O Jerusalem!

Nearly two millennia ago, Jesus Christ cried out: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37). I find this remarkable, as Jesus speaks here from the perspective of His prior role as the I AM of the Old Testament. He voices this cry from a unique view, living out complex emotions as He foresees the devastating disaster that will befall the city.

In these passages, Jesus eloquently lamented the looming fate of Jerusalem, which ironically means "City of Peace." At the time He cried out, Jerusalem was in the midst of an economic renaissance from the Temple and other rebuilding projects begun in Herod's time. Jesus spoke shortly before He delivered what we know today as the Olivet Prophecy, which foretold the destruction of Jerusalem.

How puzzled His disciples must have been back then, as they looked down from the Mount of Olives upon a bustling city of growth and magnificence, wondering how Jesus could make such a claim of impending disaster.

This story holds deep relevance for us, personally. Let's pick up the story at the beginning of Matthew 24. In verse 1, Jesus and His disciples leave the expansive Temple Mount—an immense facility greatly enlarged and improved from the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. The group passes through ornate colonnades and probably past the massive Herodian foundation blocks with their distinctive borders (some remain today). The disciples boast of the magnificent structures.

Then, as they begin trekking down across the Kidron Valley toward the Mount of Olives, Jesus shocks His disciples: "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Matthew 24:2, emphasis added throughout).

Given the sweeping vista of architectural beauty that stood before them, that must have been hard for the disciples to grasp. But it happened! Some three decades later,  shortly after the final completion of the Temple rebuilding project, the Jews rebelled against the Roman occupation. Over the next four years, the Romans savagely retaliated, finally burning and razing the ornate Temple Mount and leaving it devastated, just as Jesus prophesied! The Romans ultimately plundered the immense wealth of the city and Temple, carrying it off and later using the Jewish treasure to erect the Colosseum in Rome.

Fast forward 2,000 years and what do you have? Jerusalem again dominates the talk of the world. In a symbolic move, the United States Embassy relocated some 40 miles from Tel Aviv, on May 14, to Jerusalem, on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the modern state of Israel. On the 15th, the Palestinians marked the 70th anniversary of what they call the Nakba ("catastrophe"), a day that the Palestinians mark in observance of the Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 war for Israeli independence.

Violence between Israeli forces and Palestinians erupted over the two days, with Palestinian riots resulting in 60 dead and more than 2,700 injured. Tension now coils to the highest levels seen in years in the Middle East. Thousands-of-years-old smoldering resentment and hatred has burst into flame.

Over its long history, Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times and destroyed twice. What will happen next?

To answer that, let's return to the Mount of Olives of 2,000 years ago. Possibly intrigued by the shocking prophecy that Jesus had just relayed, the disciples privately asked Jesus: "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3).

Christ goes on to list the cataclysmic events that would take place before His return. Ironically, as His disciples may have been aware, Christ would return in power to the same place where they were then sitting on the Mount of Olives! (Zechariah 14:4). Jesus, as we in the Church well know, was very specific about the events to come. Following global spiritual deception, physical upheaval, and the proclaiming of the gospel, events will crescendo to total worldwide convulsion, a point where humanity would completely perish (Matthew 24:21-22) if God does not intervene.

Following a series of cosmic-level celestial events that have never before been experienced, a divine trumpet shall sound (Matthew 24:30-31) announcing the return of Jesus as the King of Kings!

We in the Church have this true hope! But those outside can only wonder. As I watch on television the violence in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, I cringe and grieve at the terror and death. I grieve for the innocent families losing children. I hear justifying rhetoric from all sides. I see current political superpowers like the United States, Russia, Europe and others try to position themselves in an unsolvable mess.

When I further hear of rising nuclear instability in the Middle East, I wonder how close we may be to the precipice of what is described in Matthew 24. Jesus was plain when He stated that no one knows the time (Matthew 24:36), but He also admonished us today to be on guard and watch, as "the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44).

But I have another timely story about Jerusalem—an encouraging story that contrasts the violence we currently see on television.

Reflecting on and understanding the relevance of this encouraging story of Jerusalem represents an important part of our being on guard. The story centers on what we will be celebrating this coming Sunday—an event that will truly bring peace to the world, a peace that the city of Jerusalem was named for!

It was on this coming Sunday, the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, that the Holy Spirit was given to all who would receive it. The second chapter of Acts records the magnificent outpouring of the things that are absent from Jerusalem today. Paul makes plain what is evident in whom the Holy Spirit resides: "the fruit [outcomes] of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Without mankind receiving this Spirit, it will be impossible to bring calm to Jerusalem, the Middle East and the world. But one day soon it will happen. And we can rejoice in this!

In his first sermon, the apostle Peter showed the way: we must all repent and change our lives and our minds, constantly yielding and surrendering our wills to be subject to the benevolent Will of God—a lifelong process (Acts 2:38-39). It is then that we can receive and benefit from the Holy Spirit.

The world is not ready for this now, but will be brought to the point where it will be!

In the interim, Jesus promises us that Spirit, which can impart to us the precious gift of peace now, and later to the world. As Jesus promised: "the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name... will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:26-27).

As we watch news from Jerusalem with dismay about the violence, let us also look with joy to a coming new Jerusalem of true peace, spiritually transformed from the physical place where the Holy Spirit was first made publicly available and where the New Testament Church started.

Ambassador Bible College Graduation

The high point of this past week has been graduation day for Ambassador Bible College students on Sunday, May 13. Some of the students are staying through the summer, while most are returning to their respective homes. I thoroughly enjoyed this year's class as I got acquainted with them through the year. In the past few days I have made podcasts in our radio studio with a number of the students discussing what ABC was like, what they learned, and what they will be taking with them to their congregations, work and families.

I hope that our pastors will value returning students with service opportunities, as referenced in the Mission Statement of ABC: "The Mission of Ambassador Bible College, sponsored by the United Church of God, aIA, is to diligently uphold and faithfully teach the truths of God, as found in the Bible, to equip disciples of Jesus Christ for a life of faithfulness and godly service."

I gave the baccalaureate, or farewell sermon on the Sabbath and pointed out that the experience of ABC is a planting of a tree that consists of new knowledge, increased skills, changed attitudes, values and behaviors—a transformation, a new person! As a result, we are taught to think differently as God described Caleb in Numbers 14:24: "But my servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely..."

In the sermon I emphasized outcomes shown by actions and the following scriptures:

"And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful" (Titus 3:14).

"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty" (Matthew 13:23, NASB).

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper" (Psalms 1:1-3).

It takes time for trees to bear fruit, but at ABC we certainly do plant them!

In my sermon, I read just a few of the many success stories of ABC students of the past 19 years as well as the aspirations of this year's class stated earlier in the year. I concluded with "...walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10).

Pentecost weekend

Regional pastor Steve Myers and his wife, Kathe, will be visiting congregations and pastors in their region in Philadelphia, Columbia (Maryland), New York City and Bethlehem (Pennsylvania).

Media and Communications Services Operation Manager Peter Eddington will be traveling to Tucson, Arizona, and will spend time with Steve and Terri Buchanan as well as Ellis and Gwen La Ravia.

Portuguese senior pastor Jorge de Campos and his wife, Kathy, are traveling to Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Bev and I will be traveling to northeast Indiana where the Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne congregations will combine for Pentecost weekend. Gary and Barbara Antion will also be coming.

May God bless you this week with His encouraging and powerful Spirit. Let it fill us and flow from us as we positively affect those around us!