Thursday, October 15, 2009

ISRAEL, TO WITNESS THE HISTORICAL PLACES IN THE HOLY BOOK

FORETOLD.
In this very room an angel Gabriel (Jibril) spoke to Maria :"You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are give him the name Yesus", Luke 1: 31. This words she kept in her heart and mind. She was wondered, and asking herself :" How come I will delivered a baby since I was a virgin still ?

We took a seat for a while in Maria's room, realized that Maria family lived here in Nazareth with Yoseph, a carpenter. The house now replaced by the Church of Annunciation building, but they keep still Maria's room and the will under the building, full of water, guarding by the fences to keep out no body came downstairs.

Nazareth, small town where most Israel Moslem citizen lived and running business, the handicrafts stores, sold gifts such as Cross, Yesus sculptures, necKles, paintings and other kinds of accessories related to Christians believes.


BORN
This David star is an exact places where Yesus born, known as a horse staples in ancient time, He laid in the manger, since no rooms available for them to stayed. They came down from Nazareth to Bethlehem to registered as Betlehem's origin as King ordered.

Even though they stayed in such space, the magi from the east came to worshiped Him and presented valuable gifts. King Herod scared ,if this new born baby be His successor. So, He commanded all new born babies executed to death. Yoseph run away to Egypt with Yesus and Maria until Herod died.

The staples now placed in the basement of a church using by non denominations. To enter the church we have to bend down because the door too short.
In the last few years before he passed away, Yazer Arafat, President, attending the Christmas services in this church, where Betlehem administered under Palestine Government.


TEACHING.
On the gate we read : "Capernaum the town of Yesus" , its not because He is lived here and registered as people of Capernaum. No. He came down from his home in Nazareth, teach here in the Sinagoge to his 12 discipels and the people of  Kapernaum and surroundings for 20 months. He stayed in Simon Petrus's home next to the Sinagoge, just walking distance from the sea shores.

We could not considered it as a town, since no cross roads, no traffic lights, no stores, no animals and no agriculture to supported the people. Nothing. The reasons why no creatures lived in Kapernaum because of people here is so stubborn. They followed, heard what His teachings were and many miracles done by Yesus, but their heart like a stone, un believe still. That is why Yesus cursed, as written in Mat 2: 23-34.

OBEY.
Bible full of stories about fishing, teachings, storms, walking above the sea of Galilea. We went there, aboard the ship, imaging when His disciples caught no fish in a whole night. But after Yesus commanded to fishing again, they believed in half heart. Ultimately they return  over flood catchings till the nets broken, but their faith more solid.

To memorized this amazing moment,  restaurants menu in Galilea named a special  menu as Petrus's fish, dedicated to one disciples name Petrus.


BAPTIZED.
I never imagined that one day or another my feet may standing here in Jordan river, where Yesus baptized by John. When he baptized, a sparrow flying over head and suddenly a voice heard : "You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased".
Without thinking of the hyegienic of the Jordan river, my lap tapped the water, took to my mouth and drink it. While my wife and my daughter Peggy just washing their faces. We tempted to buy two mineral water bottles to fill in the Jordan water and took them home to Indonesia, some like zamzam water. No, we treated the water just like a running water at home. No more than that.

We didn't joint the baptized ritual here (again), for me baptize just once for all, symbolized that I became a member of His Kingdom.
CROSSED.
Here the exact place where He humiliated by Israelis. Golgota hill, known as the skulls mountain, where Yesus punished till the last breaths, up on the cross together with another two criminals.

Visitors so crowded to climb upstairs to the hill, to witnessed where the cross erected. This cross is under a huge Building named "Church of all Nations" to symbolized that the last renovation done in 1919-1924 by 16 nations. He died  for my sins and for the Wolrd..
THOMB.
An angles standing outside the tomb said to the women who paid a first visit to the tomb: "Why do you seek a living among the dead ?", Luke 24: 6.
We went there not because doubted, but in the contrary to strengthen our faith, heart and mind that He really alive, to saved me and all the believers.

Yes, Yesus rise in the third day and the tomb vacant, except His clotch unwrapped. The huge stones that covered the tomb's doors, open widely. Yesus none and gone.


He is alive and rise as prophecied, went to meet His disciples in confusions and amazing, before He uplifted to heaven. We in line to entered in a small group of 3-4 to see where Yesus laid after  murdered on the cross.

No obligation whatsoever for Christians to visit the promised land ,with understanding that we believed what Bibles said even we never seen it, but we even believed more if we had the opportunities to witnessed the historical places, walking around the land and sea.
Now when listen to a preaches, I get more understanding and may imagine where the locations are, the historical places that preachers talking about

We took advantages toured to Paris and London for 5 days while waiting for visa applications in Israel embassy in Den Hag, The Nederland. Thanks Lord, you allowed my family visitted Promise land at April 8, 1992, a year after Irak - Iran war without fear. Indeed we felt blessed back home to Jakarta safe and sound

My dream, one day or another will go there again, this time prefer by group tour to let us know in more details as written, explained by someone who expert in the Bible. Our first visit done by as a free tourists and missed several historical places that an Israel guide tour maybe didn't care because she was a Jews.
Amin.

No comments: