Experiencing the Holy Land

Going to Israel, and seeing how the Jewish people have endured as a nation despite the challenges and difficulties they have faced throughout history, we cannot help but see that, as Romans 11 states, “God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew.” “There is a remnant chosen by grace” and “they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” Some of the places where the scenes of the Bible “came to life” were: * Being in Joppa and seeing a rooftop patio area that might have been similar to the one Peter was in, when heaven opened and a sheet was lowered with animals that were no longer to be considered unclean (Acts 10:9-16) * Experiencing excitement at entering the Holy Land, which may be similar in part to how the Israelites felt when first entering the Promised Land * Being in Herod’s Theater in Caesarea, the very place where Paul may have testified before Felix and Herod (Acts 23-24) * Being on Mt Carmel where Elijah had victory over the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18), overlooking the prophesized site of Armegeddon (Har Megiddo) in sobering reverence of God’s power that will be unleashed on that day * Hearing Pastor Chuck preach on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) while on the Mt of Beatitudes * Being baptized in the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17) * Being in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked on water (John 6:45-52) * Being at Gideon’s Spring (Judges 7) * Worshipping on the southern steps leading to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem * Seeing the Upper Room and the Garden of Gehsemane * Walking the Via Dolorosa and the Palm Sunday Road * Hearing that the text of the Valley of Dry Bones passage (Ezekiel 37) was found at Masada * Being at En Gedi where David hid from Saul and may have written Psalm 57 * Praying at the Wailing Wall; and walking through the Western Wall tunnel, particularly at the section closest to the Holy of Holies in the original temple * Having communion at the Garden Tomb We saw so many more sites; and on top of that, got to hear great teaching and devotionals, listen to the amazing piano duet Nielson & Young, spend time in worship and singing, and meet so many amazing people in the family of God. What a blessing it was to be able to experience so much there. It’s the difference between being able to meet someone in person versus just reading or hearing about him/her or just seeing a picture. The half (HA CHET-ZI) has not been told….