Revive Israel Discipleship Program
Yad Hashmonah, Israel
We just completed the 6th intensive discipleship session to be held in the last 24 months. The full-time, immersive program was called “40 Days of Fire.”
Our time together was rich with activities and service. We worked on the organic community farm and held daily prayer and worship sessions. They take place both on our base in the community’s worship room and outside in nature on the farm grounds. Bible study is one of the most important ingredients in our program as we go through the Word of the Lord together. We hold our Bible study sessions in a discussion format and not as a lecture. The students are encouraged to participate and even lead Bible studies on their own.
We came into a deep place with the Lord and witnessed breakthroughs with both physical healing and inner healing. Yet, at the same time we experienced a lot of attacks – light sicknesses and small accidents that really “squeezed” our little community. We spent time in the hospital with one of the students who had an epileptic seizure. Twice students had a sprained ankle and we had to go with them to the clinic.
However, God watched over us and protected us from the bigger dangers at our doorstep. Once, as we returned from a field trip serving in a dangerous area in Israel, adjacent to Palestinian territory, we almost got into a serious accident with a truck.
At the last second God moved the car and saved us. Another miracle is that we encountered no venomous snakes during the whole period of our work on the property. We are working in the Israeli summer – moving rocks and building dry stone agriculture terraces and clearing bushes and thorns. Snakes are very common in Israel during the summer season, especially the viper. None of our students has ever been bitten by a viper, and we saw neither viper nor scorpion during the program.
According to their testimonies, the students were very encouraged and experienced personal breakthroughs. During the program the students could see healthy family life in our staff families that were open before them. They ate with us and even slept in our homes. They connected with our children and could see the love that we have in our families. That experience brought the students to a restored place in the way they see family, parenthood and family life in the Kingdom.
During the program the students received practical tools and hope to internalize life in the Kingdom of God. They were strengthened to more reflect the nature of Jesus and make the Kingdom of God visible. The participants have returned to their studies and jobs, and already now we hear testimonies that their lives have changed and that they are thirsty for the Kingdom of God more and more every day. Hallelujah!
Testimonies from student participants in the discipleship program 40 Days of Fire – Springtime 2022
M: Joining the program was a small miracle in itself. I have seen evidence of God at work…and I feel less stressed and more relaxed after a long period of stress in my life. I learned that God does not discriminate between people. Each of the disciples in the program had their place, and God used each of them…each member of the body is important. I realized that, as a group, if we did not get the right results in what we aimed to do, then we all needed to make some kind of adjustment together. I stopped blaming, judging and discriminating. It helped me decrease the negativity, which provides an opening for Satan. Something changed in me. I realized that we need to work together and help each other and not look at each other’s problems.
T: I thank God for getting me out of the depression I was in. With the help of others, I was able to make a decision to join the program and go through the healing process. I was able to release the pain I had from the past through prayer. I thank God for the power of prayer in my life.
D: Sometimes it's hard for me to hear God’s voice. But today as a result of the teaching I heard, I was able to get the “tools.” ...I heard His voice instructing me to do something.
B: This discipleship program for me was a place of first steps in leadership. I have found that if I accept the authority of my superiors I can also use the authority that God has given me. I felt that the Lord emptied me of misconceptions from the past. And now he can start working through me...I learned not to do things alone, my heart has expanded, and I want to do more things together, teach and help others.
DA: God taught me the great value of friendship when the Lord is the foundation. He taught me to love Him, and through Him to love others as well. I learned that hearing the Lord is one thing, but sometimes you are meant to Report on Revive Israel Discipleship Session share what He says and sometimes you are not meant to. Through farming, and the guidance of the staff I learned to see the land spiritually as a parable; I saw thorns as unforgiveness in our lives and the rocks we were removing, as lies. I felt I was doing something effective. Thanks to the connection with creation I learned more about the action of God, how He relates to His creation.
DV: I received much of God’s healing mercy. This time gave me peace of mind and renewal, to return to my first love with God. It was a much needed break, a timeout. I enjoyed the physical work. I used this time to declare things over my life – every stone I removed from the field, I moved in faith. “It’s another stone being removed from my life,” and another and another...God has given me comfort and confidence in Him.
A: At first I had a hard time because I was uncomfortable being in the full-time framework...God literally showed me that this is a spiritual war. I felt there was a change at some point. I have learned that my words have power, power to encourage and help others, and it is important what I have to say. I understand that I am in process, there is still a long way to go. I really liked working with the soil. I learned new things in agriculture and enjoyed telling others about the phenomena in nature.
