MikeRamsdell.com » Israel

Leaving Israel

miker — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:20:43 +0000

Not that many hours ago I was at the Garden Tomb (where some say Jesus rose from the dead and right next door He was crucified at a rock hill that looks very much like a skull). And it does, especially as we remember that Golgotha or Calvary means; the place of the skull. I was able to serve communion to our group while we were there, and just like the early disciples we sang a hymn and departed. A few hours later we took a bus to Tel Aviv and began the 2 hour security check and then the 14 hour flight.
For the rest of our lives we will continue to be influenced by bits and pieces of our journey to Israel. But I believe the photos and souvenirs we brought back are a small part of our adventure together, it is more how we are changed. It is always about the ways God hand changes our lives and that change being reflected in our families, workplace, Church, and world. When we walk with Jesus change always happens. I believe change happened at the Garden tomb for all of us, a change I hope you will be able to experience with us on Easter. Sharing communion a few feet from where Christ was crucifed and giving thanks a few feet from the empty tomb was surely a changing experience. In a world were sin and death too often tell us who we are, Christians know who they are by God’s amazing cross based grace and God’s powerful resurrection based life and everlasting life. Think about it with me, are you defined by amazing grace and eternal life, or sin and death? Join me at the garden tomb and walk with Jesus in journey a of life and grace. It’s the Easter Story.
For the cause of Christ and Shalom from Israel and Texas. In a very real way I feel like I have one foot in both places.

Jerusalem

miker — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:07:58 +0000

The last two days have been overwhelming. We have been to the Garden of Gethesemene, walked down the Via Delarosa where Christ carried His cross to Calvary, stepped down to where His trial was held, where Jesus was imprisoned, and where tradition says He was crucifed and buried. On top of this we made our way to Masada where about a 1,000 Jewish Zealots held out against 15,000 Roman Soldiers for more than two years. It has been an amazing two days. How do I feel? In walking the Via Delarosa, spending time at Gesthemene, and walking with groups and people from all over the world and almost every language making their way into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, I have it imprinted on me what Jesus, God with us, really did. In this jouirney I see the significance and tragedy of the nature of depth of sin that took such an act of God to redeem us from it, and I also see the amazing Grace and Love of God believing that such an act reveals so clearly the significance of God’s heart turned toward us. The cross is all sufficient to save us. No sin cannot be forgiven by this amazing Act and no life cannot be changed by this Amazing grace, not an intangible idea, bit a tangible cross of God.
for the cause of Christ ans shalom from Israel

Israel today

miker — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:31:01 +0000

We recently had an amazing experience; in the midst of all of the inspirational moments we also experienced modern day Israel. The rockets continue from the Palestinian Area in Gaza but we see little evidence of that. But we did see a huge wall built between Bethlehem and Jerusalem (the cities are connected). Bethlehem is made up of mostly Palestinian Christians while Jerusalem has many Jews who live there. Because of past terrorist attacks the Wall was built 5 years ago. When we left Bethlehem we had to go through a check point, get off the bus, walk through a metal detector, and show our pass port. The Palestinians who work in Jerusalem, (our Guide Wasam is a Palestinian Christian) have to do this daily, i(f they can get a pass which few do). he tells us it usually takes 3 hours to get through. Because we are Americans it only took about 30 minutes. It is heartbreaking to see Jerusalem and Israel so divided. Pray for peace; there are no winners here.Tonight we will hear from a Methodist Missionary who is meeting with our group who lives in Bethlehem. He will share with us some of the ways our Church helps the poor in Israel as well as works for peace and Justice in this very divided land. We eperience this everywhere, as we spent time on the West Bank and in Bethlehem, which many groups do not because of the great divide in Israel. We have found both the Jews and the Palestinians very welcoming, though there are obvious injustices here, on both sides. Pray for peace in Jerusalem. If there can be peace in this long broken place, then maybe there can be peace in all the world. Jesus come soon.

Today we go into the hold city of Jerusalem, the Via Delorosa or Road to the Cross. May God bless.

For the cause of Christ and Shalom,
Mike

Jerusalem

miker — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:20:38 +0000

We have now made our way into Jerusalem and are staying at a hotel called “The Olive Tree”. It is overwhelming. Yesterday we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus prayed, “Not my will but thine be done”, was betrayed, arrested, and taken to trial. As he prays to God and prepares to give His life for us all, He, as we could yesterday, could see the walls of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, and the gate into the city Jesus entered to begin Holy week. This is all just down from the Mt of Olives where the Garden is located. The olive trees in the garden may be as old as 2,000 years, meaning they might have been there when Jesus was. What an honor it was to pray “Not my will but thine be done” in front of a tree where Jesus might have knelt. We saw the spot He prayed over Jerusalem, the Pool of Bethesda where He healed a lame man, Jericho; the Mount of Ascension where many think Jesus ascended into heaven, and the Mount of Temptation where tradition tells us Jesus faced the Devil before He began His public ministry.

For me the greatest moment was standing on the Mount of Olives and knowing that Jesus saw much the same view when He prayed, “How often I would have had you come tom me and you would not”. Have you come to Jesus yet. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, Jesus still invites us.

For the Cause of Christ and Shalom from Israel,

Mike

Day Two in Israel

miker — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:31:45 +0000

Today it rained a great deal, but I still got to baptize 7 of our folks in the River Jordan. I was reminded of the words of God when Jesus was Baptized, “this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. I think God says the same thing when each of us proclaim Him at baptism. We went to the Mount of the Beatitudes as well as the place where Jesus fed the 5,000. We also took a short cruise on the sea of Galilee in a Storm, we tried to calm it but to no avail. But I still got to share a Word on the boat. God is Good.

A photo of sunrise on the Sea of Galilee

For the cause of Christ and Shalom from Israel,

Mike

Our First Day in the Holy Land

miker — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:03:34 +0000

Our first day in Israel including getting to know our guide who is a Palestinian Christian; there are some 28,000 in Israel. He is from Bethlehem and proudly tells us that He believes he is descended from the Shepherds who visited Jesus that First Christmas. We went to Beshan where early Christians were persecuted in the arena there. Walking with Jesus takes on a different light when we realize the sacrifice that was called from in those early Days. We also went to Capernium, a major port, palace, and court in the Bible Days.

Me and Rhonda at Capernium

It was here Peter baptized Cornelius and his family the first Roman Gentile Converts. This act changed the entire direction of Christianity. It was also here that Paul stood trial before King Herod, and the Governor Festus. Paul preaching Christ and the Resurrection to them was heard my many and then sent to Rome. There is also a block of Marble here with the name Pontious Pilate on it. he was Governor before Festus and as you know, the one who presided over the crucifixion of Jesus. History is more than history here, it is a living faith.

For the Cause of Christ and Shalom,
Mike

Beside the Sea of Galilee

miker — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:34:02 +0000

Iwoke up this morning in Tiberias Israel. Last night I opend the window; we arrived in the dark so I could not see outside. When I looked out this morning, the sun was rising on the hils and water of the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus called his first Disciples, walked on water, fed crowds with a few loaves and fishes and taught the sermon on the Mount. This is where His ministry began among the least, the last, the lost of the world; a category we all fit in. God is always close, because He finds where we are, just as Jesus found those in need wherever He was. But it is amazing to think that God walked these shores just outside where we began our first morning in Israel. Today we will make a trip to Nazareth where He grew up, head to Ceasera a great city the Romans Built, and wander many roads that are the same roads the Bible unfold in. May God bless each of us as we walk with Jesus in Israel together. I am taking you with me in prayer and thinking of the ways we will share this time of “Walking with Jesus” in weekends to come.
for the cause of Christ,
and shalom from Israel.
Mike

Preparing for a trip to Israel

miker — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:58:20 +0000

I will be heading to Israel with 21 of our Church family the week of February 24th. One of the unique parts of this trip is that we will be taking a camera that will allow me to bring back video for my Message Series during Lent and Easter. I am really charged with the idea of taking video of the places where Jesus walked, where the Bible stories happened, and then bringing it back to my Church family and making application to our lives today. In a way I will be taking the 5,000 plus folks in my Church family with me. I pray God blesses me, those that are actually with me, and then everyone in our Church as we “Walk with Jesus.” An added part of this trip is that last time I went to Israel I took my Mother with me, a special request from her to go to Israel with her preacher son. It was a season I treasure and will remember knowing that two years ago she transcended into her heavenly life, from streets of Jerusalem to Streets of gold.