Monday, February 24, 2014
snow pics-2014
we've had a few rounds of good snow this year - best since 2010.
we got around 6 inches in January and a whopping 18-20 inches in one round in Feb.
the 6 inch batch made for great sledding, but the 18-20 inches was too deep to sled.
snow angel vid:
other pics:
we got around 6 inches in January and a whopping 18-20 inches in one round in Feb.
the 6 inch batch made for great sledding, but the 18-20 inches was too deep to sled.
snow angel vid:
other pics:
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Israel Trip - October 2013
In October 2013, Trey & I had a 2 week trip to Israel with our church that was all-around incredible. It was our first big group tour (~140 ppl), but things ran very smoothly. At most of the sites, we all gathered in a private or semi-private spot and the pastor talked about the biblical, historical, and archeological significance of the sites, which is really what made the trip so enriching. Then we broke up into 3 groups and saw the site with tour guides.
Many of the sites were recorded in history thanks to Queen Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. She had churches built at many of the sites where Jesus’ ministry or miracles took place.
Our first 3 nights were in a town called Tiberius, in northern Israel, right on the Sea of Galilee The Sea of Galilee actually is a lake, which provides all the fresh water in Israel via intricate underground pipe system, for personal consumption and irrigation. Solar panels heat all the water in homes in Israel. The northern part of Israel is very mountainous, with rich soil having fruit and vegetable crops growing everywhere you look. It is truly a blessed region compared to the countries at its’ borders. The weather was very pleasant – temperatures were in the 60s-70s, but the air was very, very dry.
Much of Jesus ministry took place near the Sea of Galilee so we had many sites to see.
Mensa Christi
This is one of the sermons we did not record, unfortunately. So, we’ll put a few more notes here vs. the other sites.
The story is from John 21 – when Jesus appeared to his disciples at the Sea of Galilee:
Peter was feeling worthless after denying he knew Christ 3 times, despite his previous bragging to Christ (with all the disciples looking on) that even if all the others denied, he never would. Well, as recorded in the Bible, Peter denied Jesus 3 times the night he was crucified. After the resurrection, Jesus came looking for Peter at Mensa Christi. When he walked up, he told Peter to cast his net on the other side of the boat, and they caught 153 fish after having caught nothing all day.
The key take-away at this site was that even if we give up on ourselves, Christ does not give up on us, but rather, still seeks us out.
Just as God came looking for Adam in the Garden of Eden after Adam sinned, was embarrassed, and tried to hide from God, Jesus came looking for Peter. God/Jesus's love is unconditional - He loves even after we fail and let Him down; He doesn't love because we perform right, God love is unconditional. This is how His love differs from that of the Jewish Rabbis and others in our world.
Going back to Peter, when Jesus confronted Peter after he failed, Jesus said “Feed My Sheep" He also asked Peter if he loved him three times (changing the tense and meaning between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd time he asked Peter)
Link to Mensa Christi Photos
Ceasarea
We visited Ceasarea, with huge archeological findings confirming the existence of Pontius Pilate (who ordered Jesus to be crucified on the cross). A little history on Ceasarea:
Also, Ceasarea is the place were Paul was imprisoned (Act 26 v19) and spoke openly to King Agrippa the 2nd, proclaiming the good news of "Jesus Christ". King Agrippa said "Paul, you almost had me believing" - the point of Lon’s story was that people can have all the facts laid out for them and still not believe because it is a "heart issue". When we have shared the story of salvation thru Christ and the facts supporting it and people still do not believe, we need to get on our knees and pray to the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts.
Only 31 days of Jesus’ 36 month ministry are recorded in the Bible. Jesus was not a secret to just a few people and what he was doing or who he was proclaiming to be was no mystery. Everyone knew and there were more things that Jesus did in those 36 months than just the ones we focus on. The Bible says the miracles were too numerous to record.
Link to Ceasarea Photos
Capernaum
Capernaum had a synagogue that Jesus actually taught in!
The site is in Luke 7:
There was a contingent (or garrison) of the Roman army in Capernaum. The garrison was commanded by the Roman Centurion. The Centurion were the backbone of the Roman empire and essential to the Romans keeping power. They were tough as nails.
In Luke 7, Jesus was "amazed" in a good way by the Centurion's belief. (This tense of Amazed is the only story this tense was used in the Bible. Jesus was usually amazed in a bad way--i.e., "amazed" at their unbelief"). Jesus was amazed in a good way by the Centurion’s understanding of Jesus’ power and authority over all things.
Take-away from this sermon was that we need to have a "Big View of Jesus" and relate to Him in the same way the Centurion did. We need to hang on the power of God and his authority over ALL things. Too often we limit God and therefore He can't use us or work the miracles in our life that He wants to. He's got the whole world in His hands and controls every facet of this universe - let's trust Him to do great things in our life for His honor and glory. Do not limit God and what he can do in our life.
Link to Capernaum Photos
Jordan River Baptisms
We went to the Jordan River and were baptized by our Pastor, Lon. We were both baptized in the Catholic Church as babies, but being baptized as adults was our way of proclaiming that we are fully devoted followers of Christ. It was incredible to be in the same river where John the Baptist did his work and where he had baptized Jesus. The water was cool and very clean. For the baptism, we were fully submerged.
Photo Link - Jordan River
Megiddo
We went to Megiddo, which is on the southern tip of the Valley of Armageddon, where the end time battles will take place. Megiddo was a very important city, that was the strategic cross-road connecting Europe to Turkey and Egypt and the sea. So, whoever controlled Megiddo controlled the flows on the road, so city upon city was built on top of each other. The archeology was that the city was rebuilt on top of itself after being destroyed, a total of 7 times.
We spent time talking about the end times, as prophesied in the Bible. I was writing furiously and did not video this, unfortunately. But here is what I captured :
The antichrist will appear and give the Jewish people permission to build the third temple on the Temple Mount. Then the Rapture will occur, taking all believers of Christ straight to Heaven. Then there will be a 7-year period of Tribulation, God will appoint 144,000 Jews to witness to people and they will be saved. Then the antichrist will turn on the Jews and kill them. The Lord will return and defeat Satan and the antichrist and chain them up for 1000 years.
That 1000 years is known as the Millennial period, where Jesus will actually live on earth. There will be complete peace, where the lions and lambs play together. All will be perfect. After the 1000 years, Satan will be released and raise up an army of (former) believers to fight Jesus. These are former believers, who lived in a perfect world. So, the question is why would they suddenly turn against God? The theory is that the millennial period is God’s way of proving that the problem has always been the heart of man and has nothing to do with the circumstances around us. Often times, we blame our problems and our actions on circumstances in our life…but these people will live in an absolute perfect world, yet still revolt against God. The only explanation for that is that the root of the problem is the heart of man. Jeremiah 17 says “the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”. So, the take-away was for each of us to be aware of our true personal motive for doing things.
Link to Megiddo Photos
Unfortunately I did not record the sermon…
Mt. Carmel
We went to Mt. Carmel, the location of the story in 1 Kings where Eijah had a showdown with Ahab and Ahab’s god Baal. Elijah prayed “Answer me, oh Lord, so that these people will know you are the true God”. The takeaway from the message was to have a higher prayer motive. Elijah’s motive was the highest level of motive – to display power so people will know you are the true God. Our pastor challenged us to make our prayer motives higher, for the Glory of God. He asked us to think about what we pray for today and the motive of those prayers, and to see if there is a way to shift the motive of those same prayers to God’s glory.
Link to Mt. Carmel Sermon
Link to Mt Carmel Photos
Kursi
We went to Kursi, which is where “Legion” lived. You may recall the story in Mark 5, of Jesus casting the demons out of a man and into a herd of pigs, which then ran over the mountain and drowned into the sea. We were at Kursi and saw the very mountain where the pigs went into the Sea of Galilee. We also saw trees at Kursi that are the same kind of trees believed to have made Jesus’s crown of thorns.
The sermon focused on the reaction of the people in Kursi after the man had been healed of his demons. They immediately went to Jesus and asked him to leave. Why would they do that? Why would they not embrace him and welcome him to stay and heal others? The reason is that their earnings revolved around pigs. When Jesus sent the demons into the pigs and the pics drowned, the people lost a lot of money. They asked Jesus to leave because they cared more about money than about people.
Link to Kursi Photos
Mount of Beatitudes
We went to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave his “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5…blessed are the poor in spirit…”). The site is just beautiful! The interesting thing we gleaned from the landscape is that Jesus stood at the bottom of the mountain and the people sat up the side of the mountain. So, when he spoke, the wind carried his voice up the mountain side to the people. So, you could consider the Sermon on the Mount to be the “Sermon from the plain up to the people of the Mount”
The message was about having a firm foundation in Christ, and the key take-away was to be Doers of the Word (Bible), not just Hearers. We looked at Matthew 7: 24-27. Did you know that the wise man vs. the foolish man verse is not about believers versus not believers? It is comparing the wise man to a doer of the word, and the foolish man to be just a hearer of the word (with no resulting action/change).
The message was very memorable because at the end, we sang “The wise man built his house upon the rock” song!
Link to Mt Beatitudes Photos
Jesus Boat/Sailing on the Sea of Galilee
We went to a museum to see a boat that was dated over 2000 years ago to the time of Christ. They do not know who’s boat it was, but do know the carbon date. It was discovered when the Sea of Galilee was very low, but as soon as it was exposed to air, it started to fall apart. So, they opted to use wax to preserve it, which took over 1 year to complete.
After seeing the boat, we boarded our own modern day boats and went to the middle of the Sea of Galilee. It was beautiful. We stopped the boats in the middle, and Lon painted the scene from Matthew 14:22-33, when Jesus walked on water. When Jesus was walking on the water, Peter said “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”. Jesus did, and Peter started walking on water. But, then Peter became afraid, looked around at what he was doing and the conditions that surrounded him, started to doubt, and therefore started to sink. The key point to the sermon was that when we fix our eyes on Christ, we can get through any situation, but we sink when we take our eyes off Christ.
Unfortunately the video does not have Lon in it, but we were on a separate boat from him, docked next to him, so I did not have a good angle. But you can hear clearly!
Link to the video
Link to Sea of Galilee Photos
Jerusalem/Mount of Olives/Temple Mount
Then we went to Jerusalem for 3 nights, which was such a dynamic city. On one hand, you have ultra-Orthodox Jews, with very distinguishable attire, tall black hats and specific hair for the men (shaved head with a single very long curl in front of each ear.) Many of the sites in Jerusalem are controlled by Islam believers, so you had the contrast of Muslim people with Jewish people, as well as Christian tourists and locals.
Link to all Photos from Temple Mount, Mount of Olives & Jerusalem
Mount of Olives
We had a fascinating 1 hour orientation of Jerusalem sitting on the “Mount of Olives” which overlooks the Old City. Lon gave the historical overview of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount area. There were too many interesting things to name them all, but a few to note: we could see the Palm Sunday Road, where Jesus rode into the city on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy that he was the Savior.
Prophecy also said the Savior would enter the Old City through the Golden Gates, and just to ensure it did not happen, King Sulemon sealed the Golden Gate off and built a cemetery in front of the gate! Lon also pointed out a corner on the Temple Mount, where the Bible says Satan tempted Jesus. The Mount of Olives is where you can see all the gates to the old city of Jerusalem. The famous mosque with the gold roof, called “dome on the rock’ is built there and there is another mosque that has even more important ties to Islam, Al Aqsa mosque.
The downside to the Mount of Olives orientation video is that it was raining and terribly windy, so the wind noise is extreme and the video is very shaky. But, if anyone knows how to strip out the wind noise, I would really appreciate the help! The video is split into 2 parts so be sure to check out both of them.
Video of Mt Olives Orientation – Part 1
Video of Mt Olives Orientation – Part 2
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount is important for Jewish, Islam and Christian religions. For the Muslim’s, it is the site of two important mosques: The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. They believe this is where Muhammad ascended into Heaven. The Temple Mount is controlled by the Muslims, and Christians are only allowed to enter the first few hours of the morning. We arrived at 7am and stood in line until 8:30 am. There were armed guards, so everyone understood not to make any trouble.
For the Jews, it is the place where God chose His Divine Presence to rest (in the Wailing Wall, AKA Western Wall). People write prayers and shove them into cracks in the Western Wall, and each week, the Jewish leaders collect all of them and bury them.
The Temple Mount is where tradition says Abraham set up the altar and bound up his son Isaac to sacrifice for God, before an angel stopped him. (Genesis 22). It was a test from God.
The Temple Mount is where the first temple, Solomon’s Temple, was built (but destroyed in 586 BC), and then rebuilt in 70 years later. The temple was destroyed in 70AD by the Romans, so only the two mosques are there. But there is a big space where a Third Temple will be built, signifying the start of end times.
It’s the site where the “Holy of Holies” stood, where the Bible says that the High Priest communicated directly with God. (you may recall Matt 27 or Luke 23, stating that when Jesus died on the cross, the thick ‘red curtain’ was torn in two – that’s the Holy of Holies site.) It is near the spot with 4 arches in my photos.
I have four short orientation videos that I captured from Lon as we walked around the Temple Mount:
Temple Mount Orientation 1
Temple Mount Orientation 2
Temple Mount Orientation 3 – inside the Golden Gate
Temple Mount Orientation 4 – Holy of Holies & Third Temple
Dead Sea Scrolls
We spent the day at the Israeli Museum, and actually got to see the first Dead Sea Scroll to ever be discovered in 1947, the book of Isaiah, which dated to 100 BC.
It’s a great sermon about the authenticity of the Bible. Check it out. We were not allowed to take photos of the scrolls b/c of flash damage.
Take away: The Dead Sea Scrolls are significant to prove the authenticity of the Bible. People will often say the Bible we read today has been changed vs. the original Bible. Before discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, we could only date the oldest copy of the Old Testament to 900 AD. With Dead Sea Scrolls, the scriptures are dated back before time of Christ. The Isaiah Scroll is identical to the book of Isaiah in the Bible today. This and other Dead Sea Scrolls discovered that date to before Christ prove the authenticity of the Bible. Since they were before Christ, there is no way that the Old Testament was changed to retrofit into the life of Christ to fulfill prophecy. On the converse, Jesus could not have read the Old Testament and then decided to live His life to fulfill all the prophecies (such as Ceasar Augustus ordering the census which forced Mary & Joseph to go to Nazareth which is where she gave birth)
Video of Dead Sea Scrolls Sermon
Photos from Israeli Museum
Praetorium
In Jerusalem, we went 20 ft under the present day city to the Praetorium (Matt 17:27, Mark 15:16), where Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate. It is the beginning of the Via Delorosa, where Jesus started to carry the cross.
Video of Talk - Praetorium
Photo Link - Praetorium
Garden of Gethsemane
We were in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed in agony the night of the Last Supper for God to ‘take this cup (i.e. the cross) from me, but not my will but yours be done’, and we talked about what it means to let God be in complete control of our lives. The pastor used a quote that has really stuck to my mind: “Lordship means saying “the answer is yes, God…now what was the question?” Huge Olive trees dating over 2000 years ago were still alive in the garden. This site was very moving for me.
Video Link - Garden of Gethsemane
Photos from Garden of Gethsemane
Hulda Gate – Gospel Presentation
We ended our day in the Old City by sitting on the stairs at the Hulda Gate. Lon shared the Gospel in a very powerful way. Check out the link to the video
Mary’s Church of Annunciation
We saw the well which was believed to be where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her she was going to be pregnant. We talked about how much Mary trusted God and how important it was that Jesus’s birth be a virgin birth so that the prophecy of a sinless man who will take away the sins of man could be filled. The message at this site was ‘don’t limit God.’ He wants to do so much for us in our lives, but often times we limit him to only what our minds can comprehend. The challenge given to us was to think of how we are limiting God in our lives.
Video Link - Mary's Church
Photo Link - Mary’s Church
Pools of Bethesda
We went to the Pools of Bethesda, which were a huge archeological discovery. This is straight from the gospels as the location where Jesus healed a man who had been crippled for 38 years and tells him to take his mat and walk. It was quite an extensive site, with several different levels of pools.
The sermon is not long, but is two parts because Lon had to take a break to let some people walk by.
Link to Pools of Bethesda Video (1 of 2)
Link to Pools of Bethseda Video (2 of 2)
Photo Link - Pools of Bethseda
Garden Tomb
We went to the Garden Tomb which was believed to be the place where Jesus was buried. We got to walk inside the tomb. It is located right next to Golgotha, which is the mountain with an image of a skull.
Link to Garden Tomb 1
Link to Garden Tomb2 – reading of the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, with beautiful singing in background...was very moving to listen to this after the trip…
Photo Link - Garden Tomb
Masada & the Dead Sea
Then we headed south to Masada and the Dead Sea. This is the lowest sea level on earth, and the mineral content of the water is such that nothing can live, and humans can only float. It was so bizarre and so cool at the same time. Our skin felt SO smooth and soft after getting out of the water, so there really is something to be said about using dead sea minerals in skin care!
Link to Masada & Dead Sea Photos
Eilat
We went to the city of Eilat, the southern tip of Israel that borders Egypt & Jordan, which is right on the Red Sea. The Red sea is so gorgeous, with countless shades of blue beyond imagination. The water is so clear (and cold!)…we were up to our shoulders and could still see our toes. There are no waves on the red sea and the beaches are rocky/shelly.
In Eilat, we went to a coral reef conservation site, and were able to get in the water. There were huge, beautifully colored fish swimming all around our legs!!
Link to Eilat Photos
Jordan / Petra
We then drove to the Jordan border (5 minutes from Eilat), crossed over via foot, and had a 2 hour drive to Petra. The drive was treacherous through winding mountains in the desert. Every now and then we’d see some wild camels, and the tents of Bedouins, which are a nomadic group of people that set up tents in the desert for a short period of time, then move to the next place in the desert. I managed to get some pics of the Bedouin camps.
Driving in Jordan
Petra, one of the 7 Wonders of the World, was a full day of walking to the spot where the famous treasury building, amphitheater, and other caves were carved by the people.
Link to Petra Photos
End of Trip
After Petra, we had 2 days to relax and enjoy the area, so we saw some ocean life in the red sea and hung out. It was a nice way to wind down the trip given how busy it had been the prior 9 days!!
Through the trip, we saw so many sites and experienced so many things that it was hard to appreciate them while we were there. But, looking back, and reflecting on the sites and messages, it’s like the gift that keeps giving. It’s so amazing to read stories in the Bible and picture the site in my mind. It makes the Bible really come to life.
Other Photos
Tabgha (multiplication of fish & loaves)
Driving – crops, fertile land, Tiberias
Bet She’an – an ancient Roman city that was destroyed by earthquake, but never re-built. Shows Roman baths, amphitheater, etc.
Many of the sites were recorded in history thanks to Queen Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. She had churches built at many of the sites where Jesus’ ministry or miracles took place.
Our first 3 nights were in a town called Tiberius, in northern Israel, right on the Sea of Galilee The Sea of Galilee actually is a lake, which provides all the fresh water in Israel via intricate underground pipe system, for personal consumption and irrigation. Solar panels heat all the water in homes in Israel. The northern part of Israel is very mountainous, with rich soil having fruit and vegetable crops growing everywhere you look. It is truly a blessed region compared to the countries at its’ borders. The weather was very pleasant – temperatures were in the 60s-70s, but the air was very, very dry.
Much of Jesus ministry took place near the Sea of Galilee so we had many sites to see.
Mensa Christi
This is one of the sermons we did not record, unfortunately. So, we’ll put a few more notes here vs. the other sites.
The story is from John 21 – when Jesus appeared to his disciples at the Sea of Galilee:
Peter was feeling worthless after denying he knew Christ 3 times, despite his previous bragging to Christ (with all the disciples looking on) that even if all the others denied, he never would. Well, as recorded in the Bible, Peter denied Jesus 3 times the night he was crucified. After the resurrection, Jesus came looking for Peter at Mensa Christi. When he walked up, he told Peter to cast his net on the other side of the boat, and they caught 153 fish after having caught nothing all day.
The key take-away at this site was that even if we give up on ourselves, Christ does not give up on us, but rather, still seeks us out.
Just as God came looking for Adam in the Garden of Eden after Adam sinned, was embarrassed, and tried to hide from God, Jesus came looking for Peter. God/Jesus's love is unconditional - He loves even after we fail and let Him down; He doesn't love because we perform right, God love is unconditional. This is how His love differs from that of the Jewish Rabbis and others in our world.
- The Gospel of the Jewish Rabbis was ‘you perform right and we'll love you’
- The Gospel of Jesus is not based on our human performance, but rather the saving blood of Christ – No matter how we perform, he still loves us!
Going back to Peter, when Jesus confronted Peter after he failed, Jesus said “Feed My Sheep" He also asked Peter if he loved him three times (changing the tense and meaning between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd time he asked Peter)
- Agape - 1st time - self-sacrificing love
- Agape - 2nd time - self-sacrificing love
- Philo - 3rd time - brotherly love; love of liking (less impactful than agape love)
Link to Mensa Christi Photos
Ceasarea
We visited Ceasarea, with huge archeological findings confirming the existence of Pontius Pilate (who ordered Jesus to be crucified on the cross). A little history on Ceasarea:
- Believed to be created in 44 BC
- Caesarea was named in honor of Caesar Augustus, the father of Julius Caesar.
- There were probably between 1 to 2 thousand people living there at the time of Christ
- Muslims' took over the city in 600 AD
- 1099 - Crusaders took control and ran the Muslims out
- 1187 - Caesarea was abandoned
- In 1964, it was rediscovered when someone flew overhead and saw a concave in the sand (which was the middle of an amphitheater). As of now only 10% of the city has been excavated
Also, Ceasarea is the place were Paul was imprisoned (Act 26 v19) and spoke openly to King Agrippa the 2nd, proclaiming the good news of "Jesus Christ". King Agrippa said "Paul, you almost had me believing" - the point of Lon’s story was that people can have all the facts laid out for them and still not believe because it is a "heart issue". When we have shared the story of salvation thru Christ and the facts supporting it and people still do not believe, we need to get on our knees and pray to the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts.
Only 31 days of Jesus’ 36 month ministry are recorded in the Bible. Jesus was not a secret to just a few people and what he was doing or who he was proclaiming to be was no mystery. Everyone knew and there were more things that Jesus did in those 36 months than just the ones we focus on. The Bible says the miracles were too numerous to record.
Link to Ceasarea Photos
Capernaum
Capernaum had a synagogue that Jesus actually taught in!
The site is in Luke 7:
There was a contingent (or garrison) of the Roman army in Capernaum. The garrison was commanded by the Roman Centurion. The Centurion were the backbone of the Roman empire and essential to the Romans keeping power. They were tough as nails.
In Luke 7, Jesus was "amazed" in a good way by the Centurion's belief. (This tense of Amazed is the only story this tense was used in the Bible. Jesus was usually amazed in a bad way--i.e., "amazed" at their unbelief"). Jesus was amazed in a good way by the Centurion’s understanding of Jesus’ power and authority over all things.
Take-away from this sermon was that we need to have a "Big View of Jesus" and relate to Him in the same way the Centurion did. We need to hang on the power of God and his authority over ALL things. Too often we limit God and therefore He can't use us or work the miracles in our life that He wants to. He's got the whole world in His hands and controls every facet of this universe - let's trust Him to do great things in our life for His honor and glory. Do not limit God and what he can do in our life.
Link to Capernaum Photos
Jordan River Baptisms
We went to the Jordan River and were baptized by our Pastor, Lon. We were both baptized in the Catholic Church as babies, but being baptized as adults was our way of proclaiming that we are fully devoted followers of Christ. It was incredible to be in the same river where John the Baptist did his work and where he had baptized Jesus. The water was cool and very clean. For the baptism, we were fully submerged.
Photo Link - Jordan River
Megiddo
We went to Megiddo, which is on the southern tip of the Valley of Armageddon, where the end time battles will take place. Megiddo was a very important city, that was the strategic cross-road connecting Europe to Turkey and Egypt and the sea. So, whoever controlled Megiddo controlled the flows on the road, so city upon city was built on top of each other. The archeology was that the city was rebuilt on top of itself after being destroyed, a total of 7 times.
We spent time talking about the end times, as prophesied in the Bible. I was writing furiously and did not video this, unfortunately. But here is what I captured :
The antichrist will appear and give the Jewish people permission to build the third temple on the Temple Mount. Then the Rapture will occur, taking all believers of Christ straight to Heaven. Then there will be a 7-year period of Tribulation, God will appoint 144,000 Jews to witness to people and they will be saved. Then the antichrist will turn on the Jews and kill them. The Lord will return and defeat Satan and the antichrist and chain them up for 1000 years.
That 1000 years is known as the Millennial period, where Jesus will actually live on earth. There will be complete peace, where the lions and lambs play together. All will be perfect. After the 1000 years, Satan will be released and raise up an army of (former) believers to fight Jesus. These are former believers, who lived in a perfect world. So, the question is why would they suddenly turn against God? The theory is that the millennial period is God’s way of proving that the problem has always been the heart of man and has nothing to do with the circumstances around us. Often times, we blame our problems and our actions on circumstances in our life…but these people will live in an absolute perfect world, yet still revolt against God. The only explanation for that is that the root of the problem is the heart of man. Jeremiah 17 says “the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”. So, the take-away was for each of us to be aware of our true personal motive for doing things.
Link to Megiddo Photos
Unfortunately I did not record the sermon…
Mt. Carmel
We went to Mt. Carmel, the location of the story in 1 Kings where Eijah had a showdown with Ahab and Ahab’s god Baal. Elijah prayed “Answer me, oh Lord, so that these people will know you are the true God”. The takeaway from the message was to have a higher prayer motive. Elijah’s motive was the highest level of motive – to display power so people will know you are the true God. Our pastor challenged us to make our prayer motives higher, for the Glory of God. He asked us to think about what we pray for today and the motive of those prayers, and to see if there is a way to shift the motive of those same prayers to God’s glory.
Link to Mt. Carmel Sermon
Link to Mt Carmel Photos
Kursi
We went to Kursi, which is where “Legion” lived. You may recall the story in Mark 5, of Jesus casting the demons out of a man and into a herd of pigs, which then ran over the mountain and drowned into the sea. We were at Kursi and saw the very mountain where the pigs went into the Sea of Galilee. We also saw trees at Kursi that are the same kind of trees believed to have made Jesus’s crown of thorns.
The sermon focused on the reaction of the people in Kursi after the man had been healed of his demons. They immediately went to Jesus and asked him to leave. Why would they do that? Why would they not embrace him and welcome him to stay and heal others? The reason is that their earnings revolved around pigs. When Jesus sent the demons into the pigs and the pics drowned, the people lost a lot of money. They asked Jesus to leave because they cared more about money than about people.
Link to Kursi Photos
Mount of Beatitudes
We went to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave his “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5…blessed are the poor in spirit…”). The site is just beautiful! The interesting thing we gleaned from the landscape is that Jesus stood at the bottom of the mountain and the people sat up the side of the mountain. So, when he spoke, the wind carried his voice up the mountain side to the people. So, you could consider the Sermon on the Mount to be the “Sermon from the plain up to the people of the Mount”
The message was about having a firm foundation in Christ, and the key take-away was to be Doers of the Word (Bible), not just Hearers. We looked at Matthew 7: 24-27. Did you know that the wise man vs. the foolish man verse is not about believers versus not believers? It is comparing the wise man to a doer of the word, and the foolish man to be just a hearer of the word (with no resulting action/change).
The message was very memorable because at the end, we sang “The wise man built his house upon the rock” song!
Link to Mt Beatitudes Photos
Jesus Boat/Sailing on the Sea of Galilee
We went to a museum to see a boat that was dated over 2000 years ago to the time of Christ. They do not know who’s boat it was, but do know the carbon date. It was discovered when the Sea of Galilee was very low, but as soon as it was exposed to air, it started to fall apart. So, they opted to use wax to preserve it, which took over 1 year to complete.
After seeing the boat, we boarded our own modern day boats and went to the middle of the Sea of Galilee. It was beautiful. We stopped the boats in the middle, and Lon painted the scene from Matthew 14:22-33, when Jesus walked on water. When Jesus was walking on the water, Peter said “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”. Jesus did, and Peter started walking on water. But, then Peter became afraid, looked around at what he was doing and the conditions that surrounded him, started to doubt, and therefore started to sink. The key point to the sermon was that when we fix our eyes on Christ, we can get through any situation, but we sink when we take our eyes off Christ.
Unfortunately the video does not have Lon in it, but we were on a separate boat from him, docked next to him, so I did not have a good angle. But you can hear clearly!
Link to the video
Link to Sea of Galilee Photos
Jerusalem/Mount of Olives/Temple Mount
Then we went to Jerusalem for 3 nights, which was such a dynamic city. On one hand, you have ultra-Orthodox Jews, with very distinguishable attire, tall black hats and specific hair for the men (shaved head with a single very long curl in front of each ear.) Many of the sites in Jerusalem are controlled by Islam believers, so you had the contrast of Muslim people with Jewish people, as well as Christian tourists and locals.
Link to all Photos from Temple Mount, Mount of Olives & Jerusalem
Mount of Olives
We had a fascinating 1 hour orientation of Jerusalem sitting on the “Mount of Olives” which overlooks the Old City. Lon gave the historical overview of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount area. There were too many interesting things to name them all, but a few to note: we could see the Palm Sunday Road, where Jesus rode into the city on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy that he was the Savior.
Prophecy also said the Savior would enter the Old City through the Golden Gates, and just to ensure it did not happen, King Sulemon sealed the Golden Gate off and built a cemetery in front of the gate! Lon also pointed out a corner on the Temple Mount, where the Bible says Satan tempted Jesus. The Mount of Olives is where you can see all the gates to the old city of Jerusalem. The famous mosque with the gold roof, called “dome on the rock’ is built there and there is another mosque that has even more important ties to Islam, Al Aqsa mosque.
The downside to the Mount of Olives orientation video is that it was raining and terribly windy, so the wind noise is extreme and the video is very shaky. But, if anyone knows how to strip out the wind noise, I would really appreciate the help! The video is split into 2 parts so be sure to check out both of them.
Video of Mt Olives Orientation – Part 1
Video of Mt Olives Orientation – Part 2
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount is important for Jewish, Islam and Christian religions. For the Muslim’s, it is the site of two important mosques: The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. They believe this is where Muhammad ascended into Heaven. The Temple Mount is controlled by the Muslims, and Christians are only allowed to enter the first few hours of the morning. We arrived at 7am and stood in line until 8:30 am. There were armed guards, so everyone understood not to make any trouble.
For the Jews, it is the place where God chose His Divine Presence to rest (in the Wailing Wall, AKA Western Wall). People write prayers and shove them into cracks in the Western Wall, and each week, the Jewish leaders collect all of them and bury them.
The Temple Mount is where tradition says Abraham set up the altar and bound up his son Isaac to sacrifice for God, before an angel stopped him. (Genesis 22). It was a test from God.
The Temple Mount is where the first temple, Solomon’s Temple, was built (but destroyed in 586 BC), and then rebuilt in 70 years later. The temple was destroyed in 70AD by the Romans, so only the two mosques are there. But there is a big space where a Third Temple will be built, signifying the start of end times.
It’s the site where the “Holy of Holies” stood, where the Bible says that the High Priest communicated directly with God. (you may recall Matt 27 or Luke 23, stating that when Jesus died on the cross, the thick ‘red curtain’ was torn in two – that’s the Holy of Holies site.) It is near the spot with 4 arches in my photos.
I have four short orientation videos that I captured from Lon as we walked around the Temple Mount:
Temple Mount Orientation 1
Temple Mount Orientation 2
Temple Mount Orientation 3 – inside the Golden Gate
Temple Mount Orientation 4 – Holy of Holies & Third Temple
Dead Sea Scrolls
We spent the day at the Israeli Museum, and actually got to see the first Dead Sea Scroll to ever be discovered in 1947, the book of Isaiah, which dated to 100 BC.
It’s a great sermon about the authenticity of the Bible. Check it out. We were not allowed to take photos of the scrolls b/c of flash damage.
Take away: The Dead Sea Scrolls are significant to prove the authenticity of the Bible. People will often say the Bible we read today has been changed vs. the original Bible. Before discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, we could only date the oldest copy of the Old Testament to 900 AD. With Dead Sea Scrolls, the scriptures are dated back before time of Christ. The Isaiah Scroll is identical to the book of Isaiah in the Bible today. This and other Dead Sea Scrolls discovered that date to before Christ prove the authenticity of the Bible. Since they were before Christ, there is no way that the Old Testament was changed to retrofit into the life of Christ to fulfill prophecy. On the converse, Jesus could not have read the Old Testament and then decided to live His life to fulfill all the prophecies (such as Ceasar Augustus ordering the census which forced Mary & Joseph to go to Nazareth which is where she gave birth)
Video of Dead Sea Scrolls Sermon
Photos from Israeli Museum
Praetorium
In Jerusalem, we went 20 ft under the present day city to the Praetorium (Matt 17:27, Mark 15:16), where Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate. It is the beginning of the Via Delorosa, where Jesus started to carry the cross.
Video of Talk - Praetorium
Photo Link - Praetorium
Garden of Gethsemane
We were in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed in agony the night of the Last Supper for God to ‘take this cup (i.e. the cross) from me, but not my will but yours be done’, and we talked about what it means to let God be in complete control of our lives. The pastor used a quote that has really stuck to my mind: “Lordship means saying “the answer is yes, God…now what was the question?” Huge Olive trees dating over 2000 years ago were still alive in the garden. This site was very moving for me.
Video Link - Garden of Gethsemane
Photos from Garden of Gethsemane
Hulda Gate – Gospel Presentation
We ended our day in the Old City by sitting on the stairs at the Hulda Gate. Lon shared the Gospel in a very powerful way. Check out the link to the video
Mary’s Church of Annunciation
We saw the well which was believed to be where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her she was going to be pregnant. We talked about how much Mary trusted God and how important it was that Jesus’s birth be a virgin birth so that the prophecy of a sinless man who will take away the sins of man could be filled. The message at this site was ‘don’t limit God.’ He wants to do so much for us in our lives, but often times we limit him to only what our minds can comprehend. The challenge given to us was to think of how we are limiting God in our lives.
Video Link - Mary's Church
Photo Link - Mary’s Church
Pools of Bethesda
We went to the Pools of Bethesda, which were a huge archeological discovery. This is straight from the gospels as the location where Jesus healed a man who had been crippled for 38 years and tells him to take his mat and walk. It was quite an extensive site, with several different levels of pools.
The sermon is not long, but is two parts because Lon had to take a break to let some people walk by.
Link to Pools of Bethesda Video (1 of 2)
Link to Pools of Bethseda Video (2 of 2)
Photo Link - Pools of Bethseda
Garden Tomb
We went to the Garden Tomb which was believed to be the place where Jesus was buried. We got to walk inside the tomb. It is located right next to Golgotha, which is the mountain with an image of a skull.
Link to Garden Tomb 1
Link to Garden Tomb2 – reading of the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, with beautiful singing in background...was very moving to listen to this after the trip…
Photo Link - Garden Tomb
Masada & the Dead Sea
Then we headed south to Masada and the Dead Sea. This is the lowest sea level on earth, and the mineral content of the water is such that nothing can live, and humans can only float. It was so bizarre and so cool at the same time. Our skin felt SO smooth and soft after getting out of the water, so there really is something to be said about using dead sea minerals in skin care!
Link to Masada & Dead Sea Photos
Eilat
We went to the city of Eilat, the southern tip of Israel that borders Egypt & Jordan, which is right on the Red Sea. The Red sea is so gorgeous, with countless shades of blue beyond imagination. The water is so clear (and cold!)…we were up to our shoulders and could still see our toes. There are no waves on the red sea and the beaches are rocky/shelly.
In Eilat, we went to a coral reef conservation site, and were able to get in the water. There were huge, beautifully colored fish swimming all around our legs!!
Link to Eilat Photos
Jordan / Petra
We then drove to the Jordan border (5 minutes from Eilat), crossed over via foot, and had a 2 hour drive to Petra. The drive was treacherous through winding mountains in the desert. Every now and then we’d see some wild camels, and the tents of Bedouins, which are a nomadic group of people that set up tents in the desert for a short period of time, then move to the next place in the desert. I managed to get some pics of the Bedouin camps.
Driving in Jordan
Petra, one of the 7 Wonders of the World, was a full day of walking to the spot where the famous treasury building, amphitheater, and other caves were carved by the people.
Link to Petra Photos
End of Trip
After Petra, we had 2 days to relax and enjoy the area, so we saw some ocean life in the red sea and hung out. It was a nice way to wind down the trip given how busy it had been the prior 9 days!!
Through the trip, we saw so many sites and experienced so many things that it was hard to appreciate them while we were there. But, looking back, and reflecting on the sites and messages, it’s like the gift that keeps giving. It’s so amazing to read stories in the Bible and picture the site in my mind. It makes the Bible really come to life.
Other Photos
Tabgha (multiplication of fish & loaves)
Driving – crops, fertile land, Tiberias
Bet She’an – an ancient Roman city that was destroyed by earthquake, but never re-built. Shows Roman baths, amphitheater, etc.
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