Returning to the Biblical Foundations of Faith

At Yovel Ministries, we believe that the faith revealed through the Scriptures is rooted in the God of Israel, His covenant, His Torah, His Kingdom, and His promised Messiah, Yeshua.

We seek to understand the New Testament (Brit Hadashah) in continuity with the Hebrew Scriptures rather than treating the Old and New Testaments as disconnected or contradictory.

Our purpose is not to create another denomination or simply challenge Christian traditions. Rather, we seek to return to the Scriptures, examine what we have inherited, and recover the Hebraic foundations of the faith of Yeshua and His apostles.

We believe that many teachings and practices commonly accepted in Christianity today should be carefully examined in the light of Scripture.

Our desire is simple: to follow Yeshua, honor God’s Word, and seek His Kingdom.

The Scriptures

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the foundation for faith, doctrine, and righteous living.

The Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament (Brit Hadashah) together reveal God’s redemptive plan and should be understood in harmony with one another.

We do not believe that the New Testament replaced or made irrelevant the Hebrew Scriptures. Instead, the Brit Hadashah reveals the fulfillment and continuation of God’s promises through Messiah.

Therefore, we encourage every believer to search the Scriptures, examine teachings carefully, and test traditions against God’s Word.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105

God

We believe in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God revealed throughout the Scriptures.

He is the Creator of heaven and earth, the source of life, truth, righteousness, and wisdom.

God is holy, just, merciful, faithful, and loving. His character does not change, and His purposes remain faithful throughout Scripture.

Yeshua the Messiah

We believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the promised Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, and divine.

He came in fulfillment of the promises and prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Yeshua lived in perfect obedience to God, taught God’s Word, demonstrated the character of the Kingdom, gave His life for our sins, was crucified, died, and physically rose from the dead.

We believe He is our Redeemer, Lord, and King.

Yeshua did not come to establish a religion disconnected from Israel’s Scriptures. He came as the promised Messiah and taught His disciples to understand and live according to God’s purposes.

We seek to follow not only what Yeshua taught, but also how He lived.

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

We believe that salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

We cannot earn salvation through works, religious observance, or human effort.

Our salvation is a gift from God.

At the same time, genuine faith produces obedience. Obedience does not earn our salvation; it is the response of a redeemed heart that loves God.

Yeshua said:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” — John 14:15

Therefore, we reject both extremes: salvation by human works and the idea that grace makes obedience unnecessary.

Grace transforms the heart and leads us toward a life that honors God.

Torah — God’s Instruction

We believe that God’s Torah—His instruction given through the Scriptures—has not been abolished.

The Torah reveals God’s character, His standards of righteousness, and His desire for His people to walk in holiness, justice, mercy, and love.

Yeshua did not come to abolish God’s instruction. Rather, He taught its true purpose and demonstrated how it should be lived from a heart devoted to God.

We therefore seek to understand Torah through the teachings and example of Yeshua and within the broader revelation of Scripture.

We do not observe God’s commandments in order to earn salvation.

We seek to obey because we have been redeemed.

The Sabbath

We believe the seventh-day Sabbath is God’s appointed day of rest and holiness.

The Sabbath was established at Creation, before the nation of Israel existed. God blessed and sanctified the seventh day and established it as a pattern of rest.

The Fourth Commandment calls God’s people to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

Yeshua observed the Sabbath and declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath. He demonstrated that the Sabbath was made for humanity and should be understood as a blessing rather than a burden.

We do not find a command from Yeshua or His apostles transferring the holiness of the seventh day to Sunday.

We therefore believe the Sabbath remains a meaningful gift from God—a day for rest, worship, fellowship, study, mercy, and delight in the Lord.

The Biblical Appointed Times

We believe the biblical appointed times, or Moedim, remain significant for understanding God’s redemptive plan.

These include:

Passover (Pesach)
Unleavened Bread
Firstfruits
Shavuot
Yom Teruah
Yom Kippur
Sukkot

These appointed times are rooted in God’s Torah and provide a rich biblical framework for understanding His covenant, redemption, Kingdom, and the work of Messiah.

We believe Yeshua is revealed throughout God’s appointed times and that they provide prophetic and spiritual insights into God’s plan of redemption.

Israel and the Nations

We believe that Israel remains significant in God’s covenant purposes and prophetic plan.

We reject the idea that God has simply discarded Israel and permanently transferred all of His covenant promises to another people.

At the same time, we believe that Gentile believers who place their faith in Messiah are brought into the covenant story of Israel.

Through Messiah, Jewish and Gentile believers become one body and share in the promises of God.

We therefore hold together two truths:

Israel retains its covenant and prophetic significance, while Gentile believers are graciously incorporated into the people and promises of God through Messiah.

This unity does not require erasing Israel’s identity, nor does it create two separate paths of salvation.

There is one Messiah, one faith, and one redemptive plan.

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is central to our understanding of Scripture and the message of Yeshua.

Yeshua came proclaiming the Kingdom of God and calling people to repentance, faith, and faithful living under the rule of God.

The Kingdom is not merely about going to heaven after death.

It is about recognizing God as King and learning to live under His authority now, while looking forward to the complete establishment of His Kingdom when Messiah returns.

Our faith should therefore produce a Kingdom mindset—a life shaped by God’s authority, righteousness, mercy, justice, holiness, and love.

The Body of Messiah

We believe that all who genuinely place their faith in Yeshua become part of His body.

The Body of Messiah includes both Jewish and Gentile believers who are united through faith in the Messiah.

We encourage believers to live in fellowship, humility, mutual accountability, service, love, and discipleship.

The purpose of fellowship is not merely to attend meetings but to grow together into mature disciples who know God’s Word and live it out.

Examining Tradition

One of the purposes of Yovel Ministries is to encourage believers to examine teachings and traditions that have become common within modern Christianity.

We recognize that many traditions have developed throughout church history. Some may be helpful expressions of faith, while others may not be clearly supported by Scripture.

We therefore believe that tradition should always be tested against God’s Word.

Our goal is not to attack individual Christians, churches, or denominations.

Rather, we ask questions such as:

Does Scripture actually teach this?

Did Yeshua teach this?

Did the apostles practice this?

Where did this tradition originate?

Does it align with the Hebrew Scriptures and the Brit Hadashah?

We believe honest questions are not a threat to faith.

They can lead us into a deeper and more mature faith.

Areas We Believe Need Re-examination

As part of this mission, Yovel Ministries examines a number of teachings and practices that we believe deserve closer biblical examination, including:

The belief that God’s Torah has been abolished
The replacement of the seventh-day Sabbath with Sunday
The separation of the New Testament from its Hebrew and Old Testament foundation
Replacement theology and misunderstandings concerning Israel
The origins and development of certain Christian traditions
The biblical significance of God’s appointed times
The tendency to separate grace from obedience
Interpretations of Scripture that disregard its Hebraic context

Our approach is not to reject everything associated with Christianity.

Rather, we seek to recover what is biblical, examine what is traditional, and follow what is true.

Grace and Obedience

We believe grace and obedience are not enemies.

Grace is God’s undeserved favor toward us.

Obedience is our loving response to that grace.

We are not saved because we keep God’s commandments.

We seek to keep God’s commandments because we love God and desire to walk in His ways.

The goal is not legalism.

The goal is a transformed heart.

Our Heart and Our Approach

We recognize that sincere followers of Yeshua may interpret certain passages differently.

Therefore, we seek to approach difficult subjects with humility, respect, and a willingness to learn.

We do not claim that we have every answer.

We believe that Scripture should be our ultimate authority, and we encourage everyone to examine what we teach for themselves.

Like the Bereans, we should search the Scriptures to determine whether what we hear is true.

Our desire is not simply to win arguments.

Our desire is to know God, follow Yeshua, understand His Word, and live faithfully as citizens of His Kingdom.

Our Invitation to You

If you have ever wondered whether some of the traditions you inherited truly come from Scripture, we invite you to explore with us.

Open the Bible.

Ask questions.

Study the Hebrew Scriptures.

Study the Brit Hadashah.

Examine the historical development of Christian traditions.

Look at the life and teachings of Yeshua.

And above all, seek God with a humble heart.

We believe that returning to the biblical foundations of our faith is not a step backward.

What We Believe