A Spiritual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

For many Christians it is a lifelong dream — a spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. 

Imagine walking where Jesus walked, seeing where He was born and where He grew up. Picture yourself sailing across the Sea of Galilee or wandering along a street in Capernaum where Jesus spent much of His ministry. Visualize yourself standing on the Mount of Olives with its panoramic view of Jerusalem or tracing the steps that Jesus trod on His way to Calvary. 

Time spent in the Holy Land is not just another sightseeing tour. It is a life-changing experience in which the words of the Bible take on new meaning. It is a highlight of a lifetime. That is why Christians for centuries have made the journey to Israel as an act of faith. That is why it is called a spiritual pilgrimage. 

Add to that the opportunity to learn what God is doing today in the land of the Bible. Anticipate what it would be like to sit with Southern Baptist representatives as they share about what God is doing among Jews and Arabs in Israel. See yourself walking through a Baptist village outside Tel Aviv where Baptists have worked for more than 50 years or walking through the gates of Jerusalem House — a historic bridge between Arabs, Jews and Christians for decades. 

Stand among the Arab children at the Baptist school in Nazareth as they learn in one of the best schools in Israel. Listen to young people studying for ministry at Bethlehem Bible College. Rejoice with Messianic Jews as they tell about their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Add all this together and it makes a trip of a lifetime, an unsurpassed missions experience, a life-changing spiritual event, a dream come true. And it is available to you as a reader of The Alabama Baptist. 

March 15–25, 2013, I will have the privilege of leading another annual Holy Land Spiritual Pilgrimage Tour. The itinerary has been worked out in cooperation with Baptist representatives in Israel and suggestions from prior participants to provide the best possible experience. In Jerusalem, for example, participants will explore the old City of David, which lies outside the current walls of Jerusalem. Participants will stand on steps where Jesus stood as they climb the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount. They will visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and worship together near the Garden Tomb. 

Also on the agenda is the Old Testament city of Dan with its recently discovered gates dating back to the time of Ahab and one of the oldest inhabited sites yet discovered — the ruins of ancient Jericho. 

As tour leader it will be my privilege to work with our Christian guide to teach biblical information about each site and the importance of each site in the life and ministry of our Lord and of the New Testament church. 

Since my first trip to Israel in 1973 and in all my trips there since, both as tour leader and as guest of the Israeli government, I have never met a believer who did not have his or her Christian faith strengthened and renewed by visiting the holy sites related to the ministry of Jesus. That is why I am not at all hesitant to describe the tour as a life-changing event. 

The other part of the pilgrimage is learning what God is doing in Israel today. To simply look backward is to miss the opportunity to connect what God did through Jesus 2,000 years ago to what He is doing today in the same small land. 

Today Baptist representatives work with both Jews and Arabs. The Messianic movement (Jews who believe in Jesus as the Christ) is growing. Work among Arab believers is headed primarily by the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel, an organization that celebrated 100 years of Baptist witness in 2011. Pilgrimage participants will learn about how God is working through both groups. 

Another important part of the trip will be learning from and encouraging Christian believers in the West Bank. Sometimes it is forgotten that Bethlehem is considered a historically Christian city. Today one finds thriving evangelical churches there and a training center for believers working across the Arab world. But times are hard. 

Southern Baptist representatives will guide us as we learn about the mighty acts of God among these people and how Christians in the West can better pray for them. 

The March dates should provide mild weather, and because it will be near the end of the rainy season, pilgrims may get to see Israel’s unique beauty when the desert is in bloom. Also the dates coincide with spring break for many of Alabama’s school systems. That means teachers and other school personnel can take advantage of this opportunity. 

Hopefully you can be a part of this Holy Land Spiritual Pilgrimage Tour. You will travel with fellow Baptists, so the group should be compatible and fun to travel with. That has certainly been the experience of similar tours in the past. 

The cost is competitive and because of the unique itinerary involving Baptist representatives in Israel, it is unlike any other tour available. 

For more information about the cost and other details, write to Holy Land Tour, 3310 Independence Drive, Birmingham AL 35209; email holyland@thealabamabaptist.org; or call 1-800-803-5201.