El Olivo Israel virtual Editorial works for the Rehovot Messianic Congregation   My Beliefs About God and His Word by Marcos Brodsky Editor I BELIEVE IN ONE TRIUNE GOD I do believe in only one triune God (Eloheem), the infinite, perfect, creator of the universe, being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. I do believe in His uniplurality as reflected in the Shema: "Hear O Israel, Yehovah our God Yehovah is One". He is one God eternally manifested and existing as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each possessing the nature and perfections of deity, as well as the characteristics of personality, and yet one composite unity (echawd). (Leviticus 19:2; Deuteronomy 6:1-4; 33:27; 40:28-31; Isaiah 43:10-11; 48:16; Psalm 90:2; John 1:1-3; 15:26; 16:12-15; Acts 17:24; Colossians 1:15-20.) As the Father, the LORD God (Yehovah Eloheem), is the God of Avraham (Abraham), Yitschak (Isaac), and Yaakov (Jacob), and the Creator of the entire universe. He is the sovereign Ruler over all and the 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). I do believe in the full deity of God the Son who existed in the beginning with God the Father, as God. He was and is the physical manifestation and expression of God as the Memra (Word). We believe that He has appeared to man many times (as recorded in the Tenach) in the form of the Malach Yehovah (Angel of the LORD) as well as other forms including Melchizedek and the Shekinah. At the appointed time, the Word became flesh as the only begotten of the Father, in the person of Yeshua haNawtsri (Jesus/Salvation the Nazarite/branch), the promised Messiah of Israel. Thus as Messiah, He is both fully God and fully man. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1-18; 10:30; 20:28; Acts 2:14-36; Colossians 2:9;1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:2-3). I do believe that the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) is fully God as a person of the Godhead. He is introduced in the second verse of B’reysheet (Genesis), as the Ruach Eloheem (Spirit of God) who was involved in the creation of the universe. He is seen throughout the Tenach working through individuals such as Moses, David, and the Prophets, guiding and leading them in God’s work, including the writing of the Holy Scriptures. In the New Covenant, Messiah Yeshua promised His disciples that the Spirit of God, whom He called "the Comforter", would indwell them, and that they would experience His filling beginning at Shavuot (Pentecost). Described as the Spirit of Truth, He would never leave them, but would remain in them to guide them into all truth. Messiah Yeshua also stated that Holy Spirit would not glorify Himself, but would glorify Messiah Yeshua. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; Ephesians 4:30) Since that Shavuot, the Holy Spirit immerses, seals and permanently indwells each believer at the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit immerses us into the Body of Messiah and seals us in our salvation as adopted sons of God. He bears witness to Messiah Yeshua through the Word of God. He convicts of sin, regenerates believers. He fills, helps, empowers, (John 14:15-21; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18 ) and PRODUCES THE FRUIT of the Holy Spirit in believers, changing our hearts in the process of sanctification which continues until we reach perfection at the coming of our Bridegroom, Messiah Yeshua, to receive us unto Himself. (John 3:3-5; 14:25-27; 16:7-13; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; 6:11; 12:13; Galatians 5:22-23; Titus 3:5) I do believe that the Holy Spirit sovereignly gives spiritual gifts to believers, though no one particular gift is given to every believer. Therefore, believers should seek to identify and utilize their God given gifts DECENTLY AND IN ORDER, as directed by the Holy Scriptures. (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 139:7-8; Nehemiah 9:20; I John 9:20; John 14:16-17; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Romans 12:6-8; I Corinthians 2:10-11; 12:1-14:40; II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:11,30). I BELIEVE THE HOLY SCRIPTURES I believe that "ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, AND PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."(II Timothy 3:16,17). We believe in the verbal, plenary, inspiration of every letter of the original autographs of the Holy Scriptures, AND that they have been preserved for us today in the Hebrew Masoretic Tenach and the Greek Textus Receptus New Testament. We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the unique, written word of God, that they are inerrant and authoritative in every category of knowledge including faith, practice, science, and history. We therefore believe that any prophecy, teaching, or tradition observed in the fellowship of Messiah should be in agreement with the Holy Scriptures. Furthermore, no TRUE interpretation of scripture disagrees with any of the Holy Scriptures (taken in context), since God NEVER contradicts His written word (Psalm 107:11;119:160; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 40:7-8; Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 5:18; 28:19-20; Mark 7:6-13; John 10:35;II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-4; II Peter 1:20-21). TORAH OBSERVANCE AND GRACE The Torah (the Mosaic Law/Instruction) was never intended to be a means for us to earn our own justification or sanctification through good works! Rather, it is a guideline showing us God’s righteous standard and revealing how sinful we are by comparison. In this way the Torah shows us our need for God’s grace for salvation and sanctification, received through faith alone in the atonement provided by God in the sacrifice of Messaih Yeshua. As the righteous standard, it is still a guideline to God’s will, instructing us in the way of life pleasing to God. We do good works as a result of our thankfulness to Him, and because they are a part of our new nature, as the Holy Spirit writes the Torah upon our hearts. Although gentile believers are not required to become part of Israel, nor to follow the all the Torah, to be accepted within the fellowship of the believers, they are welcomed to freely participate in such observances as 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). HOLY DAYS AND BIBLICAL ORDINANCES T’vilah (Baptism): We believe that water baptism is derived from biblical Jewish ritual immersion in a mikveh (baptismal pool), 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. Passover (Lord’s Supper): During the Messiah’s last Passover Seder before his death, He established that it would be celebrated by the believers from then on as a memorial of Him (showing his death, burial, ressurection and ascension) until He returns for His bride (the believers). Therefore we, as believers, should always observe the Passover Seder as commemorating Messiah as the fullfillment of Passover, as well as remembering its original significance in obediance to Torah. Thus the pattern was established that all the scriptural observances can find their ultimate meaning and fullfillment in the Messiah. We, as believers, should then seek to celebrate the scriptural festivals and holy days as fullfilled in Messiah, according to the instruction of the Tenach, and as interpreted by the Brit Hadashah (New Covenant). This means the rejection of all "church traditions" of pagan origin, and all "Rabbinic traditions" which are inconsistant with and/or contrary to the clear meaning of Scripture within its cultural, historic, scriptural context. (Matthew 26:18-29; 28:19; I Corinthians11:24-26) My Beliefs About God's Creation I BELIEVE IN THE CREATION AND THE FLOOD I believe that God created all physical, mental (soulish) and spiritual entities. He created all by His Spirit and His Word in six literal solar (24 hour) days about the year 4000 B.C. He created (bara) the physical universe (time, space, matter, & energy) and the angels the first day, soulish life the fifth day, and the spirit of man the sixth day, by calling them into existence out of nothing (ex nihilo). He made and fashioned all of the universe through special acts, without any naturalistic or theistic evolutionary processes. We, therefore, reject any "theories" of macro-evolution or micro-evolution of any living organism, realizing that any differences seen in living organisms are caused by natural genetic variation resulting from the normal recombination of previously created genes, or by the micro-DEvolutionary effect of birth defects occuring since the fall of man (especially more common after the flood). (Genesis 1-2; Job 38-41; Psalm 19:1-4; Isaiah 37:16; Jeremiah 10:11-12; Romans 4:17; Hebrews 11:3.) I believe in the world-wide flood of Noah’s time in which "the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished". All the sedimentary rock stata on earth today are the result of this flood which destroyed ALL the land, seas and underground basins which then existed. Fossils contained in these strata are remains of animals which died in the flood, being rapidly buried at that time. Except for aquatic animals, the only animals or people that survived the great flood, were on Noah’s Ark. After the flood, God raised up the land and collapsed/lowered the basins resulting in the continents and the deep oceans that we have today. ANGELS AND DEMONS We believe in the God ordained ministry and presence of angels. A great company of faithful angels, who have remained holy, are before the throne of God praising, worshipping, adoring and glorifying Him. They are sent forth as special messengers 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 Satan (HaSatan) and his demonic forces exist and have personalities. Satan at one time, as Lucifer, had the highest rank of the created spiritual beings, but sinned through pride and rebellion. He carried one third of the angels with him in his moral fall, becoming the devil and the demons (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, the father of lies and evil, 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, and relying on the power of God (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). I believe that 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 of the Earth from Jerusalem (II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:15; Revelation 20:10). MANKIND AND SALVATION I believe that Adam was created in the image of God, and had a special relationship with Him. Adam and Chava (Eve) sinned and consequently experienced both physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God. The consequences of Adam's sin affected the entire human race, causing human beings to be born with a fallen, sinful, nature. As a result, except for Messiah Yeshua, all people have sinned 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). Man's only hope for redemption (salvation) is through the atonement made by the Messiah. All who believe in Messiah Yeshua are declared righteous on the basis His substitutionary life, and the atoning death He provided by His shed blood. 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, but is entirely dependent upon receiving the undeserved favor of God by faith. 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/sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Messiah Yeshua as our High Priest. (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). We believe that the both the saved and the lost will be ressurected; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation in the Lake of Fire. THE NATION OF ISRAEL We believe that God made an everlasting and irrevocable covenant with Abraham including: the unconditional election of Israel as God's chosen people, the promise of the Messiah through whom all the world will be blessed, and the gift of the land of Israel to the Jewish people. We believe the Nation of Israel, comprised of the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is chosen by God by an irrevocable, unconditional covenant. Messianic Jewish believers have a unique two-fold identity as both the spiritual remnant of physical Israel, and as members of the body of Messiah. Messianic gentile believers are grafted into the Jewish olive tree of faith as adopted sons and daughters of Abraham and partakers of the spiritual blessings of the faith, but are not "spiritual Israel" neither does "the church" replace Israel. (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:9-21; 17:1-8; 2 Samuel 7:6-16; Jeremiah 31:23-40; Romans 9-11; Galatians 3:6-4:7) We believe that it is the believer's duty and privilege to communicate the Glad Tidings of Messiah Yeshua to the Jewish people first, then also to the Gentiles, according to the Scriptures (Ro. 1:16-17). This should be done in a bold yet sensitive way, in love. 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 in God's end-time plan for the nation of Israel and for the world as proclaimed in the Holy Scriptures. A central part of this plan is the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel. This miracle has already begun in our day through the rebirth of the State of Israel. God's special purpose and role for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people will be completed at the Second Coming of the Messiah. (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).