Jerusalem GAFCON Day 4

Well folks, it looks as though I have access this evening, so here goes. We had a great evening last night as all 1200 attended an evening service at the Ophel Gardens which are at the base of what used to be the Temple Steps. This is where Peter preached the Pentecost sermon which birthed the Christian church. Some of the bottom steps were hewed out of the bedrock and are still there. I will be bringing a picture home, but here is one I took tonight as we were leaving the Western Wall court. The picture looks east to the Mount of Olives with the Jewish cemetery on the western slopes. The Jewish people believe that the Messiah will come on the Mount of Olives and then head to the Temple Mount...and those buried between the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount will be he first to be raised. Therefore, it is a popular burial site, with over 60,000 buried there.

Mary & I have been to the western Wall three times. There is something in the spiritual realm that keeps drawing us back into the Jewish Quarter of the Old city, and the Wall is definitely a place where you can draw closer to God. Tonight we prayed for the ACiC, our common mission together, our upcoming AGM. I prayed for peace and for sustaining of holy fellowship, for the Lord to draw more excited people and pastors into our coalition, and for us to become a anointed instrument of God's blessing to the lost within ou sphere of influence.

You can't really see much of them but there are about 300-400 Anglicans praying at the men's side of the Wall. The other picture is of the womans section and our group in intercession.

We found a delightful rooftop restaurant called Papa Andrea's. In fact it was recommended to us by Peter and Elsbeth who were here earlier in the month. Many of the Mission delegation have eaten there over the last week. This is Tim & Emily Smith, who pastor a church Jackson Mississippi.

This is the view north towards the church of the Holy Sepulcher, with a Muslim minaret. It is a wonderfully cool and quiet...well sometimes quiet place to end the day.