Be part of the adventure!

Invitation for Outreach and Training

If you have ever toured Israel with a group, you will know that it is very interesting, very pressurised and very exhausting. There is so much to see and take in from this place where Jesus walked.
Archeology provides us with ongoing discoveries that is almost becoming a backwards history which makes it all very exciting. Add to it all the politics, wars and immigrations and you will realise that Israel is like a live volcano, instead of a dead one that erupted once, long ago.

Year after year we see busloads of Christian tourists rushing onto busses and off busses – tour guides shepherding them under a flag of some sort – rushing to get in as much value for their money as possible.
If you have never done that, and have a desire to see the Holy Land, by all means do that. You will be blessed.

But if you are curious to see what the Lord is doing in the land currently and become part of the fulfilment of prophecy, by bringing the life-saving gospel to the nation, then we would strongly urge you to consider making the trip up North, especially on a Friday and come and join us for our weekly worship service and possibly a meal.
We love hosting our brother and sisters from Israel and abroad so that we can be mutually edified and encouraged.

If you are planning to bring a group, speak to us about doing an outreach or receiving some training. It will make a huge difference to your time here.

The highlight for our groups is always to visit and encourage our soldiers.
If you are at that point in your journey with the Lord to get baptised, come and do so at the source of the Jordan River.
Pray over the borders of our land.
Show the love of Yeshua to the elderly and needy.
Our in-house chef will treat you with tasty sustanence!
Training and Outreach Program

Mini Training and Outreach Programs

be part of the amazing work that God is doing here in 
the Finger of the Galilee!

We offer you:
* Training by experienced Jewish believing evangelists
* An opportunity to share the Good News of the Messiah of Israel with the people of Israel
A chance to demonstrate God’s love for His Jewish people
* Learn why the Jews have been and still are the most persecuted nation on earth
* Fellowship with believers in our congregation. Learn firsthand about challenges that we face and how it is to live in Israel as a believer.

Your group will receive a good foundation in how to share the love of Yeshua with the Jewish people in the light of the history, culture and political atmosphere of Israel.
Usually about 2-3 hours training per day and then outreach in a Kibbuts or village.


Combine it with:
Praying at the borders of Lebanon and Syria and do outreach in the villages there.
Visit soldiers at their bases or where and when we meet them.
Visit Ceasarea Phillippi, Mount Hermon, Tel Dan or Metulla. Take a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee on your free Saturday.

Or
Join us for one of our weekly services. 
We have Prayer meetings, Men’s meetings, Ladies Biblestudies during the week and our Shabbat Congregational meetings on a Friday, bi-monthly followed by a fellowship meal.

Or
Join us for festival days!

Plan your trip around the Jewish holidays and come celebrate Passover, Sukkot or Purim with us!

For more information and prices please contact us
Or call : +972(0)52-298-3206

To follow our work

Join us on Facebook
Subscribe to our monthly updates

We are looking forward to see you!


My amazing gift of healing!

A light arose in his eyes as he finally ticked the last box to confirm the diagnosis. “You have Myasthenia Gravis!” It was clearly some sort of victory for my neurologist – a notch on his cane, a feather in his cap or something. 

He happily went on sharing that Aristotle Onassis also had it and how very rare this disease was. I was not sure how I was supposed to process this – was I the lucky winner of a very rare disease that placed me in the exclusive company of a very wealthy man whom I never met and had no interest in? 

He did say that there was no medical cure and that it was degenerative and that no-one had ever been healed from it, didn’t he? Doesn’t seem like such a great privilege.

Well, although the symptoms are very similar, I was grateful that it was not Multiple Sclerosis – better the devil you don’t know in this case.

The doctor continued to educate me. The reason why my facial muscles became dysfunctional at various times was because the muscle-nerve connections were being attacked by some other crazy cells and thus, my muscles did not receive the messages from my brain to move. It typically starts in the face and then spreads to the heart and lunges and that is where the “Gravis” part of the name comes from because its end is the grave. 

Where does this disease come from? Most causes are still unknown but lucky for me, my disease was caused by the only one known to medical science at the time, which is, an enlarged Thymus gland.

Who ever heard of a Thymus gland? Not me but I learned that it is a little gland that is logged right in the center of all the vital organs. It produces antibodies to help the tonsils protect the body against disease. After it has completed its task in a baby, this gland normally shrinks and in most adults it is hardly even visible. But in some cases, like mine, it gets enlarged and the antibodies attack the nerve-muscle connections.

Maybe that is why the doctor was so excited? One can only hope!

So if it gets removed, we’ll be good and life can carry on, right?

Not exactly. 

My doctor explained to me that all the operation can do is to prevent more damage to new areas but that the existing symptoms will stay and can even become much worse. Secondly, I would need to be on the medication, Mestinon, for the rest of my life and thirdly, I should not have any more babies because the baby has a high risk of contracting the disease and there is no telling how bad it will be for the child.

I can live with that, I thought.

The operation was booked at the Olivedale Hospital in Randburg, South Africa over Passover of 1998. Here is some context:

 My Jewish husband and I had recently come to faith in Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. Our second son, David, was born just before the symptoms started. 

Our firstborn, Yonathan, was a toddler. We found ourselves in a financial crisis because of a combination of events outside of our control – one of which was a result of us having to close our little toy business because of my illness. We could not pay the mortgage and yet we managed to stay in our house for a whole year before the bank foreclosed. We were very hard workers but suddenly our work was unprofitable. We lived on coins that fell between the couch cushions and charity here and there from our precious but poor little church community. We were scraping by but we felt the love of our Father in heaven. He certainly had our attention because WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND!

Nothing that we had tried worked. Eventually, we would get up every morning, read the book of Job and pray and cry.

We cried because we had two little boys to feed. 

We cried because our own efforts did not work. 

We cried because we did not know how our future would look but we rejoiced because we knew that God had it all.

We had peace. We were surrounded by beautiful Christian brothers and sisters who undergirded us. And we knew that although our earthly future was uncertain, our eternal future is secure forever! What a joy!

Two weeks before my operation, we went for a weekend to my parents’ home in Pretoria. I was putting Yonathan to sleep. This was my favourite time of the day because l loved to cuddle my kids until they fell asleep. Yoni was in dreamland and I was enjoying the rare quiet moment when nobody needs me when I heard these words: “Tonight you are going to be healed” – inaudible voice. Well, I thought, here I am! Ready! 

But nothing happened. 

We went to bed later that same night and in the small hours of the night I became aware of a presence next to my bed. I was sleeping on my side. Hands moved over my body from my feet up to my head, not touching me at all but as the hands passed I felt a warmth in the area under the hands. I knew it was my Lord and I started praising Him! There was no fear, just joy!

I told my husband that I had been healed and we were so excited. We called up the surgeon the next day and told him that I didn’t need the operation anymore. He wouldn’t hear of it so we submitted.

My enlarged Thymus gland was removed and I healed up well from the operation. 

I kept my nocturnal experience in the back of my head. I was waiting to see if it was real and wondering if I had insisted against the operation, what would have been the outcome.

I was convalescing at home and using the prescribed medication, Mestinon. The initial prescription ran out and I had to fetch a new script. However, I kept thinking, “what if” my experience that night was real and not just an encouragement from the Lord or wishful thinking. If I did not test it, I would never know.

So my husband and I decided that we would not renew my prescription and see what happens. We put out a fleece.

I had to make some serious changes. For instance, I was always a “yes” person. It was never a matter of “if” I would do something, only a matter of “how” I would manage.

I had to learn to say “no” because I simply did not have the energy any longer. I had to learn to prioritize things according to importance and cancel or delegate whatever I could not get to.

It was very humbling.

I was getting stronger, slowly but surely. The fatigue got less and less and I managed to take on more and more. 

After four years passed, I felt physically back to myself. I was turning 38. Nearing my forties, I was wondering if there may be another child that the Lord wants to bless us with. We had two amazing boys and the doctors advised me against another pregnancy at the time of my diagnosis – but I had to be sure.

My Neurologist had moved to another city but I managed to track him down. I told him about my progress and that I hadn’t used any medication after the first dose. His response was like a voice from heaven. He was totally blown away because nobody had ever heard about anyone being healed from Myestenia Gravis. He was even more excited to hear about my healing than what he had been about discovering the disease and his words: “You haven’t had symptoms for four years?! Go for it, you’re healed!”, remains in my heart as some of the most treasured ever spoken to me.

A month later I was pregnant and nine months later I gave birth to my scruffy, funny little baby girl, Gabriella! Her name means Strong woman of God.

She is just that and will always be the final seal on my healing.

She is perfect.

What have I learned from my wonderful experience? 

I have learned that the Lord is good. I have learned that I can trust Him and that His promises stand, whether we believe or understand them or not. I learned that He sees me and He hears me. He is a loving God who gives me assurance before I ever know that I need it. I learned that He loves me more than I can ever know. It would have been enough if He healed me from the operation but I would need to take the medicine and not have another child, but He had far more to give than I could ever ask or imagine! Literally!  Not only do I have another child but He gave me my very special daughter.

During the time of my illness, we saw so many miracles. When there was no money to pay the mortgage, money appeared in our bank account and we could not track down the source to reverse it, when we had no food in the house, someone would knock on the door with a few bags of shopping. We told our maid that we needed to let her go but with four of her own kids to feed, she insisted on staying without pay so that she could help me. 

We had no medical aid at the time. I was diagnosed in the morning and in the afternoon the agent came to sell us the medical aid. They took me on without a problem and paid in full for the entire operation. We somehow managed to pay the monthly installments but a few months after the operation we fell behind. We did not see our way clear to pay it and so we went to see them to ask for mercy. The manager was so grateful that we came in instead of just ignoring their mails, that he backdated our cancellation two months so that we did not owe them anything! I have not known medical aids to do that!

It is now 25 years and I am still going strong. My husband and I look back on those years with deep gratitude for what the Lord has done in us. We now understand what James means when he says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our God is faithful to test our faith and to grow and mature us into the image of His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

When God disciplines us He is treating us as His own sons and we know that it produces in us a harvest of righteousness!

What a God we serve!

Why did God stop the world?

We find ourselves in a very unusual time. It is as though someone had pushed the “pause” button on life and our days have become without form, shape of colour – like a blank canvas. We don’t hear much other news besides “Corona,Corona, Corona” –  only the occasionally something else  gets reported – life has become rather monotone for all of us.

It seems like our earthly existence is revolving around the answer to the problem of Corona, while both question and answer are riddled with suspicion, conspiracy theories, doubts and fear.

Obviously!

We all want to find a solution so that we can get back to living our lives.

But let us not, as born-again believers in Jesus Christ, miss this wonderful opportunity!

Why did God stop the world?

Truly we don’t know, it is for Him to know and for us to obey and be available.

All that we see is that God threw all the world into confusion and for the time being most normal activity stopped – reminiscent of Joshua’s day, when the sun stood still in the sky.

Instead of being swallowed up by the panic or become complacent in the comfort of our own salvation, let us grab this time with both hands!

The Lord gave us a wonderful gift, the gift of time. So often we hear people complaining that they lack the time to study the Bible, to pray or even just to have their daily quiet time or to reach out to someone. Well, for a season we all have more time on our hands than usual. What do we do with it?

God gave us a Shabbat rest from our usual activities. Let’s consider how we can use this precious gift of time to further His Kingdom in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Let us make the most of this time. Let us love our families, sow into our children, build up one another in our marriages, reach out to the struggling and lonely – we now have great technology available to us! Let us reach out to our communities with the Good News of the Gospel and above all, let us PRAY!

While the sun and the moon stood still for Joshua, all the earth must have received the same unusual circumstances. While the rest of the earth must have been panicking and yearning for things to return to normal, Joshua and his army had a great victory!
This miracle was granted to God’s people alone in order to fulfil His promises.

So how do we see ourselves and our role in all this? Are we fighting the good fight as faithful soldiers? Do we even see ourselves as soldiers in a conquering army or do we see ourselves as grasshoppers, doomed to the same hopelessness and fear that is gripping the world and are we looking to the same sources for our answers and for peace?

Do we, as good soldiers, wait attentively for orders or do we get a little too involved in the affairs of this world?
“No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” 2 Tim 2:4

Of course we need to be responsible and make wise decisions but I am excited to see, after this crisis has passed, what God will have accomplished through us, His people. Let us encourage and pray for one another and let us commit our hearts and time anew to the dedication of His service.

If we press into the Lord with serious prayer and lay our lives down for His service, will He not fight for us?

Let us glorify Him with our lives during this time and let Corona not be a crown for the enemy but let it be a Crown of glory to our King who alone is worthy!

God has caused the confusion.

He is making time stand still.

We know the the Lord will fight for us.

The question is: “Are we fighting?”

 

A peculiar people

” I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.” Psalm 61:4

We rejoice in the privilege to be adopted into the family of God! 

Like Paul, I want to shout out: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Rom.11:33)

In His infinite wisdom, God created us for fellowship, first of all with Him, and then, with one another. With so many fellowships breaking apart these days and so many people being hurt by it, it is tempting to tell ourselves that we can be fine without a congregation.

But look at the picture above. That is a picture of covering over. It is a picture of protection and blessing and love. This is the picture of His bride and His family. 

This is the design of our heavenly Father. It is a design of order, obedience, unity and trust. 

Paul urges us to not give up meeting together, but to encourage one another, Peter tells us to offer hospitality without grumbling. Out of reverence for Christ, we are to submit one to another, according to the design that God set forth. We should keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters, to be completely humble and gentle, to be patient, bearing with one another in love. We should be looking for ways to spur one another on toward love and good deeds and in our relationship with one another, have the mindset of Christ Jesus.

When we look at the book of Acts, we see that the believers met together every day. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

And amazing things happened! People were added to their number daily! Why? Because they saw the love among them.

John said: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

Yeshua called us to love one another as He has loved us, so we must love one another. If we reject the fellowship of the believers, how will we learn to love unconditionally? Or learn the discipline of submission  or learn patience? How will we grow if we put ourselves outside the family of the Redeemed? If we did have a choice, we would all choose to fellowship with the people that we like, those we get on well with. None of us would choose to fellowship with that difficult person, or the one who talks too much or the weird one! 

But this is exactly the life that we are called to!

God is our Father and I am only an earthly mother but it fills me with such joy to see the love that my children have for one another. Their loyalty and kindness to each other is a beautiful thing. How much more does it bring joy to our Father in heaven?

If we only love those who love us, what credit is that to us? Even sinners love those who love them.

Lastly, we are called to be sober because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour. This is so true. Lions will wait for their prey and often, when a herd of antelope starts running, the lions will seek the young and the weak and separate them from the rest of the herd. Once they are separated, it is far easier to kill them.

There is safety in a herd! 

If you are not part of a congregation we strongly urge you to find one and commit yourself to it so that you can truly be a fully working part of the body of Christ and grow in love and godliness as our Heavenly Father intended!

The Kingdom of God is not a building. It is a people. A peculiar people. Us.

By Marti Iluz