WE HAVE A VISION...
Why We Do What We Do
Having freely received the saving grace of God, we are privileged to worship, praise, and serve the God of our Salvation. We believe that it is through our works of
worship, praise and service that our faith in God is strengthened.
Our instruction manual for these works is found only in His Word—written in the Holy Scriptures, and demonstrated through the life of His Son. By studying and applying His Word to our lives, we joyfully embrace His Teaching and Instruction
as Messiah’s way to godly living.
Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations...teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you.
(Matthew 28: 19-20a)
We have a vision that all nations will come to know and obey the Holy One of Israel and His Messiah, Yeshua. As we continue to grow in our understanding of Him and His ways, we are committed to sharing this blessing and privilege with those who accept His call to discipleship.
WE HAVE A MISSION...
I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.
(Matthew 25:40)
Yeshua said that there would always be poor among us. We believe that the poor are here to give us someone other than ourselves to serve. Although we cannot meet all of the needs of the world, we can see to it that there is one less need in the world today than there was yesterday.
Statement of Unity
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We do not believe that any one person or group has the complete truth of the Scriptures in their understanding. We do believe, however, that a strong fellowship requires unity in basic beliefs and practices so that our joy in the Messiah can be manifest without vain and useless debates. For this reason, we have drafted this statement of some key understanding of the Scripture, upon which Messiah's Way Fellowship is seated.
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In the matter of the name of God: We generally hold that the tetragrammaton (the four letter Hebrew name for God) is most correctly pronounced "Yahovah." While "Yahweh" is a traditional rendering, we believe that the scholarly evidence for this rendering is less convincing. We are also less inclined to use "HaShem" or "Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey" as substitutes for the name of God. Having said that, we do not believe that anyone knows with absolute certainty what is the ancient pronunciation of the name of God, so whatever is comfortable for individuals to use is acceptable within the community, so long as disputes about the name do not become a point of contention.
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In the matter of the name and nature of the Messiah: We understand the Hebrew name of the Messiah to mean "Salvation," and therefore His name is most correctly rendered "Yeshua" (which is the word in Hebrew meaning "salvation"). Others use Yahoshua (literally meaning "Yahovah is our salvation"), which carries a similar meaning, but does not convey that the Messiah Himself is the instrument of salvation. As a community, Yeshua is the preferred name. If a person individually wants to use the name Yahoshua, that is fine. Likewise, we do not condemn the use of the name Jesus within the congregation. Although we believe it to be a less sufficient rendering of the actual name of the Messiah, we do not believe there is any pagan origin to this English transliteration of the Greek Iesu. Yeshua is the living Word of God who has no beginning and no end. He is not a created being, but is the One through whom all things were made.
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In the matter of the Shabbat (Sabbath): We believe that the seven-day cycle (which we call "the week") was ordained by God at the beginning of creation. The seventh day of this cycle was set apart (made holy) by God when He rested from His work of creation. This seventh day is called the Shabbat, and it is one of the appointed times of God, beginning at sundown on friday and ending at sundown on saturday. This seven-day cycle is to be observed in perpetuity and without interruption.
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In the matter of the annual appointed times of God: We believe that the moedim or appointed times of God are the annual festivals through which God has conveyed -- and continues to reveal -- His plan of reconciliation for the world. We rely on the New Moon sighting (the first sliver of the waxing moon) and the Abib barley reports to establish the calendar for the appointed times each year. The Messiah is present in all of the festivals, and it is through the celebration and observance of God's appointed times that we reap the fullness of our relationship with Him. Messiah's birth is recognized as coinciding with the Feast of Tabernacles; Messiah's death and resurrection is recognized as coinciding with the Passover, the day of Early First Fruits, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread; Messiah's pouring out of the Holy Spirit to be active throughout the earth is recognized as coinciding with the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot); Messiah's second coming is recognized as coinciding with the Feast of Trumpets; and, Messiah's day of judgment is recognized as coinciding with the Day of Atonement. The final fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Great Day will be when the new heaven and new earth are revealed, at which time the tabernacle of God will once again be with mankind for all eternity. We do not observe secular substitutes for the appointed times of God.
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In the matter of praise and worship: We believe that it is proper to praise and worship God with our entire being -- heart, soul, mind and strength. We embrace vibrant worship music and Hebraic (praise) dance as an appropriate expression of our adoration for, and fear of, the Creator of the universe. Raising of hands, blowing of the shofar, clapping, and other meaningful expressions of adoration are encouraged.
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In the matter of congregational leadership and organization: The head of the assembly is Messiah Yeshua and we are accountable to Him only (rather than an outside governing body). Men of sound doctrine are appointed to lead the congregation toward spiritual completeness. Women are not forbidden to pray, lead worship, speak or teach in the assembly, but must recognize the requirement for a spiritual covering when teaching men.
