©14 November 2014 Revive Israel Ministries

Faithfulness

By Asher Intrater

Faithfulness is an important character trait. God described Moses as "faithful in all My house" (Exodus 12:7).  Abraham was faithful past the age of 100 when his body was weak and frail.  Joseph was faithful despite the lies against him; Daniel and his friends even in the face of being executed.

Faithfulness is so central to Yeshua's character that it is like a second name to Him: "I saw the heavens opened and behold a white horse and the one who sat upon it was called faithful and true" (Revelation 19:11).  We are called to be like Him, so faithfulness should become central to our character as well. 

From the root of the Hebrew letters AMN – אמן – are derived the words for amen, faith, faithfulness, trustworthiness, integrity, moral courage, training and coaching.   There is a connection between faith and faithfulness.

Faithfulness is faith that has been tested and proven over time. Faithfulness is faith that has passed the test of patience and trials.  When faith goes through the process of persecution, difficulties, challenges and temptations, it develops into faithfulness. 

We should look at difficulties in this life as an opportunity for character development. "…the testing of your faith leads to patience... let patience have its perfect work so that you will be made perfect" (James 1:2-4).  Through this process, our faith is refined and made more precious than gold (I Peter 1:7). Faithfulness is faith refined.  It is precious.

Faithfulness in this lifetime determines how we will live in the world to come. "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in little; I will make you ruler over much. Enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:21). It is not joyful when we are tested, but it will produce joy in the end.  

God is not "impressed" by our talents and accomplishments. However He is looking for human beings who will be faithful.  At the end of our lives, we want to be found faithful.  When we feel we have no strength or wisdom, we can still be faithful.

In meeting recently with some of my friends and partners at Tikkun ministries (Dan Juster, Eitan Shishkoff, David Rudolph and Paul Wilbur) with whom I have walked together for 35 years, I mentioned that even if we do no more projects, but simply maintain covenant relationships and integrity, that will be a significant testimony in itself.

We believe in supernatural miracles, healing and prophecy.   It is also a great miracle when people are faithful.  The last thing that Paul said about his own life was that he had "kept the faith" unto the end (II Timothy 4:7).  In the light of continuing moral scandals, the world is hungry for testimony of spiritual leaders who are faithful to the Lord and to one another.

By Greta Mavro

The word for faithful in Greek is: πιστός (pistos).  The word for faith is: πίστις (pistis).  They have the same root but are two different words. You can see this clearly in Gal.3:9 - So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.  These two words appear throughout the New Testament.
 
However in Gal 5, the word that is sometimes translated as faithfulness is actually the word for faith, πίστις. The original Greek word can indeed convey both meanings. Since the verse is talking about character traits, some translators give the word for faith as meaning faithful or faithfulness.  

 In I Cor. 12, the Apostle is speaking about charismata, or special endowments of the Spirit (spirituals) and not about character or fruit of the Spirit; so the word faith/πίστις is more accurately used here in translation.  

This week some of the Revive team took part in the 822 Gathering in Jerusalem, led by David Demian and a multinational core team.  The International Convention Center was filled to overflowing—more than 3500 people.  The majority of the participants were of Chinese background.  The name 822 is taken from Zechariah 8:22 in which the nations gather in Jerusalem to seek the Lord.  Pray for much fruit from this gathering.  We will have more details in next week's update.  In one of the preconference gatherings, Asher and some of the Arab leaders repented and humbled themselves for the pride of the Jewish and Arab peoples.  A tremendous release of the Holy Spirit and intercession broke through.

By Elhanan Ben Avraham, excerpt

LAWLESSNESS

The word “illegal” has lost its power to describe that which is against the law to something that should be empathized with and allowed.  Along with the campaign to rebel against basic biblical moral values comes a mounting antipathy toward anything Judeo-Christian, including the removal of crosses and the Ten Commandments from public view. 

ANTI-NOMIANISM

The Bible describes this (using the Greek word anomia) as the state of affairs in the last days which would bring chaos to nations, and the love of many to grow cold (Matthew 24:12). The errant theological attempt to delete the Law of God (anti-nomianism), falsely making grace and law as polarized opposites, is a foundational catalyst for this state of lawlessness.

ANTI-SEMITISM

The new anti-Semitism is in the form of anti-Israel-ism, with violent demonstrations to disenfranchise and divest from Israel being organized in cities and campuses around the world.  There is a general attempt to portray the tiny Jewish state as the aggressor and a pariah nation, even though fighting for its very existence against the unending threats of a hugely outnumbering and hostile Muslim world. 

ANTI-CHRIST

The same word for lawlessness (anomia) describes both the state of rebellion and chaos, and those whom Jesus declared he never knew though they claimed to do works in his name (Matthew 7:23), as well as the Anti-Christ- the man of lawlessness (anomia) in II Thess. 2:3, in both cases the rebellion against the biblical Law of God.  Anti-nomianism, anti-Semitism and anti-Christ come fit together as part of the same puzzle.