The Tribune

THE Jewish congregation Beit Chayim - House of Life held its inaugural service under the leadership of Messianic Rabbis Harlon, Joyce Picker with assistance from associate Rabbis Anthony and Sophia Major. Those in attendance included pastors and ministers from various churches and denominations from around Nassau.

CBC is part of the Assemblies of God in the Bahamas and is also covered by the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues. It is the first Messianic work in the Bahamas and the entire Caribbean region.

Rabbis Picker successfully birthed six Messianic congregations and two Messianic churches in Phoenix, Arizona over the past 11 years. He was brought to the Bahamas by the Assemblies of God to start Messianic works in the islands of the Bahamas and the greater Caribbean.

Rev Dr Patrick Paul, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God in the Bahamas as a part of RV500, Revitalization and Growth, saw the need to reach the Jewish people of the Bahamas and the Caribbean with the good news that Yeshua (Jesus) is the promised messiah from the Hebrew scriptures. He thought what better way to impact the nation with a spirit of unity than to have works that bring Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) together in unity and harmony.

There are an estimated 6,000 people of Jewish descent in the Caribbean and an estimated 2,500 in the Bahamas alone. The rabbis were brought here to help unite the body of messiah (Christ) and teach the church the importance of its Hebraic roots and the need to support Israel in these perilous times.

The Messianic congregation is a place for Jews and Gentiles to celebrate the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, in spirit and in truth. It is a safe place for Jews who truly are seeking their messiah in an atmosphere that is authentically Jewish. Messianic Jews do not give up their identities as Jews when they accept Yeshua. They fulfil their destiny as foretold in the Hebrew scriptures and in the writings of the Rav. Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) in the apostolic writings of the New Testament.

They worship on the shabbat (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), celebrate the biblical feasts of the lord as they point to Yeshua and live a biblically Jewish lifestyle while fellowshipping with their brothers and sisters in the church. You do not have to be Jewish to attend the Beit Chayim congregation, you just have to love Israel and the Jewish people. Love is the only requirement to attend.

CBC currently meets the first Friday of every month at the Assemblies of God National Office Chapel on 1 Warrick Street. Meetings begin at 8.30pm with the sounding of the Shofar (Ram’s Horn).

Praise and worship is done to a blend of Messianic and Bahamian music. The Rabbis teach the whole counsel of God from Genesis to Revelation and relate all of it to the messiah. The laying on of hands in prayer is a regular part of their services and they have seen hundreds of people healed in their twelve years of ministry.

For more information on Congregation Beit Chayim visit www.ShalomNassau.com.