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"He (Abraham) took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there" (Genesis 12:5).
This week I spoke to Mike, a friend who had just returned from Israel, where he had gone on a college trip with his daughter Chaucee, who is a student at Philadelphia Biblical University. He shared how much he had seen during his twelve day stay and in describing the various sights expressed how huge the Valley of Armageddon was. He shared today's photo with me. I suppose what surprised me is how much green is visible through the trees since I always assumed this was a desert area.
Take a look at any regular sized globe or world map. Your little finger will easily cover over Israel, which is among the smallest countries of the world. At 8,019 square miles it's only slightly larger than New Jersey and has less than .015% of the land area on the entire planet. Its population of 7.3 million is less than that of New Jersey and it comprises only .1% of the world's people. The Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths all revere it as the "Holy Land".
This
tiny piece of real estate is in the news almost constantly, certainly
in a proportion far exceeding its size and population. And earnest
believers in Christ know it is here that many of the end-time
prophecies will be fulfilled. Actually the current significance of this
tiny land should be a real faith builder.
The daily text records the very first Biblical reference to this land's significance when the Lord directed Abraham and his family to go there about 1900 BC. It is simply identified as "The land Of Canaan". Abraham's seed became the nation of Israel (named after Abraham's grandson, Jacob, whose name was divinely changed to Israel). At the time of the Exodus the fledgling nation came to be known as the children of Israel and later just Israel.
It was through Abraham's seed and in this land that the Messiah was born, lived and died for the sins of the entire human race. It was in this land that the glorious resurrection took place and 40 days later the ascension. Here Jesus Christ established His church that for the last 2,000 years has been bearing witness to all nations of His completed work of redemption.
We must keep our eyes first on Christ. I firmly believe greater times of distress are coming upon our world. It has for the most part rejected the redemption plan of Jesus. The activity in that tiny land of Israel will continue to intensify. (Interestingly, the present word "Palestine" is a derivative of the word, "Philistine", which of course was an ancient adversary of Israel).
As believers we must continue our mission of faithfully bearing witness for Christ. In a broader context Jesus spoke of the troubling events of the end-times using this phrase, "Such things must happen" (Matthew 24:6). He also said in that same verse, "see to it that you are not alarmed."
Today my fellow believer let us continue to faithfully serve the Lord and bear witness to His redemptive work. The final outcome for the true child of God is always good!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, when we pause to think about the incredible journey that Abraham, Sarah, and Lot "set out" for so they could eventually "arrive" at the Promised Land I'm reminded of our journey that we, as believers, have "set out" for, from the time we surrendered our hearts to You. Our journey is filled with much accumulations, family and friends, the stuff of life, and it is often strenuous and marked by uncertainties and disappointments, but also achievements and gains. This spiritual journey also provides many opportunities for us to trust You for what lies ahead as we "set out" for our invisible Promised Land on the other side of Jordan. We've set out for the land of heaven, and by faith, we will "arrive" there in good time. And the blessing of this arrival is that we won't have to pack or unpack a thing – all we have need of (and much, more more) will be provided in your well-furnished heaven.
Early
this afternoon we had a visit today from Jim and Dorothy Schmidt,
friends from New Jersey, who were visiting Lancaster County for their
54th wedding anniversary. They are a dynamic couple with a wonderful
testimony for Jesus that they share in various settings. We met them
about ten years ago at a conference in Boston where they represented Send International,
a mission sending ministry. Jim is still involved in this ministry and
Dorothy is active in Christian Women's Club. Jim also has a vibrant
prison ministry. They both inspire us tremendously each time we visit
and there are a number on this list who will testify to that.
For readers accustomed to a regular schedule, today's message is at a later hour due to our delightful visit with the Schmidts as we enjoyed a light lunch together! Our messages are prepared "to order", thus our schedule changes now and then. Now that our kitchen is completed we're back to having guests and we sure enjoy that.
Today's
Suggested Music
Here's another photo of the Valley of Armageddon showing how large it is. I also expect to share more of the photos of Mike's trip to Israel in coming messages.
Friday,
April 3, 2009
The Valley of Armageddon in Israel
(Photo by Chaucee Stillman)
(Photo by Chaucee Stillman)
Listen to
us share this message on your
audio player."The Land Of Canaan"
"He (Abraham) took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there" (Genesis 12:5).
This week I spoke to Mike, a friend who had just returned from Israel, where he had gone on a college trip with his daughter Chaucee, who is a student at Philadelphia Biblical University. He shared how much he had seen during his twelve day stay and in describing the various sights expressed how huge the Valley of Armageddon was. He shared today's photo with me. I suppose what surprised me is how much green is visible through the trees since I always assumed this was a desert area.
Take a look at any regular sized globe or world map. Your little finger will easily cover over Israel, which is among the smallest countries of the world. At 8,019 square miles it's only slightly larger than New Jersey and has less than .015% of the land area on the entire planet. Its population of 7.3 million is less than that of New Jersey and it comprises only .1% of the world's people. The Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths all revere it as the "Holy Land".
This
tiny piece of real estate is in the news almost constantly, certainly
in a proportion far exceeding its size and population. And earnest
believers in Christ know it is here that many of the end-time
prophecies will be fulfilled. Actually the current significance of this
tiny land should be a real faith builder.The daily text records the very first Biblical reference to this land's significance when the Lord directed Abraham and his family to go there about 1900 BC. It is simply identified as "The land Of Canaan". Abraham's seed became the nation of Israel (named after Abraham's grandson, Jacob, whose name was divinely changed to Israel). At the time of the Exodus the fledgling nation came to be known as the children of Israel and later just Israel.
It was through Abraham's seed and in this land that the Messiah was born, lived and died for the sins of the entire human race. It was in this land that the glorious resurrection took place and 40 days later the ascension. Here Jesus Christ established His church that for the last 2,000 years has been bearing witness to all nations of His completed work of redemption.
We must keep our eyes first on Christ. I firmly believe greater times of distress are coming upon our world. It has for the most part rejected the redemption plan of Jesus. The activity in that tiny land of Israel will continue to intensify. (Interestingly, the present word "Palestine" is a derivative of the word, "Philistine", which of course was an ancient adversary of Israel).
As believers we must continue our mission of faithfully bearing witness for Christ. In a broader context Jesus spoke of the troubling events of the end-times using this phrase, "Such things must happen" (Matthew 24:6). He also said in that same verse, "see to it that you are not alarmed."
Today my fellow believer let us continue to faithfully serve the Lord and bear witness to His redemptive work. The final outcome for the true child of God is always good!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, when we pause to think about the incredible journey that Abraham, Sarah, and Lot "set out" for so they could eventually "arrive" at the Promised Land I'm reminded of our journey that we, as believers, have "set out" for, from the time we surrendered our hearts to You. Our journey is filled with much accumulations, family and friends, the stuff of life, and it is often strenuous and marked by uncertainties and disappointments, but also achievements and gains. This spiritual journey also provides many opportunities for us to trust You for what lies ahead as we "set out" for our invisible Promised Land on the other side of Jordan. We've set out for the land of heaven, and by faith, we will "arrive" there in good time. And the blessing of this arrival is that we won't have to pack or unpack a thing – all we have need of (and much, more more) will be provided in your well-furnished heaven.
For readers accustomed to a regular schedule, today's message is at a later hour due to our delightful visit with the Schmidts as we enjoyed a light lunch together! Our messages are prepared "to order", thus our schedule changes now and then. Now that our kitchen is completed we're back to having guests and we sure enjoy that.
and
Supplemental Resources
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In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.
"I Know That My Redeemer Lives"
Video
Here's another photo of the Valley of Armageddon showing how large it is. I also expect to share more of the photos of Mike's trip to Israel in coming messages.
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Brooksyne.
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