For the past thirty years Israel has endured a precarious existence in her ancient land, beginning with the formation of a Nation in May 1948. By act of the United Nations, five thousand square miles were assigned to Israel. Subsequent developments have extended this land area to approximately 30,000 square miles. The process, however, has been one of toil and sacrifice, while from day-to-day and month-to-month her very existence has been threatened by hosti le forces which ring her boundaries. A generation ago many capable scholars would have dogmatically predicted that Israel would never have returned to her land and never again been restored politically as a nation.

Today, in spite of the fact that Israel has returned to the Land and has re-established her sovereignty as a Nation, there are still doubts in many minds as to her future. It can hardly be questioned that a miracle has happened in the Middle East and that miracle is ISRAEL. Beginning with less than 1,000,000 Israelites or Israelis in 1948, the Nation has grown to over 4,000,000 in the Land.This is the largest return of Israelis to the Promised Land since the return from Egypt under Moses and Aaron via the Red Sea. So what is it that gives people the interest and desire to visit Israel, to go there on holiday from all over the World?

It was a question such as this that caused me to become deeply interested in the Land of Israel, and more expecially so after conversing with great Christian leaders such as Dr. Freed of Transworld Radio and Dr. Fred Tatford, Bible teacher and prophetic student of International repute. For some years, these men had been advising me that in order to have a better understanding of the Bible and appreciate many aspects of Bible prophecy it was essential to 'go' to Israel. Under their guidance and direction I organized my first group to visit Israel in 1969

A group of seventy made up that initial trip. They and I enjoyed that experience, so much, that between 1969 and1983, 1 have visitedthat country some thirtytimesand feel that I now know the land, its towns and cities. I sincerely think and believe that where Israel has about one million visitors a year, it is the place for Christians to go, to see and to walk 'in' the footsteps of the Christ, to study the Bible there right on the spot and to worship. So many of those who have been there with me (possibly now well over one thousand) said, when we were there in the Land, "I have never really worshipped so much in all my life as I have here."Some of the greatest moments of my life have been spent at the Garden Tomb. The fact that it is empty is the foundation of our Christian faith. In his letters Paul wrote, "If Christ be not risen from the dead you are yet in your sins and your faith is vain." I have always believed in my heart that the Christ was alive, but to go and stand in the rock hewn tomb and to realise that He lay there, a lifeless form; then quite naturally to Him, He got up and though as rising from sleep walked away from His grave, was wonderful indeed. This is the Christ we worship, believe in and present to the people. Have any of the modern critics, any of the modernists of today ever proved a power I ike that in their lives over death, over their own bodies, for a body to be cold, stiff in death for three days and the corpse to get up and walk away; every part of His body functioning naturally? On the very afternoon He rose from the dead, He walked five miles to a little town called Emmaus, yet before they put Him in the tomb they had driven iron spikes through His feet, nailing Him to a cross. (Those iron spikes would have poisoned the blood system of a natural man.) Yet three days later we find the Lord walking a dusty country road!! This was the Lord from Heaven in a body prepared by GOD (who had come into the world to save sinners). He had Power, over Death and to cure every physical ailment known to man today. He is able to heal and cure wrecked bodies. So I have found inspiration in visiting Israel. How glad I am that those Christian leaders kept stressing, "You must see Israel, you must go, it is imperative you be there."

I am sad that tour operators and travel agents have commercialised Israel. Many people go to Israel, paying too much money for too little, neither seeing the land nor having a suitable person to guide them and not having proper Bible teaching come home having missed so much.

My groups enjoy singing in a variety of places that are know worldwide; places like Gethsemane, Golgotha, Bethlehem. At Gethsemane, losing there in the Church has proved a thrilling experience, likewise to climb Golgotha, where Christ died arid from that height to sing, or in a cave in Bethlehem, the site of His birth. Equally enthralling it has been to go to Galilee and sing on its shores, then to take a boat and turn of ft he engine in the middle of the lake and sing again. There cannot be but worship, thanksgiving and praise.

I now regard my visits to Israel as not only an opportunity for me to study Bible prophecy which is based in the Land of Israel, but also as an extension of my Evangelistic ministry. Looking back I recall some 10-12 persons, who accepted Christ, right there, as they followed His footsteps. Furthermore when teaching Bible principles to groups at night, not a few asked for Christian baptism, that is Adult Baptism lor 'believers' in the Lord Jesus. The New Testament does not know of any unbaptised Christians. Every Christian mentioned in the New Testament was a baptised one. Thus in our visits Baptismal Services have been held either in Galilee or in Jordan. Over the years I have seen dear Christians of many denominations following the Lord's command and being baptised. Such events have made my trips to Israel not only memorable but well worthwhile as I have witnessed God working in the hearts of people. There are those in Ireland today, who know the spot where ihey trusted the Saviour in that 'Promised Land', so that to both them and me it becomes very precious They can say, as I have headed this Chapter, "Israel I Love".

Israel is the only spot on a cursed earth that God calls My Land. All who travel like to talk about my land, my home, my country and what we do at home. It is different there. If you were talking to God today. He would ask you. "Have you been to My Land'"

He calls that miracle strip, at the eastern end ol the Mediterranean. My Land! We cal! it Israel. It is eternal; it was for an 'everlasting possession'. Today several million armed forces surround her borders waiting to take possession of her. The Bible declares that Israel is 'An Everlasting Nat ion'and she will never be destroyed. Because God has claimed her for Himself, Israel cannot be taken over by earthly forces and thank God, by Satanic forces neither. I feel that every Christian should visit Israel sometime m his or her lifetime.