I just finished reading a book that I just know will be on my
"Lifetime Top 5" list forever.
It's called, "Your People Shall Be My People" by Don Finto, former pastor of Belmont Church of Christ in Nashville, TN.
As I was reading his book, there were several times that I just put it down and hit my knees and confessed before God the sins of the generations before me, against the Jewish people.
You see, my family origin is primarily German. Anti-semitic jokes were the norm in my home growing up. It was nothing to say we had
"Jewed someone down" when we got a good deal on something.
I remember too, this attitude that the Jews were just hard-hearted and a lost cause because they had rejected Jesus.
How sad to see that today, with new eyes and a new heart. How sad that those who were teaching me didn't know their history very well.
The first century church was made up of Jewish people! The Jews came to Christ first..then the Gentiles later. Acts 10 shows us that the Jews were actually surprised to find that the Gospel, the Messiah was also for the Gentiles!
It wasn't until some Gentiles were baptized in the Holy Spirit, that the Jews realized it was ok for them to receive water baptism too!
When I was growing up, there was almost an attitude of pity toward the Jews for how blind they were.
Just writing this breaks my heart today!
If the Gospel was first for the Jew and then for the Gentile, why in the world aren't we reaching out to Jewish people in love and introducing them IN LOVE to THEIR Messiah?!
I'm not talking about beating them over the head...the LORD knows that they've had GENERATIONS of persecution in the name of Jesus. ( Tragic, as this was never God's intention..just an example of what happens when man doesn't observe the FULL counsel of God's Word enough to know what GOD'S plans are..and instead man depends upon his own fautly plans.)
I'm talking about in love, showing a Jewish person from Scripture how Yeshua fulfilled all of the prophesies made about the Messiah. To do this, we must know and realize the importance of the Old Testament, and not be blinded into thinking that we are just "New Testament" believers.
Jesus didn't first show up in the New Testament..He first showed up in the Old Testament!
Well, to summarize...reading Don Finto's book truly pierced my heart. I told Shane last weekend that I would move to Israel in a minute and live to love on God's chosen people...and to break bread daily with fellow believers in Yeshua.
This was HUGE for me, because I've never even wanted to go on a tour of Israel!
Then, someone sent me this news footage from an Israeli station today. It's really amazing.
We need to remember to be praying for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, in Israel...and for those whom they will share the good news of Messiah with, to have hearts open to hear and consider what the truth of Scripture really is.
Enjoy the footage. Link is below.
In Him,
Jesica
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6244392868781886952
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