Burial at Sea on the Galilee

Posted on March 6, 2024
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Ashes, Ashes Tears filled Jessie’s eyes when she took my hand one evening and said, “I brought Derrick’s ashes. Could we have a service tomorrow in one of these beautiful places around the Sea of Galilee?” I knew her well. She was with her son on our trip to the Holy Land, which her husband…

The Book of Judith, the Jewish People, and the Advent of the Messiah

Posted on November 10, 2023
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This is the fourth part of Dr. Noll’s series, โ€œReading and Enjoying the Apocrypha.โ€ The Daily Office readings for November (BCP page 760) insert ten days of readings from The Book of Judith, from the Apocrypha. This book picks up themes from the Books of Maccabees, which I reviewed earlier, and adds some gender balance…

Did Jesus Reject the Land Promise?

Posted on June 1, 2023
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This article is part of a series on Jesus the Jewish Messiah by Gerald McDermott. Click here to view other articles in this series. In Luke 21:24, Jesus prophesied that one day Jews would have sovereignty over the land of Israel. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all…

Jesus Sneakers and Walking in Israel

Posted on May 6, 2021
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Can you walk on water? Well, now you can! A few years ago I read about the โ€œJesus Shoe,โ€ which sells for over $3,000! These shoes were regular Nike brand shoes (Air Max 97โ€™s) whose soles had been injected with certified โ€˜blessed-by-a-priestโ€™ water from the Jordan River! These Holy Water sneakers were intended to give…

Help East African Leaders Visit the Holy Land

Posted on March 18, 2020
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Iโ€™ve enjoyed leading study tours to the Holy Land for over 30 years, but Iโ€™ve always had a special interest in helping future Christian leaders make their first visit to the place where Jesusโ€™s ministry happened. How powerful it can be for preachers to have their visual imaginations stirred by seeing the places where Jesus…

The Last Disciple

Posted on February 7, 2019
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A Breathtaking Stage After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, the gospels record that he immediately was driven into the desert for forty days. For those forty days, he was tempted by Satan. He was attended by angels. He played with animals. And out in that desert place, for forty days, Jesus fasted. You can…

Let’s Go There!

Posted on August 20, 2018
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Many of you know the joy of faith-based travel. We have had a great time in some of the most significant places of faith on the globe. It has been a tremendous joy for Fran and I to take well over 600+ people to ‘far away places’ in the past decades. About a dozen years…

Ten Reasons Why This Next Trip to the Holy Land is for You

Posted on July 30, 2018
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In just a few weeks, the registration for the November Holy Land trip (November 12-21) will begin to close. Register quickly! If you have been thinking and praying about itโ€ฆit is time to act. In the closing weeks of registration, I want to reiterate what makes this trip unique. Here are ten great reasons to…

Come Back Home

Posted on June 28, 2018
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It was so exciting for me to see so many of my friends and colleagues enjoying the Holy City at the recent GAFCON event in Jerusalem. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were covered with images of some of my favorite people in some of my favorite places.   I saw a friend sitting in the exact chair…

Throwing a Cap Over the Wall

Posted on June 14, 2018
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I am walking in the Land of Giants again. Israel. Yesterday we were atop Mt. Carmel where Elijah called out the prophets of Baal. Today we walk were the Apostle Paul walked, rather, stood in chains before his captors and played the only card he seemed to have left. After several years of captivity, Paul breaks the…