Rom 15:25-27 NLT 25But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers [fn] there.26For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia[fn] have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem.27They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.
One of the things that I wanted to talk about in my blog are the things that are affecting or concerning Christians today. By living in America and living in our hometowns, we often times do not concern ourselves with things that are going on in the Jewish community or in Israel. We forget that we are partakers. The gospel was given to the Jews first, and than the Gentiles. Not only that, in the early Christian church, they understood that as partakers of the Spiritual gifts that were given to them, they showed their gratitude by being a blessing to them with material gifts.
When we bless Israel, we in return will be blessed. Now I know that it feels different for us because, we did not receive the gospel directly from the Jews like back in the early churches. There is a disconnect because, just speaking for myself, I've never met a Jewish person who shared the gospel with me. As a matter of fact, most of us were taught that the Jews don't even believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah so we continue to live our lives as if we are now the new chosen ones and the Jews are the former chosen ones. I am here to tell you now that this is not only incorrect thinking, but it is not scriptural.
The reason we get confused is because we say we must help to "convert" the Jews to Christianity (our religion). It's not that the Jews were or were not converted, the truth is, the Jews were Christians from the beginning. Now of course there is a change that takes place once anyone, including Jews, accept Christ as their personal savior, and salvation only comes by accepting Christ as your Lord and savior, but they were given little by little the prophecy about the Messiah and the role of keeping the prophecy until it is fulfilled was by the Jews. This is what I mean when I say they were Christians from the beginning. They were the keepers that were entrusted with the Truth "if you will". I will try to give a brief explanation of this. The first gospel message was given in the garden of Eden Gen 3:15And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike [fn] your head, and you will strike his heel." Now this message was the prophecy of what is to happen in the future but Adam and Eve were not Jews because the nation had not been established yet. Later we know that God called out Abraham and separated Abraham from his family and the rest of the world to fulfill this prophecy. Abraham received 3 promises: 1. Great nation (Israel/Jews through his grandson Jacob). 2. Land promise (Jerusalem)and 3. Seed promise (Jesus) that were all fulfilled. So you see the prophecy has been fulfilled so the Jews were not "converted" to Christianity, they were already Christians, so what really happened is, some of the Jews rejected their own faith and started another religion by not accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior and have continued with the law of Moses instead of recognizing that Jesus has fulfilled it all and that the law was a shadow and a tutor of the real thing. In other words, they already had the truth and Jesus fulfilled the prophecy but they did not received it and therefore left their faith for another and call themselves Orthodox Jews. We the Gentiles were the only ones who were converted (to their faith), not the Jews (converting to our faith). Rom 11: 11I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but [rather] through their fall salvation [is come] unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.And those Jews who have not accepted, once they receive the gospel and accept it, than they are not converted, but the better word is, they have returned. John 4:22(b) NLT for salvation comes through the Jews. Now those who accept Christ have now been identified as Christians in Acts 11:26. KJVAnd when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Jesus Christ came that the world through him might be saved but again He came to the Jews first being born a Jew and is currently the king of the Jews reigning from heaven sitting on the right hand of the Father. Why would Jesus currently, and in the future, be king of the Jews if the Jews were no longer His people? Now as Gentiles converted into Christianity, we have received and shared in the blessings that were promised to the Jews through Abraham. God also gave this promise to Abraham. Gen 12:2-3 NLT I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.3I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." This is a promise that still stand today. And, God takes it personally when nations try to harm Israel: Zechariah 2:8 NLT After a period of glory, the LORD of Heaven's Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, "Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.
Now that we know that we are partakers of the covenant and promises given to Israel. 1cr 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Being that we are partakers also means that whatever is going on with Israel we must take personally as if it is happening to us also. Right now the Israel nation is being threaten and need our support.
In a recent New York Times article, Ahmad Tibi, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, called upon the world to boycott Israeli companies. Ahmad is an Arab Israeli, who was elected by other Israelis to sit in the Israeli parliament (Knesset). Israel not only have Israeli's people there but they also have Arabs living there. Israeli Knesset is a democratic governmental body made up of both the Jews and Arabs.
Tibi is the leader of Ta'al the Arab Movement of Renewal. He is putting pressure on other countries to force Israel to end the Israeli occupation and start the right of return for the Palestinian refugees from 1948. Even though other people lived in Israel during that time, we know that Israel was promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Jewish people. Here are other scriptures dealing with the promise: Gen 12:1-3, 13:14-18, 15:1-21, 17:4-8, 22:15-18, 26:1-5 and Psalm 89:28-37.
It was the Jewish people that allowed Arabs to have full rights as citizens with them in 1948, as the Jewish people were given their own Jewish state to call home. As you know after the Holocaust in which half of the world's Jewish population were destroyed by Hitler, the Jewish people returned to Israel, which at the time was under British control. On May 14, 1948, the UN voted that Israel would be the Jewish Homeland.
Believe it or not, today some of the Christian religions around the world are boycotting Israeli companies helping Tabi in his mission to allow Palestinian refugees to return from 1948. The member of their government turning against them. Some of the groups are Dutch Interchurch Organization and the Irish Catholic group Troicare, both funded by the EU government, drive such divestment campains against Israel. This year it's reported that united Church of Canada voted to boycott six companies (Caterpillar, Motorola, Ahava, Veolia, Elbit Systems and Chapter/Indigo). Last year the Methodist Chruch of Britain voted to boycott products manufactured in Judea and Samaria. And now it's rumored that America could be heading in the wrong direction going against Israeli. I am just naming a few. All of this is going totally against the word of God. We know what God promised Abraham and his seed and we know what God promised us as partakers.
As Christians we must stand with Israel and make a difference for eternity! God's Word never changes. He still blesses those who bless Israel. I have joined three groups in support of Israel to #1 keep in touch with what is going on in Israel and #2. To find ways to support Israel. My prayer is that America will continue to be allies and supporters of Israel. We must continue to pray for them and as Christians we can find organizations that support Israel. We can donate our goods being a blessing to those in need and we can even join the local Jewish community in helping to support them. And by doing this, we will be blessed. I hope I have encouraged you to help in the support. If you have any questions feel free to send me an email.
I love you all and God bless you.
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