©10 October 2014 Revive Israel Ministries
Teamwork Leadership
By Asher Intrater
Many years ago, when I looked at the promises in the Bible concerning Israel, the Church, the Messianic Remnant and the End Times, I came to the conclusion that no one is strong, wise or righteous enough to fulfill them. If God was calling us to be involved, we had to work together as a team. If we could not develop teamwork, we could not fulfill our destiny.
It's never easy to work in a team. A team involves other people; and people have problems. They bring their weaknesses, their differences of opinions, their pride, fears, stubbornness, frustrations, etc. People come with their "baggage" and their "garbage."
Once I distributed to our staff pieces of a children's jig-saw puzzle. We had to slide our pieces into the center of the table to make them fit together. The separated pieces had no meaning, but when connected, the picture was seen.
Each piece had curves going inward and curves going outward. We interpreted the inward curves as our weaknesses or needs, and the outward curves as our talents or strong points. The inward curves – our weaknesses – were what enabled the pieces to fit together. To form a whole picture, the key is for each one to recognize his need for the other. We can allow our weaknesses to pull us together, where often our strengths push us apart.
I serve now in senior leadership at Revive Israel, Tikkun, Ahavat Yeshua and Tiferet Yeshua. Thank God, each team is bearing much fruit by His grace. I feel very aware of my own weaknesses, and often am not sure of what I contribute. Each team is made up of gifted, talented and motivated people in their own right.
If there is anything that I feel we have done right, it is to cause a feeling of teamwork and joint "ownership." In each of these groups, it is apparent that there is interaction and "give and take" in the team. This in itself provides a sense of safety for the other people involved. Nothing is dependent on just one person.
Recently I summarized our teamwork goals in a simple three step guideline:
- Your Success
- Our Togetherness
- Generational Transfer
The first priority is to desire the success of the others involved. The attitude should be: "if I can help you succeed, then I have done my job."
The second priority is maintaining the unity of the team. Everyone has to sacrifice of himself in order to keep the togetherness. Yielding is the price of unity.
The third area involves training and transfer. Not only are the goals of the kingdom of God too big for any one person, they are too big for any one generation. Transferring roles and positions goes in both directions: “up and out” for the elders, and “down and in” for the younger ones.
The transition is like a family in which the child then becomes the parent, and the parent becomes the grand parent. The authority is moved gradually away from the elder to the younger, but the elder remains in a place of influence and honor.
I hope these principles of teamwork and covenantal relationships will help you bear much fruit in every sphere of life (John 15:5, 8, 16).
Yom Kippur Prayer Retreat
Two hundred and thirty Israeli Messianic Jews gathered to celebrate the great Feast of Yom Kippur on the hills outside of Jerusalem in the world's only Messianic Kibbutz. We were five congregations from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv moving in unity and love; with prayer and intercession for the people of Israel and the nations of the earth, powerful worship to the King and lots of deep and loving fellowship.
That all of this is happening in Israel, in the Hebrew language is a marker that should encourage us that God is moving in Israel and that the day of His return is drawing nearer. In Congregation Ahavat Yeshua, we teach that Rosh Hashanah (the Feast of Trumpets) is all about the "seven trumpets of tribulation" in the Book of Revelation that prepares the way for the coming of the Lord. It is our belief that the "Great Trumpet Blast" that will herald the return of Yeshua to this earth (1Corinthians 15:52 Thessalonians 4:16, Mathew 24:31) will be that final great trumpet blast that marks the closing of the day of Yom Kippur.
Twenty four hours of fasting, praise and worship opened up the heavenlies over that small kibbutz. As we approached the end of the final meeting, it was our sense that although the mighty and final trumpet blast at the end of our conference would not bring Yeshua back that day, a portion of that promised anointing and power would be released.
As the sun was going down, the shofar blowers gathered before the assembly- the great trumpet blast was sounded and the entire congregation broke into an extended time of worship. The power of God fell upon us and we are confident that a fresh strengthening and anointing was imparted to us as we continue to labor together to see "all Israel saved".
The twenty four hours of Yom Kippur this year were truly a strategic time of preparation. Please join us in prayer as we continue to press on in our calling in Jerusalem. The battles are many, the resistance is great but we are freshly encouraged and expect new breakthroughs in the coming days.
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