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Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you!” --Psalm 122:6 The history and the future of the world are forever linked to the Middle East. So if you have any doubts about whether you and I are living in the last days, Israel is the super sign! According to the Scripture, the Jewish people must return to Israel before Christ can return. Well, Israel has been restored and Jews continue to repopulate Israel. The prophecy is being fulfilled even now! You see, you cannot separate Israel from God’s sovereign plan for our world. And even we, as Gentiles, share in this historic connection. From patriarchs to prophets, to apostles, we received the Scriptures through mostly Jewish people. And, of course, our Messiah came to us through David and the Jewish lineage. By grace we’ve been grafted into God’s extraordinary Kingdom and family. We have a divine and providential connection with Israel and the Jewish people… and this covenant is holy and eternal. If you want God’s blessing in this life, then bless Israel as he instructed us in his Word, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And remember, just as surely as Jesus ascended into heaven from Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, he has promised to return to that very place. Jesus is coming soon! BY GRACE WE’VE BEEN GRAFTED INTO GOD’S EXTRAORDINARY KINGDOM AND FAMILY.

An Open Invitation

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Revelation 22:16–17

In 1872, Jerry McAuley opened the Water Street Mission in one of the worst neighborhoods in New York City. It is considered to be the first rescue mission dedicated to reaching those who were in great need. McAuley, who had been saved after he was sentenced to Sing Sing Prison at just nineteen years of age, had a real burden for reaching those who were often looked down on by others. One of his early converts was a man named Samuel Hadley, who had lost everything because of his habitual drunkeness. After his salvation, Hadley became one of the most effective workers at the mission. He summed up the mindset of the Water Street Mission with these words: “We don’t want anyone here who is welcome anywhere else.”
The world around us is filled with people who wonder if anyone cares for them. There are visible signs of brokenness all around. The challenge is to see past the wounds, the hurts, and the scars to the person within, and to reach out to them in love. The church should be firmly grounded in the truth, but it should also provide help and hope to those in need. We do not condone sin or lower God’s standard, but we instead offer a way forward through God’s forgiveness and regeneration. This balanced approach is what Jesus displayed with the woman who had been taken in adultery. “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Make an effort to reach out to those who are overlooked or ignored and invite them to Jesus.