A visit to Israel tops the \u201cbucket list\u201d of most Christians. Visiting the New Testament sites of Jesus\u2019 life and ministry bring the Bible to life. Rocky Rocholl, president of the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, remembers his first trip to Israel in 2015 as life-changing. He notes, \u201cThe Bible is alive after visiting Israel. If every pastor could visit Israel, he would preach differently.\u201d Although Jesus\u2019 life and ministry remains the primary reason most Christians visit Israel, the modern story of Israel and the excavation of The City of David tell a powerful story of God\u2019s promise to preserve this small nation.<\/p>\n
In January this year, Rocholl revisited Israel and received a different view, both secular and sacred. As a board member of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), he and 12 other denominational heads came at the invitation of the Israeli government, hosted by the Department of Tourism. During this 10-day trip, the group visited familiar sites, like Caesarea, and disputed areas, like the West Bank and the Golan Heights. As they traveled, their guide talked about the 26 different empires that have controlled Israel over the centuries.<\/p>\n
During the last five days of their trip, the group toured Jerusalem, primarily, and explored the archeological site called the City of David. The site of excavation descends three stories below the modern Jerusalem streets to King David\u2019s original Jerusalem and King Herod\u2019s palace. These ancient sites have revealed treasures like a small gold bell that hung from the high priest\u2019s hem.<\/p>\n
The City of David excavation and a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum highlighted Rocholl\u2019s return to Israel. The Holocaust Museum has added a children\u2019s memorial to remember the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. He reflects on the sobering experience \u00a0of seeing the children\u2019s memorial saying, \u201cMany would use this evidence to question whether there is a loving God.\u201d For him, the experience reminds him that \u201cGod will go to any lengths to turn us back to Him.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A visit to Israel tops the \u201cbucket list\u201d of most Christians. Visiting the New Testament sites of Jesus\u2019 life and ministry bring the Bible to life. Rocky Rocholl, president of the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, remembers his first trip to Israel in 2015 as life-changing. He notes, \u201cThe Bible is alive after visiting Israel. If […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1012,"featured_media":8140,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n