Israel Discipleship Community
Yad Hashmonah, Israel
I always felt the pressures of this world weighing heavily on me, and negatively influencing my life. I tried many things to escape the pressures of this life, most of which just left me in despair. I knew I was in an unhealthy environment and needed a way out. I contacted one of the Messianic leaders in my community and said, “please take me away from here, I need to get away from here”. She recommended the Revive Israel Discipleship Training Center.
What happened during the next two months changed my life – I made a complete 180-degree turn, following the ways of Yeshua.
It was there in this new environment that God began to work at me, removing all of the lack and negativity that had brought me to where I was, piece by piece. I was so angry at the world, frustrated, and disappointed. He cleansed me from my anger. It didn’t happen all at once. Each morning I would get up and pray, surrender to Him and lay it at the feet of Yeshua, allowing Him to change and transform me into His likeness. Each day I strive to change, in every situation, in every state, I bring my difficulties to Yeshua, and ask for strength. He frees me, and then He transforms my nature into a new character, into a new man.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – II Corinthians 5:17
My relationship with God really began to take form during our time working out in the field of the organic farm. Part of the discipleship training program is working in the field and connecting with our amazing Creator and His magnificent creation.
It was there, in the midst of God’s creation, that I saw the beauty of nature all around me, and learned how to take part in it. In those moments of physically connecting with nature on the farm, God began to reveal Himself to me in a deeper way. God spoke to me in parables in a very real and personal way through my work. Just as Yeshua gave parables about planting and sowing to explain things to us, He also began to reveal to me things about Himself and about the world we live in.
While preparing the farm land for planting, we removed many stones. It was difficult, with a lot of sweat and pain. God showed me that just as it is necessary to prepare the ground for planting by removing stones, we also must remove the stones from our lives, from our bodies, and from our hearts. It's hard work. We sweat and it is painful. We begin by dealing with the large issues in our lives, sometimes they are heavy and burdensome, but as we submit to the will of God and allow Him to transform our lives, slowly, our burdens become lighter. He takes us through this process of cleansing us from within. It's amazing that God gave us His creation to steward, which through it He teaches us about our own lives.
This discipleship program, named “Resting in the Arms of Yeshua”, was a life-changing two-month program where I also met the woman who is today my wife!
While taking part in the training program, I saw a different picture of the family through the lives of Valerie and Youval Yanay and Tal and Esther Robin. There was unity and harmony, a lifestyle of respect, dignity, and love. In the world today, families are divided, people have taken to cheating on their spouses, and divorce has become part of the norm. By living with these families, I saw that the family unit could be different from what the world was offering and that it was possible to live a life filled with joy, with God at the center. What they had was real and I wanted it for myself.
Today, I know the Lord has called me to help people in any way that I can, and most importantly, to bring people to the Lord. I desire to show them that it is possible to live differently, transformed. I experienced so much of the love and grace of God that now all I want to do is share it with others.
I choose to walk in the ways of Yeshua. For most of my life I believed that I would choose the best path for myself and that God would come alongside me on the way. While I once believed everything was permitted, I have come to understand that I need to open my eyes and see, open my ears and listen to God. I need to speak with Him and ask Him for direction and guidance, and to obey Him instead of expecting Him to come alongside my plans for my life though they may be good. Praise Yeshua!
Upon completing the discipleship program Avi served alongside the Revive Israel team on the farm for a number of months, helping us to cultivate new grounds. Shortly after, Avi and Dorit married and have recently joined our community.
