Traveling

The team is waiting in New Jersey for their final leg of the journey.  Please pray with us that everything goes smoothly, without delay and that the flight can be restful for them.

And they are off!

Another full day!  We started at the Western Wall, David's Old City, Hezakiah's Well, Pool of Siloam, House of Caiaphas, and the Garden Tomb.  After our farewell dinner, the team headed towards the airport to begin their trek home.  I leave in a few hours to head back to Kiev.

Thank you for your prayers along our journey.  Please continue to pray for safety as they travel.  I know we all look forward to sharing some of what we learned with all of you.

Hard to believe it's almost over

Today was filled with more sights.  Mount of Olives overlooking Temple Mount, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of St. Anne, Pools of Bethesda, Stations of the Cross, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Broad Wall, Lion's Gate, Upper Room Discourse, King David's Tomb, and returned to the Mount of Olives.

But, what I want to share tonight is our evening listening to each other talk about what God has taught us while being here.  As we've walked, listened to Jim teach, ate together and traversed Israel on a bus, we have laughed and cried together.  Tonight was no different.  When people talk about a study trip to Israel, they talk about significant life change.  I wondered if God would work the same way in my life.

As we wrap up our days of learning tomorrow, my head is full of knowledge.  It's been fun and challenging.  But, more important is my renewed love for God's word.  I have been reminded of the beauty of poetry in His Word, the challenges in His teaching through parables and the connections of the old and new testament.  God is delighted when we pursue relationship with Him through understanding His word and wait on Him to fulfill His promises.  It is the richest ext ever written.  We were reminded today to see things through spiritual eyes and not our human, first glance.

Yes, Israel has changed my life.  Also, this group of people and, specifically, God's word and His interaction with me here has changed my life.

Overlooking the Temple Mount

Garden of Gethsemane

Church of St. Anne 

Church of the Sepulcher

Lion's Gate

Walking to the Upper Room

Statue of King David

                                                           From the Mount of Olives

Day Six

Another very powerful day, starting with a worship service in The West Bank. Josh told us about when David was anointed as a child to serve as king.  We studied the word “Qatar’ together.  It means ‘little one’ or ‘smallest’.  David was out in the fields tending some of the sheep because his family assumed that ‘the little one’ would not be chosen as king.  We all know that he in fact is God’s chosen one so when he comes in from the fields he is anointed by Samuel as King.

Whatever we feel makes us ‘the  little one’/the thing that makes us stand out in society as abnormal, is often the thing that God uses to bring glory to Himself.  If you feel insignificant because of your insecurities, singleness, ongoing health issues, your past, be encouraged that God looks at your heart and often wants to use your weakness to show His power in your life.

We had a chance to explore Shepherds Field and see one of the many caves in the area that provided safety and shelter to the shepherds and their sheep for generations.

We proceeded to King David’s Well where we have the first drink offering recorded in scripture.  David realizes that the water brought back for him has cost the men too much.  They were in grave danger as the retrieved water to please their earthly King.  And, King David then uses this opportunity to show them that this is too much – too high of a price for them to have paid for him, but should be used as an offering to our Heavenly King. 

What do I (you) spend my life on?  Where do I spend my time and my money?  My time and money should be used as an offering to God.  It’s important not to become sidetracked and give to others what should be given to God.

We then gathered at the Church of the Nativity.  The place has been covered for centuries with Temples and a church now.  The old structure is being restored and it serves as a reminder of the place where Jesus’ incarnation begins as he enters our world in humanity and yet fully God.

Ein Kerem was the last teaching spot we visited.  This is where Mary spent time with Elizabeth before the birth of John the Baptist and also where Mary wrote the Mignificant.  We looked at God’s word to learn about Mary and also John the Baptist.  The common thread among their many admirable and noteworthy qualities is their humility.  They were both willing to stand aside as the Son of Man took center stage – in essence handing off their notoriety.  

Day Five

We started the day at the Wilderness of Zin.  Jim reminded us that God often uses the wilderness experiences to show us pride in our lives.  When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, Satan tempted him with pride to provide for himself but Jesus continually pointed it back to God.  It was interesting to see how many rocks are there... it gave new perspective as we thought about turning the stones to bread!

Our second stop was Beersheba.  Translated, it means well of the oath.  God makes a covenant with Isaac.  It's the very last stop before the Israelites were led into captivity in Egypt.  We talked about Isaac's submission to God in the face of difficulty.

Lachish (our third stop) was were Isaiah rebukes Hezekiah for attempting to take matters into his own hands.  He eventually does submit to God and God shows up and defeats the Assyrian army just outside of the walls.

The Elah Valley is where David and Goliath fought.  We were reminded that the true battle is won because David's heart trusts in God and he recognizes that the battle is the Lord's!

Another busy day!  Now we are resting in Jerusalem and are excited about worshipping our Savior here tomorrow.

The Wilderness at Zin

The Wilderness

BeerSheeba

Lachish

Valley of Elah

Day Four

Just when you think you can't pack any more into a day or that your head is going to burst because you are learning so much...  He continues to reveal Himself and unveil new things!

We started at Masada with it's breathtaking views.  Moved on to En Gedi with the reminder that we always need to let go and ask God to work.  Then lunch at Qumran and a tour talking about the dead sea scrolls that were recently found along with Jesus' teaching about the man who built his house upon the sand or the sure foundation.  Finishing our day with teaching about the Dead Sea and a quick float!  It was a whirlwind, but thankful for God's voice amidst the quiet reflection times as well as the bustle of the day.

Overlooking the desert from Masada

Our tour guide, Boaz

Looking out from Masada

En Gedi

At En Gedi

Pastor Jim reading Psalm 57 to us at En Gedi

The Dead Sea

Qumran

The Dead Sea

Thursday (written by Julie Witcher)

After a very early morning wake-up call and quick breakfast, we left the Sea of Galilee region and headed southwest to the Mediterranean and Caesarea By The Sea, the seat of Roman rule in the region during the time of Jesus.  Here, Herod the Great constructed his amazing palace with a fresh water swimming pool, filled with water carried 11 miles from Mount Carmel via a Roman aqueduct.  And here, Herod constructed the first artificial harbor making this city an important link to the rest of the world.  It is at Caesarea that the first Gentile believer, Cornelius, hears the gospel message and is saved.  And it is the port at Caesarea that becomes the point from which Paul sails on all of his missionary journeys by sea thus enabling the fulfillment of the Great Commission to take the gospel to the world.

                                                                The theater at Caesarea

                                                                 The theater at Caesarea

                                           Remains of Herod's fresh water swimming pool

Aqueduct from Mount Carmel

                            A quick stop so that Lynn (and others!) can splash in the Mediterranean.

From Caesarea and the Mediterranean, we traveled up the coast to Mt. Carmel, a breath-taking spot where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal when God rained down fire from Heaven.

Jim teaches atop Mt. Carmel

Next we took in the delights of a re-created Jesus-era village within the thriving city of modern-day Nazareth.  What a delight to meet these wonderful Arab brothers and sisters in Christ who demonstrated a love of Jesus like our own.  After showing us buildings authentically constructed and occupations as they would have been performed, they prepared a sumptuous feast for us of fire-grilled chicken and pita bread, soup, hummus, hyssop, olives, cabbage and apples with a fig dipping sauce.  Yum!

An olive press

A carpenter

A Rabbi singing to open worship

Thoroughly sated, we headed south again to the Biblical city of Jericho.  There we learned that West Bank politics have influenced the conclusion of modern day archaeologists who attempt to discredit the Biblical account of Joshua's defeat of the city after the Israelites first crossed the Jordan into Canaan.  With a Christian archaeologist as a guide, however, we were shown incontrovertible evidence of the walls having fallen suddenly, Jericho's destruction by fire and its abandonment as a city.

Our lunch being prepared

                                            Joel, a Christian archaeologist, proves his case

Biblical teaching in Jericho

                             A 400 year old sycamore tree, symbolic of the tree climbed  by Zaccheus to see                                                                  Jesus in the rebuilt town of Jericho