Israel Day 2

Today was so full of activity, we were bouncing around more than a beachball at a Nickelback concert. Pardon the horrible analogy, writing this I just realized how tired I am lol. Our group got the amazing opportunity to explore so much of the significant sites around the Sea of Galilee it was VERY interesting as a history buff.

I started the day, like I do every other day, in the Word. Unlike reading on my Nana’s back patio, looking at the Flordia sunrise, I was able to read Marks account of Jesus at from a seat over looking the actual location the chapters talked about.

Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. -Mark 1:16-18

I was literally watching fishermen casts their rods out over these very waters that Christ called His first disciples from. This brought the realization that this story is not just a long distant fable basically resembling folk lore, but it is a REAL account of REAL men who could have stepped exactly where I am sitting at right now. This was the first of what seemed like an infinite amount of these moments.

We then went to, literally, the GREATEST breakfast buffet i’ve ever had in my life. The selection of food was so extraordinary and fresh I got two plates filled with a little bit of it all. Giant raisins, olives, cheese, figs, apricots, potatoes with a special Hebrew sauce on them that was amazing just to name a few. Praying and looking out over the sea, I had no idea that by the end of the day i’d be sailing it.

Just to quickly recap each location so I can get some sleep, our first stop was Peters house. This is the location Jesus healed Peters mother and also taught at the synagogue. They had statues of Peter with a bunch of fish symbolism and a huge catholic church build hovering OVER the ruins of the original octogonal church like a space ship landing. We saw pilers and sculptures that were from his time and roman times after. It was super cool seeing the star of David and menorahs carved into these ancient rocks. Not everyone in the group is into the history as much as I am, but for me it shows me physically how long people have been creative and making amazingly beautiful things. My camera couldn’t get enough, I was in full tourist mode.

We then drive to the ancient town of Magdala where of course Mary Magdalene was from. This site was just discovered in 2009 after people tried building a hotel in that location and uncovered The Magdala Stone, “The Jerusalem Temple Embodied”. I was too facinated by the fact that Jesus actually walked and touched these stones to understand the importance of this rock to the jewish church. This site was unique, because since much of Israel has gone back and forth from Muslim to Jewish residents, many sites have been destroyed and rebuilt over. Not this one. This one was preserved by a mud slide making it completely original to 1st century Judaism. Plus they found over 3,000 coins from this time there which perked my ears up and got me dreaming of what it would have been like to find all that stuff as a modern day archeologist. I would LOVE to be on a film crew capturing a find like that. Now a hotel and church is built around this site. This church is dedicated to women of the Bible and it was very pretty. We went down to the prayer room dedicated to the woman who touched Jesus’s Tzitzit and was healed from her 12 year long affliction. We prayed over people who were in pain and that was a powerful experience.

Our next location was the same hill Jesus preached the world changing sermon on the mount. I prayed on my face and spent intimate time with the Lord here. I felt very connected to Him in this spot. A beautiful church was build on top of the hill with all this historical symbolism, but our group walked around it and just wanted to be on the hill. This was the one time of the day we really got to just be still and soak it all in. I read the sermon from my Bible and shed a tear.

We went to the beach He fed 5,000 men with 2 small fish and 5 pieces of bread. Then we took a boat ride out into the Sea. The boat ride was lovely. The weather this time of year is incredible. Not a cloud in the sky. We could see thousands of fish in the water it was so clear. I wonder if they still hold a grudge? “Peter? oh ya I know that guy, I dont know why you like him so much. My great great great great great grandfather says he’s a murder.” -a fish probably.

We end the day at the Jordan river, where I got baptized! The very same waters John baptized Jesus. Unreal. Unfortunately it has been turned into a MAJOR commercialized gift shop tourist trap. You pay for the robe, the towels, and the changing room lol. After they direct you to a gift shop to buy a “I got baptized in the Jordan River” novelty T-shirt (not a joke). I didn’t get the shirt but I did buy some gifts for my parents and a prayer shaw, or a Tallit. Only $250 shekels! No, but for real, I enjoy having an item to remember this experience by and my friend Anna-Grace really gave me a good perspective. She said that the system they have going here is only proof Jesus is loved and praised now more than ever! The end times have never been sooner and the zealous nature of everybody flying in from all around the world to be baptized in the same river as Jesus is uplifting! I agree with her full heartedly and my perspective was instantly changed. My sister also added its a good way to preserve the area from trash and vandalism. Everything is only as good or bad as you think it is! Perspective is everything! So what if people are POV vlogging their baptism (lol real story of a friend of ours, SOOO FUNNY we have all been laughing about it with her all night! Nobody thinks its funnier than her). And hey! I got a buy my salvation! (God loves jokes and laughter hehe).

This land is so fertile with the inheritance of history that brings the Word to life. It’s time to put Christ back in Christian and real back in Israel!

Shalom!