The Vision of Roots of Faith
The prophet Habakkuk records Jehovah as saying;
Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads
it.
Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 2
The vision of Roots of Faith Ministries can be summed up as follows;
To Do and Teach the Torah and it's Commandments
This is to be accomplished by establishing a synagogue without
walls where the Torah and Prophets are read every Sabbath - thus enabling all
who desire to learn to do so. Sunday Nights are also a unique learning
experience.
My awareness of this "mission" came from a desire to
understand the authentic teaching of the historical Jesus and from a commitment
to follow his example. The Christian Scriptures instruct Christians to "walk as
he did" - I John 2:6.
In order to achieve this mission, we must teach from the Bible
that Jesus read and learn through our studies how to walk as he did.
The ultimate goal is that the Kingdom of God is established on
earth. If we want to be great in the Kingdom of God, we will do and teach
the commandments (Matthew 5:17-19).
Two New Testament passages contain the seedbed for putting this vision into
action (Acts 15:21 and I John 2:6).
In Acts 15:21, James (the brother of Jesus) says that Moses of old
hath them which preach him every Sabbath in the synagogue.
In the time of Jesus and Paul, a portion of the Law of Moses (Genesis – Deuteronomy) was read every
Sabbath in the synagogue along with an associated section from the Prophets. Jesus and Paul participated in these weekly readings. (See
for example Luke 4:14-21, Acts 13:13-15 and Acts 15:21).
Jesus claimed that Moses
wrote of him (e.g.
John 5:39, 46) and through the character Lazarus, in one of his
parables, he declared that if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead (Luke
16:31).
Roots of Faith follows this ancient cycle of readings from the Law and the
Prophets. Each week, Moses is preached
every Sabbath in the synagogue (See Acts 15:21). The Sabbath service
consists of reading the weekly readings from the Law of Moses and the prophets, followed by an exciting and
challenging discussion. Relevant
New Testament texts and topics are covered each week opening the Scriptures
for the student (See Luke 24:27, 44-45).
Roots of Faith currently meets in the Old Temple Sinai building on Prosperity
Street in Historic St. Francisville, Louisiana. Classes are held every
Sabbath (Saturday mornings) from 10:00 AM until. For
more information, contact Ross or check out
our Service Information page.
In I John 2:6, its says that if we abide in Christ, we ought also to
walk, even as he (Jesus) walked.
A popular expression in our time is,
What would Jesus do? And yet few people can answer that question with any
certainty. This ministry seeks to
make that ancient way known to all and thus to encourage people to
live a more Biblically authentic lifestyle - one which is based upon the Bible
that Jesus read.
What do I believe?
I put my faith in the God of Jesus –
commonly referred to as “the LORD”, but known by the designation YHWH in the
Hebrew Bible, and referred to by Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament by the
Aramaic term Abba / father. This God is one, and beside him there is no other,
neither in heaven nor on earth. He is the Ancient of Days, El Shaddai, the God
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I
put my faith in the Bible that Jesus read – commonly referred to as the “Old
Testament”, but strictly and properly referred to as the Hebrew Bible or TaNaK,
an acronym formed by the first letters of three Hebrew words used to designate
the three main parts of the Hebrew Bible (Torah – Law, Neviim – the Prophets
and Ketuvim – the Writings).
I
put my faith in the authentic teachings and mission of Jesus – to bring about
the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, to seek and save the lost
sheep of the house of Israel (hitherto unaware of their true identity), and to
do and teach the Torah of YHWH.
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