Highlights from Summer Israel Tour With Dr. Keiser
 

 

Picture: olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane 
 

As this year’s trip to Israel was drawing near, I found myself lacking the usual excitement. My schedule at home was very full, and it was going to be an unusually busy summer. Perhaps it would be appropriate to let the other tour leaders hold up my end of things in Israel. Thankfully, that’s not what happened. By the first day or two of our tour I found myself greatly enthused as I witnessed the reaction of those who accompanied us. That reaction was the same as always, which is something like, “I knew coming to Israel would impact my life and the way I read Scripture . . . but I had no clue how much!!” 
 
That is one of the thrills of leading tours of Israel. . . helping others to experience the land which God has chosen to call his own. Although everyone is different, and therefore impressed with different things which they see and witness, one nearly universal response is a greater appreciation for and excitement about Scripture... 

Dr. Tom Keiser
Professor of Biblical
Theology and Exegesis

 Pictured: Dr. Keiser and 
Kris (wife) on left with
Dr. and Mrs. Hannah from
Dallas Theological Seminary

 

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Student Testimony From Israel Trip 
 

Pictured: Brody and Liz Olson on right, and Christina (Liz's sister) on left sitting on the southern steps of the temple mount where pilgrims would have sung Psalms of ascent as they entered the temple through
the Double Gate 

 
My trip to Israel impacted my life in multiple ways.  As my wife and I gathered the necessary funds, I learned so much about finances, faith, provision, and grace.  This process made an indelible impression on my life and future ministry.  I quickly learned that money is only a means and not an end and that God graciously provides when he calls you to do something.  Before boarding the plane my trip was already yielding generous dividends. 

I was eager to learn more so I pondered how to approach this trip.  Could this trip provide a spiritual impetus to a stagnant soul, or should my experience be purely academic? I soon realized that a trip to Israel does much more.  It literally places you in the biblical scene and gives you a more accurate perspective on the historical events.  Having that first hand account compelled me to fall deeper in love with the Bible.  My experience in Israel revived my spirit and my mind.  It gave me a desire to know the words of God in greater detail, to read the Bible with humility and great reverence, and to accept the scriptural accounts as the highest forms of truth.  As my understanding of the Bible is sharpened and I continually yield my life to God’s word, it will begin to change my life to be more like Christ. Israel was truly a life-changing experience before, during, and after the trip.