Seek Jesus and our light will shine for all men.

Our day started off with another great devotional. Ray Hawkins shared with us from Matthew 6:33, Luke 2:10, Isaiah 9:6, and James 1:22. He challenged us to seek the sacred and when we do, we will seek Jesus and our light will shine for all men.

Our first stop was the Temple Institute where they teach the history of the Temple and the hope and plans of one day rebuilding the Temple on Mount Moriah. You can learn more here.

We were able to walk in the Jewish quarter of the city and visit the Hurva Synagogue. The Synagogue is over 300 years old. You can learn more here.

Afterwards, we went to the Western Cardo in the middle of the Jewish quarter. This area reminds you that there is a lot beneath our feet in Israel. There is so much to unearth here and Israel takes pride in respecting and knowing what is yet to be uncovered. You can learn more here.

We saw the Broad Wall which was built 2600 years ago. It is part of the wall surrounding Jerusalem’s Western Hill during the reign of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a young king and he cleansed the Temple after many years of corruption and God blessed him by defeating the great army of Assyria. (2 Chronicles 29-33).

We boarded the bus and passed the Valley of Hinnom which was Gehenna before stopping for lunch. After lunch we headed to the Shrine of the Book museum. There we were able to see an outdoor 50:1 scale model of ancient Jerusalem and the Second Temple. This model gives quite the visual for the city. At the Shrine of the Book Tito taught us about the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls. You can learn more here.

We had the privilege of touring the Knesset, Israel’s legislative body. Outside the Knesset there is a giant menorah. Tito explained how it is to symbolize the continuity and eternity of the Jewish People. As we were standing there, we saw a beautiful emerald colored parakeet. Later learned that ring-necked parakeets were inadvertently released some time ago and now live around Jerusalem.

Our last stop before dinner was Gordon’s Calvary and the Garden Tomb. The garden is run by a group out of the United Kingdom. Anthony, our guide gave us the fascinating history of the area. Some believe that this might be the actual site of the crucifixion. We had a communion service that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. It’s safe to say this was one of the most moving parts of the entire trip. Matthew 26 was read and Jim Showers spoke of how special it is to be in the city where Jesus was crucified and rose again. It is no coincidence that it happened during Passover. Many miss this connection. Passover was an important event in Jewish history, it still is. God brings the judgment and God brings deliverance. And on Passover, God gave them the deliverance of the Lamb of God. The Perfect One. Jim explained the Passover Haggadah, the order of the Passover service. It is during the Passover meal that Jesus starts to explain what is going to happen to Him. There are four cups in the Passover meal. The third cup is the cup of redemption. It is most likely this is the cup that Jesus spoke to them about. He told them the fourth cup is restoration. He would drink it with them someday but not at that moment.

Roxanne and Debbie lead in music. We sang Great is Thy Faithfulness and How Great Thou Art. While we were taking the elements another group was singing in the distance. A truly memorable moment.

We were able to travel to the Western Wall and bring in Shabbat. What a unique experience to see the singing and dancing and praying at the wall. It was something we will never forget! We had Shabbat dinner back at the hotel.
After dinner Jim gave an overview of our ministry at The Friends of Israel. If you would like to learn more about the ministry, here is a brief video of our history.

We then met Anat and Naomi Kalisher. Anat’s husband started Jerusalem Assembly after starting a bible study in 1991 with just 13 people. Today, the congregation has multiplied significantly. The Friends of Israel is proud to support this church in Israel!

Naomi Kalisher is the widow of Zvi Kalisher, a holocaust survivor that God radically transformed. If you would like to learn more about his incredible life, you can purchase his book, Zvi.