All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. -- II Timothy 3:16-17
The
Scriptures
We believe that the Scriptures, both the Tenach (Old Testament) and the B'rit Chadasha (New Testament), are fully inspired and God's complete and final revelation to man until the Messiah returns. The 66 books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation are inerrant in the original autographs. They are authoritative in every category of knowledge including faith, practice, science, and history (Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 40:7-8; Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 5:18; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21).
The Nature of God
We believe there is only one God; we believe in the uniplurality of God as reflected in the Shema. God is the creator of all things. He is infinite and perfect, eternally existing in three equal persons, each possessing the nature and perfections of deity, as well as the characteristics of personality (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11, Isaiah 48:16).
The Father
We believe in God the Father, the sovereign Ruler over all, who has chosen Israel as His unique people, and is Father of Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah, whom He sent into the world (Exodus 4:22,; Matthew 3:17; John 1:12; 3:16; Galatians 3:26).
The Son
We believe God's one and only unique Son became flesh in the person of Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth, the promised Messiah of Israel, who was conceived by the Spirit of God and born of the Jewish virgin Miriam (Mary). He is both fully God and fully man, united forever without division or confusion (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:2, John 1:1, 8:58, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:2-3).
We believe that Messiah Yeshua died as a substitutionary sacrifice for man's sin and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. The Messiah's substitutionary death was the purchase price for our redemption and was foreshadowed in the Tenach in the slaying of the Passover Lamb and the suffering of the righteous Servant of the LORD (Leviticus 17:11; Psalm 22:16; Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 50:4-11; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 12:10; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:24-26; 5:8-9; II Corinthians 5:14, 21; I Peter 3:18).
We believe that Messiah Yeshua died, was buried, arose from the dead bodily, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Presently He serves as our Kohen Ha-Gadol (Great High Priest) according to the priesthood of Melchizedek. As such, He is intercessor and advocate before the Father on behalf of all believers (Psalm 16:10-11; 110:4; Zechariah 6:12-13; Acts 1:9-11; I Corinthians 15:3-8; Hebrews 7:1-25; 8:1; I John 2:1).
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) is a person of the Godhead; and as such, He possesses all the distinct attributes of Deity. He is ever present to glorify and testify of Messiah Yeshua. In the Tenach, the Spirit of God temporarily empowered and filled individuals for specific service to God. Today, at the moment of salvation, each believer is immersed, sealed and permanently indwelt by God's Spirit. We believe that at salvation the Holy Spirit sovereignly imparts at least one spiritual gift to every believer for the purpose of edifying and equipping the Body of Messiah. Believers should seek to identify and utilize their God given gifts, desiring the greater gifts. (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 139:7-8; Nehemiah 9:20; I John 9:20; John 14:16-17; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; I Corinthians 2:10-11; 12:4-31; II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).
Angels and Satan
We believe in the God ordained ministry and presence of angels, and that a great company of faithful angels who have remained holy, and are before the throne of God praising, worshipping, adoring and glorifying Him. They are sent forth as special agents to bring about God's intended plans and purposes and to minister to all believers (Isaiah 6:1-7; Daniel 10:10-21; Luke 15:10; Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 7:11-12).
We believe that Ha-Satan (Satan) and his demonic forces exist and have personalities. Satan is the perpetrator of evil. At one time, he had the highest rank of the created spiritual beings but sinned through pride and carried a great company of angels with him in his moral fall (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; I Timothy 3:6; II Peter 2:4). We believe that Satan and his demons are active in blinding mankind to spiritual truth in order to keep them from a personal relationship with God and eternal life. Satan is the father of lies and evil. As such, he attempts to defeat and divide believers, inspire enmity among men, and incite anti-Semitism and hostility toward Israel. Believers can and should resist him by faith, applying Scriptural truth. (Genesis 3:1-19; Luke 10:18; John 8:44; Ephesians 6:10-19; James 4:7-8; I Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:13).
We believe Satan is the ruler of the non-believing world system. He was judged and condemned by the death and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. Satan will suffer eternal punishment by being cast into the lake of fire after the Messiah's one-thousand year Messianic reign (II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:15; Revelation 20:10).
Mankind
We believe that humanity is created in the image of God. Adam sinned and consequently experienced both physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God. The consequences of Adam's sin affect the entire human race. Human beings are born with a sinful nature as acquired from the fall of Adam, and all sin in thought, word and deed (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:17; 3:6; Isaiah 53:6; 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24-25; Romans 5:12-15; Ephesians 2:1-3).
Salvation
We believe that anyone who, by faith, trusts in Messiah Yeshua as Savior and Redeemer is immediately forgiven of all sin and becomes a child of God. Salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit. Rather, salvation is entirely dependent upon accepting the undeserved favor of God by faith. Further, there is no way of salvation apart from faith in Messiah Yeshua for any person, Jewish or Gentile (Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4; John 1:12-13; John 14:6; Acts 4:12;Romans 3:28; Ephesians 1:7; I Timothy 2:5; Titus 3:5).
We believe that all who have trusted in Yeshua are made and kept eternally secure by the power of God through the new birth, the indwelling and sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Messiah Yeshua (John 10:28-30; 14:16-17; Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 4:30; I John 2:1; I Peter 1:23).
We believe that all who have trusted in Yeshua, though forgiven, still have to contend with the power of sin in this life. Each believer has the ability to choose sin or righteousness. God has made full provision for believers to live in obedience to Him through the complete atonement of Messiah Yeshua and the indwelling of the Spirit of God (John 17:17-19; Romans 6:1-11; 7:15-25; 8:11-13; I John 1:8-2:2).
The Holy Congregation of Messiah
We believe that all who have accepted Messiah Yeshua for salvation are members of the universal body and bride of the Messiah. The body of Messiah began at Shavout (Pentecost) when believers were filled with the Holy Spirit after the ascension of Messiah Yeshua. It will be completed when the Messiah returns for His bride. Membership in the Body of Messiah is not based on any earthly organizational affiliation but is based solely on faith in Messiah Yeshua. The body of Messiah is distinct from Israel and is composed of both Jewish and Non-Jewish (Gentile) believers made into one new man by faith in Messiah Yeshua (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:5; 2:14-38; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:11-15; Ephesians 5:23-27; Colossians 1:18-20; 3:14-15).
We believe that water baptism is derived from biblical Jewish ritual immersion, and under the New Covenant it symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah and our identification with Him. Therefore, in obedience, believers should be immersed. Aruchat Adonai (the Lord's Supper) is based on the Passover Seder and is a memorial of the Messiah's death until He returns. Therefore we, as believers, should observe Aruchat Adonai in worship gatherings. Both Immersion and Aruchat Adonai are ordinances of the New Covenant which the Messiah commanded His followers to observe (Matthew 26:18-29; 28:19; I Corinthians 11:24-26).
We believe in the local body of believers as the visible manifestation of the universal Body of Messiah. Its purpose is to glorify God through worship, instruction, accountability, discipline, fellowship and outreach (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 4:11-13; Hebrews 10:19-25).
The Nation of Israel
We believe the Nation of Israel, comprised of the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is chosen by God. The Abrahamic Covenant expressed God's choice of Israel and is an irrevocable, unconditional covenant given by God to the Jewish people. Jewish believers have a unique two-fold identity as both the spiritual remnant of physical Israel and as members of the body of Messiah. Non-Jewish believers are grafted into the Jewish olive tree of faith and become adopted sons and daughters of Abraham and partakers of the spiritual blessings of Israel. We believe that it is the believer's duty and privilege to communicate the Good News of Messiah Yeshua to the Jewish people first, then to the Gentiles, according to the Scriptures, in a bold yet sensitive way. It is also the believer's duty to support the God given rights of Israel while opposing anti-Semitism according the provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant. We believe God has a special purpose and role for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. We believe in the physical and spiritual restoration of the nation of Israel at the Second Coming of the Messiah as proclaimed in the Scriptures (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:7-8; 26:3-4; 28:13-15; Exodus 19:6; Amos 3:2; 9:8; John 4:22; Acts 13:46; Romans 1:16; 10:1-5; 11:2-5, 11:28-29; Ephesians 2:14-19).
Believers are not subject to practicing the Law of Moses (Torah) for obtaining righteousness before God. However, both Jewish and Non-Jewish believers have the freedom in the Messiah to maintain those aspects of the Law of Moses which are not contrary to New Covenant teaching. These aspects of the Law are not nor ever were a means of justification or sanctification, which are by grace through faith alone. For Non-Jewish believers, such observances are a means of identifying with the Jewish community and expressing the Jewish roots of Biblical faith (Acts 21:24-25; Romans 6:14-15; 8:2-9; 10:4-9; I Corinthians 9:20-21; II Corinthians 3:1-11; Galatians 3:3,11).
Last Days and Eschotology
We believe that upon physical death believers enter into the joyous presence of God, whereas non-believers enter into everlasting conscious suffering apart from God (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
We believe in the imminent, physical, return of the Messiah Yeshua for all believers. Believers shall be resurrected and appear before the Bema (Judgment) Seat of the Messiah to be recompensed for their deeds in the Body of Messiah and enjoy eternal life in the presence of God (Daniel 9:24-27; Ezekiel 20:33-40; Romans 11:26; I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:1-11; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10).
We believe in the personal, bodily, visible and pre-millenial return of the Messiah Yeshua. At that time He will renew creation, judge the nations, gather the exiles of Israel, and totally restore them to their God given land, thereby fulfilling God's covenantal promises by establishing His kingdom on earth for one thousand years (Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:2-5; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:11; Romans 8:19-23; 11:25-27).
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people. Believers shall be resurrected unto eternal life with the LORD. Non-believers shall be resurrected to experience condemnation and eternal suffering separated from God in the Lake of Fire after appearing before the Great White Throne Judgment (Job 19:25; Psalm 49:13-20; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15:35-54; II Corinthians 5:1-10, I Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:4-6; 20:12-15; 21:1-8).