A Jewish Heart and the Providence of God

          For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of           God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,                  and  also to the Greek.
                                                                        -Romans1:16
 
  This passage declares evangelism ‘begins’ with the Jew. Because the Great Commission (Mat28:18-20) is so critical to our God, and our relationship with Him, to be effective, we must obey God’s word---and not our feelings. This tidbit is not racial, but declares God’s system of order! If we want to be effective in reaching the lost(Mat28:18-20), we must begin with reaching to the Jew! This is my story on how Romans 1:16 became forever alive!
 
   After graduating from Georgetown University in 1978, the Lord called me to play basketball for Athletes in Action, an athletic arm of Campus Crusade for Christ in Southern California. We used basketball as a means to proclaim Christ all over America, and in many nations of the world.
   During my second year, as I had done from childhood, I was sitting in church preparing to hear the Sunday morning sermon—there was nothing out the ordinary that day. After a vibrant worship time, the guest speaker stood to preach. He was a Hebrew scholar, named Dr Roy Blizzard from Texas. He preached from Psalms eight, and Genesis one, entitling his message “What is man that thou art mindful of Him?” I was thoroughly enjoying the sermon, and taking furious notes, when about one quarter of the way through, in the middle of writing a Hebrew sentence on the chalkboard, He suddenly turned to the congregation and pointed at us and said 15 words, “You ought to go to Israel, you will never read the Bible the same again!” Just as suddenly, he turned back to the chalkboard and continued writing, and preaching. However, the moment  Dr Blizzard finished that sentence, I experienced what I now call: 'being born-again, again!' In that moment, God gave me, what I had never heard of, and didn’t know existed--a Jewish heart! I immediately found myself loving Israel, and the Jewish people!  In short, I was instantly and forever changed! This was not a salvation experience however, because my mother led me to Christ at four years old in our kitchen after I disobeyed her warning not to touch a hot pot. I repeat, ‘this’ experience was something entirely new! 
   Interestingly, I was not aware of ever meeting a Jew; nor did I currently have any Jewish friends. I was unaware of the existence of something called a Jewish heart; nor was I aware a Jewish heart was something that I should pursue from the Word of God! All I can say is—this thing just happened! It was a sovereign move of God—at a providential moment!
   Furthermore, for at least a year and a half, I told no one--not even my parents; I thought, “I’m Black” What is a Black man doing loving the Jews! And what does loving Israel and Jews have to do with anything! I had been raised in the church, and could not remember ever previously hearing one sermon on Israel or the Jews! At that moment, I literally  felt I was the only Black person on earth who loved Israel, and the Jews!
   I even started doing crazy things I had never before considered. For example, I began taking Hebrew classes; and paid nearly $3,000 to go to Israel, when I was making less than $12,000 in a year! I thought, “I think I’m losing my mind! But it sure is fun!”
   However, and probably worst of all, I went out and had a necklace  created with my name written in Hebrew letters--in gold! The necklace was absolutely the most amazing part because I hated wearing jewelry—of any kind! To this day--40 years later--I still don’t wear jewelry!
  As I look back now--in the providence of God--the miracle of my ‘Jewish heart’ established the call of God to ministry in my life! Very simply…it was the providence of God that inspired me to abandon my childhood NBA dreams, to play basketball for Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ!! It was the providence of God that led me to a small starter church of 80 believers in Southern California, where tens of millions of people lived, and thousands of good churches were located! It was the providence of God that set-up a divine appointment for the pastor of that small church to both meet and invite Dr Blizzard to preach that morning! It was the providence of God that inspired Dr Blizzard to preach a particular message on that Sunday morning! It was the providence of God that moved Dr Blizzard to stop in the middle of his message to speak 15 words that the sovereign God used--at the appropriate moment--to give me a new heart…a heart of flesh…a Jewish heart!!!
 
          Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the ‘time’ to 
          favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
                                                            -Psalms 102:13
 
 
Quotebit
The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, "If you will take care of me, I will take care of you." Now I say, "I will take care of me for you if you will take care of you for me.  -unknown

 
 
Quotebit
The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, "If you will take care of me, I will take care of you." Now I say, "I will take care of me for you if you will take care of you for me.  -unknown