My dad, Lynn and I took a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania- home of the amish town and one of the oldest railroads in history.
It's hard to believe they live every day off the land with no electricity... I bet the children would be in culture shock if they moved to New York. It's just so different but it was an experience to remember.
The amish and menonites are very kind, God-fearing people... and their hand crafted materials are amazing.
After exploring some Amish stores and staying the night in a hotel, we went to a restaurant the next morning and before we ate we prayed for the food before eating.
Little did we know that our waitress- a kind, dark and bright eyed young lady with a warm smile had seen us across the room.
After beginning our meal she had come back and told us that it was a blessing to her to see people do that because it's not so often you see anyone pray over meals anymore. We talked for a long time and it turns out that her name was Dianny and that her and her husband were very close with God and that she was praying for boldness to do more things openly that will minister to other people. It was just so awesome getting to have a conversation with out waitress about awesome things that God does and peoples' testimonies.
God definitely knows good timing. :)
After this we went to go see a replica of the Ark of the Covenant from the Old Testament when Moses and the Israelites traveled for 40 years. (If they were smart and would have kept their mouths shut instead of complaining like a bunch of idiots then the journey would have been shortened 39 years and 358 days...)
Anyway the replica wasn't ginormous but it was pretty good-sized and really brought the old testament to life in a way...
It's so different how they did things back before Jesus came and died for us. EVERYTHING had to be a done an exact way or else they would either get killed or it wouldn't work right... The part that fascinated me the most was the place inside the temple behind the curtain.
Inside the temple was an entrance, then there was a table that the priests ate the bread off of weekly, and there was also a lampstand with 7 wicks and a bottle of olive oil. There was also a sacrifice thing. But behind that was a large, woolen, tall veil that separated that section of the temple from a little section in the back. There were windows where we could peek in to see what it was...
And this is what it looked like.
(I snuck in a little picture even though we weren't allowed to have cameras.... shh! ;)
It's called the place of "The Holy of Holies" and in between the two arching angel-like statures was the very presence of God.
The smoke that came OUT of the Ark was also a cloud that signified God. And whenever the cloud moved, it was God telling the people that it was time to move. So they followed the cloud wherever it went!
It was a GLORY cloud!
And the presence of God was IN the temple!
We are SO privlidged nowdays... because since Jesus died and rose again and took on all of the sins of the world, our body IS our temple and the very presence and God dwells within us when we give our life to him!
Isn't that amazing to think of?
The glory in the old testament dwelling in the temple sitting in between the two angels WAS God.
The glory was so magifiscent that anyone who entered who wasn't appointed to would die.
THAT lives inside of me.
And it lives inside of anyone who has the holy spirit living with in them- who has Jesus in their heart. Who is saved.
THAT is what amazes me!
I also hopped on my first train ride today... a very interesting experience. :) I love Pennsylvania!
But I can't wait to go home.
Good night everyone. Have a blessed and safe weekend. :)
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