I shall never forget the first time I saw Israel!
There I was, newly married and already
traveling to the land I had learned to love as a
little girl in Sunday school.

Israel wasn't modern then. I remember
thinking that the land looked just as it must
have in ancient times. Yet, it seemed to me to
be almost a bridge... between the past and
the future.

Surely, Israel is the most exciting nation in
the world. Its very existence seems to
culminate all Bible prophecy. My husband has
often remarked that Israel is the key to all
Bible prophecy.

I Remember My

First Impression of Israel!

Wandering through the narrow streets of
Jerusalem during my first visit, everything I
saw and experienced seemed so far removed
from modern times! In fact, some of the shops
I entered seemed to be just as they were 2,000
years ago.

My first impression of Israel, however, was
not just of a land rich in ancient history, but a
land that had been stripped and starved.

Not too many years prior to my first
pilgrimage, Jews from all points of the globe
had begun to flood back into their homeland,
fulfilling ancient prophecies with their arrival.
As a people, the Jews had been persecuted,
beaten, and deprived. Many were survivors of
Hitler's horrible death camps, having lost their
entire families as well as all earthly possessions
to the atrocities of Nazism during World War II.

Thousands of Jewish refugees arrived in
Israel with literally nothing more than the
clothes on their backs... and a fierce
determination to make their Israel bloom!

I Remember the Diversity of Israel!

When Jack and I returned to Israel a few
years later, I was truly amazed! Israel had
undergone an almost unbelievable
transformation! I could see the fulfillment of
Isaiah 35:1... the desert shall rejoice, and
blossom as the rose.

The Jews, with their innovative genius, had
installed irrigation systems throughout their
entire land... instantly transforming arid
deserts into fruitful, productive orchards and
gardens. And the desolate land shall be tilled,
whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that
passed by. And they shall say, This land that was
desolate is become like the garden of Eden
(Ezekiel 36:34, 35). I witnessed this!

Construction in the cities had also begun
to move forward, and amid the treasured
antiquities were now high-rise buildings with
every modern convenience.

Throughout the land, I was struck with the
diversity I saw everywhere! It was not unusual
to see a man leading a little donkey loaded
down with burdens alongside a busy street
teeming with trucks and cars. Nor was it
unusual to see a supersonic jet roar over the
head of an Arab riding a camel.

I discovered that in this incredibly diverse
20th century Israel, I could:

• Visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls
  were discovered... or tour the Department
  of Nuclear Physics at the Weizman
  Institute.
• Experience the coolness of the mountains
  and pastures of Galilee... and the parched
  deserts of the southern region near the
  Dead Sea.
• Learn about the rich heritage of the Jewish
  culture... discover more about the Arabs
  and their predominant religion, Islam...
  and also worship Jesus with other
  Christians.

I Remember the Sights of Israel!

Today, as I reminisce about Israel, I can still
see the fishermen casting their nets into the
Sea of Galilee... the shepherds caring for
their flocks in the fields... the barren desert
where Jesus endured the devil's temptations...

I can envision modern Jerusalem, with the
ancient wonders of old Jerusalem entwined
within it... the Jews praying at their Wailing
Wall... the tomb of Lazarus... the field of
Boaz, where Ruth and Naomi gleaned wheat
and where the shepherds later received the
angel's message of the Messiah's birth...

I remember the Garden of Gethsemane,
where Jesus' sweat was as drops of blood...
and Golgotha, where He suffered the shame
and the agony of the sum of mankind's sins.

Of all the places we visited, I can say that
the Garden of the Resurrection, where our
Lord first revealed himself as risen from the
dead, was the most profound place for me! In
fact, I was moved to tears as I sat quietly, just
praying.

I recall the awesomeness of the Valley of
Megiddo, or Jezreel, where the battle of all
battles -- ARMAGEDDON -- will take
place. It's such a vast, open area, and a place of
such prophetic destiny.

As we winded our way through the teeming
streets of Tel Aviv, I could not help but realize:
"This land means EVERYTHING to the Jews!"

For them, Israel is their home, their life,
their honor, and their purpose. Apart from
Israel, the Jew believes he hardly has an
existence.

I Remember the People!

I have many fond memories of the Jewish people!

My husband and I taped many television
specials and programs there. Many people
opened their hearts and homes to us! They
knew we were Christians, but they could also
sense that we loved THEM! Jack and I were
even welcomed to tape inside the Jewish
Knessett building! The members I
interviewed were so very kind and gracious!

I remember the openness of Israel's
President Yitzhak Navon. He was such a
magnetic personality, and will always live in
my memory as one of the most genuine, kind
men I have ever met. He knew his Old
Testament thoroughly and easily conversed
with Jack about Bible prophecies. We were
invited to his private residence, where he and
Jack discussed the Bible, end-time events, and
the role of Israel in the last days.

On another occasion, we were invited to
dinner at the home of the late Prime Minister
Menachem Begin. The dinner, however, was
canceled suddenly -- due to the assassination
of Egypt's President Anwar Sadat! Prime
Minister Begin had to leave immediately for
Tel Aviv and an emergency meeting of his
cabinet -- so I did not get to interview him
after dinner, as planned.

I was fortunate to interview Abba Eban,
former Israeli Ambassador to the United
Nations who was often called "the Voice of
Israel." And I met and interviewed Moshe
Arens, who then was Israel's Ambassador to
the United States.

I also remember the beautiful, innocent
children. On one of my videos, I taped songs
with a group of them. They sat on my lap, we
talked, we laughed and played together. When
I think of the war that has gone on constantly
there, and when I think of what the Jews as a
people have gone through, it tears at my heart.

The Jews of Israel are only a heartbeat away
from disaster!

I have a very dear friend -- Estee Levine --
with whom I have corresponded regularly for
many years. Her residence is in Jerusalem, and
she is responsible for preparing the
accommodations for thousands of tourists
who visit Israel each year.

During the Desert Storm operation, Israel
was frequently under attack by Saddam
Hussein's air raids. During those war-torn
months, Estee wrote me about the birth of her
granddaughter. She wrote: "We had a time of
great rejoicing! And we could rejoice -- even
in the midst of rocket attacks!"

I've always found that kind of optimism
among the Israelis -- even among the
children. They have such a valiant attitude of spirit!

It's as if God has instilled His own
optimism into His people, because they are
ultimately going to win. Micah 4:3 says, And
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not
lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more. That day of peace is coming!

I Remember Jesus!

Seeing the places where He walked,
recalling the events of His life, even receiving
communion in the place of His Resurrection
made me feel so much closer to Jesus!

Time and again, Jack and I found ourselves
retracing the steps of Jesus and the disciples.
There was Capernaum, where we explored
fascinating ruins and again traced the steps of
Jesus, who taught the multitudes there. I
almost expected to see the throngs described in
the Bible, pressing closer and closer in, to hear
the words of life! When we walked along the
Via Dolorosa, we could not help but painfully
recall Christ's final steps before Calvary.

We served communion to those of our tour
group in that quiet garden, and I was
emotionally stirred by the experience! I shall
never forget that from where I was sitting, I
could look up... to see Golgotha, the place of
the skull, where His crucifixion took place...
and I could also look down... at the stone
which had been rolled away from the tomb
that could not hold Him. What a powerful
contrast!

Experiencing Israel in all her diversity and
splendor has added more depth and
dimension to my faith, and has given me
many wonderful memories.

What a special time of the year!
Thanksgiving and Christmas are more precious to me
than any other holidays, and they so beautifully
go hand in hand.

More and more, I realize the importance
of being grateful for the true essence of
Christmas -- that God became flesh. He came
as a baby, humbling himself to a manger and,
one day, to Calvary's tree for you and me. Oh,
what love!

I wonder if we can really understand the
emotion in heaven and the joy on earth as
Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem
just prior to the birth of Christ.

An historic journey

Can you see them as they wearily make
their way through the narrow streets of
Bethlehem? Mary, tired from the long journey, sits
on the little donkey as Joseph leads it along.

Their journey is almost over, and none too
soon. They stop in front of one of the inns in
Bethlehem. With a tender word, Joseph
comforts his wife and then strides quickly toward
the inn door.

Have you ever wondered what Mary was
thinking as Joseph knocked at the innkeeper's
door? Perhaps she was remembering what her
cousin Elizabeth had said to her some time
before. Blessed art thou among women, and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence
is this to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the
voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

And blessed is she that believed: for there
shall be a performance

[fulfillment] of those
things which were told her from the Lord
(Luke 1:42-45).

Mary knew how blessed she was for, out
of all the women in the world, God had
chosen her to give the world this baby. This
wasn't Joseph's baby; He was the Son of God,
produced by the Holy Spirit, waiting to be
born in Bethlehem (see Luke 1:35 and
Hebrews 10:5).

Mary knew about the promise that
foretold: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though
thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me
that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth
have been from of old, from everlasting
(Micah 5:2).

Mary's mind didn't dare leap ahead to
contemplate the rest of those words. It was
enough for her to know that she was, at this
very moment, in Bethlehem (ancestral home
of King David, Joseph's forefather) and that
her time to give birth was at hand.

Mary looked at Joseph, footsore and
fatigued from walking alongside the donkey all
the way so that she could ride. She knew how
blessed she was to have this good and just
man as her husband. He had handled the
situation so well. He had shown her nothing but
love and concern. More than once he had told
her, "I know, beloved wife, that this child has
been conceived in a special way. The angel
laid all my fears to rest."

Joseph had learned of Mary's pregnancy
after she returned from visiting Elizabeth. For
six months they had marveled at the conversations
they had each had with the angel. It
must have been awesome for them, realizing
that the Holy Ghost had visited Mary and that
the child she carried was a divine original.

"Oh, Joseph," I can hear Mary saying, "He
is to be called 'the Son of God.'"

"Yes, Mary," Joseph responded, "and His
name is to be called JESUS, for He shall save
His people from their sins."

The prophecy

Did they recall the words of Isaiah? Did
they repeat those names? Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call
his name Immanuel...For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6).

Perhaps Mary remembered those
conversations as her husband knocked at the
innkeeper's door. She was so tired. The journey
had been long and hard. But now, at last, they
had arrived in Bethlehem.

For us, today, a journey to Bethlehem is
still not easy. In the hustle and bustle of the
season, there are many things to deter us.
We've all heard that we should keep Christ in
Christmas, but let's be sure that we keep
ourselves in Christmas, as well! If we are not
careful, we can become so busy with Yuletide
activities that we are exhausted before we get
to Bethlehem -- and miss the real Christmas
altogether.

Knock...knock...knock! Joseph knocks at
the innkeeper's door. A Baby is about to be
born -- the most important Baby ever to be
born on this earth. "Let us in...let Him in...out
of the cold and darkness of the night." But the
Bible tells us there was no room for them in
the inn (Luke 2:7).

No room! Those are heart-rending words.
Would we have said that? Yet, isn't it being
said every day? We are all innkeepers, with
room for many things, but do we have room
for Him? In our lives -- shabby stables that
they are -- He may be cradled, but we must
give Him room.

Joseph, the rugged carpenter of Nazareth,
a just man whose faith transcended his
misgivings, enfolded Mary's helplessness in his
strong arms as he lifted her off the back of the
little donkey. Someone had tapped him on his
sagging shoulders and said, "There is a place,
if your wife won't mind. I know I can fix it
and make it clean. It will be quiet there...and warm"

Lowly beginnings

Joseph had ministered to Mary's needs in
that weary pilgrimage to Bethlehem; but his
husbandly duties had not yet ended. Mary in
a stable? The Son of God born in a barn?
How his mind must have reeled. Remember,
he was very human.

Husband, would you like for your wife to
give birth to her firstborn in a stable? What
lowly circumstances! The Lord of all heaven
and earth was about to make His human
presence known in the world -- but in a barn? This
was not the birthplace Joseph had imagined
for JESUS.

Barns smell, not just of clean hay, but of
animals. Barns are not always sanitary. Oh,
the lovely Nativity scenes that we see at
Christmas do not begin to portray what Joseph
and Mary must have experienced in those
prebirth moments, as they contemplated their plight.

One wishes we could push back the pages
of time and make it different -- different,
perhaps, like the school Christmas play I heard about.

One little boy had been asked to play the
role of the innkeeper in the play. His parents,
schoolmates, and teachers were so excited and
pleased for him because he wasn't quite "normal"
like the other boys and girls. Still, they
wanted to include him in the performance.

Seven little words

His were simple lines. When Joseph knocked
at the door and asked for a room, he, the
innkeeper, would say, "There is no room in the
inn." Seven words. And that was all.

The big night came. Practice perfomances
had gone well. Then came that moment.

Knock...knock...knock -- Joseph knocks at
the inn door. With great emotion and convincing
reality, Joseph presents his case to the
innkeeper. His wife is very pregnant. In fact, the
baby is due any moment. Won't the innkeeper
please let them in?

The little boy who had rehearsed his lines
so very carefully, listened patiently, and then
said the seven words loud and clear: "There is
no room in the inn."

Joseph turned, his shoulders sagging. But
before he could leave, the innkeeper opened
the door, thrust his head out, and said, loud
and clear, "Wait...wait! You can have my room."

It wasn't in the script. Nor was it in the
script on that first Christmas. And so it was,
that...she brought forth her firstborn son, and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid
him in a manger; because there was no room
for them in the inn (Luke 2:6,7).

As we recall this short resume of the most
beautiful story ever given from God, may your
heart be reminded of the importance of
remembering, not just the gifts that are to come,
the families we are to see, and the loved ones
we shall enjoy, but remembering the true
message of Christmas -- God's love for us. And
may we not get so distracted by the many
activities of the holiday season that we never
even reach Bethlehem.

Dr. Van Impe and I are grateful for the
opportunity to share the saving message of
God's love for the world in these closing days
of time. Thank you for your prayers and support.