Torah Living Special-Who We Are and What We Believe and Practice, Part 2

We do realize that what we believe and practice is not in alignment with traditional/orthodox Christianity, or what I may call from time to time  churchianity, popular Christianity, denominationalism, organizational Christianity, and denominational Christianity. In fact, we are not naive to the likelihood that we will be looked upon by some in churchianity as heretics, cultists, evil, and so-on. That is fine and we accept that. Yeshua was called much worse in His day and we purpose to be like Him. The point is not to drive a wedge between us and churchianity, nor do we seek to villainize churchianity–although we may from time-to-time say disparaging words against those in churchianity who knowingly seek to hold her members hostage through the teaching of lies and the enforcement of doctrines, practices, and traditions that are diametrically in opposition to Yehovah and His Torah and Yeshua’s teachings. I will be honest: I get passionate when I see sincere people who are seeking truth and wish to be true Children of God, who are caught in the snare of organizational Christianity through the assertiveness of those organizations’ leaders. A couple of months ago Hilary and I were visited by three Jehovah’s Witnesses who expressed a desire to share their faith with us and we felt it was also a great opportunity to share ours with them as well. Without getting into specifics–and I do go into specifics of our encounter with the JW’s in episodes 29 and 30 of itsnotasyouperceive.com. After presenting to Hilary and I some of the principle doctrines and teachings of their faith, I asked them to provide me with Biblical support of those beliefs. What we received was not Biblical support of those beliefs, but rhetoric and religion that they’d received from their church leaders. When we challenged them on this and asked for true Biblical support of their message, they dismissed themselves with the promise of returning after consulting their church leaders for the more indepth Biblical instruction. To date they have not delivered on that promise with the exception of a quick visit with Hilary to present a written treatise on their teachings, again without any true Biblical support.

The JW’s who visited us are victims of an establishment that is built upon man-made doctrines, traditions, and teachings and an establishment that is headed and run by evil men who should (and in many cases do) know better. Yet like so many men throughout the centuries who preyed upon the true faith once delivered, who seized opportunities to provide for themselves livelihoods and in some cases fame, fortune and power, the leadership of the JW’s have from the beginning sought to control their adherents through fleecing and misleading. They know, like most other denominational leaders, that if their adherents were to receive and fully grasp the true message of the Gospel and Torah, they would be out of jobs and out of power over a select group of people. It’s a mess and it will take the Master to sort it all out once He returns to this world to establish His millennial kingdom.

In the interim, we are here to offer refuge to those who have come out of churchianity and have come to the knowledge of the True Faith. We are here to provide a forum and community to those who are ever seeking and ever learning about Yehovah and His Word and way of life. We are here to provide fellowship as we seek Yehovah’s kingdom and His righteousness. We are here to provide support and council as need to those who have chosen to become disciples of Yeshua. This is our purpose and this is our passion.

• We are not traditional, orthodox Christians. Although we may observe and practice some Christian principles and utilize some of the verbiage of the Christian religion, our mindset and world view is more in alignment with the Hebraic roots and foundations of the original faith once delivered. We hold that the Christian religion/faith is a westernized version of the original faith once delivered. We do not cast judgment upon those who are Christians; however, we realize that many of the two or so billion souls around the world who embrace Christianity are sincere in their search for truth and in their desire to have a relationship with the Creator of all. We realize then, that these souls are in need of deliverance from the bondage of churchianity and all her trappings.

• We are not Jews nor are we Messianic Jews. We hold in high regard the Jewish people and believe that they will some day-in the future- come to fully understand and embrace Yeshua as their Messiah and return to Torah (…and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (Rom 11:26 ASV; cf. Isa. 59:20 and Isa. 45:17). We further contend that Judaism, and Messianic Judaism in particular, are religions. Like Christianity, Judaism is an altered version of the true faith that was embodied in Torah. Judaism, however, is the Jews’ attempt to rationalize and control Torah and thusly the Hebrew Faith (reference Mk. 7:8-13; Col. 2:8). This is NOT what Yeshua taught nor was it what He envisioned for His disciples. Consequently, it was Yeshua’s standing up to Judaism that ultimately led to Judaism’s leaders having Him crucified. Contrary to pop-Christianity, Yeshua did not challenge nor did He seek to dismiss Torah. On the contrary, Yeshua challenged the religion of Judaism, a hijacked version of the Hebrew Faith.

As it relates to God–

• We believe in One and only one true and living God whose name is Yehovah
• Yehovah is the creator of all there is
• There is no other God in heaven nor on earth but Yehovah– Hear, Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; (Deu 6:4 DBY) Thus, Yehovah is not a Triune or Binary set (or as I’ve heard it expressed-family) of God beings. Although many will attempt to add to Deuteronomy 6:4 using other misinterpreted passages of the Holy Writ to prove that God is a family of beings, the proponderance of evidence solidly proves that Yehovah is God alone
• Thus Yehovah alone is who we must worship, pray to, and obey

• We believe that the Messiah is the second Adam who was foretold by Yehovah, would atone for the sins of mankind and re-establish the broken relationship between Yehovah and man as a result of the first Adam’s transgression in the Garden of Eden. The first Adam brought  death to man while the second Adam brought life
• Although Yeshua was prophesied throughout the Tanakh (the Old Covenant or Testament) as being the Messiah and in whom rested all of Yehovah’s plans for mankind, Yeshua is NOT God. Yeshua did not pre-exist His birth, except existing in the mind and plans of the Almighty. Yeshua was not a God-man who was born of a virgin
• Yeshua is NOT Yehovah. There is no Biblical basis whatsoever to suggest that Yeshua plays three roles–the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Yeshua was born a man just as the first Adam was born a man. Yeshua was born in a perfect state of mind, body, and soul
• Being a man, Yeshua had the choice of sinning but through obedience to the Father, He chose not to sin and thus through His obedience  and suffering He was made perfect–reference Hebrews 5:8,9; 2:10.
• We believe that Yeshua died on the cross for our sins, Yehovah’s perfect sacrifice and atonement for our sins
• We believe that Yeshua has been exhalted above all creation and now sits at the right hand of the Father, who has given Him power and authority and His name–Yehovah Sabaoth–reference Psalms 2; 110; Zechariah 14:16. 
• It is Yehovah Sabaoth–Yeshua HaMashiach–who will return to this world and establish His appointed millennial kingdom-reference Revelation 20:4,6. Yeshua will rule this earth with a rod of iron, destroying and engulfing all man made nations and kingdoms–reference Psalms 2:9; Revelation 19:15; 22:5; Matthew 19:28; Daniel 7:9.
• We believe that Yeshua will gather His elect–those who follow His commandments and have His testimony–from the four-corners of the world as well as resurrect those saints who had fallen asleep–died throughout the ages–provide them with bodies like His, and install them to be kings and priests in His kingdom here on earth–Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
• We believe that Yeshua is the only human example by which we are called to imitate and follow–reference the whole of the Gospel record

• We believe that we are separated from Yehovah because of sin. The wages for sin is always death–reference 6:23. In order that we may commune and live with Yehovah, that sin must be atoned for and Yeshua provided that perfect sacrifice–reference John 1:29,36.

• We believe that the Bible contains the thoughts and commandments of Yehovah. Can we say with certainty that the Bible we have today hasn’t been tampered with or mistranslated in some way or another? Of course we can’t. But the essence of Yehovah’s will and commandments is contained in the words of this book. It may not be the direct Words of God, but it is the Word of God, His Truth, as far as we are concerned. It is the only source and foundation of our Faith–reference 2 Timothy 3:16,17.