Freedom: Which Elevator Really Gets You There?

Going “up”? If you would like to enjoy the ride and get to God’s ultimate destination for your life, I would suggest that you not take the “Shabbat elevator.”

The Shabbat (Sabbath) elevator can be found in apartment buildings all over Jerusalem and Israel. These elevators, which are specially rigged to stop on every floor during the weekly Jewish Sabbath (sundown Friday through sundown Saturday), provide for humorous fodder and frequent frustration for Gentiles and non-observant Jews. But the Shabbat elevator has come to represent something far greater to me. Every Shabbat, that crazy elevator reminds me of the blood of Christ, which was shed for me so that I might “ride to the top” of God’s ultimate purpose for my life—fellowship with Him.

Oh, I can hear it now. “Kristen’s over the top!” Her trip to the Holy Land has warped her brain and now she is spiritualizing everything—even elevator rides! I know it sounds a little wacky, but no more absurd than the motivation behind the Shabbat elevator. You see, observant Jews take God’s command to keep the Sabbath very seriously.

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates." ~Exodus 20:8-10

So seriously, in fact, that to push an elevator button, or flick a light switch, or even push the remote control for a Saturday World Cup game is considered “work”… and that is offensive to God.

“You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.” ~Exodus 31:13

So, elevators and lights are put on timers and Gentile friends are asked to come over and push a remote control button or flip a switch when necessary… all in the effort to please the Creator and Redeemer God, YHWH, who delivered the Jews out of the bondage of Egypt. Just think about all that He did to rescue His people from the oppressive grip of Pharaoh. And yet, some 3,400 years later, the Jews hold themselves in bondage—now slaves to elevators, light switches, and the schemes of man trying to gain and maintain righteousness before a Holy God.

Sadly, they have rejected the One Who came to offer His eternal righteousness to them and free them from a life of bondage.

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’” ~Luke 6:5

This 4th of July weekend, as I reflect on “freedom” and as I have watched another Shabbat come and go, I am praising my Savior for rescuing me from the bondage of sin, as well as the bondage of man-made schemes to attain righteousness. Jesus Christ—the Lord of the Sabbath—has given me a free ride to the top. There is nothing I have done or can do (no button I can push or avoid pushing) to earn His righteousness and His promise of eternal life. It is a gift, offered on the Cross through His blood.

So, are you “going up?” Don’t take the Shabbat elevator. It may promise to lead to freedom, but it always stops at bondage (on every floor!).

Want to Know More About God? Look at a Camel!

I recently took a camel ride in Jerusalem. Then a friend sent me this article written by Bob Devine and published by Moody. I must say, I have new respect for my camel friend "Kojak" (see picture) and am in more awe than ever before for our Creator God.

Meet The Camel
If you ever doubted that God exists, meet the Very Technical, Highly Engineered Dromedary Camel. by Bob Devine

When I'm hungry, I'll eat almost anything-a leather bridle, a piece of rope, my master's tent, or a pair of shoes. My mouth is so tough a thorny cactus doesn't bother it. I love to chow down grass and other plants that grow here on the Arabian desert.

I'm a dromedary camel, the one-hump kind that lives on hot deserts in the Middle East.
My hump, all eighty pounds of it, is filled with fat-my body fuel-not water as some people believe. My Mighty Maker gave it to me because He knew I wouldn't always be able to find food as I travel across the hot sands. When I don't find any chow, my body automatically takes fat from the hump, feeds my system, and keeps me going strong. This is my emergency food supply.

If I can't find any plants to munch, my body uses up my hump. When the hump gets smaller, it starts to tip to one side. But when I get to a nice oasis and begin to eat again, my hump soon builds back to normal.I've been known to drink twenty-seven gallons of water in ten minutes. My Master Designer made me in such a fantastic way that in a matter of minutes all the water I've swallowed travels to the billions of microscopic cells that make up my flesh.
Naturally, the water I swallow first goes into my stomach. There thirsty blood vessels absorb and carry it to every part of my body. Scientists have tested my stomach and found it empty ten minutes after I've drunk twenty gallons.

In an eighty hour day I can carry a four hundred pound load a hundred miles across a hot, dry desert and not stop once for a drink or something to eat. In fact, I've been known to go eight days without a drink, but then I look a wreck. I lose 227 pounds, my ribs show through my skin, and I look terribly skinny. But I feel great! I look thin because the billions of cells lose their water. They're no longer fat. They're flat.

Normally my blood contains 94 percent water, just like yours. But when I can't find any water to drink, the heat of the sun gradually robs a little water out of my blood. Scientists have found that my blood can lose up to 40 percent of its water, and I'm still healthy. Doctor's say human blood has to stay very close to 94 percent water. If you lose 5 percent of it, you can't see anymore; 10 percent, you can't hear and you go insane; 12 percent, your blood is as thick as molasses and your heart can't pump the thick stuff. It stops, and you're dead.But that's not true with me. Why? Scientists say my blood is different. My red cells are elongated. Yours are round. Maybe that's what makes the difference. This proves I'm designed for the desert, or the desert is designed for me. Did you ever hear of a design without a Designer?

After I find a water hole, I'll drink for about ten minutes and my skinny body starts to change almost immediately. In that short time my body fills out nicely, I don't look skinny anymore, and I gain back the 227 pounds I lost. Even though I lose a lot of water on the desert, my body conserves it too. Way in the beginning when my intelligent Engineer made me, He gave me a specially designed nose that saves water. When I exhale, I don't lose much. My nose traps that warm, moist air from my lungs and absorbs it in my nasal membranes. Tiny blood vessels in those membranes take that back into my blood. How's that for a recycling system? Pretty cool, isn't it. It works because my nose is cool. My cool nose changes that warm moisture in the air from my lungs into water.But how does my nose get cool? I breath in hot dry desert air, and it goes through my wet nasal passages. This produces a cooling effect, and my nose stays as much as 18 degrees cooler than the rest of my body.

I love to travel the beautiful sand dunes. It's really quite easy, because my Creator gave me specially engineered sand shoes for feet. My hooves are wide, and they get even wider when I step on them.Each foot ha s two long, bony toes with tough, leathery skin between, My soles are a little like webbed feet. They won't let me wink into the soft, drifting sand. This is good, because often my master wants me to carry him one hundred miles across the desert in just one day. (I troop about ten miles per hour.)

Sometimes a big windstorm comes out of nowhere, bringing flying sand with it. My Master Designer put special muscles in my nostrils that close the openings, keeping sand out of my nose but still allowing me enough air to breathe. My eyelashes arch down over my eyes like screens, keeping the sand and sun out but still letting me see clearly. If a grain of sand slips through and gets in my eye, the Creator took care of that too. He gave me an inner eyelid that automatically wipes the sand off my eyeball just like a windshield wiper. Some people think I'm conceited because I always walk around with my head held high and my nose in the air. But that's just because of the way I'm made. My eyebrows are so thick and busy I have to hold my head high to peek out from underneath them. I'm glad I have them though. They shade my eyes from the bright sun.

Desert people depend on me for many things. Not only am I their best form of transportation, but I'm also their grocery store. Mrs. Camel gives very rich milk that people make into butter and cheese. I shed my thick fur coat once a year, and that can be woven into cloth. A few young camels are used for beef, but I don't like to talk about that.

For a long time we camels have been called the "ships of the desert" because of the way we sway from side to side when we trot. Some of our riders get seasick.I sway from side to side because of the way my legs work. Both legs on one side move forward at the same time, elevating that side. My "left, right left, right" motion makes my rider feel like he is in a rocking chair going sideways.
When I was six months old, special knee pads started to grow on my front legs. The intelligent Creator knew I had to have them. They help me lower my 1000 pounds to the ground. If I didn't have them, my knees would soon become sore and infected, and I could never lie down. I'd die of exhaustion.By the way, I don't get thick knee pads because I fall on my knees. I fall on my knees because I already have these tough pads. Someone very great thought of me and knew I needed them. He designed them into my genes.

It's real difficult for me to understand how some people say I evolved into what I now am. I'm _very technical, highly engineered dromedary camel. Things like me don't just happen. They're planned on a drawing board by Someone very brilliant, Someone very logical.

John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The Word means "logical, intelligent One."Verse 3 says, "All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made."

Who was the Word? Look at verse 14. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory." Who was made all flesh? The Lord Jesus Christ, the Word who created everything, including the dromedary camel.

by Bob Devine
Reprinted by permission from Moody/September 1981
Mr. Devine is the creator and narrator of "The Storybook Room" on Moody radio and the author of eight children's books on nature (Moody Press).

Abundant Provision

Manna. We don't know exactly what it was, but God's Word tells us that it came from His hand and was nourishing and satisfying for the hungry Israelites in the wilderness.


"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day...' The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, 'This is what the Lord has commanded: Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'" (Exodus 16:4, 31-32)


At that time, God's provision for His people was not extravagent. It was a wafer--bread from heaven that appeared every morning like dew on the grass. "Men ate the bread of angels; He sent them all the food they could eat." (Psalm 78:25). Though His provision was simple, it was sufficient for their nourishment. God provided what His people needed to survive.


I thought about manna as I explored the "shuk" last Friday.




The shuk is a huge, open-air market in the heart of downtown Jerusalem. It is a delightful (if not a bit chaotic) circus of fresh produce, meat, baked goods, spices, and the characters who sell them. Like any good circus, the shuk is constantly in motion and abounding with vibrant sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Look in one direction and your eyes are treated to a splendid array of colorful spices. Walk just a few steps and the waft of freshly baked pita and challah bread stops you dead in your tracks...but only for a few seconds before the hustle and bustle of eager shoppers and sellers moves you forward. Turn in another direction and you can't help but be drawn to the beautiful fruits and vegetables. It is a marvelous circus for the senses.


As I take it all in, I can't help but say out loud to my companions, Billie and Cybil, "Isn't God good?!" He doesn't have to lay out such an incredible smorgasbord. Simple manna would serve us well and be sufficient provision from His hand. And yet, He spoils us with a lavish feast of tastes, textures, colors, and smells... not because He has to, but because He wants to. Like any good father,our Father in Heaven delights in pouring out His abundance on us.




"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting." Psalm 118:1




Thank you Lord!

Points of Interest or Points of Entrance?

Last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to visit two of the most precious Biblical sites to followers of Christ—the place where Jesus was born, memorialized by the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the place where He was crucified and buried, memorialized by Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. While tradition recognizes these as the actual sites of Christ’s birth and death, scholars have long debated their validity. Personally, I don’t believe that we will ever know for sure (this side of Heaven), and God has good reason for that. At these sites, people are prone to worship the creation, rather than the Creator.

At the Church of the Nativity, visitors from all over the world kiss a spot on the floor that someone hundreds of years ago identified as the place where Jesus entered the world. Hundreds of people line up every day to crouch on the ground and press their lips to a slab of stone.

And at the Garden Tomb, followers of Christ regularly leave locks of hair and other personal items in the place where it is believed that Jesus’ lifeless body was laid. Workers say that one of their primary tasks at the end of the day is to remove (with honor and dignity of course) the items that people leave behind for Jesus. If the gardeners didn’t clear it out, the small tomb would quickly become overrun with people’s stuff and inaccessible to anyone.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand the wonder and emotion one encounters in a visit to the Holy Land and to these holy sites. It is an awe-inspiring privilege to walk where Jesus walked and pray in the places where He may very well have breathed His first and last human breaths. But as Christians, we are to worship the Creator of the Universe and not His creation. The Holy Land and these precious sites should be considered “points of interest” to the faithful and not “points of entry” into the presence of God. As we journey to and through this land, that divine truth first spoken by angels more than two thousand years ago to the women at the tomb should ring in our ears and hearts.

"Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen” (Luke 24:5-6a).

He has risen indeed! Our faith is fueled not by the place from which He rose, but by the fact that He rose. Hallelujah!

With all my heart, I hope that those of you who desire to visit the Holy Land will have an opportunity to do so. It is an extraordinary adventure that has blessed me beyond measure. But be assured that to draw near to the Lord, you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to a far-off land and ancient ruins.

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24).

You have no further to go than the distance from your feet to your knees. Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, the Son of God, God Himself, will meet you right where you are at.

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).

Digging...

For the past week, I have been “digging” at an archaeology site that is believed to be Ai—the Old Testament city that Joshua conquered and burned in the 15th Century BC (Joshua 7-8). It is back-breaking, grueling, hot work…hours and hours spent in the Israeli heat hunched over a trench, picking through thorns, dirt, rocks, and rubble, digging for evidence that this site is, indeed, Joshua’s Ai. Every bone and joint in my body (including ones I didn’t know existed) have been screaming at me, “Who cares?!” Is this painstaking effort to unearth a little city that was allegedly destroyed and burned by Joshua 3400 years ago worth all of the toil and trouble? In a word, yes! And in response to my aching left big toe, right pinky, back, and all other unhappy body parts that seem to be demanding an answer to the “who cares?” question … I believe that God cares. Thank goodness, so do many dedicated men and women who are committed to unearthing the evidence that supports Biblical Truth. We live in a world that seeks to dismiss the Bible as simply a good book of stories with no historical proof. The work of Biblical archaeology is invaluable in the effort to refute the critics of God.

Archaeologists look at a site like the one I’ve been at and ask several questions of it. Does the location fit with the Biblical narrative? Can the ruins and artifacts be dated back to the time in question (approx. 1400 BC in the case of Ai)? Is there physical evidence, like an inscription, that proves it is the site in question? Without finding some sort of inscription (which hasn’t been found at Ai), we cannot know with absolute, 100% certainty that it is Ai. However, the other evidence is mounting. Geographically, it makes good sense within the context of the Biblical narrative. Pottery dug out of the site dates back to the time of Joshua. And, it appears that the city endured a major fire which again fits with the Bible’s account of Ai. It is not definitive that this is Ai, but the evidence is pointing in that direction. If we can make a strong case that this is Ai, then we have further evidence to support our belief that the Bible, God’s Word, is historically reliable and trustworthy. So, archaeologists and volunteers will be back again next summer for another grueling season of digging to find the truth.

I have made a life of digging for truth, and have always found it to be really hard work. As a reporter, I dug for journalistic truth. Little did I know that during my journalism days, the Lord was equipping and preparing me to dig for a higher purpose—the knowledge and wisdom of God. It doesn’t come easy. It requires a commitment to studying His Word, seeking His face, and pursuing the things of Him. In a world that is constantly telling us to run after riches, fame, and human approval, the pursuit of the knowledge of God seems pointless to some. Like the critics who dismiss Biblical archaeology, arguing that the Bible has no historical truth, the ungodly see the pursuit of the knowledge of God as a worthless or vain effort. Our time on earth is better spent, they believe, striving for fame and fortune. In fact, as Job 28 tells us, man will go to the very core of the earth, risking life and limb to extract earthly riches.

Man’s hand assaults the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains. He tunnels through the rock; his eyes see all its treasures. He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light. (Job 28:9-11)

It seems to be a natural human endeavor to strive for the things of this world. And, God has given man the ability and ingenuity to do that. But, He also offers us the opportunity to pursue something greater than anything this world has to offer—His Wisdom—a treasure that man cannot find on his own.

God understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells. (Job 28:23)

The wisdom and knowledge of God is found only with God’s help, through His Word and a relationship with Him. And, I believe that it is worth the effort. If man is willing to go to extreme measures to acquire the things of this world (like fortune and fame) that have no eternal value, how much more of an effort should we be willing to make to acquire the things of God that will last forever?!

And so….I dig. For the last three years, I have been digging in an academic setting—unearthing theological truths through my grueling studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. This summer, the Lord has blessed me with a much-needed change of dig location. As they say in archaeology, I’ve “opened a new square” and am digging for God’s Wisdom in the Holy Land. It is a refreshing change of scenery and I look forward to finding the treasures He has for me here. As I used to say in my journalism days… stay tuned. I will let you know what I find. Meantime, I pray that you are experiencing a purposeful, fruitful "dig" of your own as well this summer. :)

Shalom! k

Why Fig Tree?

Some may be wondering why I chose to call my blog from Israel the Fig Tree Chronicles. Israel, as you may know, is covered with fig trees and their sweet fruit is a popular offering at meal time. I love figs and look forward to enjoying them in Israel for the summer. But, there is much deeper meaning and symbolism to the fig tree.

In the first century, disciples (called talmidim) would follow their rabbi and learn from him as they journeyed through the land. They literaly sought to be "covered in the dust" of their rabbi, following so closely as to hang on every word, which meant they would be covered by the dust kicked up by his feet. In addition to walking and learning from their rabbi, disciples would also sit at their rabbi's feet under a fig tree, where they would enjoy refreshing shade from the searing sun and nourishment from the sweet fruit. Under the fig tree was a place of physical rest and provision, as well as a place where disciples would learn the deeper truths of scripture from their beloved teachers. Ultimately, "under the fig tree" became an idiom for one who sits under the shade of a rabbi's teaching and feasts on the fruit of his discipleship.



Do you remember what Jesus said to Nathanael when Nathanael asked the Lord how He knew him. Jesus said, "When you were under the fig tree, I saw you" (John 1:48). Evidently, Nathanaeal had been sitting at his rabbi's feet under a fig tree, seeking God's instruction and wisdom. Jesus was nowhere near Nathanael, so the only way that He could have seen him under the fig tree was through supernatural vision. Jesus, Son of God, God Himself, sees all and saw Nathanael under the fig tree, earnestly seeking the knowledge of God. In that moment, Nathanael realized who Jesus truly was, believed in Him as His Lord, and began to follow Him as His teacher...His Rabbi.



My earnest desire while I am in Israel and for the rest of my journey here on earth is to sit at my Rabbi's feet, "under the fig tree." I want to know Him, seek His Wisdom, find comfort and rest in His shade, and nourishing fruit in His Word. This is my heart's desire... my life journey. It didn't begin in Israel and, Lord willing, won't end here. But, oh what an incredible privilege and joy it is to draw nearer to Him, rest in Him, and seek His wisdom under the fig trees of His Land.

Return to the Land

Four years ago, during the summer of 2006, the Lord brought me to Israel for the first time. It was a life-transforming experience. When I left, I knew I would return... the next time for an extended stay. Well, "next time" is here and became very real as I traveled up through the hills of Judea into the land of Bejamin. After 4 years of grueling work and study, (and a very long day of taxis, airports, and airplanes) I am back in the land that my heart longed to experience again.

Officially, my reason for being in Israel is an internship for my ThM program at Dallas Theological Seminary. I will be spending the summer participating in a number of things including an archaeological dig, study programs at the University of the Holy Land, church toursim, and video production. It is a thrill to have the opportunity to work with and serve such a variety of ministries and organizations.

More than the academic experience, however, I am praying that this time will be a time of refreshment, renewal, and vision-casting for what comes after Seminary. When I was here last, the Lord moved in my heart to consider full-time Seminary studies. My prayer is that during my time here this summer, He will again provide vision and clarity for what comes after I graduate next May. I am also very weary from my studies and look forward to the refreshment He is already starting to pour out on me.

The last few weeks have been an all-out marathon with school, work, and travels. Unfortunately, that has left little time for me to reflect on my summer adventure. But, God is patient and waited for me to finally take a breath so that He could bring things into perspective. This aftenoon, as I sat on the plane and began to pray, He led me to Ps. 37. This is where the journey begins...

Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgement as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
(Ps. 37:3-7a)


Shalom...

K