From DEATH To LIFE ETERNAL

Acrylic on canvas taken from Luke's depiction of the Crucifixion at Golgotha and the natural and spiritual events and significances surrounding it.

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

Facing the 'Golden Gate', the East Gate, where the Messiah will be entering into Jerusalem one day again, Yeshua was across in the Garden of Gethsemane praying for this burden to be taken from him, if there was ANY other way to save humanity from their sins... besides the cross.

To the right is the Catholic Church at Gethsemane with a painting on its facade that depicts Yeshua as he is praying to the Lord in the Garden. There are 3 disputed areas that could possibly be the actual area where Yeshua prayed from to the Lord. The Catholics, Russian Orthodox, and Protestants own each area.

Russian Orthodox Church at Gethsemane

Olive trees at Gethsemane

Obviously, there was no other way for humanity to be reconciled to God the Father in Heaven but through the sacrificial death of His Only unblemished lamb, His Son, Yeshua.

Golgotha is found above where it actually looks like there is an imprint of a skull on the rock.
Although Christian culture depicts the 3 crosses on the top of this rock, it is more accurate to have had crucifixions on the street by the roadway. This way the prisoners are better mocked and spat on. Today this is where the buses park.

At twilight, on Easter, we travelled around the Old City Jerusalem walls and blew the trumpets of praise at each gate. We were blessed to have been able to praise the Lord as Jews, non-believers and even Muslims slept and walked about. We found no issue with doing this at this hour because the Muslims take the liberty to sound their loudspeakers for their daily prayers, and it rings through the city. And especially at the East Gate, in celebration of our Messiah coming again!!!!

The last stop was the tomb (one of two in controversy) where Jesus was said to have been buried and arisen from. This is the garden found around Golgotha, which seems appropriate to be close enough for Joseph of Arimethea to have brought him from off the cross. Here is a rich man's tomb where Jesus most likely was buried after his death on the cross.

A few hundred people gathered here in Israel for this event. However, filling such a small garden, it represents the small amount of Christians that make up the Israeli Christian community.

As the scriptures were read it was truly a remembrance of the rising of our Lord.

           "Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying.    
As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb  and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot."


John 20: 10- 12


If Jesus never resurrected we'd be worshipping a dead, powerless human. 
Because he rose again, that was his sign to the world, that He IS the Son of God, and that HE alone CONQUERS DEATH and saves us from the Angel of Death.

At the base of Golgotha there are cracks that look like
 what would have been cause by an earthquake.

Matthew 28: 2
 "There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it."

This is the Sign He promised:
John 2: 19 -21 "Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise 
it again in three days.”
  They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, 
and you are going to raise it in three days?” 
But the temple He had spoken of was his body. 
After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. 
Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

And the Celebration continued all the day long in remembrance of our LORD YESHUA MESHIACH!
Who came as a humble servant, to be slain for our sins (Isaiah 53), only to RISE again and reign from Heaven until He comes again to Judge the Living and the Dead when Every Knee shall Bow and every Tongue Confess that Jesus Christ, Yeshua Meshiach, is LORD. (Isaiah 45:3)

View from our hotel balcony

Outside of our hotel New Imperial near Jaffa Gate, Old City, East Jerusalem.

There is a great Arab Christian Catholic Church in Israel. They were instituted after the crusaders by the Scots, hence the bagpipes and attire.  However, after speaking to one of them, they do not do much outreach in Israel. They set up the churches but don't proseletyze, "share the gospel", in the streets.

Calvary Chapel Jerusalem Worship team at Christ Church.
Left to right: Christine Search, Mia, Drew Grizzle, Jordan Faker, Jonathan 

CURRENT EVENTS

 Walls of GOLGOTHA with modern wall built above

 The Garden Tomb at Golgotha is a memorial to the place of Christ's death, but is also a ministry that shares the whole gospel to ALL WHO ENTER. It is amazing to hear that it was chosen by the Jewish state as Israel's favorite place. Recently thousands of Jews visited this place and after hearing the gospel, were interested and even had questions.
This is further evidence that Messianic Judaism is spreading and becoming more accepted in Israel.

PRAYER REQUEST FOR GOLGOTHA
Presently, Golgotha has been under attack by Muslim Authorities. All over Israel there is Muslim  oppression on the Jews and Christians. Above you can see that there is a modern wall built above the rocks of Golgotha. Basically, they are made too high and with no approval of legal requirements to build. The Muslims have built a "sacred" cemetery behind the wall that, in the case of an earthquake, could collapse, and potentially hurt someone in the garden. Because of this the Garden has taken them to court, but in contempt of court, the Muslims buried some bodies already which, according to Muslim law, decrees it as sacred, and can no longer be touched, dug into, and altered.
This causes a problem that even Jewish authorities are having a hard time facing the oppressiveness given by Muslims.
Please pray for outside support as Israel is needing to gain allies that can help balance the scales. Please pray for the King of JORDAN, as relations with this country are most probable and would be most helpful in this kind of situation and in the end times.

GOOD PESACH FRIDAY

 On Wisdom:
"She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table."

Proverbs 9:2

PESACH is Hebrew for Passover.
 This Year's Passover coincided with Shabbat and
Good Friday. Yeshua, because he was completely
Jewish, celebrated Passover with his 12 disciples the night before he was crucified. The students from Calvary Chapel Jerusalem and I celebrated it at Christ Church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem.

The Passover is recorded in Exodus 12: “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel." 




Over the years, tradition has chosen certain foods in the Passover to represent different aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. The Bible only names the lamb, as the direct sacrificial lamb, where the blood was used to make a sign on the doorposts to ward of the Angel of Death. (Exodus 12:12-13) And it mentions the bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Everything else is Tradition.

Maror

The Maror or bitter herbs that are on the Seder plate are there to symbolize the bitterness of the Jews years of slavery in Egypt. In America, this is often either thin slices of horseradish or small pieces of various varieties of lettuce.

 

The lamb is accompanied by salads and rice and soup

Zeroah

The meal itself. It is often lamb and, even when it is not, there is often a lamb shankbone on the table to symbolize the traditional sacrificial offering. In America, the actual Seder meal is as likely to be a beef brisket or a roasted chicken, as it is to be lamb.

Beitzah: A hard-boiled egg that is on the plate to symbolize the renewal of life and the Jews eternal existence as a people.

Harosset ( of Charosset or Charoses)

This compote of apples, figs, dates, nuts, cinnamon and wine (there are many recipes) is on the plate to remind Jews of the mortar they used during the endless building projects tradition says they engaged in in Egypt.

Before the meal one piece of Matzo bread is broken and half of it is hidden as a game for the children to find it.  This child found two pieces of the many sets in the room.

***

Ba-rukh a-tah a-don-ai e-lo-hey-nu me-lech ha'-o-lahm, bor-ey p'-ree ha-gah-fen.

Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Creator of the Fruit of the Vine.

Amen.

The Kiddush

 (above Jewish prayer before the wine

The word "Kiddush" literally means "sanctification"*)

Throughout the meal we pray for the drink from the fruit of the vine. Both for the food and for communion. It seems completely amazing to me to discover that when the Lord Yeshua Meshiach instituted the Communion, he didn't separate it from the Passover. And if he was Jewish, you think he may have said the Jewish prayers before drinking the wine and the bread and then saying:

 "Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19)

Yeshua Meshiach. Worthy to be praised!

This prayer is recited before the 4th cup is drank. It is the closing blessing and ends with a song that we pray to be in Jerusalem next year again!

" La-Sha-nah  ha-bah-ah

                                                                  bi Yer-ush-ah-lah-yim!"

And Jesus said:

Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

Sources: 

*http://judaism.about.com/od/judaismbasics/g/whatiskiddush.htm

**http://www.shaddai.com/feasts/docs/passover-haggadah.pdf

***http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer/shabbat.htm

http://debbie-kwiatoski.suite101.com/the-meaning-of-passover-foods-a50646

PALM SUNDAY

גילי מאד בת־ציון הריעי בת ירושלם הנה מלכך יבוא לך צדיק ונושע הוא עני ורכב על־חמור ועל־עיר בן־אתנות׃

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He [is] just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey."

Zechariah 9:9

This is one of the many prophecies of the Messiah that the people of Israel have waited thousands and hundreds of years to see the fulfillment of.

Zechariah envisioned the Messiah.. the righteous ruler who was to come to Israel... partially described above... fulfilled in: 

Matthew 21:5-7

"Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"

So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

Entering in through the Lion's Gate
from the mount of Olives.
Followers of Yeshua are among the throng of people;
 from all over the world.
Trying to walk the path that Jesus through
Yerushalayim. 

Spaniards came with a full band of worshippers
 singing Hosanna in Spanish and Italian.
Their joy and passion was the greatest
of all praises in the Parade.
 The heart of Worship of our savior was
exalted in this multitude of worshippers.

However, this is in Jerusalem, Israel. Although many Christians came with a pure heart to worship our Lord and Saviour, Yeshua Meschiach, there seemed to be a pervading political oppression. There were many arab christians, some arabic music (I wish was translated), and the overriding leaders and participants of the multitude were Catholic. There was even a sign pointing from a Parish in Palestine... as if the walk for them became more than just glory for the Lord.. but for Palestine.

Arabic Christian groups filled the multitude. The backdrop of Jerusalem is notably marked by the Muslim mosque in the background. 

Israeli Police ready for any aggression at the Mount of Olives.

Catholic Arab Parish

As we entered from the Lion's Gate right into the Muslim quarter.. we were ushered into a courtyard where the sound of Arabic music coming from this balcony's loudspeaker drowned out the worship. The courtyard was somewhat enclosed where a Catholic priest was getting ready to presume a Mass. Without meaning to jump to conclusions, but because the music was not translated I cannot tell you what it said. But I can tell you that the Muslim's and the Catholics seem to have a deep connection. The Jews are not a part of this mixture of people. 

Wall posts as you enter into Muslim quarter

Without trying to create a racial divide. Walking in this procession made me notice that it is possible that the Arabic nations have more easily converted into believing the Christ Messiah is Jesus, Yeshua, or in Arabic: Isa, Eesa, or EESHO M'SHEEKHA (Jesus Messiah) in Aramaic (http://www.answering-christianity.com/name_of_jesus.htm gives an interesting study of the name of Jesus in linguistics and history). 

Personally, as I've come to Israel to visit the Jews first in the name of Yeshua, my Lord, I am facing the realities of this nation. Having a heart for the Jews I see how few Christian Jews I see, many more Arab Christians, and yet most are Catholic. When we look at the Catholic Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the place of Jesus' burial according to Constantine), and as I learned under Pastor John Bonner, a Muslim holds the key to this place, I can't help but question who's really in charge of this all. 

The man who holds the key to the church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Even Israel is distinctively stamped by a Mosque, in the place where the Holy Temple of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob used to be, and they are waiting to rebuild on this Temple Mound. 

This marks the kind of oppression Israel and Jerusalem is under. There are still great forces of darkness oppressing the people, the city, and the world. This is the barometer of the world. 

As a Christian, we believe that Yeshua came for the Jews first. To free them first spiritually (with His sacrificial death on the cross), and then physically (when He returns to reign on earth). 

I came to Israel for the Jews first; 

but it is inseparably surrounded by the nations, and especially the Muslims in the heart of Jerusalem, the city of David. 

The SHEMA

שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד׃
ואהבת את יהוה אלהיך בכל־לבבך ובכל־נפשך  
ובכל־מאדך׃




Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu


  Adonai Eloheinu
      
                Adonai Echad


Veh-havta et Adonai Eloheikhah


Bekol Levavekah
uBekohl naphshekha uBekohl mehodekhah
       
This is the morning prayer of all Jews. This is their goodnight.
This is the commandment of the LORD... since B.C. and into A.D.
Yeshua refers to this command.
He did not come to do away with it but to Fulfill it in his own life.

This is the first Hebrew song I have learned.
It is my desire. So should it be to the end.




Deuteronomy 6:4,5
    
            "Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is One;
                       Love the Lord your God
  With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might"


I learned that there is more to this prayer:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad. Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

In an undertone: Barukh sheim k'vod malkhuto l'olam va'ed. Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.

V'ahav'ta eit Adonai Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

V'hayu had'varim ha'eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'kha hayom al l'vavekha. And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.

V'shinan'tam l'vanekha v'dibar'ta bamAnd you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them

b'shiv't'kha b'veitekha uv'lekh't'kha vaderekh uv'shakh'b'kha uv'kumekha when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Uk'shar'tam l'ot al yadekha v'hayu l'totafot bein einekha. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

Ukh'tav'tam al m'zuzot beitekha uvish'arekha. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.