2/7 Caesarea by the Sea

Our last biblical stop for the day was Caesarea by the Sea, on the Mediterranean coast midway between Haifa and Tel Aviv. The city was built by Herod the Great and became the capital of the Roman government. The apostle Paul was on trial here, imprisoned and then sent to Rome. It is also the location of Cornelius the Righteous, the first gentile convert, opening the door of the gospel to non-Jews.

The top photo shows the remains of the huge arena, where chariot races and horse races took place 2000 years ago. The lower photo is of the Roman theater.

2/7 Megiddo

Megiddo (which means Armageddon)is the most famous battlefield of all time. The fortress was once a royal city of canaanites, the king of which was slain by Joshua (Joshua 12:21; 17:11). During Solomon's reign, Megiddo was an important defense post of his kingdom. Remains have been found here revealing that Solomon's stables were able to care for 450 horses and 150 chariots.

Revelation 16 speaks of the final battle where all nations will gather in the Valley of Armageddon for the final war. This is when God brings the curtain down on our enemy and there will be thre greatest victory of all time!!!

From Megiddo, you can view Mt. Tabor, where Christ's transfiguration occured as well as Mt. Gilboa, where King Saul met his fate (another shout out to my David bible study girls!)

2/7 Sea of Galilee

Today we were blessed to share a boat ride out over the Sea of Galilee, just like Christ did some 2000 years ago. It was very windy, which reminded us of the time that the disciples were afraid of the storm. The views were fantatic as we gazed on the areas where Jesus spent most of His three years in ministry.

Governor Huckabee preached a wonderful message and we took communion in the boat. It was deeply moving to share in the Holy Sacrament with such a wonderful group of friends, floating on the very waters that our Lord commanded to be still.....

2/7 Jordan River

Here, our wonderful new friend, Fred Kay, is baptized in the Jordan.





We moved on to the Jordan River, which winds down into boeth the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. This river has witnessed many miracles of God's powers. Three times in history its waters have been miraculously stopped (Joshua 1:2). John the Baptist ministered to the mulitudes here and he also baptized our Saviour in the Jordan as well.

2/6 Caesarea Phillipi

We started off the morning at the base of Mt. Hermon, at Caesarea Phillipi. This is probably the furthest north that Jesus traveled. It was originally named Panais because it was the center of the pagan worship of the Greek god Pan. It is significant to note that this was the place that Jesus asked His disciples "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (Matthew 16 and Mark 8).




This photo shows the indentation in the mountain that was known as the "Gates of Hell" which was where the pagans sacrificed animals and dumped them into the water springs within the mountain.

2/6 Caesarea Phillipi

Caesarea Phillipi is situated at the base of Mt. Hermon, NE of the Sea of Galilee. It was originally called Panais because it was the center of worship of the pagan fertility God Pan. These pagans sacrificed goats and other animals into the "Gates of Hell" which was the source of the water supply that eventually flows into the Sea of Galilee. Governor Huckabee spoke to us here about how we are to be the spiritual conquerors and not the spiritual defenders. We are the little rocks and He is the cornerstone. The church is not to "sit still" but the "advance" the gospel. He encouraged us to be warriors of the faith and to use our every available moment for the Kingdom of Christ.

2/5 2000 Year Old Boat

The picture of this boat is amazing....... In 1987, two lifelong residents of the Galilee area found what two very ancient nails in the mud of th4e bank of the sea of Galilee. Instantly, they knew that they had found something of great importance. After skillful archeological extraction, they discovered the remains of an old boat, which, after carbon dating, placed the boat in existence over 2000 years ago.....during the time of Christ!!!

2/5 Peter's House

We traveled to Capernaum along the NW shore of the sea of Galilee. It lies along the great trade route from Damascus to the Mediterranean coast and Egypt. Tolls were collected by the Roman government on this traffic route and it was along this trade route that Jesus called matthew levi to be his disciple.

This is called "Christ's own city" as most of his miracles were performed here than any other city. Jesus was thrown out of his hometown of Nazareth, so this trulybecame his home afterwards.

It is here that the woman with the blood disorder touched the hem of his garment and was healed....the daughter of the ruler was raised from the dead, the paralitic was healed, and many other miracles were performed.

This is also the location of Peter's house. We actaully saw the ruins of this dwelling. Christ stayed with Peter on many occasions. A church has been erected directly over the house of Peter. It is a Catholic Church and the significance of Peter, the stone on which the church was built, is obvious.

2/5 Tabga (Fish & Loaves)

Tabga is the location where Jesus asked the disciples of collect whatever food they could from the crowd of 5,000. They returned with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. Jesus blessed the fish and bread and then told the disciples to pass the food out to the crowd. This miracle turned the 2 fish and 5 loaves into enough to feed everyone and even have leftovers!!!

The picture above is in a church built over the site of the rock where Jesus blessed the fish and loaves. The alter table is actually directly over the rock, which you can see below the table. A beautiful mosaic floor surrounds the rock.

2/5 Mount of Beatitudes

Today we started at the Mount of Beatitudes and it was very special. This is where jesus spoke all those wonderful principles of the blessed life and the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus also borrowed Peter's boat and spoke to a multitude from this area as well.

Governor Huckabee spoke to the group and it was so inspiring.....He talked about how the meek (Blessed are the meek) doesn't mean weak or a wallflower. He says that meek (in Hebrew or Greek, I can't remember) means strength under control. Strength with out control is useless. Meekness is like putting a bridle on a horse and being able to come into your spiritual fulfillment. He also discussed the difference between "peaceful" and "peacemakers" which was profound to me as well. Peacemakers are in constant and ACTIVE pursuit of peace, just like our men and women in the service.....peaceful (or in favor of peace) doesn't equal "peacemaker!" Food for thought......

2/2 DEAD SEA

The Dead Sea is so salty that you float naturally!! Here our friend Sarah demonstrates how she reads the paper while floating in the dead Sea.....it was a really cold day and although the water wasn't THAT cold, we opted not to get in. It was hilarious though...everyone was slathering on the famous dead Sea mud all over their bodies (and it's such a dark green that it almost looks black!)

The mud has incredible healing properties for the skin and other ailments. I'm bringing some of the most famous Dead Sea products (AHAVA) back with me!!! :)

2/4 Qumran

From the Garden Tomb we traveled out of Jerusalem to Qumran, which is on the NW corner of the Dead Sea. This is the greatest archeological find of the 20th century. In 1947 a young goat herder was looking for one of his lost goats and was tossing stones into caves. He was startled to hear a crash. Upon investigating, he found a number of pottery jars containing rolled up scrolls of leather.

our guide told us that this was the ONLY place on the planet that could have kept those scrolls preserved.....The Dead Sea is the LOWEST place on earth. The area has about 10% more oxygen, gets less than 1 inch of rain annually and is extremely arid. An additional tidbit that I found fascinating is that the scrolls were purchased for Israel on the very same day that the country was granted "statehood" on May 14, 1948. The very foundation of the Jewish faith came to Israel the same day.....coincidence? I think NOT!

February 4, 2010

We started off the day at the Garden Tomb.....talk about an emotional visit. It is located a short distance from Golgotha, and is set amidst an ancient orchard. The tomb is hewn into the rock and is relatively small (5 feet high and 2'4" wide, so only a few people can be inside at one time. Rex and I were able to go in together, which was very special. The second picture is actually of the spot where they would have placed the body of Jesus, with a stone for the head and a small niche cut into the wall for the feet.

There is a sign on the door stating "HE IS NOT HERE: FOR HE IS RISEN!" Although our hearts were heavy contemplating the price He paid for our salvation, what joy to know that His sacrifice is our righteousness! This was the highlight of the tour for me....

BTW.....it HAILED while we were in the Garden Tomb and our tour guide (an Israeli citizen and also a Messianic Jew) said she can't remember the last time it hailed in Jerusalem!!! A small signal from God???? Perhaps! :) Everyone was laughing and screaming out loud with joy! What FUN!

Feb. 3rd

Today started off on a very somber note, as our first stop was Yad Vashem, Israel's holocaust museum. It sits on a hill above the city of Jerusalem and is absolutely amazing museum. Architecturally speaking, it was way cool! The entire museum is layed out around a triangular center hallway and you snake your way through the museum in and out of the center hall from one end og the building to the other.

The contents of the museum leave you speechless.....videos contantly running with survivors telling hundreds of stories about their families and their experiences. Six million Jews were murdered during the holocaust in completely inhumane ways. The museum does an excellent job of telling the story of the birth of anti-semitism and how Hitler and the Third Reich came to power and began persecuting and killing Jews all over Europe.

Governor Huckabee placed a wreath on the official grave containing the ashes of many of those killed during the holocaust. It was extremely moving to say the least. No photos as we weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the museum....sorry!

Next we went to the Shrine of the Book, which houses the world famous Dead Sea scrolls. A young Israeli soldier accidentally found them in a cave while searching for his lost sheep! I actually saw fragments of the chapters of Leviticus, Psalms and the Isaiah scrolls in specially treated display cases. There was also a giant outdoor sculpture depicting Jerusalem around the time of the second temple (70 AD) which was fascinating.

Finally today, we were allowed to visit the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, which is a very unusal privilege for a tour group. We listened to a speech by an M.K. (Member of Knesset) and a presentation on the Muslim threat in the Middle East. Both were excellent!

This was our last day in Jerusalem. Tomorrow we head to the garden tomb, the Qumran (caves where dead sea scrolls were found), Masada and the Dead Sea. We'll stay in Tiberias for the rest of our trip, stay tuned!!!

Ir David....photos

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Rex and I with our friends Liz and Cindy standing above the Gihon Spring where King Solomon was annointed!



Looking down into the shaft used by King David to capture the city.....

Looking into Hezekiah's tunnel

I learned SO MUCH today......biblical Old Testament references coming to life in ancient ruins. Many texts in Kings, Chronicles, Samuel, and Psalms were in front of my eyes today. What is being uncovered today in Ir David confirms what we read in the Old Testament!!! Christians and Jews have so much history to celebrate together. I have come to a profound understanding and respect for our Jewish friends in Israel.....and we all need to join them as they fight for their right to occupy and use the Temple Mount as the Holy of Holies. A spiritual warfare (literally of biblical porportions) continues in the Middle East and God will prevail, of that I am certain!

Special Treat!!! City of David!

Sign outside Ir David




Inside the Palace of David.....


This afternoon we were honored by an invitation from Prime Minister Netanyahu (hope I spelled it correctly)to a private tour of The City of David! Well, it really wasn't an invitation to Rex and I, it was for Former Congressman Bob McEwan and his wife Liz, but they graciously invited us to join them..... :)

Over 3000 years ago King David came to Jerusalem and captured the Jebusite city that lay on the slopes of Mount Moriyah, establishing it as "Ir David", the eternal capital of the Jewish People. Here's a shout out to the girls in my David bible study......I got to see the well/water source that David's soldiers risked their lives for in order to bring David some Jerusalem water!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?

Inside this archeological site, I was also priviledged to stand in the ruins of King David's Palace, view the aqueduct sited in 2 Samuel 5:8 which was used by David and his soldiers to capture Jerusalem, walk on a portion of the Herodian Road, view the Gihon Spring (believed to be the holiest spring inthe world), and walk through a portion of Hezekiah's tunnel! I also got to see the exact location where Solomon was annointed King at the ripe old age of 13! Wowza!

Feb, 2nd....post #4

This photo is of the actual road walked by Christ as he was led from the Garden of Gethsemane to the palace of Caiaphas.

Feb. 2nd.....post #3

This photo is from the house of Caiaphas, or his palace. He was the high priest at the time of Jesus' arrest and crucification. It was here that Christ was taken immediately after the soldiers took him from the Garden of Gethsemane. This was the chamber in which Christ was held his final night before his death. We stood as a group and read Psalms 88 together and then sang "How Great Thou Art".....it was very moving.

The place is also known as St. Peter in Gallicantu Church. Gallicantu means "cockcrow" and the church is consecrated to commemorate Peter's triple denail of Jesus and his remorse after he heard the cock crow.

Feb. 2nd.....post #2

This is Rex and I with Governor huckabee at the grave of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist, whose life was chronicled by stephen Spielberg in the movie schindler's List. This stop was not on the official schedule for our group, but was an add-on by the Governor because he felt so strongly about visiting it. Gov. Huckabee gave a moving statement at the site stipulating that Schindler, although not a professing believer, lived the final days of his life, saving the lives of Jews during the Holocaust despite all personal and financial risks, because it was the "right" thing to do.

February 2, 2010

I am speechless after my day, and for those of you who know me, that is extremely unusual! We started off heading back to the Old City today and entered through the Lion's Gate. There were several members of the Israeli Army right beside the gate. They are everywhere in this city and they all carry automatic weapons. It is a little intimidating but they are all so very nice and allow all the tourists to take their pictures, etc.


The second picture is of the Pools of Bethseda, on the grounds of the church of St. Anne's, which is actually owned by the French and run by the Order of the White Fathers. These pools lie below the surface of the present city streets. It was here that Jesus spent much of his final week on earth as a man, preaching and teaching to those coming to the pools for their holy cleansing. It was also where Christ healed the lame man by saying "take up your bed and walk."

The 3rd picture is a mosaic inside the Church of Flaggelation and Condemnation, the site of the trial of christ by Pontius Pilate. The church is within the Antonia Fortress, the first station of the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross), which is a mile long route through the Old City of Jerusalem, leading from the Christ's trial to Golgatha, the place of His crucifiction.

More pictures.....

The Garden of Gethsemane

Mount of Olives

We started off our day on the Mount of Olives, on the east side of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley. It was a truly inspiring view of the city, as it's about 2600 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. Jesus wept for the city of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, and a church, the Church of Dominus Flevit, now sits on the original site.

The picture above is the view from the Mount of Olives into the old city of Jerusalem. The great walls were built around 1500, although one corner of the wall is built on the ruins of the original wall built by King David. From our vantage point on the Mount, we could also see the site of the Last Supper as well as the site where Judas hung himself after betraying Christ.

From the top of the Mount of Olives, our group traveled down a very steep stone road which followed a similar route of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey on Palm Sunday. The most amazing thing with this trip is that it will allow me to see and read the scriptures in living color now, instead of just black and white.

We also stopped in the Garden of Gethsemane in the morning and meditated on the emotional agony suffered by our Savior before His crucifiction. During the Last Supper (also a Passover meal) Jesus skipped the second cup, which signifies God's Judgement. Christ knew He would be the ultimate sacrifice for mankind, and literally took up the cup of Judgement on the cross, so that we could have the fourth cup, God's cup of salvation. We sang some soulful old southern baptist hymns as a group and had a moment of prayer. It was incredible......

From the Mount we also saw the Eastern Gate (or Golden Gate) into the old city of Jerusalem. It is the only one of Jerusalem's 8 gates that is closed tight. It is the only gate that leads directly to the Temple Mount and is the gate Christ used to enter the city on Palm Sunday and the one heused to exit the city and pray in the Garden of gethsemane. It is also the gate that the Bible says the Messiah will use upon His return. The original gates are underground currently and the current sealed gate has been cemented shut. The Bible clearly states, quite literally, that the city will "lift up her gates" for the return of the Messiah........meaning that the orignial, buried gates, will rise from the ground. How cool is that?

For some reasons, my pictures aren't being uploaded and I apologize. I'll work on getting that fixed.....hope someone on the trip has some expertise in blogging. BTW, we are with Governor Mike Huckabee who I have decided is one of the most genuine and humble Christians I've had the pleasure of meeting.


We ventured into Old Jerusalem this afternoon via the Armenian Quarter. The Old City is divided into 4 quarters, Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim. We saw some sites where portions of the old original wall were visible as well as an array of underground thoroghfares. We went through ssecurity to enter the area of the Western Wall. This wall is all that remains of Herod's temple. To the Jews, this site is sacred. Many still come to pray and mourn the loss of Israel's former Glory. It is also known as the Wailing Wall, as so many come and pray aloud, that it can actaully sound like wailing. the Israelis captured this section of the Old City during the Six-day War of 1967. The Muslims control the holiest site, that of the actual Temple, which lies on the other side of the Western Wall.

Well, I'm completely whooped. We stayed out last night pretty late (having fun with David & Cindy Lane and Sarah Huckabee and her fiance, Brian) and went full throttle all day. They wanted to venture over the the American Colony Hotel tonight after dinner but I just couldn't muster the energy. I'm sure I'll regret the decision because they'll all have great stories to tell! We laughed until our sides hurt last night.....

Shalom my friends!