Concluding Videos

I composed two videos to summarize my Israel Journey. They are published on YouTube. The first is views of Jerusalem to the accompaniment of Ofra Haza's Jerusalem of Gold. Here is the link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4g-QjKT6tU . The second is of the teachers and students at Jerusalem University College: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdXEjnc3HnI .

The Cliffs of Arbel

The gospel writers record much about the life of Jesus but don't say much about the geography of the land He travelled. I was surprised then to find steep hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee. I assumed the terrain was pretty flat - then I climbed the Cliffs of Arbel. See the Sea of Galilee behind me?

Our God is Greater - Chris Tomlin

www.utube.com/watch?v=wJ65aNv28Jc&feature=related

Jerusalem University College

This is my school, Jerusalem University College. It is located on Mount Zion. The main building is built immediately on top of the base of the original Herodian wall which dates back before the time of Jesus. Please note the bullet holes in the Jerusalem stone. The school was in no-man's land during the Six Day War in 1967. Jordan controlled Jerusalem when the Israeli troops rushed through the Hinnom Valley to take the city. My school received some of the fire of that conflict.

Elijah...

This plaque is placed near the top of Mount Carmel. It dipicts Elijah's famous confron-

tation with the prophets of Baal. It is described in 1 Kings 18:25-29:

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them, "Shout louder!" he said, "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

www.utube.com/watch?v=iZd73wad2Cg

Mendolssohn's Elijah No. 12 & 13 "Call him louder!"

Animal sacrifice...

Do you think that animals are still sacrificed to God? In Samaria animal sacrificing never stopped. It still occurs today. Every year on Passover Eve lambs are sacrificed. This is the man who is next in line to become High Priest of the Samaritan Jews. He lives in Nablus below Mount Gerizim which has always been the sacred mountain of the Samaritans.

Caesarea

"The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in." Acts 25:23 NIV
This is the likely spot of Paul's interview with the Roman Procurator Festus and the King and Queen of Israel. It is an interview room opening into the King Herod Palace complex in Caesarea. I am standing exactly where Paul might have faced his accusers. That is the Mediterranean Sea behind me.

Yad Vashem

Last week the students visited Yad Vashem. This is the Holocaust Museum remembering six million Jews who were killed in Europe in the 1940's. I had seen pictures of the museum and some of the videos of the testimonies of people who survived it. Yet I was not prepared for the impact one has when walking through. The scenes were graphic and horrifying - as they should be. One elderly lady's testimony reported that women were separated into groups of five. They had to completely undress and walk over to the edge of a pit. They were then shot with a single bullet. Not all received a killing bullet, so there were screams and moans from the pit from wounded women. This lady was shot and survived because she fell at the edge of the pit and was able to escaped when the Natzis left. She was seven years old when this occurred. Seven years old! This is sickening - but it has to be told.

Camel Ride

My granddaughters would never let me visit in Israel without riding a camel. It's actually a pretty cool experience. The camel is like a machine in the desert - they just keep truckin.' Now my sweet girls want me to bring one home because they are so cute!

Mount Nebo

This is the top of Mount Nebo. This is where Moses was shown the Promised.

"Then the LORD said to him, 'This is the land of which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saying, ' I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there." (Deuteronomy 34:4 NIV) Mount Nebo is in the state of Jordan, east of the Jordan River. Moses saw all of the promised land, but never put a foot into it. For Israel it was the end of long years of servant hood to Egypt and wandering in the wilderness. It also was a new beginning for Joshua and the Children of Israel.

This spot is particularly moving to us students. For us also it is the end of something, and a new beginning. Where you go LORD - I go.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2U3PU-E32E&feature=related

Judean Wilderness

This is the land between Jerusalem and Jericho. It's called the Judean Wilderness. When we were there it was 110 degrees. I can't imagine how Jesus walked this route.

Judean Hills

This was taken out in the Judean Hills. The Israelites would build look out buildings to watch for nasty Philistines.
"It looks like we are all clear for now."
I'm headed for the Negev (desert) for three days so will be out of touch. My fellow students and I will be staying in hostels in the southern areas of Israel. I feel a little like a Bedouin tribesman - just pack your things, take down your tent, and move on.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Here is a great picture of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We were on the Mount of Olives early in the morning when the Eastern sun came up. It cast a shadow of the cross on one dome onto an adjacent dome. This is where the first century Christians believed Jesus was crucified and buried. No research has been put forward to dispute that. The Mount of Olives is my favorite place in Jerusalem.

Blessing and Power and Glory and Honor be to the LAMB on the Throne

Here I am on the stones of the Second Temple Mount wall which were left where they fell as a lasting memorial to Israel's defeat by the Romans in 70 CE. I walked the entire Temple Mount today. Never expected my experience. In the past I always felt the construction of the Dome of the Rock directly over the Second Temple was a blatant intrusion of the Jewish faith and something to be feared. When I was up there the Dome of the Rock was muniscle compared to the Mount of Olives which is just to the East. I had no reason to fear because Jesus has ALL authority in heaven and earth.

www.mikeadkins.com/article/jesus-culture-revelation-song/

The Lion Of Judah

Do you know what I fear most about my journey to Israel? No, it's not the violence. No, it's not sickness or disease. No, it's not imprisonment. My greatest fear is that my conservative spirit will block my reception of what God has for me there. You see I am surrounded by North American churches who offer a lukewarm religion. We are not to offend in church. We are to be conservative and quiet and not involved. It is acceptable to jump up and loudly cheer at a sporting event or dance and scream at a concert, but certainly not in church. We have it so wrong! I have witnessed churches that are alive in Mexico. They are loud and wild and wonderful. They value their salvation and their walk through the Kingdom and are not afraid to express it. They have so little in terms of worldly goods - but they sure have spiritual treasure.

When I read the book of Acts, it is so clear how radical the Apostles were. They were radical lovers of Jesus. They were so radical that all but John were martyred. John was imprisoned to the island of Patmos to remove him from "normal" people. David was radical when, not yet a man, he took on the giant Goliath with a few stones as his only weapon. Elijah was radical when he challenged the prophets of Baal. Jesus, our Best Example, was an offense to the Pharisees.

We are so close to the end time. I believe only radical believers will be able to stand when it comes. It is only the ones who shake off the spirit of lukewarm and put on the mantel of radical love will stand. Do you know what the mantel of radical love is? It is the breast plate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Do you see they are military clothes? God is raising up an army who will stand in the end. The commander is the Lion of Judah.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWpQ67J130g&feature=related

Shalom...

The term shalom contains such a depth of meaning to the Children of Israel. Americans cannot comprehend the burden constantly carried by Israelis as generation through generation through generation have lived through war or threat of war. It has been the same through thousands and thousands and thousands of years. The only time the descendants of Abraham have come close to possessing the land the LORD gave them was during the reign of King David and Solomon. The rest of their history is a story of sadness and loss. When they reach the depths of despair, they cry out to God for rescue. This is reflected in their music. Here is a contemporary expression by Sarit Hadad.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdaJNeUV9bU&feature=related

Jerusalem of Gold (Jerusalén de Oro)

Jerusalem of Gold is the second national anthem for the nation of Israel - enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlIJOAZ1pak

A Decision to Make...

As I prepare for the experience of Israel I am confronted with a decision on approach. This will profoundly effect what I receive from the experience. Shall I approach this experience from a historical-critical perspective or from a perspective of faith. Academia forces one approach while the Spirit declares the other. Historical-critical advocates that miracles do not happen today; therefore they did not happen in Jesus' time. The supernatural does not effect our world.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Jesus declared, "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then you know the Kingdom of God is upon you." If Jesus performed miracles by the finger of God, during Bible times, why would He not do them now? If Jesus declared the Kingdom of God is upon you, why would the Kingdom not be here now? How can any study of Biblical history not include the supernatural?
I won't begin to absorb what awaits me if I do not view Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Capernaum through spiritual eyes. I would miss the power, the depth, the indescribable if I don't go as a believer. There is no decision to be made. I am going to learn, not ignore.

So now I have an official blog. This is all about my studies in Israel. Most of the time I will be staying in Jerusalem but will be taking overnight excusions to Galilee and Jordan. You are invited to follow me as I experience this famed land. I can't promise I will be politically correct but will try to avoid extremism. I have had to pass many preliminaries to get this far. Admittance to Jerusalem University College, fees, permission from my work to be gone five weeks, airline tickets, physicals, concerns about terrorism, and purchasing desert clothes. I'm not departing for four months but I can't imagine being more wired for a trip...