My Heart's Desire

Paul was a Roman citizen, but above all he loved Israel and the Jewish people, for he too was a Jew, a Pharisee of the Pharisees but when he saw the blinding light...Jesus, on the road to Damascus,(Acts 9:3)  his life and calling was turned around to serve Messiah Jesus. He was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles.

 

Rom 10:1  Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Rom 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Antioch

 

Act 13:44  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Act 13:45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Act 13:48  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

 

When family or those we love most refuse the gospel message, it tears at our heart, as it did to Paul who loved his fellow Jews. He didn't stop loving and praying for them who were connected by blood, but who lacked faith. and we do not stop praying for them as well.

 

Rom 9:1  I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 9:6  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

The children of the promise which is received by faith. By faith in Messiah Jesus both Jew and the Gentiles become the children of the promise.

 

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

I love Israel as the people of the promises of God and I love the people of the Church who are included in the family of God. We also love those who are not yet seeing the light, that is Jesus who are still in the darkness of sin. I pray that those who cannot see will see Jesus and be saved as well. This is my heart's desire.

Catching Up

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Israel's salvation has largely been put on hold until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in to the church, these are the peoples of the non Jewish nations. We are in the age of grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus. A time will come when the nations will no more come to Jesus. I believe what will follow is the Lord catching up his church to be with him. This has been called the rapture of the church. The name "rapture" is not in the Bible."Rapture" is an English noun derived from the Latin verb rapiō, with a literal meaning of "I catch up" "or "I snatch". (Wikepedia) The word was first used by a nineteenth century commentator, referring to this Bible text:

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Following this will come a time of persecution, especially towards Israel, where a great number will be killed. There will also be a time of tribulation, the wrath of God sent to the unbelieving nations. The LORD will do a work in the hearts of the Jews and they will be saved at the second coming of Christ. All the Jews who remain shall be saved at this time. At every time there has been a remnant of the Jews who were saved by faith in the promises of God and this is by faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

May we be aware of these coming events and not be caught up in the things of this world.

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both (Jew and Gentile) one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.