© 24 November 2017 Revive Israel Ministries

Keep Your Relationships Bigger

KTM (Kerry Merrit)

“That they all may be one, as You Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”  John 17:21

Working with others can often be a challenge. “Iron sharpens iron, but at the same time this can make sparks fly and cut us deeply. Recently, I learned one of the most difficult yet empowering lessons in my walk with God. In a training session, Dr. Jim Wilder of Life Model Works, said to me, “One critical mark of maturity is learning to keep our relationships bigger than our problems.” That phrase kept going through my spirit, helping me to transform, because I had a lot of tension in my relationships, and I was desperate for His help. Every time I began to get “stuck” in this way, I could hear the Lord saying, “My child, your problems are temporal, one day they will disappear. Your relationships are eternal, they will last forever in My kingdom. So make your relationships bigger than your problems.”

You see, my pattern of self-preservation had been to simply cut the person off who was overwhelming me and then I thought I had resolved my problem-- because I thought the person WAS my problem! I had to learn to keep my relationships separate from my problems.

I remember one really difficult ministry relationship. While in prayer, the Lord said, “I have an inheritance in that person. It really matters to me that I receive the glory that is due to Me from that person’s life. The way that he is right now, I may not receive it, I need an intercessor in prayer and I’m allowing you to “feel the gap.” Will you be a champion for him in secret? Will you pray that everything which I have ordained for him will come to pass?” I was still angry and hard hearted. The Lord said to me, “Do you love Me?” He paused a while for the answer from my heart. “Will you pray that I receive the glory that is due to Me?” I said with a softened heart and tears in my eyes, because I saw how hard hearted I had become, “Yes, Lord I will pray for my brother’s fullness.”

Isn’t that what Yeshua has done with each of us? We are full of problems and repeatedly unable to agree with Him. Yet, He makes His relationships with us bigger than the problems. This is one way to grow in intimacy and maturity. Let’s ask Him for grace to imitate Him in this way.

It's time for us as the global body of the Messiah to move in to the Revelation of John. The things of the end times are for us today, because the conditions for the end times are aligned.

WATCH.

Subtitles available in: Danish, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Korean, Polish, and Portuguese!

Ron Cantor

Last week, yet another Messianic Jew appeared on the Israeli TV show “The Next Star” and wowed the judges. Tslil Goldman is a very quiet, humble young lady. In fact, she turned the show down initially. Though she has a voice like an angel, she only wanted God’s will.

The Goldman family has been in our congregation for several years, and Tslil told us she was not really interested in trying out. The show’s producers contacted her last year, but she said ‘no’ because it didn’t feel right, as if God might not want her there.

They called her again this year, so she started wondering if maybe God was opening a door. She knows that God has called her to music and worship. As she prayed, she didn’t receive a clear ‘no’ or ‘yes’ from God, so she decided to go to the audition and simply put it in the Lord’s hands.

A lady from the program called Tslil to interview her (as they do with every participant). She and Tslil ended up talking about Yeshua for about an hour and a half. The lady kept asking more questions about Messianic Judaism, and said that “everything made sense” to her and “that’s what she was looking for” all her life. She actually said she believed, but never met anyone else who does, too.

Tslil went out on stage before some of Israel’s most successful singers and, probably, more than a million viewers. This show uses a combination of both the judges having a vote as well as the studio audience. Every judge chose her and the audience pushed her over the top, even before the last judge voted!

Now the real competition begins. However Tslil’s focus is not on winning fame and fortune, but spreading the name of Yeshua. Keep her protected in your prayers.

See Tslil’s interview and performance HERE.

This 8-week course is for those who have a heart for Israel and want a deeper connection. The first half of the program takes place in Jerusalem, staying at the Jerusalem Hills Inn. The second half is at the Sea of Galilee, staying at the Aliyah Return Center. 

Program: daily worship, teaching by Messianic leaders such as Asher Intrater, Dan Juster, and others, practical hands-on time serving local Messianic believers and families who have made Aliyah, plus excursions throughout Israel. 

Dates: December 8, 2017 - January 31, 2018. 

Cost: $4000 including accommodation, meals, transportation (within Israel only), and entrance fees to sites.

Discount code: FoRI (Friend of Revive Israel) = discount of $500!

Contact: Chaim Singerman: chaim.singerman@gmail.com. 

Please note: This is not a Revive Israel program, but organized and led by Messianic believers and dear friends of the ministry.