~ Frequently Asked Questions ~

 

• What does “Beit Or” mean?

Beit Or is Hebrew for “House of Light”.

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• Is Beit Or a Christian congregation?

While many members of Beit Or have Christian backgrounds and we all believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, we are not a Christian denomination or church.

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• Is Beit Or a Messianic congregation?

Messianic may be the closest description for Beit Or that most people would understand and accept. We look at ourselves in the way that Yeshua looked at his disciples. They were known as “Ha’maminim” or in English- “the believers”. Our view is that we want to be like Yeshua, in doing so we believe upon Him and we keep the same commandments He kept that we might be pleasing in the sight of His Father who sent Him.

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•  Is Beit Or Jewish?

This is an open and wide ranging question because the answer can vary based on the perception of what people call being “Jewish”. We are not specifically from the tribe of Judah, and most members do not have “Jewish” or better put Hebrew lineages in their families. Spiritually speaking, we are Hebrew (Jewish) as we keep Torah as the standard for living. But most of us do not have “Jewish” blood and we are not organized as other synagogues. Most people would label us as Messianic which unfortunately is not an adequate label either, since technically all Israel believes in a Messiah to come, most do not believe as we do that He has already came once and we believe He is coming again.

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• Do you allow dancing in the sanctuary?

We have nothing against dancing, but we absolutely prohibit dancing in the sanctuary during services or other solemn gatherings. However during celebrations and the like, dancing is perfectly fine. We are aware that many Christian and Messianic assemblies allow dancing during services. We however do not find any evidence in the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and or any of the New Testament letters that the believers in the bible ever danced in the temple of God or any synagogue during any Shabbat gathering.

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The reasons for this are quite simple. First, when we are assembling before Adonai, it is meant to be a time of communing with Adonai through praise, prayer and study. This is a time to be still in mind and body before the Creator of the Universe. Second, dancing will cause the typical person to sweat and most likely that person will become smelly and sticky. This is not a pleasant situation for others. We are to present ourselves to be clean and sweet smelling when we go before Adonai. Third, it is common in other congregations for men and women to dance in the same area and even with each other during services. In our view, this only provides fodder for distraction and temptation. In our experiences with attending other services and conventions we have found the typical dancer would bump into our members and other people around them. We see dancing in any form during service to be a complete disregard for the sanctity of God’s presence.

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Many people today enjoy “Davidic Dancing” at the services and even have books and classes on this style of dancing. This despite the fact that the bible records King David dancing one time- in the streets, but not in the temple. No one to our knowledge actually knows how King David danced and we do not consider it relevant or important in regards to our daily walk with Adonai. Our view is that too much is made of dancing, and of Davidic dancing. We do understand that dancing can be an outlet for self-expression and even for stress. But there is a time and place for everything… Shabbat services is not one of them.

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• Is Beit Or for me?

Beit Or is not for everyone. The vision, the goals, the desires, and the work that needs to be done is not for everyone. Beit Or is not for the comfortable or the uncommitted. Beit Or is for the person who wants to change his or her entire way of life. Walking in the footsteps of Yeshua is a way of life, Torah is a way of life. It warrants a continual commitment to change, inside and outside striving for perfection. Beit Or is not only about a way of life, but about leadership and bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. We are not looking for those who want everything in place and ready to go. Yeshua said that the harvest is plenty and the workers are few. Beit Or needs workers for the harvest we desire to reach.

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• Do you teach people to speak in tongues?

No. Beit Or does not advocate the teaching of “tongues” or any form of babbling as a form of communication with God in prayer. “Tongues” in the bible is nothing more than another word for “languages”- known languages. The use of “tongues” has been warped out of form and context by various religious organizations and teachers. There is no secret communication channel with God beyond a person’s thoughts since God is the only one who can see into our hearts.

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• I want to come and visit, what should I bring?

We recommend you bring a bible that you like reading as well as pen and paper for notes. That’s about it. But it would be even better if you also brought your family, friends, and even your enemies (as Rabbi Isaac Levy would say).

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• What are your services like?

Our services has elements that are common to other congregations such as prayer and worship. We start our service with the blast of the shofar and go right into blessings and prayer. Where our services stand out from other churches and synagogues is that after we pray and sing, the remainder of our time is spent with our bibles open, taking notes as Rabbi Isaac Levy teaches. Our services are more like bible studies as the Rabbi allows for questions at the end of his teaching. At the end of services, Rabbi Isaac Levy who is from the tribe of Levy will gather the children and dismiss with the Levitical blessing and then we break bread together.

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• Do you require some kind of conversion?

Many synagogues require a conversion process of one kind or another that might require classes, physical demonstrations, tests, etc. Beit Or does not require these kinds of things. We welcome anyone who has a desire to learn and to change according to God’s word. True conversion is a matter of the heart, but self-evident in word and deed.

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• Do you keep kasher (kosher)?

Beit Or member adhere to the kasher requirements as set forth by Torah, but we do not concern ourselves with the rabbinics that have been built up around keeping kasher.

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• What is Beit Or’s view on marriage?

The Torah tells us that man and woman were created by God as distinct acts of creation, and that being male and female was an aspect of how they were created in His own image (Genesis 1:27 and 2:7, 18-19). Marriage is the joining of these distinct genders into one flesh. Thus marriage is between a man an a woman.

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Genesis 2:22-24  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And the man said: ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

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Mathew 19:4-6  He (Yeshua replied, “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and that he said, ‘For this reason a man should leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two are to become one flesh’? Thus they are no longer two, but one. So then, no one should split apart what God has joined together.” (also see Mark 10:6-9).

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• What is Beit Or’s view on the Trinity?

Catholicism having morphed over time into what we know today as Christianity has perverted the biblical concept of God the Father and God the Son. Being spirit they represent the “Spirit of Holiness” that brought about the creation of heaven and earth and crowned that creation with man having been made in their image.

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The connection of Genesis 1:1 with John 1:1-3, presents the complete representation of Yeshua as God the Son having been made flesh according to John 1:14 to fulfill His promise to pay the final sacrifice for the sin of man that separated God from man in the garden.

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The statement made in Deuteronomy 6:4 “Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.” “Hear Israel Adonai our God Adonai is one.” From the word “Elohim” we understand “God in plurality performing as One”.

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There is no third person.

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James 1:13 Plainly states that God cannot be tempted, but Yeshua in the form of a man was tempted in all areas of human weakness. Numbers 23:19, Moshe, who was face to face with the god of the universe, wrote God “is not a man” – which is exactly what Yeshua was in his human form.

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Just as Adam and Havah (Eve) were one, yet two, so are the Father and Son One, yet two. As Havah was formed from Adam, so was Yeshua formed from His Father. They are the same essence. They are both spirit. They walk in the same purpose and unity. John describes this oneness as Yeshua said, “I and the Father are one.” God is the giver of life and the giver of Torah. Torah is the seed. Yeshua is Torah, he is the Word; meaning, Yeshua was in the Father before He was born, when God spoke (ie,. the breath of God from the mind of God).

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Yeshua is the first born. He is not only the firstborn, but he is the only born (begotten) of God. In Judaism the firstborn male gets the inheritance, the heirs responsibility is to carry on the family name. Yeshua being the firstborn is heir to all things from his Father. His Father has given him everything, He has willed it all to his Son, and his Son will one day share his inheritance with all believers. God would not be giving this inheritance to Himself. Yeshua is not the Father. The Father gave birth to a Son and, made him heir to all things. Yeshua in turn will share his inheritance with all those whom he has birthed, that is, those who are born again into his name, those who are found written in the book of life. (1 Cor 15:20-28)

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• What is Beit Or’s view regarding the law of God?

Are We under the Law?
Galatians 3:23-25. But before belief came, we were being guarded under Law, having been shut up for the belief being about to be revealed. Therefore the Law became our trainer unto Messiah, in order to be declared right by belief. And after belief has come, we are no longer under a trainer.

As Paul writes in Galatians, the law as our tutor, or school master, to lead us to Yeshua. So the law enabled us to find our Savior. So now that we have found Yeshua through the law, are we still “under the law?”

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Before I answer, here is a short story:

There was a master guitar maker. Men sought him out in all the world to study under him to learn the art of making fine guitars. A man named Joseph heard of the master’s great skills. He sought him out and studied under him for two years. Joseph was “under a tutor” as he learned the “Laws of guitar making”.

After two years, Joseph brought his best guitar to the master to inspect. The master, after admiring the instrument for some time, complimented Joseph and said to him, “Joseph you have masterfully made a beautiful guitar. You may now go to another city and make guitars of your own. You have become a master guitar maker.”

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Joseph travelled back to his home town and started making beautiful guitars.

Did Joseph, who is no longer “under his schoolmaster”, continue to apply the laws of guitar making? Of course he did. In this way, believers are still “under the law”.

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• We believe Salvation is obtained through Messiah!

We do not adhere to the “once saved always saved” teaching that tells people that they can stop believing and still be saved, (but with less rewards) which is nowhere to be found in the bible and cannot be found in historic Christianity prior to the twentieth century. Furthermore, quotes found in various early church teachings show they did not believe in this doctrine with such scripture found in their teachings as 2 Chron 15:2; Ezek 33:12; Mat 10:22; Luke 9:62; 2 Tim 2:12; Heb 10:26; 2 Pet 2:20-21.

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We adhere to what the bible teaches about being saved in Messiah:

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Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but how much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

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Mathew 24:13 But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

 

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