Author Archives: Dr. Mike Courtney

A Bad Day In Caesarea

A Bad Day In Caesarea

Okay, yesterday was a bad day. Even in the Holy Land you can have bad days. We started the day at Caesarea, a manmade seaport on the Mediterranean, that Herod the Great constructed just before the time of Jesus. It is an amazing, ancient ruins, complete with a theater, a hippodrome, and the well preserved… Continue Reading

Press In To This

Press In To This

I have been to Israel 3 times. Each time I have enjoyed  especially the visit to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus. This time Doris and I were amazed at the changes from our last visit 15 years ago. Then, the Nazareth Village was just a fledging idea. It is a plot of land, not very… Continue Reading

He Is Not Here

He Is Not Here

John 20:1-8 “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out… Continue Reading

Layers

Layers

I had the privilege of speaking and then leading communion for 400 pilgrims tonight at The Garden Tomb. Before that we prayed at the Wailing Wall. I prayed for my friend Derek. Here are my thoughts at commuinion. I am amazed at the layers. Jerusalem is a city of layers. We stood at the Western… Continue Reading

Finishing

Finishing

Today we started at a place that not many tour groups see. On the southern slopes of Mount Zion is a Catholic Cemetery that houses the grave of Oskar Schindler, the Polish factory owner during the time of Nazi Germany that was depicted and made famous in the 1993 movie, Schindler’s List. Much of what… Continue Reading

Proximity

Proximity

There are a lot of fun people on this trip. One of them is Brian White, the former Nazarene teen heart throb. (I’m not sure if he is a former Nazarene or a former teen heart throb.) We have been friends for a long time and he and his wife Karyn are traveling with Chonda,… Continue Reading

“We must go to Jerusalem…”

“We must go to Jerusalem…”

The hardest part about the trip to Israel is the trip to Israel. We are 9 hours ahead of the time that God intended in Middle Tennessee. That means I am writing this blog at 2am on Monday morning and, thanks to the amazing magic of the internet, many of you will read it at… Continue Reading

New Year’s Intentions

New Year’s Intentions

Well, here we are, three weeks into the new year, the year for 2020 Vision, and I stink. Some of my New Years stuff I am doing quite well. Some of it has been a total loss. I wanted to lose some weight this year, I think I have gained about 4. I wanted to… Continue Reading

My Response

My Response

I was in Jr. High School I think, (back when they had Jr. High Schools). I was at a party (back when I went to parties) and my parents came to pick me up about 8pm and we were headed home. We lived in Georgetown, SC. My father was listening to the radio and the… Continue Reading

He Restoreth My Soul

He Restoreth My Soul

WORSHIP Be still and know that I am God. 4X  Key change. Repeat I am the God that health thee. I am the Lord your healer. I sent my Word and I healed your disease. (I am the Lord, your healer.)   Key change. Repeat. Tag   As the deer panteth for the water, So my… Continue Reading