Wikipedia: Isabella Lilias Trotter (14 July 1853 – 27 August 1928) was a British artist and a Protestant missionary to Algeria…. Ruskin told Trotter that if she would devote herself to her art “she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be Immortal.”[7] Although Trotter was drawn to the prospect of a life in art, in May 1879, she decided that she Read more...

Biblical Archaeology Society: According to 1 Kings 21:1-2, Naboth’s vineyard was located next to King Ahab’s heikal. A heikal is a large, important building, possibly of a military or religious nature. Unfortunately in this context, and in this context only, heikal is always translated into English in the Hebrew Bible as “palace.” In all other instances the word armon is used to denote a palace. We know that Read more...

Wikipedia: Omri is thought to have granted the Arameans the right to “make streets in Samaria” as a sign of submission (1 Kings 20:34). This probably meant permission was granted to the Aramean merchants to carry on their trade in the city. This would imply the existence of a considerable Aramean population, who called it Shamerain.[clarification needed][23] In 720 BCE, Samaria fell Read more...

Traditional Site Elijah’ Hill Saint Elijah’s hill – Jabal Mar Elias in Arabic – is located at the southeastern end of Wadi al-Kharrar. The hill is associated with the Prophet Elijah’s ascension into heaven (2 Kings 2.5-15). Here was the sanctuary located that attracted pilgrims in the medieval period (O.T. Kings.1) The Bordeaux pilgrim (ca. ad 333) states, …It is Read more...

Hi, I’m Pastor Lutzer, and I’m standing in the lobby of Berlin University — one of the greatest universities in the world, with an influence that has reached far and wide. This institution has produced philosophers like Hegel, as well as biblical scholars like Rudolf Bultmann, who challenged traditional interpretations of Scripture. Heinrich Heine was also here, along with someone Read more...

Hi, this is Pastor Lutzer, and we’re here in Berlin, standing in the square where the infamous book burnings took place. It was here that Joseph Goebbels delivered a fiery speech, if we can call it that, declaring that the books being burned were filled with filth — specifically, what he called “Jewish filth.” In this very square, books by Read more...

Hi, I’m Pastor Lutzer, and we’re here in Berlin, Germany, standing next to the Stauffenberg Museum, which is dedicated to the resistance against the Nazi regime. Before you enter the museum, you’ll notice a plaque that honors those who died in this square, including Stauffenberg himself. These individuals were part of a courageous movement that attempted to overthrow Hitler. The Read more...

Hi, I’m Pastor Lutzer, and we are here in Berlin, Germany. Many of us are touring not only Berlin but also other significant sites throughout Germany, seeking lessons that are vital to us as we face our own challenges in this generation. Today, we are standing at what was known as the Ministry of Defense, even during Hitler’s time. Some Read more...

Hi, I’m Pastor Lutzer, here in Berlin, standing in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Church — the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, which translates to the Church of Remembrance. Beside me is my nephew, Chris. You’ve never seen this church before, have you? No, but today we’re going to talk about it and explore the significance of the Kaiser era in Germany. Read more...

Hi, I’m Pastor Lutzer. Many of us are touring the city of Berlin as part of a larger journey through important historical sites in Germany. Right now, we are about to enter what is known as the Topography of Terror. This place reveals much about the depths of the human heart. Those who walk through these exhibits are often sobered Read more...

So, folks, can you really imagine where you are now? You are standing on a historic border — the border between the eastern part of the world, the Communist part of the world. It wasn’t just East Germany; it included other countries like Poland, Vietnam, and Cambodia. At that time, you’ll remember, the world was divided into two blocks: a Read more...

Hi, this is Pastor Lutzer. Many of us are touring the city of Berlin, and I’m standing beside my wife, Rebecca. We are here because we remember a special moment that took place back in 1970. We’re actually here at Checkpoint Charlie — it’s the place where you entered either the American zone or the Soviet zone, depending on the Read more...

Hi, I’m Pastor Lutzer, and many of us are touring Germany. We’re actually in Berlin today. It’s a cold day here in the city, but we are at the Holocaust Museum. The person who came up with this design included hundreds of different blocks. As you walk through, one of the things you notice is that the ground beneath you Read more...

Wikipedia: Spurgeons was founded in 1867 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon.[3] as Stockwell Orphanage – due to its location. The inspiration for starting an orphanage came from a visit with George Muller.[4][5][6] and then spurred on by a donation of £20,000 by Anne Hillyard.[7][8][9] However, it wasn’t this £20,000 that was used to fund the beginning of the orphanage. Spurgeon records in the 1876 publicationThe Metropolitan Tabernacle. Read more...

Wikipedia: In 1868, the world’s first aeronautical exhibition was held in the Crystal Palace. In 1871, the world’s first cat show, organised by Harrison Weir, was held there. Other shows, such as dog shows, pigeon shows, honey shows and flower shows, as well as the first national motor show were also held at the Palace.[44] The match which later has been dubbed the world’s first bandy match was Read more...