WASHINGTON – Would you like to know what faith and worship were like in the days of the apostles?
Have you ever wanted to retrace the steps of the first century church?
Are you curious about how the Christian faith may have lost its way by following the traditions of men rather than by following God and the Bible?
One more silly question: Would you like to explore all of the above while on a luxurious Mediterranean cruise with some of the finest Bible teachers and Christian fellowship you could ever imagine anywhere?
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If so, you won't want to miss WND's "Roots of Our Faith" experience next June, a luxury Mediterranean cruise featuring "Blood Moons" discoverer Mark Biltz, Hebraic roots teacher Bill Cloud and hosts Joseph and Elizabeth Farah and other special guest teachers.
The trip, June 8-19, 2015, will explore where the Apostle Paul lived and preached, offering an up-close-and-personal look at the history of Christianity with well-researched itineraries and highly educated guides to the cradle of Western Civilization.
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The cruise will begin and end in Rome, where Paul wrote to its Christian citizens while a prisoner. Next is Santorini, Greece, scene of one of the biggest volcanic eruptions ever and home to fabulous beaches and natural beauty.
From Santorini, sail on to Istanbul, Turkey, one of the world's most fascinating cities and home to such landmarks as the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar – the ultimate shopping experience.
Following Istanbul, the cruise will move on to Ephesus, Turkey, which has been marvelously reconstructed thanks to archaeologists. Visitors are able to get a glimpse of what it was like when Paul spent three years there during his missionary travels.
The tour will continue on to Mykonos and Athens, two of Greece's most famous and beautiful destinations. Known for its nightlife, shopping and natural beauty, Mykonos is popular with travelers and is famous in Greek mythology for being the site of the battle between Zeus and the Titans.
Athens, the birthplace of democracy and the cradle of Western civilization, is also the site of Paul's famous sermon to the Greeks from Acts 17. It is a melting pot for commerce and philosophy, and along with nearby Corinth, was an important destination for Paul's ministry.
Before returning to Rome, the ship will make one final stop in Naples, the gateway to the Isle of Capri and the Amalfi Coast. It is also home to famous pizza and stately buildings, and the ruins of Pompeii are also within reach.
At each stop, you'll hear special talks tied to the locations. While sailing between destinations, participants will have the opportunity to hear from WND speakers about the history and significance of the various stops.
"We have some gifted speakers on this cruise who have devoted their lives to studying the roots of the Christian faith from a biblical perspective with the additional insight of the Hebrew cultural and linguistic component so often ignored, obscured or lost in more traditional Christian teachings," explains Joseph Farah, WND co-founder and co-organizer, along with his wife, Elizabeth, of the unique cruise event. "Mark Biltz and Bill Cloud are two of a handful of pastor-teachers in the world who have made profound discoveries of biblical truths through the recognition that the entire Bible, including the New Testament, is a very 'Jewish' book."
Mark Biltz is best known as "the Blood Moons discoverer." But he could only solve the riddle of the relationship of solar and lunar eclipses to the biblical "feast days" or, as he refers to them, "appointed times to meet with God," through his curiosity and study of the scriptures through the prism of the Hebrew language and culture. He's the author of the bestselling book, "Blood Moons," and the inspiration for the documentary movie of the same name. The founder of El Shaddai Ministries in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area in Washington state appears regularly on Christian television for his insights into prophecy and the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith.
"This will be a beautiful, memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for any believer," said Farah. "However, if you are hungry for new ways to consume and digest the Word that will make it come alive and transform you, this program will provide that inspiration."
Bill Cloud was raised in a traditional Christian home in South Georgia. Yet, he has only been truly interested in his faith since the fall of 1988. After being born again, Bill immediately developed a hunger for the Word of God and in particular the Hebraic perspective of the Bible. Shortly after his born again experience, Bill had the opportunity to visit Israel and participate in a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. It was during this time that God gave him a deep love for the land, the people and the language. Bill began studying Hebrew under the tutelage of a local rabbi and has since become quite prolific at reading the Holy Tongue.
He has spent many hours studying, not only the Hebrew text, but the Hebraic roots of Christianity as well. This research has been rewarded with a keen insight into Biblical Judaism and its relationship to Christianity. This interest is tied to Bill's desire to unlock the mysteries of the Word of God and to teach them, along with our Hebraic roots, to believers in Messiah. Furthermore, this insight has allowed Cloud to better understand the prophetic element of Scripture. As a result of this study, he developed a variety of media resources dealing with prophetic themes as well as teachings related to our lost Hebraic heritage. For five years, Cloud and his wife, Beth, served as youth pastors in a large church in Central Florida. For over three years, he served as chief researcher, writer and publications director for Perry Stone and Voice of Evangelism Ministries. Bill is a featured speaker in venues throughout the country and has appeared with notable teachers such as Hal Lindsay, J.R. Church, Jack Van Impe, John Hagee, Grant Jeffrey, Perry Stone, Tim La Haye, Chuck Missler, the late Yacov Rambsel and the late Zola Levitt. He has also made several appearances on a variety of television broadcasts seen on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration, SkyAngel, WHT, and TCT.
Through Shoreshim Ministries, Bill and his family have launched an effort to re-introduce Christians to the Jewish Yeshua and to educate believers in the Hebraic roots of their faith. As a result of this information, disciples of the Messiah can more accurately interpret end-time events and better discern our role in these last days. Cloud and his family reside in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Joseph Farah is best-known as the editor and chief executive officer of WND.com, the first and largest independent online news source and the author of, or co-author-collaborator on, more than a dozen books that have sold millions of copies. The former investigative reporter, foreign correspondent and editor in chief of major market daily newspapers, he studied prophecy at the feet of Hal Lindsey, with whom he collaborated on six books. He has also partnered on writing projects with Greg Laurie, Jack Van Impe and Rush Limbaugh to name a few. He teamed up with messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn in the making of "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment," the bestselling faith movie of 2012 and 2013, as well publishing and producing the "Blood Moons" book and movie.
Elizabeth Farah is the co-founder of WND.com and a homeschool mother who has diligently studied the scriptures with her husband and children for many years from the perspective that the Bible is Israel-centric. She serves as executive vice president and chief marketing officer of WND.com.
Also joining the tour is Floyd Brown, the author of five books, his latest being "Obama’s Enemies List," published in 2013. In addition, he has written for publications as diverse as the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Times, National Review and WND.com.
Time magazine wrote: "Brown has a stature among devoted conservatives that almost matches his physical heft (6 ft. 6 in. and 240 lbs)." Brown is president of the Western Center for Journalism, a nonprofit dedicated to informing and equipping Americans who love freedom. The WCJ trains journalists to effectively use social media.
He appears on numerous network and cable TV shows including: The O'Reilly Factor, the CBS Evening News, ABC's Primetime, NBC's Today Show, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC and more. From 1995 until 2000 he hosted his own daily talk radio shows on Seattle's KVI 570 AM.
Brown started his career in President Ronald Reagan's campaigns and as a political appointee in Reagan's administration.
He currently serves on the boards of Arizona Christian University, the United States Justice Foundation, and WorldNetDaily.com Inc.
“Jesus commanded his followers to 'go into all the world and preach the Gospel,'" said Farah. "Now you have the chance to go and see where it all began. Don't miss out on this cruise of a lifetime!"