... dry, rocky desert. Except for the Sea to the west. Yet this is the salt-soaked Dead Sea whose water is lifeless, absolutely lifeless. On this mount Herod had built a fortress for escape. Later, nearly a thousand Jewish Zealots made their home there to keep the pure faith and to elude the Romans. On the eastern corner of Masada, facing distant and unseen Jerusalem, the Zealots had built a synagogue. One of the several scrolls archaeologists found there was that of the prophet Ezekiel. I marvel to think of ...
... Paul is telling us today in one of his letters. Paul says that God decided a long time ago that we were to become his sons and daughters. We were once like Pinocchio here, all stiff and wooden from sin. For many centuries the chosen people hoped that God would keep his promise and send a Savior -- someone who would bring us all to life. After many, many years, God granted their prayer. He sent Jesus to our earth to show us how to live. Because Jesus also died for us and rose again, he was able to free us ...