https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1mSNqE9VKI
YouTube – House of Caiphas: Peter’s Denial of Christ
Jerusalem, Israel, Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu!
By HolyLandSite (11 mins)
“O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day
and in the night before You. Let my
prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry!
“For my soul has had enough tro9ubles, and my life has
drawn near to Sheol. I am reckoned among
those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength.
“Forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the
grave, whom You remember no more, and they are cut off from Your hand. You have put me in the lowest pit, in dark
places in the depths.
“Your wrath has rested upon me, and You have afflicted me
with all Your waves. You have removed my
acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am
shut up and cannot go out.” Psalm 88:1-8
There were forty of us on our first trip to Israel. Here we were at a magnificent cathedral that
had been built over a ruin thought to have been Caiphas’ palace.
We were shepherded deep into the building, into a lavish
room, perhaps 50 feet square. It had
beautiful polished, stone floors and subdued lighting. Without being told to, we were all
quiet.
Doug, our pastor, directed us to move around an opening in the centre of the room. It was encircled by a plexiglass fence with a brass railing around the top.
There was a gate in one part of the fence
that was opened for us. It led to an
ancient, stone, stairway that hugged the stone walls and wound around the
inside with stairs cut into the stone itself.
In single file, we carefully and slowly moved down the stairs. There was barely a sound except our feet
shuffling on the stone. It was maybe 25-30
feet deep. As we descended it grew
cooler.
Reaching the bottom Doug directed us to fan out and as we
looked up from where we came, it seemed so very far away and the opening very small.
Cistern dated to First Temple period in Jerusalem by
Timesofisrael.com
He explained this was thought to be the cistern under Caiphas’
palace where, after Jesus was questioned, mocked, beaten and betrayed by Peter
-- a rope would have been tied around His chest under His arms.
The rough fibre of the rope would have bitten tightly into
His flailed and bruised skin as He was slowly lowered near to the bottom of the
pit -- then dropped to the bottom for maximum damage.
The guards would leave the rope tied around Him until the
next morning, so they could easily pull Him up.
I’m unsure what others were feeling, but my heart was pounding. Most of us found ourselves on our knees as we
considered that lost, last night of our Saviour.
And then, they turned out the lights.
It was so dark! The stone
floor was so rough and uneven, so very cold and damp!
As I knelt there in the total dark silence, with the cold, moist,
rough stone pressing into my knees -- it was as if something in me --in all of
us--pulled out quiet weeping -- as we could not imagine this cruelty happening
to anyone, let alone the gentle Jesus.
And then Doug quietly read Psalm 88.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you daily)
PS: Find my statement
of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of
Bible studies). You can also find the devotions online, just search for
‘WeakDay Devotion’.
There is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple. For the books, go to Amazon
books. For prayer requests and
updates email me: darlene@weakdaydevotion.com
Please update your PRAYER REQUESTS
·
Pray for true,
Christ-centered revival in America.
·
Israel (Al-Aqsa Mosque complications) – 150 days have passed of this
horrible, unwanted war. Ramadan (a high holy time for Muslims
and typically dangerous for others in Israel) begins. Pray Israeli forces locate
and save all remaining hostages. Pray for the wisdom and safety of Israeli
soldiers, for those who have lost loved ones and for those moving through enemy
territory as they risk their lives to restore peace and purify the land of all terrorists. Pray also for the Palestinian people – many are
helpless captives of war.
·
Barbara –
beloved widow (of my brother, Tim) thanks you for your prayers. As one of God’s
faithful widows, pray God always protects her, especially at night and that He
guards the structure and integrity of the house and places willing people in
her path to help as she faces a life without Tim.
·
UPDATE - Sue and Rob –
Luke was ordered to leave their home last Friday after verbally abusing Sue. And
he did. Pray for Sue and Rob that they
get their lives back together and for Luke to get the mental health support he
so urgently needs. Pray the Lord saves
all three.
·
Junko –
was scammed out of $3000 through a false Facebook page. Please pray God quietens her heart and that
the criminals are caught, and her money restored. Also, continue praying as she applies herself
to her studies, that she gets enough rest.
·
Mitt and his
brother, Eavon – met Mitt on my way home from church last week. He has contacted my pastor and hopes to join
us for Easter services. Pray for his emotional and physical strength as he
supports his brother who is struggling.
·
Demi and John – John was attacked and stabbed several times,
including piercing his heart. Although recovered
physically, they are still pulling their lives back together. Pray they might find the Lord in all the
chaos left behind and that she finds work after a year of searching -- as she
is now the ‘breadwinner’.
·
Yoshimi – began
her new job this week. Pray she is calm
and able to concentrate and remember all she needs to know. She is attending church and reading her Bible. Pray she grows into a deep, personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
·
Jenny S–
in full-time ministry. Pray for her
hip-replacement surgery scheduled for 4th of April and that the
procedure goes well. Pray also for her
aging father fading away with dementia and in a care facility, and her mother
who in in hospital recovering from a mastectomy. Pray Father-God continues to provide sufficient
financial support and winsome wisdom for this woman of God.
·
Lindsey - the youngest daughter
of my dearest friends, Annette and Lyle. Lindsey needs your prayers for healing,
strengthening, patience and pray for the wisdom of her health care providers.
·
Andrew M – head of Deaf Ministries Intnl., is travelling
internationally with the ministry for final visits before returning to
Australia. Please pray for travelling mercies, robust health, and adequate rest
and, most of all, for abundant harvest of those who need creative ways to
‘hear’ the Gospel.
·
Jeff and
Rachael’s family – Peyton (granddaughter) graduated from college Dec
2023. Carter (grandson) is doing great
in his first year in college. Praise God
that both are exceptional students and love the Lord. Pray they are not distracted by worldly
things, that the Lord watches over and protects them, that they continue to do
well as their lives develop under God’s loving hand and that their love of God’s
Word increases daily.
·
Patti and John –
pray God continues to inspire them with His love and compassion and that He
will guard their health. Pray also for
travelling mercies as Patti is now the only one who drives. (Joshuah 1:6-9).
·
Sarah and Andrew – have settled into their new roles, with him at
home and her work becoming stressful and ‘full on’. Pray for this precious
Christian couple that they focus on family balance to the glory of the Lord.
·
Nerida –
that her living and career situation is resolved with grace, and she finds a new
place to live and work that is more peaceful and supportive.
·
Bettina –
has retired after a lifetime of service to her company. Pray each of her five married daughters, spouses
and 18 grandchildren support her as she enters this new phase of her life, and
they all continue to grow in their love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
·
Ian and Jenny–
continue to pray that his desire to grow his understanding and effectiveness
with personal evangelism is fulfilled and that their two grown children would turn
back to their relationship with Christ.
·
Elina –
needs God’s wisdom and the courage of her convictions and resolve to live a
life that is Christ-honouring for herself and her young son, Jimmy.
·
Megan (for
emotional healing) and Scott, her
husband (for patience and wisdom) and wisdom for his sister, Clare, as she seeks to support them through
troubled times.
·
Christine –
give her strength as she journeys to heart-healing, pray for her son traveling
in Europe and pray most of all that her husband gives his life to the Lord.
· Robin – continue to pray for her strength and healing as she continues her journey after the loss her beloved mother (was 93 years old) and pray for the strength of her daughter who is comforting her.
Pray
for those in full-time service
Pray the Lord upholds our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word and remain bold and courageous in the face of evil. Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.
Pray
Especially for Salvation for:
·
Fred and Barb –
brother of Patti, and his wife -- for salvation.
·
Bryan and Julie
(Patti’s daughter) Pray for the salvation of at least one of the family and
that the others will follow shortly thereafter.
They are parents of Callilah, Adrian, Micah, Kevin and Nate
-- lost, damaged and troubled children – all of whom we
have prayed for over the years.
·
Louisville family
of Jeff and Rachael – that a desire grows in their heart for a
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
·
R & B
– exploring the Truth for themselves. Pray God places true believers in their
paths to disciple them.
·
Becky
– recovering from spinal surgery. Pray
for her patience and her health carers to be wise and compassionate, that her
family rallies around her to care for her and, most of all, that she finds the
Lord in all this.
·
Sophie–
seven-year-old daughter of a friend who is chronically ill and frail. Pray for her, her parents and health carers
to find ways to manage her symptoms and heal her and that this will lead them
all to God’s saving grace.
·
Paul –
please pray for him. He still has no job
or work after more than ten years. Pray
the Lord provides needed work so he can begin to heal and strengthen.
·
Peggy – a
dear friend and colleague of my sister-in-law who has been battling cancer in
her neck for years. Her new oncologist
has started a combination of chemo and radiation that seems to be working, but
she is miserable. Pray for her as she
waits for her body to heal and strengthen and that she finds salvation.
·
Jen N –
a Jewish woman I met during a project. Please pray for her that she will find a
new role and that she stays safe and healthy.
Pray for her and her two boys (ages 16 and 17).
· Don Yockey - lost his fight with cancer. Pray the Lord uses this time to open the family’s hearts to His love and salvation.
Pray
for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile health. Pray God takes special care with them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on them.
No comments:
Post a Comment