What Do Hebrew Roots Christians Believe?
music to listen to while you read the page
The Hebrew Roots Movement is a general term used for an emerging grassroots spiritual awakening taking place worldwide with Christians returning to the original first century faith, beliefs, and understanding of the Scriptures as taught by the Messiah, Early Church and Apostles. Hebrew Roots is not a denomination or church, but rather a mindset seeking to emulate Jesus (Y'shua) as much as possible.
[ 1 John 2:6 | Luke 6:40 ]
Hebrew Roots Christians are sometimes called "Whole Bible Believers" due to our teaching of and obedience to the whole Word of God (Old and New Testaments). We follow the first-century foundation of the faith: that every disciple of Jesus (Y'shua) is to walk (live) just as the he did, in obedience to the Old Testament laws and commandments of God.
The Apostle John stated in 1 John 3:4 "sin is lawlessness" (violation of God's laws and commandments) and in 1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." For as King David and Paul remarked: The Law is a Delight. [ Psalm 1:1-2 | Psalm 40:8 | Psalm 119:174 | Romans 7:22 ]
OBEDIENCE, SO SIMPLE A CHILD CAN DO IT.
When the Bible states: "and the LORD says..." or "Jesus (Y'shua) said..." and it is a command, then we are without excuse and should obey God because we love and trust in him and want to please him. God wants everyone to be in right relationship with him, even little children.
HEBREW ROOTS DOES NOT INCLUDE: Traditional Christianity, Messianic Judaism, Teachings from Judaism (Pharisee-ism), Talmud (Oral Law), or Kabbalah (Mystic Judaism), anti Apostle Paul teachings, British Israelism, Black Hebrew Israelite Movement, or the Sacred Names Movement (which uses the Hebrew names of God and Jesus in an exclusionary and divisive way).
VIDEOS: What IS and IS NOT Hebrew Roots
Introduction Video: Click Here
— Description of the End-Times Church:
"Here is a call for the endurance of the saints,
those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."
- Revelation 14:12
Pray to God to teach you, to make all things clear.
No one can know anything about God unless God's Holy Spirit reveals it to you, so ask God's Holy Spirit to teach you. Seek God and God's Word with all your heart, soul, and mind and you will find him, and the truth will set you free.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 | Jeremiah 29:13 | John 8:31-32
— The What is Sin?
"... sin is lawlessness."
- 1 John 3:4
— Do You Love God?
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome."
- 1 John 5:3
— Jesus (Y'shua) said:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets...
whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
- Matthew 5:17-19
Key Concepts in Hebrew Roots ...
SIN means to offend.
It is possible to sin against God; to sin against another person like friends, family, co-workers, or neighbors; you can even sin against yourself (hurt your own body). The more you sin against or offend someone the more likely you are to destroy that relationship. Even though they are the one to "break off fellowship," stop, or put on hold the relationship, it is clearly the person who sinned that is the cause of the break due to their destructive actions.
All relationships are built upon trust and mutual understanding. They can also be easily and naively destroyed if one does not understand the rules of the relationship. Even with the most tolerant and patient person, if someone keeps offending you (sinning against you), you are much less likely to want to be around them. You wish that person would stop offending you; that if they change and ask forgiveness, you might consider allowing them to re-enter fellowship with you again. If that person continues to offend (sin), showing no sign of change (repentance), everyone has a breaking point at which you feel you must "break fellowship" or stop seeing or meeting with that person. Do we think that God is any different?
God is a real person with real feelings. When we offend him (sin against him), he hurts like anyone else would. The difference is he is always trustworthy, consistent, and reliable in what he does because God never changes [Malachi 3:6]. He treats all of us the same [Acts 10:34-35].
This is an issue of "fellowship" with our Heavenly Father. Do we really want to test God? Do we want to really be rebellious against him and break his relationship rules? God disciplines those he loves, if you are disobedient. [Hebrews 12:6-11 NLT] God blesses those he loves, if you are obedient. It is better to have an obedient, healthy and productive relationship with God, a relationship in harmony with him, than to fight with him. For if we fight with God, he will always win and we will always lose. If we Trust and Obey God and God's Word, then we both will always win. God's plan for our lives is one of blessings and abundance of life. God's plan has rules (God's Word) to protect and guide us so that we can have a much better relationship with him and others.
In Matthew 22:36-40 NLT, they asked Jesus (Y'shua):
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” (37) Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (40) The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Growing up in the Church we learn that 'sin' is bad. We are told not to Sin; Sin is going against God; Living a Sinful life is not living a holy and righteous life to God and will lead to eternal death; Sin is doing what I want instead of what God wants; "Repent!," they say, "and stop sinning!" The one thing not taught clearly, that was clouded in mystery, was: "What Exactly is Sin?!"
Sin is Lawlessness
Sin is Rebellion Against God's Laws and Commandments
Sin is Rebellion Against God
1 John 3:3-7
(3) And everyone who thus hopes in him (Jesus/Y'shua) purifies himself as he is pure.
(4) Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
(5) You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
(6) No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
(7) Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
Jesus (Y'shua) said in Matthew 13:40-43 NLT
“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. (41) The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (42) And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!"
WE INTERRUPT THIS WEBSITE WITH IT'S MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE:
IF YOU LOVE GOD, OBEY GOD'S WORD (ALL OF IT)
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome."
- 1 John 5:3
The Bible is God's Word? Yes. So when you read the Bible and when you see “And the LORD said” or “Jesus said” and it is a command, and you see it in quotes or red letters, then it is something that you cannot argue against but should obey as a matter of trust and faith in him. It's pretty straight forward. Right!?
So do you follow God or men? Do not to be seduced, confused or swayed by the arguments of men that we don't have to obey what God says. [ Isaiah 8:20 NLT | Isaiah 9:16 NLT | Jeremiah 16:19 ] God our Heavenly Father is our parent not man, so we should always remain focused only on what God says. It is very simple, if we love God then we should want obey him because we want to please him!
It’s not hard to figure out. Interesting enough, this is so simple a child can do it. In fact, God made it so simple and easy to understand because he wanted everyone to be in right relationship with him, even little children. It is so straight forward and so clear to understand that there is no need to get bogged down in theological and doctrinal issues or debates.
Plainly put: Did God or Jesus (Y'shua) command it? Then I should obey.
This is the required foundation to the walk for every disciple of Jesus (Y'shua):
Trust and Obey God and God's Word.
"Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit... Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever."
- 1 Peter 1:22-23
What you choose to do, or not do, is between you and God. The purpose of this website is not to condemn or judge you but to encourage you onto holiness, to walk anew (refreshed) in God's Holy Spirit in truth and obedience toward an awesome relationship with God.
When Jesus (Y'shua) returns he will judge and reward everyone according to what they did [Matthew 16:27 | Revelation 22:12-14 NKJV]. By what standard will Jesus (Y'shua) use for everyone to punish or reward them? The Torah, God’s Laws in the Old Testament [Micah 4:2-3].
“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”
- Jeremiah 17:10
The primary differences between Hebrew Roots and Traditional Christianity are:
1) Hebrew Roots people believe strongly to be a true disciple of Jesus (Y'shua) that we must follow the example of how Jesus (Y'shua) lived. That Jesus (Y'shua) came to live a perfect life in relationship to and harmony with the Heavenly Father and other people to show us how we should live. [1 John 2:6 | Luke 6:40] Hebrew Roots people believe that obedience to God's Laws and commands in the entire Bible ARE the foundation to the daily life of a true disciple. [Revelation 14:12 | 1 John 5:3]
"Jesus Christ (Y'shua) is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Hebrews 13:8
Traditional churches do not agree and believe that Jesus (Y'shua) came to perfectly obey the laws of God in the Old Testament SO that we do not have to, that Jesus (Y'shua) "nailed God's laws to the cross" to "free us" from having to obey God's Laws. Traditional churches teach that God's Laws are done away with, that we are not obligated as disciples to obey them, and that it is a sin to do so because it places us back under a curse and death. Reality is the exact opposite.
What the early church, Jesus (Y'shua), and the apostles actually taught is that we must obey God's Laws and commandments - not to be saved, but because we are saved and want to please God. [1 John 5:3] That the very definition of sin is the violation of God's Laws, "sin is lawlessness" - 1 John 3:4. Jesus (Y'shua) came to pay the penalty for our sins (violation of God's Laws), so that we can be restored into a right relationship with God by striving to live a life without sin. If a disciple continues to sin (violate God's Laws) then they only prove they do not follow God and do not have God in their heart. "No one who abides in him (Jesus/Y'shua) keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him." - 1 John 3:6.
Jesus (Y'shua) said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets... whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:17-19
2) Hebrew Roots people strongly believe the entire Bible (Old and New Testaments) is fully in effect and eternal. Traditional churches believe that some parts of the Bible are not in effect any longer (done away with).
"(Look) To the law (Torah) and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this WORD, it is because there is not light in them." - Isaiah 8:20 NKJV
"... scripture cannot be broken..." - Jesus (Y'shua) in John 10:35
"The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever." - Psalms 119:160
"…the word of our God will stand forever.” - Isaiah 40:8
Forever is a long time ...
- God's Word is Forever - Isaiah 40:8 | 1 Peter 1:24-25
- Forgiveness of Sins is Forever - Jeremiah 31:34;32:40
- Old Testament Covenants are Forever - 1 Chronicles 16:16-17
- God's Law (Torah) is Forever - Psalms 119:160
- 7th Day Sabbath is Forever - Exodus 31:16-17
- God's Feasts (Holy Days) are Forever - Exodus 12:14,17,24
See God's Holy Days in Leviticus Chapter 23
3) Obedience to the Torah (laws of God) in the Old Testament.
TORAH | Hebrew Word means: Teachings or Instructions (God's Teachings).
Specifically: The first 5 books of the Bible: Books of Moses, Pentateuch. Often translated as "the law."
Generally: All teachings of God.
ROOT WORD: Yahrah | To rain, flow, to teach, point out, to aim or shoot an arrow (and hit the mark/target).
OPPOSITE: Sin | to offend, to miss the mark/target, to error, to do wrong.
Hebrew Roots views obedience to all of God's Word (God's One Way) as the foundational daily walk for every disciple. Disciples are commanded to follow the example of and emulate the life of Jesus (Y'shua): he followed and obeyed all of the laws of God in the Old Testament. This is the way of righteousness as shown in the lives of not only the Messiah but also by the Apostles and First Century Church.
Traditional churches do not agree with being obedient to all of God's Word but instead teach that we are not obligated to obey the Old Testament Laws of God, that it is impossible, that it is a burden, that it is sin and attempting to do so leads to death [Isaiah 5:20 NASB]. In a contrary and confused way, they then conveniently pick and choose their own list from God's Old Testament Laws they profess are important - only showing their hypocrisy. While traditional Christian churches can agree on not obeying all of God's Word, they cannot agree on which of God's Laws in the Old Testament should be observed. In their confusion, they squabble over the issue and have split and divided into an estimated 30,000 Christian denominations around the world. Until they choose to follow God's One Way (God's Word - All of It), they cannot be united as God's One People in the New Covenant [Jeremiah 32:39].
4) Traditional churches view Israel and the Church as two separate and distinct groups. Hebrew Roots recognize Israel and the Church are one in the same (God's One People). The New Testament mentions the "Church in the Wilderness" (Moses and Israel in the Old Testament) in Acts 7:37-38 KJV and Paul teaches that disciples of Jesus (Y'shua) are adopted into or "grafted into" the Commonwealth of Israel (the Olive Tree) [Romans 11:17 | Ephesians 2:12-13].
The Torah is the Foundation of the Faith
Not building your faith upon the Foundation of the Bible (The Torah, God's Instructions), it makes you unstable in all your ways, making you easily mis-led by false teachings and false teachers.
Jesus (Y'shua) said in John 5:46-47
"For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
Jesus (Y'shua), teaching in a parable, said in Luke 16:31
"If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."
Psalm 11:3 "if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
Hosea 4:6 NKJV "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."
Jesus (Y'shua), while looking up to the Heavenly Father, said in John 17:3
“And this is eternal life, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Hebrew Roots Christians... recognizes that it is God's greatest desire to be known and this gives us encouragement and confidence that he can be clearly understood. [Deuteronomy 30:11-14 | Jeremiah 9:23-24] We can know God and his Will beyond a shadow-of-a-doubt, so we can live out his Will in his full power and faith, walking daily in righteousness with boldness and confidence living out the Word of God.
"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
- Jesus (Y'shua) in John 10:10
The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:9 NLT "For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body."
John 14:6-9
Jesus (Y'shua) said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (8) Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." (9) Jesus (Y'shua) said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Matthew 1:23
"'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us)."
Isaiah 9:6
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Hebrew Roots Christians... recognizes that the main problem is not with evil that exists in the world, but it is the evil that exists in one's own heart. Hebrew Roots recognizes that each person must actively pursue a life of holiness and growth by purifying our hearts through the cleansing our souls from sin. [1 John 3:3-4]
This is done through living a life of righteousness by faith in:
- Obedience to God and God's Word (all of it),
- Total life commitment to him [Mark 8:34-38],
- The study of God's Word,
- and through prayer and fasting,
- and through praise and thanksgiving. [Ephesians 5:25-27]
If one attempts to be holy and lazy at the same time, one can easily get trapped in false teachings and empty religious traditions of men (which leads to death Romans 8:5-8) while thinking they are doing God's Will. The only sure foundation and source of Truth is God as he reveals himself through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit which never contradict one another. Each individual believer must take personal responsibility and initiative in actively pursing God and be taught and transformed by God's Holy Spirit and from God's Word.
[ Luke 6:45 | 1 Peter 1:22-23 | John 17:17 | Proverbs 4:2 NKJV | James 4:8 | John 14:26 | 1 John 2:27 | Jeremiah 29:13 | Matthew 5:8 ]
Hebrew Roots Christians... are sometimes called "Whole Bible Believers" due to our adherence to both the Old and New Testament teachings. We believe strongly in the purity of God's Word (Old and New Testaments) as his perfect plan for all mankind. [2 Timothy 3:14-17]
Do not add to or take away from God's Word
We recognize it is a sin to add to or take away from God's Word by suggesting a holy teaching is from God that is not based upon Scripture. [Deuteronomy 4:2; 5:32; 12:32 | Joshua 1:7 | Proverbs 30:5-6] This includes the conflicting idea taught by traditional Christian churches that God's laws in the Old Testament are not in effect or they have been done away with, and that we are not obligated to obey them.
God and God's Word is Eternal and Never Changes.
Hebrew Roots strongly believes the entire Bible (Old and New Testaments) is alive, active, fully in effect, and eternal. [Exodus 19:9 | Isaiah 40:8 | 1 Peter 1:25 | Psalm 119:89,151-152,160] God reveals himself in Scripture in one united way, and just as he does not change [Hebrews 13:8 | Malachi 3:6], his Word also never changes or conflicts with itself. Traditional churches believe that some parts of the Bible are not in effect any longer (done away with) or does not apply any longer. [ The Apostle Paul states in Acts 24:13-14 | About Stephen the Martyr: Acts 6:13 | Isaiah 8:20 NKJV | Isaiah 9:16 NLT]
God's Word purifies us, cleanses us, makes us Holy (set apart).
"Sanctify them (make them Holy) in the truth; your word is truth."
- Jesus (Y'shua), John 17:17
1st Peter chapter 1:
(14) "As obedient children ... be holy in all your conduct..." ...
(22) "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit... "
(23) "you have been born again ... through the living and abiding word of God."
Proverbs 4:2 NKJV "For I give you good doctrine(teachings): Do not forsake my law (Torah)."
The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:25-27
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify (make holy) her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."
Hebrew Roots Christians... believe in the deity of Jesus (Y'shua) as the God of the Old Testament, the God of Israel. [Isaiah 9:6 | John 14:6-9]
Jesus (Y'shua), the Messiah is the Creator [John 1:3 | Psalms 33:6-9] who physically walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden [Genesis 3:8-9 | John 5:37]. The Messiah is "the lawgiver" who came down on Mount Sinai giving the Torah (God's Laws) to Moses and who verbally spoke the 10 Commandments [Exodus 19:9 | John 5:37].
One Lawgiver, One Savior, One Judge, One King: Isaiah 33:22 | John 5:22-23 | James 4:12.
By this very fact, one must believe in the Messiah to be saved, since he is God [Colossians 2:8-9 NLT].
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
- Jesus (Y'shua) in John 14:15
MORE INFO - WATCH VIDEO: Is Jesus (Y'shua) God?
Come Follow Me
Matthew 16:24-26
Then Jesus (Y'shua) told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"
1 John 2:4-6
"Whoever says 'I know him' (Jesus/Y'shua) but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
Jesus (Y'shua) said in Luke 6:40:
"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher."
What Would Jesus (Y'shua) Do?
Jesus (Y'shua) taught and lived the perfect example and role model of how we are supposed to live a righteous life pleasing, holy, and in unity with God. He came to restore us to a correct, right, and healthy relationship with God. How did he live? He lived in perfect obedience to God's Old Testament Laws and Commands. He lived without sin. What is sin? Sin is the violation of God's Old Testament Laws and Commands. [1 John 3:4] But we are not perfect. With God [Matthew 19:26] we can realistically pursue a life pleasing to him (without sin) and when we fail, we repent (a process of asking forgiveness and turning back) and he will forgive us our sins.
"Jesus (Y'shua) gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness..."
- Apostle Paul, Titus 2:14
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law ...
whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
- Jesus (Y'shua), Matthew 5:17,19
No one who is saved keeps on violating the Laws of God. If they say, "I follow of Jesus (Y'shua)" and continue violating God's Laws, John says they are a liar and the truth is not in them [1 John 2:3-6 | 1 John 3:3-7 ].
"I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."
- Jesus (Y'shua), Matthew 7:23
Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom?
1) A CHILD. Maintaining a Child-like Faith, Trust, and Love with God is a Requirement.
If God said it, I believe it. If God commanded it, I will do it. Hebrew Roots believes that one can only truly express one's love for God by trusting and obeying what God commands throughout the entire Bible (Old and New Testaments) without holding back, saying no, or arguing with God. This is the true test of faith and trust - of yielding one's life to God, even though you don't have all the answers why at that time. Interestingly enough, you often find out why, but only on the other side of obedience, after you obey.
Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus (Y'shua) said: "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." see also Mark 10:14-15
2) Those Who Obey God's Laws and Teach Them.
Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus (Y'shua) said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets... whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Prayers of a Rebellious, Snot-Nosed Child
You've seen them or been one. A child who stomps their feet and throws a temper tantrum when they don't get their way OR a child who is willful, stubborn and not wanting to obey - the cause is the same: rebellion. A true loving father knows not to reward rebellious children, but disciplines them because he wants to bring them back into a right relationship with him.
So are YOU a Rebellious Child of God?
We all were, but the idea is that we should be trying hard not to be. The first step is to repent and ask forgiveness for having a negative or rebellious attitude against obedience to God's laws. For what are the Laws of God but the clearly expressed Will of God and God's standard of righteousness that never changes? The Bible shows that obedience is the main way we show God love and please him [1 John 5:3] and the very definition of sin is the violation of God's laws [1 John 3:4].
Proverbs 28:9: “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.”
Isaiah 59:1-2: “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities (violation of God's laws) have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”
In Jeremiah 5:25, God states that he want to bless us BUT “your sins have withheld good things from you.”
1 Samuel 12:15: “If you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you...”
1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity (lawlessness) and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you..."
The Biggest Lie
Jesus (Y'shua) paid our "sin debt" that we owe for our violations of God's Old Testament laws. The biggest and most damaging lie we have been sold over the centuries is that Jesus (Y'shua) came to perfectly obey the Old Testament Law so that we don't have to, or that we are no longer obligated to obey it. Since the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, Satan has been trying to convince us not to obey what God said. Satan stating, “Did God really say that!?”
Could it be the biggest lie we have bought into,
has become the main stumbling block
to the very thing that God wants us to do:
Obey God as he clearly commands in the entire Bible
(Old and New Testaments)?
From what God had made perfect, Satan lied to convince Adam and Eve to disobey God and that disobedience cursed all of mankind. Now our disobedience is once again cursing us.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God … And a curse, if you will not obey ...”
In 2 Corinthians 11:3, the Apostle Paul wrote: "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
Repentance means absolutely nothing
if you keep doing what you say you are sorry for.
A brother gives this example: “Let’s say that you and I enter into a covenant (contract) agreement and you break the conditions of the covenant and in doing so you are required to pay a heavy price. But you are unable to pay the price. So I in my mercy I pay the price for you so that you can be allowed to come back in and renew the covenant with me and try to keep it once again so you can partake of the promises. Have I now extended mercy to you so you can now break the covenant at will, over and over again, with the mindset that it cannot be kept? Of course not…”
[ read more about What True Repentance Looks Like ... ]
"Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves."
- James 1:21-22 NASB
"But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
- James 1:25 NASB
James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the first church at Jerusalem
— Jesus (Y'shua) enacted The New Covenant at the Lord's Supper saying:
“This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
- Matthew 26:28
From the New Covenant, God said in Jeremiah 31:33:
“I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
What is Hebrew Roots all about?
Hebrew Roots Christians... believe as there is only One God, he has only One Way (the Scripture) [Jeremiah 32:39], and One People (Israel) [Romans 11:17 | Ephesians 2:12-13]. God said he has given his people One Heart, One Mind, and his Holy Spirit forever. The closer one gets to God, the closer one is united with God and his people. [ Ephesians 4:4-6 ]
[FROM THE NEW COVENANT] Jeremiah 32:38-40
"And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever. ... I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me."
No one in Hebrew Roots is perfect. No one is without sin. Only God is perfect. God is refining and purifying us - it's a process - it's a relationship [Proverbs 3:11-12 | Hebrews 12:6-11]. If you seek to find fault in us, one will always be able to find something to fixate upon. If you are looking for perfection, you will not find it. Like any group, you will find a mix of immature and mature believers. To quickly judge all for the errors of some is prejudicial and is neither fair nor wise. There are some who claim to be a part of the Hebrew Roots Movement but are not. There are some who are not even in the faith. All can be seen by their words and actions. This website will help you understand better what Hebrew Roots people believe and discover our real motivations and heart.
In Hebrew Roots, you will find a people with a real heart and passion for God and God's Word. If you wish to follow us you may be let down. God is only one who is perfect, always reliable, absolutely pure and trust-worthy. God is the only one you should place your absolute trust in. In recognizing our imperfection, we passionately point to the only source of all truth, the Word of God, and to the only source of life, Jesus (Y'shua), the Messiah of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).
One of the key points you will discover with people in Hebrew Roots is we are not trying to get you to join our movement, but to join God's Movement and to follow God's Ways from the Scripture. Just as our bodies are corrupted by sin, so are our minds, thinking, and reasoning corrupted by sin. God's Word is the only reliable source of truth, as the Bible states [Psalms 119:160 | Jeremiah 17:5]. It is only God that gives eternal life, so obedience to any other just leads to a dead end. People in Hebrew Roots want to help others get in right relationship with God so he will open up the floodgates of blessings from Heaven directly upon you himself. For God is good and he blesses those who love and obey him.
The decentralized grassroots global growth of the Hebrew Roots Movement can only be attributed to a true move of the Holy Spirit outpouring upon the earth in the later days. This is seen in the global and apparent unconnected lives of individual believers who, being drawn and led by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, have answered God's call to purity, true repentance, and are finding a return to the first century faith of the Apostles. While the label "Hebrew Roots" has generally been adopted by many, one must recognize that this, is in essence, a Word of God, Holy Spirit move and outpouring, some being sensitive about giving it any label other than of the Holy Spirit or just Israel.
Jesus (Y'shua) said in John 3:7-8 "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
1 John 3:24 “Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he lives in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
Acts 5:32 “…the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to them that obey him."
The New Covenant - God's Eternal Contract
The New Covenant is God's eternal contract with us. The 'New Testament (Covenant)' is named after it. Jesus (Y'shua) established the New Covenant at the Last Supper, often called the Lord’s Supper or Communion, just prior to his death on the Cross and resurrection. Every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper we are remembering and recommitting ourselves to the New Covenant.
Jesus (Y'shua) said at the Last Supper in Matthew 26:28 NKJV
“This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Direct Quote From the New Covenant [Jeremiah 31:31-34]
(33) "... I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Why does God want to write the Old Testament Laws on our hearts? Sin is a violation of God's Laws [1 John 3:4]. The purpose is that God's People will desire to know and live by the Laws of God and thus not sin against God. So that God's People will desire and be focused on pleasing God by obedience to his commands in the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments. [1 John 5:3 ]
Traditional churches reject what the Messiah and Apostles taught: to be a true disciple, one must pursue a life without sin, a daily walk pursuing a life of obedience to the Old Testament Laws and Commands of God. Traditional churches are promoting rebellion and sin against God.
Those in the Hebrew Roots Movement do not obey God's Old Testament Laws to be saved, for salvation comes by faith. We obey God's Laws because we are saved and desire to live a life pleasing to him (without sin). Just as the Apostles did in Acts 5:29, a true disciple must choose to follow God instead of men for it is only God who gives salvation.
Remember, Jesus (Y'shua) is God, the same God of Israel, the God of the Old Testament who gave the Old Testament Laws.
Remember, when the events and sayings of the New Testament happened, the books of the New Testament did not exist yet. The only Holy Scriptures and commandments they were referring to were in the Old Testament.
Jesus (Y'shua) said in John 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
1 John 5:3
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."
Jesus (Y'shua) said in Matthew Chapter 5:
(17) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets...
(19) "whoever relaxes one of the least of these (Old Testament) commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
2 John 1:6
"And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it."
The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:12-17
"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings (Old Testament), which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture (Old Testament) is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
Today we also have the New Testament books, but the Scriptures Paul is referring to above is specifically the Old Testament.
Jesus (Y'shua) said in Matthew Chapter 7
(15) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing ...
(21-23) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven ...
On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (violation of God's Old Testament Laws).'"
Deuteronomy 11:1
"You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always."
A Pentecostal preacher, now Hebrew Roots and Torah observant, once said:
“The enemy can fake the gifts of the Spirit except one: Obedience.”
God said in Deuteronomy 4:2: "You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you."
God declares that a false prophet is someone who leads you to rebel against the commandments of God.
God said in Deuteronomy 13:5 "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God... to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst."
How can you know the real from the false? Some false teachers are real easy to identify but others can look like the real thing [2 Corinthians 11:3-5,13-14]. In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus (Y'shua) explains you can clearly identify the false by the fact that they are "lawless" - they do not obey the laws and commands of God in the Old Testament.
Jesus (Y'shua) stated in Matthew 7:15: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
Apparent signs and wonders, that many view could only have come from God, can be faked by the enemy. In Exodus chapter 7, when Moses was told to do a sign before Pharaoh, Pharaoh then called his sorcerers to reproduce the same signs [Exodus 7:11].
Jesus (Y'shua) gives us a clear way to identify the false prophets in Matthew chapter 7.
Matthew 7:20: "Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." - by what they do, their actions.
What actions or "fruit" of False Prophets is Jesus (Y'shua) referring to?
Matthew 7:22-23: "On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Lawless! He is talking about those who do not obey the Laws of God in the Old Testament.
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
The Will of the Father is clearly seen as expressed in his commands and laws in the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments.
1 John 3:4 NKJV "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."
"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold."
Jesus (Y'shua) in Matthew 24:12 NASB
"... If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law."
"Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law."
- Paul in Romans 13:8,10 NLT
The Apostle Paul: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?" - 2 Corinthians 13:5
Jesus (Y'shua) said: "If you keep my commandments, you will abide (live) in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide (live) in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." - John 15:10-12
"By this we know that we have come to know Him (Jesus/Y'shua), if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." - Apostle John in 1 John 2:3-6.
Do you see? Jesus (Y'shua) always obeyed the commandments and laws in the Old Testament. Should we not do as Jesus (Y'shua) did? He said we should in John 13:15-17, Luke 6:40, and Matthew 10:24-25.
Jesus (Y'shua) said: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14:15
Jesus (Y'shua) said in John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
The Apostle John wrote:
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." - Apostle John in 1 John 5:3
"... you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD (YHVH)" - God in Leviticus 19:18
The key to being God's People is that you are all about God and God's Word as the most important priority in your life [Matthew 6:33]. Also that you look only to God for your approval and understanding [John 5:44]. If you do your own thing apart from God's Word then you have started to become corrupt. In the Hebrew Roots Movement you will discover people with an insatiable desire to study God's Word and to live by it as their ultimate and only standard.
One of the key points you will discover with people in Hebrew Roots is we are not trying to get you to join our movement, but to join God's Movement and to follow God's Ways from the Scripture. Recognizing that just as our bodies are corrupted by sin, so are our minds, thinking, and reasoning corrupted by sin, leaving God's Word as the only reliable source of truth, as the Bible states [Psalms 119:160 | Jeremiah 17:5]. Plus it is only God that gives salvation, so obedience to any other just leads to a dead end. People in Hebrew Roots want to help others get in right relationship with God so he will open up the floodgates of blessings from Heaven directly upon you himself. For God is good and he blesses those who love and obey him.
True people of God do not have their own way, they follow only God's Way (Scripture). True people of God do not speak their own teachings, they speak only God's teachings. [John 7:16-17 | Isaiah 8:20 NLT]. True people of God do not add to or take way from God's holy ways [Deuteronomy 4:2] by adopting their own opinions or the opinions of others. This is the main difference between the Hebrew Roots Movement and traditional Christian churches and also Judaism (Pharisee-ism) and Messianic Judaism.
ALSO SEE VIDEOS: What Is and Is Not Hebrew Roots?
Jesus (Y'shua), speaking to the Pharisees, said: "'...in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.' And he said to them, 'You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!'" - Mark 7:7-9 Additional Suggested Teachings of Jesus (Y'shua): Matthew 7:13-14, 15-20, 21-23, 24-27
Psalms 19:7
"The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."
— The 1st Century Church, the apostles, AND Paul ALL obeyed God's Laws ...
When the Jerusalem Council heard Paul's report of his work they all glorified God and said:
"... how many thousands ... have believed. They are all zealous for the law ..." - Acts 21:19-20
James, half-brother of Jesus (Y'shua) and head of the Jerusalem Church, speaking to Paul said:
"... you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law." - Acts 21:24 NASB
Stephen the Martyr was stoned to death because he was falsely accused of speaking against the law in Acts 6:13
More Details about Hebrew Roots ...
Hebrew Roots Christians... do not obey God's Laws and commands to be saved, we obey God's Laws because we are saved, because to not do so is the very definition of sin (violation of God's Laws) [1 John 3:4]. To continue to violate God's laws leads to death. To obey God's laws leads to life [Matthew 19:16-17]. This is done out of a genuine repentant heart that hates sin, that gives them a natural desire and passion to please God, obey him, and be stay in fellowship or right relationship with him. They do this out of love. To continue to not obey God's Laws, to continue to offended (sin) against God, by our own actions will cause a break in fellowship with him. Think of it this way, would you stay in a relationship with someone who continues to do wrong (sin) against you?
Obedience does not produce salvation. Salvation produces obedience. It's a natural evidence that you are saved. What a person truly believes, it isn't what they think, it isn't what they say, it's what they do.
1 John 3:4 "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness."
1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome."
Hebrew Roots Christians... recognizes that God's Holy Spirit causes us to Obey God's Commandments.
Jeremiah 31:33 [From the New Covenant] God says: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Zechariah 7:12 KJV God says: "Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant (hard) stone, lest they should hear the law (Torah), and the words which the LORD of hosts has sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts."
Ezekiel 36:26-27 KJV God says: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
1 John 3:24: “And he that keeps his commandments dwells (makes his home) in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides (lives) in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.”
1 John 3:4 "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness."
Hebrew Roots Christians... Obedience is the Evidence of being Saved. While many traditional churches have an open disrespect for God's Old Testament laws and say to run away from them – God is saying in order to please him, he wants us to embrace obedience to him as our first worship and first service unto him. When we first accept Jesus (Y'shua) as our Lord and Savior the first sign that we are actually “Saved” or “Born Again” is that we have faith in Jesus (Y'shua) and choose to trust in and obey God. The primary evidence that we are saved and that God’s Holy Spirit lives in us is not regular church attendance, tithing, doing good deeds, speaking in tongues, healing, or prophesying but is that we remain trusting of and obedient to God.
Act 5:32: “…the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to them that obey him.”
1 Peter 1:22-23 NKJV "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit ... having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever."
Hebrew Roots Christians... believe in the Acts 15 decree for NEW BELIEVERS TO...
As decreed by the Jerusalem Counsel of Apostles at the Jerusalem Church, the first church.
1) Get out of Pagan Practices, Holidays, Traditions, and Sex outside of Marriage
[ Acts 15:20 | Leviticus 17:10 | 1 Corinthians 10:21 ]
2) Get involved in a 7th Day Sabbath-Keeping Fellowship of Believers [Acts 15:21, 30]
3) Start Learning about and obeying the Old Testament commands of God (Torah - Books of Moses) [Acts 15:21]
Hebrew Roots Christians... in attempting to live as Jesus (Y'shua) lived, we seek to keep obedient to Father's Torah (God's Laws) in the Old Testament. This the one HUGE AND MAJOR difference between Hebrew Roots and traditional Christian churches. By professing a Messiah that came to free us from having to obey God's laws in the Old Testament, one has created a false idol, an alternate Jesus, which is a false prophet. For the very test in Deuteronomy 13 for determining a false prophet is if they come speaking against what God has already established. If Jesus did so, this would prove that he sinned and then it invalidates that he ever could be the true Messiah and the perfect "sinless" sacrifice required to pay for our sins.
Jesus/Y'shua said in Matthew 5 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets...
...whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great..."
1 John 2:6 "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."
Luke 6:40 Jesus (Y'shua) said: "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher."
Proverbs 4:2 "For I give you sound teaching (doctrine); Do not abandon my instruction (Torah)."
Faith Without Torah is Dead
When you say “Faith” you mean “action” for faith without action (works) is dead. The Apostle James once said: “faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.” (James Chapter 2).
In James 2:22 he said: “You see how faith works together with his actions, and by his actions was faith made perfect?”
In Titus 1:16, Paul states: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being … disobedient, and unto every good work worthless.”
For our Faith to be alive it must be matched by our actions. Belief in Jesus (Y'shua) and God is not enough. Belief that Jesus (Y'shua) is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel and that he arose from the dead is not enough, for even Satan and the demons believe this, and tremble at that fact, and yet remain at war against God. The difference is they do not trust and obey God.
Just like James said that Faith without Action is dead. But we also understand that not any action pleases God, only obedience to him as he has specifically outlined in the Bible.
Father's Torah is the Foundation to the Faith
When you ignore or set aside the importance of Father's Torah as the foundation to your faith you are setting aside God’s Teachings which make you unstable and easily swayed by false teachings.
In John 5:46-47, Jesus (Y'shua) said: “For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?”
And in Luke 16:31, Jesus (Y'shua) says: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
SO, Faith without Torah!? How can it be!? It cannot, because Father's Torah (God’s Teachings) is the Foundation of the Faith. It would be like building your faith without a foundation or expecting a tree to stand without any roots. All Faith in God and Jesus (Y’shua) is rooted in the Father's Torah, so that if you don’t know the Father's Torah you can become easily confused and swayed by false teachings. It is imperative to your faith in God, to know and abide (live) by the Father's Torah. If you do not, you can easily become unstable in all your ways. Like building a house without a foundation. Read Luke 6:46-49.
A brother probably said it best: “Our Enemy is brilliant at mixing lies with the truth which leads to confusion or at worst a falling away from the faith. The primary reason Satan gets away with it is because our ignorance to and our rejection of Father’s Torah, the very foundation of the Apostolic Faith, the Apostles taught from and all their epistles (letters) point to because it was their Scriptures for hundreds of years. If we knew the Torah like the early Apostles and Believers did we would have a much clearer understanding of their writings in the New Testament.”
Psalms 11:3: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
In Hosea 4:6, God said: “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you … seeing that you have forgotten the law (Torah) of your God.”
Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law (Torah), happy is he.”
The Apostle Paul Arrested for Speaking Against Torah (God's Laws)
Because many of the teachings of traditional churches are not founded upon or rooted in God's Laws (Torah), they have twisted the Scripture including the teachings of Paul [2 Peter 3:15-17] to say we don't have to obey God's Laws any longer. If that were so that would make him a false prophet or teacher according to Deuteronomy 13:5.
The Apostle Paul was once arrested by the Jews for the very same charge that traditional churches accuse him of, for the crime of speaking against the law (Torah) in Acts 21:27-28. In Acts 24:13-14, Paul defends himself against the false charges by saying:
Paul: “Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law (Torah) and in the Prophets."
Peter's Warning about Those who Twist Paul's Letters
2 Peter 3:15-17 "..brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (17) You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability." Lawless people are those who do not obey God's Laws, the Torah.
What did Paul really say about God's Laws?
“Do we then make void (do away with) the law (Torah) through faith?
Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish (uphold) the law."
- Romans 3:31 NKJV
“the law (Torah) is holy... and just, and good”
- Romans 7:12
“for we know that the law (Torah) is spiritual”
- Romans 7:14
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him,
being … disobedient and unto every good work worthless.”
- Titus 1:16
Hebrew Roots Christians... believes in Abraham's Model of Faith:
FIRST, Faith in God and his covenants,
THEN obedience to these covenants (God's Laws) as the foundational basis for one's daily life,
THEN receive blessings and promises of God as he outlined in those covenants.
Traditional churches often teach the claiming of Bible blessings without mentioning those blessings are only a reward for those who obey God according to his covenants (commands and laws).
Hebrew Roots Christians... often self identifies with the term Hebrew for several reasons:
1) Paul explains we are the true children of Abraham, the first Hebrew, and heirs to God's covenant and promises with Abraham. [Genesis 26:4-5 | Galatians 3:29 | Romans 9:6-8]
2) The root of the word "Hebrew" means one who has crossed-over the river (as Abraham did into the Promised Land). Many identify strongly with this, reflecting on our own journey of faith, of leaving the world we once knew like Abraham did, following God somewhere totally new and never seen, trusting in him and his plan to bless you if you remain faithful and obedient to whatever God says.
SEE ALSO VIDEOS on What IS and IS NOT Hebrew Roots.
Hebrew Roots Christians... COMING OUT OF TRADITIONAL RELIGION... [ Acts 5:27, 29 ]
Many individuals come out of traditional churches, congregations, and synagogues due to core belief differences with Catholic and Protestant Christianity, Evangelical Christianity, Church of God, and Messianic Judaism - although there remain commonalities of doctrines which were Biblically-based. The exception to this trend is the occasional whole conversion of an entire congregation into the Hebrew Roots Movement which is taking place more often and across denominational lines.
Jesus (Y'shua) said:
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
- John 3:8
Hebrew Roots Christians... HOW WE ORGANIZE...
This is How God Rolls and we choose to Roll with God. 😉
The meeting structure and organization of those in the Hebrew Roots Movement varies from informal gatherings at restaurants, coffee houses, and in homes to more formal home fellowships and congregations. All have this central supporting feature: they are powered by a move of God's Holy Spirit upon the individual believer as their primary teacher and commander-in-chief [1 John 2:27]. What the world views easily as unorganized, through God's Holy Spirit, he can perfectly communicates directly with spirit-filled disciples of Jesus (Y'shua) to carry out the Will and plan of God.
It's important not to make the common mistake of viewing God's perfect organization in a secular, human, or religious organizational manner. God's people are not perfect, but strive to stay "in-tune" or focused on God's voice (through the Holy Spirit and Scripture), but God is perfect and so is his organization and ways. They operate inside and outside of traditional congregational settings - as there are no limitations. Brothers and sisters are meant to lovingly serve each other and not to dominate or control and thus interfere with God's perfect ways. God calls mature disciples to serve the body of Messiah in evangelism (adding to) and in growing (building up) those younger in the faith to being just like Jesus (Y'shua). Cool huh! 🙂
God: “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge..."
Hosea 4:6
Hebrew Roots Christians... in addition to studying the Word of God, many in the movement have a great passion to do additional academic studies surrounding the Bible. Scripture itself is not open to interpretation. It doesn't matter what it means to us, it only matters what it means to God. General studies in the Hebrew language, the Hebrew culture, the Hebrew mindset (the way of thinking) in which most of the Bible was written does add more depth and clarity to the study of Scripture.
A general study is highly encouraged in the areas of Bible history and archaeology, the Hebrew culture and language, and general political and religious studies of Bible times and peoples - all can be very helpful so long as it is not used a process to adopt holiness concepts outside of God's Word.
Studying Biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) has provided excellent new advances in understanding. A basic working knowledge of Hebrew is highly recommended for all. A Western or Greek mindset or way of thinking is significantly different than Hebrew mindset in which most of the Bible was written, so these studies can significantly improve one's comprehension of Scripture.
The study of the Hebrew names of God and Jesus is highly recommended because it can add a better quality of intimacy in the relationship. Excluding or condemning others for their use of a name you don't use (like the Sacred Name Movement) is not compatible with the Way of the Messiah.
Since we are commanded to be holy (set apart from the world), it is also highly recommended for all to have a general awareness and understanding of the pagan roots of the popular practices and customs in culture in which we live. While a fair but moderated zeal against everything pagan is healthy, allowing it to become an issue of division is not.
A hot topic issue in our culture and another important issue for all disciples to have a general understanding of is Biblical Creation. Everyone needs to be able to conduct basic refuting of the Theory of Evolution, because in talking with others, it attempts to undermine the entire Word of God from the very first book in the Bible: Genesis.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man."
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV
SUGGESTED ARTICLE:
What Does It Mean to be a true Disciple of Jesus (Y'shua)?
____________________________________________
If you wish to suggest something to this page send an email to Comments@HebrewRoots.info.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
We plan on developing this page into a small booklet free for download and an estimated print price (at cost) of $2 to $4 each.
____________________________________________