the Western Wall and the Master

the wailing wall, now known as the West Wall, was a great experience for me. the wall is the closest place any Jew can get to the Temple Mount, which is occupied by the Muslims. the Dome of the Rock sits right about where the Temple would sit. as i stood and marvled at its magnificence, i noticed an overwhelming amount of paper stuffed into the wall crevices. these are prayers of the Jewish men (men and women are seperated into two sections), prayers of peace and the full restoration of Israel. i got to thinking, this is all they want: to worship God in this sacred place. they view this place, the Temple Mount, as a desirable sanctuary. there is such respect and zeal to be in the Temple again. that is what they consider ultimate worship. and i got to thinking about America. we go through Church so nonchalant. we get caught up in the eb and flo of life and forget that when we enter a time of worship to our God, who has all authority and power, we don't treat it as a sacred time. a time in which we are to long for God. unlike the Jews, this sacred place can be anywhere because of what our Master (Jesus) did for us on the cross. therefore, my life should be one filled with worship and Glory to my Father God....eagerly searching for sacred moments in which i can encounter Him.

OH THE TEMPLE WALLS:
sitting on the Temple steps, was amazing!! we actually sat on the second temple steps, the very one's Jesus walked on....the very steps the apostles and disciples walked on!! it was the hottest day since we got here; no shade was provided, yet it was energizing. many of the things i am seeing brings about a certain emotional experience inside of me that is difficult to express. i have walked on the streets that jesus walked. i have walked the Via Dolorosa, and it was intoxicating. there is no way to express how i feel when i look down a Hasmonean path just outside the Temple wall that Jesus walked at least three times a year. things like praying in the very place Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane have brought tears to my eyes. i have recieved a greater appreciation for my Savior. i have realized how much of a man he was....of course, remembering that He was God as well. the Bible is being brought to life right before my eyes, as we go to Bethlehem to visit the very place to which Jesus is born. if i had the resources, i would do this every year.