Israel top 10 list (5-7)
Ok. Another thing that the pastor talked about was the importance of Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular. 3 things. Israel is the center of the world geographically. Israel is the center of the world spiritually. And Israel(and Jerusalem) being the center of the world in the end times. It is no wonder about all the turmoil going on in the world and especially in Israel, but all of that will be resolved when Jesus comes back. The first time, Jesus came in humility to serve as a sacrifice for our sins and to appease the righteous wrath of God for our sins. The second time He comes back, He will be in glory will judge the earth in righteousness. Then He will set everything right and reign in Jerusalem for 1000 years and then there will be the peace that everyone looks for now. That will be the day……
Anyway,
#7 Caesarea by the sea. We stood at he very dock that Paul stood while getting on the boat to sail to Rome (Acts 27). Stood at the very place that Paul witnessed to and defended the faith to the Roman rulers Felix and Festus (Acts 24-26). Caesarea was also a very important town in early Christianity, especially as it was the place of the first recorded conversion of a Gentile, Cornelius (Acts 10). While Peter was in Joppa, he saw the vision of animals on a sheet and God telling him it was ok to eat them for food. When Peter resisted, God told him not to call unclean what He has cleansed, and then sent him to Caesarea to witness to a GENTILE…yikes! Anyway, once Peter showed up to share the gospel, Cornelius was converted and the rest is history.
6. Road to Jerusalem. The day we left for Jerusalem, we drove south along the Jordan River. We soon drove by Jericho, which is the oldest city in the world, and the lowest in elevation city in the world. We drove through the smallest desert in the world where we saw camels, bedouins, sheep herders and their flocks. Then up past Bethany(where Lazarus was brought back from the dead), and up to the most famous city in the world, Jerusalem! Wow! Going through the tunnel under the Garden of Gethsemane, we came out in sight of the Temple Mount. It was amazing!
5. Mount Carmel. We visited the “burnt place” where Elijah called down fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice. 450 false prophets were killed after that to show the power and reality of the God of Israel. After this sacrifice, Elijah prayed for rain to break the 3.5 year drought, and it rained.
When the pastor told this story at the peak of Mount Carmel, it started to rain. Connie’s bible will always be wrinkled from the rain drops at 1 Kings 18…..very cool.
Tags: Israel