Most vacations are opportunities for pleasure. They're a chance to escape from the pressures of everyday life and relax in luxury, gaze at some beautiful scenery and make some new friends. While enjoyable, few would call a vacation "life-changing."
But the WND 2017 Alaska cruise is something different. It's not just a vacation. And while it will have all the extravagance and beauty of a world-class escape, it will also be a spiritual quest.
Featuring WND founders Joseph and Elizabeth Farah and pastor Mark Biltz, author of "Blood Moons" and "God's Day Timer," the cruise won't just highlight the awe-inspiring sights of Alaska. It will also offer an educational program on the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith, and it promises to utterly transform how believers view their relationship with God and interpret the Bible.
Rediscovering the ancient Jewish traditions and studying how they relate to Christianity is a passion of all three of the speakers. Joseph Farah's most recent book is "The Restitution of All Things," a revolutionary look at the Bible. Farah reveals how the "Great Hope" of which all the prophets spoke is God's Kingdom on Earth. The book is also a challenge to Christians to examine some of the most widely held assumptions about what God expects of them, including how they should approach the Jewish state of Israel and whether the biblical law still applies.
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Joseph Farah and his wife, Elizabeth, are co-founders of WND.com, the first independent online news source, now entering its 20th year as one of the most widely trafficked websites on the planet and the biggest Christian website in the world. He is the author and co-author of more than a dozen books including a collaboration with Rush Limbaugh on his classic, "See, I Told You So," the bestselling non-fiction book of 1993 and 1994. He is also the founder of WND Books and WND Films. Among the new media pioneers, Farah uniquely has 20 years of experience in the so-called "mainstream media," much of that time spent running daily newspapers in major markets before launching the first and oldest independent online news service about the same time the Drudge Report was founded in 1997.
Elizabeth Farah is a marketing and operations guru whose avocation is the study of the Scriptures, especially concerning how they pertain to the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith.
And pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries is the discoverer of the "Blood Moons" phenomenon and the author of several books explaining the incredible connections between Judaism and Christianity.
With these three commentators, guests on this cruise won't just have a fantastic vacation. They will be on a spiritual adventure, a pilgrimage at sea, learning about a whole new way to understand their faith.
But the WND Alaska cruise will also be an unforgettable adventure.
It all starts in Seattle on Sept. 8, spending the next day at sea, docking Sept. 10 in Ketchikan, originally an Indian fish saltery and later a supply base for miners in the Gold Rush.
On Day 4, the ship treks through the 26-mile Tracy Arm fjords, where some of the most dramatic Alaskan glacier settings can be seen in all their splendor. The lush rain forest recedes to reveal a stunning canyon of bare rock. The panoramic of 7,000-foot mountain peaks and nearly vertical rock cliffs are astounding. Waterfalls appear at every turn. Icebergs make their way to the sea in all sorts of wondrous shapes. And tucked away at the end of this remarkable waterway are two very active reminders of the Ice Age – the twin Sawyer Glaciers, calving icebergs into the jade-colored inland sea. Kittiwakes, mountain goats and seals are a common sight. Whales and bears may even make an appearance in this magical place.
Next up is Juneau, the capital of Alaska, founded during a gold rush in 1880. Today, the former gold-mining town counts among its riches some of Alaska's most spectacular scenery. Nestled at the foot of Mount Juneau in the Alaska Panhandle, it faces the water from the mainland side of Gastineau Channel. Several magnificent fjords are located along the channel coast, and the majestic Mendenhall Glacier, a favorite of visitors, is nearby.
Still there is more – Skagway, another Gold Rush town, and the Alaskan Inside Passage. Another day at sea and plenty of time for teachings and lively discussions. Then there is Victoria, British Columbia, where a touch of England awaits – afternoon tea, double-decker buses, the famed Butchart Gardens, a brilliant tapestry of color spread across 50 blooming acres. Then it's time to return to Seattle on Sept. 15.
It won't just be a great time. It will be a life-changing experience. And an opportunity like this won't come again.