My heart was overflowing as I stood up to testify of the Lord’s love. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was that my Messiah had once again shown me His heart for me and I was bursting to share His heart with the young people in the room. Our group was ending our first week in Israel, a time teachings and connecting with the Messianic community of Revive Israel. This group, lead by Asher Intrater, is based out of Yad Hashmona in the expansive and lush Judean hills. On this particular evening we were hosting a worship time, and Revive invited local young people from around Jerusalem.
There had already been so much I’d experienced in those short first days—a Messianic Bar Mitzvah at the wall; heady instruction; fellowship with our brothers and sisters…and I was looking forward to 3 more weeks of intense outreach. The previous day, I began feeling the pressure. I don’t know if it was the intense spiritual atmosphere, the busy schedule, or my own heightened emotions from being in the land, but there was a crack in my wall. I was depending on my own strength to get me through, and I could no longer do it. I wanted to minister to and love those God put in my path, but I was running on empty. By the time worship started on this Thursday evening, I cried out to Yeshua in my agonizing need for Him.
We serve an amazing God. When we are at our lowest, He takes us in His arms and shows us that He doesn’t just fill up our weaknesses…He also loves us completely in them. By the time the second or third song of the night was playing, I was having one of the most intimate encounters of God’s love for me and tears of gratitude and awe poured onto my face.
The worship leader, a woman of deep prophetic anointing, called me to her. She saw the Holy Spirit all over me and she wanted me to share what God was doing in my heart. There was no nervousness as I stood before all those strangers. All I could feel was the overpowering love of my Messiah. I shared about the reality of the love of God in my life, and I told them how His love has been transforming me into a woman of confidence. I invited them to experience the love of God this night.
As I returned to my spot in the worship room, a young woman grabbed my hand, tears in her eyes. She was so desperate to experience the love of God, and she was so broken. This woman is like so many in my generation, desperate for love. I prayed for her, and I know that God began touching her deep woundedness. God is so good. What began as a night where I felt completely defeated was turned into an amazing opportunity to minister to a broken hearted woman.
In those weeks in Israel, God opened up so many opportunities. It seems like every place I visited I was able to share the love of my Messiah with someone: a Messianic single mother; a Russian-Christian struggling with living her life fully for God; an Arab-Christian desiring to go into ministry; a young teen desperate for affection; a woman tragically widowed by terror. The most impactful of these ministry opportunities came at Or Ha Carmel, a woman’s shelter for refugees escaping war and desperate circumstances in Africa. This place is full of women and children desperate for affection. We were encountered with young people who had seen horrors that I can’t even imagine, and we were given one task – serve them. For 3 to 4 hours, we served the ministry in practical service, and then for another 3 to 5 hours we played with the children. Though exhausted and spent in almost every way, emotionally and physically, I have never had such a deep and satisfying sense of being God’s hands as that week. Those children, so full of energy and mischief, stole my heart. By the time we said our goodbyes, my heart broke to stay with them. It was a life defining time.
My time in Israel was stretching in so many ways, and I can feel God chipping away at the old me, making more room for His Spirit. Though painful I sense He’s preparing me for outreach in Germany, France and Italy. My prayer is that by the time we leave in mid-May, it is Yeshua’s voice that they hear in mine…that it is Yeshua’s face that they see in mine. Our class is not yet fully funded for our time abroad, and the deadline for funds is April 18 (my birthday J). Europe is considered to be dead to the Spirit of God. My experience of miracles and evangelism in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Switzerland last year proved this to be completely false. God’s Spirit is being planted deep in the hardest soil and the hardest hearts. I am so honored to once again be a sower of the seed. Please pray about supporting our group financially, and about preparing our road with your intercession. God Bless you my dear friends and family, and may His face shine on your lives with His intense love today.
In the loving arms of her Yeshua,
Bekah Mulford
P.S. There are more people coming to faith in Africa and China than in Europe, please pray that the ancient seeds of Faith start springing forth in these nations that once claimed to be Christian.
P.P.S. If you would like to check out some more of our experiences check out the Gateways School blog at www.gatewaysbeyond.org/gts2011/
No comments:
Post a Comment