Journeying Through the Tabernacle

   The past 10 weeks I've been on an incredible journey together with about 70 other women. Some of these women have been to Israel with me and some will be coming to Israel with me. We've been going through a study called "A Women's Heart - God's Dwelling Place." It's a study by Beth Moore about the Old Testament Tabernacle and how it speaks to our own hearts being the Temple of the Holy Spirit today. We have all learned so much! It has been great preparation for me for this return trip to Israel. Each study we've done has had so many precious nuggets to glean from, hide in our hearts and apply to our own individual lives. This study has been no different and yet has seemed to be the most life-changing for many of the women.

 Exploring each piece of the treasured items in the Tabernacle to show how they related to Jesus Christ was monumental and absolutely life-changing! What made this study even more special to me was that I had an incredible opportunity to walk through a replica of the Tabernacle at the Crossroads Centre in Burlington, Ontario when we were only 3 weeks into the study. My son was leaving for Bible school in England and my hubby and I travelled to Ontario with him first to go through this with him before he left us for a time. How special that was! 

 Each piece speaks so much about our Lord Jesus Christ! The Door to the Tabernacle is Jesus as John 10:9 tells us. Jesus is the Bread of the Presence (John 6:35); he is the Altar of Incense (Hebrews 7:25); he is the Mercy Seat (Romans 3:25-26); Jesus is the Basin (John 13:8b) and the Lampstand (John 8:12); he is the Veil (Hebrews 10:20) and yes, Jesus is the Tabernacle (John 1:14). How GLORIOUS!

   As I walked through that Tabernacle with the 'High Priest' giving us the tour, it brought me back to Israel when we had a tour through the Temple Institute. Here we saw the High Priest's garments as well as the Temple Assistant's behind glass cabinets. Also displayed were the utensils that have been preserved and remade for the 3rd Temple that is yet to come. Seeing the paintings that were hanging on the walls in this place to show us what the Tabernacle must have looked like was so very moving. Seeing Aaron the High Priest offering incense to the Lord with the Lampstand behind him and the veil in front of him. 

    As I had walked through this Tabernacle in Ontario, the song Take Me into the Holy of Holies  kept singing over again and again in my spirit. I was so in awe!

    The most amazing point of this study was the ending. Beth explained how the Glory of the Lord had been in the Tabernacle and then transferred to the Solomon's Temple after it was built. God wanted the Tabernacle built so that He could dwell among His people. That was His greatest desire, to be among His people. His Glory filled the Tabernacle then it filled Solomon's Temple, but did not stay there. Israel kept following the pagan gods and defiling themselves and God's Glory left the Temple. The last time it was seen was over the mountain east of Jerusalem - the Mount of Olives.  

  The Glory of God did not enter Herod's Temple until Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be dedicated. Jesus came in man form to this earth but he was the Glory of God that entered the Temple each time he walked through the doorway. He would've walked up those southern steps that the public took to go up to the Temple Mount. After 3 years of ministry, Jesus was crucified on the cross, died and rose after 3 days. He was on the Mount of Olives with his disciples when he began rising to heaven and God hid Jesus from their view with a pillar of cloud. Fifty days after he went to heaven, on the day of Pentecost, everyone in the Upper Room was filled with the the Glory of God, the Holy Spirit. 

     God's Glory is now present in every believer through the Holy Spirit. The next time that the Glory of God will fully appear is when Jesus returns and his foot steps onto the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14). It will split in two and Jesus will walk down through the valley and enter Jerusalem once again through the Eastern Gate to reign from the Temple.  Oh to imagine this all in my mind and awaiting that day when Jesus will return, I can't wait! But even more, standing in these places and picturing this all happening is so incredible! Doesn't it just make you want to journey to the Holy Land of Israel with us? Lord willing, in 3 months time we will be doing just that. 

Promo Video for the WJOF Israel Tour

Good afternoon sweet sisters on the journey!!  Soon I will have another blog post on Israel up for you but until then, here is the link to our great promo video highlighting the upcoming tour to the Holy Land. Enjoy!!  ♥  I KNOW you're going to enjoy it!!

Jesus said "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full!" (John 10:10b)
To walk on the land that Jesus was born and raised, where he preached and performed miracles, walked among us and felt every tear, dream, hope and human despair yet went to the cross for our sins, (so that we might LIVE and have LIFE to the full)... wow! Reading scripture will never be the same! If you've ever thought of going to Israel, perhaps now is the time. To gather together for ten days in the Holy Land with women of faith?... Dear friend, you are in for an unforgettable journey of a lifetime!

Registration Deadline November 26th- information and form online at http://www.wjof.com/israeltour/

*Please note that Women's Journey of Faith and Ayelet Tours, Ltd. are closely monitoring the situation as it is developing in Israel . We want to assure you that all decisions regarding this tour will be made with the groups safety as our primary concern.

Ladies Dessert Night / Israel Tour Info Night

Ladies!  We have exciting news!  We know many of you have shown interest in coming with us on our tour to Israel in March 2013. So...

On Monday, October 22, 2012 at Cornerstone Church, there will be a Ladies Dessert Night Out at 6:30 pm. Come enjoy a lovely evening of desserts and learning more about the Land of Israel. ♥  Cost is $5.

Kathleen Vage from Saskatoon will be sharing her testimony and sharing about the life of Messianic Jews in Israel. Kathleen is a Messianic believer and has lived in Saskatoon for the past 2 years.  She has been working at Scott's Parable for the past 9 years, 2 of them here in Saskatoon and 7 years in Red Deer, AB.  She was raised in the U.S. and her family is from New York. 25 years of her married life she lived in Vancouver. She has 1 daughter who lives here in Saskatoon as well.
Kathleen's heart is for her people, the Jews, and in her testimony she will share about what the Messianic believers are up against in the Holy Land.  Life is difficult if you are a Jew who believes that Jesus is God's Son, the Messiah who came to earth to save us from our sins. As Christians, we need to keep Jews in Israel and across the world in our prayers, that God would soften their hearts and they would come to believe in Jesus. We also need to pray for those Jews that do come to Christ to have courage, remain strong and gracefully reach out to their families with the Good News of the Gospel.

Lisa Braun will also be sharing about the upcoming Israel Ladies Tour with Women's Journey of Faith (WJOF) in March 2013. She has a love for the Holy Land and for the people there. In the previous tour to Israel, Lisa met a few Messianic believers and heard their heart. It'll be wonderful to hear Kathleen's testimony and her heart for this.

We sure hope you can join us for this lovely evening of desserts, testimonies and Israel. Come on out!  If you are on Facebook, check out our event page for this night at this link! https://www.facebook.com/events/467813693264092/?notif_t=plan_user_joined

Touring Israel with Faith Filled Women on a Journey!

Have you wanted to take a trip of a lifetime to the Holy Land? Women's Journey of Faith is excited to embark on this adventure in March 2013 with team member Lisa Braun and Ayelet Tours.  An extra special opportunity to experience a women's only tour that will awaken your spirit like no other traveling experience before! As you study the Word of God together in places you are standing, sitting, walking through, the Bible comes Alive in unexpected ways! What better way to travel than with women who love the Lord and want to embark on a journey together that is simply life changing! It doesn't matter where you live or where you'd fly out from, if you'd like to travel to Israel with our ministry for a 10 day excursion, we'd love to have you join us!  Although our ministry is based out of Saskatoon, SK Canada, Lisa Braun has led tours of women to Israel where they've flown out of different cities throughout Canada or the USA and they met up at the airport in Tel Aviv and together. They become instantly bonded as sisters in faith who are about to set foot on the land the entire world is fascinated with. I've met women who signed up with a friend, a sister, a mother and many will sign up alone as well. Testimony upon testimony confirms that the Holy Spirit supernaturally unites these women as they come together as one.  Yes, the trip is jam packed with sights to see, places to worship in, history unveiled and culturally exciting at the same time! To see a glimpse of the tour schedule, we've included an itinerary on our WJOF Israel tour website: Click here for details!  

*If you are in the Saskatoon area and would like to meet with Lisa in person to hear more about this exciting tour, she is hosting an information session about it Saturday September 15th at Cornerstone Church from 2:30-3:30pm following a women's ministry simulcast event hosted there. (Lisa is also available to come to a church upon invitation and share about her Israel tour experiences as a speaker. Simply email us at admin@wjof.com)  The Registration deadline is in November 2012 and space is limited, so if you are considering taking this tour with us, get in touch with us ASAP!  More information is available on our Israel Tour website!  

Do you feel a tug at your heart to come? Maybe it's this year with WJOF, perhaps it's at another time with another tour. You know you are Alive in Christ when there is a tug in your heart to join Christ on an adventure. With Him, we have all we need. Trusting in Him, abiding in Him and His Word day by day is a spiritual adventure all on it's own. If He calls you to join us on this tour adventure with WJOF, that is simply a bonus for us to meet you face to face! If not, we invite you to join us on the journey online, on Facebook as we prepare and share pictures of this journey with you all!

  

"Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that." 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 (Message) 

On a personal note... 

To Lisa: For our first tour to Israel with the WJOF ministry team, there is no other person I am more thrilled to help lead a tour with us than you. Your joy is contagious, your wealth of wisdom and understanding of the sites and scriptural relevance is phenomenal and your experience in leading tours has proven successful in the lives of so many joy-filled women throughout the years. I join you in faith knowing that God knows the women who are called by name to join this adventure with us. Thanks for sharing the journey with so many through the tours and your photos! Your smile speaks a thousand stories. (Now, what's the deal with that 70's inspired dress of many colours? Can I dress up like Joseph too?)  Love your friend on the Journey, Jodi  

The Walls of Jerusalem

This summer I've been journeying through the study of Nehemiah by Kelly Minter with a few local ladies....but also with over 4,000 other women from across the world. This study is through Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries website - she does a study like this each summer and it's called Summer Siesta Bible Study. I've led studies for many years but have never been part of a study like this. God's timing sure is perfect! What incredibly more insight it's given me to the history of Jerusalem. What struck me anew was what God had laid on Nehemiah's heart to do for Jerusalem ... to rebuild the walls of the great city so that the people would no longer be in disgrace or shame. (Nehemiah 2:17) WOW! That line could bring up a whole Bible study session in itself.  God's Hand was on Nehemiah as he went out to do what God had laid on his heart to do. As I read of the variety of people that were given specific jobs of rebuilding each of the gates and the specific sections of the walls, it reminded me of how the Body of Christ needs to operate. We cannot stand alone, or do everything alone...God's Hand needs to be in it and how blessed we are when we adhere to what God lays on our heart to do. 

For many years, it had been a dream, a yearning on my heart to go to the Holy Land....someday.  Little did I know what God had planned for me. We had just received a new pastor at my local church in 2007 and he had a tour to Israel already planned for November 2008. It was amazing to me that God was now giving me that incredible opportunity to go to Israel with my pastor, my hubby and our son and 33 others. My pastor had been to Israel 4 times and his Israeli tour guide Arie Harel, came to SK in Spring 2009. His presentation planted a seed which grew to taking my first group of ladies to Israel the following November. God had used Arie to lay something on my heart to do...and I embarked on an amazing journey.  It was also on my heart to take each of my daughters with me to Israel as well and God also answered that heart's cry in 2009 and 2011. I know of a young woman who is in Israel right now as I write this blog post...she was in my son's class in school and when we had shared our photos at the school in December 2008, she went home that day and told her mom "I'm going to Israel someday." :)  She's now there with a mission's team for 5 weeks. God used my son and I to lay it on her heart to go. How honoring it is to be a small piece of God's plan in her life. 

I believe He's using this tour opportunity with WJOF to lay it on the hearts of women to join us on an incredible journey in March 2013. Ayelet Tours has done an incredible job together with Arie Harel - our tour guide - and they've put together an amazing itinerary. When I had the divine opportunity to meet Beth Moore in Calgary last month, I was so excited to tell her about taking ladies to Israel and having Arie as our tour guide!  Each time Beth had been in the Holy Land, Arie has been her tour guide as well. It's so very special to have that common bond with her. It's been many of her Bible studies that have laid a lot of ground work for me while I've led these tours.

Ladies, I am so very excited and anticipating such an incredible time. God has amazing things in store for those who embark on this journey with our ministry!  It is such a spiritual investment that will affect you forever...you will never be the same. I'd like to leave you with a few words from Arie in Israel and Seffie with Ayelet Tours. They are really looking forward to this tour with us!

"22 years ago, God had led me to follow my passion and enthusiasm to show and guide people through His Holy Land.  Together with Ayelet Tours I have begun to focus my tour guiding on Biblical Tours.  During my guiding years I have had the unique opportunity and delight to meet and guide some great Bible teachers like Beth Moore, (with whom I participated in "Jesus the One and Only 2001, The Beloved Disciple 2002, The Patriarchs 2004, The Book of Esther 2007) and many more Bible teachers. In 2009 it was a delight to meet Lisa Braun. Lisa's passion for God and the teachings of Jesus has brought her to Israel 3 times and I have had the privilege of leading her groups. Her groups kept growing each year!!  Lisa is a delight to work with :) I really look forward to meeting those whom Lisa and WJOF will be bringing to the Holy Land in March 2013."  - Arie Harel from Tel Aviv, Israel

"Since 1986, Ayelet Tours has helped people fulfill their lifelong dream of visiting the Holy Land. We feel honored to have partnered with Lisa Braun. Lisa is dedicated and passionate about showing others the miracles of Israel – both the ancient miracles from the time of Jesus and the miracles at work today in this modern State. All of us at Ayelet Tours look forward to helping Lisa coordinate her next trip, which is shaping up to be a powerful and spiritual journey. Sign up today to join Lisa and WJOF in Israel – it is an experience not to be missed. Israel Awaits!"  - Seffie Epstein at Ayelet Tours in Albany, NY

Oh sisters!....Can't you feel the anticipation?  I want to leave this minute...don't you?  Oh I so hope you can join us!

God bless you dear ones, we hope to hear from you soon!

Much love, prayer, hugs and blessings!

Lisa Braun - WJOF Team Leader

Walking in the Steps of Jesus...

What a journey for our ministry to embark on a new adventure like this!  Although the thought was a brewing for a few years now, it was confirmed in the hearts of many team leaders this year to take this step of faith. WJOF team leader Lisa Braun has been leading groups to Israel for many years, while many Israel tour onlookers/friends and family living vicariously through her pictures and blog post updates. It is an exciting endeavor for us to join together now and offer this life changing experience together!

The promotional cards are "Hot off the press" today and we are announcing this tour opportunity with us this week. As the team is in planning mode for our 13th annual conference "ALIVE" on November 9-10th at TCU place Saskatoon, we can't help but tie in our theme verse for the conference to what we will be experiencing on our tour.

Jesus said "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full!" (John 10:10b)

To walk on the land that Jesus was born and raised, where he preached and performed miracles, walked among us and felt every tear, dream, hope and human despair yet went to the cross for our sins, (so that we might LIVE and have LIFE to the full)... wow! Reading scripture will never be the same! If you've ever thought of going to Israel, perhaps now is the time. To gather together for ten days in the Holy Land with women of faith?... Dear friend, you are in for an unforgettable journey of a lifetime!