Winter has officially arrived in Israel. In contrast to recent years of drought, the months of December and January were mostly rainy, windy and cold. In the midst of this winter weather, a forecast finally came promising a pleasant respite. It was going to be a weekend of gentle sun – showcasing the lush, green landscape under a canopy of picturesque clouds and blue skies. On that weekend masses of Israelis swamped the Northern Galilee and the ski slopes of Mt. Hermon. Snow is rare here and the green beauty of the Galilee is breathtaking.
We too headed out to the Galilee to attend the second quarterly young adult discipleship retreat. These weekend encounters are part of KELIM, a discipleship program for young adults. Young adults, including soldiers home for the weekend, came to the equipping retreat to dive into a subject that is dear to them. Relationships. Mainly, we focused on preparing for the covenant of marriage. We were blessed to have with us our dear friends and champion equippers for marital relationships – Larry and Lorrie, of Shepherd’s Heart Ministry.
As we began our sunny retreat at a beautiful location overlooking the sparkling Sea of Galilee, I was reminded of Yeshua’s intimate disclosure to His disciples in John 15:15, “…No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” He shared with His friends the one desire He had for them that would make His joy and theirs, full. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:11).
With these verses in mind, we explored the meaning of love, companionship and how to prepare for and build life-long relationships. Relationships are key to our spiritual growth. They are the ground where the truth of God is practiced. We have to be led to the right relationships and learn the principles of covenant and commitment for godly companionship. God does not evaluate our success by how many people follow us on Facebook nor by the size of our bank balance. He views success through the lens of relationships – first with Him and then with the people He brings to our lives.
We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and prayers for this project which aims to train and instruct Yeshua’s disciples here in the Galilee. This is probably the most valuable investment I can think of in preparing the next generation of Israeli believers.
May God continue to use our relationship with you to yield much fruit for the glory of His name and the success of His Kingdom here in Israel!
