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I saw this book just as I was getting up to share and I knew that I needed to get a copy. When I returned to my seat, this little book was laying in front of me and Steven, the man seated across from me, told me that the Lord had him go by the local bookstore and purchase this book to give to someone that he would meet at the men's business luncheon and I was that man. This book has since sold over 4 million copies and was number one on the New York Times best seller list for months.
"Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!' " (I Chronicles 4:10)
This book is about the on-going story of a man that began praying this prayer many years ago and I stand in awe of a God that loves to bless His people as He fits us into His plans. Let me encourage you to dare to dream, imagine and allow the God that created you for His own good pleasure to make you pregnant with a dream right out of heaven. One of His promises to us is that we will not be disappointed if we will trust Him with our dreams.
Passing Through Samaria
We had been in Israel less than two months when the Mayor called me into his office one day to tell me that he was having the Israeli Minister of Tourism and his cabinet come to Ariel and that he would like for me to share with them why a Christian would want to come for a visit in these hills of Samaria. This was truly a no-brainer for me because I had been living in John 4 with the Holy Spirit since arriving in Israel.
I shared with Ruby way before we arrived in Israel that the Lord had really laid on my heart the thought that we would in some way be involved in uncapping Jacob's well. I assumed that we would be doing this in a similar way that Jesus did when He visited Jacob's well and had a life giving experience with the Samaritan woman. It was with great delight to be able to share with these men the story of Jesus' encounter with this woman as He offered her living water that day and that He continues today to offer that same living water. I love the passage where Jesus changes forever the way we are to worship God
"Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:21-24)
What He was telling this woman that day is that she could worship God right there. She believed Him and partook of the living water that He offered, which was Himself. "I who speak to you am He." He is still offering this living water today for all mankind to partake of.
Back To The Beginning
I flew to Israel in the early fall of 2000 in hopes of hearing the voice of God speak to me concerning us moving to Israel. I took a brother along with me that I had walked with in the Lord for over 30 years and on the plane our over the Atlantic, I made a most interesting statement to Ray. I told Ray that if God was really in this thing of Ruby and I going to Israel to put in a miniature golf course, He could at least give us Jacob's well. I wondered at the time where this thought came from and passed it off as a silly thought that had just popped into my mind.
After arriving in Ariel to check this whole idea out, the Mayor drove us around town to show us different spots to put the mini golf course. He drove us around the campus of the college of Judea and Samaria which has over 7,500 students enrolled. As we were driving, I asked Ron Nachman where Jacob's well is located. Ron proceeded to tell me that no one really knows for sure because over seventeen different civilizations had occupied this land at one time or another and it was just a well like any other well...but he knew where we were supposed to build the mini golf.
The location that he took us to was originally planned to have apartments but in digging the foundation for the apartment buildings, they had dug into an active stalactite cave and had stopped the construction to allow a further investigation of this cave. The central government sent a team of archeologists to do some exploring and they discovered some biblical artifacts showing that in the 4th century, a Byzantine Chapel had been built on the site. They had sealed up the cave to preserve it and the Mayor told me that he felt I was the one to take this site and develop a tourist site along with the mini golf facility. I basically agreed to this plan and headed back to Texas to get some business matters taken care of. I would return with Ruby the following spring to begin our adventure in Israel
During this time, we had a visit from Rusty and Tisha Maizel who had gone with us two years before on our tour of Israel. They had lived in Israel for several years and he had worked with the government there as an archeologist. When I shared with Rusty about us taking the cave site, he told me that he was one of those who had been sent to explore that cave. While he was in the cave, he felt very strongly that the Lord revealed to him that this was, in fact, one of Jacob's well sites. What an awesome God we serve that chose to bring Abraham to this land and give it to him and his seed as an everlasting possession.
The generally accepted site for Jacob's well is at Sychar, about 15 miles east of Ariel. We do know that Jacob had more than one well because, as the son of Isaac, he would have inherited the many wells that Isaac and his father, Abraham, had dug over time. We are presently bottling water from the same aquifer of the well at Sychar and pray that it is the sweetest tasting water you have ever drank
When we moved to Ariel, we felt the Lord leading us to build the mini golf on a different location and, once established, we could then embark on the cave/well project. Part of the profit from the sale of Jacob's water is going to the development of this project
We would love to meet you in Ariel and have a cup of coffee with you at our mini golf. We serve Texas Burgers and homemade ice cream along side of the mini golf course and you are always welcome. Most of the time you will be able to meet some of the wonderful Jewish folks that live here in Ariel and frequently visit the mini golf facilities.
The Lord spoke to my heart when we came for a visit to Israel in 1998 to send out a report 2 or 3 times a week via email and if you would like to hear from me in this manner, please send me your email address and I will be pleased to add you to my list.
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