What brings a mosaic together?

As I continue to move forward in my life after Israel, its impact continues to resound in my life. Sometimes I think it is slowly magnifying day by day, but ultimately that it not the main issue I want to share with you all today.

Psalm 67: 3-7

"May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him."
As I sat in class this week, my professor shared a song with us in which the lyrics were simply Psalm 67. I loved it of course and have listened to it over and over. Yes, I'm one of those people that just kill a song when I like it. God's heart for all peoples is something that is continually being revealed to me more and more. When asked for a short answer about Israel I gave them the word culture and a short explanation. I realized the depth that comes in studying Christ's Jewish roots, His culture but I also saw the importance of understanding my own. Which left me with the struggle of loving those around me for Christ without becoming completely immersed in the culture and simply being of this world.

The beauty of God's people going to the end of the earth leaves me in awe of our multifaceted God. Christ has called us to proclaim His good news to the end of the earth, yet He calls us to love our neighbors. To walk with Him (AKA living our life with God) not worrying about tomorrow but living in the present, giving ourselves to Him and those we can serve and love around us. The tapestry God paints is full and magnificent in the entire world but with a closer look is a "mosaic of local beliefs and practices in creative tension with a universal framework shaped by belief in the God of the Bible, as handed down through Jesus and His followers (Robert, Christian Mission)."
Ephesians 2:19 "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."
While in Israel, we got the chance to see the wall that now encloses the area of the Dome of the Rock (once was the Temple). The picture above is a cornerstone. You can't see it wrap around the corner but it does. Looking at the stones you can see how each is perfectly formed to fit this wall. It has stood here for countless years with no cement to bind it together (fun fact that wall runs much, much deeper into the ground-the ground has been built up over the years). Jesus is a tecton, translated in our bible as a carpenter. A tecton is actually more generally a worker skilled in making buildings, whether with wood or stone. While in the Galilee you see very few tress and the trees that are there are not native to the area. Now combine this picture, verse, and expanded meaning of Jesus' occupation. Jesus is chiseling us, "cutting off the branches that bear no fruit" and pruning us so we will be more fruitful (John 15). He does this to form us to the perfect fit within not just a local body of believers but the worldwide body and He himself binds us together, making sure that we will not crumble.
How have you seen God worshiped in other cultures, either in the US or another nation? This summer I went to a talent show in Kansas where a group called Divine Intervention offered there many talents of rapping, dancing, humor, and gospel singing to the Lord, to glorify Him. I wasn't necessarily always comfortable but praise Jesus for the heart they have for Him. It was beautiful. Feel free to share any of your experiences to give others of an idea of the Lord's masterpiece mosaic painted as His Spirit works in us.

Attack!!!

The large cave you see is actually where water used to run out into the stream. However, in 1837 there was an earthquake and now the spring runs out at a different spot. So imagine tons of water running out of the mouth of the cave, resulting in all the beautiful green of the area that is not typical for most of the landscape in Israel. People worshipped fertility gods and therefore this became a very religious area because of the fertility of the land. The life was brought through water, and life comes from god, so where the water is must be where the god is.

This place had idols dedicated to worship, pan, the god of fertility. So how do you worship a god of fertility? I don't know details but don't necessarily want to know. I learned that they would have orgies in front of the idols and I don't care to know more.

During Jesus' day, he spent 70% of his ministry in the religious triangle of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida. Now read Matthew 16:13-15. He's ready to complete his ministry and talks to the disciples here before he dies. Weird, huh?

I'd like to challenge you to rethink what rock Jesus told Peter he would build his church on. Imagine Jesus teaching his disciples on the mountainside that I took this picture and saying "on this rock." I know what rock I would have been thinking of when he said that (most people believe the rock he's talking about to be Peter's works or his confession). I now think Jesus is saying "this rock" meaning the rock where the gods are, representing the paganism of their culture, all of the ungodly, nasty sin. This is where he will build his church.

A deeper message of this place comes with the knowledge that this opening is called the Gate of Hades. They called it this because fertility gods would go into the underworld, or Hades, during the winter (this is why there was not rain) and if worshipped right they would return in the spring bringing fertility, or rain, to the land.

Jesus says, "I will build my church on this rock. And the gates of hell will not stand against it." We know that gates are built to protect things. Jesus is calling us as a church to not be immersed in the culture, but take Jesus amidst it all (movies, sports, food, etc) and attack the gates of the paganism of our culture.

I have been rethinking the way I live my life. Am I living offensively to attack my culture or to form a bubble that I find myself helpless to love those outside of my bubble. My prayer is that as a church we may work to offensively attack the gates of Hades in our culture!

Joy, joy, joy, joy...down in my heart

Psalm 119:32 "I have run in the path of your commands and you have set my heart free."

As of late, I've been thinking a lot about my testimony or simply God's work in my life over the past 21+ years. I'm amazed by His gracious Spirit at work in my life when I realize the different paths that He protected me from as I grew up and made different choices. As I painted this for Hannah and Greg (based on Isaiah 55 and Pablo Naruda's poem "Your Laughter"), I became more and more thankful for the joy that is found in Jesus Christ and none other. My favorite part of Isaiah 55 says this "...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace, the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed."

This post is a short one, but if you're reading this I pray that the Spirit will urge you to dig deeper into a relationship with our King that He may produce beauty, joy, and peace in your life. Making fruit that will last and inspire others to pursue Him, too.

Thanks to Greg and Hannah, whose joy in life and each other has been an instrument of the Holy Spirit to teach me.

PS Anyone, wanting updates from my AIA trip email me at kneth@nwciowa.edu