on the Mount of Olives, this horse was grazing and waiting. Whether its color was gray, white, or pale, I could not discern
Mordechai, a anti-missionary makes his presence known
This sermon preached from the summit of Mt. Olives could be heard and recorded at least a mile away, at the Eastern wall of the Old City
Graves and dried bones. The Holy Spirit quickens, the flesh profits nothing
The Western wall, often called wailing wall. Perhaps wail becuae the presence of God has departed. The temple of God is with men
Jesus said of the temple ( not the wall ) no stone would be left standing
Tel Aviv a metropolis given over to sin
A craftsman sells his spices
The temple mount, nothing remains but the presence of Isslam. No Bibles, tracts, not even non-Islamic prayer allowed her
From the temple mount the Eastern gate is accessible. Even tough these walls and gates were built by Muslims, they close off the gate in case the messiah returns through this gate. Beyond this gate id the Mt. of Olives.
looking out from Eastern gate upon the Mt of Olives. In the center the Church of all nations, a catholic relic being a stone inside in which they claim Jesus laid prostrate, consenting to the will of His father.
A catholic family from India showing hospitality not so often shown to strangers even in the civilized west. They were delighted that we accepted their invitation.
Our team leader, Dan Journey holds and prays for this baby, maybe remembering his 4 children still in Indian awaiting a green card for his wife, so they may be reunited in America
The parents of the twin boys, professing to be catholic. Her name is, of course, Maris. His name I could not pronounce
Jerusalem Baptist Church. Like them on face book, pray for them, especially Oastor Al Nucciaarone
This a photo of preaching at the Damascus gate, right across the street from the Palestinian Hostel where we stayed
Greetings. Our team has assembled in Jerusalem; 7 Christian men; from Cal., Minn., NC, Md.,Ireland, and our team leader is an American who has been living in India for seven years. We are once again checked into a hostel located across the street from the Damascus Gate. We also loaded up on NT’s many of which were donated by the Jerusalem Baptist Church. This past week we have been blessed to share the Gospel in jJerusalem, Tiberias, Capernaum, and Eliot. The visit by president Trump provided several large crowds for our evangelism . We have also taken the opportunity to visit with the saints at the Jerusalem Baptist church, and to spend some times at the Garden tomb. My friend from Ireland leaves tomorrow. The team will miss him, but I hope to see him in July at his home in Ireland. It has been a very busy week here; president visited 2 days, the Jerusalem day celebrating their victory 50 years ago, and now Ramadan starts this week
As we commenced the final week, some more of the team departed for their homes and families. It was a challenge to travel any distance during Ramadan and the Jewish Shabot, and then the Jewish festival of Shauvuot, or the Festival of Weeks, First Fruits mentioned in the Bible in Leviticus; and commanded of all Israelites in : Ex 23.14 and Dt 16.16. This takes place 50 days after Passover, hence Christians refer to it as Pentecost; the ordained time in which the Holy Spirit was poured out. In our day the practicing Jewish people in Jerusalem and some who travel there for the occasion do not go to a temple where the presence of God is to worship and offer sacrifices of their first fruits. Instead, they take the day off from Sundown till sundown, eat dairy products, hopefully spend some quiet time and then gather before a wall which may have been a part of the surrounding support for the temple mount. The temple itself no longer exists. They dance around in circles holding and kissing the Torah, for this festival marks the anniversary of the oracles of God being given to Moses for his people. This then would be celebration of the kindness of God. The wisdom of God was demonstrated by providing atonement for failing to perfectly keep Torah; hence the Torah shows all men the need of atonement, and Jesus Christ, by which those who believe upon Him are sanctified through the offering of His body once for all. If the Jewish people had continued to hold fast to the Torah and the prophets; they may have seen the emptiness of their traditions. And it could be shown to them by what God had revealed in His Written Word how we have all fallen short of His righteousness. Sadly, for almost 2,000 years their Rabbi’s have been writing and rewriting the Talmud and the Mishnah which they claim was also given to Moses but never written down until after Christ’s visitation to them. So now they teach and learn from Rabbi’s who proclaim a false message, which excludes a need for atonement, a blood sacrifice, and most importantly falls so short of the Righteousness of God. And if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to them who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. { Please see in this the need for Christians to pray for their deliverance and to share the truth with them. SO many Christians think it improper to evangelize to the Jewish people in Israel, thinking God will bring about their salvation in some other way; a false gospel }
As some of the brethren were scheduled to leave from Tel Aviv, our hope was to take an inexpensive bus from the Bus Depot in downtown Jerusalem to the airport in Tel Aviv ( 60 minute drive). Because of the luggage, we took a taxi to the bus depot only to find out that no busses or trains operated during that 24 hour period. Our backup plan was to take a Sherut Bus to the airport. These busses are operated by Palestinians and they charge per person and don’t leave until every seat is filled; cheaper than a taxi, but the total for 6 men added together is more than we wanted to pay. Sadly, because of Ramadan, the Sherut busses were not running either, so we asked several taxi drivers until a price war worked in our favor and we arrived without problem. The remaining 4 members on the team spent some time ministering in Tel Aviv. The metropolis of this city is filled with rainbow flags and posters celebrating homosexuality. Many of the businesses drape their entrance in rainbows to demonstrate the acceptance there of that which is not accepted by God. It is also a very apathetic city like NYC or London, so we hired a taxi and went to a distressed part of the city where many refugees from many nations dwell, and not so many religious Jewish men and women. Just as it was in the day of Jesus, the poor and downtrodden were more receptive, listening and receiving literature. While ministering that night we were befriended by a man from India, who insisted that we have dinner at his place. He agreed with the message we preached, but was not yet converted as evidenced by his fruit. The leader of our group has lived in India for the past 7 years until being deported earlier this year because of his preaching, and wife and children remain in India and his burden for the people of India is great. We visited with this young man from Tel Aviv and his family, and some of the photos here displayed were taken on this evening. This man, his sister, his sister’s husband, and 2 twin baby boys live in an one bedroom apartment with a small kitchen. So this night 4 Americans joined with a family from India in a small bedroom to share a meal. pray and share the Gospel. The family professed to be catholic, but were adding it to many of their traditions. We thanked them and shared the truth in love with them, then returned to our hostel in Jerusalem.
Another character in this post is a man who confronted us from the first day, claiming to be a member of an anti-missionary group in Jerusalem called ‘ Yad L Achim”. Wherever we went in Jerusalem he would find us, and continually be doing something with his phone; calling for backup or videoing., or just be loud and annoying. We shared the Gospel with him and spoke of our love for him and the Jewish people ( which he denied ). But on one of our last days there he sat down at a table while we had lunch and made know to us that his name was Mordechai, he was from Greece, and he had read the new testament in Greek several times. He would not let us buy him any food or a drink, but he had truly softened in his behavior toward us. The family in India and Mordechai are a big reason for sharing the Gospel even when you don’t see conversions the way Peter, and Phillip, and Paul did. If their heart has been softened and a seed planted, We praise the Lord and we continue to pray for these souls. Too quickly the time to depart arrived. I thank God for all this He has provided. Many Christians are exceeding thankful for being saved from judgment and acknowledge it is only by God’s grace through faith, but many are not so quick to be mindful and thankful that: 1. we are His workmanship 2. we are created in Christ Jesus for good works 3. these good works God has prepared for us beforehand 4. we should walk in them, but let us be thankful that He has prepared a work for all He has saved. Even the thief on the cross had a testimony which glorifies Jesus 2,000 years and beyond. What work has He prepared for you will be found in His Word and revealed by His Spirit. Christ has suffered and risen from the dead on the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And as a Christian indwelt by the Spirit of God, you are to be witnesses of these things. May things be done for His glory and honor. At the end of your journey may His testimony be about you that: you did… what you could.
to view some of the preaching by different members of the team, try this link.
http://www.facebook.com/daniel.courney/videos/vb.1069244116/10211992853751216/?type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/daniel.courney/videos/vb.1069244116/10211992853751216/?type=3&theater
