Romans 9-12: I don’t know how this passage could be lived out any clearer than we have seen it the last few days.
Romans 9:22 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.'”
This city filled with religion overflows devout people. The problem is not their devotion. It is what and who they are devote to. The Jewish religion is everywhere and it is on display even greater as they are celebrating one of their sacred holidays. Yet what God was saying in this scripture is being lived out. They reject Jesus as Messiah and are still looking for one to come. So Jesus chose to look past them to the Gentile nations that surround them. He definitely came to the Jews first, but they had no desire to follow so Paul and the other disciples began preaching and teaching the good news to all who would hear. Because of that grace gift from God I too am now a follower of God through His Son Jesus. I too am an heir to that Promise made long ago on Mount Moriah. I too hold to the promises not yet fulfilled in the word. That is a major reason why my heart aches for the Jewish people. They are blind and do not even know it. He still holds out an olive branch of peace and hope for them if they too will come and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, the One and Only Son of God. I found myself yesterday praying in some of the same places Jesus had for this people group. I prayed for peace here but not just from physical wars, but from the spiritual battle happening daily within these borders. Please join me in praying for peace in Israel and more importantly in the hearts of people here and around the world.