May 18, 2007

• More from the Holy Land

  Well, I was baptized in the Jordan on May 18th around 3:30 in the afternoon. What a blessing, what a blessing! Before that baptism I prayed about what I needed God to cleanse me from and also asked Him to make me aware if there was anything else I needed to ask. He gave me Haggai Chapter 2 and it was a listing of all my goals for Israel and then some! And every now and then I am seeing more from Haggai in what is talked about and sung about.

  We drove DOWN into the mountains of Jerusalem last night. Can I tell you that it is such an incredible place, the mountains, the streams, the deserts, the oasis parts, the city, and all so beautiful. I really think God saved this place for His chosen people.

  We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, praising God in song, dancing and learning much about Jesus. Pastor Don pointed out that trust and obedience to God was the real miracle. Many joked about walking on the water, but it is trusting that God will give you the desires of your heart (meaning put them into your heart and also give you what is put there). Also there was an old style sailing boat that was discovered that seems to date back to the time of Jesus – they call it the Jesus boat and I got to get my picture taken with the person who was the main archeologist for that boat.

  We also went by the shore of the Sea of Galilee where they think Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection.

  I got covered in mud and floated in the Dead Sea, which is shrinking in size and worrying all those who are concerned about ecology.

  We also went to Masada, and walked around that place so filled with history. Then went to En Gedi, and stood under a waterfall.

  For me today my favorite place was Jericho. First we had to cross two borders – Israel and Jordan’s, and then Pastor Don convinced the gatekeeper to let us in even though it was closing time. What is so interesting is that the song about the walls coming tumbling down isn’t quite accurate. We looked and saw that the walls actually sank into the ground. Pastor Don thinks that there was blood and sacrifice that went into making those walls, God wanted to honor those who died for that, so He just buried the walls, sank them into the ground. But for me it is the place where Rahab was and Rahab and the scarlet thread really touches my heart, for God used the scarlet to redeem Rahab. In those days prostitutes painted their windows red – and the scarlet thread that runs through the Bible pointing an leading to Jesus starts in Genesis and is used to save Rahab who later becomes part of the genealogy of Jesus. Also the scarlet worm Tolaith is what was used to make red dye, and that worm crawls up onto a leaf to reproduce, covers the eggs with it’s body, three days after it dies it dries up and becomes a white ash, (Though your sins be as scarlet, they will become white as snow), and Psalm 22 when it is said that He is a worm it is (tolaith).

  We saw the caves were the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and later will go to a museum to take a look at them.

  God is blessing me so much with this trip. there is so much to share but it is late here and I have to get some sleep. We are packing in so many things into one day we practically move from early morning until about 8 at night. It is truly a pilgrimage.

  Not tomorrow, but the next day we will be at the Wailing Wall. I will pray for you there. What makes this trip all the more special is that Pastor Don teaches us so much. Tomorrow I get to talk about the fields of Boaz and the kinsman redeemer. I have to prepare that tonight for tomorrow.

  Please have a blessed night, and I can’t get to your sites here, but will certainly pay you a visit when I come back. Pray that God gives me much to share with you. I am still crying when I think that I am walking where Jesus walked, and seeing the sights He saw. When they talk about Jesus’ ministry and the fact that he walked to each place He ministered to I have to tell you that He was PHYSICALLY FIT!

  Have a blessed night,

  Heather

  • 4:44 pm
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