We were on top of a hill overlooking where the BATTLE OF ARMAGEDON will take place today. We sat and watched as FINALLY planes came to help with the fires...interesting thing was that they are planes from other countries that are Israel's arch enemies.. Planes from Egypt, Russia and of all places Turkey...... It took them so long before anyone came to help and the USA was NOWHERE to be found....This is a huge disaster for Israel... They are not equipped to handle this... They need your prayers..PLEASE PRAY for them.......I am amazed that God changed our trip and IT is sooo clear now. Pastor Scott said that our trip for Mount Carmel had to be rescheduled and He was sorry but it was out of his control, so He changed our schedule and we went to a different place and when we boarded the bus we could see all the smoke. We were traveling all around the fire and saw how bad it was and realized what a miracle God had performed. If our day had not been changed we would have been right where all of these fires took place........We could have been killed or hurt really bad..... Unbelieveable.. God is truly in control!!!!
We have not had internet service most places and when we did get to jump on the internet for a second it wouldn't work right.. It has been a nightmare as far as communication. Please enjoy the pics from the Sea of Galilee below. I will post my blog I wrote yesterday after the boat ride on the Sea of Galilee!!! There is so much to tell that I don't even know where to begin...MY LIFE IS CHANGED FOREVER!!!!!!
this is a view from looking out of the boat.......toward the shore......
Some of our group on the boat!!!!
A view looking from the boat across the sea of Galilee.... I have never seen such beautiful places in my life.. Israel is beautiful... I stand in awe of God......
Cindy, me and Amy.......
Our fearless leader...Scott is Jennifer's pastor and this man's HEART is truly beautiful... We are in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and he is reading scripture....So powerful!!!!!!!
This is the other side of the Sea of Galilee......where we got off the boat.....
This precious couple just celebrated their anniversary yesterday...53 years.... Our group is bonding so strongly... I can't get over the number of pastors we have with us and they are young... Their knowledge is amazing!!! We have church everynight....Amy and I sit at their feet and listen as they pour into us........ you can tell that God hand picked this group... Shalom;
So sorry we haven’t been able to blog. No internet service... This is my 3rd day in Israel. I can’t put into words the experience I am having in this amazing Country that God himself has chosen to be His first born Son. ……and at the same time feeling like my heart would explode over missing my precious family. At times pure fear has enveloped me. I have allowed access to this thing called fear through my mind. I have entertained these thoughts for two solid days over the what if’s .. and being this far away from the only life that I know has been a constant reminder to lean on God and not on my own understanding.
I can’t believe as I sit here blogging tonight that I have my balcony door open listening to the Sea of Galilee….At this moment Amy is on a walk on the Sea of Galilee with some friends we have made in our group. It is 1100pm at night and in Charlotte it is only 4pm in the afternoon. The time difference seems so bizarre to me. Although so much has happened I wanted to start out with today’s experience first. We have very little time to blog and it is very difficult to get internet connection as well as a Diet Coke!!! Lol I think Amy paid 10 dollars today for 2 cokes and I paid 8 yesterday. The things you will do for a Diet Coke! Anybody??
We wake up around 6am everyday and have to be ready for breakfast by 7am and then you are on the bus ready to go at 8am. You don’t stop until dinner time and then its bedtime. The Sun goes down at 4:30pm everyday. Very short days. Last night as I was laying in bed I began to cry and then I couldn’t stop! It was the most gut wrenching hurt that I have ever felt. I never want to feel like that again. The flight over was a nightmare and I will feel you in on this another day.. I do have a semi-fear of flying over the Ocean for 14 hours. Started thinking horrible thoughts as if I couldn’t get home to my family . I also started thinking that maybe I wouldn’t ever get back home again. Like the plane could crash etc.. I know this may sound strange but it was a very stressful and sleepless night..
Upon waking up this morning, I could feel that my heart just wasn’t into it. Somehow I managed to put one foot in front of the other and boarded the bus after breakfast. We drove down to catch a boat for a ride on the Sea of Galilee….As the boat began to sail off the crew members began to raise the America Flag which was stationed right beside the Israel flag.. I can’t put into words what an amazing picture that was. So powerful knowing that Israel is God’s first born son. As I stared out into the glorious scene I could feel God’s awesome prescence. They turned up praise music and the sun was beaming down on our faces and I felt such peace. Then our leader Pastor Scott wanted to share with us a scripture………..
Mark 4:35-40; That Day when evening came, he said to the disciples, “LET US GO OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE.” 36; Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was in the boat. 37; A
Furious Squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38; Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him. “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39; He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “QUIET BE STILL!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40; He said to his disciples, “ WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID? DO YOU STILL HAVE NO FAITH?”
Saturated in a basin surrounded by mountains, the Sea of Galilee is particularly susceptible to sudden, violent storms. Cool air from the Mediterranean is drawn down through the narrow mountain passes and clashes with the hot humid air lying over the lake.
The wind was extra strong today and the captain said, and we would need to stay in our seats because the water was beginning to get very unpredictable. As Pastor Scott began reading these scriptures and talking to us about this passage….The waters started to calm, and the winds died down… For a little while the sea was completely still….. It was as if Jesus stood up in our boat and said “ QUIET BE STILL!” I had goose bumps…
You see the boat that Jesus invited the disciples to get in was the boat that was struggling in the midst of the storm. Although Jesus was in the boat with them they were still afraid!!
Jesus has been in my boat the whole trip to Israel and I was still afraid.. He rebuked my storms today and he looked deep down into the core of who I am, where the desires of my heart are only known by him, and He said to me, "WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID?????? DO YOU STILL HAVE NO FAITH???”
The enemy tried to get the disciples to lose their life in that sea… He is also trying to get us to lose our life so we will not function. He will even paralyze us with fear… so that we are unproductive for God..
JESUS HAS THE POWER TO CALM OUR STORMS!!!!!! Sometimes He waits for us to get to the other side so it is God who gets the glory!!!!
Give God the Glory in your storms,, even when you may think that Jesus is sleeping!!! He can and will CALM your storms…
May the peace of God surround your heart today,
Robbie
