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Israel Study Tour with Bridges for Peace, Central Life Church, Lighthouse Christian Church, Village Bible Church
June 18-29, 2017
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The scripture came alive!
Thank you for your continued prayers! We made it safely to Israel! YEAH!
Today was a packed day filled will teaching as we walked the land and saw some amazing sights. Ronen is our local tour guide and is a wealth of information. He is very likeable, throwing in humor throughout the day.
We began by leaving our hotel in Tel Aviv next to Jaffa (aka Joppa) known for Jonah and the fish, King Solomon and Peter in Acts. We headed up the coast to Caesarea and Pastor Randy gave a powerful teaching while we were sitting in a theater where the Apostle Paul proclaimed Christ while in chains (found in Acts 26). There were many other amazing sights in Caesarea. So much to take in and too much to share in a brief journal entry.
Caesarea Maritima
The city and harbor were built under Herod the Great during c. 22–10 BC near the site of a former Phoenician naval station known as Stratonos pyrgos (Στράτωνος πύργος).[2] It later became the provincial capital of Roman Judea, Roman Syria Palaestina and Byzantine Palaestina Prima provinces. The city was populated throughout the 1st to 6th centuries CE and became an important early center of Christianity during the Byzantine period, but was mostly abandoned following the Muslim conquest of 640. It was re-fortified by the Crusaders, and finally slighted by the Mamluks in 1265.
We also went Mt. Carmel and paused for a teaching by Pastor Andrew Gilmore while there. What a beautiful sight to see the valley below. Then off to a picnic lunch and to see Sepphoris. This was a wonderful teaching by Randy and Ronen while here.
Mt. Carmel
Biblically, Mt. Carmel is referenced most often as a symbol of beauty and fertility. To be given the “splendor of Carmel” was to be blessed indeed (Isa 35:2). Solomon praised his beloved: “your head crowns you like Mount Carmel” (Song 7:5). But for Carmel to wither was a sign of devastating judgment (Nahum 1:4).
Mt Arbel was our next stop. Some of the group was up for a hike while the others took the bus to the top of Mt Arbel. Before concluding our study tour for today, we were blessed to go to the Mount of the Beatitudes. This, of course, is where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. We gathered around on rocks as Pastor Ron Johnson read from Matthew chapters 5-7. With the Sea of Galilee as our backdrop, the scripture came alive picturing Jesus teaching his disciples here.
Mount Arbel
Mount Arbel (Hebrew: הר ארבל, Har Arbel) is a mountain in The Lower Galilee near Tiberias in Israel, with high cliffs, views of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, trails to a cave-fortress, and ruins of an ancient synagogue. Mt. Arbel sits across from Mount Nitai; their cliffs were created as a result of the Jordan Rift Valley and the geological faults that produced the valleys.
Now we are at our resting place for the night at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is incredible to finally be where Jesus did much of his ministry. A big day awaits us tomorrow as we explore the area around the Sea of Galilee. Again we thank you for your continued prayers.
Written by Pastor Bill Goodwin
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