Blessings Await Christians Who Bless the Jews
Part 4 of a 4 Part Series
Jim Croft
Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Almighty God closely monitors the attitudes and actions of individual and nations toward his Chosen people, the Jews. Individuals and nations that bless Israel and the Jewish people can anticipate temporal and eternal blessing for kindness demonstrated toward the Jews. There are spiritual and tangible material blessings connected to cultivating an attitude of respect toward Israel and for exercising compassion toward Jews in adverse situations.
Identifying the Lord’s Brothers
When Christians read Jesus’ words in Matt 25:31-46, most don’t consider the full implications of what he said. Throughout the centuries believers have read the Lord’s statements and have been inspired to launch ministries to prison inmates; the impoverished and to those struck by national disasters. That is well and good. However, more often than not those ministries only target people who qualify as the Lord’s kinsmen in the sense that God created them and cares for them.
The Lord has another group of people who are his ethnic kinsmen in the natural. It is the Jews. Normally speaking, the Jews scattered throughout the earth are left out of the mercy ministry equation and so is the nation of Israel. Few Christian outreaches specifically target Jews imprisoned in ghettos and those reduced to poverty by the many nations that have anti-Semitic political policies. How many nations are first responders to aid Israeli’s whose limbs and homes are blasted to smithereens by the rockets and homicide bombs of Islamic terrorist groups? I don’t know of any.
The Lord warned of judgment against the churches of the Book of Revelations that were only partially obedient to his commands. Nations that neglect the plight of the Jews will not have placement in the Millennial Kingdom. Those that bless Israel and the Jews can expect the manifold blessings of life in the Kingdom.
Prophet’s Reward
Jesus was a Jewish prophet. Many Christians envision their ministries as an aspect of the prophesied restoration of the ministry of the Jewish prophet, Elijah. Jesus proclaimed that anyone who gives so much as a sip of water in the name of a prophet would receive a prophet’s reward.
What is a prophet’s reward? It is extraordinary supernatural help in times of trouble. The widow of Zarephath shared her last bits of food with Elijah. For the duration of the famine, her flour bin was supernaturally replenished and her oil jar never lacked sufficient supply. Her son died of a sudden illness and Elijah raised him from the dead. (1 Kg 17:9-23)
Material $ Spiritual Blessings
Psa 122:6-9 dictates that all believers who love Jerusalem and pray for her will be rewarded with prosperity.
When the Jewish elders of Jesus' day wanted him to come and heal a Gentile centurion's servant they knew that they would have to give him a good reason. When Jesus heard that the man loved the Jewish people and had built them a synagogue, he sent a deposit of healing power to the man's home and the servant was healed. (Luke 7:2-10)
The first incident of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentiles for salvation and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit was prompted by the righteous acts of one Gentile Centurion toward the Jewish people. The angel of the Lord told Cornelius that his habit of giving alms to Jews had been noticed in heaven. God labeled the Gentile’s acts of kindness as a memorial that qualified him for divine favor. As a result, the Spirit graced all of the Centurion’s friends and relatives with the gift of eternal life. (Act 10:1-5, 24, 34-48)
Christians who honor the Jewish people can anticipate that relatives and friends whom they want to see saved and immersed in the Spirit to have supernatural encounters with God.
United In Christ
We must come to understand that the Lord never intended that there be ongoing animosity between Christians and Jews. One of the primary reasons for Jesus' death on the cross was to break down the wall of enmity between Gentile believers and Jews. We are to be reconciled to create one new man from the two. As we allow the Lord to cleanse the anti-Semitism from our hearts, we qualify to become the completed habitation of God in the Spirit. This is the clear teaching of the following passage from the book of Ephesians.
Ephes.2:11-22: Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- [12] that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, [15] having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, [16] and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. [17] And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. [18] For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. [19] Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, [21] in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, [22] in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Please note the words two, both and together. They refer to Gentiles who were afar off from God’s covenant with the Israel prior to salvation and the words also refer to born-again Jews. Through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus, both groups have access through the Holy Spirit into the fullness of the Father's blessings. We are to recognize that we are joined as one as the unified dwelling place of the Godhead.
If we repent of our ignorant neglect of this vital truth the Scriptures give ample precedent that the Father's blessings of everything from household salvation to financial prosperity will surely follow. Gentiles Christians need those attestations if they are to fulfill their Godly mission to the Jews.
Part of our commission as the people of God is to provoke the Jews, to jealousy. (Romans 10:19, 11:11) The provocation is activated as Jews see the covenant blessings that belong to them coming upon Gentile Christians. It must be stated that Jews seldom have reason to be envious of Christians. On the whole, Jews are creative, industrious people who are well known for their achievements in every area of life beneficial to mankind.
Unfortunately, it is not commonplace for Christians of fervent testimony to have the same measure of distinction. Though many Gentile believers speak of the abundant life that Jesus promised, there are not significant numbers demonstrating it in a manner impressive to Jews.
Christians often boast, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philip. 4:13) A pragmatic Jews response might be: “Just what have you done through Christ that is more notable than what we have accomplished without Christ”?
The Church that helps pave the way for the end-time harvest of the Jews will need to cultivate apprehending faith that bears evidence that God’s blessings reside on its Gentile membership. Miraculous signs, wonders and marketplace achievements must become commonplace among us.
The Jewish disciples who attracted 3,000 to the Lord on the Day of Pentecost were prophesying about the glorious works that God would do among his people in the end-times. Clever sermons will not convince the Jewish people of the Lordship of Christ. They will not be moved to investigate Christ’s authenticity as their Messiah unless they see objective proof that he is alive and is performing miraculous healings and improving the lives of Gentiles whom they have historically shunned. The visible evidence of the Holy Spirit’s anointing on our lives will prepare them to accept their coming revelation that Jesus is indeed Jewish and their King.
Faith’s Response
Father, I ask forgiveness for any degree of prejudice and anti-Semitism that I have held in my heart. Lord, I thank you for all the blessings that you have afforded me through the many contributions which your chosen people have made to enhance my life. Lord Jesus, the Jews are your kinsmen in the flesh and I embrace them as my brothers in the Spirit. I praise you for allowing me to see the full restoration of Israel in my lifetime. Lord, I ask you to begin your move on Jewish hearts. Send your Holy Spirit to visit them with revelations of their Messiah.
Christians who want to bless Jewish immigrants to Israel can do so through the ministry of Joseph’s Storehouse/Vision for Israel. I have known the founders for decades. They are among my most reliable friends.
http://www.visionforisrael.com/
Sources
The historical data contained in this book was derived from research of the following:
The Long Way Home, 1997 HBO documentary.
The Last Word On The Middle East, Derek Prince, Chosen Books Pub.
The Anguish Of The Jews, Edward H. Flannery, Macmillan Pub.
The Jewish Connection, M. Hirsh Goldberg, Bantam Books Pub.
Israel America’s Key To Survival, Mike Evans, Logos International Pub.
The Christian History Institute’s website http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/
All Scripture references are quoted from the New King James Version.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Jim Croft
jcm888@comcast.net
Part 4 of a 4 Part Series
Jim Croft
Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Almighty God closely monitors the attitudes and actions of individual and nations toward his Chosen people, the Jews. Individuals and nations that bless Israel and the Jewish people can anticipate temporal and eternal blessing for kindness demonstrated toward the Jews. There are spiritual and tangible material blessings connected to cultivating an attitude of respect toward Israel and for exercising compassion toward Jews in adverse situations.
Identifying the Lord’s Brothers
When Christians read Jesus’ words in Matt 25:31-46, most don’t consider the full implications of what he said. Throughout the centuries believers have read the Lord’s statements and have been inspired to launch ministries to prison inmates; the impoverished and to those struck by national disasters. That is well and good. However, more often than not those ministries only target people who qualify as the Lord’s kinsmen in the sense that God created them and cares for them.
The Lord has another group of people who are his ethnic kinsmen in the natural. It is the Jews. Normally speaking, the Jews scattered throughout the earth are left out of the mercy ministry equation and so is the nation of Israel. Few Christian outreaches specifically target Jews imprisoned in ghettos and those reduced to poverty by the many nations that have anti-Semitic political policies. How many nations are first responders to aid Israeli’s whose limbs and homes are blasted to smithereens by the rockets and homicide bombs of Islamic terrorist groups? I don’t know of any.
The Lord warned of judgment against the churches of the Book of Revelations that were only partially obedient to his commands. Nations that neglect the plight of the Jews will not have placement in the Millennial Kingdom. Those that bless Israel and the Jews can expect the manifold blessings of life in the Kingdom.
Prophet’s Reward
Jesus was a Jewish prophet. Many Christians envision their ministries as an aspect of the prophesied restoration of the ministry of the Jewish prophet, Elijah. Jesus proclaimed that anyone who gives so much as a sip of water in the name of a prophet would receive a prophet’s reward.
What is a prophet’s reward? It is extraordinary supernatural help in times of trouble. The widow of Zarephath shared her last bits of food with Elijah. For the duration of the famine, her flour bin was supernaturally replenished and her oil jar never lacked sufficient supply. Her son died of a sudden illness and Elijah raised him from the dead. (1 Kg 17:9-23)
Material $ Spiritual Blessings
Psa 122:6-9 dictates that all believers who love Jerusalem and pray for her will be rewarded with prosperity.
When the Jewish elders of Jesus' day wanted him to come and heal a Gentile centurion's servant they knew that they would have to give him a good reason. When Jesus heard that the man loved the Jewish people and had built them a synagogue, he sent a deposit of healing power to the man's home and the servant was healed. (Luke 7:2-10)
The first incident of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentiles for salvation and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit was prompted by the righteous acts of one Gentile Centurion toward the Jewish people. The angel of the Lord told Cornelius that his habit of giving alms to Jews had been noticed in heaven. God labeled the Gentile’s acts of kindness as a memorial that qualified him for divine favor. As a result, the Spirit graced all of the Centurion’s friends and relatives with the gift of eternal life. (Act 10:1-5, 24, 34-48)
Christians who honor the Jewish people can anticipate that relatives and friends whom they want to see saved and immersed in the Spirit to have supernatural encounters with God.
United In Christ
We must come to understand that the Lord never intended that there be ongoing animosity between Christians and Jews. One of the primary reasons for Jesus' death on the cross was to break down the wall of enmity between Gentile believers and Jews. We are to be reconciled to create one new man from the two. As we allow the Lord to cleanse the anti-Semitism from our hearts, we qualify to become the completed habitation of God in the Spirit. This is the clear teaching of the following passage from the book of Ephesians.
Ephes.2:11-22: Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- [12] that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, [15] having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, [16] and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. [17] And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. [18] For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. [19] Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, [21] in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, [22] in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Please note the words two, both and together. They refer to Gentiles who were afar off from God’s covenant with the Israel prior to salvation and the words also refer to born-again Jews. Through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus, both groups have access through the Holy Spirit into the fullness of the Father's blessings. We are to recognize that we are joined as one as the unified dwelling place of the Godhead.
If we repent of our ignorant neglect of this vital truth the Scriptures give ample precedent that the Father's blessings of everything from household salvation to financial prosperity will surely follow. Gentiles Christians need those attestations if they are to fulfill their Godly mission to the Jews.
Part of our commission as the people of God is to provoke the Jews, to jealousy. (Romans 10:19, 11:11) The provocation is activated as Jews see the covenant blessings that belong to them coming upon Gentile Christians. It must be stated that Jews seldom have reason to be envious of Christians. On the whole, Jews are creative, industrious people who are well known for their achievements in every area of life beneficial to mankind.
Unfortunately, it is not commonplace for Christians of fervent testimony to have the same measure of distinction. Though many Gentile believers speak of the abundant life that Jesus promised, there are not significant numbers demonstrating it in a manner impressive to Jews.
Christians often boast, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philip. 4:13) A pragmatic Jews response might be: “Just what have you done through Christ that is more notable than what we have accomplished without Christ”?
The Church that helps pave the way for the end-time harvest of the Jews will need to cultivate apprehending faith that bears evidence that God’s blessings reside on its Gentile membership. Miraculous signs, wonders and marketplace achievements must become commonplace among us.
The Jewish disciples who attracted 3,000 to the Lord on the Day of Pentecost were prophesying about the glorious works that God would do among his people in the end-times. Clever sermons will not convince the Jewish people of the Lordship of Christ. They will not be moved to investigate Christ’s authenticity as their Messiah unless they see objective proof that he is alive and is performing miraculous healings and improving the lives of Gentiles whom they have historically shunned. The visible evidence of the Holy Spirit’s anointing on our lives will prepare them to accept their coming revelation that Jesus is indeed Jewish and their King.
Faith’s Response
Father, I ask forgiveness for any degree of prejudice and anti-Semitism that I have held in my heart. Lord, I thank you for all the blessings that you have afforded me through the many contributions which your chosen people have made to enhance my life. Lord Jesus, the Jews are your kinsmen in the flesh and I embrace them as my brothers in the Spirit. I praise you for allowing me to see the full restoration of Israel in my lifetime. Lord, I ask you to begin your move on Jewish hearts. Send your Holy Spirit to visit them with revelations of their Messiah.
Christians who want to bless Jewish immigrants to Israel can do so through the ministry of Joseph’s Storehouse/Vision for Israel. I have known the founders for decades. They are among my most reliable friends.
http://www.visionforisrael.com/
Sources
The historical data contained in this book was derived from research of the following:
The Long Way Home, 1997 HBO documentary.
The Last Word On The Middle East, Derek Prince, Chosen Books Pub.
The Anguish Of The Jews, Edward H. Flannery, Macmillan Pub.
The Jewish Connection, M. Hirsh Goldberg, Bantam Books Pub.
Israel America’s Key To Survival, Mike Evans, Logos International Pub.
The Christian History Institute’s website http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/
All Scripture references are quoted from the New King James Version.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Jim Croft
jcm888@comcast.net
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Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC USA