God's Chosen People - Part Five

We are in the process of studying how and why God chose the Jewish People and for what purpose. In the first four messages we have looked at the size of the land God gave to His Chosen People plus learning that they would become a Great Nation.

Deuteronomy 7:6-8 shows Moses speaking to the Israelites saying, "For you are a holy people to The Lord your God, The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people . . . but because The Lord loves you and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers."

Notice God chose them to be a special treasure or for a particular purpose. God did not choose them because of their size but because He desired to keep the oath He swore to their fathers.

What is that oath? Genesis 12:2 shows God speaking to Abraham and his descendants saying they will "Be A Blessing." God chose this particular group of people to be a blessing to all people on the earth. Why did God choose them? God's Word does not answer this question. However, we can determine whether they have been a blessing.

Yes, without a doubt! History shows Israel being surrounded by enemies. However, Israel still is a place of refuge and safety for Christians and other religions. People are free to worship as they choose and pursue their dreams.

A recent story illustrates how Israel values life above all else. Saeb Erekat was the Chief Palestinian Negotiator, an enemy of Israel. Saeb came down with Covid-19 and was brought to a hospital in Jerusalem where Israeli Doctors treated him for a month but did not succeed in saving his life. In Israel, life is more important than politics, hatred or fear. Yes, God's Chosen People are a blessing!

In Isaiah 44 Jehovah God is talking to His Chosen People and says to them "You Are My Witnesses." What does this mean? Stay Tuned!

May The Lord Continue Blessing And Loving You,

Frank     

God's Chosen People - Part Four

For Zion's Sake Ministry was not able to publish a message for the last three weeks as my wife Carole was diagnosed with Covid 19 and hospitalized for six days. We are pleased to report she is home well on the way to recovery.  THANK YOU JESUS! On with God's message.

Our message this week is the fourth in a series identifying The Jewish People as God's Chosen People. The first three messages looked in detail at the land God gave to His People and we learned it is larger than current day Israel plus it could have been the Garden of Eden and will be the location of the New Jerusalem.

The Book Of Deuteronomy illustrates Moses reviewing the history of Israel and The Jewish People. Deuteronomy 1:10 says, "The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today as the stars of heaven in multitude." This is the completion of Genesis 12:2 in which God speaks to Abraham and his descendants saying He will make them into "A Great Nation." That Great Nation became God's Chosen People - The Jewish People.

Previously in our messages, we have pointed out that when God repeats a message it is important to Him. Numerous times in Genesis God talks about making The Jewish People into a Great Nation. Genesis 13:16 shows God speaking to Abraham, "And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth" and in Genesis 15:5 God says to Abraham, "Look toward Heaven and count the stars . . . so shall your descendants be."

Jehovah God also spoke to Abraham's son Isaac about making the Jewish People into a Great Nation in Genesis 26:4, "And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of Heaven" and saying to Isaac's son Jacob in Genesis 28:3, "May God almighty bless you and make you fruitful  and multiply you."

God chose The Jewish People to be a Great Nation. This is important to Him and to us who love and support Israel. Our next message will start a study about "Why Did God Choose The Jewish People And For What Purpose?" Stay Tuned.

May The Lord Continue Blessing You Each And Every Day,

Frank    

  

God's Chosen People - Part Three

In our new series about Jehovah God choosing the Jewish People as His Chosen People, we have looked in detail at the total land God gave to them. Last week's message raised the possibility that this land could also have been the Garden of Eden and will be the location of the New Jerusalem. This week we will attempt to examine the God Ordained relationship between the three purposes of this same land.

First we will look at the Garden of Eden which was Heaven on Earth before the Fall of Man. It has been God's desire to restore the atmosphere of the Garden of Eden to earth. How will God accomplish this? Ezekiel 37 is entitled "Vision of Dry Bones." Ezekiel prophesies over a valley of bones for them to hear the Word of God. As a result, these bones come to life. This vision is symbolic of current day Israel as being spiritually dead. However, Ezekiel 37:11,14 says, "Then He said to me, 'Son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, our bones are dry . . . I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.'"

Notice verse 14 says God will put His Spirit into them - Israel will receive Jesus Christ as their Messiah! How many of them will be saved - All of them! Romans 11:26 says, "All Israel Will Be Saved." This means Jews living all over the world will come back to Israel in order to be saved. Ezekiel 39:28 says, "Then they shall know that I am The Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations but also brought them back to their own land and left NONE of them captive any longer."

Last week's message looked at the enormity of the size of the New Jerusalem. Why will it be so large? We previously learned that all living Jews at the end of the Tribulation Period will be saved and will spend eternity in the New Jerusalem. Where do the Gentiles fit in this scenario? Revelation 7:9,10 describes a Great Multitude of Gentiles in Heaven saying, "After these things I looked and behold a great Multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before The Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands." 

Amen And Again I Say Amen!

When Jehovah God establishes the New Jerusalem on earth it will have the same atmosphere of the Garden of Eden and possibly will be located on the same land God gave to His Chosen People. Stay Tuned.

May The Lord Bless You Always,

Frank

  

 

God's Chosen People - Part Two

Last week we started a new series illustrating God choosing the Jewish People as His Chosen People. We looked in detail at the land God gave to His People as described in Deuteronomy 1:7 and Genesis 15:18. We also learned that current day Israel is less than the total land God gave to His People.

Possibly, the following message will be new to many. The author of the following information is Tom Hess who leads a ministry in Jerusalem called International House Of Prayer For All Nations. This ministry promotes 24 hour prayer in countries around the world for Israel. In the past, it was my privilege to assist with this ministry.

In Tom's book called "Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem" Tom describes the total land given by God to His People might have a threefold purpose. The first purpose is that it could have been the Garden of Eden. Secondly, it is the total land given by God to His People. Lastly, it might be the dimensions and the location of the New Jerusalem.

We will now look at the possible location of The Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:10,11,13,14 says, "Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which encompasses the whole land of Havilah. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which encompasses the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the East of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates."

Notice the first river Pishon flows through Havilah which is Egypt and the second river Gihon flows through Cush which is Ethiopia. This is the southern border of the land God gave to Israel. The fourth river is the Euphrates which is the northern border of the land God gave to Israel.

We do not have to look again at the second purpose of this land since it was covered in detail in our previous message. However, we will raise the question - When will Israel occupy all of this land? Stay tuned for next week's message!

The third possible purpose of this land is the measurements of the New Jerusalem as described in Revelation 21:16,17. The New Jerusalem will be 1,400 miles high, 1,400 miles long and 1,400 miles wide. This is believed to be the same size and location as the total land God gave to His People! 

We Can Truly Say . . . Is Anything Too Difficult For Our God?

Again, possibly you are surprised by this extraordinary message. If this is all true, what is Jehovah God planning through all these details? It is not just a coincidence! Our following messages will attempt to answer these many questions.

Lord Bless You Always,

Frank  

God's Chosen People

As we start this new calendar year, For Zion's Sake Ministry is starting a new series identifying the Jewish People as God's Chosen People. We desire to be clear right from the start that all people also are God's Chosen People. Jehovah God desire for all people to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are all "Chosen People of God." Bless His Holy Name!

However, there is a special place in God's heart for the Jewish People. Yet, the majority of them do not know Jesus as their Messiah. There are signs that the return of Jesus to earth is closer than ever. Last year we started hearing the term "The Great Reset." If this takes place any time soon, this could be the early stages of the world government that the Anti-Christ will establish in the Tribulation.

As a result, For Zion's Sake Ministry feels it is timely and important for Christians to understand the Covenants God established with the Jewish People and why they are not seeing Jesus as their Messiah. Additionally, we should understand the actual size of the land God gave to the Jewish People. In this manner, we as Born Again Christians can better love the Jewish People and help them to identify their Messiah.

Our primary reference will be the Book of Deuteronomy that has been called a "Summary Of The Torah." Chapter 1:7 shows God speaking to His People, "Turn and take your journey and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowlands, in the south and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon and as far as the great river, the River Euphrates." 

Jehovah God is speaking to His People towards the end of their 40 years traveling in the wilderness. Verse 7 is an important verse because God tells His Covenant People to go to ALL the land He is giving to them. As we analyze this verse in detail we notice that the mountains of the Amorites are the current day mountains of Judea and Samaria. The plains is all the land along the Mediterranean Sea. God also tells them to go to the land of the Canaanites that is current day Israel. God also tells them to go to Lebanon and as far East as the Euphrates River. Lebanon, Syria and part of Iraq will be part of Israel in the future. This will be explained in up coming messages.

We will close this first message of 2021 by sharing that this description of the land God gave to His people in Deuteronomy 1:7 is the exact same description in Genesis 15:18  when God established the Abrahamic Covenant. Stay Tuned!

May The Lord Continue His Gracious Blessings Upon You,

Frank      

The Prince Of Peace

Isaiah 9:6 says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace." This prophetic verse can be overlooked because we tend to read about the story of the birth of Jesus in the books of Matthew and Luke. However, this verse is very important because it describes who the Baby Jesus would become as an adult. For our last message of 2020 we will concentrate on Jesus as our Prince Of Peace.

After all that we have experienced in 2020, knowing Jesus as our Prince Of Peace will be a sign of hope and encouragement as we enter 2021. Everyone was affected by the challenging events of 2020 since the Pandemic touched every country. Currently, some countries are going into second or third lockdowns. We Live In A Turbulent World!

Let us now look at the Good News! Jesus Christ is our Prince Of Peace! How can we experience this Joy And Comfort? Hebrews 4:14-16 says, "Seeing that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the Heavens, Jesus the Son Of God, let us hold fast our confessions. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need."

Jesus is our High Priest who desires for everyone to have an intimate relationship with Him. Verse 16 says that we should "Come boldly to the Throne Of Grace." Jesus desires for us to spend quality time with Him in worship and thanksgiving as we present our needs to Him. As we come before His Throne Of Grace daily, we will experience Jesus as our Prince Of Peace! Bless His Holy Name!

Another reminder of how we can daily experience Jesus as our Prince Of Peace as we enter into 2021 is that we should "Put On The Armor Of God." Ephesians 6:10,11 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in The Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the Whole Armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Verses 12 to 17 describe how we can daily put on this protection from our enemy, the devil. Many prophetic scholars believe spiritual warfare and Anti-Semitism are more active now than any time in history. As we put on the Whole Armor Of God we will daily experience Jesus as our Prince Of Peace!

As we enter 2021:

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You

May The Lord Make His Face Shine Upon You

And Be Gracious To You

May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon You

And Grant You His Peace

Many Blessings In 2021,

Frank    

Salvation For The Jew First

Traditionally, during this week of Christmas, the For Zion's Sake Ministry brings forth a Christmas Themed Message. This year's message is a little different but still revolves around the birth of Jesus and its lasting effect. Remember from last week's message that Luke 2:11 says, "For there is born to you this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ The Lord." Jesus came to earth to be the Savior of the world and the Word Of God validates that Jesus came to save the Jewish people first!

The story of the first Pentecost shows without a doubt that the first believers in Jesus as their Savior were Jews. Shortly before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He was meeting with His Apostles. Acts 1:5 shows Jesus saying to His Apostles, "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with The Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Acts 2:1-4 says, "Now when the Day Of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with The Holy Spirit." 

The first people saved were Jesus' Apostles - All Jews!

Shortly thereafter, Peter addresses the crowd of all Jewish people in Acts 2:36,38 saying, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ . . . Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of The Holy Spirit.'" 

This large assembly of 3,000 Jewish people were all saved and became the first church of Jesus Christ.

As mentioned in last week's message, only a small percentage of Jews in the world today know Jesus as their Savior. Why is today so different from the time of the first Pentecost? Romans 10:3 shows the Apostle Paul speaking about his own people, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of God."

The spirit of the Christmas Season is about giving. May we ask you during this season, while giving gifts to your family and friends, to also give of your time in praying for the many Jewish people worldwide to receive Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. As you participate in this important act you will be obeying God AND will be blessed!

Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Frank