The Engathering

Scripture

Israel is a foolish and stupid nation, for its people have turned away from God…Yet the time will come when the Lord will gather them together like handpicked grain.

~Isaiah 27:11-12, NLT

Quote

No matter how long it takes, whether centuries or moments, God will never forget a promise and He will never break His word.

~Jonathan Cahn

This is a follow up on the Monday’s [2/14/22] blog concerning the diaspora {the scattering}. God promised the ancient Israelites a land, but the promise was conditional. He told them repeatedly that to stay in the land, they had to be faithful to Him. He warned them again and again not to rebel and that to do so would cause Him to scatter them all over the world. Israel paid no attention: they rebelled, and God kept His promise, He scattered them all over the globe. A resurrected Isaiah would not be shocked with what’s happening in our world today: he predicted it, but he also tells us that a time is coming with the Jews will open their eyes and the LORD will gather them from the nations like hand picked grain. We have been seeing a slow and steady influx of Jews coming home to Israel in the last 50 years but I think what Isaiah is talking about is a little more dramatic. There are some Messianic Jews {believers} but they are few in number. For the most part, the Jews in Israel and around the world are not believers. The one thing we know for sure–Jesus will be at the heart and center of everything the Father does. Personally, I do not believe that God will use Israel apart from Jesus. This is the fallacy of Zionism; it makes more of Israel than it does of Jesus.

I am with Paul, For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” [2 Cor. 1:20] Some folks have Israel on one track and Christianity on another but God will bring everything together in Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. [Gal.3:28]. What about all the promises God made to Israel the nation? They have been or will be fulfilled in Christ. Anyone who leaves Jesus out of the picture is in error. This is the very thing that got the Jews in trouble the first time: they did not believe that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.

Extra

We have a lot of cold weather left but I think we will begin to see some warm days like yesterday. I can handle the 60 degrees with sunshine. I am preparing for the January Bible Study that begins Sunday night. This years study is on the PSALMS and the book was written by Jerry Rankin who was president of the IMB for many years. He was president when Ken and Allison were commissioned. It is a good book.

Carol Southern may not get to come home today as planned. She is having some neck pain that they want to check out. Kip is on his way back from Texas so pray for traveling mercies. It would be nice to see the flock together this Sunday.

Hope you have a great day and great week.

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