BEIT MA’YIM CHA’YIM
ב'ת מ'ם ח''ם
Home of the Waters of Life
Guiding Principles for our Fellowship
Mission Statement:
Restoring the TRUTH of the Good News of YESHUA
through the Hebraic Heritage of Biblical Faith.
Shorter version: 5/20/12: Learning THE TRUTH OF YESHUA (JESUS)
Vision Statement:
BMC/Beit Mayim Chayim Home of the Waters of Life January 2016
Statement of Faith
WHO IS GOD
We believe in One True God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. God is the Creator and Master of all things. God is eternal and unchanging and desires a holy (distinct or set apart) relationship with mankind whom He created in His image.
· We affirm, without reservation, that Yeshua (Jesus in English) is Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14ff, Matt 1:23), G-d with us. Yeshua is the WORD of G-d in the flesh (John 1), the very image of the invisible God (Col 1:15 CJB, Philippians 2:5-11).
· We affirm that Yeshua is Mashiach/Messiah and the promised Prophet that Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 18:15-16. Everything about Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) in the Scripture is true and ALL of the Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, points to Messiah and His work on earth and in heaven.
· We affirm the Ruach haKodesh (literally ‘Spirit of the Holy’ or Holy Spirit) works in the lives of all men (drawing them to Himself.)
· We affirm that the Ruach haKodesh is God’s Spirit, for GOD is SPIRIT (John 4:24). He moves and works in His creation, among the children of men and comes to dwell with each person who commits their life to Him (Isaiah 57:16; Romans 8:9-11, 1 Cor 3:16, Eph 2:22).
· We affirm the Biblical commandment and tradition of not profaning or making common the Holy Name (YHVH) of God. (Exodus 20:7) We use substitutions for the proper name of God such as HaShem (The NAME) or Adonai (the LORD), holding His name as sacred, not secret. For teaching purposes we will use The NAME, to the best of our knowledge, with all due respect. (Scholars say that the actual pronunciation of the LORD’s proper name-YHVH- has been lost over the centuries – we don’t pronounce His name because we don’t really know how.)
Authority of Scripture
We believe that the Bible (the Holy Scriptures), consisting of the Tanakh (Torah, Prophets, Writings*) and the later writings commonly known as the B'rit Chadashah (known as New Covenant, or New Testament or called the Apostolic Scriptures) in their original autographs, are the authoritative WORD of God on matters of faith and practice for all those who follow the GOD of the Bible.
· We affirm that our submission to a Biblically Torah* observant lifestyle is part of being in Covenant with God, pleasing and honoring to Him. We are empowered to obey His WORD by His Spirit, we are motivated by our love and gratitude for G-d who has redeemed us. (John14:15)
*Torah-defined means: guidance, instruction and teaching; primarily referring to the first 5 books of the Bible, but by definition it can refer to all of the Bible as God's guidance and instruction to Israel and all subsequent people who put their faith in the God of the Book.
*Tanakh—is an acronym for the Hebrew Scriptures: Torah (5 Books of Moses), Neviim (Prophets), Ketuviim (Writings)--T-N-K, add vowels and TaNaKh.
1. We Follow Biblical Examples of Fellowship: Acts 2:42ff,
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
a. Devotion to the God of Israel, through study: “making disciples (disciples: means students; pronounced talmidim in Hebrew) Matthew 28.
b. Devotion to each other: edification, encouragement, praising our Creator together, “chipping in” to help one another. {We want our fellowship to be uplifting, insightful, honorable, and safe for all who come seeking Truth. “The common good” is our focus. This draws us away from selfishness and personal agendas.} Values: Mercy, Grace, forgiveness, kindness, choosing what is best for each other.
c. Devotion to Covenant Faithfulness— Study that leads to Obedience to Yeshua, Who is the Written Torah Incarnate, Living WORD. Obedience is covenant faithfulness. Sharing in the Covenant Meal is also part of our weekly worship together. Yeshua said, “If you love me, you will obey me”, John 14:23. We desire to be faithful to our King.
d. Devotion to (the) Prayers, from the Psalms, and other books of the Bible, from the Siddur (Prayer Book) as well as extemporaneous prayers (from the heart at the moment).
2. ONENESS of BELIEVERS in YESHUA
(Here are more passages that guide our fellowship, this is not intended to be an all inclusive list or we would have to include the entire Torah/Teaching of HaShem--HaShem literally means “the Name”, referring to the proper name of God Himself)
3. GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO THE HEBRAIC RENEWAL OF THE SCRIPTURE/GOSPEL (The Torah Movement)
A. “Do not go beyond what is written”, 1 Corinthians 4:6b (Numbers 22:18, 24:13)---------if a teaching about God or a revelation comes that does not line up with Scripture then be very wary of it. Test everything.
B. Yeshua brings us to the right interpretation of the Scripture, Matthew 5:17ff tells us that He properly interprets Torah and brings His students/disciples to the heart of the commandments. Sometimes He affirms Jewish traditions and sometimes He rejects them. Look to Him as He sets His House in order.
C. Judaism and Christianity are rich sources of historical information about our Adonai (LORD) Yeshua. Both traditions are to be treated with respect as the keepers of Torah/the WORD throughout the ages. Many things can be learned from the wisdom of the Jewish sages and the faithful Christian scholars, the study of the Biblical languages, and the customs of the Jewish people in times past and present can bring us greater insight and understanding of our Savior and our responsibility to Him.
D. Complete dependence on the Ruach haKodesh (literally: Spirit of the HOLY, in Hebrew)
E. Scripture is sufficient for building a solid life of faith, salvation and walking with Yeshua.
4. The Purpose/End/Destination of the Hebraic Renewal of the Scripture in our day and time:
5. Guiding Principles for the Interpretation of Scripture
A. Yeshua should always be at the center of all interpretation, He is Torah/the WORD incarnate: John 1.
B. Use the Scripture as a whole (2Timothy 16, “All Scripture is G-D breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness {mitzvot-commandments})." So, find at least 2 or 3 other Scriptural references for every passage you are trying to understand and base your life choices on.
C. Keep the Scripture in its proper context: historically, linguistically, culturally. This is a great joy for those involved in the Hebraic Renewal movement. Proper context brings the story to life. Remember the literary rule: “Any text taken out of context will be a pretext.”
D. Talmud, Mishnah, Oral/Written Tradition, and other Commentaries (be they Jewish or Christian) can be helpful for historical/cultural perspective and they may contain truth but they are not to be considered Scripture as is the Bible/Torah. IF you depend on the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit of God) to discern any truth in these commentaries and history books He will lead you to let go of any falsehood within. Remember that all commentaries, no matter the source, are simply someone’s opinion about a text of Scripture. Some opinions are more “inspired” by the Spirit than others. Pray about what you are reading. Do not accept everything outside of Scripture as truth. All must match the witness of Scripture in order to have validity.
E. Scripture requires interpretation. Meaning--> how does each passage apply to us now as well as to those to whom it was originally written. We must start by doing our best to understand the Hebraic thought and culture which is the proper context of Scripture, then we can move on to the underlying principles and instructions of the WORD to follow in our own lives. This requires discipleship – the discipline of study, which from a Hebraic perspective is the highest form of worship: study that leads to obedience, and then to the ability to witness/teach others what you have learned.
F. Don’t be afraid to wrestle with the Scripture—you will be in good company—wrestling with G-D as Jacob did.
Proverbs 4:5-7, "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."
G. Fellowship and Study with other believers is absolutely essential. “No man is an Island . . . " There are no lone rangers in the Kingdom of G-D. Let the family of those faithful to God help you in your search for TRUTH. Find good godly (Biblically observant) teachers and study with godly disciples.
H. DO, by all means, RESIST the temptation to take or follow the counsel about Biblical/Spiritual things from those who do not follow the instructions of Scripture (Meaning: unbeliever’s in Yeshua as Messiah)—no matter how fascinating their speech or methods may be. Pray for discernment that you can judge between good and evil. Remember that God is the bearer of all Truth, allow Him to guide you.
I. Wait. Pray. If you don’t understand a passage, then wait on the L-RD’s revelation—He will explain Himself—draw close to Him and He will draw close to you. (James)
Blessings,
Leadership Team
Ephesians 2:11-22 Romans 9-11
Mission Statement:
Restoring the TRUTH of the Good News of YESHUA
through the Hebraic Heritage of Biblical Faith.
Shorter version: 5/20/12: Learning THE TRUTH OF YESHUA (JESUS)
Vision Statement:
- In-depth teaching and study of the Hebraic Heritage of Biblical Faith
- Interactive worship and classes where all can participate.
- Goal: Understand and follow God’s Instructions for life, including His appointed times.
- Goal: Walk after Yeshua in Spirit and in Truth
- Encourage, Feed and Strengthen the Body of Messiah
- Welcome all who seek THE TRUTH--who is Yeshua
- We are a House of Study, study of Yeshua, study which leads to obedience to Him and His WORD; obedience that bears witness of HaShem (The God of the Bible, Who is the Creator of the Universe).
- We are committed to understanding Yeshua and the Bible within His Hebrew context.
BMC/Beit Mayim Chayim Home of the Waters of Life January 2016
Statement of Faith
WHO IS GOD
We believe in One True God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. God is the Creator and Master of all things. God is eternal and unchanging and desires a holy (distinct or set apart) relationship with mankind whom He created in His image.
· We affirm, without reservation, that Yeshua (Jesus in English) is Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14ff, Matt 1:23), G-d with us. Yeshua is the WORD of G-d in the flesh (John 1), the very image of the invisible God (Col 1:15 CJB, Philippians 2:5-11).
· We affirm that Yeshua is Mashiach/Messiah and the promised Prophet that Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 18:15-16. Everything about Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) in the Scripture is true and ALL of the Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, points to Messiah and His work on earth and in heaven.
· We affirm the Ruach haKodesh (literally ‘Spirit of the Holy’ or Holy Spirit) works in the lives of all men (drawing them to Himself.)
· We affirm that the Ruach haKodesh is God’s Spirit, for GOD is SPIRIT (John 4:24). He moves and works in His creation, among the children of men and comes to dwell with each person who commits their life to Him (Isaiah 57:16; Romans 8:9-11, 1 Cor 3:16, Eph 2:22).
· We affirm the Biblical commandment and tradition of not profaning or making common the Holy Name (YHVH) of God. (Exodus 20:7) We use substitutions for the proper name of God such as HaShem (The NAME) or Adonai (the LORD), holding His name as sacred, not secret. For teaching purposes we will use The NAME, to the best of our knowledge, with all due respect. (Scholars say that the actual pronunciation of the LORD’s proper name-YHVH- has been lost over the centuries – we don’t pronounce His name because we don’t really know how.)
Authority of Scripture
We believe that the Bible (the Holy Scriptures), consisting of the Tanakh (Torah, Prophets, Writings*) and the later writings commonly known as the B'rit Chadashah (known as New Covenant, or New Testament or called the Apostolic Scriptures) in their original autographs, are the authoritative WORD of God on matters of faith and practice for all those who follow the GOD of the Bible.
· We affirm that our submission to a Biblically Torah* observant lifestyle is part of being in Covenant with God, pleasing and honoring to Him. We are empowered to obey His WORD by His Spirit, we are motivated by our love and gratitude for G-d who has redeemed us. (John14:15)
- We affirm that Biblical Torah observance is for both the believing Jew and the believing non-Jew alike, native born Israelite and the foreigner, who is grafted into the covenant God made with Israel. (Num. 15:14-16, Eph. 2:11- 3:6; Romans 9-11.)
- Yeshua the Messiah came to interpret the Torah correctly (Matt 5:17-20) and we follow his lead, for He is the living Torah, the Word became flesh who made His dwelling among us (John 1). The Torah, the Prophets, the Writings (that is the Tanakh) and Apostolic Scriptures contain Adonai's standard of Holiness. His commandments and standards are not to be taken lightly nor disregarded--but obeyed by those who put their faith in Him.
*Torah-defined means: guidance, instruction and teaching; primarily referring to the first 5 books of the Bible, but by definition it can refer to all of the Bible as God's guidance and instruction to Israel and all subsequent people who put their faith in the God of the Book.
*Tanakh—is an acronym for the Hebrew Scriptures: Torah (5 Books of Moses), Neviim (Prophets), Ketuviim (Writings)--T-N-K, add vowels and TaNaKh.
1. We Follow Biblical Examples of Fellowship: Acts 2:42ff,
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
a. Devotion to the God of Israel, through study: “making disciples (disciples: means students; pronounced talmidim in Hebrew) Matthew 28.
b. Devotion to each other: edification, encouragement, praising our Creator together, “chipping in” to help one another. {We want our fellowship to be uplifting, insightful, honorable, and safe for all who come seeking Truth. “The common good” is our focus. This draws us away from selfishness and personal agendas.} Values: Mercy, Grace, forgiveness, kindness, choosing what is best for each other.
c. Devotion to Covenant Faithfulness— Study that leads to Obedience to Yeshua, Who is the Written Torah Incarnate, Living WORD. Obedience is covenant faithfulness. Sharing in the Covenant Meal is also part of our weekly worship together. Yeshua said, “If you love me, you will obey me”, John 14:23. We desire to be faithful to our King.
d. Devotion to (the) Prayers, from the Psalms, and other books of the Bible, from the Siddur (Prayer Book) as well as extemporaneous prayers (from the heart at the moment).
2. ONENESS of BELIEVERS in YESHUA
(Here are more passages that guide our fellowship, this is not intended to be an all inclusive list or we would have to include the entire Torah/Teaching of HaShem--HaShem literally means “the Name”, referring to the proper name of God Himself)
- Romans 9-11; Ephesians 2:11-22; 4:1-6
- John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way the truth and the life.”
- John 14:15, if we love Yeshua we will obey Him, the Gospel has commandments
- Acts 15:1-35 and Ephesians 2: gives us clear guidelines for the oneness of Gentiles and Jewish believers worshiping together, partakers of equal status in the covenant of Yeshua.
- Ezra 7:10, “Ezra devoted himself to the study and observance of the Torah of Adonai and to teaching its decrees and instructions in Israel.”
- Daniel 1:8, resolved to not defile himself with the world around him
- Daniel 6:10, prayed on his knees, in humility, 3x a day
- Luke 11, 18; Matthew 6, 14:23; John 14-17: Yeshua teaches us how to pray (as do Nehemiah, David, Solomon, etc.)
3. GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO THE HEBRAIC RENEWAL OF THE SCRIPTURE/GOSPEL (The Torah Movement)
A. “Do not go beyond what is written”, 1 Corinthians 4:6b (Numbers 22:18, 24:13)---------if a teaching about God or a revelation comes that does not line up with Scripture then be very wary of it. Test everything.
B. Yeshua brings us to the right interpretation of the Scripture, Matthew 5:17ff tells us that He properly interprets Torah and brings His students/disciples to the heart of the commandments. Sometimes He affirms Jewish traditions and sometimes He rejects them. Look to Him as He sets His House in order.
C. Judaism and Christianity are rich sources of historical information about our Adonai (LORD) Yeshua. Both traditions are to be treated with respect as the keepers of Torah/the WORD throughout the ages. Many things can be learned from the wisdom of the Jewish sages and the faithful Christian scholars, the study of the Biblical languages, and the customs of the Jewish people in times past and present can bring us greater insight and understanding of our Savior and our responsibility to Him.
D. Complete dependence on the Ruach haKodesh (literally: Spirit of the HOLY, in Hebrew)
- John 16:12,” . . . when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all Truth . . . (vs 15) . . . All that belongs to the Father is mine (Yeshua’s). That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 14-16; Acts 1 &2; The Ruach HaKodesh, the Spirit of the Holy
- One is who sustains, teaches, directs, empowers the children of God. Without Him we can do nothing.
- --the leading and gifts of Ruach haKodesh are to be welcomed while at the same time following the guidelines of Scripture that everything needs to be done in an orderly way and with wisdom. I Corinthians 12
E. Scripture is sufficient for building a solid life of faith, salvation and walking with Yeshua.
- Scripture is the measuring stick of truth for all of life’s experiences.
- Experience alone is not a good test of truth.
4. The Purpose/End/Destination of the Hebraic Renewal of the Scripture in our day and time:
- It is all about the relationship/covenant between God and man: “I will be their G-D and they will be my people,” Vayikra/Leviticus 26:12, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Matthew 28:20b, Revelation 21:3; a relationship that is maintained by a covenant that was initiated by YHVH Himself (the proper name of God), maintained by Him, renewed by Him from generation to generation. Always providing a way so that He can dwell with His people on earth, from Adam to the end of time. It is like a marriage. Submission/Obedience is an act of love. A relationship that brings us freedom, love, joy, and fulfillment in this life. This relationship is because of the hesed/grace/covenant faithfulness of Avenu Shabashmayim (our Father in Heaven), that we may enjoy this blessing and prepare ourselves for His soon return while we build up the Kingdom of Heaven in the present.
- It is not the conversion of a people to a “new” tradition or the complete abandonment of another. But, rather, it is the desire of the faithful to understand, cling to, worship, and become more intimate with Adonai of Torah/Scripture. Traditions that are not based on Truth will pass away. Traditions that uphold TRUTH will remain and all those who worship in a spirit of truth are blessed by a great desire to draw near to the Melech HaOlam (King of the Universe/Eternal) and Eloheinu (our God) is glorified.
- IT IS ALL ABOUT YESHUA/JESUS—He is calling His bride to Himself and giving the world a good look at who He really is before His coming.
- WE WORSHIP THE ONE WHO IS TRUTH. We do not worship a religion, a tradition, the newest fad/information, or even our wonderful fellowship and praise to our G-D.
- 2 Timothy 4:3-4, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
- All growth, maturity, wisdom, salvation, blessing, and fulfillment is to be found in the Truth of the God of the Bible. Individual commitment is essential for salvation and then becoming a part of the community of the faithful. If we are not building community we are heading in the wrong direction-we are heading away from our L-RD.
5. Guiding Principles for the Interpretation of Scripture
A. Yeshua should always be at the center of all interpretation, He is Torah/the WORD incarnate: John 1.
B. Use the Scripture as a whole (2Timothy 16, “All Scripture is G-D breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness {mitzvot-commandments})." So, find at least 2 or 3 other Scriptural references for every passage you are trying to understand and base your life choices on.
C. Keep the Scripture in its proper context: historically, linguistically, culturally. This is a great joy for those involved in the Hebraic Renewal movement. Proper context brings the story to life. Remember the literary rule: “Any text taken out of context will be a pretext.”
D. Talmud, Mishnah, Oral/Written Tradition, and other Commentaries (be they Jewish or Christian) can be helpful for historical/cultural perspective and they may contain truth but they are not to be considered Scripture as is the Bible/Torah. IF you depend on the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit of God) to discern any truth in these commentaries and history books He will lead you to let go of any falsehood within. Remember that all commentaries, no matter the source, are simply someone’s opinion about a text of Scripture. Some opinions are more “inspired” by the Spirit than others. Pray about what you are reading. Do not accept everything outside of Scripture as truth. All must match the witness of Scripture in order to have validity.
E. Scripture requires interpretation. Meaning--> how does each passage apply to us now as well as to those to whom it was originally written. We must start by doing our best to understand the Hebraic thought and culture which is the proper context of Scripture, then we can move on to the underlying principles and instructions of the WORD to follow in our own lives. This requires discipleship – the discipline of study, which from a Hebraic perspective is the highest form of worship: study that leads to obedience, and then to the ability to witness/teach others what you have learned.
F. Don’t be afraid to wrestle with the Scripture—you will be in good company—wrestling with G-D as Jacob did.
Proverbs 4:5-7, "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."
G. Fellowship and Study with other believers is absolutely essential. “No man is an Island . . . " There are no lone rangers in the Kingdom of G-D. Let the family of those faithful to God help you in your search for TRUTH. Find good godly (Biblically observant) teachers and study with godly disciples.
H. DO, by all means, RESIST the temptation to take or follow the counsel about Biblical/Spiritual things from those who do not follow the instructions of Scripture (Meaning: unbeliever’s in Yeshua as Messiah)—no matter how fascinating their speech or methods may be. Pray for discernment that you can judge between good and evil. Remember that God is the bearer of all Truth, allow Him to guide you.
I. Wait. Pray. If you don’t understand a passage, then wait on the L-RD’s revelation—He will explain Himself—draw close to Him and He will draw close to you. (James)
Blessings,
Leadership Team
Ephesians 2:11-22 Romans 9-11