Hello everyone! It is late and I have been working to get these blogs up this evening for some time. I am going upload yesterday and today's blog without pictures. I will edit them and add some pictures, so look at them again...I do hope you enjoy.
Shalom from the land of Israel! After our group met in Philadelphia and just about an hour after those of us from Charleston landed, we began boarding our A330 Air Bus heading out over the Atlantic, for Israel some 5600 plus miles away.
I am happy to report that we have arrived safely but tired, very tired and happy, very happy!
Every time I make this journey I can hardly believe that I am actually in the land we call Holy because God called it Holy. Holy, as you well know, means “set aside” by God Himself for His chosen people, the descendents of Abraham through Isaac.
This tiny piece of land is just slightly smaller than our state of New Jersey. It is bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. It is a natural land bridge that links three major contents: Europe, Africa, and Asia. Here is a link to fairly good web site that gives some FYI for this wonderful land: http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Israel.html
We will spend our first night at Kibbutz Nahsholim on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Debbie and I, along a few others, watched as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon of this beautiful body of water. What a wonderful way to end a very long, but blessed day.
By the way, what two men from the Bible come to your mind as you think about how the Mediterranean Sea is connected to Scriptures?
Not far from here is the city of Caesarea Maritime. All Bible readers will know the significance of Caesarea I am sure. If you don’t, why not get your Bible and read chapter ten of the Book of Acts. One of the greatest messages ever preached to the Gentile world was preached by one of the greatest preachers that ever preached, preached. I’m glad it was!!!
Paul probably spent some time as a “prisoner of the Lord” at this beautifully situated spot. Many significant archaeological finds have been unearthed here over the past forty years. The spade of the archaeologist continues to prove the Scriptures that need no proof, just faith.Tomorrow we will begin our journey traveling north towards the Galilee. It is in the Galilee that our blessed Lord spent most of His time during His three and one half years of public ministry. The Galilee is the area where 80% of what He did and taught took place.
We will also stop at some of those special places we have read about in the Bible and the people who were involved in those special stories. Stories like those of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. A valley called Jezreel which is the place where the most famous battle yet to be fought will be fought, Armageddon.
We will be visiting other amazingly interesting Biblical sites that I will try and tell you about tomorrow.
Don’t forget to keep praying for us. Be sure that we will be praying for you. Debbie and I wish to thank all of you for the support you have given to your loved one in enabling them to make this life changing pilgrimage.
Well, I could say lots, but I will close for now, more to come in the days to come. I will never be able to say all that needs to be said or all the things I would like to say about the places we plan to visit, but I will try, to some degree, to express as best I can with print…a long way from home.
One more thing, please don’t look for too many grammatical and syntax mistakes in these blogs. I will not take too much time editing them. I do hope they will be readable enough to be enjoyable and informative to anyone taking the time to come by and read.You may respond to my blogs via my e-mail address:
tomanddeb@suddenlink.net or
Until…from a happy but tired pilgrim,
Shalom
:O)
Tom/Deb
Psalm 122
PS If all of our after dinner meetings are as sweet as this one tonight, then, well I just don’t know what to say.
