Stained glass window in Christ Church, Jerusalem - showing the Olive Tree, Jew and Gentile

Today Joseph Haddad is the pastor of a Lebanese church in Nahariya, a city on the coast of northern Israel only ten minutes drive from the Lebanese border which lies to the north, and a forty minute drive from his home Haifa, to the south.

Haifa is a unique city in Israel because Jews and Arabs live there cheek by jowl, in mixed neighbourhoods unlike other parts of Israel or the West Bank where communities are often segregated into clearly definable villages or districts.

Joseph's story is interesting not least because he has been in the right place at just the right time. When the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) withdrew from Southern Lebanon in 2000 and six thousand Lebanese refugees came flooding into northern Israel, he along with his wife, was there; it was as though his life had been but a preparation for that moment and when the Lebanese arrived, Joseph realised his destiny. It was the catalyst that caused him to respond.

Nahariya has been in the news again recently. The war against Israel and Hezbollah fought out in southern Lebanon resulted in countless rockets landing on this city, causing considerable damage. Joseph helped many Lebanese families from his congregation to move to Haifa in a bid to escape the worst of the bombing, before eventually returning home to rebuild their lives.

Today, Joseph holds a Worship meeting every Friday night; a Bible study every Monday night; a Youth meeting and Sunday school every Wednesday night. And as well as Lebanese people, much to Joseph's surprise and delight he now finds Jewish people attending his church. How can this be? What or who has attracted local Jewish people to this Arab speaking Lebanese Christian community?

I arranged to meet Joseph in Haifa one day in early January 2005. It was a very wet and stormy day. It was raining so hard the roads resembled gushing streams; water was pouring down the steep flights of steps that lead down the hillside to the old part of the city. It was not a good day for travelling. But Joseph was undeterred and arrived on time, complete with his black umbrella and rain coat. Joseph is a tall man with deep brown compassionate eyes that betray the fact he's seen a bit of life. He has a calm, unhurried disposition, and a warm, friendly manner; he greeted us like long lost friends...he seemed genuinely pleased to meet us.

'Oh the journey was fine...just took a little longer than usual.' He shrugged it off and we sat down in the hotel foyer with mugs of hot tea and he started to tell his story.

'Something amazing is happening in Nahariya in our Lebanese congregation - Jewish people are starting to come to the meetings...local Jews from Nahariya. And guess what, they were invited by the Lebanese to come to the meeting! I have recently baptised two Jews in the River Jordan!'

Joseph's voice was breaking with emotion...he used to hate Jews...had he experienced a change of heart?

'I grew up with hatred towards the Jews. I was told they took the land belonging to Arabs, they mistreated the Arabs and oppressed them. And when you grow up with that sort of information being fed into you, something happens in your heart.

However, all that started to change when I was saved in February 1984. I was devouring the Scriptures and when I read Joel 3:2, I reached a turning point in my life regarding my attitude towards Jews because I read how God will judge the nations that scattered His people Israel.

I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, for scattering my inheritance among the nations, and for dividing up my land.
Joel 3:2 (NLT)

...'because they divided my land'...as I read those words I realised that God says this is his land - not Jewish land or Arabic land, it's God's land and he has given it to the Jews. So if it's God's land and he gave it to the Jews, who am I to resist or oppose him? The Word of God is so powerful, when you read it with faith it brings change into your life. And from that point on the Lord gave me such a love for the Jews. It may be hard for you to believe, but I pray for their salvation more than the Arabs.

As Joseph wept I wondered what many Christians in the West would think when they read this; so many take sides...do we really understand God's heart?

'I couldn't love them before my conversion...the Lord is so amazing...when He saved me, He changed my heart,' he said through his tears. 'It's such a joy for me to see Jewish people coming to my congregation. I say, Lord, I'm not worthy - you send Jewish people to me for me to pastor, I don't deserve that.' And he wept some more.

An excerpt from 'Future of Israel?' by Julia Fisher, published by Authentic Media.