©September 4, 2011 Revive Israel Ministries

A Busy Week

On Sunday, we shared at a conference for Chinese believers, mostly from Taiwan, hosted by Melody of My Heart ministries. A vision for world evangelism through covenant partnership, particularly in East Asia, was imparted.

On Wednesday, we taught on the fire of the Holy Spirit at a conference for Korean workers from 14 different countries. The conference was held in a hotel in downtown Jerusalem. While Asher was preaching, orthodox Jews in the lobby heard the message in Hebrew over the loud speaker. The local rabbi complained, and sent to cancel the speaking. Asher refused to stop and a confrontation arose.

On Thursday, came the wedding of Cody and Liat. The ceremony was held on the beach in Netanya. Liat came out, dressed in classic white, but barefoot. Asher shared about the sacrificial love of Yeshua.  Many surrounding Israelis, both religious and secular, on the beach and in the restaurant, heard the testimony of God's love.

On Friday, "anti-Messianic" groups in Mevaseret flooded the town with flyers against us (as from the previous week with 9 pictures and addresses, including 4 of our team). Despite the incitement, response was quite positive from most of the residents, and resulted in an article in the Jerusalem Post, called, Messianic Jews Outed Illegally.

At our congregation in Jerusalem, Ahavat Yeshua, we enjoyed worship and fellowship in the Holy Spirit. A report from our young adults group returning from a short term mission in Italy ended in a time of laying on of hands for healing. Asher shared a message on revival in both Israel and the nations.

Despite the attacks, pressure, exhaustion, and disappointments, the kingdom of God is breaking through. We feel the prophetic destiny of end-times revival closing in on us.

Glick on Beck

By Caroline Glick, deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post, excerpt

In general, the Israeli media responded to Beck's visit to Israel either as a non-event, or distorted who Beck is and what he is trying to do.  They portrayed him as unstable, or castigated him as an extremist and marginal force in the US.

Beck said, "There is more courage in one Israeli soldier than in the combined and cold hearts of every bureaucrat at the United Nations. In Israel, you can find people who will stand against incredible odds, against the entire tide of global opinion, for what is right and good and true. The grand councils of the earth condemn Israel. Across the border, Syria slaughters its own citizens. The grand councils are silent..."

The diplomats are afraid, and so they submit. They surrender to falsehood. Beck is rare, because he refuses to bow to the intellectual intimidation and groupthink that plagues the discourse on Israel in Israel itself and throughout the world. 

The Left's attacks on Beck are fueled by the fact that he is a Christian Zionist. The Left's default mode is to accuse Christian Zionists of a hidden agenda to convert Jews and a secret desire to see us killed in an Armageddon. Beck's refusal to bow to the conventional wisdom that Israel's enemies should be praised and its friends condemned all reveal the reason that Christian Zionists can be trusted and embraced by Israelis.

Christian Zionists - like Jewish religious Zionists - are unmoved by the media's intimidation because of their faith in God, and their reliance on scripture. Their faith provides them with a means of judging reality that is independent of the largely post-religious intellectual commissariat that runs the media and the cultural elite in the Western world.

To read the full article click here.

Covenantal Relationships

Troy B. Wallace & SI, (excerpt)

Witness of God's Love

In relationships with unbelievers we, as ambassadors of the Messiah Yeshua, demonstrate His character to those around us. In our willingness to be faithful, at times to our own hurt, we declare the permanent covenantal love of God. Living a life of loyalty and integrity is part of our responsibility in fixing the world in which we live.

Congregational Life

Relationships between believers in Yeshua are covenantal in nature because of the common confession of Yeshua as Savior and by the shedding of His blood. The sharing of communion is seen as a covenant meal. Covenantal relationships between congregational leadership and the congregants can be formed for a specific purpose, such as impacting a local area with the Gospel and with kingdom values.

Team Ministry

Covenantal relationships are vital to successful team ministry. Yeshua invested effort and time in a select group of individuals. Yeshua saw potential in His disciples, and they committed to follow Him. Shortly before being arrested, Yeshua said to His disciples that they were no longer “servants” but “friends” (John 15:15).

In following Yeshua's example, our team ministry will include training select individuals to become our friends, partners, and successors.  A covenantal context of discipleship involves moral confrontation with love and grace, a learning atmosphere without jealousy and gossip, mutual accountability, sacrificial assistance, and long-term commitment.

Kingdom Lifestyle

Covenantal values become a “kingdom behavior” that applies to various spheres of life. These spheres include: 1) devotion and priority in the family, 2) respecting and praying for government leaders, 3) obeying the law and law-enforcers, 4) honesty in dealing with money, including paying debts and taxes, 5) serving others and participating in community life, and 6) high work ethics in your place of employment, including honoring bosses and co-workers.

To read the full article, click here