Israel Tour 2020


Back to School! Jesus took his disciples to a resort area in Caesarea Philippi. While there, Peter made his well-known declaration, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then affirmed, “upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matt. 16:16,18 NASB). Tis was a powerful event, but some added details from the location add depth to what is going on.


Caesarea Philippi is located in the northern part of Israel at the foot of Mount Hermon and the headwaters of the Jordan River.


Tis site has a history of dedicated idol worship including child sacrifice to a variety of gods going back centuries before Christ. In Jesus’ time, this was the site of a shrine to the gods Pan and Zeus. People traveled to the area for worship. Here Jesus asked the disciples who people thought he was, and then asked who the disciples themselves thought he was. Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, and, in contrast to the false gods with their supposed sons, Jesus was the “Son of the living God”!


But still one more nugget comes from this location. A large, hollow rock has an opening that today is mostly dry, but in Jesus’ day,


a deep spring gushed out of that opening with enough velocity and power to prevent the depth from being measured. Tis opening became known as the Gates of Hades. Tis gives another layer of meaning of Jesus statement that the gates of Hades will not overpow- er the church. Te spiritual forces of Satan, represented by this powerful spring with an unknown depth at a place of dedicated idol worship, would not prevail against the power of God to grow the church!


Caesarea Philippi is one of the stops on the FEBC Israel tour, and this is one short example of how visiting and learning about the physical location adds to our understanding of the Bible. Consider sending your pastor on this educational tour.


Tour dates: February 9-20, 2020 Tour Leader: Trevor Kirsch More information at fellowshipforward.org.


Connect19 Project Bless our Pastors with a


Tour of Israel Pastor Trevor Kirsch will lead a study tour in Isra- el during Feb. 9–20, 2020. Te Connect19 project will help send FEBC pastors on this tour.


Our goal is to raise $20,000 CAD (about $15,000


USD). We would then be able to distribute $2,000 CAD to 10 FEBC pastors. Teir total cost would then be $450 CAD (about $335 USD) plus a few other costs for transportation to the airport, tips and meals. Pastors: Please sign up by September 30! Find more information at fellowshipforward.org. By the end of August, $7400 had been received for this project.


Will you help? Please make checks out to “FEBC”


with memo “Connect19 Project” and mail in Canada to PO Box 115, Langham, SK S0K 2L0 or in USA to 11605 W Dodge RD STE 3, Omaha, NE 68154-2566). Giſts should be sent by October 15. Tank you for considering giving toward this year’s project offering!


Fellowship Focus, September/October 2019


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