and there's still much to learn

Much has taken place over the last two weeks. I feel like my eyes are in the process of being opened to so much more than I could have ever known before being exposed to these people and places.

Our first week here was spent learning more about the heart of an artist. For this we were blessed to have Mauricio Palacio come all the way from Mexico to share with us his heart for creativity. For myself, I see that the things that Mauricio shared helped to release a lot of suppressed creativity. Over the last year, I feel that God has really called me to step out more in the art that I make, but for the last few months, I have been a bit unclear as to what it looks like in the situation I am in. Mauricio's teachings really challenged me to be more intentional about making art that points to truth and love and beauty.

A big part of what Mauricio shared with us had to do with the idea that God has created all people with the ability to create. Part of all of our purpose is to continue the process of creation in our lives, with whatever we do, whether we consider ourselves "artists" or not. We know that truth is found in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We know that love is also demonstrated to us in the selfless love that Jesus gave us (I John 3:16). Every day we can use our eyeballs to view the beauty that is expressed through God's creation (Romans 1:20). When we understand this, I think we can see everything we do be touched by creativity, from office work to shoveling snow off the sidewalk.

(the dome of the rock)

(a funny boy)

(a man)

(inside the damascus gate)

(issa (Jesus) and Mohammed. interesting? i think so.)

(Lido, an Israeli soldier)

Last weekend, John Paul, Naphtalie and I had the blessing of being able to take a bus to the northern area of Israel, near the Sea of Galilee to see some of my family friends who live here in Israel. It was so refreshing to be reunited with people from the wonderful place that is Washington State. Their hospitality, warmth, fellowship, and knowledge were a goldmine.

These friends were kind enough to show us around much of the beautiful country in the northern area, including the cliffs of Arbel, Nazareth (where there is a replication of a first century Jewish village as it would have looked during the time of Jesus,) the Jezreel Valley, Mount Tabor, the Jordan River, around the sea of Galilee, Capernaum, and the Mount of Beatitudes. This time of the year, it is fairly cold here, but the cold was definitely worth enduring to see all the hills of the area covered with long, thick, rich, green grass. I think it was one of the most beautiful areas I have ever been able to visit. It now makes clear sense why Jesus spent so much of his time in this area.

(a man at the threshing floor of the replica nazareth village)

(at the well)

(a roof, similar to the one the friends would have lowered their sick friend through to be healed by Jesus in Mark 2.)

(possible forefather of Norm Abram. anyone who understands this reference gets a gold star.)

(john paul, learning the ways of a skilled carpenter.)

(this is how they made thread in the olden-olden days.)

(in the jezreel valley, near where gideon chose his troops, where Saul died, and much other old testament history took place.)

(a church on the top of mt. tabor.)

(mt. tabor. Deborah commanded Israel's troops on mt. tabor in Judges 4.)

(at the jordan river.)

(the sea of galilee. near where Jesus met the disciples after his resurrection in John 21.)

(naphtalie. a stunning expose on athleticism.)

(from the mount of beatitudes)

This last week, we have spent studying the historical books, and some of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. For this teaching, we had Phil Leage come to join us from the YWAM King's Lodge Base in England. An interesting fact about Phil: he did his School of Biblical Studies in the 1980's at Makapala, the same base where I did my DTS in 2006.

The thing that stood out to me most in Phil's teaching was something that he said about God's purpose for Israel as his chosen people. For the longest time I have thought that Israel was a group of people that God chose to be his own, and only when they did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah did he allow Gentiles (people who aren't Jewish) to enter into relationship with himself. This I see, was a wrong view. Phil pointed out the truth that God did choose Israel as his people, but he did this that all the nations of the world might know him through Israel.

In Genesis 22:18, God tells Abraham, "and through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed - all because you have obeyed me." And later in Exodus 19, God speaks to Moses and the people of Israel, "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be to me a kingdom of priests, my holy nation..."

The idea that the Israelites are to be a kingdom of priests speaks to the idea that they would be a people to maintain a relationship between the God of the universe and the nations of the world, interceding between God and the rest of the people of the earth. Our God did not just choose one people so he could exclude all the rest, but he chose one people so that through these chosen people other people would know of his greatness. However, as can be seen in the cycle of sin of Israel in the Old Testament, on their own human strength, it seems as though they could not fulfill this priestly role. No man on their own strength - Israelite or not - could have done so.

Sadly, when Jesus (Son of God, clothed in human flesh) came and died on the cross and rose from the grave, many of the people of Israel did not recognize that he was the ultimate sacrifice and therefore the one to be our High Priest once and for all. Hebrews 7: 27-28 says, "He (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when He sacrificed himself on the cross. Those who were high priests under the law of Moses were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed His Son with an oath, and His Son has been made perfect forever."

(the garden tomb. possibly Jesus' tomb, or at least something very similar to it.)

As many of us know in varying amounts of depth, there is an ongoing conflict in this land...a conflict that has taken place basically since the time God made his covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15. Today, Israel as a nation exists on land that the people of Palestine claim they are entitled to.

I cannot explain this situation. I don't understand it, and I question whether any man could fully do so. But I'll share what God is showing me.

When I see a conflict, I have always thought that there should be one side of a conflict that is right, just, the side to follow, etc. However, with this conflict, complex as it is, I see that there is not necessarily one side that is acting in the right. With Palestine, God does not want to wipe them out because they live in the land that Israel is occupying, but he does want for them to come to a realization of the salvation that is found only through his son, Jesus. Equally, though Israel is still God's chosen people, they are not exempt from a need to accept Jesus as their Messiah. Both sides of this conflict have at different times responded appropriately and inappropriately to the other, and this cycle continues to go on today.

People (Secular-Jews, Orthodox Jews, Islamic Arabs, Christian Arabs, Orthodox Christians, etc. [there are a seemingly infinite amount of religious sects here in Jerusalem]) in this situation need to be valued for the value Christ has placed upon them, regardless of what they believe. We have value regardless of what we do, say, think, know, or understand; Christ loved us while we were still sinners. There is a conflict for the territory of physical land in this place, but I am beginning to see the greater spiritual conflict that must be taking place for the territory in the hearts of these people.

The following are some pictures on the West Bank side of the Security Wall which is now almost fully surrounding the West Bank. I was able to make a quick visit to Bethlehem yesterday, and found it to be a most enjoyable experience.

(an Israeli soldier)

(a palestinian yardsale.)

We must pray. Pray for a realization of the love that is found in Christ, on both sides of the wall. Christ didn't love and accept us depending upon the side of the wall we were on.