To the Jew First

"we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews."

Jesus (John 4:22)

"...the gospel is the power of God for salvation
to every one who believes,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Paul (Romans 1:16)

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Think on this for a minute or two. We worship the God of Israel, study (and follow) a Jewish Bible written by Jewish men and kept intact by Jewish people. We were saved by and serve a Jewish savior, and are citizens of a kingdom which, when it is fully implemented, will be ruled by a Jewish man, whose throne will be in Jerusalem (Rev 22:2). We owe a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people. Our faith is rooted in the ancient olive tree God designed before time began. He graciously called and adopted us into the family He made. We are now in a season in which God is giving us an opportunity to partner with Him in calling the rest of the family home again.

If you peek at Isaiah62fast.com, an international solemn assembly and fast has been called, beginning May 7 and concluding on Pentecost Sunday, May 28. More than 5,000,000 people have already committed to fasting in some form (water, juice, 'no meats no sweets', one meal per day, and some who cannot fast food are fasting media). Thousands of prayer locations in over 115 nations are set to meet daily.* All over the world, believers are committing to pray for at least one hour per day for twenty-one days that Israel would recognize and receive her Messiah, and come into her calling in God's kingdom. This is directly tied to the Great Commission and the greater riches for the whole world, as promised in Romans 11:11-12. Information about the fast may be found at Isaiah62fast.com. 

If your first thought is, "Israel is not my thing," or "didn't Jesus make the Jewish people obsolete?" then you are not alone. There is a lot of clutter in the western church regarding this topic. Thinking runs the spectrum from benign disinterest to active hostility. But loving Jesus shouldn't make us hate the people He came from, or the faith He practiced. At the very least Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations, which would definitely include the Jewish people.

The goal of any fast is to seek the Lord, a set apart time to turn our hearts more fully toward Him. This is a season to do just that, to ask Him to reveal what's on His heart. If you love Jesus and long for His return, ask Him to show you more regarding His role for Israel. I promise you, there is a role and its fulfillment will be more glorious and joyful for the entire planet than we could ever imagine. Yes and amen! Maranatha Lord Jesus!

 Romans 11:11-12

Does this mean that God has rejected his Jewish people forever?
 Of course not! His purpose was to make salvation available
to the Gentiles (that's us!) and then the Jews would be jealous
and begin to want God's salvation for themselves.
Now if the whole world became rich
as a result of God's offer of salvation,
when the Jews stumbled over it and turned it down,
think how much greater a blessing the world will share in

later on when the Jews, too, come to Christ."

Living Bible version

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*Countries where prayer meetings are scheduled: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Angola, Australia, Austria, Bali, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Dubai (UAE), England, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Isle of Wight, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Niger, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Scotland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Wales, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. At last count, there are more than 1,000 prayer spots registered in the United States alone. Come on, y'all!