BEER SHEVA
It is very different from our home, an understatement
We have deep spiritual ties to this place, this land called Israel
Stop one will be Beersheva, the Well of Oath
Our learning begins here at an event 3,500 years ago
An oath created security for Abraham and his people
His oath assured them of a home and a place to belong
Abraham’s oath enabled them to have community
This place they lived was their own
We gave an oath to Christ -He gave us new life
The Lord is in our life-the Holy Spirit leads us
We live our life by our oath, Jesus I belong to You
Our eternity began then; our new life in Christ
Our tour begins it is a journey of discovery
We will be surprised by some of what we see
The Lord will speak to us somewhere along the way
I will pray with you as you walk the “Land of the Bible”
PASSING BY EN GEDI
David dwelt in the strongholds of En Gedi
This oasis of water and wine
Cutting off the a corner of Saul’s robe
David fled until God’s time
Traveling by the Dead Sea
We don’t see its importance
Minerals mined all the time
This place looks like a waste
Just a place to travel from
Only a spa to most
Through the years a special place
Now it probably won’t register on our mind
Look close, smell the eggs, see the death
After that day fishermen will line the banks
The water will flow fresh and alive
We have seen the place as Ezekiel saw in his vision
Israel is alive with the Word of God
All around we can see His face
This is His place and we are here
The Lord is speaking to us and He is near
STARTING PLACES
This is the place to speak your heart
As you stand on the Galilee shore
Jesus walked all over this place
He’s walked your path before
What is it that He wants you to do?
That no one else can do
You’ve known awhile and yet you drag
Maybe it’s time for you to do
Speak to Him from the depths of your soul
Give Him all of your fear
Tell Him the things that are stopping you
He will give His strength to you
Now’s the time, this is the place
Make your covenant anew
Before you leave be sure to write
That thing He wants you to do
JEZREEL
Carmel to Bet Shean
A valley in the sun
Ahab built his capital here
Challenging God, God won
Peoples through the ages
Sought to own this land
Fertile soil, gentle climate
A perfect place to grow
Gilboa and Tabor overlooking
As traders and civilizations fought and died
Today it is a quiet plain
Agriculture is its fame
Gideon fought and won here
Led by the power of God
Saul fought and lost here
He had turned his back on the Lord
History will have its say one day
Good and evil will stand toe to toe
We have nothing to fear from this battle
The Father raised Jesus from the dead and the battle has been won
DO NOT WEEP (Luke 7:11…)
Walking from God’s victory-straight way to Mount Tabor
Observing a funeral-the widow of Nain’s sweet son
Felled in early life-death’s evil complete
This poor woman was going to bury her son
Do not weep dear mother, young man arise
Conquering death with one quick word
A gift of compassion and a gift of love
Jesus stunned disciples and all raising one from the dead
He gives this gift to us, undeserved and free
Conquering death by His great power
Setting each one of us free, giving us what we need
The power to live a life of worth, Jesus sets us free
TABLE OF CHRIST
John 21:15. So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
Jesus revealed himself for the third time to the disciples
This time on the shores of Galilee
Reaching out to teach them
The truth that would set them free
Christ is all and in all and He is our need
When our focus is on pleasing Him
Our life will be to set mankind free
His love will be what people will see
Evil comes so quickly unbidden
Confused hearts do many things
Jesus calls us to do this one thing
Love Him in all we do
Obedience to Christ by our actions
Results in care for others
People count with Jesus
He uses us to proclaim His gift
ON THE SHORE
The Galilee captures my imagination as I sit on the shore
Quietly contemplating Bible verses
All of those events happened here
This small arena of God’s activity among mankind
The sweep of Genesis touches upon the Galilee
Jesus lived the majority of His ministry around these shores
The Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Bethsaida, so many more
I’ve seem them all and walked along the shore
How can the Lord use this in my life?
Change comes to mind first-I must change
I can begin to let Christ work out of me
Making a difference in the person you see
As I sit on the shore I recognize the opportunity
The Lord values who I am and what He has called me to do
I will recognize that too
Lord I will be me and let You express your power in me
HEAD OF THE KINGDOMS
Pharaoh had an ally in Hazor
Joshua called it the head of the kingdoms they fought
He put it to the sword and burned it to the ground
Today the site we see is 200 acres
The largest of the ancient cities in Canaan
Sitting astride the Via Maris
Hazor was powerful for 2,000 years
Doing as it pleased
An important city at its peak had 40,000 inhabitants
The people were rich and thought it would last
After Joshua came and conquered
The people never changed-Money was their game
God determines our days-people and cities and states
It is important for us to lay up treasures in heaven
Walking with Jesus day by day
DAN THE PLAN
Ancient Laish, captured by Dan
The northernmost boundary of the Promised Land
Dan dishonored God by their graven image
This city started out bad and got worse
People get the best from the Lord
Then ruin it by their selfishness and greed
Instead of serving they think they can manage
The Lord isn’t an errand boy for you and me
One day all of this fell apart
Evil was destroyed
Notice that Dan is a nature preserve today
The people that lived here disappeared 2,800 years ago
We can’t fool the Lord
He is interested in our obedience not our control
He calls us to be servants not masters
In Christ we have life
CAESAREA PHILIPPI (Mt 16:13-20)
Baal and Panias both ruled here
People through the ages
Stood at the gates of hell
Worshipping man made gods
Cool and inviting in the summertime
Jesus brought the disciples all the way here
Who am I Jesus asked?
Peter replied you are the Christ!
We declare Christ by the way we live
Either Jesus is in charge or we are
We cannot worship the world
When we are sold out to Christ
When you stand at the gates of hell
Ask yourself “who do you love”
Be about the master’s business
Let Jesus have control of you
CITIES OF REFUGE
(as you travel through the Golan you will be near one of the cities of
refuge-Golan-the six cities are listed at Joshua 20:7-8)
The Lord calls us to peace and gave a place for refuge
Kadesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan
Everyone was near a city of refuge
We partner with God for peace
The gates were open for the wrongly accused
Provisions for their stay were always stocked
Peace was important to God
This refuge was available for all who lived in the land
Jesus is our refuge, He is God’s everything
In Him we have God’s peace and provision
His gift to us is His right standing with God
Jesus makes us free and brings us into God’s kingdom
CAESAREA BY THE SEA
Roman, Byzantine, Crusader
Choose your age of study
Caesarea was important to each
Today it is ruins and sand
Don’t be fooled by its look
Once it stood graceful and rich and cruel
The wealth of the world flowed through here
Making this country work
Herod, what a despot
Built and built and built
Safer to be a pig in his household than a child or a wife
Named his new port city after Caesar, seeking to curry favor
Paul came here under guard
Accused and abused Paul claimed Caesar’s review
The Holy Spirit sometimes leads us through tough times
The end result was Paul’s great ministry in Rome
Caesarea we are here to look at you
Remembering those persecuted by Rome
Claiming the power of Jesus as Christians have through the ages
Life is in God’s hands and we have seen His work right here
MUHRAQA
What do you see from Carmel’s heights?
Pharaoh’s conquering army?
Assyrians marching to Jerusalem?
Babylon taking Israel to captivity?
Ancient civilizations all came by here
Everyone knew this place
Elijah came so all would know
His wonderful Lord reigned
The march up Carmel was arduous
Folks walked a few abreast
Elijah was confident
The fire destroyed Baal
I’ve always wanted to do something big for God
Fire from heaven would be fine
In the privacy of my prayer closet
The Lord reminds me of His cross I can bear
Wanting to do the things we can
Always seem so mundane
Today reclaim the cross and its bane
This is what Christ calls us to do
GETHSEMANE
Gethsemane was a wonderful place to stay
Olive trees for shelter
A quiet retreat from the chaotic city
They had eaten their evening meal together
The disciples didn’t know it was the “Last Supper”
Jesus led them to Gethsemane so he could pray
All of them slept
Long day, hot any number of excuses
Jesus prayed alone
Sweat drops of blood
A powerful prayer
Feeling my sin and yours
He knew what he faced
He dealt with our disgrace
Willingly he went to the cross
KIDRON VALLEY (Jeremiah 31:40)
We walked across the Kidron Valley
By the tomb of Absalom
Up the other side towards the Temple Mount
It was very tiring and demanding
Judas kissed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
The soldiers took Jesus
Walking him across the Kidron Valley
To the house of Caiaphas
Weakened by aggressive prayer
Jesus was strong enough to walk across the valley
Up the Roman stepped way
Presenting himself at the house of Caiaphas
The Kidron was the city cemetery by the time of Josiah
It is important in some apocalyptic literature
It is a wide, dark place that even today is somewhat rugged
Behold days are coming when it will be Holy to the Lord
The impossible is easy for God
What we cannot do, what we cannot imagine
Is prophesied by the Servant of God
Jesus takes us from where we are and makes us Holy
BETHLEHEM
O little town of Bethlehem
Jesus born in you
Proclaimed by ancient servants
God’s Word is heard in you
This little town
No fame was found
Except the Savior
Came quietly at His birth in you
David’s place
Shepherd’s place
Holy place
People flock to see
This place where the Word
Came to man from above
He was here and gone
Now He is alive and lives in you
The shadows come early to Bethlehem
No wealth or worldly seat
Still we go to see the place
Where God came to you and me
BREAD
Bread is the staff of life
Found in every civilization
One of the oldest prepared foods
Needed for sustenance of life
Bread is good for us
I love bread
Especially when it is fresh from the oven
Burning your fingers as you eat
Early in the morning
Very near the Cardo
One of my favorite bakeries
Sells fresh bread
We get it right out of the oven
Stack it in a bag
Walk the streets of Jerusalem
Eating fresh bread
Don’t ignore this
It is a great treat
You will never forget about
Walking the streets of Jerusalem eating fresh bread
MOUNT OF OLIVES-HE WEPT
(Luke 19:41-42. As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.)
Jesus wept over the city
As He looked from the mount
So many times He had walked here
This time was near the end
This is a sobering picture
It should cause us to pause
His weeping preceded His sacrifice
For us this is good advice
Be careful how you judge
Be careful how you scold
Jesus knew about us
And died for us all
The next person you dislike
Think it all the way through
Get before the Father
Jesus died for you
Treat people with kindness
They are of great worth to God
Walk their road in their sandals
Christ walked to the cross for you
GATES OF ZION
(The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Ps 87:2)
Nehemiah’s gates were well laid on a foundation of rock
The Lord recalls His house
We go from private to public entering these gates
The Lord calls us to public worship in His house
Many ridicule the Church of Christ
Changing names to hide the place
Failing to see the simple truth
The Lord ordained His public rule
Private, private so many shout
I do just fine alone with God
Yes that is true, in Christ we do
The Lord ordained His public rule
The Gospel Church is the Father’s school
Jesus gave us HIS Church
The gates of hell will not prevail
The Lord ordained His public rule
ALL POEMS WRITTEN BY CLAY CORVIN PRIOR TO 2018
ALL RIGHTS RETAINED.
