MINISTERS MATTER

JERUSALEM & BETHLEHEM

Had a great day today in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

We started on Mt. Scopus overlooking the city and gazed for a long time at the walls around the old city of Jerusalem.

Simply breathtaking.

We had a group picture taken with the Dome of the Rock in the background then made our way by foot down the steep hill which is the Mount of Olives to the Church of All Nations or to Gethsemane.

The olive trees are simply amazing to see, especially those that are very old and have weathered the storms of life.

We had lunch then crossed the check-point into the Palestine Territories. We met up with our Palestinian guide and made our way to both the Church of the Nativity and the Shepherd's Field.

I spoke on John 1 and how Jesus of all men was unique and the only one to fully qualify to be our redeemer. We ended this portion of the day by shopping before heading out at 7 pm to the Davidson Center to view the Temple Mount display and then visited the Western Wall Tunnels.

The whole day was thrilling indeed. I do not take anything for granted. Have a look at the pics from today and be encouraged.

We will be coming to Israel again next November. Why not reserve your place now?

THE SHEPHERD'S FIELD

Bethlehem was the place where Jesus was born. It is known as the City of David and God promised through the prophet Micah that His Son would be born in this tiny town.

Today it is under Palestinian control. We had a wonderful time at the Church of the Nativity reflecting on His birth and His purpose in coming.

At the Shepherd's Field which is not far from the church we spoke about the unique place Jesus has among men in the world. He alone is the sinless, Son of God who came to be our sin sacrifice and substitute. Understanding that enables us then to grasp righteousness imputed to us, adoption into God's family, standing complete in Christ alone.

We worshipped the Lord and thanked God for the event not so much the place.

DEAD SEA FUN

When we arrived at the Dead Sea, it was clear that I was dealing with a bunch of adults that had long forgotten what it was like to just be kids again.

This show that adults know how to play when presented with the right situation. They had not lost that zeal to have fun outside. I am proud of each and every one who just became childlike for a few minutes and had a blast.

This is an actual photo, untouched and I assume no responsibility for the actions of those involved. This was their day in the mud bowl.

MASADA, EN GEDI AND THE DEAD SEA

We had a great time in the Judean desert by first visiting Masada, the fortress King Herod built to protect him from his enemies, both real and perceived. This is the area in Israel where John the Baptist ministered, Jesus was led into to be tempted and King David hid from Saul who was trying to kill him.

We finished the day in En Gedi looking at where David hid amongst the flowing fresh water and lush greenery and wandering Ibix.

The group finished up at the Dead Sea floating in the water and covering themselves with black mud. Have a look at the photos from today. It was a blast.

http://gallery.me.com/pastorbarry#100902

CANA, NAZARETH & BET SHE'AN

Today we had to leave the Galilee and we did so by driving first to Cana where Jesus performed His very first miracle. 

It is wonderful to see how these sites are cared for ensuring legacy for generations to come.

We toured the Nazareth Village and experienced an authentic village from Jesus' day. It makes the scriptures come alive in simplicity and effectiveness.

HILDA VISITS OUR TOUR GROUP

While having supper at the Jerusalem Gold hotel, Hilda walked in and surprised all of us.

It was wonderful to see her again and re-connect after yet another year of ministry in Israel. We invited her to speak to our group on what God was doing in and through her life.

It was an inspiring time as we heard her journey, what is taking place amongst the leaders in Israel and her steps for the future.

We ended with prayer for one another as I shared a short word on how we want the best for our children and don't want them to live below their potential. God's heart is the same for His children. He doesn't want us to live below our potential but to fulfill our destiny.

We had the opportunity to have a cup of tea together after and catch up.

It is a delight to see how well she is doing and how good the folks in Israel have been to her.

Well done Hilda!

Pastor B

THE GALILEE & GOLAN REGIONS

Of all the places in the Holyland that we visit, my favourite is the area around the Sea of Galilee. You might ask why and I would respond, "Because there is only one Sea."

At the sites you often have two places dedicated to whatever happened historically. This not only causes confusion but for some people, like me, a desire to go back north to the Sea of Galilee and just enjoy sitting on the shores affirming that everything that happened in the gospels actually took place here.

The Golan also proved to be a wonderful experience as we toured a former military bunker and saw what Israel needs to do to stay safe. 

THE GALILEE REGION

Today we enjoyed shopping for shoes , visiting the Tel Dan with it's original walls standing so stately, the region called Caesarea Philippi where Peter received the revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

He was right in the heart of pagan country so this made the revelation so meaningful.

We ended our time in the Golan Heights visiting a former Israeli military bunker. 

Enjoy!

ISRAEL TOUR BEGINS

I will let the pictures that follow in the next series of blogs do the talking as you follow our tour to the Holyland. Our group is made up of 38 people from all walks of life and cities in Canada. Together, we are one big happy family enjoying being together and touring the land as those who love all that happened here in biblical history.

ATHENS TO TEL AVIV

Soon we will be in Tel Aviv but first we must finish our time in Athens.

We had a great day in Athens, Greece. Birthplace of democracy, philosophy, the Olympics and the spread of the gospel from Mars Hill. Touching down was exciting even though the weather was overcast. We couldn’t wait to see the city and visit the place where the apostle Paul preached near the Acropolis.

As Paul made his way into the core of Athens thousands of years ago from the harbour, which was only seven kilometers from the Acropolis, he could see these imposing buildings honouring the achievements of the Athenians in war and the gods of Greece.

In Acts 17 you can read Paul’s message as he looked around at all the temples. His heart cry was heard by a few who repented and opened their hearts to God. Now I understand it even more as I looked up from Mars Hill and saw the temples to the gods of Greece all around. Not much has changed in 2000 years.

Our guide, Anathasia, was clear on Paul’s message and limited fruit in Athens but great success in Corinth. Sadly, Athens missed her day of visitation and chose philosophy over salvation.

We savoured the day driving along the seaside, through the inner city which was the old part of Athens and just enjoyed being part of such an ancient city with so much history. Canada is young compared to places like this.

Now the rest of the journey begins as we leave from Tel Aviv and travel up the coastline of Israel, across the Galilee Region, down the Jordan River valley and into the Dead Sea area where we will stay at a Kibbutz for the night before heading UP to Jerusalem.

Stay tuned for your part in the Virtual Holyland Tour.