As we begin this Journey together into Holy Week we need to do so with anticipation and joy, but also with an incredible resolve.  We look back at the events of our Lord's death and resurrection and remember His amazing love and overwhelming grace as well as the Power of the Resurrection.  Each day of this week we will be posting thoughts for each day as we walk through this wonderful time. But on Monday of this week we look at what our primary goal is and must continue to be.  Oswald Chambers in my utmost for His Highest says it so well.  I hope it speaks to you like it does to me. Please check back each day so we can take this journey together.

 We make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing to Him -2 Corinthians 5:9

We make it our aim. . . ." It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, butseeking only "to be well pleasing to Him." It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. Paul was like a musician who gives no thought to audience approval, if he can only catch a look of approval from his Conductor.

Any goal we have that diverts us even to the slightest degree from the central goal of being "approved to God" ( 2 Timothy 2:15 ) may result in our rejection from further service for Him. When you discern where the goal leads, you will understand why it is so necessary to keep "looking unto Jesus" ( Hebrews 12:2 ). Paul spoke of the importance of controlling his own body so that it would not take him in the wrong direction. He said, "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest . . . I myself should become disqualified" ( 1 Corinthians 9:27 ).

I must learn to relate everything to the primary goal, maintaining it without interruption. My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?

"During this week that we focus on the victory of the Cross and the Power of the Resurrection let us make pleasing the Lord our primary goal!"

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Today all across the world followers of Jesus will celebrate Palm Sunday, which commemorates the beginning of the week we call Holy Week or the week of Christ's suffering, His passion on our behalf.  Each one of the four Gospels records this event which tells us just how important it is.  John's account in Chapter 12 is the shortest of all but also has an incredible statementof what that moment was all about.   Standing on the Mount of Olives you can see all of the old city of Jerusalem and there was one path from the Mount of Olives that wound eastward towards the Eastern Gate of the city.  When Jesus reaches the top of the Mount of Olives John Records

"They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

                "Hosanna! ^a"

                "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" ^b

                "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

^14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,

^{                  15} "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;

              see, your king is coming,

              seated on a donkey's colt." ^c

^16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

What Jesus was doing was allowing a public address of what He had come to do.  If we read through many of the miracles of Jesus after someone was healed or delivered He would often say don't tell any one.  Because Jesus knew people would try to make Him King.  Now on this Sunday Jesus not only allows it but seems to encourage all those that are there to join in. He was making a public statement to Jews and all of those living in Jerusalem and in a powerful way to all people today that He is the Messiah!  That is why the phrase is used Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.  Which is a clear Messianic prophesy out of the Psalms.  Jesus allows the crowd to speak to praise Him as the Messiah and to shout Hosannas of praise.  In addition Jesus fulfills the messianic prophesy given by Zechariah that the Messiah would come humbly not as a victor with war but as one who bring peace not on a stallion but on a colt of a donkey.  His peace on this day was a statement to all who would come to Him that He can bring peace in the middle of the storm of any nation and of any life.  But at that moment the disciples could not grasp what this was all about.  In fact it wasn't until after the resurrection that they understood.  Today you and I have no excuse, there is an understanding of Christ's statement that He is the Messiah and that He is the only one who can bring peace from our sins and peace to our lives eternally.  He allowed the people on that day to make a public spectacle of His Messiah ship and that remains to this day.  Jesus is the Messiah the Savior of the World.

When the people had heard about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and word about that spread people went out of the city to meet Jesus.  Notice the response of the Pharisees in verse nineteen

^19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"  The Pharisees are afraid of losing their place of losing there power.  But every time I read this verse I also say that they gave me something in the form of a prayer.  Look the whole world has gone has gone after him!   I pray that their words would be prophetically complete today. " Lord let the whole world go after you. Let believers who are celebrating Palm Sunday allow their lives to go after you completely and totally.  Lord let believers surrender and become true disciples and people who today lay not their cloaks and palm branches on the street but lay our lives down before the Lord.  Lord let those who do not know you from every nation on earth go after you now.  Lord Save! Christ's entry into Jerusalem is also a call for us to proclaim that the answer for the entire world has come."

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

 ^a A Hebrew expression meaning ``Save!" which became an exclamation of praise

 ^b Psalm 118:25, 26

 ^c Zech. 9:9

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Well it is already Sunday evening here and we have had a full week so far of seeing and experiencing some incredible moments. We are even more aware of some of what Jesus went through here in Jerusalem and were able to remember what the Word of God has said about His life and His love.  By the time many of you read this blog several of the folks from Cornerstone will bearriving home.  About 9 of us are continuing for 3 days to Egypt.  I want to thank you on behalf of each one of them for your prayers. I wish you could have seen there faces and felt the joy in their smiles and tears as they remembered and experienced in a fresh way all that Jesus has done for them. I wish you could have been there as we baptized 7 people in the Jordan River and see the preciousness of these following the Lord and drawing closer to Him. I wish you could have seen and felt the joy of worshiping the Lord together in the place where He walked. I hope and pray that one day all of you can come with me to Israel to experience these things and more for yourself. The Bible comes alive in a new way as you spend these moments in the land of Israel

There are so many things to highlight over the past couple of days.  Many of which we can talk about upon our return and many of which are things that God is longing for us to never forget.  Walking in the Garden of Gethsemane and seeing olive trees that have been there for two thousand years and seeing the sight that many people believe Jesus spent Thursday evening of His last week on earth in prayer and agony over not only what was to come, but also the plight of mankind without the Cross spoke incredible truth about His love for us and His willingness to obey the Father completely challenges me as well to never forget that obedience although not always easy will always have a powerful return. Our time at the place where Jesus was condemned by Pilate and mock by the Roman soldiers allowed us to take a step towards seeing Christ suffering for each one of us.  The Antonio Fortress is on of the few places today that common people can go below ground and walk on the very pavement where Jesus walked.  In fact in the stone pavement you can see markings of a game that the soldiers used to mock Jesus, called the King's game.  Jesus who loved those soldiers and those people who hated Him the most also was willing not only to take up our sins but to carry them all the way to the cross.  As the group made its way to the Garden Tomb the Lord really encouraged all of us. The site is run by a British group of believers who have done a wonderful job in maintaining not only the beauty of the place where many people fee that Jesus rose from the dead, but have also been very committed to remembering and celebrating the Joy of the Resurrection.  Our entire group was thrilled to rejoice in the power of the Resurrection.

This Trip has also allowed all of us to better comprehend what is happening in this land.  We often times only here the accounts that our news media want us to hear, but seeing it is an entirely different thing.  We have been asking you to pray for this nation and we will continue to do so.  Prophesy tells us that Jesus Christ will return one day soon to Jerusalem, in fact in the New Testament 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."   Acts 1:9-11

This Trip has also allowed all of us to better comprehend what is happening in this land.  We often times only here the accounts that our news media want us to hear, but seeing it is an entirely different thing.  We have been asking you to pray for this nation and we will continue to do so.  Prophesy tells us that Jesus Christ will return one day soon to Jerusalem, in fact in the New Testament 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."  

 One day soon our Victorious

Risen Lord will return this time not on a donkey but on a white horse as victor over all things.  One day very soon  we will see Him face to face.  May you and I be watchful and prayerful, but also full of action for our King as we tell our world about what is to come and who Jesus is. 

Keep Following the Blog and we will bring you with us to Egypt

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On Friday morning we begin the day on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem.  This is the same view that Jesus saw on several occasions with one great exception.  At the time of Jesus, Herod's temple stood on the top of Temple Mount where Jews would come to worship and offer sacrifice to God on a daily basis and where Jews from all over Israel would come tocelebrate the festivals that God had instructed the nation to carry out.  We remember when Jesus was 12 years old He took the trip with His parents from Nazareth and when it was time for the family to return home, they actually thought that Jesus was with other friends but they realized after some time that He was not with them so they returned to the Temple courts to find Him speaking to the Pharisees and religious leaders who were astonished at His Words.  Now of course there is an Islamic Mosque that sits on the top of Temple Mount.  It is the golden dome that you seen in pictures of Jerusalem and it stands as a constant reminder that the Jewish Temple was destroyed in 73 AD.  Now since the Jews can not sacrifice and have not for nearly 2,000 years, Jews from all over the world come to the Western Wall, Some have called it the wailing wall because men and women have come here to pray and ask God to restore the Temple and bring the Messiah.  The western wall is actually one of the retaining walls that Herod the great built to hold temple mount. Now Jewish people come and offer prayers often written on small pieces of paper and tucked in the crevices of the huge rocks that make up the wall.  Literally Millions and Millions of prayers have been offered at this place where signs near the wall say "The Divine Presence Always Rests"   There are many thoughts about this place but each time I come it reminds me that God is always with us.  I love praying at the western wall and last night a few of us did and will plan on doing it again tonight as we participate in Saturday Night Prayer from Jerusalem.  We were praying last night for you and for Cornerstone, that God would allow His Divine Presence to rest heavy upon us.  There is something about praying at the Western Wall and knowing that you are standing where so many others have stood and talked with God.  One day very soon the Messiah that you and I know and love and have accepted will return again and the Word says that the nation of Israel will look upon Him and weep because they have missed Him all these years. Will you pray with me that God would bring the Jewish people to a full knowledge of the truth and that they eyes of their heart would be opened so that they will see the Messiah has come and is standing with open arms waiting for them.  This Saturday Evening will you join me in praying and asking God for His presence to Guide Cornerstone in the days to come.  More Tomorrow.

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An old song describes our journey today.  "I walked today where Jesus walked in days of long ago, I wondered down each path He knew with reverent step and slow....."

Those words became a reality for many of us yesterday as we retraced the footsteps of theLord in the area of the Sea of Galilee.

We woke to a beautiful sunny morning on the Sea of Galilee and everyone was ready for an incredible day.   Our first order of the day was to take an early morning boat ride across the Sea of Galilee with the entire group. So all 115 of us boarded the small boat and made are way across the Sea of Galilee.  Our guide inspired us by talking about the steps of Jesus around the lake and how this area was the central hub of His ministry.  He told us to realize that the is the area and by boat was the way that people of Christ's day travel from place to place on the sea of Galilee. What an incredible experience as we were on the boat and singing praises to the Lord.  Lynn Boyer said it was one moment that she will never forget.   Millie Lauffer said to sing Shout to the Lord while on the Sea of Galilee was worth the trip. As we were looking from the perspective of the sea, places that you and I have heard about and read about all our lives in scripture came alive. Places like Capernaum where Jesus' center of ministry took place, where Jesus healed the mother in law of Peter.  Where he also healed many and spoke to His disciples often.  Places like the Gaderenes where the demon possessed man was fantastically delivered and set free.  Places like the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the great teaching from Matthew on the blessings of obedience to God's plan.  Places like the site of the feeding of the five thousand. Places like the beach where Jesus prepares the breakfast for seven of the disciples after His resurrection from John chapter 21. Coming to the Sea of Galilee for followers of Jesus is like coming home.  Because this is the area where our Lord called His disciples and taught them.  Where He established a new way of life in His teaching and gave hope to all mankind.  Where you and I can see that Jesus Christ is the way.  I wish that I could describe the feeling to you in ways that words could describe.  But here are a few thoughts from people who are here with us. 

After finishing the ride on the Sea of Galilee we then were able to go by bus to sites we had seen from the water. There are certain sites that are the traditional sites of some of these biblical accounts.  Some spots may be disputed but the sites we saw today have a long history and have been kept as sacred sites for centuries, so there is a special sense that you are walking in the steps of Jesus. Places where He no doubt ministered and prayed and walked and lived, God Himself walking in human form in order to show us the way that we should live.  

We of course having been watching the accounts of the atrocity that took place last evening at a Jewish seminary here.  The constant pressure that the nation of Israel is under is immense.  Last night when the minister of Tourism spoke, he said that there is an interpretation of the media around the world as to what is really happening here in Israel between the state of Israel and the PLO.  Many of you have heard about the missile attacks that had been occurring from Gaza into an Israel town and how the Israelis had retaliated by airstrike. It often seems that the media takes the side of the terrorist groups more than they do of Israel and Israel even though it is only protecting itself is constantly seen as the aggressor.   We as a group are all fine but will see how these most recent attacks will affect us today.  This morning we go to the mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem and remember the word s of Jesus when He said, How long Jerusalem have I wanted to take you into my arms and care for you, we go to Bethlehem  this afternoon into a Arab city that over the last many years has been a place of great concern and unrest.  We will keep you updated and thanks for your prayers.

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We want to let you know that we are here in Jerusalem. It is about 9:30 in the evening on Thursday and we have just heard the news that many of you are hearing.  The terrible news that two gunmen went into a Jewish seminary and have killed at least 8 people who were part of the school. We are located near  the old city of Jerusalem and are not in any danger, so please praywith us for the nation of Israel there is always tension between the Jewish people and those who would want to disrupt or destroy the Nation of Israel. As many of you have heard in the last several days there have been attacks in the area of Gaza.  We will keep you informed as to what is happening here and we are sure that we will not be put in any danger.

Tonight at a dinner we heard from the Minister of Tourism for the nation of Israel who talked very openly about the warfare that Israel faces constantly.  The struggle that this nation finds itself in is a constant never ending struggle with evil. The Word of God tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and promises to bless those who bless Israel and we can hold on to that and remember to pray for this nation that is in the middle a spiritual war that only the Messiah Jesus can bring peace to.  More later

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^16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ^17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

^18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

^19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." ^

^20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ^21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

^22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

^23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"

^24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ^25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ^26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ^27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy ^{ } in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-only Naaman the Syrian."

^28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ^29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. ^30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Notice the response from those who knew Him best.  Isn't this Joseph's son, didn't he grow up here. Jesus said that a prophet is not accepted in his hometown.  Then because of two statements Jesus makes about foreigners who God really judges as believers, the Jews from Christ's own home town tried to kill Him by throwing off of a mountain called the Mountain of the precipice. But He walked through the crowd and went on His way.  Can you imagine people who had seen the Lord and knew His life rejecting Him so openly?  It reminds us again about our hearts always saying yes to Jesus. We saw that today in Nazareth and it was very moving and real.  The remainder of the day was filled with seeing sites like Mt Carmel where Elijah overcame the false prophets of baal. Then to the valley of Megiddo to see the ruins of some 26 different civilizations have stood and where the bible says the battle of Armageddon will be fought.  The valley contains major east, west and north, south roads. That have been known as the crossroads of the world.  Scripture tells us that it will play a role in the final battle that the Lord Jesus will bring ultimate victory.

The Highlight of the entire day took place near the Sea of Galilee on the Jordan River.  Several of our group took a step in the cold waters of the Jordan to recommitment their life to Jesus.  Even though we got there at dusk it was an incredible time and a joy just to be a small part of some Holy moments.  You would have been pleased to see many of the people that you know taking steps that will move them closer to the Lord.  Tomorrow we will spend time on the Sea of Galilee and visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount and the feeding of the five thousand.  It is one of the highlights of any trip to Israel.  Thanks for praying and thanks for taking this journey with us.

 ^a Isaiah 61:1,2

 ^b The Greek word was used for various diseases affecting the skin-not necessarily leprosy.

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Israel is a nation approximately the size of New Jersey with a population of 5.3 million.  It is a wonderful nation that I hope every one can see at least once.  There is something about getting a perspective of scripture from the sense of being here that cannot be matched by books or other accounts.  For all of us who have heard accounts of the conflict here and wonder what exactly that is all about, it doesn't take long for you to realize that there are spiritual forces at work. You can feel the tension that is much deeper than a mere conflict between two different people groups. There is something far deeper that has allowed this small nation to captivate the lives of billions of people around the world. When you travel to Israel to see the sites of the biblical accounts of the life of our Lord, we first also remember that the history of Israel dates back thousands of years to the time of Abraham.  God had told Abram to leave what is modern day Iran and go to a land that He would show  to Abram.  That is why one of the names for Israel is the land of promise.  Abram believes God and the New Testament  says that because Abram trusted the Lord, God credited it to abram as righteousness.  In other words when God spoke Abram obeyed and listened.  Throughout the centuries and even into thousands of years God has always know what is best for the nation of Israel and as long as the nation of Israel has obey God they were lead by the Lord through peace and God's favor.  However when the ways of God were not followed and not obeyed there always followed a time of confusion and problems.  That cycle started in the Old Testament and continues even to this day.   You can see the results of obedience and disobedience by this nation and the payment that each has gained.    We will see this all during the visit here and will discuss it further in these daily postings.  It is however important to remember like the Apostle Paul said that we should learn a lesson from Israel (Romans 10, 11)  in fact now paul says that those who believe the truth of the Gospel have become ingrafted branches and in a sense have become spiritual Israel.  So as we journey along let's remember that we too have been asked by God to be obedient servants and as we follow His truth and direction for our lives we will see Him lead us step by step and day by day.  The nation of Israel can be turn back again to the Messiah and see God's incredible favor and mercy over each person whether Jew or Arab .  Romans 11:26 "And so all Israel will be saved as it is written, "The deliver will come from Zion: he will turn godlessness away from jacob and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

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