Sunday, November 27, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A Rebuke to the American Church
Israel is not yet saved, but they hold a standard that we used to enjoy in my childhood. When we were there I did not have the same sense of oppression that I feel here in the area that I live. Everywhere we looked ladies were dressed modestly. We did not see one child screaming out in rebellion against their parent.
There wasn't one immoral shop or video store. There were no immoral bill boards, nor were there wicked magazines glaring at us in the grocery store. We did not see piercings and tattoos at all, let alone in mass on one person as we see here.
There was a sense of peace and calm and quietness among the people and in the streets. The celebrations were men dancing to the Lord, raising song to Him and upholding the Torah. There was a sense of peace because we were not confronted daily and openly with blatant wickedness as we are here. Of course there would be evil among an unsaved people, but there was a cultural standard that was adhered to because of the Old Testament that made for a freedom from public displays of evil.
When we returned I felt the oppression return, the Lord confirmed my suspicion that I was sensing evil personified in our area of the world where there are no standards and where the church has lost it's first love. The church has become proud of itself, they gleefully plan their meaningless events for their cloistered gatherings, that for the most part glorify themselves rather than God.
They are not broken over their worldliness, but happy for their own accomplishments. They are as the churches in Revelation that God describes as "you hate what I hate and love what I love, but you have forgotten your first love."
Israel has yet to find the Lord Jesus Christ, but as in the days of old, when an unsaved king would honor the God of the Jews, the king would be blessed. Israel has been blessed with a quiet, peaceful culture of freedom from blatant immorality because of their dedication to Yah and His Law in the Torah. One day they will find Christ and be our brothers and sisters, for now we should be embarrassed that we do not speak out clearly and boldly about the wickedness around us. We are suppose to know the Savior, and we do not act like we do. American's lamp stand is being removed and we as believers don't recognize it, we are sleeping peacefully on our beds of cowardice and conformity to our culture. The house of God in America needs to repent from it's complacency and self righteousness.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Day three of our trip proved to be a great blessing in more ways than just touring. I was feeling well enough to continue the tour with Rodger, I was thankful that the Lord allowed me to only miss one day.
Our first event for the day after breakfast was a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee . We boarded a little boat that held all 43 members of our tour. It was a gloriously beautiful day on the water. The boat was a covered boat with open sides. We could sit and visit with one another as we rode along, a slight breeze cooled us. It was a warm day but not miserable as it probably would have been had we visited Israel
We were quietly enjoying the breeze and visiting with friends when the captain of the boat began attaching the flags of the United States and Canada US
After the American anthem, the Anthem of Canada was played, we joined in that because there were those on our tour from that country. Canada
It was an emotional experience to see the kind Israeli skipper, raise our flags to us, and to hear our own anthems. After the anthems were sung, flags raised and everyone was seated again, we floated on the water a little more until we arrived in the middle of the Sea of Galilee where Jim Showers, from Friends of Israel, led us in songs and we worshiped the Lord. Bill Sutter, also from Friends of Israel, shared the account of Christ walking on the water. The Bible accounts become so much more real when we were in the places where they happened.
From the boat we could see Tiberias and the Jesus Boat Museum Sea of Galilee for fishing and transportation across the lake. Boats were mentioned 50 times in the Bible, and this one was very likely the same kind that Christ and His disciples used.
This particular ancient boat was found in 1986 along the northern shore of Galilee
Our next stop was the town of Capernaum Israel United States
At Capharnaum or Capernaum Capharnaum
Our next stop was the Jordan river . We were all offered a chance to be baptized in the Jordan river , there were several who did this, but Grandpa and I decided that it would not have much meaning for us since we had already been baptized, but we watched as the others were being dunked. On the building all around the Jordan river are large plaques on which the passage Mark 1:9-11 were written. Each plaque had the same verse but were written in a different languages.
English looks like this:
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan
Hawaiian Pidgen looks like this:
Dat time, Jesus come from Nazaret town, Galilee side, an John wen baptize him inside da Jordan River . Right den Jesus wen come up outa da water. An you know wat? Jesus wen see da sky broke open, an wen spock God’s Spirit coming down on top him, jalike one dove. An wow! Had one voice from da sky wen say, “You my boy! I really get love an aloha fo you, an I stay good inside cuz a you!” Mark 1:9-11
Unfortunately there is a sign in the gardens of the Jordan River that is in commemoration of Glenn Beck’s visit there…..too bad!
I decided not to do a spell check on this post, it would take to long due to the Pidgeon Hawaiian. If anyone sees misspellings, please just suck-it-up and try to enjoy the stories and ignore the spelling.
I will continue this day 3 on the next post, it is really too much for just one.
Rodger and Gwendolyn on the Sea of Galilee with Tiberias in the background.
At the Jesus Boat Museum North of Tiberias.
Capharnaum: The Synogogue built over the one that Christ taught in.
Peter's house in Capharnaum is located under this Catholic church.
Synagogue at Capharnaum
Peter's house at Capharnaum
On the Sea of Galilee
The Synogogue at Capharnaum
Rodger at the Capharnaum Synogogue
The Baptisms at the Jordan River
A Bible Verse at the Jordan River in Pidgin Hawaiian
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Israel Trip Part 3 Day 2 of our Tour in Israel “Up To Jerusalem”
This was the day that I did not go with Rodger. I stayed back in the Kabbutz because of my intense intestinal problem. I slept all day; occasionally coming out of the apartment to sit on the patio to watch the Sea of Galilee, across the water I could see Tiberius. In ancient times Tiberius was the largest Jewish City in Galilee and the hub of political and commercial activity of the Jews of Palestine.
This region has been known for many earthquakes dating back to before the time of Christ. It has been devastated by earthquakes in the 1800’s and a major flood in the early 1900’s. The area has been restored and rebuilt over the years and stands as a picturesque city on the shores of Galilee today.
Rodger left early in the morning to travel to Gomah, where he saw endangered vultures being raised by the Israelis to bring them back. In Gomah he saw an ancient oil press from the Byzantine period that was used to crush olives. These presses seemed to be many places in Israel. Gomah is also where “Masada of the North” was lactated. Masada of the North refers to the area around Gomah that the Romans destroyed in 67 AD and where tradition records that the Jews who were resisting the Romans jumped off the hill in Gomah and killed themselves, although this has not been proven in history. Masada of the North is not to be confused with Masada near the Dead Sea which we will see later.
Miriam, our guide introduced our group to a man who would tell his story at the site of the border between Israel and Lebanon. On this historic site Rodger could see from Israel into Lebanon. On the Israeli side of the border there were spy cameras and sophisticated listening devices pointing at Lebanon to monitor any invasive activity on the part of the Lebanese.
Ari Ben Yaakov is a Jewish man who was raised in Ohio in the United States. He went to Israel as a young man in his twenties and remained there until now, in his seventies. He felt drawn back to Israel because he was influenced by the Zionist movement. In the picture he is wearing a t-shirt that lists all the ancient civilizations that have come against Israel over the centuries and are now gone, while Israel is the only one still standing.
On the border of Israel and Lebanon Rodger saw rocket launchers that were used when the Palestinians had the land before Israel secured it.
After leaving the border, the group traveled to the Mount of Beatitudes where Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
The next stop was the Golan Heights where Rodger saw the border between Israel and Syria. He also viewed the land that was captured by Israel during the 1967 six day war. The strip is now under the control of the UN peace keeping forces.
It is amazing the struggles that Israel has been through over the centuries. God has brought her out of many situations that should have ended her permanently, but she keeps returning as prophecy said she would.
Catholic Church at the Mount of Beatitudes
Border between Israel and Lebanon
Fence between Israel and Syria
Listening Divice in Israel Pointed at Lebanon
This region has been known for many earthquakes dating back to before the time of Christ. It has been devastated by earthquakes in the 1800’s and a major flood in the early 1900’s. The area has been restored and rebuilt over the years and stands as a picturesque city on the shores of Galilee today.
Rodger left early in the morning to travel to Gomah, where he saw endangered vultures being raised by the Israelis to bring them back. In Gomah he saw an ancient oil press from the Byzantine period that was used to crush olives. These presses seemed to be many places in Israel. Gomah is also where “Masada of the North” was lactated. Masada of the North refers to the area around Gomah that the Romans destroyed in 67 AD and where tradition records that the Jews who were resisting the Romans jumped off the hill in Gomah and killed themselves, although this has not been proven in history. Masada of the North is not to be confused with Masada near the Dead Sea which we will see later.
Miriam, our guide introduced our group to a man who would tell his story at the site of the border between Israel and Lebanon. On this historic site Rodger could see from Israel into Lebanon. On the Israeli side of the border there were spy cameras and sophisticated listening devices pointing at Lebanon to monitor any invasive activity on the part of the Lebanese.
Ari Ben Yaakov is a Jewish man who was raised in Ohio in the United States. He went to Israel as a young man in his twenties and remained there until now, in his seventies. He felt drawn back to Israel because he was influenced by the Zionist movement. In the picture he is wearing a t-shirt that lists all the ancient civilizations that have come against Israel over the centuries and are now gone, while Israel is the only one still standing.
On the border of Israel and Lebanon Rodger saw rocket launchers that were used when the Palestinians had the land before Israel secured it.
After leaving the border, the group traveled to the Mount of Beatitudes where Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
The next stop was the Golan Heights where Rodger saw the border between Israel and Syria. He also viewed the land that was captured by Israel during the 1967 six day war. The strip is now under the control of the UN peace keeping forces.
It is amazing the struggles that Israel has been through over the centuries. God has brought her out of many situations that should have ended her permanently, but she keeps returning as prophecy said she would.
Catholic Church at the Mount of Beatitudes
Border between Israel and Lebanon
Fence between Israel and Syria
Listening Divice in Israel Pointed at Lebanon
Cameras pointed at Lebanon located in Israel
Rocket Launchers left by the Palastinians on Israel Land
Rocket Launchers left by the Palastinians on Israel Land
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Israel Trip: Part 2, Day 1 on our Tour in Israel “Up To Jerusalem”
Rodger and I joined the “Friends of Israel” tour in New Jersey and went through all the rigorous screening required when leaving our country to go to Israel. There were many long waits and we were required to show our passports several times before boarding the plane. I guess the United States just didn’t want us to leave. The flight was a little over eleven hours. Rodger and I were not allowed to sit together in the same row, but we were across the aisle from one another the entire flight. Rodger was sitting with two Israeli men, a father and his son. The son was preparing to enter the Israeli military upon his return. Every person, man and woman, is required to serve in the military at age 18, women for 2 years and men for 3 years.
During this flight I had contracted some kind of intestinal problem and was in the bathroom every 20 minutes. Thankfully the Lord placed me in an isle seat only three rows back from the bathroom. I am now intimately acquainted with the inside of the Continental Airlines lavatory. By the time we reached Tel Aviv in Israel we were completely exhausted ready to take a nap, but that did not happen. I guess Israel didn’t want us to come in.
Upon arrival at Tel Aviv, we were summoned to several checkout points, our carry on luggage was searched, and we were asked questions about the reason for our visit. We had to show our passport several times and it took a long time to get out of the airport. Thankfully there were no pat downs or embarrassing personal searches.
As soon as we gathered our luggage we boarded our tour bus with all the other people who were on the tour with us, 43 total. We arrived in Israel in the morning hours. Our guide Murium Feinberg-Vamosh was there too, ready to begin traveling to our first destination, which was a visit to the ancient port of Joppa, sometimes, referred to as Jaffa. Miriam is Jewish but not a believer, who was born in the United States and moved to Israel to go back to her roots; she speaks Hebrew fluently and works as a reporter for a prominent news paper in Israel and is a guide in her spare time. She is married to a Jew who was born and raised in Israel. Our bus driver is a Jewish man named Ruvin, we did not know if he was a believer, but he was a very friendly man and a great bus driver. He managed to maneuver the bus in places that were not easy for cars to go. The FOI leader, Bill Sutter said that we saw miracles every day with his driving. He would drop us off at one place, leaving us there while we walked to another place some distance away and picked us up there. We never back tracked anywhere, it was a well organized tour.
Joppa was the town from which Jonah sailed before he was swallowed by the big fish and where Peter visited Simon the Tanner. In the pictures you will see Simon the Tanner’s house that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. Acts 10:5-6, Jonah 1:3
After leaving Joppa we traveled to the Roman city of Caesarea Maritime on the Mediterranean Sea, located about 30 miles north of Joppa. In the Scriptures we read what happened at Caesarea Maritime. We saw here Herod’s palace, his chariot race arena, and an amphitheater where stage productions were performed. We also saw an ancient Minaret in an Islamic Mosque, which is the tall pointed round structure shaped like a rocket. Herrod’s palace was immense. As you will see from the pictures, Herod had everything he needed there and all the entertainment he wanted.
· Philip the evangelist preached and lived in Caesarea (Acts 8:40).
· Peter was sent to baptize Cornelius, a centurion of the Roman garrison in Caesarea (Acts 10).
· Peter came to Caesarea after he was delivered from prison (Acts 12:19).
· King Herod Agrippa of Judaea died at Caesarea, being "eaten of worms" (Acts 12:19-23).
· Paul visited the city when he arrived or departed by ship from the harbor at Caesarea (Acts 9:30; 18:22; 21:8-16).
· Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea for two years before sailing to Rome to appear before Caesar (Acts 23:22-26:32).
Next we went to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv where we saw the room where the decision was made to make Israel a Nation. This was prophecy fulfilled the day that the Jews got their nation back after centuries of being without a homeland. We saw the room where Israel declared they were a nation and that they now had a homeland. The Scripture that comes to mind here is Isaiah 68:8. God brought forth a nation in a day according to prophecy. Other Scriptures that possibly pertain to the miracles of the Lord with Israel are: Isaiah 11:12 and 43:5-7. There is a picture of a chart that shows which nations were for Israel and which were against. Those highlighted in green were the nations that voted yes to give Israel the land. The world felt appalled at the treatment of the Jews in World War 2, which motivated them to give the Jews their own land and their own nation.
In the picture the man speaking in 1948, was David Ben Gurion the first Prime Minister of Israel. The picture on the wall behind Ben Gurion is a man named Hertzl, who had a dream and worked for the eventual formation of a nation of Israel, but never lived to see it happen.
After all this we ended the days tour at Maagan Holiday Village a Kibbutz located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where we spent three nights. The word Kibbutz in Hebrew means “the Gathering”, a collective community based on agriculture. They were Jews who no longer wanted to work for Arabs but wanted to work their own land earning their own living, in a communal formation. The only way they could make it farming was to share the land and work closely together, more like a family, getting away from the culture of the Arabs. Joseph Baratz was the man who came up with the idea of the Kibbutz, he said:
“We were happy enough working on the land, but we knew more and more certainly that the ways of the old settlements were not for us. This was not the way we hoped to settle the country—this old way with Jews on top and Arabs working for them; anyway, we thought that there shouldn't be employers and employees at all. There must be a better way.”
Everywhere we looked there was dry ground and huge rocks. Occasionally we would see some green, a small grove of trees or some crops, but nothing like our area of the world where green is everywhere around us all year around. Even though it was a desolate looking place, it was intriguing because of the history and connection to the Bible. We felt a sense of awe that we were really in the place where Bible events happened. I asked Rodger to pinch me on a number of occasions, he just turned to me and said, “yah me too.”
A chill ran through me as I looked around the room where prophecy was fulfilled in the forming of the nation of Israel. God is always faithful in keeping His promises. Israel is proof of this fact. God said, Isaiah 45:17 “But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever.” Jeremiah 31:3 also says; “The Lord has appeared to me of old saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.’” It was a faith building experience to know that God had promised once that He would bring His people back to Him in the end and return their nation to them. He returned their nation in 1948 and there is more to come for Israel as God works in their hearts and makes them the final carriers of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the end. The Jews around the world who were never born there and have never lived there have been returning to their heritage, the land of Israel, since that prophetic occurrence of the rebirth of the nation in 1948. That is wondrous miracle.
Our Kibbutz room on the Sea of Galalee, was a small one bedroom apartment, complete with bathroom, kitchen and living room, facing the Sea of Galilee with a patio, picnic table and chairs. People from all over the world come there for vacations. I didn’t like the beds much. They were comfortable but they were split in the middle because in the Jewish tradition, the man is not suppose to touch the woman during her “unclean” time of the month, so the beds were two beds each wider than a normal twin bed, pushed together to make one large one. One night I scooted closer to Rodger to cuddle and the beds separated and I went down to the floor in a heap landing on my elbow. Rodger said it was like the parting of the Red Sea, he and I laughed, but we had to be aware not to sleep near the center of the beds. When we went to the Dan Panorama in Jerusalem there were the same kind of beds, but these were on carpet and didn’t roll.
An Ancient Minneret on a Muslim Mosque at Caearea Maritime.
Independence Hall in Tel Aviv
The world map indicating which countries supported Israel.
Herrods chariot race track at Caesaria Maritime on the Mediteranian Sea
Our Kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee
During this flight I had contracted some kind of intestinal problem and was in the bathroom every 20 minutes. Thankfully the Lord placed me in an isle seat only three rows back from the bathroom. I am now intimately acquainted with the inside of the Continental Airlines lavatory. By the time we reached Tel Aviv in Israel we were completely exhausted ready to take a nap, but that did not happen. I guess Israel didn’t want us to come in.
Upon arrival at Tel Aviv, we were summoned to several checkout points, our carry on luggage was searched, and we were asked questions about the reason for our visit. We had to show our passport several times and it took a long time to get out of the airport. Thankfully there were no pat downs or embarrassing personal searches.
As soon as we gathered our luggage we boarded our tour bus with all the other people who were on the tour with us, 43 total. We arrived in Israel in the morning hours. Our guide Murium Feinberg-Vamosh was there too, ready to begin traveling to our first destination, which was a visit to the ancient port of Joppa, sometimes, referred to as Jaffa. Miriam is Jewish but not a believer, who was born in the United States and moved to Israel to go back to her roots; she speaks Hebrew fluently and works as a reporter for a prominent news paper in Israel and is a guide in her spare time. She is married to a Jew who was born and raised in Israel. Our bus driver is a Jewish man named Ruvin, we did not know if he was a believer, but he was a very friendly man and a great bus driver. He managed to maneuver the bus in places that were not easy for cars to go. The FOI leader, Bill Sutter said that we saw miracles every day with his driving. He would drop us off at one place, leaving us there while we walked to another place some distance away and picked us up there. We never back tracked anywhere, it was a well organized tour.
Joppa was the town from which Jonah sailed before he was swallowed by the big fish and where Peter visited Simon the Tanner. In the pictures you will see Simon the Tanner’s house that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. Acts 10:5-6, Jonah 1:3
After leaving Joppa we traveled to the Roman city of Caesarea Maritime on the Mediterranean Sea, located about 30 miles north of Joppa. In the Scriptures we read what happened at Caesarea Maritime. We saw here Herod’s palace, his chariot race arena, and an amphitheater where stage productions were performed. We also saw an ancient Minaret in an Islamic Mosque, which is the tall pointed round structure shaped like a rocket. Herrod’s palace was immense. As you will see from the pictures, Herod had everything he needed there and all the entertainment he wanted.
· Philip the evangelist preached and lived in Caesarea (Acts 8:40).
· Peter was sent to baptize Cornelius, a centurion of the Roman garrison in Caesarea (Acts 10).
· Peter came to Caesarea after he was delivered from prison (Acts 12:19).
· King Herod Agrippa of Judaea died at Caesarea, being "eaten of worms" (Acts 12:19-23).
· Paul visited the city when he arrived or departed by ship from the harbor at Caesarea (Acts 9:30; 18:22; 21:8-16).
· Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea for two years before sailing to Rome to appear before Caesar (Acts 23:22-26:32).
Next we went to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv where we saw the room where the decision was made to make Israel a Nation. This was prophecy fulfilled the day that the Jews got their nation back after centuries of being without a homeland. We saw the room where Israel declared they were a nation and that they now had a homeland. The Scripture that comes to mind here is Isaiah 68:8. God brought forth a nation in a day according to prophecy. Other Scriptures that possibly pertain to the miracles of the Lord with Israel are: Isaiah 11:12 and 43:5-7. There is a picture of a chart that shows which nations were for Israel and which were against. Those highlighted in green were the nations that voted yes to give Israel the land. The world felt appalled at the treatment of the Jews in World War 2, which motivated them to give the Jews their own land and their own nation.
In the picture the man speaking in 1948, was David Ben Gurion the first Prime Minister of Israel. The picture on the wall behind Ben Gurion is a man named Hertzl, who had a dream and worked for the eventual formation of a nation of Israel, but never lived to see it happen.
After all this we ended the days tour at Maagan Holiday Village a Kibbutz located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where we spent three nights. The word Kibbutz in Hebrew means “the Gathering”, a collective community based on agriculture. They were Jews who no longer wanted to work for Arabs but wanted to work their own land earning their own living, in a communal formation. The only way they could make it farming was to share the land and work closely together, more like a family, getting away from the culture of the Arabs. Joseph Baratz was the man who came up with the idea of the Kibbutz, he said:
“We were happy enough working on the land, but we knew more and more certainly that the ways of the old settlements were not for us. This was not the way we hoped to settle the country—this old way with Jews on top and Arabs working for them; anyway, we thought that there shouldn't be employers and employees at all. There must be a better way.”
Everywhere we looked there was dry ground and huge rocks. Occasionally we would see some green, a small grove of trees or some crops, but nothing like our area of the world where green is everywhere around us all year around. Even though it was a desolate looking place, it was intriguing because of the history and connection to the Bible. We felt a sense of awe that we were really in the place where Bible events happened. I asked Rodger to pinch me on a number of occasions, he just turned to me and said, “yah me too.”
A chill ran through me as I looked around the room where prophecy was fulfilled in the forming of the nation of Israel. God is always faithful in keeping His promises. Israel is proof of this fact. God said, Isaiah 45:17 “But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever.” Jeremiah 31:3 also says; “The Lord has appeared to me of old saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.’” It was a faith building experience to know that God had promised once that He would bring His people back to Him in the end and return their nation to them. He returned their nation in 1948 and there is more to come for Israel as God works in their hearts and makes them the final carriers of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the end. The Jews around the world who were never born there and have never lived there have been returning to their heritage, the land of Israel, since that prophetic occurrence of the rebirth of the nation in 1948. That is wondrous miracle.
Our Kibbutz room on the Sea of Galalee, was a small one bedroom apartment, complete with bathroom, kitchen and living room, facing the Sea of Galilee with a patio, picnic table and chairs. People from all over the world come there for vacations. I didn’t like the beds much. They were comfortable but they were split in the middle because in the Jewish tradition, the man is not suppose to touch the woman during her “unclean” time of the month, so the beds were two beds each wider than a normal twin bed, pushed together to make one large one. One night I scooted closer to Rodger to cuddle and the beds separated and I went down to the floor in a heap landing on my elbow. Rodger said it was like the parting of the Red Sea, he and I laughed, but we had to be aware not to sleep near the center of the beds. When we went to the Dan Panorama in Jerusalem there were the same kind of beds, but these were on carpet and didn’t roll.
All the breakfast food was Kosher, they could not serve milk with meat, so there was no meat at the morning meal but there was milk. At the evening meals there were meats but no milk. This practice comes from the Levitical laws that disallow boiling a lamb in its mother’s milk. A little of a stretch for me, but that is their culture and it was that way everywhere we went. I don’t recall seeing any fat people, not one obese person to be found in all our travels there.
An Ancient Minneret on a Muslim Mosque at Caearea Maritime.
Independence Hall in Tel Aviv
The world map indicating which countries supported Israel.
Herrods chariot race track at Caesaria Maritime on the Mediteranian Sea
Our Kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee
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