Possibly {please} going to Israel

[Blindfaith]

God is so amazing.  Oh, how I love Him!!

Things are happening so fast for me; involvement in my church, spiritual growth, Christ's fire within me.

I had a meeting with my "boss" at church, and we are two identical peas in a pod.  And we have the same last night!  Isn't that a hoot?  Anyway.......

He has this beautiful aerial shot of Jerusalem, the college he went to there and the surrounding area.  I commented how that would be the ultimate dream vacation for me, and I'd be a bawling wreck.  He asked me, "why"?  I explained, that for me to walk where Jesus walked, looked at the precious faces there and know that my Lord was there, would make me bawl like a baby.  Never mind viewing the Jordon River where John baptized Jesus....I'd really go crazy!

Then he said, "why don't you go with us in October"?  Stunned.  Absolutely stunned.  You know the feeling ~ the stomach drops, your nerves start humming and you want to cry?  (ok..that's just me).  Then I asked, "well, how much does it cost"?  Ya, well, anyway.

I'm going to be praying and praying that God show me a way to get there.  I'd never be able to read the bible the same way again.  And how I evangelize?  Yikes!!  Can you imagine?

I want to go so bad!!!!

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

You'd get more than baptized right now. The Jordan is flooding and overflowing its banks.

Good luck and I suggest you pray about it. Going to Israel can actually be a trial for anyone. The rewards are great, but one needs to be prepared.

If you need any suggestions on sites to see in Jerusalem, let me know. 

 

[Blindfaith]

Okay my friendly wet-blankies (just kiddin').  Can y'all explain these two sentences for me?

 

Once our eyes are opened...

Going to Israel can actually be a trial for anyone.

The rewards are great, but one needs to be prepared.

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

Isn't that 3 sentences?

It'll be a trial because it won't be as simple and strictly enlightening as most people expect it to be. For an example of what happens to some people, read up on Jerusalem Syndrome. The city has its own psychological disorder that effects Jews and Christians.

It can be hard enough normally going to any foreign country. Especially one where english is a third language, or one where the culture is so ancient and ingrained. While Israel is more western in culture than the surrounding arab countires, its hard to really consider it western at all. You'll see what I mean when you get there.

Its also a place of intense spiritual presence, but by no means is all of it or even necessarily most of it Holy.

All of this is true for Israel in general, its 10x as true if you're going to Jerusalem. Many people expect it to be "All honey and roses" when they got there. It won't be.

One grows in faith through trials, and you're going to find your biggest and hardest trials in Jerusalem. If you're strong enough you'll feel the presence of the Lord and Holiness beyond your imagination. It'll tear at your soul to have to leave. You'll also come face to face with evil beyond your worst imagination. There is a spirit of hate which runs through the land grabbing everybody it can. Plus there are many deceiving spirits there, for every piece of incredible truth you'll be greated with six thousand lies to discern it from. Going to Israel isn't a vacation most of the time, its a battle with an incredible prize at stake.

I don't want to be a wet blanket but Jerusalem will either be the most positive or the most negative experience of your life. So... be prepared.

Shalom

 

[Blindfaith]

Thank you so much for your response Talmid.  I'd appreciate hearing more from you.  You've given me a lot to chew on already. 

I can see why there's so much spiritual "evil" there ~ it's the land of God's chosen ones.  I'm sure the Evil one, while setting his sights on everyone, targets Jerusalem.  Food for thought for me.

 

[Blindfaith]

Queen, (I call P4I that),

I was only kidding about the wet-blankies.  I wouldn't call anybody that in a serious way, ever.

Of course I want to be prepared.  That's why I welcome any insight, suggestions, history, etc., that anyone has to offer me.  I don't know if I'm even going yet!

My "boss" told me the same thing.  I'll never be the same again if I go.

Thanks for the input Queen!

 

[Ruhama]

You know, while I can agree with Talmid and P4I, I want to offer a different perspective on Israel a bit. Primarily to me the spiritual climate was a bit like a hazy cloud that made it a bit hard to think and especially hard to pray.

However I don't think I would caution you that severely if you're only going for a time... what I faced and feared often came from my own outlook on the world, and the rest of what I learned came naturally.

Perhaps I just don't remember it quite the same way as Talmid and P4I; I had just come off some intense psychological struggle and spiritual warfare and so it doesn't seem very intense to my memory at all.

Just enjoy it, and don't feel pressure to do anything you're uncomfortable with. Just go to learn, to listen, and to experience the land. God may seem very silent but remember if you go he's brought you there to bless you.

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

Shalom. MaNishma?

Well the first step is to prepare for it as if you were going to any other non-western country. Be prepared for culture shock, things aren't done the same there. For me there were more cultural differences between towns over there than there are between North America and Europe. I was prepared for a huge dose of culture shock in Jerusalem, so my biggest shock came when I went to Nazareth and found things done completely different there. I think I just about had a breakdown when I realized prices were actually fixed in Nazareth! Starting my day in Jerusalem I might walk from an Israeli Arab community through a Palestinian community, into a mixed commercial area, into an ultra-orthodox neighborhood of polish Jews, into an Ethiopian neighborhood and so on. Thats with an  hour or two's walk....

English is commonly spoken there... but not as a first language. Most of the Russian Jews or many of those from religious communities don't speak english at all. Of the rest, many don't speak it that well.

Never stick your thumb out in a Palestinian community, its very rude.

Never point the bottom of your feet at anyone who is Arab or from a traditional middle-eastern community. Such as the common practice of putting one leg on top of another in church ... with the bottom of your foot pointing at an entire pew of people. The bottom of the foot is considered the most unclean part of you.

The native Israelis often refer to themselves as "Sabras" after the fruit of the prickly pear cactus (a weed growing all around Israel). Because they're tough and thorny on the outside, but nice and sweet on the inside. As a foreign visitor you'll mostly get the tough and thorny side.

Israel is a country at war.

Let me repeat that:

Israel is a country at WAR.

Paranoia is a way of life, in order to protect lives. Guns everywhere (frequently pointed AT YOU), security checks anywhere for any and no reason. Leave nothing unattended, unattended objects are a "suspicious object". I once watched as an unattended student's backpack almost got detonated because they left it outside their dorm room unattended.

There are advantages and rewards to all this:

You'll learn as you experience new cultures. People living in a foreign country learning a new language for the first time will often have childhood flashbacks. You'll seem to remember your whole life.

People live life a day at a time, not a week, month, or year.

Even without learning Hebrew the way you read the Bible will change because you'll be in an Israeli Jewish culture.

That'll lead into part 2: The land of the Bible and the Jews.

It'll be a while so you can read this over.

Shalom.

 

[Blindfaith]

You all are dolls.  Thank you so much for some insight that I never would have been able to come up with on my own.

I hope and pray that it's God's will that I go.  I'd love more than anything to be able to go with my husband, but that's a whole lot of $$$.  We'll see.  God is good all the time.

Thank you again everyone!

Much love,

The Princess

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

I'm a doll?

 

[Ruhama]

...In a good sense!

 

[Auntie]

Talmid, you are a very good writer. I felt like I was in Jerusalem as I read your post. Your words transported me there. Thank you!


Blind Faith, I hope you get to go to Israel! If it is God's will, it will happen! So pray pray pray about it!

 

[Blindfaith]

Hi Auntie!  I always enjoy reading your posts, and seeing you here .  Pray, pray and pray some more.  If God wants me there, and my husband (I hope), He'll provide the way.  God is good, all the time.

Talmid, yes, you're a doll.  As well as Ruhama, the Queen, Br. Max, etc...That's a very good thing in my book   I usually don't call anyone I know by their real names.  Sorry!

 

 

[simchat_torah]

Talmid a doll?

 

nah, more like a bunny wabbit. 

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

Today at 12:59 AM simchat_torah said this in Post #17

Talmid a doll?

 

nah, more like a bunny wabbit. 

Whats up Doc? 

Doll is something I'm used to hearing applied exclusively to women, thats why I wondered Guys and Dolls. 

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

Erev Tov

This history there is incredible. As an amusing story, once while living in Israel I got an email from some friends of mine who were studying in Germany. They were amazed at the history and even Cathedrals that were a thousand years old.

I told them thats nothing, in Israel I could step outside my apartment and probably trip over a rock with an inscription a thousand years old and stumble into a building 2,000 years old or more. The millenia and millenia of history will overwhelm you and make you realize how young and adolescent most cultures really are. In Israel nothing can be considered an antique unless its at least over 300 years old.

There are all kinds of incredible sites that one can see. You can casually picnic at the spot in the Bible where Yeshua healed a parapalegic who couldn't get the the pool the angel stirred and received healing. I've never seen it with water in it, but its in a park outside the old city just southwest of Jaffa gate. By the valley of Gethsemane. You'll be starstruck... which is where the charlatans and merchants will walk in. You'll find a dozen authentic copies of every holy relic. The church of the Holy Sepulchre contains slivers of wood with came from cruxifion stakes dated back to the time of the Messiah. So it must be from his!!! ... except if you put together all the pieces they have you'd have enough to assemble 12 of them. There are plenty of people who will deceive you that consider nothing sacred for a buck, some of them will even do it just for your ear so they can tell you their propaganda. A few are experts at brainwashing the gullible for their political or cultic causes. Be skeptical of everything you hear.

Historical note: The Crusaders destoryed most muslim and Jewish sacred buildings they came across. They spared the Dome of the Rock because they mistook it for the Jewish temple. Okay, so they were gullible, foolish, and uneductated.

You may be disappointed like I was to learn that any site of historical signifigance has had a church/mosque/synagogue built on top of it.

Jerusalem is the religious capitol of the world (monotheistic, and polytheistic actually). One goes there expecting a lot of inter-religious conflict. Truth is there is so much intra-religious conflict that most Jerusalemites don't have time to argue with anyone else. Seriously Orthodox Jew Vs. Orthodox Jew, Catholic Vs. Catholic, Sunni Muslim Vs. Sunni Muslim like you wouldn't believe. Outside the Holy City in Israel people can agree, but not within Jerusalem itself.

Israel is Jewish, and observant. A secular Israeli Jew is more observant than your average "religious" american Jew. Tel Aviv, and the Jewish communities of Jerusalem shut down on the Sabbath. Many Christian groups treat sunday as a Sabbath and those communities will be shut down. Fridays in Muslim communities are very loud. I've heard that religious communities are very tight and generally shun outsiders. They're not hostile, but unless you should interest in their religion and community the hospitality may be less than expected. (The last isn't first hand experience being part-Jewish is very advantageous in Israel. I'm either part or only part depending on where I'm at)

Jewish communites keep Kosher, Muslims have haram and halal, and the Christians have very rules on cleanliness. Deal with it, no matter how hard you insist people aren't going to change their customs on "Kosherness". Some visitors can be jerks about it. Their reception is less than ambivalent.

Also, many things that you're probably familiar with have been adapted to local customs on Kosherness (or haram). I found Kosher chinese food to be an amusing concept. Burger King and Domino's pizza can be found there and both have Kosher & non-Kosher chains.

Israel has its own holiday customs....

Thats it until Part 3: a spiritual land

Lehi'

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

Hmmm, no replies? Come on, some other people have been there too. What do you think of my last description?

 

[Ruhama]

I'm awfully curious to hear this Sepulcher bit... sorry to be nosy but there we are.

Oh yeah, and why didn't you like the Dome of the Rock?  I never went there, or to the Sepulcher Church so I'm curious to hear.

 

[Ruhama]

oh yeah and... SCHWARMA IS KING!

 

[Talmid HaYarok]

I was frustrated because I would prefer to see the historic hill of the crucifixion, not some dusty church built on top of it. Its also a testament in stone of the divisiveness of Yeshua's church, because its split between 5 churches that can't share, and certainly won't let anybody new in.

Despite that I visited several times because I had easy access with bypassing all the tourists thanks to some friends at the Ethiopian Patriarchate and Monastery there.

Speaking of which, did you visit any of the Patriarchates there?

Edit: Oh, and I really miss middle-eastern Falafel. Absolutely nobody can do it justice here in the U.S., whether at an Arab or Jewish restaurant.