Pastor Lewis Returns from Israel Interview - 3/21/06

Ark News - How was your trip? Pastor Lewis - It was great! Ark - What was most enjoyable about your trip? Pastor - Visiting the sites, like the empty tomb. Standing on the Hill and seeing the valley of Jezreel ( Megiddo). Standing on Mt. Carmel and thinking about the prophet Elijah. Since 1950, after Israel became a state, they replanted 19 million trees that the turks had cut down previously and I could understand what Moses saw, coming from a desert land, and seeing the land flowing with milk & honey. Ark - What's the Spiritual Climate like in Israel? Pastor - The Christian poplulation is declining every year. 51% are Jewish, 50% are muslim, and 1% are Christian. Most are just trying to have a personal experience on "holy" ground. Ark - What was the most shocking thing you saw in Israel? Pastor - Seeing snow on Mt. Hermon and a ski resort! Also the muslim influence. The Jewish thought is; "we're not going to do to others, what's been done to us." So they won't be tearing down the Dome of the Rock, etc. Seeing the wailing wall, to see Jews broken over what they use to have in the former temple. Ark - What did God reveal to you during your visit? Pastor - .. about the people of Israel.. how I need to pray for them. I realized how much God loves them. With recent history, you can see God setting up His return. Also the reality of His return, when I saw Megiddo. We took communion at the Empty tomb, so the reality of Christ being alive was amazing. Ark - Any closing thoughts? Pastor - on the Sea of Galilee, Peter asks Jesus to walk on the water. Christianity is the only faith in the world, where God asked us to be involved in a miracle. All other religions gods always tell of look what I've done, etc. I would like to express my gratitude to my church family for helping me go.