About : This website shares a portion of "My Spiritual Journey"...
Both my website and my journey are under construction... ...in faith that he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus The Anointed).
A brief introduction “About” me. Many significant events happen in one’s life. In high school, one of my teachers was a Baptist minister who challenged my Christian faith in various ways. On one occasion, he challenged the doctrine of my church. It was eye opening – in fact disconcerting. On another occasion, he assigned me an oral book report on Pilgrim’s Progress – both parts (1-Christian’s journey and 2- Wife Christiana’s journey). I did not begin to comprehend its value until many years later. Click to listen to an abridged audio reading by Christopher Glyn of John Bunyan’s classic. Bunyan’s life was filled with significant events that profoundly changed his life resulting with many writings and his classic Pilgrim’s Progress. Part I reading by Mark Christensen. Part II Christiana
My personal pilgrim’s progress has brought me well into my 70’s and toward life’s end. (Psalm 90:10). This website is a brief record of some aspects of my life journey and intended to express thankfulness and praise to God and be a witness. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”. 1 Peter 3:15 Though I am a sinner, Yeshua’s death paid the price and His return will complete redemption in due time. Romans 8:22-25
Growing in my Christian faith, I have developed an appreciation for the “Whole Word of God” and God’s special people of the Hebrew scriptures which includes Israel past, present and future. This will be evident as you read this “About” page. First, let me introduce myself and my family. I was born 4 months after the modern nation of Israel gained independence. Baptized as an infant. My wife Anita and I married in 1972 and we live in Michigan. Our oldest daughter’s family lives in Washington state. We have a deceased daughter living in our hearts. We have an adopted son living nearby. He has a deceased son who also lives in our hearts and two daughters nearby. Our family is like many families experiencing various ups and downs. Experiences that bring out the best and worst of us. We express thanks and praise to God. His multitudes of blessings have outnumbered our many troubles. He has sustained us with his Love, Compassion and Forgiveness. Psalm 100; Ephesians 4:32
My maternal grandparents had 4 children. Grandma Laura had a German background. I have her 1906 German Bible and can read German a bit, but her Bible is old German script and difficult to read. When very young, my grandfather Harry took me to a house of a man who serviced saws. About 25 years later my wife and I bought that house. I did not know my paternal grandmother Katharina. She and her husband John came from Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) and lived in Minnesota and then Michigan. They had 11 children. I do not remember my grandfather as he died when I was young. My mother Florence and father Peter had 7 children. I was number 3. Early life was at times difficult for me. In grade school, a bully fractured my left arm. By age 17, I broke my right arm 4 times due to a bone cyst. This was partially corrected with surgery. Being an introvert and fearful, bullying continued into college where the bottom dropped out of my life. In my despondent state, I was joyously surprised, when I heard the “Truth” of God’s Word and my life turned around.
Immediately purchasing a Bible, my studies began (age 21). My terror and hatred of God soon became a practical fear and reverence of a God who is Wise, Just and Loving. God makes no mistakes but permits evil for Divine Purposes. But I understood, God is not mocked. What we sow comes with consequences. (Gal 6:7) The Bible explains God’s Justice includes compassion and forgiveness in a very contrasting manner from what I learned from my religious teachers who scared me. “Train up a child in the way he should go” should not teach eternal fiery torture. The Bible exposes our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:12) and reveals our true Hope is God’s Saving Grace through the “Free Gift” of His Son who died on the cross. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall be made alive. (1 Cor 15:21-22). The Gospels and Epistles are firmly founded upon Moses and the prophets, “The Whole Word of God”. (Luke 24:25-27)
I was baptized as a baby, but as Bible Truth enlightened my mind and the creeds of the church melted away, I desired to manifest my faith through water immersion following the example found in the scriptures. But water immersion is the simple part. Yeshua asked, can you be baptized with my baptism and John the Baptizer indicated there would be a baptism by fire. (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 3:16) It is more than water and speaking in tongues. It is must be a baptism into death. God signifies acceptance by a sealing in the heart. One becomes a “New Creation” and has the “Earnest of the Spirit” awaiting a new body at the appointed time – quite a contrast to simple infant baptism. Water immersion is a beginning of our immersion into death and God’s immersing us with his “Spirit” of life. It is not a one and done but a way of new life. A Christian begins a new spiritual life begotten again as an infant “Son of God” awaiting full sonship – the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 6:4-5, 8:14-17,23)
I have been to Israel 7 times touring the old and new city of Jerusalem and many other sites. Israel is the “Apple of God’s Eye” and his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is eternal and unfolds further with a promise to King David (2 Samuel 7) and affirmed multiple times in the Christian Scriptures. Israel is a great place to visit and witness restoration of various kinds. Especially appreciated are my many opportunities in Israel to volunteer at an archaeological tel located south of the Dead Sea named “Biblical Tamar Park”. If stones could talk it would tell of an ancient past and as the stones are uncovered, a story does unfold. The desert and this park have an unexpected and prominent witness, a huge Jujube tree situated in the center of the site. It is a witness of water and life in ancient times. Modern times are also witnessed here. Used by Arab and Ottomans in the 19th century, leveraged by the British after World War I and utilized by the Israeli Army after nationhood was restored. When the army moved south, a Messianic Jew was allowed to establish his kibbutz on the tel. He was expecting the Lord’s return from Bozrah and fulfillment of Scriptures such as Isaiah 35 and Isaiah 63. Today this site is managed and cared for under the auspices of the Israeli Antiquities Authority and the nonprofit BlossomingRose.org the official curator of Biblical Tamar Park.
After my 2nd visit to Israel & the park I enrolled in two courses of Biblical Hebrew via eTeacher and now learning Modern Hebrew. My intention is not to be conversant, but able to read and pronounce both reasonably well. Though Biblical and Modern Hebrew share a common aleph-bet there are significant differences between them. I have developed a Hebrew Primer touching on both Biblical and Modern Hebrew. See my “Israel” page. Hebrew being an ancient language is written right to left and often without vowels. Without vowels may sound strange, but think how we learned to speak our childhood language. It was by sound. In ancient times, the primitive form of the aleph-bet were symbols for words and then progressed to consonants. Hebrew vowels were created by the Masoretes in the common era. Though Modern Hebrew is a blend of Ancient Hebrew, Mishnaic Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, and other languages, it’s rebirth is a miracle primarily through Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. Without restoration of Hebrew, the rebirth of Israel would have delayed or failed.
