MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry

            Jerusalem!  That’s where we are…and loving it.  We’ve got a lot of happy campers as you can see in our picture at the top of the Mount of Olives.  It’s hard to believe we’re actually here.  After reading so much in the Scriptures about Jerusalem, when you finally see it, it really gets to you.  A number of our folks said that when we arrived here and saw it for the first time tears were shed.  It was a very moving moment.

            After a quick camel ride or two at the top of Mt. Olives we started down the road that Jesus took on Palm Sunday – His triumphal entry into the city.  To imagine we were part of the processional on that day gave us a whole new appreciation of the event.

            As we walked down the mountain we entered the Garden of Gethsemene.  We saw an olive tree that dates back to the time of Jesus and then were permitted to enter a private garden covered with olive trees.  We spent about 20 minutes there getting alone with God and taking some time to hear from Him.  I kept hearing Him say, “Not My will, but Yours.”  His message to me was to adopt the same attitude, “Not my will but Yours.”  Before leaving this “holy ground” experience, Bob and Tina Earnest led us in singing that favorite hymn, “In the Garden.”

            Next we visited the largest miniature reproduction of the city of Jerusalem during the life of Jesus.   It was so precisely done and helped all of us see where everything happened and the proximity of each event.  It tied all the pieces together that we had been learning.  It was also here that we were able to see the Dead Sea Scrolls on display.  This was the most significant discovery of the 20^th century and added so much archeological evidence to the veracity and accuracy of the Scriptures.

            Since we had been going strong for 6 hours without a break we next drove to Bethlehem and had lunch.  Shwarmas and falafels were distributed along with baklava and sodas.  As you can see from the pictures we loved it.

            After lunch we went to the church of the Nativity to see the birthplace of Jesus.  It’s still amazing to me whenever I think about God becoming man.  What a miraculous manner of entry into the world!  He is truly Almighty God.

             After this visit, we stopped to do a little shopping at a local Bethlehem shop and then headed back to our hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and some rest.  As you can see, some of our folks decided to start their meals with desert, just in case Jesus were to return before they had a chance to get to it.  J

            Tomorrow we’ve planned a trip to the Temple Mount, the Wailing Wall, the old city, and many other sites.  Keep praying…God is speaking to us and we’re listening.