Welcome to Israel

Yesterday, we all arrived safely in Israel. After a lengthy plane ride, we arrived at Kiev in the Ukraine for a short layover. I was amazed at the oppression and overall lack of joy by the airport workers, soldiers and natives to the area. Communism is a demoralizing philosophy that enslaves it's citizens. Freedom brings joy! Upon arriving in Israel, we stopped at Jaffa or the Biblical place Joppa. There Peter received the vision that Gentiles could become part of the body of Christ, (Acts 10) and then he went to Caesarea and there they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gospel went to the Gentiles. Today, we visited Caesarea which was a heathen Gentile place where the palace of Herod was located with all the extravagance of the Roman culture. Peter obeyed God at Joppa and went to the Gentiles while Jonah disobeyed God at Joppa, (Jonah 1:1-3) and ran from preaching to the Gentiles. Standing in the hippodrome in Caesarea where Christian martyrs lost their lives to entertain the ungodly was very moving to me. The most incredible moment for many of us was to stand on top of Mount Carmel where Elijah called down fire and defeated the false prophets of Jezebel and then look out from this same mountain and see the valley of Jezreel where the Battle of Armageddon will take place. Then we went on to Nazareth and visited the hometown of Jesus that overlooks the place where this end time battle will take place. Throughout his childhood and life, Jesus could see where the pinnacle of his life and ministry will take place when He returns a second time and defeats the armies of Antichrist in the valley of Jezreel or Armageddon. For the next few days, we will be staying in a hotel in Tiberias near the Sea of Galilee.