B E H I N D / T H E / B A R

When I graduated from college some number of years ago, I left immediately to live in Israel for four years.  In that time period I worked as a volunteer for a benevolent ministry, entered pastoral ministry at an international congregation in Israel, and lived among some of the most fascinating people you will ever meet.  In that same time period I got married, and lived two years in the land as a married couple.  Our first daughter was born in Jerusalem, I still say she was the best souvenir we brought back.  In that same time period something significant happened to my faith, it became multi-dimensional.  You see up to that point I had always read scripture from a one dimensional point of view.  I just read what was on the pages and didn’t really think about context, culture, or geography.

But living in the land where most of The Book was written, brought the words on the pages fully alive to me.  I discovered things like why Jesus told some folks to tell everyone about the miracles that had happened to them, and why he told some of them to be quiet.  I actually visited the “gates of hell” that Jesus talked about, and gained a better understanding of “the rock” upon which He would build His Church.  I always thought He was talking about Peter, but then I realized He may have been saying something else.  I began to understand why the Israelites had such a draw to Baal and the god’s of the Canaanites as they struggled to remain faithful to their own God.  I learned that to call the land of the Bible, “Palestine” was and still is a slap in the face to God.  I know that may seem like a political jab, but it isn’t really.   Once you understand the history of the name and its origin, I think you would agree.  Those four years were a unique seminary type experience for me, that deeply impacted how I view God, understand the Gospel, and read His Word.

I’ve had countless folks say, “If you ever go back over, I want to go with you.”   Well guess what?  I’m going back, and I’m inviting you to come with me.  In fact Kristia and I are both going.  We want to take you to some to the places that rocked our world when we lived there.  We want you to experience what we’ve experienced.  We’re working with a fantastic tour company right here in Chattanooga, and we’ve scheduled one of the best guides in the country to take us around.  We’ll stop at some key places and spend some time in worship and reflection, and I’ll share with you some of the insights God showed me so long ago.

So whattya say?  Wanna go?  All the information you need is right here on this link.  If you start saving now, you can save the money to go, and I promise you it will be the best investment you’ve ever made.

So go ahead, click the link and come with us!