www.shilohccc.org

Shalom! Welcome to the Shiloh Messianic Congregation website. We are grateful for the opportunity to introduce ourselves and let you know something about who we are as a congregation. We are a charismatic, non-denominational, "one new man", fellowship of Messianic believers. We are committed to experiencing the reality and fulfillment of a personal relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach, (Jesus Christ), and ministering to the needs of people in our community in the same way and manner that Yeshua did.

OUR BEGINNINGS

This ministry started in May of 1986 as the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Crestline. The church grew out of a home fellowship that was dedicated and committed to establishing a "charismatic" church here on the mountain.

With the fulfillment of the original vision, the ministry has refocused it's vision towards equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, reaching our community with the Gospel, and learning about the Hebrew roots of our faith so that we can be used by the Lord as a bridge between Jew and Gentile. Our goal as a Messianic "One New Man" Congregation, is to bring together both Jews and Gentiles under the Lordship of Yeshua HaMashiach - Jesus The Messiah!

OUR PASTOR

Pastor Bruce Dowell is the founding pastor of the Shiloh Congregation. In addition to a wide variety of different ministries, he and his wife Kathleen have planted and pastored two congregations in their twenty - five plus years of ministry. Pastor Bruce teaches the Bible the way it is written, line upon line and precept upon precept. The anointing of the Holy Spirit, along with wit, illustration, passion, and a good working knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek languages, all serve to bring forth dynamic truths from God's Word.

OUR MISSION

Our mission here at Shiloh is simple and applicable for life in 2008 and beyond. We are mandated to be about the Father's business in "joining together Jew and Gentile as 'One New Man' in Yeshua." Eph. 2:14.

Simply put, our goal is to "become fishers and disciplers of men" by bringing both the Jew and the Gentile to the saving knowledge of Yeshua HaMashiach, to teach them how to live a Biblically mandated life style, and to teach them to serve others through ministry.

OUR VISION

We at Shiloh Messianic Congregation have as a cornerstone of vision, a passion for Yeshua (Jesus), and compassion for people. Our God given mandate can be stated in three basic commitments. First and foremost, we bring praise, thanksgiving and glory to His Name (Rev. 4:11). Second, we are advancing His kingdom both in quality and quantity by seeking and saving the lost (Matt. 28:2). Third, we are training, discipling, and bringing believers to maturity and fruitfulness in their lives! (Col. 1:9,10)

We were created for His pleasure (Rev. 4:11). Therefore, the bringing of praise, thanksgiving and glory becomes the foundation of everything we do. Individual and corporate prayer and worship on a regular basis is the only way to maintain true intimacy, fellowship and connectedness with God. Because we believe that lives are changed in the presence of God, we always seek to allow the Spirit and power of God to be seen and felt in our midst.

In advancing His kingdom, we look for every opportunity to bring the good news into our community in meaningful and tangible ways. We see Shiloh as a spiritual, social and geographical gathering place - a storehouse of resource and opportunity through which we serve others (Mal. 3:10). By walking together in love and unity and keeping a good reputation in the community through service and involvement (1Tim. 3:7), we will help lead this mountain community to Messiah!

Quality of life can only come as we are trained, discipled, and brought to maturity in Yeshua (John 15:4,5). This is accomplished through personal and group discipleship, focusing on spiritual, material, and life, issues. We are training, equipping and encouraging all believers to serve The Lord in their calling, thus impacting the world.

At Shiloh Congregation, we see ourselves as a people wholly committed to the Lord through a deep and meaningful relationship - a people wholly committed to seeking and saving the lost - and a people wholly committed to helping others to grow, to mature and to serve Messiah.

STATEMENT OF FAITH - WE BELIEVE:

That the BIBLE, consisting of the Tenach (Old Testament) and the later writings commonly known as the B'rit Hadashah (New Covenant), is the only infallible and authoritative word of God. We recognize its divine inspiration, and accept its teachings as our final authority in all matters of faith and practice (Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 3:1-6; Ps. 119:89, 105; Isa. 48:12-16; Rom. 8:14-17; II Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17).

GOD - We believe that the Shema, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deut. 6:4), teaches that God is Echad (One), as so declared: a united one, a composite unity, eternally existent in plural oneness [Gen. 1:1 (Elohim: God); Gen. 1:26 "Let us make man in our image"; Gen. 2:24 Adam & Eve were created to be as one flesh (basar echad)], that He is a personal God who created us ( Gen. 1 & 2), and that He exists forever in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Romans 8:14-17 (Father, Spirit, and Messiah - Son) and Matt. 28:18-20 (immersing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

GOD THE FATHER (Abba) - John 6:27b; I Cor 1:3; Gal. 1:1; Rev. 3:5, 21; Jer. 3:4, 19; 31:9; Mal. 1:6; Matt. 6:9, 32; Luke 10:21-22; John 1:14; 4:23; 5:17-26; 6:28-46; Rom. 8:14-15.

GOD THE SON (HaBen)

God does have a Son [Ps. 2; Prov. 30:4-6 (cf. Heb. 1); Luke 12:35-37; John 1:29-34, 49; 3:14-18].

The Son, called Yeshua (Jesus), meaning "salvation", came to this world born of a virgin [Isa. 7:14 (cf. Luke 1:30-35)].

The Son is God (Deity), and is worshipped as God, having existed eternally [Ps. 110:1 (cf. Heb. 1:13); Isa. 9:6-7; Matt. 28:18-20; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-19; Rev. 3:21 (Heb. 1 - worshipped by angels); Rev. 4:8, 5:5-14].

This One is the promised Mashiach (Messiah) of Israel [ Is. 9:6-7; 11:1; Dan. 9 (esp. verses 20-26); Isa. 53; John 1:17, 40-41, 45, 49; Mark 8:29].

He is the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star (Num. 24:17; Rev. 22:16).

He is our Passover, the Lamb of God ( I Cor. 5:7; Rev. 5; John 1:29).

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ruach HaKodesh)

Introduced in Gen. 1:2b.

In the Tenach, the Spirit of God came upon individuals during the times of our forefathers, like Moses, David (see II Sam. 23:1-3), and the Prophets, for the specific purposes.

In the New Covenant, the Messiah, Yeshua, promised His disciples that "the Comforter" would come to them after He was gone, described as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17, 26), who was with them and would be in them. Yeshua further declared that the Spirit of Truth, would guide us into all truth and would glorify Him - the Messiah - not Himself (John 16:13-15). He empowers us (Acts 1:8). He seals us [Eph. 1:13; 4:30 (see NIV and Jewish New Testatment versions)]. If we have not the Spirit, we are not His (Rom. 8:9). He leads us and teaches us (Rom. 8:14-17). His indwelling enables us to live a godly life. Acts 2:38 says, "Repent, be immersed, and receive the Holy Spirit."

MAN

Created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), but:

through disobedience, man fell from his first state and became separated from God (Gen. 2:17; 3:22-24). Therefore, according to the Scriptures, all men are born with a sinful nature (Ps. 14:1-3; 49:7; 53:13; Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:9-12, 23; 5:12).

Man's only hope for redemption (salvation) is through the atonement made by the Messiah (Lev. 17:11; Isa. 53; Dan. 9:24-26; I Cor. 15:22; Heb. 9:11-14, 28; John 1:12, 3:36), resulting in regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5), which is the new birth (John 3:3-8). For by grace we are saved through faith, it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9).

RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT

We believe in the resurrection of both the redeemed and the lost: the former to everlasting life and the latter to eternal separation from God, a state of everlasting punishment (Job 14:14; 19:25-27; Dan. 12:2-3; John 3:36; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 10-15; 21:7-8).

THE MESSIAH - The Redeemer

The Scriptures promised two "comings" of the Messiah:

First coming

Promised in Dan. 9:24-26.

Its purpose was to make an atonement for sin (Dan. 9:24-26; Isa. 53; Rom. 3:21-31; Heb. 9-10; John 3:16-17).

Second coming

Promised coming in the air to receive the believers to Himself (I Thess. 4:13-18; John 14:1-6; I Cor. 15:51-57).

Messiah's return to the earth.

The Redeemer shall come to Zion (Isa. 59:20-21; Zech. 14:4).

Israel's spiritual redemption (Zech. 12:8-13:1; Rom. 11:25-27; Heb. 9:28; Jer. 31:31-40; the New Covenant).

Israel's national restoration is to recover the remnant of His people Israel from the four corners of the earth, and restore the Davidic Kingdom (Isa. 11 - to re-establish the throne and kingdom of David, which will last forever) [Isa. 9:6-7 (cf. Luke 1:30-33); Jer. 23:3-8].

ISRAEL IN PROPHECY

We believe in God's end-time plan for the nation of Israel and for the world. A central part of Messianic Judaism is the belief in the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel, as taught in the Scriptures. The greatest miracle of our day has been the re-establishment or rebirth of the State of Israel according to prophecy (Ezek. 34:11-31; 36-39; Hos. 3; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 12-14; Isa. 11; 43; 54; 60-62; 66; Rom. 11:1-34) (see also Scriptures under V. THE MESSIAH).

MESSIANIC JUDAISM

We recognize that Jewish people (physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, whether through the mother's or the father's blood-line) who place their faith in Israel's Messiah, Yeshua, continue to be Jewish according to the Scriptures (Rom. 2:28-29). Gentiles who place their faith in Yeshua, are "grafted into" the Jewish olive tree of faith (Rom. 11:17-25) becoming spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham (Gal. 3:28-29).

We observe and celebrate the Jewish Holy Days given by God to Israel, with their fulfillment in and through the Messiah Yeshua. We believe that true "Biblical Judaism," the faith of first century believers, which we seek to practice, acknowledges the continuity of faith in the one true God, revealed throughout the Scriptures, and ultimately manifested in God's Son, Yeshua the Messiah. We believe that salvation has always been "by faith," and that works of law, or righteous acts, have never saved anyone (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 2-6; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 11:6, 39).

We acknowledge that the New Covenant body of believers is composed of both Jews and Gentiles who have received Yeshua the Messiah as the Promised Redeemer. The "middle wall of partition" has been broken down and now we worship the God of Israel together (I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:13-14).

Top of page

"Joining together Jew and Gentile as One New Man"

Home | Pastor Bruce | Pastor Kathleen | Pastor Greg | Contact Us