JORDAN / ISRAEL TRIP

Praise the Lord for giving us the opportunity to visit the biblical sites in Jordan and Israel. I want to thank the Lord for giving us a most blessed and wonderful time in the Holy Land. When I talk about the Holy Land, it encompasses the land of Jordan and Israel. These were the places Jesus visited. In fact, Jesus was baptized in the side of the Jordanian, Jordan River. The two and the half tribes of Israel were also in the Jordan area.

Thirty of us, including Sis. Catherine Ng, who joined us briefly in Israel were encouraged to trust the Lord to go ahead with this trip as the H1N1 virus was going on. We prayed that if it was the Lord's will that we should go ahead with the trip, He will lead us to do so. If not, He will shut the door for us. The Lord has seen fit for us to go ahead and in fact, no one in the group has opted out for fear of the virus.

Very Safe in Israel
Contrary to the belief of many who think that Israel is a dangerous place to visit, you will be surprised that it is the most secured and safe place. The guide had made it clear to us that if it was not safe they would not take us to the sites.

Israeli security personnel are everywhere, in Israel and the West Bank area. Their security check is thorough. Their armed personnel is a deterrent to any terrorist attacks.

Several of our people also made a few trips into the old city of Jerusalem on their own in the evening to purchase things. The Palestinians rely on the tourists as their means of livelihood.

When we were in Israel there were about 300,000 other tourists in the country following the Pope wherever he went.

The hotels we stayed in were great. Guiding Star, the tour company in Israel and Jordan, did an excellent job in providing us good accommodation, buses, guides and food.

The Biblical Sites
Most of the sites today have been turned into shrines with visitors coming to pray and venerate the places. We were not there to do those things. We were there to see the biblical account of each place we visited. I am glad that many of our people acknowledged their appreciation of seeing the Bible come alive.

One biblical site we visited was Meggido, the place where the last battle on earth will take place. In the photo above you will see the Plain of Meggido where the battle will be. This is the site of Armageddon. The Plain is an awesome sight.
Another biblical site was Mount Carmel, where Elijah had a contest with the 450 false prophets of Baal. Here the Bible comes alive for many of the Gracians who have been studying the Book of 1 Kings with me in the Sunday messages.


The Sea of Galilee was another biblical site we visited. Our hotel in Tiberias faces the Sea of Galilee. By the way, the Sea of Galilee is a fresh water lake. It is 230 meters below sea level. The lake is 21 km long and 13 km wide. We had an opportunity to sail in this great lake and landing at Capernaum.
When you are in Israel you will not want to miss a visit to the Dead Sea and take a dip in it, which many did so. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. It is called the Salt Sea in the OT. It is 390 meters below sea level and the deepest part is 390 meters deeper. Today the Dead Sea is receding at an alarming rate of one meter each year. There is not enough water coming from the Jordan river.



Gethsemane was the other biblical site which we visited. Here was the place where the Lord spent His final moments in earnest prayer and His betrayal by Judas.
It was a moving moment just to be in the Garden of Gethsemane. Someone said that he was emotionally touched when he saw the Olive Trees, some were said to be about the time of Christ.

In this trip, we met almost every night for a time of devotion. Although we were very tired, we could still come together to praise the Lord and read His Word before retiring for the night. I thank the Lord for everyone in the group who did their best to co-operate with me.

JORDAN

A part of the biblical land of Jesus' time can be found in this part of the world. Most people think that Jordan should be skipped as the Holy Land is only in Israel. This is far from the truth. Jordan is an important place to visit. It is also a part of the Holy Land.

Amman
The capital of Jordan was called the city of Rabbah, the nation of the Ammonites in the OT. Today, it is one of the most modern cities in the Arab world. They have a well-educated people in Jordan. The Jordanians are a friendly people. Although the majority are Muslims, the people are tolerant towards non-Muslims. Christians work closely with their Muslim colleagues. There are churches in Amman.

Petra
We visited Petra, a city build on rocks. It was a three hour ride from Amman to Petra. "Petra" is the Greek work for "rock." It's Bible name was "Sela". The Edomites lived here when Israel came from Egypt during the Exodus. The Edomites were later driven out by the Arabian Nabtaeans.

In Petra, one can see a city hewn out of rocks. It is an amazing sight to behold. Out in the midst of the wilderness stands this city, with its beautiful palaces, temples, theatres and tombs, all hewn out of solid rock.

The Prophet Obadiah described the lofty places of Petra and the confidence of its inhabitants. Jeremiah predicted that the city would lose its power and become uninhabited (Obadiah 3-4; Jeremiah 49: 16-18).

Praise God for the opportunity to visit such places of biblical significance. To see a place like Petra trodden down as predicted by the Scriptures is to recognise that our God is sovereign and great. He will bring down the proud. No place like Petra could protect the proud. It is better to be humble and to submit to God.

THE GARDEN TOMB

The Garden Tomb is one of the traditional sites where most evangelicals and fundamental Christian groups would visit. This site has been claimed by Christians to be the actual burial ground of Jesus Christ. But there is another burial ground of Jesus, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which claimed to be the actual burial site of Jesus. This site is being managed by the Greek Orthodox, the Ethiopian Coptic Church etc., and it has become a shrine. It is now a place where visitors come to venerate the place rather than to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Garden Tomb
Owned and supported today by the missionaries from Scotland, UK, they preserved for us the beauty of the death and resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Although this site may not be the original one, it provides a more conducive place of worship.

I had the privilege of holding a simple Holy Communion Service in the Garden Tomb, with Olive wood communion cups, which were given to us as souvenirs after the service. What a joy for us all to sing: "He Lives."

Praise the Lord for Elder Patrick Kang of Shalom BPC who assisted me in this service. This is a special service for all of us, being in Israel, and in this beautiful ground to commemorate the resurrection of our Saviour. This is indeed one of the highlights of our journey in the Holy Land.

The missionaries, who look after this place, are all volunteers. They serve as tour guides, maintain & keep the vicinity clean, and run the bookstore which carries an excellent collection of good Christian books. They are all fervent Bible believing Christians. The Garden Tomb is definitely a different place from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where there is no icons and incense, but the reality of knowing that our Saviour lives again.

Pastor