Israel Pastors Trip Blogs

Today we entered the Old City…  but first we stopped at the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (the Cock Crow Church).  The church is build on the foundation of the house of Caiaphas.  In the lowest level it the prison where they would keep prisoners awaiting trial.  It is likely Jesus was held there.  George Powel led our devotionin this special place.

Then we went to the Upper Room where Dr. Larry Macon taught us from the scriptures… When you hear something, and you see something, and you feel something, you ought to say something! – based on Acts 2.

Then we began our journey back in time…

We entered the old city through the Zion Gate, still riddled with bullet holes from the War of Independence in 1948.  Then we walk through the Jewish Quarter that has been restored since the 1967 war.

Down a few steps and we are in the Byzantine Era Cardo (main street).  This section, a portion of which is lined with modern shops, goes back to the 4th century.

After a few informative stops, and a brief lunch break, we continue to make our way back in time and visited the Western Wall, the Southern Temple Steps and the Davidson Center.  These steps are authentic and from the time of Christ.  Jesus and his disciples walked these very steps.

From there we exit the Old City through the Dung Gate – cross the street and go back another 1000 years to the City of David, an active excavation site.  We walk through the Canaanite tunnels and end at the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus cured the bliend man.

Instead of climbing back up the hill, we were fortunately met by the bus that drove us to Bethlehem.  We had to cross the border into the Palestinian Authority. Because our bus was owned by an Arab Israeli bus company the bus could go through but our Israeli guide could not.  We picked up a new Palestinian guide – Aybee.

In Bethlehem we went to Manger Square and visited the Church of the Nativity. This church is very old – from Crusader times.  The altar is ornately decorated inside this ancient church.

Soon, we left Bethlehem and drove to the hotel.  There, we changed before attending “The Night Spectacular” light and sound show at David’s Citadel… followed by dinner at the Olive and Fish Restaurant.

What a day!

That’s what they claimed – “Come to Israel and you’ll never be the same!” Facing the last day of this journey, I’d say they’re good to their word. The experiences I’ve had in the Holy Land will forever mark my life and my walk with the Savior I love and who, most importantly, loved me enough to die in my place. The beauty of this land is unserpassed, as I’ve already mentioned in early reports. The hospitality of the Jewish people, the food upon food upon food, the favor of the Lord obviously resting upon this place and the new adventures (think tunnels, narrow mountain passes, caves, rivers, seas and historical discoveries all around) available each new day have all been marvelous. However, the BEST has been the LORD Himself Who meets you here with gentle whispers, encouragement and conviction as you seek Him. Rich and memorable moments: being baptized in the Jordan, the underground jail where He was held awaiting trial, the Garden where He surrendered His will to the Father’s and the temple steps where He assended as the God-man so that I could assend into the Father’s presence! Tonight I fellowshiped with 19 other couples along with our Israeli guide and our Israeli Arab bus driver around a giant table, feasting and laughing and all I could think about was heaven and getting to do that over and over again all because He came for me and opened the way. He is the Way. Tired of reading yet? Just get ready because I won’t be able to stop talking about all of this for years! You’ll just have to come here for yourself and find out that when you come to Israel, you’ll never be the same!

Tomorrow will bring this amazing journey to a close, but the experiences shared here will last a lifetime. Top 4 moments today: 1- the cave tombs where Jesus was scourged and held until trial 2- going through Zion Gate into the old City of David 3- visiting the Western Wall, formerly known as the Wailing Wall and 4- the southern wall and entrance where I stepped literally on the stones where Jesus walked as He entered the Temple. In addition, we were privileged to cross the Palestinian border and visit Bethlehem and witness the manger where Christ was laid. On top of all of these mind-blowing experiences has been the sweet fellowship enjoyed by our group as we’ve prayed, cried, shared and laughed together.

The pace is fast . . . the food is excellent . . . the group is fun . . . the devotionals are insightful . . . the sites are mind-boggling  . . . the experience is life changing.

Every Christ follower should come to this place . . . the land of the Bible . . . the land of Jesus . . . every Pastor should come . . . it will change the way you look at the God’s Word . . . it will broaden your perspective for teaching . . . and it will give you a deeper hunger for the Bible and a fresh desire to study it again