[open]Questions for messianic jews

[Vicissa]

Hey there!
I know at least one of you from another forum , and I had a couple questions about your beliefs, and how you came to them.

Are any of you former practicer's of Judaism??

I ask this because I wonder how you came to believe in Jesus as messiah? I'm having some issues right now in my faith, and one of them happens to be how the NT and OT relate.

I know that many Jews perceive the Torah Scripture that is supposed to be speaking of Jesus as misinterpreted...that the words were made to fit Jesus instead of what they really meant.

I guess what I'm wondering is how you got past the many aspects of Christianity that make it difficult (or impossible) for some Jews to accept Jesus as Messiah.
How do you handle the supposed "changes" made by the NT, even though God "does not change?"

 

[AbiYah]

I was raised in various churches and gravitated naturally to Messianic Judaism.

It made sense. No more puzzle peices that won't fit... no more pastor's answers not sticking with the bible.

The bible stands on itself and it makes sense in the hebraic sense when you look at it through the eyes G-d intended.

I had a lot of problems before I went to a synagogue and asked questions and was made to study on my own.. I understand those issues now. No one else could answer them other than "I was taught at seminary..".

Forget that! What does the bible say/teach to you?

Some of the things that people say don't make sense, won't in the translations we have, because the translators were bias. BUT- if we can learn the languages, we can see they fit ok and make sense. .

 

[Henaynei]

my husband was born Jewish and grew up in an orthodox family - he left Judaism (became a secularist) and eventually came face to face with G-d on Alligator Alley in the Florida Keys and started a journey through evangelical, holiness, charismatic, full gospel, Word of Faith and pentecostal Christianity - not necessarily in that order. He married a crazy Christian lady who had been keeping Passover and had stopped observing Christmas and Easter for many years. Together they found a Messianic congregation that they started attending and never looked back, at not often or for long.

He now is a source of teaching and direction for the Messianic Movement. His commitment to the G-d of Israel is unshakable.

we firmly believe that the Ketuvim Natzrim (Writings of the Apostles; aka NT) can not stand alone and is useless and leads to error without the T'NaKh (Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim; aka OT). It is not unlike using a phone book for a town on earth in which you have never lived while you were living on a planet in Alpha Centuri to try to understand and live like the people represented in the phone book.

we also firmly believe that there is ONLY ONE G-d, without division or "persons" - thus we are also non-Trinitarian

 

[Eben Abram]

Shalom Alecheim

I hate to put it this way but when In Community I read and studied the Prophets and Sages and "leaders" of most of 7 difffering sects of Judaic Expression.

Some that stood out as great leaders, we call our Sages, had "religious" expereince with G-d.

However or whatever after that motivated thier actions is subject to debate but each seemed to have an encounter with the Almighty.

All my life as a Beleiver I have had many wise and knoweldgable men discuss ad infinum how I could beleive in ............and they would out thier pet peeve in that i had already studied ad naseaum because I had already had the same questions but solved them.

What no one could challenge and no one can to this day is what I would tell everyone Jew and Gentile when they were really sincere and truly desperate to know If Messiah Was the S-n of G-d.

I would say, go out, all alone, get quiet, talk to the Almighty and when you really want to know, get real and Ask G-d.

That is not the prescribed "means" of Evangelism Christians or Messianic Orgs recommend.

But I know this, those who asked and got an answer had to deal with the Truth ever since and they were never the same for better of for worse.

Some will reject Truth irregardless of confrontation either in W-rd or Fact till it is time and in fact even Thomas Needed a physical form to acknowledge the reality......that is a type of those brethren who shall not be saved till Moshiach come in clouds as expected and He present his Scars as He will be asked Where did these comne from......and though Eretz Yisrael and all Israel shall be saved, there will be mourning for that day of salvation will also be of realization and Weeping.

And Messiah will even on that day.......wipe away tears.

To those who question what to do after you know G-d and are a Believer? Try a good long arguement with the Almighty in a parking lot all by yourself......

He might surprize you......((grin))

Alecheim Shalom

Eben Abram

 

[ChavaK]

Shalom Alecheim

I hate to put it this way but when In Community I read and studied the Prophets and Sages and "leaders" of most of 7 difffering sects of Judaic Expression.

Some that stood out as great leaders, we call our Sages, had "religious" expereince with G-d.

However or whatever after that motivated thier actions is subject to debate but each seemed to have an encounter with the Almighty.

All my life as a Beleiver I have had many wise and knoweldgable men discuss ad infinum how I could beleive in ............and they would out thier pet peeve in that i had already studied ad naseaum because I had already had the same questions but solved them.

What no one could challenge and no one can to this day is what I would tell everyone Jew and Gentile when they were really sincere and truly desperate to know If Messiah Was the S-n of G-d.

I would say, go out, all alone, get quiet, talk to the Almighty and when you really want to know, get real and Ask G-d.

That is not the prescribed "means" of Evangelism Christians or Messianic Orgs recommend.

But I know this, those who asked and got an answer had to deal with the Truth ever since and they were never the same for better of for worse.

Some will reject Truth irregardless of confrontation either in W-rd or Fact till it is time and in fact even Thomas Needed a physical form to acknowledge the reality......that is a type of those brethren who shall not be saved till Moshiach come in clouds as expected and He present his Scars as He will be asked Where did these comne from......and though Eretz Yisrael and all Israel shall be saved, there will be mourning for that day of salvation will also be of realization and Weeping.

And Messiah will even on that day.......wipe away tears.

To those who question what to do after you know G-d and are a Believer? Try a good long arguement with the Almighty in a parking lot all by yourself......

He might surprize you......((grin))

Alecheim Shalom

Eben Abram

I am sorry Eben, I am having trouble understanding your thoughts here and on your bio page...
You were born Jewish and became Christian?
And to answer the original question, what led
to that decision, scripturaly?
many thanks, sorry I do not understand..I
can be pretty dense sometimes
chava

 

[Athaliamum]

The NT and OT actually run togather flawlessly if you take out man's interpretation from different cultures, if that makes sense. I know I rave about this site but http://www.maretsoftware.com/torahtips/account/login.asp allows one to study the Torah from a Messianic standpoint, and it goes through how the old and new testaments relate to each other.

I personally had a crisis of faith myself some time ago, I didn't know if the faith I thought was mine was not actually mine but my parents. So what I did is I started with what I knew, I looked outside my window at the world around me and asked "is this an accident?" answer: no, so there is a G-d. The next question I asked was "Which G-d is the true G-d?" After much searching and testing I found the only one to make sense was the G-d of the Jews. The rest of them had more holes then swiss cheese.

After that I studied to see if Yeshua was Messiah. I found this hard to understand some prophecy. From a Judaic standpoint he hasn't filled them all and christians say that's because he will fill the end later, Judaism says this is silly. But upon further investigation I found that it was impossible for one man to fulfill all the prophecies at once. It either had to be two messiahs fulfilling different roles, or an either or choice of which to fulfill - he's either a servent or a warrior - or they had to be one person fulfilling them at seperate times. I soon came to believe in my heart that Yeshua was the essence of the latter.

My next question was then "is Yeshua G-d or only a man?" After much searching on this point I found many things, particularly in order for two of the prophecies to be fulfilled the Messiah had to be called "father of Eternity, Almighty G-d", that along with many other proofs had me sure. I made a re-commitment that the faith I had before was now mine because of own searching, not because of parents.

Now I apply myself to deeper understanding of the core areas I have come to believe. But it is baby steps. The biggest piece of advice I can give you, is in what you believe make sure your opinions are your own, not someone elses, and if you don't know what your opinion is on a topic do some research and get one.

 

[visionary]

I, personally, had incredible experiences with God working in and manifesting Himself in my life, guiding and directing me towards where I am today spiritually. I have travelled through may churches of christendom and came away with little gems and a hunger for the truth.

The Holy Spirit does tell me that which is true in each setting and that which is false and confirms it with the testimony and witnesses within biblical settings both old and new. I, too, studied ad nauseum everything I could get my hands on, prayerfully asking the Lord to lead and guide me every step of the way. He has.

I found this little corner of CF forum where I was first introduced to Messianic Judaism after twenty four years of travelling with the Lord in Christianity. It was like coming home. The peace that passes all understanding was present and harmony with God's OT and New was presented here like I knew in my heart God had been showing me all along. Since then I have found a local messianic synagogue where I fellowship.

Where God leads me from here I do not know, but the gems found here are huge life changing advancements in heavenly matters that open up the mysteries of God hidden in plain sight.

Whether it is the hebrew mind set, the hebrew language, hebrew setting, hebrew history, hebrew religion, hebrew writers, it is beautiful to behold the wonderous things that come forth from His Word in it's proper setting. It is not in the right setting when seen from the roman or greek version.

 

[AbiYah]

To put it simple: I got tired of cookie-cutter answers that didn't answer the question or made scripture bend over backwards and twisted to meet the answer the persons wanted.

When I read on Messianic Judaism, the lights and bells and whistles came on and said "this is it, you are home! It makes sense, look! Scripture agrees together! It doesn't disagree!!"

From then on, I haven't turned around.

 

[ChavaK]

So to get back to the original post....have any of
you who have answered this question so far been born and raised Jewish, and then become messianic?
I believe this is what the OP was asking, and
something I am also interested in hearing about....


chava

 

[AbiYah]

I know people don't like to hear it, but a lot of people are ethnically Jewish and aren't "Raised Jewish" - but did come to Messiah and are within Messianic Judaism. I can't speak for anyone but me though.

I am Jewish but was raised in the church-scene... as were all my family.

 

[ChavaK]

I know people don't like to hear it, but a lot of people are ethnically Jewish and aren't "Raised Jewish" - but did come to Messiah and are within Messianic Judaism. I can't speak for anyone but me though.

I am Jewish but was raised in the church-scene... as were all my family.

Actually, I am finding this happens more that one
would expect....although of course it depends on
one's defition of who is a Jew ( a topic that has
been visited here before ). However, the
OP did specificaly ask if someone had been a
"practioner of Judaism" and then overcome
any objections to Jesus being moshiach...so
that would probably preclude people who
might be halachicaly Jewish, but not raised as
such....