Asher Intrater

Revive Ministries
 
 
 
 
"God's covenants are unbreakable. All God's promises will be fulfilled. We are saved, not by a philosophical agreement, but by a covenantal commitment. The covenant is offered to us by grace. Our faith is a partnership with God in a covenant agreement that cannot be broken."
 

Covenant can be defined as an agreement between God and man that cannot be broken. Covenant is the framework for all the events in the Bible. The covenants of the Bible come in a consecutive series that logically build upon one another.

1. Adam and Eve - God transfers authority to govern planet earth to men and women (Genesis 1:26). For this reason Yeshua (Jesus) had to be born into the earth as a human being. This was confirmed by the promise that the "seed" of the woman would one day crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).

2. Noah - The flood of Noah was exponentially more cataclysmic than anyone can imagine. Noah's family was likely terrified. Perhaps the earth would disintegrate under their feet. For this reason God made the "rainbow covenant" that creation would not be destroyed (Genesis 9:11). [This is one reason that the new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21 must be a renewal of creation and not an "un-creating" of the universe.]

3. Abraham - Abraham will be a blessing and a father to the nations through his seed, and will take possession of the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:2-3; 17:2-8). In this covenant, God renews and develops what was promised to both Adam and Noah. Abraham, like Adam and Noah, now has authority to repossess planet earth (Romans 4:13). The seed that will defeat the serpent will come through Abraham. The nations that were born from Noah will be blessed through him.

4. Judah - The promise of the coming seed is then continued from Abraham to Judah (Genesis 49:10). This is one reason the Jewish people cannot be destroyed (Jeremiah 31:36-37) and that they must be part of inviting Yeshua back to earth to rule and reign (Matthew 23:39).

5. Moses - The people of Israel make an unbreakable vow to keep all the perfect moral commandments of Sinai. But then they break the Law. They are doomed. This is a terrifying situation. This is the background for the need of a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33). The Jewish people have broken their own covenant and need to be redeemed - which would be impossible without supernatural intervention.

6. David - God makes an unbreakable covenant with David that his seed will reign on the earth from Jerusalem forever (Psalm 89:3-4, 28-29, 34-37). This is one reason why the 2nd Coming of Yeshua must be literal and that Yeshua will reign on the earth in the millennial kingdom from Jerusalem. It's not only a question of end times' prophecy but of God's faithfulness to His covenants.

7. Yeshua - God is not a liar. The New Covenant takes into consideration all the previous promises of God. Through Yeshua as the Son of Adam, God's delegated authority over planet earth will be restored. Along with Yeshua's resurrection, the planet that God promised to Noah to preserve will also be restored (Romans 8:19-22; Matthew 19:28; II Peter 3:4-13). All the nations are blessed through Yeshua as Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:13). The Jewish people are preserved, the sins of breaking the Law are forgiven, and David's kingdom will be restored on the earth (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 1:6).

God's covenants are unbreakable. All God's promises will be fulfilled. We are saved, not by a philosophical agreement, but by a covenantal commitment. The covenant is offered to us by grace. Our faith is a partnership with God in a covenant agreement that cannot be broken.

 
 

Youval Yanai and Ben Ari

Revive Ministries
 
 
 
 
"Our ability to take dominion correctly over the creation reflects the degree to which we are fulfilling our calling in God's image. Dealing with creation is a test of our own image and spiritual condition. How do we appear as reflected in creation's mirror?"
 
 
God's Image and Dominion over Creation      By Youval Yanai and Ben Ari

Johan communicating with one of his many equine friends
Recently our team went through an extended workshop on communication skills, by working together with a Christian professional horse trainer and coach. The treatment with the horses brought us to deeper understanding of ourselves and our interactions with one another.

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth'" (Genesis 1:26).

This verse has two parts. First, we are made in God's image. Secondly, we are to rule over the animals. The first part causes and enables the second part to take place. God is the perfect ruler over the creation. He knows His creation, upholds it, and works in harmony with it.

Taking dominion over the creation means to be over and above the creation; to understand more, to love more and to be more confident. That is our rightful position as being made in God's image. It does not mean to abuse, curse or harm God's creation; nor to be alienated and separated from it. In order to take dominion correctly, God gives us His own image and likeness.

God has subjected and submitted the creation to us. The welfare of the planet is dependent upon the ability to fulfill our destiny as God's children (Romans 8:19-22). Our successfully or unsuccessfully taking dominion over the earth determines the condition of the planet.

Likewise, the condition of the creation reflects our being made in the creator's image. Our ability to take dominion correctly over the creation reflects the degree to which we are fulfilling our calling in God's image. Dealing with creation is a test of our own image and spiritual condition. How do we appear as reflected in creation's mirror?

Are we in the image and likeness of God? Are we in right relationship to God's creation? To what degree are we upholding, understanding and ruling the creation? By seeing the reaction of the creation to us, our own hearts are exposed as to whether we are fulfilling God's first commandment and mandate.

As part of the workshop, members of our staff were filmed leading horses and doing other activities with them. We then watched the videos to see how we interacted with them and how they responded to us. We learned that a horse is like a mirror that reflects the personality of the one leading it. The seminars proved to be a deepening and bonding experience for all the staff.

 
 

Betty Intrater

Revive Ministries
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Herut (freedom) immigrated to Israel with her family in the wave of Ethiopian aliyah that peaked in the 1990's. She was two years old. Since completing her army service, she has been working and serving in many areas within our congregation, Ahavat Yeshua, mostly "behind the scenes."

In addition, Herut has a heart for outreach and has just returned from her second trip to India as part of an international team. On these trips young Israeli believers gather with local believers to reach out to the many Israeli hikers who spend time "chilling out" in India after their army service. Although conditions are rugged, Herut loves these trips and finds them extremely fulfilling.

After two months in India, Herut will spend all of one week at home before heading off to yet another ministry trip in Ukraine! There she will serve in a Messianic camp sponsored by our friends Stewart and Chantal Winograd of Reach Initiative International. Please pray for this special sister as she serves the Lord with all her heart and seeks His guidance for her future. Join us in being witnesses of Yeshua "to the end of the earth!"

 
 

Troy Wallace

Revive Ministries
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The vision of our ministry is taken from Yeshua's words to His disciples, "you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). We send emissaries around the world to be witnesses of Yeshua's kingdom, and we also send the word of the Lord forth from Jerusalem via internet, video and published materials.

First, our weekly e-mail update includes a teaching article, current events and prayer points. Please visit www.reviveisrael.org/updates.php to sign up for this resource.

Second, we make teaching materials from our international team available for purchase and download. Please visit http://www.reviveisrael.org/materials.php to find out more. We are also starting to make teaching videos available for free via YouTube. Please subscribe at www.youtube.com/user/ReviveIsraelTV by clicking on "subscribe."

Finally, please "like" us at Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/reviveisraelmedia. Join us in being witnesses of Yeshua "to the end of the earth!"

By Revive Israel
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Also in this issue of the newsletter:
Daniel Juster: Israel and the Nations: The Key to Understanding the Bible
Moshe Morrison: A Tale of Two Buildings
Leora Mazurovsky: Off to Camp We Go!