Category: Israel

CAESAREA: Who am I to stand in God’s Way?

It was a beautiful sunny day.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch along the Mediterranean coast.  I could see why anyone would like to live here.

In 22 BC, Herod the Great decided this would be a good place for his summer palace.  In fact, he built a major Roman city that included a harbor able to hold more then 300 ships, amphitheater with seating for 3500 and a 20,000 seat hippodrome for watching the latest sporting event…chariot races, of course.

It was here that God sent Peter to speak to a Roman centurion.  Peter words to Cornelius are ones that still give us hope today.

“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him… Of Him (Christ Jesus) all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:34, 43

While Peter was speaking to Cornelius, his family and close friends, the Holy Spirit fell upon those who were listening.  This amazing event forever changed Christianity.  God used the faith of one person, Cornelius, to bring many to Him. How exciting!

My prayer is for God to use me today to bring others to know Him.

DAN: Convenient Worship…Inconvenient God

Near the northeastern border of Israel stand the remains of a place of worship.  A metal frame outlines where a large altar had been.  This place of worship was established nearly 3,000 years ago, because Israel’s new king didn’t want his people returning to Jerusalem to worship the Lord God in the temple there.

So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem;  Behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.  1 Kings 12:28

It is more convenient for you to worship here close to home…no matter that it is a golden calf instead of the Lord God.

That convenient worship led to the downfall of the kingdom.

…Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them commit a great sin…So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria… 2 Kings 17:21-23

Thinking of this makes me wonder if my desire for convenience has affected my worship of God.  Am I willing to worship and obey God when it is hard or “inconvenient”?  Will I stay true to God and my commitments to Him no matter the cost or only if I can work it into my schedule?