but as reflecting on what happened or what Jesus did. It’s just nice to put a picture to some event. The Orthodox churches I’m pretty sure believe that it is the exact spot. Oh, and by Orthodox I mean Eastern Orthodox- not orthodoxy in the sense of right doctrine.)

The final stop was Capernaum. Finally! A real spot where Jesus was for sure! I loved being here. There was a first century synagogue foundation (on top was a 2nd century synagogue) where Jesus would have taught. And then 50 feet away was Peter’s house. So when Luke writes, “And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house” I can picture that short walk over. I could imagine the authority of Jesus’ teaching in the synagogue and the reaction of the people. I could walk the rocky shoreline and imagine a dock, and imagine Jesus scanning it and calling out the raggedy, dumb fishermen out from casting their nets to be “fisher’s of men.” I could have stayed there for hours. I could picture Jesus waking up in the morning and looking out over the sea, walking from spot to spot teaching- it was all surreal. I would have loved to stay and just read about Jesus’ work and miracles and teaching, but when you have 4 days in the Galilee, you can only do so much. But that was the Galilee trip. Next week is a four day trip to Jordan. I'll probably have a midweek blog before then about Easter or something else.

Be blessed,

Sos