Introduction to MLT

Welcome to the homepage of Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon which means, in Hebrew, the 'Family of the Heart of Zion'. We hope that you will be richly blessed in reading the many thousands of articles here on one of the largest Christian/Messianic websites on the Internet.

Brief Historical Background
Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon has a rather unique history and has gone through considerable change over the years, beginning in 1986 in Oxford, England, first as a reformatory offshoot of the Restoration Movement seeking its biblical roots (when it was originally known as the Restoration Christian Fellowship (RCF), transitioning in 1992 into an Evangelical Christian group of congregations (when it was known as the New Covenant Christian Fellowship (NCCF) with headquarters in Oslo, Norway, and then becoming an international Messianic Israelite, Torah-observant association of congregations in 1999 known as the B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh seeking its Hebrew roots. Between 1999 and 2005 further doctrinal and practical adjustments were made leading to the adoption of the name Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon followed by the total reorganisation of the ministry and the complete rebuilding of the website beginning in 2007. With over two decades of history, our ministry has changed almost beyond recognition. In spite of these changes, MLT has remained constant throughout in the following beliefs and practices:

Things that Have Not Changed

• 1. The Apostles' Creed (including the absolute deity and centrality of Yah'shua the Messiah, the Virgin Birth, and the physical resurrection) and our own 40 Articles of Faith;
• 2. The infallibility and inerrancy of the original autographs of the Protestant canon of the Bible;
• 3. Contemporary revelation (visions, dreams, prophetic words) as a supplement to, yet totally subject to, the Bible as inspiration from Yahweh, and recorded in a book called the Olive Branch, but not necessary for salvation;
• 5. The female gender of the Ruach haQodesh and Her identity as our Heavenly Mother;
• 4. Rejection of charismatic-type babbling or so-called 'tongue'-speaking, but acceptance of the supernatural ability to speak foreign languages for witnessing as moved upon by the Ruach haQodesh;
• 6. Rejection of pagan celebrations such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween;
• 7. A lay (unsalaried) ministry;
• 8. A millennial era of 1,000 years on the earth when Yah'shua returns;
• 9. Apostolic ministry with contemporary apostles operating in the same New Testament gifts as the first apostles;
• 10. Salvation by faith in the atoning work of the Messiah leading to active discipleship and obedience to all the commandments;
• 11. Baptism by complete immersion;
• 12. Active witness/evangelism throughout the world, baptising and teaching all who will repent;
• 13. Rejection of the 'one and only true church' doctrine in favour of a Universal Body of Messiah independent of artificial denominational boundaries;
• 14. A post-Tribulation rapture in which the children of the first resurrection rise to meet Yah'shua as He returns to the earth to ussher in the Millennium, returning with Him to reign on the earth;
• 15. Admitting women to the ministry (e.g. Pastresses, Eldresses and Deaconesses) in their own Priesthood Orders;
• 16. Affirming biblical patriarchy and true headship patterns;
• 17. Affirming the immortality of the soul and rejecting the doctrine of soul-sleeping;
• 18. Affirming that the 10 Lost Tribes are not lost but that the seed of Abraham is dispersed in every nation though concentrated in Northern Europe and their colonies whilst rejecting 'British Israel' claims;
• 19. Rejection of every type of racism or claims to racial superiority of any one nation, culture or skin colour;
• 20. Affirming that the only acceptable biblical lifestyle is heterosexual marriage though welcoming those of other orientations who are celibate and seeking healing;
• 21. Affirming the centrality of the nuclear family for both Messianic Israel and society as a whole;
• 22. Non-involement in politics except where very clear revelation has been received to do so in order to defend an aspect of the lifestyle of Messianic Israel that is under threat;
• 23. Affirming that pacifism is a way of life of Messianic Israel;
• 24. The building of 12 end-time cities of refuge to pass through the Tribulation and into the Millennial reign;
• 25. Affirming the cardinal doctrine of genuine free agency or choice.

What are the major changes that have occurred to MLT over the last twenty years, and in particular since we became Torah-observant?

Things that Have Changed

• 1. Abandoning Sunday and Saturday worship in favour of the true Sabbath Day of the Creation Calendar, observing the 7 Festivals of Yahweh (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles) and the monthly New Moon;
• 2. Adhering to the true sacred Names of Deity (e.g. Elohim, Yahweh, Yah'shua, Ruach haQodesh) in place of gentile pagan versions (God, Jehovah, Jesus, Holy Spirit);
• 3. Giving primacy to Hebraic-based New Testament versions over the later Greek translations by switching from gentile Bible versions (e.g. NKJV, NIV, NASB) to Messianic ones (e.g. HRV, ISRV, OJB) whilst retaining the former for study purposes;
• 4. Moving towards greater decentralisation and autonomy of individual congregations;
• 5. Abandoning orthodox Replacement Theology (the 'church' is Israel and the Jews are a separate elect people) in favour of true Messianic Israelite theology (the grafting in of gentiles to Messianic Israel and the cutting off of unrepentant Israelites);
• 6. Abandoning the concept of eternal punishment and eternal hell in favour of universalism;
• 7. A rejection of the Republic of Israel as the restoration of biblical Israel or the modern Jews as Yahweh's special elect or even descendants of Abraham though acknowledging that the Israeli State and modern Jews have a purpose in Yahweh's eternal scheme;
• 8. A rejection of the élitist and racist claims of Messianic Judaism as having a 'special status' in the Body of Messiah or the espousal of the Zionist cause;
• 9. A rejection of the belief that Israel's Two Houses consist of 'Messianic Jews' (Judah) and 'Gentile Protestants' (Ephraim), or the claims of Jews to have primacy over the two houses;
• 10. Adoption of 12-fold 1-House Messianic Israelite doctrine under the leadership of the Israelite tribe of Joseph-Ephraim, not Judah;
• 11. The observation of the biblical health or kashrut food laws;
• 12. The belief that the Ruach haQodesh is, in fact, 7 Persons (the 7 Heavenly Mothers) and not just One, leading to the Echad Godhead Doctrine of Father, Son and 7-fold Ruach haQodesh that replaced the former Prototrinitarian Doctrine;
• 13. Involvement with Deliverance Ministry and in particular helping SRA victims.

Mission Statement of MLT

• 1. To go into the world and make disciples of all nations by bringing lost souls to Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), baptizing them in the Name of the Father Yahweh, the Son Yah'shua, and the seven-fold Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) into Yah'shua and into Messianic Israel, and teaching them to obey all the mitzvot (commandments) of New Covenant Torah;
  
• 2. To gather those of the firstborn elect who will heed the call into Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon and teach them the fullness of the Kingdom, directing the rest into other assemblies and congregations, according to where Yahweh calls them, whether in the Commonwealth of New Covenant Israel or to other parts of the Body of Messiah;
• 3. To plant the keys of all truth into those churches, assemblies, congregations and individuals that will receive them, that all may grow in grace and truth according to their willingness to be obedient, that they may be enabled to draw closer to the Messiah and so be prepared for the times of tribulation that lie ahead;
• 4. To lift a prophetic warning voice to all in the world who will hear it and expose all false religion and philosophy; and
• 5. To gather the remnant of the Ten Tribes of Israel in the North Countries and throughout the world by establishing twelve international communities on every inhabited continent and at the sound of the final trumpet to gather these to receive their inheritance in the land of Tsiyon.

(Summary of the Five Commissions of the New Covenant, 25 June 1990)

Registration
MLT is lawfully registered as the Nye Pakts Kristne Fellesskap (New Covenant Christian Fellowship) and Den Nye Pakt (The New Covenant) in Oslo, Norway.

This page was first created on 8 January 2007 Last updated on 19 September 2011

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