Reflections on the Holy Land

“It is difficult to know precisely where to begin in as far as describing a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or what it represents to us people of faith.

As I left my mother land South Africa for the first time I inevitably contemplated the road ahead. The concept of such an invitation may have seemed somewhat overwhelming to me but a Rabbi we met insisted that a pilgrimage to Israel is nothing less than precisely that. To think that the living God in all His superior grace and mercy called me from my mother land to the Holy Land is still humbling to say the least. The circumstances surrounding my pilgrimage certainly attest to nothing less than my Father’s intervention.

I suppose that the greatest lesson I have learnt and I continue to discover is that we serve a God of “personal invitations”. The Father is a personal God, He is not aloof or distant, the Father is a present help. He is Jehovah Shammah – The Ever Present One is There. Throughout human history ordinary men and women have encountered an extraordinary God on a personal level and have been empowered to literally change the world. Perhaps, if we consider the Father’s love for the Holy Land and ultimately the body of Christ and the world we can truly know what it is to come “boldly into the throne room of grace that we may obtain mercy.”

May the God of personal invitations bless you.

Ngiyabonga – zealously yours

Sicelo Musi

22 years old from Sowete, South Africa

The Chronicles of Rhys Part 2 - 8 Months after Israel

Whenever I’ve stepped off a plane, I’ve stepped off as a slightly different person, never was that more true then when I came home from the holy land. Israel was the most defining moment of my spiritual life. And after breaking down in tears as I flew back across the pacific, I stepped off that plane a different Rhys Rodgers.

I’ll tell you my background so you can understand how it has all changed: I was raised by Christian parents and attended a private Christian school. I have responded to dozens of alter calls in my lifetime. I never had a “testimony” of when I “got saved”. I have always believed in God. I have always wanted to have a relationship with Him. I have always classified myself a “Christian”.

2007, my first year out of school, was the crappiest year of my life for a lot of reasons. One of those reasons was that I was catapulted into a secular environment and found myself wondering if God really existed. Wait, I always figured that God existed, but I wondered if He looked like the pictures in my Bible.

The solution to my depression was clear: a pilgrimage to the Promised Land.

When people ask me why I went to Israel I tell them, “I went there to find God.” Israel seems to have a pretty good track record for that sort of thing. When they ask me, “Did you find him?” I say yes. As is typical of God, I found him in little bits along the way. I think I am still picking up the breadcrumbs now.

Israel was the catalyst that made me shift from being an intellectual Christian to an emotional Christian. It changed me from loving God with my head to loving Him with my heart. And it is like a whole other world on this side of the fence. The Bible used to be a textbook, prayer used to be like penance. Nowadays God is a totally different reality. God makes me break down and cry. God makes me swear at the sky. God makes me shake uncontrollably. He is my roller coaster.

When I stepped off that plane, I didn’t expect it to last. I re-read my other blog post that says: “I just hope that this feeling doesn't fade as Israel becomes a memory.” I’ve been to quite a few Christian conferences where they get you hyped up on Jesus and then take all your money. I have known what it is like to be ‘on fire for God’. After Israel I was ‘on fire’ but experience told me the fire would flicker and fade.

It hasn’t. When I first got home I was so passionate, I woke up before the sunrise for about a month just to pray. It is winter now, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I am no longer as passionate about waking up in the dark. But I can honestly say that I am still every bit as passionate about God as I was at the garden tomb in Jerusalem. Sometimes I go outside at night and pretend I am in the Israeli desert – then I pray so hard that I stop making sentences or words. They are awesome times; I should have them more often.

And in case you were wondering, Jesus has not fixed all my problems. Just like most relationships, God and I have a few issues we need to sort out, but we are very much in love and mountains will not move me from Him. Sometimes… I get Devastated. I had never had this feeling before Israel. But now I have so many pages in my notebook accusing God: “God you Devastate me!” It is because He is so big and confusing and important and impossible that it freaks me out. But we push through – all things are possible with God. (Wow, what a heavy sentence). I feel like I am holding all the raw ingredients needed to make my life something that levels mountains and raises the dead. And that is a pretty good feeling.

At the moment, I am writing my first novel and saving up enough money for Bible College next year. I have a lot of questions about God and I’m not going to accept your text book answers just because it is the easy thing to do. Because one day, giving up on God will be the easy thing to do, and I don’t want to be a man who takes low roads. I have a long and difficult path ahead of me and it will be impossible without a rock solid foundation. Israel was where the strong holds where ripped out and the foundation re-laid, and we are building something crazy on top of it. I’ll let you know what happens.

Four Cups of Wine

by Jessica A. Kent

I recently attended my first seder dinner during the observance of this year’s Passover. Maybe it was best that I wasn’t dining with friends but with a hundred other people at a local banquet house: no one would notice that I was the goofy Christian still new to all this splendid Jewish tradition. I had heard about the Seder plate and the strange foods, something about drinking salt water, and what about yelling "Flies! Locust! Blood!"? Not having perused a haggadah, the step-by-step guidebook to seders, I really wasn’t sure how all these things could relate to Moses leading the Israelites from Egypt.

Fortunately there is a guidebook, and at a seder you can pretty much follow the lead of someone who knows what they’re doing. I clung to friends I went to Israel with, and we all toasted our grape juice, the Cup of Sanctification. Then came the karpas, sprigs of parsley dipped in salt water. While the wine remembers the Passover lamb’s blood marked upon the doorposts, the parsley remembers the hyssop used to apply the blood, and the salt water the tears cried during the years of slavery in Egypt. We were drawing closer to understanding.

The seder continues in further symbolism: the Second Cup of Deliverance; shouting the plagues aloud; the matzah, the unleavened bread, topped with horseradish to represent the bitter days in Egypt; the matzah topped with a delicious apple and honey chutney I couldn’t get enough of to represent the sweet days of the Lord; a bone upon the plate to represent the sacrificed lamb; an egg. But why all of these flavors and symbols? The question asked at Passover is, Why is this night different from all the others? Because it’s the night to remember. Bitter herbs, sweet tastes, the Lord’s bounty and grace. We partake of a remembrance in order to keep Him in His rightful place: Redeemer and Father.

The Third Cup, Redemption, follows the children searching for the hidden matzah, and then the Forth Cup, the Cup of Praise. And as I sat there during the songs at the end, staring at my cup filled with grape juice, my plate of half-eaten matzah, I couldn’t neglect the familiar: this is Communion.

Wasn’t the Last Supper a seder dinner? As I saw the wineglass and the matzah, the passages of Yeshua’s last meal with His disciples rose, and became so much more significant. "Take this cup and drink, this is My blood." The cups we drank represented the lamb’s sacrifice, the Lamb’s sacrifice. "Take this bread and eat, My body broken." The matzah, the unleavened bread, is a pure food without the sin-like infiltration of yeast. Yeshua was demonstrating the remembrance of Israel coming out of its slavery; He also was pointing towards His approaching parallel fulfillment of becoming the sacrificial, sinless offering for mankind. The story all tied together: old covenants and new, looking back to look forward. Remembering. And that’s really what this meal is. Gather together, to remember what He did for us.

Just Returned...

By Jessica A. Kent

To describe Israel is like trying to describe the face of God. Certain adjectives work, certain attributes can be applied, but ultimately all words fail in the end. As a writer I found out early on that words weren’t going to be enough, but words would have to suffice. Walking through Israel is like stepping through into your Bible. What a glorious dream, let your imagination fly! At the Sea of Galilee I thoughtof ragtag fishermen struggling to keep their nets intact as a stranger became known to them as Messiah. In the valley of Elah I could see a young boy running through the tall grass, filled with such righteous anger towards a heathen that would insult the God of Israel. Staring at the rising, barren cliffs of the Judaen Wilderness in awe, I was unable to grasp their enormity, their majesty. I stood on the hill at Qumran overlooking Mount Nebo in Jordan, where Moses overlooked my hill in the Promised Land, knowing only Caleb and Joshua would pass through a parted river to attain God’s gift. With a hand against the remaining stones of the Second Temple’s Western Wall, I thought of Zerubbabel and Jeshua rebuilding, Nehemiah by their side, laying stone with one hand and carrying a spear with the other. And at the Garden Tomb I entered the grave of a risen man.

The Western Wall

But walking through Israel is a double story, a history of dispersion and return, suffering and remnant. Inside Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, looking at Herzl’s still preserved portrait that hung above Ben Gurion’s head on that afternoon of May 14, 1948, Isaiah speaks: "Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once?" Yes, it can, but at what cost? On May 15, 1948 every Arab nation surrounding the new state attacked her, and our guide at the Hall asked, "Don’t you think we want peace? Our war for independence has never ended. Every few years they give it an official name, but it’s still been going on since 1948." We visited a Bridges for Peace sponsored town in the hills of Samaria, or West Bank, a Jewish community who stand in Palestinian territory because they believe God at His promise, that He will restore the land promised to Abraham in Genesis, restore them according to the words He sent to the prophets: "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land."

They are coming, from every nation. I’ve seen it. The Jewish people worldwide are leaving their comfortable lifestyles in first world nations to move to Israel, to return to the spot on the earth God promised He would return them to. I spoke with a Jewish friend who told me that she just felt she needed to move to Israel. "I couldn’t even tell you why. But from now on every step I take is in Jerusalem, and that means more to me than anything."
A view of the The Golden Dome from the Mount of Olives

In the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, we stood in a square, beneath us the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock glowing above. Behind it would be the Eastern Gate, and in the distance, the Mount of Olives. And then I realized; this is the story. First, I was in the Jewish Quarter which, after centuries of disbursement, is a fantastic miracle. Behind me was the lampstand, built with the hope of a people for the coming of Messiah. Before me the Jews cried to God at the ruins of their temple, a once great nation destroyed and scattered. Above them is the Dome of the Rock, an Islam controlled Temple Mount that symbolizes all the burying of their culture, the centuries-long oppression and dismissal. But behind the mosque is the Eastern Gate, the place where Messiah will arrive, and behind that, the Mount of Olives, the place where Messiah will return. And as we stood there we read from Zechariah chapter 8: "Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘I am exceedingly zealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its squares’...thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’"
And there are old men in the squares, there are children playing in the streets. They are coming from the east and the west to live in Jerusalem, and the Lord’s word is true. I’ve seen it. This is the story, the love story.

Walking down from the Mount of Olives

Jessica Kent toured Israel with a Bridges For Peace group from the United States of America. It was her first visit to the Land of Israel.

One Tour Participants Experience of Israel!

This is Matthew Ross' personal testimony of his tour experience with Zealous, June 2007. For information on the next tour, please visit our "update" blog.

Matthew Ross, the Old City of Jerusalem in the background

Well, what can I say? My time in Israel was more than I had ever imagined. I have never felt as close to God as now. The atmosphere in Israel is so uplifting. I have never seen anything more beautiful than Israel. No wonder why God chose this country as His country. Everything about Israel is so wonderful, from the historical and biblical ruins to the food and people. I don’t know when or how, but I am definitely going back to Israel as soon as possible.

It all started in April. I was browsing through the Dispatch from Jerusalem magazine from Bridges for Peace, and in one of their columns they advertised a young adult tour to Israel with Zealous8:2. I really felt I should go on this tour, so that night I prayed to the Lord and He put it on my heart that if I trust Him, He will provide. Every chance I had I prayed that God knew what my needs were and that if it was His will (which I knew it was), He would provide. I saw blessings come in from places I would never have imag-ined. The finances needed slowly came in, but it came down to the final hours. All the finances needed did not come in until a few hours before I hopped on the plane. God is great!

Matt eating Bedouin food, Bedouin style, in the Negev (Southern desert of Israel)

Being in Israel drew me so much closer to God. A person who spoke to us on the tour said “No one comes to Israel by chance, every one who is here is brought by God. It is no coincidence that you are here.” In my case, that is so true. I experienced the pres-ence of God more than once on this trip, and it tore me apart when I had to leave.

I want to share with you my experiences when I was touched by the Holy Spirit.
Experience #1: Our tour group was out in the desert, just sitting, praying, and singing praise to the Lord. We were given the chance to just sit and pray in silence in the ex-panse of the desert. I decided to lie down and stare up at the clear sky, looking in awe at how beautiful the sky and stars were (no kidding, the sky was so clear and beautiful that night). Anyways, when I was staring up at that sky, I could feel God looking down at us, so happy that we could lay there and worship Him. It was a wonderful feeling.

Matt on the side of a cliff, in the desert

Experience #2: We visited the Western Wall, where we had a chance to pray. Of course, I was not going to miss an opportunity like that. I walked over to the wall, put a little kipper on, and started praying. When I placed my hand on the wall I could feel the Holy Spirit surge out of the wall. It is amazing to know that God’s presence is on the Temple Mount, even though it is filled with Muslim mosques. Nothing can stop God’s works.

Experience #3: We were visiting the place were Jesus was tortured and placed in a well before He was crucified. We walked down into the well were Jesus was held, and given opportunity to sit or stand and to just think about why Jesus was down there. The only appropriate thing to say is, “Thank You,” for what He went through for us. Apologizing isn’t the answer because He chose to do what He did. I decided to sit under a stairway and a little in the dark, because I really felt like being alone. I sat down and started thinking of all the hard times I had gone through over this past year, but nothing seemed to add up to what Jesus went through, and I started to get a bit emotional. I placed my hand on the ground just to feel the texture of the surface. A few seconds later, when my head was turned, I felt something touch my hand, and I looked over at my hand and could see another hand on my hand. I looked up and saw Jesus sitting there in the dark with me, and He said to me “I will never leave you.” At that very moment I knew I would have Him by my side at all times. That was a great experience.

A very Obliging Mattie!

My time in Israel was memorable indeed! I did not want to leave, but I feel ready to take on the world with Jesus at my side! I really want to give a big thanks to everyone who helped me get there, and I am looking forward to seeing where God will lead me next.

Zealous8:2 in North America

Travel to Israel?
If there was one term that could be used to describe a Christian traveling to Israel, it would be “Holy expectancy.” Like no other place on earth, Jerusalem is both natural and supernatural in its very nature, and Christians who make pilgrimage there can travel with a sure assurance in their heart to meet with God in a way like never before.

A Personal Connection
I was born in Israel to a Baptist family who lived and worked in the Christian community of Jerusalem for 28 years. I lived in Jerusalem until I was 18, and then I left for Baylor University for both college and seminary. Many times growing up, my siblings and I would ask our parents about something in the Bible stories they taught us, and they would say, “Let’s go and see. ” We would get in the car and drive to the Garden Tomb or the Valley of Elah or the Galilee, and they could say “Here, right here is where this story happened. Look!” I have vivid memories of standing in the dry river bed where David picked up his stones to fight Goliath, picking up my own stones, and looking out over the field. Could I do what David did?

I also spent a lot of time with American tourists and church groups who would come over to Israel, mostly youth groups or college summer workers. Over and over again, as I hung out with or toured around Israel with them, I would hear stories about the encounters they had with God as they experienced Israel. They would have quiet time on the Mount of Beatitudes, or walk down the Via Dolorosa or wade into the Galilee for themselves, studying the water in their hands, thoughtfully and prayerfully. The Bible became more real.

There is something about a Christian traveling to Israel. There really is. We read the stories of Joshua crossing the Jordan or John baptizing Jesus in it, and then we can go there ourselves.
We too can walk up to Calvary and see Golgotha. We too can go into Bethlehem, into Nazareth, and to the top of the Mount of Olives. We too can see, feel, hear, and experience Israel.

What Zealous8:2 Can Offer Christian Young Adults in U.S.A
My burning desire is to encourage Christian young adults to experience Israel. I am convinced that this is important and beneficial for our walk of knowing and encountering the mystery of God, Christ. Even more than experiencing Israel, we, who have been grafted in, have a mandate to support Israel as those who have shared in their spiritual heritage – see Romans 15.27.

Zealous8:2 offers Christian young adults adventure tours to Israel, so they can experience as well as understand the modern state of Israel. We help them connect with Israel and discuss why Israel is still relevant to Christians today. We offer teaching materials about the Hebrew Background to Christianity and provide opportunities to participate in humanitarian projects in Israel to help young adults connect to and partner with the ministry in the land.

Written by Mark Anthony - Zealous8:2 U.S.A Representative

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

(My roommate Zac and I on our way to pray at the Western Wall.)

"This shall be a statute forever for you; in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever." (Leviticus. 16:29-31).

Being in Israel and Jerusalem for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a surreal experience. The normally chaotic and frenetic city is transformed into a ghost town. No shops of any kind are open. No cars drive on the road. The streets are scattered with those who walk slowly to and from their places of worship. Children (those young enough to be exempt from the fast) ride their bikes in the streets, the only day of the year when it is really safe to do so. The nation of Israel, considered by many a secular state (and in many ways it is) observes this day, as commanded by the Lord over 3,000 years ago.



(Zac demonstrating just how empty the streets really are.)

This was my third Yom Kippur in the land of Israel and the most meaningful for me personally. I kept the customary fast and went to pray at the Western Wall twice during that period. As a believer in Jesus (Yeshua), my Yom Kippur happened 2,000 years ago, and so this day was, for me, about identification with the Jewish people. You cannot intercede for a nation with whom you do not identify. It was also a blessing to keep this fast as a demonstration to my Jewish friends of my solidarity with them. Yom Kippur is the most holy day of the Jewish year and one cannot build relationships with people by defiling and profaning the things they hold as holy. However, the greatest blessing of the day, for me personally, was in remembering, once again, the wonder of our assured and certain atonement, the atonement that we believe was bought and paid for by Yeshua.

"And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, whom through we have now received the reconciliation [or atonement]." (Romans 5:11)