After church on Sunday, she told me about a much better Christian gathering at 5 pm so we made plans to meet at 4 and go to church well turned out we never parted company but went to Ben Ahuda street where all the locals visit and enjoy the weekends. Lots of shops food and entertainment from magicians, singing groups. Bands orchestra, all sorts of people on corners to enjoy. Awesome afternoon. We met some of her friends who work there and several friends. Ladies, visiting that she had met previously from, Holland, Australia, Israel, North Carolina, 2 more Australians. We sat and had sodas and visited ubtil time for church then most of us were off to King of Kings where we actually stayed for 2 services. The regular one and a conference starting that night that had people from all over the world attending. Awesome Praise and worship. We got home just before 10. Too fun.
Monday was amazing again. Ruthie and I probably walked 5 miles all over Jerusalem. We started and saw an amazing array of Christian sites. mt of Olives is on the Arab side and most Jews want go there so we didn't either. But we went around the front of it and it is a mountain of burial sies. The whole mountain is white with graves. There are residences on the very top and just a road or 2 going up it. There is such tension between Jews and Arabs. It is like bullies and the quite kids. Jews seem to hide and stay out of the Arad areas, and Arabs don't care. They come into Jewish territory with radios blaring, driving fast just irritating the issues. All the shops in the .arab area are run by Arabs, and half of them in the Jewish area Arab. Jews want buy anything at their shops. It is thick tension here in the Jewish area. We saw the tomb where Jesus was laid, the place where the crucifiction took place, the Garden of Gethsemene, The Greek church beside it, the Scull at Golgatha, the upper room the room where Pentecost occurred. It was all so amazing. The Garden of Gethsemene was small but had incredible olive trees. Some of them were so big that branches were held up by stacking rocks under them. They were not tall but very big around. Probably take 5-6 adults with outstretched arms to reach around them and about 30trees in the garden. You could just imagine the guards showing up to arrest Jesus and Judas kissing Jesus. You could hear the disappointment in Jesus voice when the disciples could not stay awake for just an hour. It really made the Bible come alive. In the old city where we saw the upper room where the Last supper was held, you could truly imagine the levity turning to seriousness as Jesus tried to explain to the deciles what was about to occur. My friend Ruthie, has a beautiful, soprano voice and began to sing a song she wrote the music for and her friends wrote the words. It was a beautiful experience. There was no one there but her and me. As we entered the room you immediately felt the presence of The Lord. The peace and Love was all over. When a place is filled with believers for 2000 years it makes a difference. Actually the room where the spirit fell on the believers is adjacent to the upper room, and is only opened 5 dates a year and we missed it, but saw the entrance and the size and exterior. As we left the upper room, Ruthie said, can you image the rush of the Holy Spirit as the wind blew through and about that tie a mighty wind did rush through. There is a corridor leading Fromm. The upper room to a nearby room and there was a Hugh draft blew through. Pretty impressive. The room itself had about 5 high dooms in it and 3 staircases to other rooms. There were 2 windows and the acoustics were wonderful. All marble, floor, walls ceiling. From there, I went up on the roof and had a majestic view of the city inside and out of the wall. The wall around the city is probably 20-30 feet tall with about 5 entrances. It is on a hill that is probably 30-40 feet higher than anything around it but in some places a much deeper and steeper hill. Pedestrians can climb stairs up the wall and then walk all the way around it. For the day the most moving site was the tomb. The place of the Crusifiction is adjacent to the bus parking lot and Calvary is an Arab cemetery, the skull on Calvary is also by the bus station, so takes a bit of the experience away. But the garden tomb is spiritually impactful. There is an entrance down a narrow street with a few vendors around and the only exit is through the gift shop, but while you are in the garden, it is an amazing experience.as soon as you enter you are almost bombarded with the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is a beautiful location with many beautiful flowers which set the seen for running into the Gardner when Mary and Martha go to anoint Jesus after his burial, and met what they thought was the Gardner. Then the feeling of grief then of hysteria when they thought their Lord had been taken. Then you enter the tomb and the grief of His deciles when their master was dead and wondering if the dream was also dead. In the tomb there was a real sense of reverence. No one spoke, most just wept. It so clear what had been done and that it was the perfect pan of God that His very own son would come, walk, live and teach us the die in our pace on that terrible cross so that we, who trust him as our savior could have eternal life. What a plan. The overwhelming gratitude, words cannot express. That room felt very very lonely and forsaken, but what happened there s what made the difference for all humanity. I don't believe Easter will ever be the same for me. I am sooooo sad to say though, if Jesus was alive today and did the same thing, the reaction of the Jews as not changed. They are so blind to anything that involves Jesus, and it is right outside their door. However it is easy to see why this is His chosen land. Nowhere I have ever been felt like the center of the world like Jerusalem does.
Ruthie showed me where it is believed that The Lord will return for his Bride, the Church. On Mt of Olives there is a hotel and a church and He is expected to come from that area down Mt of Olives to what is known as the eastern gate. It is presently sealed and boarded up. It is near where the 1st and 2nd temples were and where the 3 rd is to be built. As my new friends and I talked tonight , the Jew, Hannah said that the temple is already built, and is ready to be put in place by God, so it could be sooner than we even imagine. Many Christians believe that when the 3rd temple is begun that we know it is about time, but If you can believe that Jesus is coming again then I can believe that the Temple is ready for the return. Awesome.
Tuesday, yesterday, Hannah an I took a bus to Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. I'll tell you about that tomorrow. I'm going to bed. Tonight we ave been Seranaded all night. It is the last night of Succot, and the big celebration of harvest ending begins. They had their diner on the roof the the me all began to sing. Gospel songs. They sang beautifully for several hours. Now they have quit so I can sleep
Beautiful! Amazing! Moving! I am so happy that you are having such a wonderful experience and God is providing the right people to share it with! Love you so much!
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