I have a whole series of posts about teaching that I have been gleaning from a book lately, but other more pressing matters are competing for my blog-writing time.  So, please be patient and watch for those in the not-too-distant future.  Remember, you can always add this blog to Google Reader {here} or subscribe to it by email (on the right hand corner of this screen).  That way you don’t have to check for new posts every few days.  You will be notified whenever there is a new post if you utilize one of the two methods mentioned above.  Shalom!

It has been an awful long time since anything new was posted here.  That is in part due to workload, and in part due to laziness.  I have sincerely missed sharing my gleanings with you here, though.  I definitely intend to return to regular publishing before too many more weeks elapse.  So, Lord-willing, there will be more to come.

On another note, I will have the immense privilege of lecturing at my church on Israel next month.  The dates will be June 15, 22 & 29 at 6pm.  I intend to publish my powerpoints complete with recorded audio at some point after the lectures transpire.  I still intend to also publish last year’s three lectures on Israel also.

So, please bear with my busyness and laziness and press me to come back.

The following is a helpful list of resources I have found for keeping up on the ever-changing news from Israel. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of all of them, nor can I attest to the bias of each source, but they are helpful to me.

Jerusalem Post
Most read English newspaper about Israel.

Arutz Sheva

Prophecy Today (Jimmy DeYoung)
A prophecy speaker’s take on current events. Some may be somewhat forced interpretations, and remember that’s exactly what they are–interpretations by one man–but they are often interesting.

DEBKAfile
A very neat website that reports material you won’t find anywhere else.

Haaretz

Friends of Israel

BiblePlaces Blog
Published by Todd Bolen and documents significant stories from Israel as well as recent archaeological excavations and reports. Indispensable site!

“What is the name of this blog all about, anyway?” you might wonder. “Where goest thou?” Sounds rather Puritan-esque. True. I must admit, I greatly admire the Puritans. They may not have had quite everything right doctrinally, but many of the most important influences in my life have been Puritans, especially Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

At any rate, the title comes from a thought I had concerning Pilgrim’s Progress by Bunyan (another Puritan). I want this thought to be the theme for my life right now. I imagine in my mind’s eye a scene very much from the pages of Pilgrim’s life. In this scene I (as Pilgrim) am walking along the road. I no longer have a burden on my back, for that dropped off at the Cross. Guided by a trusty Map in my hands, I walk through a small village, perhaps located in Northern California. The inhabitants of the city are not accustomed to strangers and examine me. Some are interested in the foreigner who passes through their streets. Others could care less and go about their lives as if nothing was amiss. Many others like me have passed by this way before with much the same treatment from the locals. I stop and ask everyone I meet to come along with me on my journey. Some disinterestedly wave me away from them; others angrily spit at my feet; some politely inquire about my journey but really aren’t interested. But still others genuinely ask, “Where goest thou?” To this I quite gladly answer, “I am going to the Celestial City whose Builder and Maker is God. I do not belong to this earth. I am a pilgrim on a journey. I have been to the Cross and met Him who died for me, and now I am going to His City to live with Him forever.” A very few join me on this journey. Some of these I know will soon abandon our little party as they look back with regret at the comfortable city they have known for so long. But a few will be faithful companions with me for the entire journey. I take great comfort to see the footprints of other fellow pilgrims in the road who have gone before me leading to the City I desire to see. And, so, I press on, for I am convinced that the City and the One who dwells there will surpass all the fading beauties this world could offer me.

I hope I never forget that blessed thought. I hope I never let the world wear me down and cause me to forget that my citizenship is in Heaven from where I await a Savior. I don’t belong to this world, and, therefore, I shouldn’t be like it, though all too often I am. I trust that by remembering this theme that I shall evaluate my conduct and thoughts and speech and apply myself with all due diligence to putting into practice the conduct and thoughts and speech of the Place to which I am going.

My question for you is, “Where goest thou?” I hope to see you at the same destination one day. If you would join me, we shall, for we have the Map which was left for us by the One who died for us on the Cross. He tells us, “Flee from the wrath to come!” and “Come unto Me!” Won’t you leave your burden at the Cross? And if you have been freed from it, where goest thou now? Join me, and we shall journey to the Celestial City together.

Updated: Oct 18

For quite some time I have resisted having a public blog site. My reasons for this were diverse, but included two main reasons: 1) Who really cares what I have to say? 2) Most of my writing is too personal to be made freely available to anyone with an internet connection. However, in the last few days I have had my mind changed. Two men (Todd and Gunner) have challenged my view on blog-writing and have greatly contributed to the current publication. But the main thought-changer was when I read the marvelous blog of a young lady at my school that I stumbled upon. Her writing was among the most detailed and God-centered that I have read from anyone of my generation. I was unbelievably impressed and felt compelled to compliment here, which I did. Her writing made me realize several important things: 1) Others can possibly be edified by my writing. 2) By sharing my gleanings from my studying or reading I am not remaining an ogre, stingily keeping the golden nuggets and brilliant gems harvested from minds more spiritual and dedicated than my own as a miser would his precious possessions. They are not my own to keep anyways. 3) As my dear friend Todd always says, “The best way to learn is to teach.” I realized in great conviction through that young lady’s blog that I sat in chapel, and I judged the speaker’s accuracy and ability, and I discerned his message, and I approved or disapproved what he said, but those good things that he did say I did not remember or, worse yet, put into practice in my life. I have been a hearer of the Word and not a doer. Thus, I decided to begin a public forum to hopefully encourage a few souls out there, share my gleanings with them, and record those important things that I hear or learn that I must remember and put into practice in my own spiritual walk. I will continue to keep a private journal to record my more personal thoughts, but I hope to use this communication tool to perhaps help one or two souls here or there by the richness of God’s Word that those I read, hear, or observe share with me. May God make use of this meager attempt and profit others by the reading from it.