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