What I Believe
I believe that all Scripture, both the Old Testament (Tanakh) and the New Testament (B’rit Chadashah), is the divinely inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequately equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)"
The two greatest commandments in all of Scripture are “Love God” and “Love your Your Neighbor as yourself.” The heart of God is about relationships, not religion. Our relationship with God is a personal lifestyle based on these two fundamental beliefs.
I believe in the composite unity of God as defined by the Hebrew word, אחד echad. We understand that finite man cannot comprehend the infinite and Almighty God, but we do believe that He chose to reveal Himself to mankind in at least three manifestations: Father (יהוה YHVH), Son (Y'Shua/Jesus), and Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). “Hear O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is One!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
I believe in the deity of Y'Shua (Jesus) of Nazareth who was conceived by the Spirit in the virgin Mary and Y'Shua is the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and that He is the final Passover Lamb that is required for the forgiveness and removal of our sins. He was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day is alive forevermore. Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)Ie believe that salvation comes through repentance and confession of sin. Everyone who repents of their sins and trusts that Y'Shua (Jesus) is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel is forgiven of their sins and enters into the renewed covenant with God through Y'Shua’s sacrifice. We, therefore, become inheritors of all the promises and covenants of God (Romans 10:9-11; 1 Corinthians 5:7). “But we also rejoice in God through our Lord Y'Shua the Messiah, through whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:11)
I understand that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and need atonement and reconciliation to our Heavenly Father. Salvation is a free gift of God and cannot be earned by keeping the commandments. However, we believe that holiness and obedience to His Torah is God’s standard of living for His people. We keep the commandments (Torah) because we have been redeemed and desire to live and walk as Y'Shua (Jesus) walked. We don’t keep the commandments in order to be saved; we keep the commandments because we are saved and because we love Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit as well as the infilling of the Holy Spirit for believers (Acts 2:38). We believe that the gifts of the Spirit are vital to the body of Messiah and should compliment the fruit of the Spirit evident in the life of the believer (Galatians 5:22-23). Through the Holy Spirit, the commandments are written in our hearts and minds, enabling us to live a Torah-observant life as Messiah commanded (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27). “Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), (Ephesians 5:8-9)
I believe in the resurrection of both the believer and unbeliever: the redeemed (believer) to everlasting joy in the presence of God and the lost (unbeliever) to eternal separation from God. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (John 5:28-29)
I believe the weekly Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, designated as the day of rest (Genesis 2:2-3) as part of His Covenant serving as a sign between God and His children. “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.’” (Exodus 31:13)
We meet on the seventh day (Sabbath) to acknowledge that the Creator sanctified and blessed this day and we are, therefore, called to distinguish it from all other days of the week. “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
We are called to assemble and observe the Biblical holy days, known as the seven annual Feasts of God — Passover, First Fruits, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles. The Bible refers to these feasts as moedim, God’s “appointed times”. In addition to these God-appointed times, we also observe the Biblical feasts of Purim and Hanukkah.