Israel Report

PRAY

We had the privilege of a week long tour of Israel. Today we will give you a flyover of our itinerary and some testimonies of the impact of this trip.

We will be planning another trip to go over in 2 years, so start saving your SHEKELS!

Our flight from Newark, NJ was about 10 hours over (going with the jet stream) and 12 hours back (against the jet stream).

Our team consisted of 15 people - 9 of us from Fellowship, along with 1 brother/2 sisters from Redland Baptist, 2 lades from my home church in Sarasota, and our sister Karen Calhoun.

The first day we landed at 4pm there and we met up with my best buddy from NC, Bill Coleman, and had a total 26 people. We headed to hotel for dinner and rest and we hit the ground running the next day.

First stop - Caesarea Maritima where we saw...

an ancient amphitheater, hippodrome (horse & chariot racing),

and remains of Herod the Great’s palace that extended out into the Mediterranean.

Caesarea is the place where Simon Peter traveled to share the good news of Jesus with Cornelius, a Gentile, and his who family surrendered to Jesus!

This palace is also the place where Paul shared the gospel with governing leaders while being imprisoned here (Acts 23:35).

Then we made our way to Mt Carmel,

where we saw the Jezreel Valley, where many battles have taken place. This is also the area where Yahweh showed His supremacy over the false prophets through Elijah when He challenged them to come up the mountain and ask their gods to ignite a sacrifice. They could not, so Yahweh lit up the sacrifice and the altar with fire that fell from heaven and caused it all to burn up - including the rocks (1 Kings 18).

It’s also the place where Elijah sent his servant to look toward the Mediterranean to see if any storm clouds were coming - 7 times he went to look and that last time there was a small cloud, and Elijah told the king that that 3.5 year drought was about to cease as Yahweh’s rain was now on the way.

Then we went down to have a devotion from my buddy Bill, as we did as several different sites, from Bill, another pastor, and myself.

We went to several other sites and then to Nazareth at a place called, Mt. Precipice.

Here’s a video about that.

Finally, we made our way to our new hotel on the Sea of Galilee in the city of Tiberias. - DAY 1

We awoke the next day to see the sun coming up on the Sea/Lake of Galilee.

We drove to 5 different places including Caesarea Phillipi and concluded back

at the Lake/Sea of Galilee for a boat trip during sunset.

I led a devotion talking about the many things Jesus did on that water - giving Simon Peter & 3 other disciples a HUGE miraculous catch of fish, later calling those men to be his disciples from there, calming the raging waters during a storm, and waling on the water there!

And we SANG to the KING on that water! And that’s one of the things that several of our folks thought was one of the most meaningful moments.

Rebecca & Carmen

The next morning we started off with a simple, yet incredible experience, in an out of the way place standing a hill looking down toward the Sea of Galilee as we read all 3 chapters from the Sermon on the Mount.

Ms. Linda said this was a deeply moving time for her and I want her to share about that.

We left that place encouraged and went to one of my favorite places - Capernaum - going into the rebuilt synagogue but on the same ground where Jesus taught, cast out a demon, and then

went over to Simon Peter’s house to heal his mother in law.

Then we went to Magdala, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, the place where Mary of Magdala was from. Here’s a video on the significance of that place.

VIDEO - Synagogue in Magdala

Then we had baptisms at the Jordan River, the same river Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

Carmen was baptized there as well as several others.

Marisa was deeply touched being baptized here as well, and although she couldn’t be here today, this is what she shared made a massive impact on her. Would you like to see that?

VIDEO - MARISA BAPTISM

We finished our day with a huge archaeological site the place where King Saul’s body was impaled on a wall, and later was a Roman city - Bet She’an. That was one of the sites that impacted Lil’ Jimmy Durst.

We then made our way to Bethlehem & then to Jerusalem which is only a couple of miles away.

We visited Gethsemane, the place where Jesus prayed and grieved on the night He was arrested and taken to be crucified.

Finally, we looked over the Temple Mount from the top of the Mount of Olives, a place where Jesus traveled many times from Bethany on the other side - where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived.

The next day we went south to Masada (Heb - Fortress).

The history of this place impacted us all, but again, especially Lil’ Jimmy, as you see the inclined ramp the Romans built 2000 years ago to invade this fortress.

Then we went to En Gedi -

The place where David hid from Saul in the caves.

And then on to Qumran - where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1948 - this is Cave #4 - where the Great Scroll of Isaiah was found.

We finished the day floating in the Dead Sea.

The next day we started with The Temple Mount - a 36 acre block that Herod the Great had expanded - the same area where the Temple used to sit and where Jesus taught many times.

The wall you see here has a foundation that many believe is the foundation of the wall that warned Gentiles not to pass any further closer to where the temple used to stand.

We went to the Western Wall, the retaining wall that stands closest to where the Temple used to be up above on the Temple Mount.

Then we went underground and saw a HUGE stone that is part of the Western Wall - 45.5 ft long by 11 ft high and somewhere 6-8ft deep, estimated to be 250-300 tons - here from the time of Herod the Great and during the ministry of Jesus.

We also went to the Southern Steps, where Jesus entered and likely taught many times. This is also a place many scholars think is likely the place that Peter preached during Pentecost, where 3000 people put faith in the resurrected Jesus and were baptized.

Any other impactful moments from our Team?

We had several other adventures that we don’t have time to discuss, BUT…we will finish with

Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Garden Tomb. The church building sits over the top of several 1st century tombs, one of which is traditionally the tomb that Jesus borrowed for 3 Jewish days.

We also, went to The Garden Tomb. While this certainly wasn’t the place Jesus was buried, it is a quieter and less visited place than the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. And it’s where our team sat to remember the price Jesus paid as we had Communion together - as we are about to do right now. [Team goes down]

But, I’ve got GOOD NEWS to report.

Jesus IS NOT in either tomb! Our King LIVES!!!!

The Lord isn’t any MORE PRESENT in Israel than He is here. Our Lord lives with His people. He is just a prayer away.

The Scriptures describe real places and real people. The Scriptures can be trusted.

Listen to 2 of the apostles:

2 Peter 1:16–18 CSB

For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!” We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.

1 John 1:1–4 CSB

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

PRAY (deacons come up) & Communion