The Mount of Olives

I have been working with a new program to produce panoramic pictures. I still need some practice. The program has been so useful. There are so many places in Israel which just can't be properly represented on a normal size photo. The actual panorama is even wider than what is shown here. I had to resize it so that blogger would accept the picture. This picture was taken from the Eastern wall of the
Temple Mount.

Lessons To Me From The Pilgrim’s Progress

I recently finished reading The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. It’s a book that I have begun many times but because of the pressures of school deadlines never finished until this week. Four items impacted me in particular.

1.

The blessing of Evangelist’s periodic company. It was Evangelist who directed Christian to flee from the wrath-for-sin which is to come, by way of the wicket gate and toward the celestial city. But, the reader finds that Evangelist visits Christian throughout his progress. I think this is significant. Jesus’ instruction to go and make disciples included a responsibility to teach them also what He commanded. I have found that there is great benefit (and Biblical precedent in Paul’s life) in cold-turkey evangelism. But, in all evangelism, there ought to be a willingness to be a lifetime resource to any fruit, and even a pursuant resource. During Christian’s journey, Evangelist finds him doing well. Christian greets Evangelist at one time, “Welcome, welcome, my good Evangelist, the sight of thy countenance brings to my remembrance thy ancient kindness and unwearied labouring for my eternal good.” And at other times, Evangelist’s presence is a reproof: “And now he[Christian] began to be sorry that he had taken Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel. And with that he saw Evangelist coming to meet him; at the sight also of whom he began to blush for shame.” In both circumstances, there is opportunity for ministry. In the first case, to thank God for His working and in the second to exhort (Evan. What dost thou here[off the narrow path], Christian?). The character of Evangelist was a lesson to me:

“Evan. Then said Evangelist, How hath it fared with you, my friends, since the time of our last parting? What have you met with, and how have you behaved yourselves?”

2.

The assistance of Hopeful’s companionship. Throughout reading the first half of the story, I kept wondering, “Where would Christian be without Hopeful?” I think Hopeful’s presence provides two lessons. First, the Christian life is filled with struggles and is come through better with Christian fellowship (by fellowship I mean “spurring-on, together burdern-bearing” not “Christians-coffee-crackers-card playing”). This is a great purpose of the Church (Heb. 10:24-25) and worth pursuing (Psa. 133:1), and a Christian marriage the arena for the greatest expression of this type of companionship.
Second, that the character of this Hopeful is meant to be the Christian’s companion. The Christian life is meant to be assisted by ever-present hope [a hope that does not disappoint (Rom. 5:5); a hope that is unseen but real (Rom. 8:25)}. This hope is provided through God’s promises in Scripture (Rom. 15:4) and in the person of Christ himself (Rom. 15:12).

“Hopeful added this word, Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole; and with that Christian brake out with a loud voice, Oh, I see him again! and he tells me, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.”

3.

The support provided by the testimony of Christian to Christiana, Mercy, the children, Honest, and those who joined them. Throughout their journey they were met by other pilgrims who found encouragement to carry on by thinking about Christian’s coming through trial. This is also seen in Mr. Great-Heart’s bringing to their memory the events of Christian’s pilgrimage as they themselves came to the places of their happening. How they were encouraged by his victories and warned by his chastenings.
I have found in recent years some of the greatest help in living the Christian life can be found in the biographies and diaries of those in the past. Recently, I was given a C.D. with John Piper’s messages on the lives of men whom the world was not worthy—How I was impacted by his account of the life of John Paton. I have listened to it over and over again since finishing the rest of the messages. Concerning this lesson, I think of a song from my growing up and the line “May all who come behind us find us faithful.”

4.

The representation of the discipline of the Lord in the book. Many of you know that I have spent significant time seeking to understand that discipline in the Scripture, accompanied with many griefs, which the Lord employs to keep the believer unto his final salvation. My work on this subject, I believe, may be life-long but an introductory paper (introductory, not exactly brief, 130 pages at present) is nearing final completion. How Christian was disciplined by Evangelist’s question, “What dost thou here, Christian?”; by his necessary return to the arbor to retrieve his scroll, lost during his sleep, and the confrontation of coming to the path surrounded by lions in the dark instead of day; etc.

Perhaps, a short note on the discipline of Christian’s stay in Doubting Castle may be a good representation of to what I speak. It happened as Hopeful and Christian traveled that they were discouraged by the sharpness of the ground. Seeing the softness of a parallel (as they perceived) path, they reasoned it would be little harm to walk the alternate path a little way. However, seeing that at the appropriate time, they could not transcend between the paths when they desired and at that time being caught in storm, they took shelter for the night off the path. In the morning, they were discovered by the Giant Despair, master of Doubting Castle who locked them up, beat them daily, and brought suggestion that they ought to kill themselves. But remembering the gift of a key, called Promise, which would unlock any door in Doubting Castle (the account of which is quite humorous in context, particularly Hopeful’s words: “Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out in this passionate speech: -- What a fool, quoth he, am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle. Then said Hopeful, That is good news, good brother; pluck it out of thy bosom, and try.”), they were delivered from the coming doom, being more resolved to stick to the path regardless of its discomforts.

It was through this nearness to death that Hopeful and Christian saw clearly their fault of character, which brought them out of the way. How they were chided with their exchange of small temporary discomfort for extreme necessity to exercise faith.

The Scripture also has much to say about the Christian’s response to discipline. One aspect, I believe can be seen in Bunyan’s story in this situation:
“Then I saw that they had them to the top of another mountain, and the name of that is Caution, and bid them look afar off; which, when they did, they perceived, as they thought, several men walking up and down among the tombs that were there; and they perceived that the men were blind, because they stumbled sometimes upon the tombs, and because they could not get out from among them. Then said Christian, What means this? The Shepherds then answered, Did you not see a little below these mountains a stile, that led into a meadow, on the left hand of this way? They answered, Yes. Then said the Shepherds, From that stile there goes a path that leads directly to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, and these, pointing to them among the tombs, came once on pilgrimage, as you do now, even till they came to that same stile; and because the right way was rough in that place, they chose to go out of it into that meadow, and there were taken by Giant Despair, and cast into Doubting Castle; where, after they had been a while kept in the dungeon, he at last did put out their eyes, and led them among those tombs, where he has left them to wander to this very day, that the saying of the wise man might be fulfilled, He that wandereth out of the way of understanding, shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

"Then Christian and Hopeful looked upon one another, with tears gushing out, but yet said nothing to the Shepherds."

The discipline of the Lord is to be returned by thankfulness to the Lord. First, that He chose to discipline the sinner, the occasion of which is only for the believer, and gives evidence that he is the son of a heavenly Father. Second, that He was not more severe in the means He chose to apply the discipline. In the making of men to share His holiness, throughout redemption history, God has cast from paradise, removed eyes, removed temporarily from the fellowship of His church, made some paraplegics, and brought some to death. Upon my study, I have learned to be thankful when He chooses to discipline me with a hard word from a friend or small discomfort, which efficaciously brought me to exercise faith and repentance. See how God’s choice discipline of prison stay (and not blind-tomb-wandering) caused Hopeful and Christian to gush tears, being overwhelmed with the merciful choice of a loving Master.


I would highly recommend the book, believing that there may be different lessons gained by each reader. It has been widely published and can be found for purchase almost anywhere. A free version can be found easily at CCEL.org or from a Google search, just make sure you are getting the whole version, not abridged, containing both parts (parts 1 and 2) of the work.

Walking About the City

I went to the Old City on Monday to meet some friends and explore.
I arrived early in the day so the city was relatively empty. Jaffa Road (Yafo, one of the main streets of the new city of Jerusalem and so named because it connect the Old City toward the direction of the port city of Joppa) is usually very crowded with car traffic and pedestrians.
I decided it would be safe to go through Damascus gate (one of the 10 gates to the Old City--depending on who's counting, since half of them no longer serve as entrances to the city--on the North side of the Old city). and walk around in the empty muslim quarter.
This sign is above the entrance to what is held to be the palace of Pilate where Jesus was tried before His crucifixion. Maybe you can make out the reference to John 19:16 and look it up. This location is the second stop along the Via Dolorosa, path to the cross.
U.N. car parked in Eastern Jerusalem.
El-Wad Rd. (most of the street signs in the Old City look like this...the trouble is most of them are covered up by 10 shekel t-shirts, or Israel sandals). El-Wad road runs North and South, connecting Damascus gate, on the North end, with the Western Wall Kotel on the south end. El-Wad is Arabic for "The Valley" and also marks the position of the Tyropean Valley (Valley of the Cheesemakers) which divided the 1st century city into upper and lower city (The west being significantly elevated over the Eastern side of the city).
I took this picture from the ramped entrance to the temple mount. By about 9:00, the Western Wall was packed with visitors.
This tunnel, accessed from the men's side of the partition to the Western Wall, is the visible remanants of Wilson's arch (named after Captain Charles Wilson, who excavated Jerusalem over a hundred years ago). The arch was once a support for a causeway entrance to the temple mount.
Absalom's Pillar. Located in the Kidron Valley where are many tombs.
Near the excavations of the New Testament pool of Siloam, they have uncovered an ancient road as well.
This is the largest visible stone used in the temple mount structure. I am standing at the beginning of it and my friend Ben (in the red shirt) stands at the end. They approximate that the stone ways nearly 600 tons.
Inside Mount Moriah.

New Life

Introducing Caden William Phillips.

My sister Sarah and her husband Rick had their first child last week (July 27th at 5:30am). He weighed in at 8 pounds 15ounces and was 22 inches long.
That also means that I am an uncle for the first time in my life. I wish I could be out there but it will be another thing to look forward to when I return to the states in December.

With psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

I thought I would post some favorite hymns--those which I most often find that I think about or humm or sing when no one else is around.

More Love to Thee, O Christ
More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee.
This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best.
This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Let sorrow do its work, come grief or pain;
Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

I love this hymn because I see the great chasm between me and likeness to Jesus Christ. As Paul prayed for the Philippians (Phil. 1:9), I want to pray for my own growth. That I would increase in love for Jesus and that it would show in love for others.



Be Still My Soul
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

I love this hymn because it often comes to my mind in times of trial. Considering that the God of the universe is ordaining the circumstances; bringing about my good; and on my side, assisting by His unique care.



On Christ the Solid Rock
1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
(Refrain)

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
(Refrain)

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
(Refrain)

I love this hymn because it speaks of the good news of the forgivness for sin that comes through believing in Jesus' death in my place--that is sure, being built on a real foundation.

One month passed...

This past weekend was final exam time for my Hebrew course. On yom rishon (Sunday), we had an oral exam. Yom sheni (Monday), I took the comprehensive written test. I have learned a lot of Hebrew in one month. It is exciting! In the next two months, I will be spending much time independently studying. I will not be doing the second ulpan so that I will be free to explore more of life in Israel. But, I will continue to study Hebrew on my own. Thus far, I have been spending four hours daily in study. The course was a blast and I met people from all of the world. My teachers were great too. They made the class a lot of fun and challenging at the same time.

My two teachers were Adi (her name means jewel in Hebrew) is on the left and Rachel (in Hebrew it sounds more like Raquel) is on the right.