Update From Israel - Asher Intrater

New Immersions REVIVE ISRAEL - Asher Intrater


An Israeli woman had been deeply touched while attending one of our home meetings in Jerusalem. Several families from the congregation have poured love and time into her life and she recently asked if she could be immersed.



When Daniel, a recent Israel believer in our discipleship program heard about the upcoming immersion, he asked to be immersed as well. When we made the announcement in the congregation, three beautiful children from one family, age 16, 11 and 8 came (with parents' blessing, of course) and said that they had decided that the time had come for them to be immersed. So this Shabbat twenty five of us gathered on the hill where the Ark of the Covenant rested many years before as King David endeavored to bring it up to Jerusalem. From the moment we arrived the anointing of God was upon us. We sat together under the trees looking out towards the mountains that surround Jerusalem. We sang songs of worship and I shared about the significance of being immersed as participating in Messiah's death and resurrection.



We prayed and laid hands on the five who were declaring their faith in Yeshua and then walked over to the beautiful pool. The immersions took place in an open cave that is carved into those ancient hills. One cannot describe the sense of joy we all felt as I and another brother entered the water to immerse these precious believers into the new life of Yeshua. I could almost hear the trees and rocks cry out in joy as the testimony of the New Creation was lived out in their midst. They came into the water; we prayed over them; they were immersed; and prophetic words were spoken over them. Then each walked out of the water into the mighty destiny that God has set in place for them.



When the time came to immerse the three children, their father jumped into the water fully dressed and helped to immerse them. He prayed over his beautiful children and each came up beaming with the love of Messiah shining out from them. We finished with a bit more worship and then shared a time of food and fellowship. We are witnessing the beginning of Israel's promised salvation. As we consider this, let us remember Paul's words in Romans 11:12 - "If their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring."


And again in the same chapter he declares: "If Israel's rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" (Romans 11:15). The army of Jewish believers that one day must assemble to cry out "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" (Mathew 23:39) is beginning to be raised up. The results of Israel's salvation will be worldwide revival ("even greater riches" from vs. 12) and "life from the dead" (vs. 15), a clear reference to the return of Yeshua and the resurrection of the dead.

ALL IS NEW!

The starting point of every Believer is the cross of Christ. The cross is on hundreds of thousands of churches. Most people have several crosses in their homes on the wall or in picture form. This is the starting point of a Believer's life in Christ; but there is so much more.


Like the blood on the doorposts for the Children of Egypt, the blood of the Lamb of God cleanses us of sin and removed the iniquity from our home. The destroying angel passes us by. But Jesus is so much more than the Lamb of God for us now; He is the risen LORD who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.


We have the self same Spirit of the Risen Christ dwelling in our being. The Spirit that brought life to the lifeless body of Christ in the tomb is in us. The Spirit of the One who now sits at the right hand of the Father raised Jesus, the One who went down in death but is alive right now in glory!


He is a man, and God, interceding for us and making His Holy Spirit available for all Believers. He has taken up His dwelling place in us also and although in the bodily nature we inhabit may die if the Rapture is delayed, by the virtue of His Spirit in us we shall never die; He never leaves us. This body will again be quickened because of this same Spirit.


Romans 8 says that we are not in this flesh but in the Spirit; if the Spirit of Him (God) who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you."


We are truly a new creation in Christ! We have a different Spirit than the world. Take it by faith and build on it. Appropriate the whole concept into our actions, our prayer life and our faith.


II Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature;
old things are passed away,
behold ALL things are become new!