Set Apart Ministries Glossary

You may encounter terminology that is unfamiliar to you throughout our site. Since we approach the development of Torah Pursuant community in both the spiritual sense and the human sense, we draw from resources that use different ways to describe things. In other words, we are dealing with both YHWH's part and with our part as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Here are some of those terms with a brief explanation and/or links to more indepth coverage.

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Community: A multi-generational group of interdependent, like-minded people with a clear, stable identity based in YHWH, mutually defined and articulated as in a growing organism, with structure, authority, and boundaries; generally based in recognition of attained maturity, and the shared goal of set-apart living in daily interaction; an interdependent network of covenant relationships based in Echad with Messiah Yeshua. Further description of this concept is found at our community definition page.

See our teaching on The Importance of Echad/Unity for Messianic Communities.

Equipping Community (What Do We Mean By An Equipping Ministry and Community?): The community is part of the viable Body of Messiah coming together, living and having its being in union with the Head, having a dependence upon YHWH, and living out the principles taught to us in the Scriptures. We worship as Messianic Believers, walking out all of His Feast Days as listed in Leviticus as a commemoration of what He has accomplished already through Yeshua on our behalf, and as a holy rehearsal for His soon coming return. See our Goals chart and narrative for further explanation.

Community members are encouraged to live out their giftings so that they can contribute to the growth and development of the Body of Messiah. In this community, we make regular use of The Life Model and various teachings on relationships, boundaries, emotional healing and prayer to discern, discover and reveal the person YHWH created each of us to be so that we can live through the heart that Messiah gave us. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

In this equipping community, we are committed to the truth of His Word, to giving our Elohim the glory through prayer and praise, to healing, to praying for and with one another, to being honest with one another by communicating and resolving relational problems with one another directly, to developing covenant relationships, and allowing Him to sift us in a community environment. We attempt to live "not my will but Thine" and are becoming "set apart" for His purposes. We are dedicated to the development of spiritual and emotional maturity in Messiah Yeshua and the study of the Holy Scriptures that we might show ourselves approved as students of the Word. (2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17, Acts 17:11)

For we are His workmanship, created in Yahshua HaMashiach for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

As He has taught us, so do we want to teach, encourage and equip other believers and fellowship groups.

Ezer Knegdo: This is the Hebrew term usually translated as "Helpmeet" or "helper" referring to a woman with her husband. An Ezer is a deliverer; and a description our YHWH Elohim uses of Himself.Therefore, it can certainly NOT have any inferiority connotations.Nor do we understand it to mean that a woman is in any way "superior." Knegdo has to do with being in front of or behind; as in, for or against. A good Deliverer will speak both in favor of what is understood as good and right and against what is understood as dangerous or wrong. Man and woman, working collaboratively, more fully reflect the complex nature and character of our Elohim more than either can alone. We understand this to be true on the individual as well as the corporate level; at any moment in time with the fullness of understanding coming as we come face to face with Messiah.

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone;
I will make him a helper suitable for him. (Genesis 2:18 NASB)

Torah Pursuant: When studying from a Hebraic perspective to understand the roots of our faith in Messiah Yeshua, one will often see the term, Torah observant, meaning that the people or community referred to are observing the commandments of Scriptures as in the Torah. Strictly speaking "Torah" would be the first five books of the Bible, but is often used as a general term for all of what Christian's have called the "Old Testament." In our case, since most of us did not grow up in a family that observed Torah, we wish to acknowledge that we are aware that we have a great deal to learn and so are pursuing a Torah obedient lifestyle, rather than representing ourselves as "already there."