Amanda Cheatwood
Some trips add information.Others add weight.
When I sat down with my pastor, Mark Machen, after his return from Israel, I could hear the difference. His words carried memory. His pauses carried images. Certain moments stayed close to the surface, as if he were still standing there.
In December 2025, Pastor Mark joined more than 1,000 American pastors and Christian leaders in Israel for the Friends of Zion Ambassadors Summit. The gathering, organized by the Friends of Zion Museum in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought together leaders with one shared purpose: to see the land firsthand, to listen to the people who live there, and to return home prepared to speak with clarity about Israel and the rising tide of antisemitism.
This was the largest evangelical delegation of its kind. A moment that would be marked and remembered.
For Pastor Mark, this was his first time in Israel. He went open-handed, trusting God to shape the conversations, the connections, and the moments that mattered.
Only shortly before departure did he learn the full scope of what he was stepping into. This was the largest evangelical delegation of its kind. A moment that would be marked and remembered. He found himself part of history without ever trying to be.
Seeing a People Up Close
Israel has a way of correcting assumptions simply by being experienced.
Pastor Mark spoke about walking through Jerusalem and noticing how life actually functions there. Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian communities occupy their own quarters in the Old City, living side by side. The rhythm of daily life carries tension, history, and faith all at once, yet what stood out to him was resilience. People working, worshiping, raising families, and protecting one another.
He talked about the deep desire he sensed among Israelis to live in peace. To exist. To contribute. To build. That desire feels different when you encounter it face to face rather than through a screen.
One detail he shared has stayed with me. Out of a global population of eight billion people, there are roughly fifteen million Jews. As a people group, their contributions to medicine, science, agriculture, technology, and culture have shaped the modern world in ways that are impossible to ignore. Standing in the land itself, that legacy feels tangible.
Ground That Holds Stories
Early in the trip, the delegation visited sites connected to the October 7 attacks, including areas near the Supernova music festival and communities close to the Gaza border. Survivors shared their stories. Families spoke of loss. Mothers described the terror of that day in voices that still carried shock.
One of the most powerful moments for Pastor Mark came at Mount Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery. There, a father told the story of his son, a soldier who responded immediately when news of the attack broke. Without waiting for orders, he drove toward danger.
Along the way, he came across a group of civilians hiding in a concrete bunker. Fear had overtaken them. The soldier stopped and told them he would stay. When terrorists surrounded the bunker, he stood in the doorway. Grenades were thrown inside. He threw them back. Eight times.
An RPG eventually ended his life, but not before he saved more than twenty people.
Another moment that left a deep imprint was hearing from a former hostage who had spent more than five hundred days in darkness underground.
Pastor Mark described listening to the father tell the story with quiet steadiness. The kind of steadiness that comes from love and grief existing together.
Another moment that left a deep imprint was hearing from a former hostage who had spent more than five hundred days in darkness underground. Nearly two years in tunnels. Throughout his captivity, the man recited Psalms, spoke Scripture aloud, and encouraged others to hold onto hope. When he was released, he carried scars, but he also carried faith. His story spoke of endurance that goes beyond circumstance.
What Comes Home With You
When Pastor Mark reflects on the lasting impact of Israel, he talks about community.
He observed how tightly families and neighborhoods are woven together. Shared responsibility is woven into daily life. People show up for one another. The sense of belonging is strong and visible.
That experience stirred something familiar from Scripture. The early church lived this way. Believers shared life, resources, and responsibility. Faith was communal, not compartmentalized.
Since returning home, Pastor Mark has been carrying one question with him: how can the Church deepen connection and live as the body of Christ in everyday life?
The trip also reshaped how he thinks about suffering. Scripture presents suffering honestly, yet it places it inside an eternal framework. Faith does not erase pain, but it does reframe it. Death does not have final authority. Joy and peace remain accessible even in the presence of loss.
Identity in Christ changes everything. When identity is rooted there, suffering does not define the story.
Why the Church Must Speak
One of the primary purposes of the summit was to equip pastors to address antisemitism. Pastor Mark believes this moment calls for clarity and courage.
Social media has become a powerful shaping force, particularly for younger generations.
Misinformation travels quickly and settles deeply. Narratives spread before truth has time to catch up. In that environment, silence creates space for confusion.
The Church has not replaced Israel. Through Christ, believers are grafted into the story.
Pastors carry responsibility. Scripture speaks clearly about God’s covenant with Israel. Romans chapters nine through eleven lay out that truth without ambiguity. God remains faithful to His people. The Church has not replaced Israel. Through Christ, believers are grafted into the story.
Pastor Mark also witnessed something hopeful during the trip. Many Jewish leaders grew up believing Christians were hostile toward them. History reinforced that belief. Yet in recent years, Christian organizations have shown up in tangible ways, helping rebuild communities, providing food, and offering support. The summit itself felt like a turning point, a moment of partnership forming between Israel and the Church.
That partnership carries gospel implications. Trust opens doors. Relationship creates opportunity.
Scripture as the Anchor
When conversations become complex, Pastor Mark returns to Scripture. God’s Word provides clarity where opinions differ. God’s covenant rests with people, not governments. Both the natural descendants of Abraham and the spiritual descendants brought in through Christ remain within God’s redemptive plan.
He acknowledges the reality of persecuted Christians worldwide, including Palestinian believers, Nigerian Christians, and others living under threat. Religious freedom remains a defining distinction in Israel, especially within a region marked by hostility toward Christianity.
Truth requires discernment. Sources matter. Context matters. Scripture remains the anchor.
The Land Comes Alive
Among the many places Pastor Mark visited, two stood out.
Shiloh brought the Old Testament into focus. This was where the Tabernacle stood. Where Hannah prayed. Where Samuel was born. Standing there offered a glimpse into Israel’s early days, the time of Joshua and the Judges, when the land was first being occupied.
The Mount of Olives left another mark. Overlooking the Temple Mount, Pastor Mark reflected on prophecy and promise. Zechariah’s words came to mind. The certainty of Christ’s return. The reminder that no gate, wall, or human effort can prevent what God has already declared.
As he put it simply, Scripture reads differently once you have stood in the places where it unfolded.
A Call to the Church
If Pastor Mark could speak to the global Church in one moment, his message would be clear.
Study Scripture. Think independently. Speak with courage. Fear of man silences too many leaders at moments that require clarity.
Israel stands as a place of spiritual significance and as a region where freedom still exists in a volatile landscape. Both realities matter. Silence carries consequences.
For Pastor Mark, this journey marked a beginning. New relationships were formed. Future trips are already planned. Seeds were planted that will grow over time.
Some journeys end when the plane lands. Others continue working quietly long after you return. Israel did that for him. And in the process, it left him with a deeper resolve to lead, to speak, and to shepherd with truth anchored firmly in Scripture.
Mark Machen is a passionate minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He pastors Life of Faith Church in Birmingham, Alabama. He and his wife, Jennifer, have dedicated their lives to helping people find lasting freedom through Jesus Christ. Mark loves teaching people how to truly experience God, know His voice, and enjoy life. In 2019, he developed Forever Free, a course where he and Jennifer share their radical encounter with God’s love and Truth. The Lord has graciously used their testimony and biblical teaching to change people from being bound by sin and darkness to truly living the kingdom life of righteousness, peace, and joy. To learn more, visit www.lof.church or foreverfree.org
