Have a heart for God’s own people

John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. Although every creature Jesus created is His, out of all of mankind, He chose a people to be His own special, holy nation—the tribe of Abraham, the Jews. They alone were the people of promise with a unique destiny and purpose in world history. The privilege and honor of the Jews was described by Paul in Romans 9:3-5. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. When Jesus came into the world, He came to His own people, but they did not receive Him. As we will be encouraged in the next verse, this was God’s plan and necessary for us to have a savior. We should be encouraged by this fact and motivated by love to pray for God’s people, Israel. The apostle Paul explained God’s purpose in Israel’s initial rejection of Jesus. Romans 11:11, 25-26. I say then, they did not stumble to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved. God’s own people did not receive Him, so we, Gentiles, would have a savior and become God’s channel of finally blessing them with the gospel. In Jesus’ day, God hardened His own, but perhaps in our day, all whom He foreknew will open their hearts to receive Him; for Paul wrote in Romans 11:2, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” We should be grateful for them and ready to share the gospel with them should He put them in our paths. So we who live to love with Jesus should have a heart for God’s own people. Let’s be ready to tell them the good news! I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may be encouraged to turn their hearts to God and live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.