This is His city

Shalom friends. I've been in Israel for a week now, & it has already stolen my heart (which I guess is a good thing since I'm going to spend eternity here with Jesus, eventually). I am staying in an apartment right in Jerusalem. I don't know how to fully describe this city or what I've felt since being here, but what I can say is that this truly is God's city. His presence is so tangible here & His voice so clear.

It just blows my mind that Jesus, this man that I've given everything to & everything up for, was here, walking these same streets, climbing these same hills to spend time with the Father. He was one with these people & still is. The Mount of Olives, which is right out my window, is where Jesus ascended into heaven & where He's coming back. I wonder how deep it can possibly sink in?

Goodness. This place. These people. The Jewish people. They really are the fullness of God's heart. They are the root of the olive tree we've been grafted into. The Lord put His firstborn, His chosen people, on the sidelines, hardening their hearts & closing their eyes to Him, so that the gentiles, that's me & a lot of you, could join the family & experience the God of salvation that they've always known. And now, our job is to provoke the Jewish people into jealousy by the way we love each other & love them. So if you want to know God's heart, know His people.

ps. just last week I was given $1,000 for outreach, so now I only need $425. The Lord is so good & faithful!