Imagine following Jesus along the road, listening in on his conversations, and gleaning from the lessons he taught in the holy places he traveled. Join author Wayne Stiles as he walks in the steps of Jesus: through Bethlehem, Samaria, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Galilee, and beyond. Experience the places where Jesus met a lonely woman in Samaria, a den of hypocrites in the Temple, a Jerusalem Pharisee still searching for truth, fishermen with a sea of false expectations, and a hometown ashamed of him. Entering the Holy land through the settings, sights, and sounds of Stiles's engaging travelogue, readers will not only discover more about these sacred places, but also learn practical lessons that will find their way into their hearts. And ultimately, prepare them for their own encounter with Christ.
wonderful journey thru modern day Isreal with Wayne Styles. As he walks where Jesus walked he shares his personal insights and many valuable lessons. Very readable, enlightening and enjoyable. In the first chapter I got a laugh out of his commentary on souvenir shops in Bethlehem where he finds all things possible carved in Olive-wood, including Elvis Presley--then the shop keeper corrects him " no, that is Joseph Smith" at Stlyes reaction the vendor quickly amends,"it can be Elvis if you want it to be!"
a few of the many memorable quotes:
Academic tests determine how much information we know, but God's tests reveal how much information we apply.
When will we quit looking at hardships in our lives as if we shouldn't have them?
God never gives authority as an opportunity for glory and power but as a responsibility to serve.
I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book, read by Wayne Stiles himself.
Having journeyed to Israel myself, I could picture many of the places and events he described so vividly.
The book is written colourfully, not academically, in order to add richness to our reading of the familiar stories in the gospels. It is a wonderful composit memoir based on Stiles' multiple trips to Israel. I recommend it to anyone who wants to grow in their understanding of the gospels.
There are only a couple of small occasions where Stiles particular political perspective or theological interpretation influence his writing in a way that I would question.
Jerusalem is the city I dream of visiting. If I ever go I’ll take this book with me. Very informative. Doesn’t just trust the traditional spots to really be where events occurred. And it tells you why. Excellent imagery!
Already being in the Holy Land this books reminds me of the places I visited when we where there. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of pictures where they suppose to be shown.
This was a good book to read in preparation for my Holy Land trip. He did a great job of weaving together scripture and actually landmarks in the Holy Land.
We are going to the Holy Lands for my wife's 40th this year, so I gave this a go. I didnt always jump to pick it back-up, but everytime I did it was such easy reading. May well take it with me/annotate it when we are there.
"Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus" is a description of Wayne Stiles' travels in the Holy Land, and he describes the modern sites in the order Jesus would have encountered them. I've traveled to Israel, and this travelogue accurately portrayed what traveling in Israel is like. The author's style was entertaining, and his faith lessons insightful, but I'd expected more detail on what the actual sites looked like.
The author gave a brief description of what the modern site looked like, the quirky people there, what happened there (in the Bible), some historical and cultural background to the events, and a faith lesson based on the site and events that happened there. He also described the shopping stops and more mundane traveling moments. There were 11 black and white pictures from his trips and 3 black and white maps.
At the back, there was a Scripture Index and a Site Index. This book reminded me of the "That The World Many Know" DVD series. I like the faith lesson better in this book, but I think you get a better sense of what a site looks like by watching the "That The World Many Know" DVD series.
The main places in this book were Bethlehem (Church of the Nativity), Timna Park (tabernacle replica), Beth-Semesh (landscape), Shiloh (ruins of city), Jerusalem (model of temple mount, Western Wall, tunnel at Western Wall, a bar mitzvah, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Cardo St., via Dolorosa, Upper Room, "Tomb of David," Church of St. Peter in Gallicanta, Monastery of the Flagellation), Jordan River (baptism sites), wilderness of Judea, Dead Sea Scroll caves, church where Moses lifted up the bronze serpent, Samaria (Jacob's well), Nazareth (Church of the Annunciation), Nof Ginosar museum ("Jesus" boat), Sea of Galilee (ride on replica of Jesus-era boat), Capernaum, Bethsaida, Gamla, the ancient International Highway/via Maris, Hazor, Dan, Caesarea Philippi, Mt. Hermon, Perea region, Jericho, Mount of Olives (Dominus Flevit church, Church of All Nations, Garden of Gethsemane), Tabgha (church of the Primacy of St. Peter), Mount Arbel, Ephesus, Patmos (Monastery of St. John).
This is a great devotional read for those who would enjoy imagining the places Jesus lived and taught and how these places are relevant to his teachings and illustrations. This book is best read with google open and ready to find pictures of the places you're reading about. Stiles has obviously spent much time in the land and study on the life and times of Jesus. He's able to paint a vivid picture that calls you to follow the teachings of the Rabbi.
I found it quite Interesting to follow this author's descriptions as he walked the paths that Jesus and his disciples walked. I did notice that many of the biblical places have changed a lot compared to when Jesus walked them as described in the bible. I wonder if I would be disappointed to see Jerusalem and the other places that is so different to how I see them visualized by the scriptures. I like the times and places as I picture them from the bible.
This is a very entertaining and interesting book. Whether you have been to Israel or not, you will feel you have been there. The spiritual insights are even better. I liked it so much I bought a copy for all going with us on our pilgrimage to Israel. I have listened to it twice on audible which is entertaining to hear the author himself read it. Rather than going through Israel geographically the book is laid out chronologically through Jesus' life, from Bethlehem to Patmos and even Ephesus.
I am looking for a more scholarly examination of the bible. I tried listening to this and I didn't get far. It is about the narrator's trek. It didn't seem like a fun, silly, surprising journey that I would have wanted to know about. Oh well.