Isn’t it good to be remembered? To be known and noticed, to know that somebody really cares? Whether its that cute boy at school who finally talks to you, your friend remembering your birthday, or someone helping you out when you’re having a bad day. It was great to be on this trip as Assistant Director and wear this badge around and have people think I was somebody special. The others on the tour thought I must know something, and the shopkeepers saw my badge and gave me special treatment, even freebies! But I soon realized that none of that matters as much as knowing that Heavenly Father knows me and that Jesus, my older brother really died for me.
In Psalms it says “He telleth the number of the stars, he calleth them all by their names” and I had it confirmed to me on this trip to the Holy Land that he knows each of us and can call us by name I know that everyone is touched by the spirit in different ways but I know two things that throughout my life have helped me to feel His love for me. One is through music and the other is the out of doors--nature. .
I want to play you part of a song that the Concert Choir sang just a week before my trip to the Holy Land. It is called “A River in Judea”.
There is a River in Judea that I heard of long ago
It’s a singing, ringing River that my soul cries out to know.
When I’m weary and downhearted how I long for the song it sings
And the calm within its gentle blue, the peace that it brings.
These words brought me to tears and I realized I was a little weary and downhearted and I was searching for that calm and that peace that the song talked about.
THE JORDAN RIVER -- What is significant? First of all it is the lowest body of fresh water on the planet. Do you think maybe that is why Jesus chose that river for John the Baptist to baptize him. He was teaching us that he came from the humble depths and rose to the greatest heights possible. How would it have been to be there when he came up out of the water and the spirit of God descended like a dove on him and the voice from heaven said”This is my belived Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And remember the Children of Israel, Moses was no longer around and Joshua was leading them. Remember the parting of the Red Sea? Moses was no longer with them but now Joshua was their leader and this was the end of their wandering and searching for the promised land--and God parted the flooding Jordan River and they walked across on dry ground.
SEA OF GALILEE -- The Sea of Miracles, This area is where Jesus spend musc of his time teaching, on and off the water. And many of the the miracles took place in and around the sea: He walked on the water, calmed the sea, Feeding the 5,000, casting out the evil spirits into the swine.
MT OF BEATITUDES, Sermon on the mount.
DEAD SEA -- The bus crossed a small ditch we learned that it was waste and was on its way to the dead sea, but not to worry, nothing can live in this dead sea. Taste. AHAVA , medicinal and theraputic.
JERUSALEM -- First glimpse, we stayed in a hotel on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city. I hadn’t realized the great significance of this city for not only Christians but two other religions. Of course the Jews and also the Moslems call this their Holy City. Shops in old city, the bathroom wasn’t often the most pleasant experience.
LAZARUS TOMB -- Lazarus was Jesus’ good friend. When he died and Jesus didn’t come right away, Martha was doubly upset. This was the spot outside the tomb 4 days later that Jesus said to Martha “I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live and whoso liveth and believeth in me shall never die. And then he went inside and raised Lazareth. Jesus waited four days because Jewish tradition was that for three days the spirit stayed with the body. Jesus was teaching them that he had power over death and eternal life.
GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE -- Gethsemane means oil press. In an olive press olives are pressed under the weight of great stone wheels to squeeze the precious oil from the olives. So Christ was litereally pressed under the weight of the sins of the world, until he sweat blood, his lifes oil.
ORSON HYDE MEMORIAL
GOLGOTHA OR CALVARY - Means the Skull.
GARDEN TOMB -- This is the same hill on which Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac.
BETHLEHEM -- GROTTO OF THE NATIVITY -- Not stable but cave or grotto.
SHEPHERDS FIELD -- Where I really wanted to experience my peace. I wanted to find an olive tree (an olive branch being the symbol of peace since Noah) me alone and contemplate what happened that night and its significance to me. I had been at places here that were very peaceful, but I wanted to really feel His peace. At home I had read an article that said “You can’t find Christ in the Holy Land unless you take Him with you.” And I hoped I had.