Four Reasons Why Our South Africa Creation Safari is Perfect for Families

Maybe it has been years since you took your family on vacation. Let’s be honest, traveling with babies and toddlers has its challenges. Now that your kids are a bit older, however, a vacation might be back on your mind. But since it isn’t something you get to do all the time, you want to make it count.

Our South Africa Creation Safari is the perfect option. This Christian tour is an awe-inspiring trip for both children and adults. With dramatic African animals, creation teachings, star gazing, relaxation opportunities and children’s activities all packed into 10 days, you are sure to come home with memories that have bonded your family and lessons that will build both yours and your children’s faith.

Here are four reasons why our South African Creation Safari is perfect for families.

1. It’s adventure with relaxation

Often when it comes to vacation, some want relaxation, while others want adventure. This tour has the best of both. On the adventure front, your family can take early-morning game drives and see many of the Big Five animals, such as lions, elephants, and rhinos. You can ride elephants, walk with lions and see guides feed an assortment of safari animals.

But after all the excitement, there will be opportunities for massage, lounging by the pool, golfing, fishing, leisurely fireside dinners, and morning coffee at sunrise.

2. There are activities for you and activities for kids

Not all destinations are conducive to children. How often do you get excited for an activity only to have your kid’s groan at the prospective boredom? Or maybe you’d like to try something, but it’s dangerous or unadvised for kids.

On this tour, while you get a massage, the kids can play a sports game at the lodge. When you go walk with the lions, our hosts will take the children to view the baby lions. Our scholars will have teachings adapted both for adults and for children.

3. You don’t have to worry about planning anything. Just get your kids on the plane.

Part of the stress of traveling with children is figuring out the logistics beforehand. Where will they sleep? Where will you eat every day? Can you fit your family in the cab? You won’t have to worry about any of it on this tour. We take care of all the details for you.

It’s the best of vacation without the headaches. You simply show up, and we will take care of the rest. The tour is pre-paid, so you won’t have to take out your wallet and negotiate price. A vacation without planning, navigating, or having to problem-solve is a true vacation.

4. The teachings are geared toward both adults and children and will build your family’s faith

A family learning together about God’s creation in a dramatic setting like South Africa creates a special bond. Seeing powerful animals like lions and elephants; watching a sunrise across the plains or staring up into the vast night sky at the countless array of stars is an experience your family may have never had before. That you are all there, experiencing it together, will give you a collective appreciation for God’s creation in new ways.

You will have topics to dig into as a family for months and years to come.. Your children won’t forget this vacation – and neither will you.

Check out our South Africa Creation Safari. It’s the vacation your family has been waiting for.

The post Four Reasons Why Our South Africa Creation Safari is Perfect for Families appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/09/africa-creation-safari/

Melchizedek Dead Sea Scroll Found at Qumran

Genesis 14:18-20 (KJV)

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Of all the unusual individuals that show up in Scripture, Melchizedek, the King of Salem, is one of the most fascinating. Throughout the Old and New Testament, Melchizedek is only mentioned in three books: Genesis, Psalms, and Hebrews, with Genesis being the only book where he appears in person. The spiritual authority of Melchizedek and the way in which the author of Genesis brings the readers attention to the absence of any genealogy relating to Melchizedek, indicates the uniqueness of Melchizedek as a figure of Scripture. Melchizedek has no genealogy, he is a priest of God during a time when there were very few godly men, and the author of Hebrews draws comparisons between Melchizedek and Jesus, saying that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham (Hebrews 7:7). Similarly, in John 8 the Jews ask Jesus if he is greater than Abraham.

Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
– John 8:54-57

The parallels between Jesus and Melchizedek are so striking, that some Biblical scholars have wondered if Melchizedek could have been a manifestation of Jesus before the Nativity. However, the references made in Hebrews, stating that Jesus “is a priest after the order of Melchizedek”, would be redundant if Melchizedek had himself been a manifestation of Christ. What is certain is that Melchizedek was a great priest of God and that he was recognized as such by Abraham, David, and the author of the Book of Hebrew.

Very little information is given in Scripture about Melchizedek, however, among the discoveries made at the Qumran caves, was a scroll dating back to the 1st Century BC that gives more information about the importance of Melchizedek the priest.

Read the full text of the Melchizedek Dead Sea Scroll 11Q13 here or visit the Shrine of the Book (where the Dead Sea Scrolls are now kept) on a Christian Israel tour!

The post Melchizedek Dead Sea Scroll Found at Qumran appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/09/melchizedek-dead-sea-scroll/

Why you should go on one of our Holy Land Tours

As Carolyn stood on the Garden of Gethsemane during her Holy Land tour with Living Passages, the weight of the anguish Christ experienced there, just mere hours before he faced the cross, fell on her.

She had to sit down on a bench outside of the Gethsemane Chapel to sob.

She had wanted to go on a Holy Land tour since she was a teenager. But life’s ups and downs pulled her in other directions. Two years after her husband died, she stepped out in faith and signed up for a tour.

“To be able to go in such luxury, with such great leaders and guides, made the trip everything I had hoped for all my life,” she said. “This was my number one bucket list wish.”

There is something about experiencing Biblical Israel that has a profound effect on a Christian. Just like Carolyn found, quiet moments standing in the places Christ stood, taught, lived and died is unlike any other vacation experience.

Why is a Holy Land tour special?

It’s no secret to any Christian that the story arch of the Bible played out in the Holy Land. The Jews are God’s chosen people.

Before you think this a designation that smacks of arrogance and elitism, consider the responsibility of being chosen. The failures and successes of the Israelites through the centuries is inscribed in Scripture for billions of people to read. The opportunity they had to be close to God only magnified their lack of righteousness. It’s a humble mantle to bear.

It might seem strange that God choose this people group, especially knowing how they would stray from Him again and again. Hebrew slaves seem like an unlikely bunch from which to draw Christ’s bloodline. Yet, that is often how God works. Jesus did not come as ruler, or an angel, but as one of us, from lowly beginnings. That was intentional. The story that played out in the Holy Land is laced with humble beginnings, inadequacies, and, except for Christ himself, human flaw.

But how encouraging is that for us, who are also fallen sinful people?

The Israelites story is an important one. The Bible details the course of their history, their movements, their genealogies. The amazing thing is that many of these places, where these stories occurred, still exist. We can still see them with our own eyes. That’s what makes the Holy Land special.

Why go to Biblical Israel now?

Anyone who watches the news gets the impression that residents of Jerusalem are dodging bombs and hunkered in shelters daily. That is far from the truth. Yes, there are areas that may hold more risk, but most of the Holy Land is as safe as any other developed country.

Still, it is often at the eye of political firestorms, so there is no guarantee it will always be this way.

We have read the end of the story, but we don’t know when that end is coming. We don’t know how much time we have. There may be a day that travel to Biblical Israel is no longer possible or safe. Or maybe that day won’t come in our lifetimes. We don’t know. What we do know is that we can go now. Why not take advantage of that?

So why are Holy Land tours worth taking?

It’s one thing to read Scripture from 6,000 miles away, but it is something unique to stand in the places where the events occurred as we read it. It gives us context we have never had before. It explains things that are difficult to explain in simple text. With our own eyes, we can gain new understanding about the Bible, the God we serve and Christ.

The Bible tells a story that as Christians we need to know fully. What better way to hear and understand it than to see it for ourselves on one of our Holy Land tours?

Carolyn said for her the experience in Israel still brings Scripture alive. No longer a far-off place she can’t envision, she remembers that she was right there, standing in the places the Bible describes, every time she reads it.

Interested in one of our Holy Land tours? We have several upcoming tours that make stops in Biblical Israel. Each of our Christian tours includes expert scholars who can offer added insight into biblical history. Let us know if we can help you experience the places you have previously read about in the Bible.

The post Why you should go on one of our Holy Land Tours appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/09/why-go-holy-land-tours/

Tour for the mobility impaired could your chance to see Israel

Maybe you have dreamed of going to Israel for years, but life’s busyness got in the way. The years have passed, and now you feel like you missed your chance. Maybe getting around isn’t as easy as it used to be. Or you don’t want to hold other people back. Going to another country sounds overwhelming, if not impossible. After all, you assume there couldn’t possibly be a tour for the mobility impaired available.

If that’s you, we have a special tour to Israel designed with you in mind.

Tour for the mobility impaired

Justin Peters of Justin Peters Ministries is leading a unique tour, and since he uses a special chair, he has room for another to join the group on our bus that is specifically equipped with you in mind. Justin took his first trip with us last year and this year, we are using a bus outfitted for quick on/off which has access to the front entrances of all our stops.  It is really an amazing opportunity for the right individuals. This is also a great tour for seniors with limited mobility.

Imagine praise and worship on the Mediterranean Sea. Think about taking a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee – the same sea Jesus often crossed. You could travel down the Palm Sunday Road, envisioning as you go what it might have been like when Jesus rode a donkey down that same passage. You’ll visit the Pools of Bethesda for a private teaching.

These are all experiences that might have seemed out of reach before. They aren’t anymore.

We will have options as well for those who are able to wander further, so all our welcome. But if a wheelchair accessible tour to Israel is what would open the door for you to go, this is a rare opportunity for you.

Finally a wheelchair accessible tour option

If you still have the passion to travel to the Holy Land but need a little assistance in getting around, we are happy to help. These opportunities don’t come along often, if ever. So if you have any desire to go to Israel and see biblical sites first hand, this is your chance. You won’t hold anyone up or inconvenience your group. You won’t have to worry about getting into a place you might get stuck without help. Join Justin Peters as you visit the places Jesus walked and watch Scripture come alive before your eyes.

Read more about the itinerary, the details and see photos of the locations on our Justin Peters Israel tour page.

The post Tour for the mobility impaired could your chance to see Israel appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/09/tour-for-mobility-impaired-chance-to-see-israel/

An exciting time for Biblical tours and the history of Biblical Israel

The goal of Biblical tours of the Holy Land is to help travelers engage in the history of scripture while connecting with fellow believers and strengthening their walk with God. Christian pastors, teachers, and experts often lead groups of believers through the sites of Biblical Israel in the footsteps of Jesus and the apostles. But recent discoveries in the field of Israeli archaeology are changing the way Biblical tours work. While local tradition used to be the basis of belief for where certain events of the Bible took place, archaeological evidence and study are taking the accuracy of Scripture to a new level. Experts like archaeologist Eli Shukron (who discovered the Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the blind man), Dr. Adolfo Roitman (the Curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls), and Christian theological Professor Dr. Craig Evans, are exploring the ways in which history corresponds to Christian and Jewish texts.

"The House of God is just the stone." Eli Shukron explained, while taking a group of travelers to visit one of the most astonishing finds in Jerusalem archaeology: The Standing Stone of Melchizedek, which, according to Scripture, served as one of the very earliest places of worship and the spot where Abraham brought the first tithe. "...What is the importance, where all that started?" Shukron continued. "Where we are."

Very few Biblical tours go inside the place of the Melchizedek Standing Stone, which Shukron refers to as "Temple Zero". An equally breathtaking sight is the great Isaiah Scroll. Inside the Shrine of the Book, Dr. Adolfo Roitman refers to the Isaiah Scroll as "Our Mona Lisa".

"The most important cultural treasure of the Jewish nation is the great Isaiah Scroll." Says Dr. Roitman. "The second largest scroll discovered in Qumran caves - containing all the sixty-six chapters of the prophet Isaiah you have in your Bibles." 

As the modern picture we draw of Biblical Israel becomes clearer, the evidence to support the factual accuracy of the Bible becomes progressively more astonishing. That is why we feel that Christian travelers should have the opportunity to enjoy Biblical tours that bring them face-to-face with the experts and artifacts. In 2019, Dr. Craig Evan, Dr. Adolfo Roitman, and archaeologist Eli Shukron will all be featured on several of our Christian cruise and Biblical Israel tours!

Archaeologist Eli Shukron

Dr. Craig A Evans

Dr. Adolfo Roitman

The post An exciting time for Biblical tours and the history of Biblical Israel appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/08/biblical-tours-israel/

Frank Turek: The Bible doesn’t cover everything

See the Frank Turek YouTube video below for his take on this topic. 

From the surface view, the Bible appears to have some pretty major gaps. What about all of the other people groups in the world, such as the Chinese or Indians and the multitude of story lines that played out in other countries? Why doesn’t the Bible explain dinosaurs? Where were the Vikings or the Native Americans over the centuries?

The Bible’s central story

If you read closely, there is actually a lot you can parse out about creation. But the account of creation sets the stage for the Bible’s main focus: One bloodline. The entire arch of the Bible centers around a single story: the story of Christ.

As the Frank Turek YouTube video below explains, “The purpose of the Bible is not to tell you everything about everything. It’s not to tell you about every animal or every civilization. It’s to tell you about how to get saved and sanctified.”

“That’s the reason the Bible is written. It’s not written to tell you everything about everything, just the most important thing.”

The Bible is not an encyclopedia or an exhaustive explanation of geology or history. In fact, God often seems to prefer to leave some things a mystery. But it covers the most important thing. It tells the story of the bloodline of Christ, the prophesies surrounding Him, His coming to earth, His dying and Him rising again. It then shifts to prophesying when He will come again. These threads course through Scripture all the wall from the beginning to end.

Frank Turek YouTube video

Check out the below video as Frank Turek discusses this topic on a YouTube video during a Living Passages tour.

What is the Bible really about?

Just as Jesus is to be the center of our lives, He is the center of the biblical account. The Bible tells the greatest story ever told. The most important story every told. Because without Christ, the Bible’s story line would not end with the hope and promise we have today because of His death and Resurrection. Our salvation dictates our eternity, so doesn’t it make sense that the Bible would focus on how to get saved? The timeline of this earth is relatively short compared to eternity. It makes sense that God would focus on the big picture in His words to us.

Teachings by Frank Turek

We’ve been fortunate to hear this and many other teachings by speaker and author Frank Turek of Cross Examined. He has traveled with many of our Christian tour groups and tends to draw many repeat customers. In April of 2019, he will again join us on a cruise from Rome to Athens.

This time, Frank will focus in on the life of the Apostle Paul and the Early Church. We’d love to have you join us on this exciting Christian Cruise! But don’t wait too long. Our tours with Frank tend to book out fast.

The post Frank Turek: The Bible doesn’t cover everything appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/08/frank-turek-youtube-the-bible/

8 reasons to try group travel tours

As you are looking at your next vacation, you have two options: You can do it all yourself. Or you could sign up for one of many group travel tours with a travel company. While the DIY travel approach has some advantages, there are far more upsides to group travel than you might realize.

Here are eight reasons you should try traveling with a group:

1. The planning details won’t be so overwhelming.

Booking lodging, transportation, excursions and flights can be a lot of work, especially in foreign countries that you have never been to, where you don’t know the language and aren’t familiar with the currency. Even catching a cab can be a hassle. When you go in a tour group, those things are off your shoulders. All you have to do is pack and show up for your flight while someone else does the work for you.

2. Tried and tested tour stops.

If you’ve never been to your destination, it can be tricky to figure out where you should visit or even where you should eat. As a company that does group travel tours, we have been to these destinations over and over. That means we know the spots are worth a visit and which to skip. For the past two decades, we have been scouting out premier options, as we discussed in our blog about the 10 ultimate Biblical destinations.

3. Safety in numbers.

While we have found travel is safer than people perceive it, some inherent risk still exists. There is also a lot you can do to reduce the risk. One thing is to travel with a group, where there are others with you, watching out for you. You also have an experienced liaison and local guides with you who know the area, where to avoid and can alert you to anything potential safety issues.

4. You can relax more.

Similar to travel preparation, once you are in the country, you don’t have to worry about the details. With a group travel tour, someone is always there to do that for you. Someone else will deal with negotiating tips with the driver. Someone else will figure out an alternative plan if a scheduled event is delayed or canceled. Someone else will pay the bill, while you lounge on your hotel patio.

5. You might find love.

Are you single? For one, traveling alone isn’t for everyone. But there is always the chance you could find love on your trip. Hey, it’s happened before. While there is no guarantee, taking the risk and going on a tour opens you up to the possibility of meeting someone else with similar interests and values as you.

6. Group travel discounts.

As they say, it’s all in who you know. As a tour company, there are various vendors we have access to that the every-day traveler doesn’t. We work with airlines, hotels, restaurants, and other vendors to get the best deals for our travelers. We take advantage of group discounts and contracts to get you the best deal possible. While a solo trip might appear cheaper when you are planning, it’s easy to miss the nickel and dime expenses you will encounter along the way. Having done hundreds of trips, we know what to expect in terms of cost and factor it into your price or give you a heads up from the outset.

7. Experts travel with you on group travel tours.

So many destinations come alive when you have someone who knows a lot about them and can explain the history and context. On our group travel tours, our experts — such as apologetics speaker  Frank Turek or teacher and author Joel Richardson — travel with you, eat dinner with you, provide teaching sessions as you are standing at the sites, and answer your questions. While a self-guided tour through the City of David might sound nice, you might miss the fascinating explanation of all the tucked away biblical events, such as the Melchizedek standing stone or the Pool of Siloam. These are things you only get when you travel with the experts.

8. You’ll make friends for life.

One thing we hear again and again from our travelers is about the relationships they built with the people they met on their tours. These are priceless and often last a lifetime. One of our clients had the teaching pastor on the tour officiate her wedding. Many others have become long-term friends with their tour roommates. When you travel with like-minded people, you connect in ways you might not have expected.

Group travel tours may not be something you had considered in the past. Maybe you didn’t like the idea of not choosing your own itinerary or being with people you don’t know. But the advantages of this type of trip make group tours worth trying out as you are looking at your next vacation. You never know, you might not ever go back to the DIY approach.

 

Interested in looking at the options? Check out our available Christian tours and Christian cruises, or have one customized for your church or group.

The post 8 reasons to try group travel tours appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/07/8-reasons-to-try-group-travel-tours/