Giving Thanks

This past weekend Americans remembered those who gave their lives in the military so citizens of the United States are able to continue to live in freedom. The main ingredient of their remembrance was to do so with a thankful heart. In a similar vein of thought, our message this week will remind Christians of the need to have a thankful heart towards the Jewish people. 

It is vitality important for Christians to understand that everything we receive as born again Christians was given first to the Jewish people. The Apostle Paul was agonizing over his brethren not recognizing Jesus as their Messiah in Romans 9:3-5 when he said, "For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God."  

This is a very bold declaration by Paul. He is acknowledging that all the blessings from our Lord God which we experience each day is in effect Jewish. The boldest declaration is that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is Jewish. The Word of God was written primarily by Hebrew men. Salvation itself was given to the Jew first, Romans 2:10.

Our Lord God's initial intentions were very clear concerning the giving of His love and blessings - to the Jew first! Then why do most Jewish people not understand that Jesus Christ is their Messiah? Through ignorance and disobedience they have rejected Christ, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." Romans 10:3.

Praise God, this is not the end of the story. Romans 11:11,26,29 says, "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealously, salvation has come to the Gentiles. . And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins . . . for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.'"

As a result, my prayer for all Christians is that we will each day have grateful hearts toward our Lord God for all His blessings but also in this process be respectful and thankful to the Jewish people.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Each Day,

Frank