This was the most incredible day overall. Tisha decided that we had an early start so we could all go to a coffee shop first. The Starbucks in the area had failed and this place was very popular. They sold "Aroma," which has melted chocolate inside the coffee. It was for sale in a large bag and Gary brought some home.
We were greeted at the traditional Garden Tomb by Victor Jack, a volunteer from England. He said that England bought this land in 1892 & has owned it since. We visited the tomb of a wealthy Jewish family, one like where Jesus was laid. We could walk inside and see just how things were arranged. We strolled through the garden right beside it and saw what is believed by many to be Golgotha, the Skull. The face of this cliff does look like a skull, with hollowed caves for the facial features. At the base of this is a paved parking lot and bus station, built by the Muslims. Victor gave us lots of good info which I recorded. This is a very special place. Perry Stone preached and then communion was shared by all. We were given the grape juice in small olive wood cups, shaped like chalices, and told we could keep them. This prepared our hearts for what was yet to come that day.
A point of extreme interest is that the Muslims are crowding into this area. Above the garden wall, we could see cement blocks and then a wire fence. Victor told us that there is a Muslim cemetery on the other side that is very prestigious. It is very expensive and all the wealthy want to be there. They have been adding dirt behind the garden wall, which is illegal, but they continue to do as they please. They have added 20 extra feet. Those who operate the Garden Tomb say there is danger the wall will fall in and the foundation will crack. The whole thing is in court. What caught our attention were big ,white Arabic letters facing into the Garden Tomb area from above. It had gone up just the previous week. It faces into the garden area and expresses their usual saying, "There is only one god. Allah is his name," or something like that. It is rumored that Yassar Arafat is being exhumed (which is totally against their religion) and is going to be moved here. They SAY they are going to do an autopsy on him to see if he was poisoned. Is this a cover for moving him here? It would cause MUCH Muslim tourism to the Garden site.
The bus station at the base of the hill is on the site where Solomon quarried his stones for his buildings. That land had not been used for 2000 years. They are trying, but they will never refute the truth of Jesus' life. Jesus is alive! He is not here in a tomb. Other religions do not have a god who LIVES!
We passed Herod's palace and his burial site. Then we stopped at a shop of antiquities. Gary got a ring with a Hebrew inscription. I bought shawls for all the gals from a vendor outside.
We went to lunch in a crowded tent-type place with buffet style food. There was a man who played awesome piano music, all types of American styles. There was a small program where the Muslims told us they think we brought the cease fire to the country and rain to Israel. They showed much appreciation to us for coming.
Next we went to the St. Peter's Church, which was built over Caiaphas' house. Jesus was brought to this house for trial. The courtyard here is where Peter denied Christ 3 times. Under the house is the jail, 1 level down. It is all chiseled out of rock. Holes had been made through the rock for chains, and holes were dug in the base of this solid rock--it looked like for toilets. There was a ramp-like area next to the jail cells where Jesus was probably judged with Barabbas. The next level down took us to a pit, possibly the exact one Jesus was in the night before he was crucified. That was probably the only night Jesus spent in Jerusalem. The pit was solid rock. We could see scratching on the wall of a man praying. Three Byzantine crosses (3rd, 4th, & 5th cent.) were painted on a rock grotto above the steps coming down to the pit.When we were all in this pit, we prayed there and sang "Amazing Grace." Tisha read from the Psalms. Once again, the Spirit of the Lord came over all of us. It was emotional. Outside, we could see a grove of trees in the distance where they had Jesus walk from--down the Kidron Valley (Jehoshaphat Valley), across it to the Old City, and up steep rock steps (up a hillside) to Caiaphas' house where we stood. He was brought here for judgment. Jesus was probably judged there in the jail.
Next, we visited the Pool of Shiloam, one of 40 pools that stored water for the Old City and the City of David. This is in the area of the City of David at the bottom of the Kidron Valley. As we drove into the area, we saw it is filed with trash just flung off of people's balconies. Houses are crowded together everywhere. A large number of young boys had found a small area of a sloped street to play soccer. One side of their "field" was probably at least a 100 ft. drop. So much for the ball if it goes over there! There were cars and houses all around them, and they had to stop often to allow a car to go in or out. It is filthy everywhere.
The Pool of Shiloam was just recently discovered in the 1990's. We went down precarious steps to a short hillside under an over-hanging rock. The hillside was all cut-rock places for seating. The Pool lay just in front of these ledges and several feet below the walkway beside it. The cripple who came for 35 years, trying to get into the water when it stirred, would have had to drop off a 3-4 ft ledge to get in. The pool now is ugly, filthy mud.
From here, we walked just a few yards to ascend the original steps to the Temple Mount. We only walked partway up this tunnel of steps. There were two tunnels there that Hezekiah dug to prepare for an Assyrian attack. He diverted a river to dig them. Today, a school group is wading through water and emerging from one of the tunnels. Everything is original stone. We are touching walls thousands of years old.
Finally, we went to the Upper Room. Wow!! This is an old Crusader building on the spot where it was believed the Last Supper took place. There are cats all over Jerusalem, and there was a cat in the Upper Room. All around the room are the Muslim symbols from when they came in after the Christians and ruled. We had our most powerful experience of the trip in this room. The Spirit of the Living God descended on us. We (the green bus) prayed and sang as a group and specifically prayed over Tisha as a missionary to the world. We were people from all over the world, including Australia, worshipping in unity. The room got very warm. Other groups came in and stood behind us. I think it was a Muslim group who tried to shout over us and disrupt us--but to no avail! Other groups came in and sang with us before leaving. We were mostly unaware. It was an amazing time. Needless to say, we got back to the hotel later than usual.
AWESOME DAY!!!!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday Nov. 26 A Glorious Day in Jerusalem!
Our first breakfast in Jerusalem! I guess we wanted to eat in the dining room with the famous Olive Tree because we mistakenly ate with the EO tour there (they had green badges, too). When we only saw four other people we recognized, we knew we were supposed to be elsewhere! Oh, well. It turned out to be our only opportunity to eat in that famed spot. Gary especially enjoyed the various cheeses at this hotel.
We went to look over Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives first. It was a beautiful start to the day, the city bright with the morning sun. There, we had a panoramic view of the city: the Dome of the Rock, Kidron Valley, the Dung Gate, David's Village, etc. Perry taped two shows with us there, the best yet! One message was on Jerusalem, starting with the fact that this was the center of the Garden of Eden & continuing through other important Biblical events to the fact that this is where Jesus will return. Awesome info! The second program was on dealing with trouble and divine reversal. He based the message on Job and his tithe and offering, etc. When Job found the source of his trouble, he was blessed with twice what he lost. We left the Mount of Olives and its incredible sites and sounds for the day. (We would return there several more times.) By the way, the side of the Mount of Olives is a vast cemetery. The Jews all want to be buried there. The wealthier they are, the higher the spot on the Mount. They are buried with their faces to the east & their feet on the east so that when the Messiah "comes," they can just rise up on their feet out of the grave. The other side of the valley, the Kidron Valley, is covered with Muslim graves.
Next was a wild trip through the city. Our driver was amazing. He did a U turn on a two-lane street with a tour bus! These streets wind around and climb up and down. Nothing is flat except perhaps a modern highway that goes in and out of the city. We arrived in Bethlehem, which is controlled by the Palestinians. Our tour guide had to get off and be replaced there. This is the birthplace of Jesus and David. It is only 10 miles south and feels like a part of Jerusalem. However, there is an armed wall around the region. The new guide took us to a shepherd's field, which had a beautiful chapel celebrating the angels' announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in this place. The artwork in this chapel particularly blessed me. Three murals depicted the whole experience. However, I noticed a young boy was included as one of the shepherds in each scene. His reactions to the angels and then to the Christ child were totally different than the adults. Children's hearts are so precious.
Then we went to the excavations of the 3rd, 4th, & 5th cent. Byzantines, which included the ruins of a church. We descended cut out steps into a cave which opened up into many rooms. It had a "skylight," a kitchen, and several other rock rooms. There was no earth or soil in the cave.
We spent some time shopping at a store run by Christians. We had saved our shopping for this spot. But, it was very expensive. Two ladies bought some cool necklaces made of silver & gems for $2100 apiece. The store also had many hand-carved olive wood nativities, from small to massive sizes. Most of these were beautiful creations. This was where we found t-shirts for the girls and other small souvenirs.
We had lunch at the City Center restaurant, built overtop a parking garage. The man who runs all of the TBN fundraisers was there with our group, along with the Christian man who owns the gift shop where we shopped in Bethlehem, Perry Sone, & crew. We ate family style around the tables here and were served by Palestinians. Outside the eating area were vendors selling things. As I looked around, a man selling a type of flat bread cooked over a curved stone called me over. He had winked at me! Ha! Later, after browsing around, he brought me a bag with many freshly cooked "tortillas"--all wrapped. He signed to his heart and to me. Awwww. (I really think they want Americans to go back and tell others that the Palestinians aren't really so bad, not what we hear in the news.) Then two men, who turned out to be Christian Palestinians (God bless them) sold us 2 leather bags, but we didn't have any cash. After much discussion about credit cards (they didn't take them), we found there was an ATM downstairs, which turned out to be all in Arabic! After trying, I called an Arabic-speaking man over who"helped" me get "55" dinar. Ha! After 5 tries, I got cash & ran back up the escalator to the men. By now, our group was out of the area. Our salesmen told us we had $250 worth of dinars. Feeling a bit helpless about probably getting cheated, one man asked if we were Christians. Then he showed me his Christian tattoo on his wrist, concealed under his garments. It turned out they were both Christians and promised they wouldn't cheat us. On their own, they went around to all the vendors & got American money to exchange all the dinars for us. We ended up with all dinars in American cash, which we desperately needed and couldn't have gotten any other way. The guy had me keep the dinars, while he had Gary hold the counted out exchange. When I had all the American money, he had me pay him. They made sure we were set for the rest of the trip. God used these Palestinian Christians to bless us in this land that one week ago just agreed to a cease fire. That extra cash was what we needed to bless our guides with tips.
As we left the Bethlehem area, I bought 3 nativities carved from olive wood from a man standing at the gate. I knew right away how I would use these at Christmas with our special family time.
Next, we went to the Israeli Museum of Jerusalem. Transferred to this spot is a layout of the entire city of Jerusalem in the early days to scale, all made from Israeli limestone. The whole city must be built from this and must maintain the same, consistent color. Then we went inside and saw remnants of the Aleppo Codex and saw pictures of where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, along with some nails, tools, pottery, fabric, etc. Nathan, one of the young 20 somethings on our bus, left the group right away and got around to many other buildings in the museum where he saw some really great stuff we missed!
This completed an interesting day in Jerusalem.
We went to look over Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives first. It was a beautiful start to the day, the city bright with the morning sun. There, we had a panoramic view of the city: the Dome of the Rock, Kidron Valley, the Dung Gate, David's Village, etc. Perry taped two shows with us there, the best yet! One message was on Jerusalem, starting with the fact that this was the center of the Garden of Eden & continuing through other important Biblical events to the fact that this is where Jesus will return. Awesome info! The second program was on dealing with trouble and divine reversal. He based the message on Job and his tithe and offering, etc. When Job found the source of his trouble, he was blessed with twice what he lost. We left the Mount of Olives and its incredible sites and sounds for the day. (We would return there several more times.) By the way, the side of the Mount of Olives is a vast cemetery. The Jews all want to be buried there. The wealthier they are, the higher the spot on the Mount. They are buried with their faces to the east & their feet on the east so that when the Messiah "comes," they can just rise up on their feet out of the grave. The other side of the valley, the Kidron Valley, is covered with Muslim graves.
Next was a wild trip through the city. Our driver was amazing. He did a U turn on a two-lane street with a tour bus! These streets wind around and climb up and down. Nothing is flat except perhaps a modern highway that goes in and out of the city. We arrived in Bethlehem, which is controlled by the Palestinians. Our tour guide had to get off and be replaced there. This is the birthplace of Jesus and David. It is only 10 miles south and feels like a part of Jerusalem. However, there is an armed wall around the region. The new guide took us to a shepherd's field, which had a beautiful chapel celebrating the angels' announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in this place. The artwork in this chapel particularly blessed me. Three murals depicted the whole experience. However, I noticed a young boy was included as one of the shepherds in each scene. His reactions to the angels and then to the Christ child were totally different than the adults. Children's hearts are so precious.
Then we went to the excavations of the 3rd, 4th, & 5th cent. Byzantines, which included the ruins of a church. We descended cut out steps into a cave which opened up into many rooms. It had a "skylight," a kitchen, and several other rock rooms. There was no earth or soil in the cave.
We spent some time shopping at a store run by Christians. We had saved our shopping for this spot. But, it was very expensive. Two ladies bought some cool necklaces made of silver & gems for $2100 apiece. The store also had many hand-carved olive wood nativities, from small to massive sizes. Most of these were beautiful creations. This was where we found t-shirts for the girls and other small souvenirs.
We had lunch at the City Center restaurant, built overtop a parking garage. The man who runs all of the TBN fundraisers was there with our group, along with the Christian man who owns the gift shop where we shopped in Bethlehem, Perry Sone, & crew. We ate family style around the tables here and were served by Palestinians. Outside the eating area were vendors selling things. As I looked around, a man selling a type of flat bread cooked over a curved stone called me over. He had winked at me! Ha! Later, after browsing around, he brought me a bag with many freshly cooked "tortillas"--all wrapped. He signed to his heart and to me. Awwww. (I really think they want Americans to go back and tell others that the Palestinians aren't really so bad, not what we hear in the news.) Then two men, who turned out to be Christian Palestinians (God bless them) sold us 2 leather bags, but we didn't have any cash. After much discussion about credit cards (they didn't take them), we found there was an ATM downstairs, which turned out to be all in Arabic! After trying, I called an Arabic-speaking man over who"helped" me get "55" dinar. Ha! After 5 tries, I got cash & ran back up the escalator to the men. By now, our group was out of the area. Our salesmen told us we had $250 worth of dinars. Feeling a bit helpless about probably getting cheated, one man asked if we were Christians. Then he showed me his Christian tattoo on his wrist, concealed under his garments. It turned out they were both Christians and promised they wouldn't cheat us. On their own, they went around to all the vendors & got American money to exchange all the dinars for us. We ended up with all dinars in American cash, which we desperately needed and couldn't have gotten any other way. The guy had me keep the dinars, while he had Gary hold the counted out exchange. When I had all the American money, he had me pay him. They made sure we were set for the rest of the trip. God used these Palestinian Christians to bless us in this land that one week ago just agreed to a cease fire. That extra cash was what we needed to bless our guides with tips.
As we left the Bethlehem area, I bought 3 nativities carved from olive wood from a man standing at the gate. I knew right away how I would use these at Christmas with our special family time.
Next, we went to the Israeli Museum of Jerusalem. Transferred to this spot is a layout of the entire city of Jerusalem in the early days to scale, all made from Israeli limestone. The whole city must be built from this and must maintain the same, consistent color. Then we went inside and saw remnants of the Aleppo Codex and saw pictures of where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, along with some nails, tools, pottery, fabric, etc. Nathan, one of the young 20 somethings on our bus, left the group right away and got around to many other buildings in the museum where he saw some really great stuff we missed!
This completed an interesting day in Jerusalem.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Sunday Nov. 25 Leaving Galilee, entering Jerusalem
We loved Galilee, but today we are driving south along the Jordan border to Jerusalem. After checking out of our room and having our last meal here, we boarded our green bus to leave Tiberius, one of four holy cities. We heard the story of Rachel, the righteous woman, who is honored still today for encouraging her illiterate rabbi husband to learn to read so he could read the Bible. He did and became a great rabbi who was eventually tortured to death by the Romans.
Beth Shean -- an amazing place!! This is a Roman/Byzantine town which has been preserved. It is one of the 10 Decapolis, all pagan cities. The others are all in Jordan. We took lots of pictures here. We had a taping with Perry Stone on prophecy when cosmos, prophecy, and politics come together. The area is being excavated. We walked through the huge, but ancient bath house and through the cardo-shopping area lined with columns. We saw toilets lined up in a room next to the baths, one after another, side by side, hewn out of stone. It doesn't look like they got much privacy there! We stood in the temple where sacrifices were made to Dionysus. There was lots of marble everywhere and huge columns. We could see where a great earthquake had destroyed the city because the columns were still lying in the positions they fell in centuries ago!!
After leaving there, we drove past the Gilboa Mountains where Saul's sons died in battle. Jonathan did not return. David cursed the Gilboas. One part is still called Mt. Saul; it is still bald. The rest of Gilboa has been planted. We continued driving into the desert, going south and on through the West Bank, near Jericho which is under Palestinian control.
We stopped at a Jordan River baptismal area that was just outside Jericho. This was probably the area where Jesus came out of the wilderness and was baptised by John. Then he went into the wilderness. This area is completely different from Galilee. Gary & I both put our hands into the water here. It is Sunday and we are where Jesus was baptised! Wow! The country of Jordan was about 100 feet away. Israeli soldiers are on our side of the Jordan River, and Jordanian soldiers are on the other. It is very peaceful here.
Qumran was next. Wow!!! This is the site where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls. It overlooks the Dead Sea close to the north shore. This area is well below sea level. We saw and walked through the community of excavated buildings: houses, baths, ritual baths, cisterns, and the whole mountain rage at the Dead Sea where the caves are located. We saw the fourth cave discovered. It was an amazingly beautiful place. Bedouins were the first to discover a scroll. Thousands have been discovered since and are yet to be found.
Then we drove to the Dead Sea. Gary & I both swan/floated in it! It was a hoot! Such fun! The shore was full of salty chunks and sand, but the sea floor was slimy mud. They suggested that people crawl out to swim so that we wouldn't fall and get salt water in our eyes, noses, and mouths. However, we tried to walk out anyway, only to slip, slide, and sink every other step. We covered our skin with mud, supposedly great for the skin, and washed it off just in time to slither our way out and back to the showers (which I didn't get to take because the bus was to leave right away). I had worn Gary's shorts and my t-shirt. Quite a site, I am sure. These items and Gary's trunks were the only items I needed to wash while on this whole trip.
Last, we drove on to Jerusalem along the Jericho Road. The mountains we went through were high and harsh. Many, many Bedouin were squatting in these mountains. They have been here for centuries. They came from Saudi Arabia for grazing land. Their houses are just tents, made of plastic tarps or any kind of covering they can find. They often allow their animals to sleep in their tents if the weather is cold. We saw people with their herds of goats or sheep.
Then we saw Jerusalem! There were lots of mountains with buildings all over them, literally hanging off the sides. As we continued up into the city, the song "Jerusalem" was playing, preparing us for what was coming. The Spirit of the Lord filled our bus. A beautiful sunset shone as we gathered at the Hebrew University. We shared bread and salt for safe passage. This was communion, just as the ancient Jews celebrated it when they traveled here to Jerusalem for the three feasts. We had an awesome view of the city with beautiful clouds and the sun in the west. We thanked God for allowing us to be here in the heart of the country and city that He smiles upon.
We headed to our new hotel, the Olive Tree. There is a 2000-year-old Olive Tree in one of the dining rooms. This hotel is lovely. Again, we ate wonderful food which was beautifully prepared and presented.
Beth Shean -- an amazing place!! This is a Roman/Byzantine town which has been preserved. It is one of the 10 Decapolis, all pagan cities. The others are all in Jordan. We took lots of pictures here. We had a taping with Perry Stone on prophecy when cosmos, prophecy, and politics come together. The area is being excavated. We walked through the huge, but ancient bath house and through the cardo-shopping area lined with columns. We saw toilets lined up in a room next to the baths, one after another, side by side, hewn out of stone. It doesn't look like they got much privacy there! We stood in the temple where sacrifices were made to Dionysus. There was lots of marble everywhere and huge columns. We could see where a great earthquake had destroyed the city because the columns were still lying in the positions they fell in centuries ago!!
After leaving there, we drove past the Gilboa Mountains where Saul's sons died in battle. Jonathan did not return. David cursed the Gilboas. One part is still called Mt. Saul; it is still bald. The rest of Gilboa has been planted. We continued driving into the desert, going south and on through the West Bank, near Jericho which is under Palestinian control.
We stopped at a Jordan River baptismal area that was just outside Jericho. This was probably the area where Jesus came out of the wilderness and was baptised by John. Then he went into the wilderness. This area is completely different from Galilee. Gary & I both put our hands into the water here. It is Sunday and we are where Jesus was baptised! Wow! The country of Jordan was about 100 feet away. Israeli soldiers are on our side of the Jordan River, and Jordanian soldiers are on the other. It is very peaceful here.
Qumran was next. Wow!!! This is the site where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls. It overlooks the Dead Sea close to the north shore. This area is well below sea level. We saw and walked through the community of excavated buildings: houses, baths, ritual baths, cisterns, and the whole mountain rage at the Dead Sea where the caves are located. We saw the fourth cave discovered. It was an amazingly beautiful place. Bedouins were the first to discover a scroll. Thousands have been discovered since and are yet to be found.
Then we drove to the Dead Sea. Gary & I both swan/floated in it! It was a hoot! Such fun! The shore was full of salty chunks and sand, but the sea floor was slimy mud. They suggested that people crawl out to swim so that we wouldn't fall and get salt water in our eyes, noses, and mouths. However, we tried to walk out anyway, only to slip, slide, and sink every other step. We covered our skin with mud, supposedly great for the skin, and washed it off just in time to slither our way out and back to the showers (which I didn't get to take because the bus was to leave right away). I had worn Gary's shorts and my t-shirt. Quite a site, I am sure. These items and Gary's trunks were the only items I needed to wash while on this whole trip.
Last, we drove on to Jerusalem along the Jericho Road. The mountains we went through were high and harsh. Many, many Bedouin were squatting in these mountains. They have been here for centuries. They came from Saudi Arabia for grazing land. Their houses are just tents, made of plastic tarps or any kind of covering they can find. They often allow their animals to sleep in their tents if the weather is cold. We saw people with their herds of goats or sheep.
Then we saw Jerusalem! There were lots of mountains with buildings all over them, literally hanging off the sides. As we continued up into the city, the song "Jerusalem" was playing, preparing us for what was coming. The Spirit of the Lord filled our bus. A beautiful sunset shone as we gathered at the Hebrew University. We shared bread and salt for safe passage. This was communion, just as the ancient Jews celebrated it when they traveled here to Jerusalem for the three feasts. We had an awesome view of the city with beautiful clouds and the sun in the west. We thanked God for allowing us to be here in the heart of the country and city that He smiles upon.
We headed to our new hotel, the Olive Tree. There is a 2000-year-old Olive Tree in one of the dining rooms. This hotel is lovely. Again, we ate wonderful food which was beautifully prepared and presented.
Nov. 24 At the Jordan
Today we met at the dock outside the hotel to board a Jesus boat. We rode out on the Sea of Galilee from Tiberius to the Jesus Boat Museum. It was a warm, hazy morning, and we enjoyed a flurry of seagulls who visited us offshore. Perry Stone & his crew rode in our boat, while three other boats were full of our tour group. All four boats pulled up together to hear a short message from Perry. A lady from the blue bus, Julie, sang the national anthem for us. Later, we all sang and worshiped together. It was a beautiful experience. The Lord was with us! Wow!!
When we arrived at the Jesus Boat Museum, we boarded our bus and headed to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' ministry. This place was preserved and run by the Franciscans. We passed the Church of the Primacy of Peter. An octagonal structure was built over Peter's mother-in-law's house where she was probably healed by Peter. (Tisha gave us some info about the importance of the number 153.) Nearby we saw a Byzantine structure (3rd-4th cent.) built overtop the synagogue that Jesus taught in. Much of the structure is still there. I sat on the original benches at the side (white limestone). There are columns, an inner part, three gates, a basilica format. Wow! An area of black stones is where the people's houses were. They were very small spaces.
A statue of St. Peter marks a spot at the entrance. He has keys, a fish, and a staff. The inscription below says, "Upon this rock you shall build my church." (Capernaum has lots of cats, too!)
We left for Chorazin. This city was wiped out for disbelief. Jesus preached here. The ruins of buildings are all around. We sat around on all the rocks and up on the walls to listen to Perry tape two programs. (I have them recorded). One was on the quickening of time in the end times; the other was about the importance of mothers speaking over their children and praying for them.
Then we left for lunch at a kibbutz on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Afterwards, we drove down the east side of the sea to the south where the Jordan River flows. We went to a place at the river where we had many baptisms, probably 300. The river water was very cold, but that did not deter people. Most were rededications, but two were new baptisms! Six different people had us taking pictures of them with their cameras. One woman I took pictures of was dunked 7 or 8 times. Apparently, her daughter has MS and couldn't come, so the lady was dunked 7 times for her daughter. All of this was an amazing experience to watch. As they were finishing, it began to sprinkle and rumble with thunder. It was time to leave, though, and we escaped any wet weather.
When we arrived at the Jesus Boat Museum, we boarded our bus and headed to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' ministry. This place was preserved and run by the Franciscans. We passed the Church of the Primacy of Peter. An octagonal structure was built over Peter's mother-in-law's house where she was probably healed by Peter. (Tisha gave us some info about the importance of the number 153.) Nearby we saw a Byzantine structure (3rd-4th cent.) built overtop the synagogue that Jesus taught in. Much of the structure is still there. I sat on the original benches at the side (white limestone). There are columns, an inner part, three gates, a basilica format. Wow! An area of black stones is where the people's houses were. They were very small spaces.
A statue of St. Peter marks a spot at the entrance. He has keys, a fish, and a staff. The inscription below says, "Upon this rock you shall build my church." (Capernaum has lots of cats, too!)
We left for Chorazin. This city was wiped out for disbelief. Jesus preached here. The ruins of buildings are all around. We sat around on all the rocks and up on the walls to listen to Perry tape two programs. (I have them recorded). One was on the quickening of time in the end times; the other was about the importance of mothers speaking over their children and praying for them.
Then we left for lunch at a kibbutz on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Afterwards, we drove down the east side of the sea to the south where the Jordan River flows. We went to a place at the river where we had many baptisms, probably 300. The river water was very cold, but that did not deter people. Most were rededications, but two were new baptisms! Six different people had us taking pictures of them with their cameras. One woman I took pictures of was dunked 7 or 8 times. Apparently, her daughter has MS and couldn't come, so the lady was dunked 7 times for her daughter. All of this was an amazing experience to watch. As they were finishing, it began to sprinkle and rumble with thunder. It was time to leave, though, and we escaped any wet weather.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Nov. 23 Off to Caesaria Philipi in the rain
We witnessed another beautiful sunrise today and then set out to the north to the source of the Jordan River, the life of Israel.
First, we went to Caesarea Philipi, named for one of Caesar's sons. This was a cultic site for the god Pan, half goat/half man. A huge rock cave with dark colorations in the rock and a gaping mouth-like opening was called "The Gates of Hell." It truly looked like it. Here, animal & human sacrifices were made and then thrown into the water of the river there to be acceptable to the god. The river is the Panias. However, Muslims cannot say the letter "P" so it is "Banias" on the map. This river had moving water in it today since it is pouring rain. It is one of the 3 sources of the Jordan.
From there, our bus took a coffee break where Gary got a good cup of coffee. The shop was run by some 20-yr-olds. They also sold good pastries. At this spot, we could see the second of the three rivers. We could see a beautiful rapids and a waterfall. A McDonalds was also located in this area but it was closed
We proceeded on to Tel Dan. I loved this place! We walked across a bridge at the springs of the Dan River, the 3rd source of the Jordan. There were springs bubbling up everywhere. The river was lovely and fast, perhaps because of the rain. The spring there supplied the water for most of the Dan. We walked back a slippery rock path, through thick foliage. We saw papyrus trees, raspberries, and eucalyptus trees which had taken over! Then we trekked down a muddy path until we reached the ancient city of Dan. They are excavating there & have much still to do. We saw one of the temples (ruins) that Solomon built through Cheroboam, I think. It is an exact replica of the temple area in Jerusalem. Solomon was judged by God for this because he was told to build 'the' temple -- and Solomon proceeded to build three. We walked to the city gate, saw where the elder sat (the foundation of his chair is still there), and saw one of the altars outside of the city. (I sat on it. Luckily, no one had a match!)
Next we drove to a kibbutzim at Hageshrim. This group ran a hotel. We got gourmet food at their LARGE restaurant. The place had lovely landscaping with stones/statues & marble tiles for walkways and floors. The food was very fresh; they served yummy chocolate choices for dessert.
After lunch, we headed to the Golan Heights. In the morning, we had been near the Lebanese border. There we saw the 1-kilometer DMZ with a small UN outpost right in the middle of this no-man's land. There was also a military training site with cone-shaped mounds and an arena with seats. A DRUZE was there in his baggy pants selling fruit. (The Druze men wear a cap on a bald head and baggy pants to catch their messiah, which is supposed to be born of a man.) Druze stay with the land and do not take the Israeli citizenship but live happily there.
Now at the Golan Heights, we were near the Syrian border. We saw many military bases along the way. The Syrians planted eucalyptus trees near their military bases at the suggestion of a trusted Eygptian, who was really a Christian Israeli. This fellow was able to tell the Israelis where to bomb them because of this. We passed acres and acres of empty fields once owned by both of the countries. Many of these are still not used because of the land mines in them. Israel is so small and land is very expensive. I would think it would be worth the resources needed to clear these lands. But, they remain rocky fields. We heard gunfire in this area. Syria is experiencing civil war and the news reported several deaths that day. Continuing down the hilly, winding roads, we drove past Nimeon's Castle and headed back to the Leonardo.
A very memorable time was when we went to see the "Jesus boat." It is now in a museum, but was found by two Israeli brothers who grew up around the Sea of Galilee. The boat is built from wook of 9 different trees and is 2000 yrs old. What we saw was basically the hull of the boat. This boat is typical of the boat Jesus and the disciples would have used. Perhaps it was this very one!
This was a very interesting day. We were given a history lesson about Israel, how it is formed, and how they remain a safe country. God is truly blessing Israel.
It is the night of the Sabbath and the Jews will not be working for the next 24 hrs.
Shalom Sabbaoth!
First, we went to Caesarea Philipi, named for one of Caesar's sons. This was a cultic site for the god Pan, half goat/half man. A huge rock cave with dark colorations in the rock and a gaping mouth-like opening was called "The Gates of Hell." It truly looked like it. Here, animal & human sacrifices were made and then thrown into the water of the river there to be acceptable to the god. The river is the Panias. However, Muslims cannot say the letter "P" so it is "Banias" on the map. This river had moving water in it today since it is pouring rain. It is one of the 3 sources of the Jordan.
From there, our bus took a coffee break where Gary got a good cup of coffee. The shop was run by some 20-yr-olds. They also sold good pastries. At this spot, we could see the second of the three rivers. We could see a beautiful rapids and a waterfall. A McDonalds was also located in this area but it was closed
We proceeded on to Tel Dan. I loved this place! We walked across a bridge at the springs of the Dan River, the 3rd source of the Jordan. There were springs bubbling up everywhere. The river was lovely and fast, perhaps because of the rain. The spring there supplied the water for most of the Dan. We walked back a slippery rock path, through thick foliage. We saw papyrus trees, raspberries, and eucalyptus trees which had taken over! Then we trekked down a muddy path until we reached the ancient city of Dan. They are excavating there & have much still to do. We saw one of the temples (ruins) that Solomon built through Cheroboam, I think. It is an exact replica of the temple area in Jerusalem. Solomon was judged by God for this because he was told to build 'the' temple -- and Solomon proceeded to build three. We walked to the city gate, saw where the elder sat (the foundation of his chair is still there), and saw one of the altars outside of the city. (I sat on it. Luckily, no one had a match!)
Next we drove to a kibbutzim at Hageshrim. This group ran a hotel. We got gourmet food at their LARGE restaurant. The place had lovely landscaping with stones/statues & marble tiles for walkways and floors. The food was very fresh; they served yummy chocolate choices for dessert.
After lunch, we headed to the Golan Heights. In the morning, we had been near the Lebanese border. There we saw the 1-kilometer DMZ with a small UN outpost right in the middle of this no-man's land. There was also a military training site with cone-shaped mounds and an arena with seats. A DRUZE was there in his baggy pants selling fruit. (The Druze men wear a cap on a bald head and baggy pants to catch their messiah, which is supposed to be born of a man.) Druze stay with the land and do not take the Israeli citizenship but live happily there.
Now at the Golan Heights, we were near the Syrian border. We saw many military bases along the way. The Syrians planted eucalyptus trees near their military bases at the suggestion of a trusted Eygptian, who was really a Christian Israeli. This fellow was able to tell the Israelis where to bomb them because of this. We passed acres and acres of empty fields once owned by both of the countries. Many of these are still not used because of the land mines in them. Israel is so small and land is very expensive. I would think it would be worth the resources needed to clear these lands. But, they remain rocky fields. We heard gunfire in this area. Syria is experiencing civil war and the news reported several deaths that day. Continuing down the hilly, winding roads, we drove past Nimeon's Castle and headed back to the Leonardo.
A very memorable time was when we went to see the "Jesus boat." It is now in a museum, but was found by two Israeli brothers who grew up around the Sea of Galilee. The boat is built from wook of 9 different trees and is 2000 yrs old. What we saw was basically the hull of the boat. This boat is typical of the boat Jesus and the disciples would have used. Perhaps it was this very one!
This was a very interesting day. We were given a history lesson about Israel, how it is formed, and how they remain a safe country. God is truly blessing Israel.
It is the night of the Sabbath and the Jews will not be working for the next 24 hrs.
Shalom Sabbaoth!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Nov.22 What a Thanksgiving!
Sea of Galilee at sunrise
Mount of Beatitudes
Mount Carmel I will include some of the scriptures used in messages &
Megiddo & the Jezreel Valley let you look them up. I will share messages later.
View of Nazareth
We watched the sun come up over the Sea of Galilee this morning. The views from our room are extraordinarily beautiful to start with, but we were also able to exit onto the rooftop terrace to watch. Sunbeams actually radiated from a beautiful orb, emerging from the horizon through some clouds.
We had a delicious buffet breakfast. But, wow, it was crowded. There are 347 people on this tour in 8 buses. We met with Perry Stone in an outdoor amphitheater & had prayer & instructions. Then we left in tour buses, ours "green." Our guide, Tisha, has lived in Israel off & on since she was 9 months old and then moved here in 1993. She just spent the last 6 months with Glenn Beck, producing his latest project here in Israel. She knows Israel, its history, and the Bible well. She gives us LOTS of great info. Today, she explained kibbutzes at length and we visited one
At the Mount of Beatitudes, Perry filmed a teaching with us. Matt 4:12; Matt 5: 1-10; Matt 8:23
Mark 6:45, 52, etc.
We sat in an amphitheater near the Church of the Beatitudes and looked over the Sea of Galilee. The church is octagonal in shape, symbolizing the 8 beatitudes (Matt 5). It was raining and they felt that our group had brought blessing to them with it. The people of Israel saw us as "pilgrims" because we came even though everyone had people telling us not to come. Many groups had cancelled and we were probably the largest group in Israel.
Perry mentioned that Jesus came from Bethlehem to Lower Galilee (which is to the north). In doing this, he fulfilled prophecy, came to the area of the Gentiles, and entered a crossroads area where many people passed through.
In reference to the scriptures above, I will mention just one of the points Perry made while we sat on this Mount overlooking the Sea of Galilee: when Jesus went from the mountains to the middle of the lake (3 - 4 am), he did so in an instant. After he calmed the storm, he got them to the other side of the lake instantly. Jesus can help us quickly and heal/help the problem quickly. The disciples had forgotten the miracles of the loaves/fishes and lost their faith. When we are in trouble, we forget his teachings. "Let us go to the other side."
Mt. Carmel--Here we overlooked the Jezreel Valley or Armageddon. Tisha mentioned that that is where the nations of the world will gather at the end, but the Bible does not say that a battle will necessarily take place there. Throughout history, many battles have taken place here. We had a view of many things in the land of Asher, Baal, and Elijah. We can see many mountains that were important in the Old Testament.
Megiddo--We got another great message here from Perry about the 7 feasts of the people. Ex. 23:14-16 and much more. More on that later.
We had a buffet lunch at a Kibbutzim and a "Thanksgiving" dinner at the hotel. It is amazing how well they feed 350 people and how quickly. The food is always interesting & delicious & nutritious & presented well. The "Thanksgiving" part consisted of some red, white, and blue balloons and one entree that was turkey, not exactly the way we would have our Thanksgiving turkey. But, hey! We surely didn't care. We found out the next day that most people hadn't even realized it WAS Thanksgiving.
Mount of Beatitudes
Mount Carmel I will include some of the scriptures used in messages &
Megiddo & the Jezreel Valley let you look them up. I will share messages later.
View of Nazareth
We watched the sun come up over the Sea of Galilee this morning. The views from our room are extraordinarily beautiful to start with, but we were also able to exit onto the rooftop terrace to watch. Sunbeams actually radiated from a beautiful orb, emerging from the horizon through some clouds.
We had a delicious buffet breakfast. But, wow, it was crowded. There are 347 people on this tour in 8 buses. We met with Perry Stone in an outdoor amphitheater & had prayer & instructions. Then we left in tour buses, ours "green." Our guide, Tisha, has lived in Israel off & on since she was 9 months old and then moved here in 1993. She just spent the last 6 months with Glenn Beck, producing his latest project here in Israel. She knows Israel, its history, and the Bible well. She gives us LOTS of great info. Today, she explained kibbutzes at length and we visited one
At the Mount of Beatitudes, Perry filmed a teaching with us. Matt 4:12; Matt 5: 1-10; Matt 8:23
Mark 6:45, 52, etc.
We sat in an amphitheater near the Church of the Beatitudes and looked over the Sea of Galilee. The church is octagonal in shape, symbolizing the 8 beatitudes (Matt 5). It was raining and they felt that our group had brought blessing to them with it. The people of Israel saw us as "pilgrims" because we came even though everyone had people telling us not to come. Many groups had cancelled and we were probably the largest group in Israel.
Perry mentioned that Jesus came from Bethlehem to Lower Galilee (which is to the north). In doing this, he fulfilled prophecy, came to the area of the Gentiles, and entered a crossroads area where many people passed through.
In reference to the scriptures above, I will mention just one of the points Perry made while we sat on this Mount overlooking the Sea of Galilee: when Jesus went from the mountains to the middle of the lake (3 - 4 am), he did so in an instant. After he calmed the storm, he got them to the other side of the lake instantly. Jesus can help us quickly and heal/help the problem quickly. The disciples had forgotten the miracles of the loaves/fishes and lost their faith. When we are in trouble, we forget his teachings. "Let us go to the other side."
Mt. Carmel--Here we overlooked the Jezreel Valley or Armageddon. Tisha mentioned that that is where the nations of the world will gather at the end, but the Bible does not say that a battle will necessarily take place there. Throughout history, many battles have taken place here. We had a view of many things in the land of Asher, Baal, and Elijah. We can see many mountains that were important in the Old Testament.
Megiddo--We got another great message here from Perry about the 7 feasts of the people. Ex. 23:14-16 and much more. More on that later.
We had a buffet lunch at a Kibbutzim and a "Thanksgiving" dinner at the hotel. It is amazing how well they feed 350 people and how quickly. The food is always interesting & delicious & nutritious & presented well. The "Thanksgiving" part consisted of some red, white, and blue balloons and one entree that was turkey, not exactly the way we would have our Thanksgiving turkey. But, hey! We surely didn't care. We found out the next day that most people hadn't even realized it WAS Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Nov. 21 Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport
We arrived in Tel Aviv" in good time, considering that our flight left 1 1/2 hrs late. The FAA prevented our leaving because they wanted to slow down arrivals of planes here.Yet, everything seems perfectly normal and everyone on our bus is in great spirits.This group should be awesome to be around. We were awakened in the middle of our sleep to a lady reading out loud the Song of Solomon to 2 young people seated near her!! But, before we left the airplane, they had formed a circle of prayer, which included one of the flight's stewards. Wow! This group is ready for the Holy Land!
Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, we had a 2-hour bus ride with "Tito," who was informative and funny. The sun set as we traveled so we couldn't see the landscape. We had seen a lot from the air. Israel is full of rolling mountainous hills -- nothing big like the Rockies or Smokies. White appears all over the landscape: the native limestone, I think. We passed 3 McDonalds; one with a Play Place (spelled in English)!
Our hotel, the Leonardo, is awesome. We are in a corner room on the 11th floor, giving us 2 views of the Sea of Galilee. Beautiful!!! We can see across the lake to the other shore & hills. We have many comforts here and the food is wonderful. We've met Dr. Perry Stone, our trip leader, and shook his hand. We also walked out along the Sea of Galilee tonight, just the two of us, and then explored some of the "ruins" still on these grounds. It's been lovely meeting and talking to people.
Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, we had a 2-hour bus ride with "Tito," who was informative and funny. The sun set as we traveled so we couldn't see the landscape. We had seen a lot from the air. Israel is full of rolling mountainous hills -- nothing big like the Rockies or Smokies. White appears all over the landscape: the native limestone, I think. We passed 3 McDonalds; one with a Play Place (spelled in English)!
Our hotel, the Leonardo, is awesome. We are in a corner room on the 11th floor, giving us 2 views of the Sea of Galilee. Beautiful!!! We can see across the lake to the other shore & hills. We have many comforts here and the food is wonderful. We've met Dr. Perry Stone, our trip leader, and shook his hand. We also walked out along the Sea of Galilee tonight, just the two of us, and then explored some of the "ruins" still on these grounds. It's been lovely meeting and talking to people.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Leaving tomorrow!!
We have been uncertain over the last few days as to whether our trip would be cancelled, due to all the military action going on between Israel & Gaza since Thursday. Last Friday, we received a message that said the trip was still on & that our guide, Perry Stone, and the president of the tour company were leaving Saturday. The message said they would let us know about the conditions.
Well, we kept receiving phone calls from family members and comments from others saying that Israel was no place for tourists right now. The TV news is showing us how the "war" is ramping up.
Just a few minutes ago, we got a video message from Perry Stone on the bus in Israel. He was excited & showed us that everything is fine for our travel there. He said the airport is full of tourists in buses and we should be all set to meet in Tiberias Wednesday.
So, we are off!!! We completely feel that God will give us supernatural protection, and we will have a most enlightening trip.
I hope that we will be able to post our experiences daily, but that may not be possible. Our hotels do not have computer access, but we are taking our Kindle Fire in case we have wi-fi. Enjoy your good weather while we are gone. Have a great Thanksgiving. Remember to thank God for all of your blessings. Everything good thing comes from Him--no doubt.
Love to you all.
Well, we kept receiving phone calls from family members and comments from others saying that Israel was no place for tourists right now. The TV news is showing us how the "war" is ramping up.
Just a few minutes ago, we got a video message from Perry Stone on the bus in Israel. He was excited & showed us that everything is fine for our travel there. He said the airport is full of tourists in buses and we should be all set to meet in Tiberias Wednesday.
So, we are off!!! We completely feel that God will give us supernatural protection, and we will have a most enlightening trip.
I hope that we will be able to post our experiences daily, but that may not be possible. Our hotels do not have computer access, but we are taking our Kindle Fire in case we have wi-fi. Enjoy your good weather while we are gone. Have a great Thanksgiving. Remember to thank God for all of your blessings. Everything good thing comes from Him--no doubt.
Love to you all.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
October 23, 2012: 3 maps of the area
Here are modern day maps of Israel and Jordan. I hope this helps you visualize where we are.
If you check out the legend on the second map, you will notice that Israel is approximately 40 miles wide--or less--at many points. These are not great distances. We will staying at a hotel in Tiberias on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee the first three nights. It looks like that will be less than 10 miles from Syria. Wow!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
October 16, 2012--Getting Excited!
With only 35 days to go until Gary & I leave for Israel, we are starting to gather supplies, make lists, devote time to reading and studying about what we are going to experience, and just plain GET EXCITED. I hope to share this journey with all of you.
Presently, I am reading a book written by Flauvius Josephus, born in A.D. 37, titled The Jewish Wars. I am only in Ch. 2, and there have already been so many rulers and battles that I'm not sure if I am going to be able to remember ANYTHING accurately about the history of the area. But, I am TRYING! Gary is reading an informative travel book we bought on Israel. He is finding some fascinating info about the places we are going to visit. Both of us are reading our Bibles and praying for what God has in store for us. Preparing our hearts for this trip is important to us!
Here is our basic itinerary:
Nov. 20 to Tel Aviv
21 Tel Aviv to Tiberias (North on the Sea of Galilee)
22 Mt. Carmel & Valley of Jezreel
Megiddo
Cana
Tiberias
23 Chorazim
Dan
Caesarea Philippi
Golan Heights
Hatzar
Northern territory
24 Sea of Galilee
Magdala (Mary's home)
Boat ride on the sea
Capernaum
Mt. of Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount)
Yardenit Baptismal site (where the Jordan River meets the Sea of Galilee)
25 Beth Shean --Scythopolis excavations
Harold (Gideon's Spring)
Qumrqn -- dead sea scrolls area,town Essene
Dead Sea
Judean Wilderness
Valley of the Shadow
Jerusalem
26 Bethelem
Shrine of the Book Museum
Mt. of Olives
Chapel of Ascension
Garden of Gethsemane (Kidron Valley)
Jerusalem
27 Mt. Zion
Upper Room
King David's Tomb
House of Caiaphas
Pool of Siloam
28 Old City of Jerusalem
Via Dolorosa
Pool of Bethesda
Cardo
Gordon's Calvary at Garden Tomb
** 29 Allenby Bridge (where we cross into Jordan)
Mt. Nebo
Petra
King's Highway
30 Petra
Amman
Dec. 1 Allenby Bridge
Jerusalem
2 Back to USA!!!!
I know that was a lot to look at all at once, but I want to include some maps with this itinerary, as well. Then you should be able to check our progress as we comment on it. I'm not sure if I will be able to upload any sound bytes from our guide and teacher, Perry Stone, but I will try to include some pix if I have access to a computer at the hotel. (We're taking our Kindle Fire just in case there is Wi Fi in places where I can't get to a computer.)
Well, I guess I'll upload my maps tomorrow!
You can email me or let me know when you see me what you'd like me to describe for you. From some of the pix I've seen, this excursion should be AMAZING!!!
Presently, I am reading a book written by Flauvius Josephus, born in A.D. 37, titled The Jewish Wars. I am only in Ch. 2, and there have already been so many rulers and battles that I'm not sure if I am going to be able to remember ANYTHING accurately about the history of the area. But, I am TRYING! Gary is reading an informative travel book we bought on Israel. He is finding some fascinating info about the places we are going to visit. Both of us are reading our Bibles and praying for what God has in store for us. Preparing our hearts for this trip is important to us!
Here is our basic itinerary:
Nov. 20 to Tel Aviv
21 Tel Aviv to Tiberias (North on the Sea of Galilee)
22 Mt. Carmel & Valley of Jezreel
Megiddo
Cana
Tiberias
23 Chorazim
Dan
Caesarea Philippi
Golan Heights
Hatzar
Northern territory
24 Sea of Galilee
Magdala (Mary's home)
Boat ride on the sea
Capernaum
Mt. of Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount)
Yardenit Baptismal site (where the Jordan River meets the Sea of Galilee)
25 Beth Shean --Scythopolis excavations
Harold (Gideon's Spring)
Qumrqn -- dead sea scrolls area,town Essene
Dead Sea
Judean Wilderness
Valley of the Shadow
Jerusalem
26 Bethelem
Shrine of the Book Museum
Mt. of Olives
Chapel of Ascension
Garden of Gethsemane (Kidron Valley)
Jerusalem
27 Mt. Zion
Upper Room
King David's Tomb
House of Caiaphas
Pool of Siloam
28 Old City of Jerusalem
Via Dolorosa
Pool of Bethesda
Cardo
Gordon's Calvary at Garden Tomb
** 29 Allenby Bridge (where we cross into Jordan)
Mt. Nebo
Petra
King's Highway
30 Petra
Amman
Dec. 1 Allenby Bridge
Jerusalem
2 Back to USA!!!!
I know that was a lot to look at all at once, but I want to include some maps with this itinerary, as well. Then you should be able to check our progress as we comment on it. I'm not sure if I will be able to upload any sound bytes from our guide and teacher, Perry Stone, but I will try to include some pix if I have access to a computer at the hotel. (We're taking our Kindle Fire just in case there is Wi Fi in places where I can't get to a computer.)
Well, I guess I'll upload my maps tomorrow!
You can email me or let me know when you see me what you'd like me to describe for you. From some of the pix I've seen, this excursion should be AMAZING!!!
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