Vacation in Israel vs. An Israel Pilgrimage

Traveling to Israel has been a remarkable blessing that I’m still trying to put into words. We spent 10 days there and by no means was that long enough! I wanted to stay and keep diving deeper. The first day our tour guide Riz & pastor Jon Henderson both explained that we were on a “Pilgrimage” not just a “vacation of tours.” As they went into detail of the difference, I got so excited! I felt like Indiana Jones 🤣

I still can’t believe we were able to visit several places where the Bible literally says Jesus was! What a thrill beyond compare?! And yet, while I was there with my group of fellow travelers, my pastor, and our tour guide, I could feel satan giving his all to distract each of us by throwing obstacles in our way to threaten our experience and undermine our worship, even there in the “Holyland” where it all began!

Where this felt the most obvious to me was at Via Delarosa/Golgotha. I took this picture of the actual skull rock of the crucifixion. Christ’s cross was driven into “the place of the skull.” We believe this is where Jesus in fact died for the souls of sinners, mind-blowing! And yet most of Golgotha is now covered by marble, glitz and glamour and shopping markets. Let’s not forget bus stations directly under the “the place of the skull.” I was truly shocked at how different this place looked and felt from my expectations. I had fantasized this day so differently in my mind. I imagined I would get to walk on the rock, feel the pain, and it would probably be a dark, stormy day. But no, their world kept going, and at first, I thought this is making it all but impossible for me to access the rock in any meaningful way.

Then, it hit me, I’m being distracted of what I just experienced! And this is the difference of consistent discipleship!! Just minutes before we made it to the skull site, we literally were able to privately take our socks and shoes off down in a cave where archaeologists have proven Jesus indeed walked with His cross to the skull site, which in turn is where He lugged around the heaviness of my sins, bare footed! We only had a few minutes there before we would head to the skull but still our devoted pastor urged us to take our shoes off and walk where Jesus walked for us. At first I didn’t want to take my shoes and socks off cuz we were in a bit of a rush to the next site, so I didn’t want to hold my group up waiting on me, and I had my feet bandaged up from the blisters of all our walking. And then as the song “Gratitude” played in the background, I saw one of my fellow travelers quickly react to one of the rock’s edges cutting their foot and immediately my body began to feel the heaviness of the moment followed by my ungrateful spirit in the same moment! I had taken my eyes off Jesus and got distracted by our busyness. So as everyone else started putting their shoes back on, I immediately ripped my shoes and socks off and placed my bandaged feet on the ground and felt the peace rush over my body through my weeping! Because, my Jesus didn’t let anything take His eyes off of me and my sinful soul, I can live in a state of perpetual rest.

THIS IS THE DISCIPLESHIP-DIFFERENCE
We were able to turn our tourism into worship, because each lesson we were taught at every location involved:
-reading the Bible
-learning historical&archaeological facts
-singing hymns and spiritual songs -engaging all five senses
-employing imagination
-applying each lesson to our life

All of these things were in attempt to point every lesson back to Jesus and what He did in the past, what He is currently doing, and what He will do in the future for all of us followers of Christ!

What’s the point of this lesson?

ARE YOU JUST TOURING THE FAITH OR TRULY DIVING IN THROUGH CONSISTENT DISCIPLESHIP?

Lead me to the cross where Your blood poured out! Thank you for bringing me to my knees, Lord I lay me down. Rid me of myself, I belong to You, Lord lead me, to the Cross!

To Your heart! Forgive me Jesus! Thank you Jesus!

If you are interested in visiting Israel next year:
Compassion City Church
Lead by Jon and Kellie Henderson