The name of God for today is El Roi – The God Who Sees
We are beginning to travel the path to Calvary. It was a moving day.
Tue, Mar 26, 2019 — Bethlehem, Church of Nativity and Shepherd’s Fields, Mt. of Olives, Gethsemane
We began the day visiting Mount Hebron, the burial place of the patriarch. Travel the way of the patriarch into Hills of Rachael. We spent time overlooking Shepherd fields. This is the place where the angels visited the shepherds. It was at this same location that is known as the farming land of Ruth and Boaz.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (the house of the bread) is located between mountains. Bethlehem is meaningful; the message of his birth reached was not limited to those in Jerusalem. The place of the announcement of the birth of Christ and the birthplace of Christ.
Interesting fact:
The manager was probably in a cave. In Bethlehem, some of the homes are built above caves.
Dead sea scroll Jar
Interesting fact:
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was found in three clay jars. One is still located in Bethlehem, one in the Vatican and the other in Israel. In Bethlehem, I had the opportunity to visit with the grandson of the man who discovered the Dead Sea Scroll and to see one of the jars.
Mount of Olives
Our next stop was the Mount of Olives and began to walk the way of Christ to Jerusalem. We celebrate this journey on Palm Sunday. Gethsemane (place of the olive press), was an interesting place. The Garden is is still there, and we stopped and prayed over Jerusalem. You could see what Jesus was looking at as he came down Mount Olives. I read for the group the prayer Jesus prayed over the city (Matt 21:6).
Interesting fact
The gates of the city of Jerusalem have many names. For example, the Mercury gate, golden gate, western gate are all the same. Jesus enters on Palm Sunday this gate passing through the Kidron valley.
Garden of Gethsemane
What s moving time as we spent some time in the Garden of Gethsemane praying and meditating. It was here that Jesus was arrested. It was here that it is said that Jesus was pressed between the father’s will and His will. Like olive, the first oil that comes from the press is considered virgin oil. The next pressed oil is for domestic The 3rd press oil is called, the blood of the oil. It was here Jesus surrender his will to the father’s will.
Lord, I surrender my will to your will at Gethsemane.
Thank you for taking us on this journey with you Pastor 🙏🏽🙏🏽