so what?
so why would Jewish culture and history be so interesting to Christians?
well, i think without knowing it, especially in this church, we are aware of so much Jewish history just by studying the Bible. But in studying the Bible we get the awesome privelege of seeing behind the scenes and learning what God was doing during the years before and after the coming of the Messiah. Oh! to understand fully! but "though we only see in part, He's completely won our hearts! Oh! what a glorious mystery!" More than we realize, the stuff we believe about history and Jesus is enough to make us identify more than slightly with the Jewish people.
Think about it! it starts way back with Adam. So it was perfect and then Adam and Eve ate the apple, disobeyed God and sin entered into the hearts of Men.
God chose Abraham and promised him that he would be the father of many nations and that from his seed would come the One who would reconcile Man back to God. Then Abraham had Ishmael...who was to be the father of the Arab nations. Then came Isaac, the promised son to Abraham in his old age. From Isaac came Jacob and the decendants of Jacob have come to be known as the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. God promised them a land of their own where they could dwell with God.
From the beginning, the Jews and their God have been mistreated and persecuted by the kingdoms of this world. Joseph was sold into slavery but ended up being second to Pharoah in Egypt. After saving the land from disaster of 7 years of famine, the decendants and family of Joseph appeared to have their future secured. But then eventually they were enslaved by the Egyptians and it wasn't until God led them out of Egypt through Moses that they were granted freedom. After wandering in the desert for 40 years, they finally made it to the promised land. Over the course of Israelite history, they sinned and forgot God, God sent oppressors to their land, they cried out to God for deliverance, and God sent a deliverer. God proved faithful and merciful to them even though they forsook His commandments and forgot their One true God. They were His people. He loved them. And He promised them a Savior who would conquer their enemies, change their hard hearts of stone, and bring peace to their land. (As I am writing this, I'm beginning to realize that their history is kind of like we are before Jesus regenerates us. We're running from God, forgetting and rejecting Him even though He has written eternity on our hearts. We are hopelessly messed up and unable to draw near to our Creator. But then the Father sends His Son, the Savior of the world, to conquer our enemy of sin, melt our hard hearts of stone, and bring peace to our lives. cool!)
Anyways, so why the Jews? Who knows? God. Yeah, God chose the Jews and promised them that from their race would come the One who would save them and bring peace. He's known as Mashiach, the Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth. One of the saddest trajedies of all history is that the Jews, who were promised the Messiah, didn't recognize Him. Some of them have by God's mercy. But so many of them didn't and haven't yet!!! they were looking for a savior to deliver them from their earthly oppressors, the kingdoms of this world, not from the worst thing: the sin that separates them from their God.
But God in His GREAT MERCY opened up this possiblity of salvation from sin to ALL MEN! even those who weren't of Jewish descent. He offered them Salvation through His Son and ADOPTION into this great heritage. "[God] says in Hosea: "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" -Romans 9:25-26. If we have accepted Yeshua as the promised Messiah, we are now treated as one of Abraham's children. Why would He do that???!!! I don't know! But my heart is filled with thankfulness that i can be included in this promise!!
Why have the Jews and then the Christians been so mistreated and persecuted over the centuries?
BECAUSE SATAN HATES THEM. The devil knows that the Jews are God's special people and the Christians (those who have been adopted into this great salvation) are special to God as well. Satan wants to make God a liar and turn hearts aginst the One true God. so He is always against them. Satan = the adversary. He's the adversary of God's people.
So why should the Jewish people be of such interest to Christians?
BECAUSE SPIRITUALLY, THEIR HISTORY IS NOW OUR HISTORY. Because we are adopted sons of Abraham, we are joined with them in the promise.
This is why I have such a BURDEN for the Jews that have not recognized Mashiach. So many of them are still waiting for Him to come, to save them from all the people that hate them so much. If you listen to them, they are crying out as a nation for the One to deliver them from their oppressors. BUT HE HAS COME! He is calling out to them to hear His voice. This is Paul's heart when he says, "I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit--that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." -Romans 9:1-5
I still believe that God is not done yet with Israel. There are still more elect that God wants to save! Let us pray!! I don't know what to expect except that I believe that He has not abandoned them.
well, i think without knowing it, especially in this church, we are aware of so much Jewish history just by studying the Bible. But in studying the Bible we get the awesome privelege of seeing behind the scenes and learning what God was doing during the years before and after the coming of the Messiah. Oh! to understand fully! but "though we only see in part, He's completely won our hearts! Oh! what a glorious mystery!" More than we realize, the stuff we believe about history and Jesus is enough to make us identify more than slightly with the Jewish people.
Think about it! it starts way back with Adam. So it was perfect and then Adam and Eve ate the apple, disobeyed God and sin entered into the hearts of Men.
God chose Abraham and promised him that he would be the father of many nations and that from his seed would come the One who would reconcile Man back to God. Then Abraham had Ishmael...who was to be the father of the Arab nations. Then came Isaac, the promised son to Abraham in his old age. From Isaac came Jacob and the decendants of Jacob have come to be known as the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. God promised them a land of their own where they could dwell with God.
From the beginning, the Jews and their God have been mistreated and persecuted by the kingdoms of this world. Joseph was sold into slavery but ended up being second to Pharoah in Egypt. After saving the land from disaster of 7 years of famine, the decendants and family of Joseph appeared to have their future secured. But then eventually they were enslaved by the Egyptians and it wasn't until God led them out of Egypt through Moses that they were granted freedom. After wandering in the desert for 40 years, they finally made it to the promised land. Over the course of Israelite history, they sinned and forgot God, God sent oppressors to their land, they cried out to God for deliverance, and God sent a deliverer. God proved faithful and merciful to them even though they forsook His commandments and forgot their One true God. They were His people. He loved them. And He promised them a Savior who would conquer their enemies, change their hard hearts of stone, and bring peace to their land. (As I am writing this, I'm beginning to realize that their history is kind of like we are before Jesus regenerates us. We're running from God, forgetting and rejecting Him even though He has written eternity on our hearts. We are hopelessly messed up and unable to draw near to our Creator. But then the Father sends His Son, the Savior of the world, to conquer our enemy of sin, melt our hard hearts of stone, and bring peace to our lives. cool!)
Anyways, so why the Jews? Who knows? God. Yeah, God chose the Jews and promised them that from their race would come the One who would save them and bring peace. He's known as Mashiach, the Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth. One of the saddest trajedies of all history is that the Jews, who were promised the Messiah, didn't recognize Him. Some of them have by God's mercy. But so many of them didn't and haven't yet!!! they were looking for a savior to deliver them from their earthly oppressors, the kingdoms of this world, not from the worst thing: the sin that separates them from their God.
But God in His GREAT MERCY opened up this possiblity of salvation from sin to ALL MEN! even those who weren't of Jewish descent. He offered them Salvation through His Son and ADOPTION into this great heritage. "[God] says in Hosea: "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" -Romans 9:25-26. If we have accepted Yeshua as the promised Messiah, we are now treated as one of Abraham's children. Why would He do that???!!! I don't know! But my heart is filled with thankfulness that i can be included in this promise!!
Why have the Jews and then the Christians been so mistreated and persecuted over the centuries?
BECAUSE SATAN HATES THEM. The devil knows that the Jews are God's special people and the Christians (those who have been adopted into this great salvation) are special to God as well. Satan wants to make God a liar and turn hearts aginst the One true God. so He is always against them. Satan = the adversary. He's the adversary of God's people.
So why should the Jewish people be of such interest to Christians?
BECAUSE SPIRITUALLY, THEIR HISTORY IS NOW OUR HISTORY. Because we are adopted sons of Abraham, we are joined with them in the promise.
This is why I have such a BURDEN for the Jews that have not recognized Mashiach. So many of them are still waiting for Him to come, to save them from all the people that hate them so much. If you listen to them, they are crying out as a nation for the One to deliver them from their oppressors. BUT HE HAS COME! He is calling out to them to hear His voice. This is Paul's heart when he says, "I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit--that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." -Romans 9:1-5
I still believe that God is not done yet with Israel. There are still more elect that God wants to save! Let us pray!! I don't know what to expect except that I believe that He has not abandoned them.
posted by beth at
11:16 PM
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