Charisma Magazine

During my trip to the Garden Tomb in Israel, I felt God's Spirit in a way I had not experienced Him before. I could hear Him saying: "I love you. I sent my only Son to die for you, so you can spend eternity with me." The revelation of His feelings made me weep when it was time to board the bus. But God's love is not confined to a rock-hewn grave. It abides in the hearts of people who accept Yeshua. To learn about the Garden Tomb, watch videos below.

Believers are often confronted by skeptics who bark out their opposition to our present translation of Scriptures, charging that the translation is not the same as the original Word God gave to Moses, the prophets, and the apostles.

However, an event in 1948 helped settle the controversy of the authenticity of the 1611 translation of the English Scriptures as it relates to the Old Testament.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said President Barack Obama must choose between Israel and Iran. The comment was made Tuesday in Istanbul during an economic address before the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference.

"The support of both Israel and Iran can't go hand in hand. No change is made unless great choices are made," said Ahmadinejad. "We will clasp any hand that is extended sincerely toward us, but changes should be made in practice."

There was a song in the late fifties called "Hearts Made of Stone." I'm sure the writer of this song had no idea he was quoting Scripture. The promise to Israel in Ezekiel 11:19 is, "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh."

When we were in Israel we walked along the shore in Natanya. As we were walking on the beach we noticed hundreds of smooth pebbles shaped like hearts. We collected as many as we could carry back with us to the States. Many in our tour put these hearts in baskets, and as they prayed for the peace of Jerusalem daily, they lifted up the basket to the Lord and proclaimed this Scripture promise: "I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh."

As I showered in preparation for our last day of sightseeing, I reflected on many of the places we've visited. A list with a one- or two-sentence description would fill the rest of this blog. While each now holds a special place in my heart, and many brought the Bible to life and me to tears, one common thing connects them—fear. Rather, the lack of it.





I've realized how much we live in fear in the United States. With crime, murder and rape rates at mindboggling levels, we're forced to bolt our doors at home, keep our cars locked while in the driveway, and be always mindful of our surroundings. Despite these safety precautions, robbery, theft, murder and rape dominate the nightly news.