Blog - Rich O'Brien

Posted: January 31, 2026 by OBrien Rich

Sunshine State Book Festival

In June 2025, a month before At-Home Seminary was published, God introduced Shelley and me to the existence of “book fairs”. Prior to that, neither of us had heard of them. That summer we visited two book fairs in Michigan, one in Novi, and one in Detroit. We often pray about what God has next for us in our ministry together. We soon came to believe that God had some “divine book-fair appointments” ahead for us.

As we continued to pray, we considered whether, in addition to attending the two Michigan fairs the next year, there might also be some opportunities during our 2026 winter snow-bird journey. After looking into it, we registered for two book festivals in Florida. After months of additional research and preparation, the time for our first “author appearance” at a book fair arrived. It was the annual Sunshine State Book Festival in Gainesville, Florida. At the time of the fair we were staying on Anna Maria Island, about three hours south.

We had planned to get up early on the day of the event and drive to Gainesville, until a friend recommended a B&B there. Following her advice, we drove up on the day prior to the event. Upon arriving in Gainesville, we were blessed to get a private tour of the book festival venue even though the building was officially closed. Then we headed off to the Sweetwater Branch Inn B&B, (see front porch picture below).

Author check-in was set to begin at 8:00 the next morning. That is also the time that the B&B was scheduled to begin serving breakfast. We were up long before then. We showered, dressed, and walked through and around the gardens until breakfast. See the picture of Shelley in the gardens below. As good as the meal was, we had to eat quickly before making the 20 minute drive to the book festival. The prior day’s reconnaissance allowed us to pull our car up to, and unload our exhibit materials through, a door located close to our assigned table.

I officially checked-in before the 9:30 am deadline, and we were able to complete our set-up before the public was admitted at 10:00. The visitors seemed to arrive rather slowly. This led some of the more experienced authors to state that this festival was actually more about networking, than about selling books. Praying continually for God to open my eyes to see the divine appointments He had for me, I simply smiled whenever someone suggested that the event was not about selling books. In fact, long before At-Home Seminary was published, God had let me know that our task is never about selling books. It is to serve Him in whatever way He allows.

Unique to this festival is the requirement that two authors must share a six foot table. Both our table, and the one which backed up to ours, also had co-authors present. That means that three authors, and their displays were crowded into each of these tables. So, Shelley and I were squeezed in by two co-authors on our left sharing our table, and three authors sharing a table just a few feet behind us. See the book display picture below. On my immediate right was Aaron, an approximately 6’ 4”, 270 pound brother-in-the LORD selling his books of poetry. We were all packed in like sardines in our little section of the festival.

In what I initially thought of as a side note, the book fair distributed author lists to each visitor as they entered the venue. The visitors were encouraged to obtain ten author signatures in order to qualify for a drawing. The winners of the drawing could then choose any available donated book. I donated a book to the cause. As I did so, I wondered if it might be the last book selected. But, God had me quickly dismiss that thought.

Early on, Shelley and I touched base with the authors across the aisle from us. Shelley also went up and down the aisles to meet other Christian writers. There were 103 total author exhibits. So she had some ground to cover. Later, she led me down our row of exhibitors in order to introduce me to a Christian author who in turn, told me about the concept of being a guest on Christian podcasts. I am looking into that possibility, and we are praying to see if it might be something that God has for us.

At one point, I enjoyed a conversation with the official “book fair photographer”. He said that public attendance seemed low this year. He also mentioned that there was a big public festival in Gainesville that weekend. Earlier, I had also learned that there was another book fair taking place 71 miles away in Jacksonville, and that the 16^th ranked Florida Gators mens’ basketball team was playing Auburn at home in Gainesville that afternoon. So, our festival had plenty of competition for attendance. But, I knew that the number of people present was not relevant to whatever God had planned for us.

Throughout the day, people generally would glance at our display and move on. However, Aaron on our right, and the lady co-authors on our left generated quite a bit of interest. In fact, the ladies sold 12 out of 13 copies of their book on cultural sites in northern Florida, even though they accepted cash only. I am not certain how many books Aaron sold. But, many people were drawn to meet the large poet wearing a cowboy hat, and I was blessed to assist him as, and when needed.

In addition to the podcast meeting, and the chat with the photographer, my divine appointments included many short talks with Aaron, several more with the lady co-authors, a few with three Christian authors across the aisle, and several with festival volunteers. I also had four more in-depth discussions. All four of them occurred within the last 90 minutes of the 6-hour event.

The first was with a gentleman in a tie-dye shirt who looked over the book, and discussed it with me at length. But he did not purchase a copy. The second was with a woman who had been speaking with Aaron in order to get his signature on her author list. Then he directed her to me for my signature. She felt that she had to discuss my book with me before she could “earn” my signature. As I talked about my spiritual journey leading up to the book, she finally mentioned that she was a practicing Buddhist. With limited knowledge of Buddhism, I witnessed a bit more, encouraged her to regularly ask God to reveal truth to her about who He is, and then signed her author list.

Not too much later another woman stopped at our exhibit. She had passed by earlier in the day, glancing at our display, as many people had done. This time she lingered, and we had a discussion about the book, what it was about, and how it came to be. She opened up a displayed book and read from it. She then smiled, and purchased a copy.

Finally, a friend-of-a-friend stopped by to ask me about the book. She had completed her author-list, turned it in, and had her name drawn as a winner. She was considering selecting my book, but was concerned that it might be too high-level for her. I was confident that it was not. So, I encouraged her to open it up and read from it. She did so, and then went and claimed it as her free book. She returned with her copy and asked me to autograph it. Thus, God brought two new members into the A-HS family that day! The fact that only one copy of the book was sold, reinforced for me the fact that when God leads you to do something for Him, you can trust Him to produce fruit whenever, wherever, and however He chooses!

Next one up: Books By the Bay in Pensacola, Florida in two months!

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Posted: January 25, 2026 by OBrien Rich

Israel Journey – Day 10

Wednesday, November 12^th

Day 10

We remained in Jerusalem for our final day of the “Jonathan Cahn 2025 Israel Super Tour.” It is the very city to which Jesus had purposed to go (e.g. see Luke 9:51), where he cleared the temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46), where He was tried (Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:54, 63-71; John 18:12-14, 19-24), tortured (Matthew 27:27-30; Mark 14:65, 15:15-20; Luke 23:11, 25; John 19:1-5), and crucified (Matthew 27:33-50; Mark 15:22-37; Luke 23:33-46; John 19:16-30).

Before getting on the bus that morning, I handed all of our shekels to our bus driver as a thank-you. He was an excellent driver, and we were intrigued to learn that despite being Muslim, he had previously joined, and fought with the IDF. I also handed Henry a nice tip in US currency. We shared a hug, and I assured him that I would be praying for God to guide and direct him on his spiritual journey.

As mentioned in the Day 2 blog-post, Jonathan Cahn had been leading two tours to Israel each year prior to the October 7, 2023 invasion by Hamas. Our tour was his first since that terrible event. On more than one occasion our tour guides had let us know how much they appreciated seeing people from the USA visiting Israel again. Henry had mentioned that based upon what he and his friends had seen on the news, they were beginning to think that most US citizens hated Israel. We assured him that, on the contrary, everyone on this trip, as well as most Christians back home, love the people of Israel, just as God does. On more than one occasion, our tour guides mentioned that they had discussed among themselves, the existence of a “sweet spirit” in our group. Indeed, many of us clearly felt God’s holy presence throughout our journey!

That final morning, our bus first brought us to what is thought to be the location of the house of Caiaphas, where our LORD was tried by the High Priest, including the courtyard where Peter denied knowing Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-60; John 18:15-18, 25-27). I was struck by a life-size sculpture depicting that denial. See Peter sculpture picture below. Next, we visited the proposed sites of the garden tomb, Calvary, and Golgotha. We entered an ancient tomb built into the hillside (see Tomb photo). Also, after some introductory remarks from Henry, we listened to a recording of Rabbi Cahn’s teaching while standing in an upper room. See Upper Room picture.

Then, we drove to the Mount of Olives. We were reminded that this was the place from which Jesus came down to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. As noted earlier, it is also where He ascended to Heaven, and it is where He will stand again at His Second Coming. See picture below of the view from the mountain. We ended the day’s tour with a special evening of worshiping God, and taking Communion. Then, we enjoyed a special time of intercessory prayer for the nations, a group anointing (see picture of the Rabbi’s hand raised), a one-on-one anointing service administered by Rabbi Cahn, and a closing time of group worship, all in preparation for our return home.

On this final occasion, our worship was observed by a drone hovering close-by overhead. I was immediately reminded of the previous evening’s worship when we were being watched by a member of the Muslim security force on the Temple Mount. As then, the drone only caused us to lift our voices and our hands higher! God soon blessed this time of worship with a double rainbow. Sadly, the “Rainbows” picture below does not quite capture that special moment.

Later, we were bussed to a “safe” neighborhood in Jerusalem to find a place to dine on our own. Many of us enjoyed a bowl of delicious lentil soup at an outdoor restaurant. See outdoor dining in Jerusalem picture below. Then, around 8:00 pm we were bussed to the Ben Gurion Airport for our 12:45 am 11-hour flight to the JFK airport in New York. Upon arriving at the airport, our entire 150 member group was sequestered while Henry and Maya spoke with airport security. Apparently, it had been a while since security had been asked to clear such a large group to board an El Al flight.

We were still sequestered when Maya and Henry headed for the exit blowing kisses our way, waving, and yelling goodbye. Despite being closely watched by airport security, half of us began loudly chanting “Henry – Henry”. The other half were chanting “Maya – Maya” just as loudly. Henry and Maya were tearing up as they turned to leave. Many of us had watery eyes as well. We had grown close during our 10 days together!

After finally clearing security, we enjoyed a four-hour layover before boarding our plane for the long flight back to JFK. As in the earlier flight to Tel Aviv, God placed a young orthodox Jewish man on a spiritual journey in the seat next to me on this return flight. I praise, and thank God that I was blessed to share with three similarly situated young Jewish men on this trip. That includes Henry, and each of my seatmates on the long El Al flights. After arriving in New York, we had a 7 hour layover before our final flight home.

A friend, and discipleship partner met us at the airport in Detroit and drove us home. Forty-two hours had passed between the time that we had awakened in Israel on Wednesday morning, and the time that we arrived home on Thursday afternoon. Shelley caught about three hours of sleep, and I got about five hours during that time-frame. It took both of us a couple of days to get back on track.

This marks the final Blog post on our amazing journey to and through Israel. I am posting this the day after Shelley and I attended our first book fair on behalf of At-Home Seminary. I am still processing that day’s events. So, please stay tuned for my next post regarding the divine appointments which God brought across our paths on that occasion. Shalom!

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Posted: January 17, 2026 by OBrien Rich

Israel Journey – Day 9

Tuesday, November 11^th

Day 9

The next day’s tour began at the “Temple Mount” in Old Jerusalem, where the holy Temple of God had stood, and where YESHUA HAMASHIACH will return to reign forever. The Temple Mount is considered to be a holy site in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths. Non-Muslim visitors are able to tour the entire compound with the exception of the Dome of the Rock.

In order to reach the Mount, we first had to pass through Israeli security, in separate lines; one for the men and one for the women. See “Approaching Security” picture below. Once we were on the Temple Mount, Muslim security took over. Modest attire is required. Both men and women must have their shoulders and knees covered. No weapons are allowed. Jewish visitors are prohibited from bringing in any sacred objects, such as a prayer book or a tallit, i.e. a fringed garment worn as a prayer shawl. Any visitor may be asked to produce their passport.

While we were on the Mount, Rabbi Cahn provided much teaching. He told us that the security forces had twice removed him in the past for teaching there. However, throughout our tour we used the “whisper” system, where our earpiece/receivers were tuned to the channel from which his microphone/transmitter was broadcasting. As a result, we heard quite a bit of teaching from him while we walked about the Temple Mount. See “Teaching on the Mount” picture below. The most prominent feature on the Mount is the famous “Dome of the Rock” shrine, located at the center of the mosque compound (see picture below). The masque itself is located along the Eastern wall of Old Jerusalem.

After leaving the Mount, we toured other sites in Old Jerusalem. We saw the location of the Pools of Bethesda. John 5:1-9 tells of Jesus healing a crippled man there. See “Pools of Bethesda” picture below. We walked through the Lion’s Gate. See picture below. Then, we passed through the Jaffa Gate, to an ancient marketplace area. We entered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (see picture below), and walked the ancient Cardo, i.e a north-south oriented important roadway in Jerusalem, built during the late Roman period. Finally, we entered the Jewish quarter in Old Jerusalem.

While there we saw prophecy being fulfilled right in front of us. We watched young Jewish children laughing and playing on a street in Old Jerusalem as we listened to a recording of Rabbi Cahn expounding on Zechariah 8:4-6 which states: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts?’ (ESV). We also walked through an ancient tunnel beneath the Temple Mount. We were surprised to learn that recent excavations have revealed ancient structures lying 30 feet below the surface of modern-day Jerusalem. See picture below of “The City Beneath”.

We were blessed to approach and then to pray at the Western Wall. See pictures below of Shelley and me at the Wall, and of women patrolling the female side of the Wall in plain clothes, and with automatic weapons. After that, we gathered at the ancient steps of the Temple for more teaching. Then, we moved to a location between the Mount of Olives and the Eastern Wall, near the Eastern Gate, through which many expect Jesus to enter the city at His Second Coming. We were told that in an effort to prevent the prophesied return of Jesus, the Muslims had sealed the Eastern Gate, and had buried many of their dead beneath that area of the wall. See picture of “Eastern Gate”.

However, God’s word assures us that in the end times, Jesus will be victorious over Satan and the assembled nations. See Revelation 20:7-10. Zechariah 14:4 tells us where Jesus will stand: “On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, leaving a great valley. Half the mountain will move northward and the other half southward” (ESV). The Mount of Olives is certainly an appropriate place for Jesus to return. For it is both the mountain where He preached the “Olivet Discourse” about the end-times to His disciples (see Matthew 24:3-25:46; Mark 13:3-37; and Luke 21:7-36), and it is the place from which He ascended into heaven in the presence of His disciples. See Acts 1:1-12.

We praised and worshiped God just below the location of the second masque on the temple mount. That time of worship was under the watchful eye of a Muslim security team member on top of the wall above us. He had his cell phone out. We could not be certain whether he was making a call or taking pictures of us.

After returning to the hotel, we participated in a special dinner celebration for our final overnight in Israel. See the “Celebration Dinner” picture below of our tour director Paul, and our three bus tour guides Guy, Maya, and Henry (from left to right). The evening concluded with everyone forming circles, and enjoying a final hora, the traditional Jewish wedding dance. I was too busy dancing to get a picture of that!

Shelley at the Wall
(Center of picture
blonde hair on the right)

Final Overnight in Israel
Celebration Dinner

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Posted: January 11, 2026 by OBrien Rich

Israel Journey – Day 8

Monday, November 10th

Day 8

See the first picture below for the view of Jerusalem from our hotel room window this morning. Due to some reported unrest in Samaria, the tour company (Aliyah) canceled the day’s planned itinerary. Instead, after breakfast, we loaded the busses to begin the day shopping at a gift shop in Jerusalem. Bartering for shofars, scarves, jewelry, and wooden sculptures was the business of the morning. I was not thrilled that our itinerary had changed into an opportunity to buy things. However, I did appreciate some of the intricate wooden sculptures. See the picture below of the sculpture of Jesus calming the sea. Earlier in the journey, a jewelry merchant had been allowed onto the busses. I spotted him keeping an eye on things in the store that morning. He had also appeared at the Bedouin camp yesterday. I approached him and respectfully commented that he appeared to be quite the entrepreneur. He smiled appreciatively.

Next we visited an area along the outer wall of Jerusalem, considered to be where Pilate had sentenced Jesus. See the picture below of a section of the outer wall. Then we walked down into the valley of Hinom, where children were slaughtered under the rule of the worst of Israel’s ancient kings, and where Judas is thought to have hung himself. Today the valley is a lovely grass-covered park. See picture of the Hinom Valley below.

We had lunch at a restaurant located beneath the roof upon which we had worshiped the previous evening. Then we stood at a spot from which we could see the area where Samson, and each of his parents had lived (see 1 Chronicles 4; and Judges 16:28). We then visited the Valley of Elah, which is the battleground where David took on Goliath in the Shephelah area of Israel. See the picture below of the ancient field of battle. We even acted out the incredible act of faith by David when he slew Goliath. See the picture below of David taking aim. Some of us collected stones from the same dried creek bed from which David likely drew his stones. See picture below of Shelley with a small, smooth stone.

I did have the opportunity for a second spiritual discussion with Henry today. I had noticed that he regularly paid very close attention to Rabbi Jonathan’s teaching. Henry acknowledged that he is in fact on a spiritual journey. I encouraged him to not only listen to Rabbi Cahn, but also to share any questions with him as he is a fellow Jew, who was once on such a journey of discovery himself.

We ended the day as scheduled with another beautiful experience in what likely had been a shepherd’s field, complete with olive trees overlooking Bethlehem, the city of Jesus Christ’s birth. There, Rabbi Cahn delivered a special teaching about the town and its environs. The evening concluded with worship songs including Christmas carols, sung by candlelight. Then it was on to dinner and another overnight in our Jerusalem hotel, as we contemplated entering into old Jerusalem the next morning!

A Small, Smooth, Stone

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Posted: January 3, 2026 by OBrien Rich

Israel Journey – Day 7

Sunday, November 9^th

Day 7

Shortly after waking and enjoying the view from our room (see the 1^st picture below), Shelley, Becky and I headed out to relax and float in the Dead Sea before breakfast. It was truly a special and unique experience. See the 2^nd and 3rd pictures below. It was also a great beginning to another extraordinary day! After breakfast, all three tour busses headed out to experience the wilderness in the daytime. We visited a Bedouin tent camp in Kfar Hanokdim. Upon arrival we enjoyed some Sunday morning teaching from Rabbi Cahn followed by praise and worship. Then, we split into our separate bus groups in order to engage in three different activities in the camp without overwhelming our hosts at any one of them.

Our Blue-Bus group was the first to ride camels in the desert. We learned that Israeli camels have a single-hump. Two-hump, or Bactarian camels are found primarily in Central Asia and in the Gobi desert. See the 4^th picture below of Shelley and me on our camel ride. Next, our group was treated to Bedouin hospitality. We learned a bit about how and when to enter a Bedouin tent, and how to conduct oneself once inside. We also had the opportunity to sip Turkish coffee. Despite warnings about the intensity of Turkish coffee, I did not find it as strong as some espresso that I have enjoyed. See the 5^th picture below taken inside the tent. Our third activity was to enjoy a Bedouin lunch banquet. Buffet breakfasts and dinners were included in our package. However, this was the only lunch that was provided as part of the tour.

After leaving the camp we headed to Re’im Israel, the site of the Nova Festival tragedy which occurred on October 7, 2023. On the way there, Henry with tears in his eyes, did his best to prepare us for what we were about to experience. Among the 1,200 casualties from the invasion on that day, two were personal friends of Henry from his time in the IDF. Also, the home of Maya the Red-Bus tour guide, was destroyed. These sobering facts helped us begin to understand the reality of Israeli life.

Henry told us that on October 7, 2023 Hamas fired approximately 10,000 missiles into Israel. The ensuing invasion was carried out by well-trained and equipped Hamas fighters and other terrorist groups. We were advised that it was the “others” who were responsible for many rapes and at least 240 kidnappings. On June 1, 2025 the IDF reported that nearly 30,000 total projectiles were launched at Israel over the first 600 days of the war that had begun on Oct. 7. This includes approximately 10,100 fired from Gaza that day, about 17,150 from Lebanon, about 45 from Syria and about 50 from Yemen. The widespread sources of the missile attack helps explain why Henry solemnly told us that in a couple more years he would have to explain to his young children why it is that so many people who live around them, hate them.

Of the people killed that day, 411 were murdered at the Nova Music Festival, and 43 people were taken hostage there. Additionally, at the time of our visit, at least three Nova survivors had committed suicide. The Nova site is located in the west-central area of Israel. It is the closest that we came to the Gaza Strip during our journey. We were given ample time to wander through the 411 placards at the memorial site before receiving more teaching from Rabbi Cahn. See the pictures below of the placards and of the missile warning sign.

Our time at Nova was a powerfully somber experience for all of us. After leaving the site, we returned to the wilderness where we prayed for Israel during a Sunday late afternoon worship service. For our final event of this incredible day, we ascended the mountains of Moriah to look upon the city of Jerusalem, which was to be our final destination. See the final picture below. Our evening teaching and worship took place on a rooftop platform under construction on the side of the mountain. Then, once again it was time for dinner, before spending the night in our fourth and final hotel, the “Ramada Jerusalem”. As we prepared for bed, we wondered aloud what God had in store for us tomorrow!

Jerusalem at Night

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Posted: December 28, 2025 by OBrien Rich

Israel Journey – Day 6

Saturday, November 8^th

Day 6

After breakfast, we continued our journey by driving to “Yardenit”, a popular baptismal site on the banks of the Jordan River near the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. Several of our fellow tour guests chose to get baptized there. (See the first picture below). However, Shelley and I were not led to get re-baptized as we both felt that our adult baptisms were significant, and sufficient public statements of our faith in Jesus Christ. After the baptisms were completed, we drove through a park and passed by Gideon’s Spring, the place where YAHWEH had reduced Gideon’s 32,000 member army to 300 before He defeated the Midianite forces. See Judges 7:2–22.

Then we drove to a site overlooking the cliffs of Ein Gedi. Also spelled, En Gedi, it means “spring of the kid”. It is located west of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. As you may recall, the inscriptions found there include portions of the Hebrew Bible and other writings. The site is believed to have been home to an Essene community. The Essenes were a distinct group among the ancient Jews who became well known after the Scrolls were discovered. See the 2^nd and 3^rd pictures below of Cave 4, where many scrolls were found.

More such discoveries are yet underway. Just this month (November 2025), the Times of Israel reported that a 1900 year old Aramaic inscription had been unearthed in a Dead Sea cave. Scholars believe that this inscription may have been prepared by Jewish refugees who were using the cave as shelter during the second century AD struggle against Rome. That understanding resonates with what we learned at the next stop on our tour as we drove into an area near the lowest elevation on earth, i.e. the Dead Sea.

The Sea sits 414 meters below sea level. We passed through the lowland. But then ascended to the top of Masada by way of a crowded cable car. There we saw the remains of an impressive complex built by Herod the Great. It sits on a large mesa more than 1,300 feet above the neighboring area. Early in his reign as king, Herod had converted the mesa’s surface into a fortress compound. It included fortification walls, two different palaces, a water system, bathhouses, storerooms, and more.

Masada is most well known for its role during the First Jewish–Roman War which took place in 66–73 AD. It had served as the final holdout for several Jewish resistance fighters and their families after the collapse of Jerusalem. According to Josephus, the Jewish fighters defended Masada against a Roman legion. The Romans surrounded the stronghold with several encampments. Then, they strategically built an enormous ramp from the desert sand. See the 4^th picture below of the remains of the Masada Ramp. However, after finally breaching the fortress walls, the Romans were shocked to find that all of the Jewish men, women, and children were dead, as the result of an apparent mass suicide.

While there, we also saw the remains of a reinforced portion of one of Herod’s palaces, as well as an ancient synagogue. The palace remains are visible in the 5^th picture below. In the next picture, you will see our tour guide Henry explaining a model of Herod’s “fortress”. For the day’s final adventure, we descended, and made our way into the desert wilderness. There we enjoyed an incredible night of teaching and worship in the dark, under the stars. See the wilderness worship picture below. Afterward, it was time for dinner, and an overnight stay in our third hotel, the “David Dead Sea Resort & Spa”. It was located across the street from the Dead Sea. We looked forward to the next day’s adventures with much anticipation!

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Posted: December 21, 2025 by OBrien Rich

Israel – Day 5

Friday, November 7^th

Day 5

The next day we remained in the Galilee region. Our guide, Henry and his family live on a kibbutz in the area. So, he had been able to hop off the bus on our way back to the hotel yesterday evening, and spend the night with his wife and young children. It was now apparent that 11 hour days were our new normal. In the first picture below, we are ready to go! Beginning and ending each day with Jonathan Cahn’s teaching followed by praise and worship also became a wonderfully regular practice!

Today is the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, or “Shabbat.” Thanks to Henry, we quickly picked up the customary greeting of “Shabbat Shalom.” In English, the word “shalom” can mean “hello”, “goodbye”, or “peace”. But, its actual meaning is broader, encompassing wholeness and well-being. Observant Jews take care to not shorten their celebration of Shabbat. Therefore, many maintain the practice of lighting Shabbat candles 18 minutes before sunset on Friday. This is to insure that they do not begin Shabbat late. Contrary to my previous understanding, Shabbat continues not until sunset on Saturday. Rather, it continues until the appearance of three stars on Saturday evening. This is meant to guarantee that Shabbat is not ended early. Henry also told us that most Israeli Jews do not work at all on Friday. But, those who do, typically will work only until 12:00 noon.

We had received our Shabbat lesson as we headed out on the road. Our first stop was in the land of Cana where Jesus had performed His first public miracle by turning water into wine at a wedding feast. While there, the married couples, including Shelley and I, renewed our marriage commitments to each other in a very special ceremony. The couple married the longest (66 years) also re-enacted a Jewish wedding. Rabbi Cahn gave them a misheberach blessing. A chuppah, i.e. a four cornered cloth roof (which symbolizes the new home that a bride and groom would build together), was held over our couple by four tour guests, each holding one of the four posts. The wedding celebration included the 86 year old “groom” smashing a cloth covered glass goblet underfoot. Then we formed several circles, and everyone enjoyed a hora, the traditional Jewish wedding dance. All of this celebration was interspersed with group worship, and teaching from Rabbi Cahn.

Next, we drove through Nazareth on our way up Mt. Precipice. We observed much trash piled up alongside the road. When questioned, Henry told us that Nazareth has a largely Muslim population, and that the way they manage the city is “very bad”. Up on the mountain, we received more teaching while overlooking the city, and the Jezreel Valley. See the second and third pictures below.

We visited the ruins of the Migdal Synagogue, the first synagogue discovered in Galilee. See the fourth and fifth pictures below. Later, we experienced a very special time with the Lord on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee near the area where Jesus had called His disciples. There, Rabbi Cahn delivered a short lesson. See the sixth picture below. Then we each enjoyed about 20 minutes of solitude with our LORD.

At the end of the day, as the sun was setting, we all boarded one of two Galilean ships tethered together, and sailed out onto the Sea of Galilee. There, we joyfully, and loudly worshiped God, both before and after more teaching from Rabbi Jonathan. See the final picture below. This time, our worship was led by the captain and owner of the ships, a Messianic Jew named Danny, who has been blessed with a powerful singing voice. His worship of Jeshua was loudly amplified out over the lake both in Hebrew and in English. Shelley and I purchased a flash drive of Danny’s worship music so that we can praise God with him at home, with our voices in English, and from our hearts in Hebrew. After this very special day and evening spent exploring Israel with God, we enjoyed another buffet dinner, and another overnight in our hotel by the Sea of Galilee.

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Posted: December 14, 2025 by OBrien Rich

Israel Journey – Day 4

Thursday, November 6th

Day 4

We had another 5:00 am start to the day. Since we are spending three nights at the Leonardo Club Hotel near the Sea of Galilee, we could have slept in at least another ½ hour. But, I needed to wash some clothes, so the extra time awake was well spent. After breakfast this morning, I made a last minute run to the dining room to pick up some fruit for lunch. As I turned to leave, I found myself alongside our tour guide who was walking out with a cup of coffee. I commented that I must not be not running late if I was heading out with him. He gave me a slight smile, but said nothing. Once outside the hotel, and while we all were waiting to board the bus, Shelley glanced over at him and commented that he did not look well.

Once we were finally settled in our bus, the guide from the “green bus” made an unexpected appearance. He introduced “Henry” as our new tour guide. Our previous guide, who was still visible through the windows, was to be taken to the hospital for examination concerning yesterday’s “elocution” issues. A prayer for him was led from up front, and he was in our prayers for some time. Henry remained the “blue bus” guide for the duration of the trip. He proved to be an excellent guide, who was appreciated and loved by everyone on the bus. The guests on the other two busses felt the same way about their guides.

Our bus included a group of about 16 people from LifeWay Church in New Hampshire, including “Scotty” and his family. Scotty’s son Riley, a worship leader at LifeWay, brought his guitar along. We were specially blessed whenever Riley and our new friends from LifeWay would lead impromptu worship while traveling on the bus! Please see the “on the bus” picture below.

As we started out on the road this morning, Scotty took hold of the microphone in the front of the bus and confessed that God had spoken to him about him having a critical heart, and sensing the same thing present on the bus. He made a timely and heartfelt plea to rid ourselves of such feelings. Indeed, I had sensed that developing, both on the bus and in my own heart. I thanked Scotty for sharing as he headed back to his seat. He and I would go on to enjoy several more personal Christ-centered conversations during our journey together.

Today’s tour began in the Galilee area. We entered Capernaum, the city to which Jesus had moved (Matthew 4:13), and then proceeded out from, in order to spend much time teaching, and healing the sick (Matthew 4:23). Please see the second picture below. We visited an excavation of what is thought to be the house of Peter, and we worshiped in the ancient synagogue there (see third picture below).

Next, we traveled north into the Golan Heights and spent an interesting time in Katzrin, an ancient city of Israel, perhaps as alive today as it was 2000 years ago. We dressed in first century garb. See Shelley and I in the fourth picture, and see Becky and Shelley in the fifth picture below. Shelley and several others had the opportunity to prepare and bake bread on a large plate over an open fire. We also learned how olives and grapes were crushed in the first century on a seasonal basis. Some of us even took part in operating a grain thresher.

Then we traveled to Kibbutz Ginosar, where we observed what has been dubbed the “Jesus Boat” (sixth picture below). It is the remnants of a boat restored from the first century. In the evening, we experienced a special candlelight (i.e. with small flashlights) worship service on the location of the ancient synagogue of Chorazim, and we participated in a special time of Communion. We returned for a second night in our hotel by the Sea of Galilee, and enjoyed another dinner buffet.

Bus Worship

Capernaum Entrance

Capernaum Synagogue

1st Century O’Briens

1st Century Sisters

1st Century Boat

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Posted: December 6, 2025 by OBrien Rich

Israel – Day 3

Wednesday, November 5^th

Day 3

The next morning we were up at 5:00 am in order to shower, dress, pack our bags, and be at breakfast by 6:30 for our first full day in Israel. We brought our bags down to the lobby, leaving the handles extended, as our tour guide had advised us to do yesterday. That was meant to signal the porters to load them into the bus. There were three busses for our tour group of approximately 150 people. We were assigned to the “blue bus.” Everyone was told to be on their designated bus by 7:45 am.

Each of the busses had their own guide. Our Jaffa tour guide was now the blue bus guide. However, many of today’s bus-mates had not been on our tour bus the previous day. Shelley and I had befriended two couples in Jaffa (Dave and Kelly, and Dirk and Joy) who were not assigned to the blue bus. However, we were able to stay connected with them, and with other people we had met, over meals and at tour stops throughout the journey.

In what would become a recurring theme, a few late arrivals delayed the blue bus departure by 20 minutes. While we were sitting in the bus waiting, a porter called out my name. He informed me that I had failed to load our bags, but that he would take care of them. That seemed strange to us, as it did not align with what our Jaffa tour guide had previously told us. We checked with people seated nearby. They had been told to simply bring their bags to the bus. This was very different than our instructions.

Our route began along the Sharon Plains (1 Chronicles 27:29; and Acts 9:35) and the Mediterranean Sea. We headed north into the Galilee region, to the ancient city of Caesarea. This is where Paul stood before governor Festus, king Agrippa, and Bernice (Acts 25:23-26:31), and where Peter baptized Cornelius (Acts 10: 47-48). We saw a restored Roman theater (see first two pictures below), and visited the shore near where Paul was taken to Rome (Acts 27:1-2). We rode to the top of Mt. Carmel where YAHWEH used Elijah as He destroyed Baal’s prophets (1 Kings 18:19-40). Next, we journeyed to the ancient city of Jezreel (see 2 Samuel 4; 1 Kings 18, 21; 2 Kings 8, 9; and 2 Samuel 2). We also viewed the Naboth vineyards (1 Kings 21; and 2 Kings 9), the Jezreel Valley (Joshua 17, 19; Judges 6; and 1 Samuel 29), and the region of the town of En-dor (Psalm 83:10; Joshua 17:11; and 1 Samuel 28).

Throughout the day, Shelley and I noticed that our tour guide seemed to be struggling to find the correct words to complete some of his statements. We ended the day’s tour with relevant teaching, praise, and worship overlooking the Sea of Galilee. See the beautiful picture below of the moon that evening and its reflection on the Sea. Eleven hours after our day had begun, we enjoyed another dinner buffet, then spent the night in our second hotel. This one was near the Sea of Galilee.

Ceasarea Entrance

Ceasarea Theater

Worship at Sea of Galilee

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Posted: November 29, 2025 by OBrien Rich

Israel Journey – Day 2

Tuesday, November 4^th

Day 2:

In my initial post about our journey to Israel, I neglected to explain how we were led to go there. Earlier in the fall, friends had told us about their plans to participate in a tour of Israel with Jonathan Cahn, and invited us to pray about joining them. They also let us know that Becky, a widowed friend and neighbor of theirs was planning to go. After praying, and receiving no red flags from God, we began the process of registering and preparing for the “Jonathan Cahn 2025 Israel Super Tour.”

Shortly before the tour started, our friends experienced a family crisis which prevented them from going on the trip. We then introduced ourselves to Becky via a telephone call. On our day of departure, we met her at the airport in Detroit. The three of us traveled to, and through Israel together. This would be Shelley’s and my first time in Israel, and Becky’s sixth.

Jonathan Cahn had been guiding two such tours each year prior to the October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel by Hamas. Our tour was his first since that terrible event. There were 150+ of us on this journey. That was far less than the average number of guests on his earlier tours. Thus it was, that on our very first travel day, we sensed that we were part of a special God-ordained adventure. That feeling grew stronger each day of the trip!

We were vetted by Israeli security at JFK before boarding our El Al flight. I expect that is why after our tour guide met us inside the Ben Gurion airport, he was allowed to rather quickly usher us through customs and immigration. We had to walk perhaps 150 yards from the terminal to the bus. I recall the moment that I first stepped outside the building to see and feel the sun. I sensed the blessings awaiting us! Soon, we filed onto a bus with other tour guests who had arrived around the same time as us.

Our bus passed Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, where the state of Israel was born on May 14, 1948, by the declaration of David Ben-Gurion. Harry S. Truman, then president of the United States. recognized the new nation of Israel that same day. Our journey continued, heading north along the Mediterranean Sea. We were driven to the city of Jaffa (Joppa) for a walking tour of the town from which Jonah had sailed for Tarshish (Jonah 1:1-3), where Peter had raised Tabitha/Dorcas (Acts 9:40), and where his vision from God revealed that the Gospel was to be offered to the Gentile world (Acts 10:11-28).

We spent our first night at the Ramada Netanya Hotel. Although we were tired after a very long day, we enjoyed a buffet banquet for dinner in the hotel dining room before collapsing into bed. In fact, each day of the tour would be long, and would begin and end with a delicious buffet meal. Sneak peek ahead: each day typically started with breakfast, followed by a bus ride to a designated location for teaching and worship. Then, the tour would proceed to more locations. At the end of each day’s activities, we would again meet for more teaching, praise, and worship before heading to our hotel for the next dinner buffet.

House of Simon the Tanner

Let the tour begin!