The Mount of the Beatitudes was just a continuation of my Sea of Galilee experience.  I could see Jesus sitting on the hillside and teaching about the heart of God for his people in the Sermon on the Mount.  What a beautiful environment.  The hillside probably served as an amphitheater for Christ’s sermon. 

Even though every place we visited was meaningful and full of lessons, the Sea of Galilee and the City of Capernaum were my favorite stops on the journey.  It was inspiring to see the remains of the House of Peter, as well as one of the oldest synagogues; perhaps the synagogue where Jesus sometimes taught.  Jesus seemed to be fully present at every turn during this section of the trip.  It was easy for me to connect the location with the acts or miracles of Christ’s love.  I could have taught from every corner.  

Do you enjoy the high places?  You know...the places that take you higher to gain a greater perspective?  Masada did that for me.

Masada was originally built around 31 AD as a refuge for Herod the Great until some Jewish Zealots took it over.  After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, more Jewish refugees arrived.  

It took approximately three hours to make the journey from Jordan to Israel.  I enjoyed the drive along the Dead Sea.  How could something that looks so serene and inviting be so dead and uninhabitable?  

In Deuteronomy 34:1-7, the Bible reminds us Moses had another encounter with God on a mountain.  This time the news from God would be difficult for Moses to hear.  

Petra, in Jordan, had been buried and somewhat lost due to an earthquake. How wonderful that it was found. I was intrigue to hear, during the Iron Age, Petra was once the location of great industry and trade.  Most of the surrounding area seems rather desolate. However, Petra is a beautiful and looming place to behold.  The color alone is inspiring and rich.  It draws you in and shouts its own history.  The red rock—sandstone—is really beautiful and easily carved.  It reminds me of how spiritually God sanctifies us and fashions something beautiful out of our clay-like forms (Isaiah 64:8).  

As Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, so our tour group followed the path.  Well, actually, we did not walk across the Sea on dry land we took a hydrofoil to the Gulf of Aguaba! ha!

I saw the Suez Canal which was amazing on our way to the Sinai Peninsula.  We headed for Mount Sinai. At 1AM the next morning, a few of us from the tour group would start the journey to the top of Mount Sinai to see the sunrise. For years, I have studied about Moses and his encounter with God on the mountain.  Now, Mary would experience an encounter with the Great I AM in the same environment.

I grew up connecting Egypt with the desert, pyramids, and the Sphinx of Giza. Honestly, to see the pyramids (pictured is Pyramid of Khafre) and the Sphinx was an inspiring experience for me.  On the day we went to view this area, it was rather foggy and overcast, but even the weather added a dimension of awe and mystery to the journey. The Great Pyramid is approximately 481 feet in height; more than likely built in around 2560 BC as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu. The Sphinx towers approximately 66 feet in height.  It is believed to have been built somewhere around 2500 BC. Before the early excavations, it was almost buried beneath tons of desert sand.  Was this huge sculpture an object to be worshipped at one time?  Did this grand creation somehow represent a mythological god?

Living the Word is the responsibility of every Christian.  God recently took me on a tour that empowered a life-changing connection: enlarged my understanding of history, our world, the many cultures and people, and brought greater revelation and application to the Word of God.  I look forward to sharing some of those times and pictures with you.

Connect with C2C Church located in Seminole Florida and enjoy moments from my recent Holy Land tour. I started a journey on January 2, 2012 to gain experiential understanding of the Church Abroad. My spiritual guides and companions were Dr. R. Tuttle, Rev. S. Gregg, and a wonderful group of seminarians and fellow Christian leaders and travelers.

Periodically, I will be posting a page from my travel journal and sharing pictures with you.

C2C Church welcomes you to join us! 

Click Here to share the experience.  I pray it will bless you.