Jehoshua is on the throne of David in New Jerusalem and He is the King of a New Israel
There are so many doctrines out there in today's world of Christendom. How does one who is on a search for truth actually obtain it, being that there are many voices saying they have the truth?
The frustration of many within the Church system has led them to find truth in such places as the Hebrew roots/Torah and Messianic movements. Many who follow this route often cite the antinomianism of the Churches within Christendom. They lament the Churches celebration of pagan holidays and disregard for Jehovah's Sabbath and even feast days. What starts out as a noble search for truth often leads to a repudiation of much of what is called "traditional Christianity". The baby gets thrown out with the bathwater and eventually the searcher for truth sometimes will end up professing a religion that bears almost no similarity to the one he or she left. Often, these Hebrew roots groups cease using the name "Jesus" and "Jehovah" and titles such as "God" and "Lord" denouncing them as pagan. The inevitable result of this is a lessening of the King James Bible's authority and infallibility. These things eventually lead to conspiracy theories regarding the names of the Father and Son being removed from a supposed original "Hebrew" new testament and the current names being added by hook and crook. These conspiracies also extend to overall infallibility of the bible and accusations ensue against men who have long been dead in that they have corrupted the bible to promote a more Greco-Roman centric version of Christianity. Some of these folks have even attacked the character of King James himself in order to discredit the absolute authority of the KJV bible. These conspiracies often lead to wild scenarios where they say Christianity went through a complete overhaul early on to remove the Hebraic aspects of the faith. Some of the these ardent Hebrew roots/Torah groups even profess that "Christianity" is a pagan religion that is the "Great Whore of Babylon". While it is true that certain aspects of the Hebraic faith were changed to accommodate a more Greco-Roman flavor of Christianity, we must be careful not to get carried away with this notion. Personally, I have no issues with someone getting more acquainted with the Hebraic aspects of the faith. I myself love to use Jesus Hebrew name "Jehoshua" and even refer to myself as a Messianic often. However, I also embrace the name "Jesus" and the term "Christian." Having said this, I think there is a danger to the Hebrew roots movement that is rearing it's head in the world of Christendom. In their zeal to return to a more biblical based faith, the adherents of this movement are often heard trampling on historical Christianity and the gospel that has been emphasized by the Church for two thousand years. The end result of some these groups is a move away from the traditional gospel which focuses on Christ's life, death, resurrection and ascension and focuses more on the Law, the land of Israel and usage of the Hebrew language. Even the return to the feast days by some of these groups leads them into focusing more on the mechanics of these days and making the days themselves the heart of the gospel rather than the Messiah Himself and His life, death and resurrection. Let me be clear, I have no problem with Christians celebrating the feast days. I myself have celebrated them and I still intend to do so in the event there is a group that keeps them in a manner that honors Christ and His gospel. My issue isn't the feast days themselves, but rather the focus on them being the heart of the gospel and pushing aside Christ and what He did on the cross. Just to be clear, there are groups that keep Christ centered feast days and that is awesome when it is done like that. However, there is a multitude of these feast day groups that get caught up in the granular mechanics of the day and will divide over minute details. These groups would do well to heed the apostle Paul and His Holy Spirit inspired counsel. Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV) 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Titus 3:9 (KJV)9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. The very thing Paul warns against is what many of these Hebrew roots/Messianic groups fall into. They are constantly striving about pronunciations of the Hebrew version of God's name and Christ name. They strive about calendars and exact dates and times of the feasts. They argue about how to keep the feasts and about the minutia of the various Torah statutes. Could it be that the devil, playing on the frustrations of disgruntled Christians, has taken many to the other extreme? Is everything we learned in our Churches to be thrown out? Many in these movements have even labeled the reformers of the 16th and 17th century as false teachers because they didn't uphold all of the Torah as still binding on Christians. While some of the reformers of the past were very flawed men, they nonetheless were used by Jehovah to bring about a revolution doctrinally in Christendom. The gospel during this time (1500's-mid 1900's) did a great work throughout the world. This was without the preaching of the feasts or teaching that all the Torah was binding on Christians. One must wonder, what has happened? The reason I believe the gospel converted many in these centuries as because of it's simplicity and it's utter focus on the cross and Christ being the Son of God sent by the Father to die for us, Thousands upon thousands of people are coming into the Hebrew roots/Messianic Torah communities, most are Christians and some are new believers. Often, these communities very insular and somewhat isolated from other groups and the world in general. Is this what Jesus called us to do as His followers? Matthew 5:16 (KJV) 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Christians for the last few hundred years have believed that we are to be a light in the midst of darkness, however the sentiment in these Torah communities is often a isolationist mindset. There is a fear of being contaminated by worldly principles and even a fear of the dangers in the communities of the general populace. Did Jesus tell us to fear these things though? Matthew 10:28 (KJV) 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The beauty of Christianity throughout the ages has been the willingness of believers to not love their life until death. The Christians of old had this mentality because they counted the souls of the lost precious and worth more than their own safety. I see this mentality rapidly disappearing in American Christianity and it is not just in the nominal Churches but also in these Hebrew roots/Messianic Torah communities. Read what Paul the apostle says below: 2 Timothy 2:8- (KJV) 8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: This is the heart of a true evangelist, Paul didn't count his own life as something to preserve but rather for the elect's (the Church) he was willing to endure all things so that they can obtain salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul even says that if we suffer with Christ we will also reign with Him. This is a mindset that is rapidly being lost in American Christianity. While the Torah keeping groups may criticize the mainstream Christian Churches for being lukewarm, they themselves don't show the fervent willingness to suffer for the gospel at the risk of their own safety. Why do I say this? Because these groups often promote an isolationist/insular communal mentality. Brethren, the concept of Christian's isolating themselves and becoming insular is not biblical, at least from a new covenant perspective where the Kingdom is not physical but spiritual. Colossians 1:23 (KJV) 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; If the gospel was preached to every creature under heaven in Paul's time then we know for sure that the early Church did not have an isolationist mentality. We are told to come out from among them (the world), however this has more to do with coming out from the principles of the world not the world itself in the sense of isolating oneself. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 (KJV) 9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. Paul makes it clear that we are not to altogether separate ourselves from those who are in the world as he even intimates that it's okay to have some type of relationship with them. We are just not to be yoked with them. Matthew 5:15King James Version (KJV) 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Jesus Christ Himself said that we are not to hide our light but to shew unto all men. How can we do this if we isolate ourselves from the world? Unfortunately, many of these Hebrew Roots/Messianic Torah groups have traded in the glorious gospel of the Cross for the Law. They have also traded in "being a light to the world" for monastic isolationism. Now I believe that the Law is just, holy and good but like Paul, I glory in the cross of our Jehovah Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14 (KJV) 14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. When we preach the cross, we lift up the Savior which draws all men unto him. John 12:32 (KJV) 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. The gospel has not changed with time, it is still the same tried and true formula for salvation which is the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jehovah Jesus Christ. So, what is doctrinal truth? I would say that no one group has it all figured out, but one thing I counsel all is to not throw away the precious truths we learned in the Churches we grew up in. There are many "Johnny come lately's" that are trying to reinvent the wheel, but there are too many men and women who have labored and ploughed the ground for the great harvest that we have seen over the centuries. Were they perfect in doctrine and practice? No, but neither are we! For me, I glean from the Protestants of the Reformed persuasion and their creeds as well as the Anabaptists such as the Swiss brethren and the Sabbath keeping groups led by Andreas Fischer and Oswald Glait. These are all people who have fought the good fight and even spilled blood for the precious gospel. I would be a fool to discount the heritage of these faithful pioneers. I also glean from the early Church ante-Nicene brethren. Of course, everything has to be measured according to scripture but it's also helpful to see what others who were faithful to Christ believed. For me, I believe in the applicability of Jehovah's moral law summed up in the 10 commandments and the faith of His Son Jesus Christ and His gospel summed up in His life, death, resurrection and ascension. Blessings from your brother in Christ, Solomon Jah
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