Son Broadcasting Trip to Israel

When someone talks about a trip to Israel, you think about getting the opportunity to walk where Jesus walked. That is true for some of the location you can visit, in others, reality is more complicated. Jerusalme has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Most of the major walkways and gates are not the one Jesus used when He walked the earth. We saw a gate used in the time of Roman Emperor Hadrain today. It is actually below and to the right of the modern gate. Sion our guide said they found the complete ancient gate at this spot. Still, what we see today is no more than 500 years old. It was a real treat to walk today where I can say postively, Jesus walked here!
After the Six Day War in 1967, archeologists worked on the area south of the temple mount. There thye found a street intersection and stairs dating to the time of the second Temple period when Jeus was here. The stairs lead up to the Double gates, or Hulda gates on the south side of the mount. This was the main public access to the temple mount in Jesus’ time. I walked on the same stairs today that Jesus walked on 2,000 years ago. Of course, hundred or thousands of other people walked there too, but the connection to the past is exciting! We walked down the road beside the south west side of the mount. The blocks are broken and uneven because the Romans dropped heavfy blocks from high above when they destroyed the temple in 70AD.
From there we went to the Western Wall. By the way, it isn’t called the Wailing Wall anymore because it has been Liberated. It could help bu think of the passage that says “weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” The sadness of what was has been overshadowed by tthe joy of what is, freedom.

We alos toured the tunnels under the Temple MOunt. Thta is interesting and deserves attention of its own, but I really what to focus on the City of David which was our other stop today. I had always imagined Jeruslame under King David as the mighty city it is today. When David and his men conquered Jebus and made it David’s capital, it was a very small place. Archeologists have found inscriptions which match event in the life of Jeremiah here, as well as an inscritopn referencing Shalem, the city Melchezidek ruled in Abraham;s time. Most of the New Testament that we read took place on this small hill south of the Temple Mount. We saw the foudnations of David’ palace here, and learne dhow it was expaned later. Solomon expanded the city northward when he build the temple of Mount Moriah. There was no mount here then. Later Hezekiah added a new wall to the west to enclose new suburbs when the threat from the Assyrians rose around 710 BC. As I read the Old testament accounts now, I will think of different place to set the events in. It is so interesting to see how from such small beginnings, Jerusalem has become a city known in every part of the world. In many ways, it is the center of the world.
We also got to tour a site I have read about in more recent time. The pool of Siloam was debated for years until a sewer construction project uncovered the site. It was right where it should have been, and had all the detials Luke describes. Again archeology shows how true the Bible really is.
I”ll post some of my pictures either here or on the station’s facebook page when I get back, We leave in a few hours to return to the States. It will be sad to leave Israel. I will look forward to coming back soon. There’s still so much I want to see. So, where are you coming to Israel? Maybe I’ll just tag along!
Pray for a safe return trip for our group. Shalom from Jerusalem.

I’d call Saturday the Passion Tour because we started out on the MOunt of Olives and wound up at teh Garden Tomb. A interesting day of travels.
Before I start, let me ask you a trivia question. Who was responsible for building the second temple? I’ll give you a hint in a minute.
Today we started out on the Mount of Olvies gazing at the temple mount. We have a picture of this in our radio studio, but it’s better in person. We traveled down the mount to the garden of Gethsemane and across the Jehosaphat Valley and into the city through the dung gate. ( We drove through though). We saw the bullet marks on the Zion gate from 1948, and then walked down the Via Da La Rosa (the way of suffering) to the Church of the Holy Seplecure ( I think that is spelled wrong). Then we went to the other possible burial site, the Garden Tomb.
I saw an interesting contrast between the two possible sites for Christ’s burial and resurrection. The first , a church, had a lot of pomp and circumstance, and well as gold appointments, and fancy tile reliefs. The other was plain and simple, yet inviting to me. Here is the point to consider. Do my actions push tohers away form Jesus or draw them nearer? IN the church containing the possible location of the crucifixion and burial, at the point where the cross was supposed to have stood, a leader ( A coptic priest perhaps) was busy trying to straighten the carpet. He kept pushing people away from the altar where the cross had been. Even when people came up kneeling to pray, he ran them off. How sad! Is a perfect ceremony or carpet worth sedning someone away from the Lord for eternity?
At the garden tomb, which is near a franctic bus station, we met Frank, an Anglican who now worships in a Pentecostal church. Frank was gentle and kind. The way he explained why some believe the garden tomb is the sight of the crucifixion and burial was warm and inviting. In Frank, I saw the presence and gentleness of the Holy Spirit. Frank invited us to see for ourselves, take pictures, and reflect. He was friendly and informative. He had a presence about him that was truly the aroma of the Holy Spirit. Looking back, I don’t know which, if either, site is the actual location of Jesus’ crucifixion, but I know the reality of Jesus’ presence when I see it.
Do my actions push people away or draw them closer to Jesus? My prayer is Lord let my words and deeds today be used by you to invite people to see for themselves who You are.
For th answer to the Trviva question, try Ezra chapter 3 and 4. Send me a comment with who you think it is. Another hint: Herod remodeled the temple, so he is not the answer.

Time is one of the many things that limits us. Time , or lack thereof has really become a factor for our team here in Israel. Unless you plan on spending months in Israel you probably won’t be able to take in everything there is to see here. Maybe that’s why some people make the decision to live in Israel permanently.
With limits on your time, one palce you must see in Jerusalem is Yad Vashem- the Holocaust Museum. The building itselm is a prism of concrete and glass built right through a mountain. The tour takes you from the happy days of the 1930s, into the rising storm oof the Nazi Movement. From there you move into the dark tomb of the holocaust itself, through the well of remembrance, thinking about the lives lost during those tragic years and the human potential that was thrown away. Finalyy you emerge to see modern Jeruslam, and gain hope for the future.
I pray that we never allow something like the holocaust agian, and that people who are afraid to admit the truth of those days always strive to remember. During the tour, I reexamine my American point of view that World War 2 was about Americans, Germans, and \japanese. It was using the words of HIlter, a fight to save or exterminate the Jewish nation. (Hitler said so himself in January 1939.)
No wonder God intervened. He said the deeds done in darkness will be brought out into the full light of day. Thye must be shouted from the rooftops! Otherwise we go back to the same ideas over and over again.
I came away thinking it is a powerful statement to be sure we always continue to speak up and stand for what is right. We must stand up for the defenseless. There is not excuse for sitting and remaining silent.

Getting off the soapbox now. We also went to the Shrine of the Word and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls along with the scale model of Jerusalem as it was in 70AD. Seeing that map put a lot of things into perspective.
The most moving thing to me on Friday was the beginning of Sabbath. We saw families gathering, reciting and singing the ancient blessings. Sabbath is a family activity. The ambiance of Jerusalem made this holy night even more special. There was a reverence to the beginning of God’s Sabbath in this land that is hard to explain. Maybe it was only being in Jerusalem, but maybe there is more. I think it is more of an attitude of the heart. If we take the time to make holy the things God says are holy to Himself. God will honor that, and we will find a greater blessing. Perhaps we as Americans should treat our “Sabbath” with the respect this day receives in Jerusalem. Once again, it is not so much our actions, as it is our hearts. Where are they focused?
Shalom from the City of Peace!

Thursday was one of the longest days we will have here in Israel. We left Tiberias early in the morning and headed south. Our first stop was in Bet Shean. This is the site of a city mentioned with the death of Saul in the Old testament. The site also contains a fabulous Roman site. The complex there was huge. During Jesus time, this city existed, It was along the mian Jordan road to Jerusalem, but since it was a Gentile city, I could not find a mention of it in the accounts of Jesus’ travels. After Bet Shean, we visited two other famous sites in Israel, We went to Qumran, where the Essens had their community. This is where the dead sea scrolls were discovered in 1947. I learned a lot about the Essenes and thier beleifs too. The introduction to the site plays a video that suggests John the Baptsit might have visited the group, , but left before becoming a full member. Though, the idea is interesting, we will never know.
From Qumran, we went further south to Masada. I am thankful Israel put a tram in to reach the site. I saw several people walking up the snake path. Maybe next time, I’ll do that. Depends on what tiem of year I come.
Masada is a study fo contrasts. We see the megalomania of Herod the great , and then the bravery of the Jewish zealots who used this fortrtess as their last hold out against the Roman onsluaght in 73AD. These brave people choose to die free men rather than live as salves of the Romans. It was a hard choice for them I’m sure. My first thought was of the American Patriot Nathan Hale. He said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Freedom is the one of the greatest gifts God gives. Let’s work to preserve it.
OUr last stop was at the Dead Sea. We floated in the famous salty waters. It was an iteresting experience. I’m still not sure how to describe it. Then we traveled “up to Jerusalem.” More on that to come.
As I reflect on the day, I see how we live in aday of fulfilled prophecy. Ezekiel 36:24 says, ” For I will take you out of the mountians. I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.” The Lord speaks of how desolate land will be cultivated and how ruins will be rebuilt. We saw the beginnings of that fulfillment in 1948, and the Lord is still bringing His word into complete fulfillment.
On our drive we passed through a ot fo the land. As we drove, I was amazed as at God has blessed Israel today. The thing that strikes me most from this chapter is that the Lord revelas His purposes in restoring Israel. He says it is so they will know that I am the Lord. Pray for eyes to be opened. The Lord is at work in our day!

Wednesday was an exciting day on your trip in Israel. You never know what will happen in this land! Jesus walked on the waters of teh Sea of Galille. Today, I had the chance to dance on the Sea. Sort of. We began the day with an excursion on a wodden fishing boat that left from the area of Capernaum. While on the sea, our group prayed and reflected, thanking God for the opportunity to enjoy the views, and most of all to know we shared the same sapce and views our Lord had enjoyed years ago. The guides on the ship demonstrated the techniques of fishing as Peter adn the others would have doe it. We were about as successful as they were at times too. Although we were fishing in the daytime, which is exactly the best time of day to fish.
After that demonstration, our guides broke out the dejambe and put on a CD if some traditional Israel folk songs. They invited us to join them in traditional dancing as well. I am not much of a dancer, but gave it a try. It was fun, as well as a good morning workout.
Later in the morning we visited the Site of teh Sermon on the Mount, best known as Mount of Beattitudes. I’ve preached on the passages many times, but to see the site was overwhelming. The spring beauty of the Galille is spectacular. The green grass, and wild flowersz on the hills overlooking the Sea gave an impression I never had about what it must have been like to hear the Lord teach. A real combination of his creative beauty and powerful word together in one place. Whta a moment it must have been. I’ll never read those passage the same way again.
I learned a new hebrew word today. Haverim - Friends. We should be haverim of Israel. Thanks for being my haver. Most of all are you a
haver of Yeshua? He’s the one you should know.
Shalom from Israel for the time being.
Jim

Just to let you know, I’m still having problems uploading pictures. I’d planned to have some fun with these, but, I’ll either post them when I get back on this blog or on AM 730s facebook page or both. That’ll give us something to talk about then.
Updates from Wednesday and Thursday are still coming, so check back soon. Oh, and don’t forget to listen to the live reports on the radio with Birga and Steve in the mornings this week!
Shalom from the land where talking to God is always a local call!
Jim

It’s about time I brought you up to date on what has been hapeening here in Israel. Tuesday was another busy day. As I said on the radio, it’s like we are running where Jesus walked. Still, it’s a lot of fun. The highlights of Tuesday for me were the visait to nazareth and then along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, a visit to the “Jesus boat.”
When we picture Nazareth, it’s easy to think of a sleepy little backwater town. Maybe the village was like that in the first century, but no more. Nazareth is a bustling city with lots of traffic and activity covering the sides of several mountains these days. We had a chance to go visit the Church of the Annuniciation. This location is supposedly the spot where the nagel appeared to mary and told her she was to give birth to the Messiah. The building is relatively modern, but inside is a grotto, beneath the remains of a church builidng form the Byzantine era( 4 to 7th centuries) and a Crusader era church. When I went out the door I could see the ruins of other structures under a suspended concrete walkway. These were directly behind the wall, so certianly it appears to close to the right place. The surprise for me was to walk back into the modern church and look directly through, ot a window directly opposite me. I could not see the traffic, or the crowds. Instead, all I could see was the green grass and rocks on the next hill over. For a moment, it was like I could see what the first century village looked like. In my mind’s eye, it saw Nazareth the way it was when Mary and Jospeh lived there, and what it might have been like when Jesus grew up there. It was a truly unique moment that I’ll always remember.

A little later in the day, we traveled down to the Sea of Galilee to see the “Jesus Boat.” You may have seen this sotry or heard about it. In 1986, two brothers walking along the muddy bottom of the Sea of Galilee when the water was low found a couple of oddly shaped nails. They dug around a little more, and relaized they had a real find. Buried in the mud was a fishing boat dating from the time of Jesus. It took time to figure out how to remove the boat without damaging it, and then 14 years to preserve it properly. Today it sits in a climate controlled area. You can see a little presentation about fishing boats of the time and how this particularr boat was preserved. Though it is billed as the “jesus boat.” There is no evidence that jesus ever used it. Still the boat is an incredible link ot the past. Once again the evidence we find confirms that what thenBible says is true. I never doubted that anyway, but I love it when we find soemthing like this. It just makes the accounts ion the New Testament come alive again.

Shalom from Israel!! It’s been a bit since I posted something. To bring up up to date, the trip over was good. JFK is really something. Maybe I sound like a New Mexico native, but it was a whole other world. All the languages, and people!
Israel really overshadows all of that though. What an incredible palce. We’ve only begun to see it. Last night, we went to Yaffa, (Joppa). This is the city where Jonah tried to run from God by sailing to Tarshish. He was reluctant to send God’s message to the Gentiles in Nineveh. A thousand plus years later, Peter recieved the vision of the animals on the sheet here. That vision lead to him taking the gospel to the Gentiles. I’m here because of Peter’s obedience in this city, 2000 years ago. There is too much history in this city to get into here, but more to come.
Today’s agenda will take us to Caesarea, Megiddo, and Nazareth.
I can’t wait! Tonight, I hope to post a couple of pictures. I’ll get the one
from home up, and one of last night’s sunset too. O’ve got an bit of Israel trivia before I go for now. Israel has three seas, can you name them?
Also, a BIG thanks to everyone at El Al Airlines. Whta incredible service!
The American carriers could learn a lesson from these people. Service and hospitality are not out of date. Also a big thanks to the Dan Panorama hotel in Tel Aviv. After 24 hours traveling, their hospitality was much appreciated.
Lord willing, a couple of pictures to come later! Ready for the trivia answer? Israel has three seas, the Med, the Dead, and the Red.
More to come from Israel soon.
Jim

I’m glad you’re taking a look at this record of my trip to Israel. This will be a trip of firsts. I have never been to Israel before, so that’s an obvious first. I never written a blog before either. That’s another first. THis will also be my first trip overseas without taking my wife along. I’m normally such a homebody, that will be an interesting first.
I’m looking forward to visiting the land that I’ve studied so much about. It will be an experience to actually see places I’ve only seen pictures of to date.
As for my feelings, I’m nervous, but excited about going. I’ll keep you posted, sharing some of my thoughts, feelings and observations about the trip. I’d appreciate your prayers, and of course any comments you want to make.
I’ve included a picture of me as I get ready to go. I think you’ll understand why I hope to stay out of as many pictures as I can from this point on. Althought it might be interesting to show you how I look after arriving home. Tomorrow, it’s onward to New York (another first), and then to Israel!