Possibly a Bribe

Hello again! I've finished the second video just now. During our visit to Bethlehem, we were able to visit the Church of the Nativity where we had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our guide got us front-row seats to an Eastern Orthodox mass in room where the Christ-child was supposed to have been born. Usually the room would be closed off to visitors until after the mass, but we got in. Who knows? Anyway, check out the video!



In the front of the room, where the priests are is the supposed spot. I was closer to the back of the room, but it was a great vantage point to capture all of the beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. It's dark, so it's hard to see the tapestries also lining the walls, but part of that may have been all of the carbon build-up from candles over the years.

OMG, Galilee!

Good Morning!

I've snazzied up some of the short video clips I took while in Israel. The first is of the sea of Galilee from the vantage point of Susita, a city of the Decapolis on the east shore of the sea.

Israel

We're back! We got home on Thursday and have been recovering from jet lag the last few days. This trip was unlike any I have ever taken in my life. Not because of the culture, landscape, or food, but because God showed up. I've never been on a "vacation" that brought me closer to the Lord before. We have two tour guides, one American and one Israeli. The Israeli tour guide taught us a lot of Jewish history, while our American guide led us through scripture as we hiked to each site.

Out of all of our lessons, the one that stuck with me was from Romans 11. Paul is writing to the gentiles, reminding them that they are "grafted in." We have Jewish roots, and the early church would have understood this. In my life, I know I have disregarded much of my roots as a follower of the one true God. I saw that my Jewish brothers and sisters hold scripture (aka. the text) in very high regard. When they pray, they pray scripture because how could man's words be better than God's? Also, everyone reads the same passage of scripture and memorizes the same "portion" each day. How cool would it be if when we ran into another Christian at the grocery store we could talk about "the portion" (which is what the Jews call it). Personally, it reminded me to be grateful for our loving Father who graciously grafted us into his family.

^"17But if^(S) some of the branches were broken off, and you,^(T) although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root^[c] of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." ²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you^(U) stand fast through faith. So^(V) do not become proud, but^(W) fear. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²²Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you,^(X) provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise^(Y) you too will be cut off. ²³And^(Z) even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree." (Romans 11:17-24)

The picture of an olive tree is also cool. The life is in the roots. A branch will only bear fruit for so long, then you cut it off down to the roots and a new shoot will come back. Those are the culture olive trees and they bear a lot of fruit. Wild olive trees (more like bushes) hardly bear any fruit. However, you can graft a wild branch into a cultivated tree and it will bear fruit just like the natural branches. It's a really cool picture of what God does with us (gentiles), grafting us into his family (the Jews). We're his adopted children, but just as much children as those that came before us.

That's all I have for now. Be sure to check out the pictures I've posted on facebook. The following are links to the three albums!


"The Best of the Lands" http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2256957&id=17023332&l=35f5516dc8
"A BIG Day"
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2256972&id=17023332&l=395a37f93d
"Grafted In"
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2256976&id=17023332&l=c983d03b59

"Get Krunk"...the Forge

Well the Forge is still going on, and actually coming to a close. With two months left, we're preparing to go to Israel in two weeks, working hard to complete assignments, and having a lot of fun together. Here are just a few photos of projects, speakers, dance parties and birthday gatherings. Check back at the end of March for a full report of the Holy Land!

Mission Austin

Last semester the Forge was assigned to plan and execute their own evangelistic mission trip for this February. A few weeks ago we finished the task with a trip down to Austin, TX. We started out in the St. John's Neighborhood, one of the poorest in Austin, with a 5th Quarter event at Reagan High School. RHS has recently started an FCA program, and so we helped jump-start their name on campus with this event. We played basketball, volleyball, had root Beer floats, and most importantly, heard the gospel. Stephen, one of the Forge students, shared his testimony that was similar to where a lot of the students were coming from. The FCA sponsors were amazed that he had 70 Reagan students sit still and listen to this white kid from Tyler share his story.
The next day was Saturday and we spent the day in Zilker Park walking around, talking to people, and sharing the gospel. I went with John and we talked to a Jewish guy and a girl who grew up methodist, but was no longer following the Lord. We got to have a really good apologetics discussion.
Sunday morning we went to Church Under the Bridge, hosted my Mission Possible. It's a ministry to the homeless that provides a church service, food, clothing and other supplies every Sunday. It's acutally held underneath an overpass, hence the name.
We also got to partner with Apartment Life Ministries. It's a married couple or a team of two people who live in an apartment complex, with no rent, and in exchange they plan community events and invest in the lives of the residents (almost like R.A.'s in college). In the morning we helped them pass out muffins and juice to residents hurrying off to work and in the evening we mingled with them over a baked potato dinner. I really connected with some of the residents and saw myself doing a ministry like this in the future.
Finally, we partnered with Hill Country Bible Church. They have 14 church plants in Austin, and have a vision of reaching all of Austin in the near future. We teamed up with some church planters and did survey work in communities where churches were in the preliminary stages. I really enjoy learning about how a church plant works, especially that they go out and build up the church by evangelizing the community (they don't want people just switch churches, they want more people to know Christ!).
It was a really neat trip, and I definitely learned a lot. I don't see myself being involved in most of what we did, but it was cool to see how God had brought us to Austin to give a lot of the Forge students a heart for the city. Over half of the students have been considering moving there post-Forge and becoming a missional community, possibly partnering with a new church plant. What a cool way to see the Forge community last long after the program has ended!
Until next time, grace and peace.