What are some specific things that we can do to stand with—that is, bless (Gen. 12:3)—the people, nation, and land of Israel?

As we documented in the previous installment, we certainly have good reason to desire to do so. As Jesus told the Canaanite woman, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). And as He reminded the Samaritan woman, “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).

The Apostle Paul spoke about the relationship between the Gentiles and “the poor who are among the saints in Jerusalem” (Rom. 15:26). He comments on those Gentiles in verse 27, stating: “They are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.”

So, how can we serve our Jewish friends and neighbors?

Of course, the answers will be as many and as varied as the number of people seeking them—and the number of their Jewish friends. In these days of unprecedented antisemitism, the most basic thing that we can and must do is simply to reassure a Jewish person that we are concerned for them—that we love them and pray for them. I have personally done this on several occasions recently and have seen the visible results that flow from such small acts of Christian kindness.

There are many more sophisticated things that we might attempt to do to reach out in very meaningful ways. Great occasions to begin with would be holidays such as Hanukkah and Passover. These are vitally significant in the Jewish heritage, and should likewise be important for us as Christians in terms of understanding the historical context of our faith.

For example, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry sends Hanukkah boxes to Jewish people throughout North America each holiday season. We also aim to educate believers about the Biblical backgrounds and implications of Passover and the other feasts that are such a vital part of the Mosiac Law (see Lev. 23).

Unquestionably, it would always be appropriate to engage in a study of Jewish history and culture and to try to understand more about their concerns and the forces that pose a threat to them. This would certainly display genuine empathy for their plight.

In terms of more tangible support for the Jewish people, FOI sends a great deal of humanitarian aid and relief wherever it is most needed through our representatives located around the world. Currently, that especially entails giving lots of help to people within Israel, where bomb shelters and medicycles are in high demand during these days of terrorism and warfare. There have also been heroic efforts undertaken over the last two years to assist the Jewish people in Ukraine. Certainly, our ministry is not alone in these kinds of efforts. There are many organizations striving to do the same kinds of things. But FOI definitely offers one channel through which you might endeavor to be a blessing to God’s chosen people.

Again, Paul exhorted us: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). So, do you know a Jewish person? We should all be seeking to get acquainted with them, gain their confidence and show sincere interest in them—just as we would with anyone! But we ought to be looking for specific ways to be a blessing to our Jewish neighbors by showing them that we are concerned and that we genuinely care. They may not concur with us, and we may not agree with them, even on the biggest issues of life. But, if nothing else, we ought to be able to show them that we are indeed their friends and that we condemn antisemitism in all of its forms. If they ever need a friend, they should rest assured that they already have one in us.

In the course of living this philosophy out, you will doubtless encounter and envision more ways to stand with Israel and her people than I might ever imagine or list.

But the greatest thing we could ever do—the ultimate thing we must do and that which we must always keep in the front of our minds—is to share the gospel of their own Messiah with the Jewish people. We must do this in a meaningful way because we love them and because they are the ones who have first brought this gospel to us.

As Paul finally reminds us: “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29).

If you’re going to stand with Israel, now is the time.

Where do you stand?

***

Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

First and foremost, no matter what false prophets may tell you, our Jesus is the only way anyone will spend eternity in heaven. John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

And then there is Acts 4:12, “And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Hebrews 9:11-14, “But when Christ appeared as a High priest of the good things that have come, even through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), He entered once for all into the Holy Places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God.”

Therefore, Hebrews 10:4 states, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Before Calvary, God allowed a temporary means for forgiveness of sins through regular blood sacrifices made by the priests in the Holy Temple. Hebrews 10:14 states, “For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” There would no longer be any need for daily, monthly, or even annual sacrifices for the redemption of sins.

Romans 5:6-9, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore, we now have been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.”

Our Heavenly Father did not create the heavens and the earth with the idea of having a possession to rule with an iron fist. Everything was made with His love being a part of it all. Even after an egotistical archangel caused the first humans to sin, God could have totally destroyed them. However, He decided He would provide a means for redemption, even at the cost of a part of Himself, to be the only perfect sacrifice He could totally accept.

Ephesians 1:3-7 gives us some insight, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every Spiritual blessing in the Heavenly Places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

Then going forward to Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

The Father knows that all of us are sinners and will sin until the moment we take our last breath on this earth. In 1 John 1:5-10, we’re told, “This is the message we have heard from Him, and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

Quite frankly, I would not want to ever accuse our Heavenly Father of being a liar. Instead, I would much rather sing His praises and glorify His name, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

In 1876, Robert Lowry (1826-1899) wrote a beautiful hymn that is still sung in many churches today. Its title is “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.”

1.) What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’

Ref) Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2.) For my pardon, this I see, nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my cleansing this my plea, nothing but the blood of Jesus. (ref)

3.) Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Naught of good that I have done; nothing but the blood of Jesus. (ref)

4.) This is all my hope and peace, nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my righteousness, nothing but the blood of Jesus. (ref)

Our Heavenly Father could have made it so difficult to spend eternity with Him, yet He made it relatively easy. The hardest part is to believe the offer is real and true. It amounts to following the steps of A – B – C.

First is “A.” We must admit or confess that we are all sinners and cannot save ourselves. This is found in Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23.

Second is “B.” We must believe that Jesus was fully God along with the Father and Holy Spirit; He allowed Himself to become human, or as Hebrews 2:7 & 9 state, “lower than the angels for a little while for our sake.”

And then “C.” “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That’s Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, and Romans 10:13. Our Savior will turn no one away who truly calls on Him for forgiveness and to be their Savior forever.

Every soul that has ever lived on this earth and ever will live on this earth to the very end of time here is destined to spend eternity in one of two places.

For the positive note, all who followed the will of the Father prior to Calvary, and all who received and accepted Jesus from Calvary to the end of this earth’s time, will be with our Savior in Heaven forever.

On the negative side, there was a lake of fire created specifically for Satan and his demons to be cast into for all eternity, which is found in Matthew 25:41. For all humans who were out of the will of God from creation to Calvary, and all who did not receive or accept Jesus from Calvary to the end of this earth, they will join the devil for eternal punishment in total darkness.

There are no other options, and the choice is up to each and every individual to make. The Father will force no one to receive or reject His Son but will honor whichever choice we make. The saved will appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ of 2 Corinthians 5:10. The lost will be at the Great White Throne of Revelation 20:11-15.

Everything taking place in this world today is telling us we’re very near the end of this age. We do not know when the day or hour will come that all believers will be removed by Rapture to be kept from the coming great wrath. One thing is for certain: God said it would be so, and it’s His covenant with all who have received and accepted His Son. To miss the Rapture will place the left behind in the worst seven-year period of time this earth has ever experienced.

Consider your options, and make a decision to call on Jesus and be saved. It may not happen in the next few days, weeks, or months, but it could be any minute now. As 2 Corinthians 15:52 states, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

Hope to see you when we all meet Jesus in the air!

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

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