It’s time for a good thing to come to an end!  I have had a blast walking you through passages of Scripture while viewing many places where Biblical accounts occurred.  It has been my prayer throughout the tour that the Bible has come alive to you in meaningful ways.  Though I trust that has happened to some degree, rest assured that what we have done is merely a shadow of what it is like to actually, physically walk were Jesus walked and see where passages of Scripture actually took place.  I highly encourage you….if there is any way at all you can make it to Israel, don’t miss out on the chance.  It is worth every penny you pay, moment you invest, and ounce of energy you expend!

So, some final thoughts to finish up our tour….

This was my fourth trip to Israel and each has been every bit as valuable to me as the first.  Each time I go I have a deeper appreciation of God’s Word and I am drawn deeper and deeper into the hope we have in Jesus Christ!  And each time I go the Holy Spirit fans the flame that was kindled during my first trip to Israel in 2008.  It is a flame that burns passionately and I can’t ignore it.  That flame is rooted in this passage from Titus 2:11-14:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Because the grace of God brought salvation to all who will receive it, we have hope and we anxiously await the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.  That has implications in the past and the future, but both tied to Israel!  In the past, God chose a people (the Jews) and a land (Israel) to call His own…yet by His divine plan, we saw that God provided a way of salvation to Gentiles as well! Praise God!  (See Welcome to the Holy City)

But future implications include the Second Coming of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus!  To understand more fully, we have to understand God’s plan for the Jews, and how God pressed the “pause” button in order to bring salvation to Gentiles.  We’re living in that “pause,” but any day now God is going to press that button again and “the time of the Gentiles” will be done and He will then resume (and finish) His plan for the Jews!

“Where in the world did you come up with that!?!”

Good question…I’m glad you asked!  The principle comes from Daniel 9:24-27, but also encompasses prophetic passages throughout Scripture.  I can’t explain it all in one blog post, but am willing to help bring light to that and other prophetic passages that tell us what God’s plan is for the end times.  Thus, I say to you….the tour is over, but the journey continues!

It is my belief that the Lord Jesus Christ could return at any moment.  No one knows the day or the hour, but we are told in Scripture to be ready, and to know and understand the seasons!  I believe we are in the last days, and I believe there is evidence of that in today’s current events.  Thus, I will do my best to shed some light on what is happening in the world today, in light of what Scriptures tells us will occur in the last days.

God has truly instilled in me a heart for Israel…and Israel’s Messiah!  Hang around and as we journey together I’ll share my thoughts with you.  Who knows, God may instill in you a heart for Israel and Israel’s Messiah as well!

(I tried to make the tour a daily experience, as it would be if you were on an actual tour to Israel.  Now that the tour is over, I will post as the Lord provides wisdom and insight to share.  It will have no specific schedule, so please check in occasionally for updates!)

Blessings!