Returning after a four year absence...

[HaNotsri]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Michael and I used to be a pretty active on this forum a few years back.

I've decided to make my way back into this neck of the woods and participate again. I used to have a long, introductory post on one of the stickies in this forum, but it seems to have been removed. Here's me in a nutshell/timeline:

1999 - First put faith in Christ / G-d
2000 - After months of reading the Bible and asking a variety of questions that were not satisfactorily answered by Christian theologians, I began pursuing a conversion to Judaism
2001 - Decided to pursue an Orthodox conversion to Judaism, taught myself to read Hebrew
2002 - Lived in an Orthodox community with Orthodox roommates and worked toward gerus. Went to school, established a good relationship with a Hebrew teacher and her family who also lived in my community
Early 2003 - Moved out of Orthodox community after reading a deeply written letter from my mother (who was a great woman of faith) that shattered confidence in what I was doing
2003 - After moving home, realized I still wanted to pursue gerus, but this time in Israel. While making the arrangements, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and once again I felt lost as to what to do
2004 - Came back to Christ after seeing the "Passion of the Christ" (I don't particularly believe it's a good evangelistic tool, but it worked for me). Moved into a Christian co-op while at school
2004-2007 - Lived in the Christian co-op. Met my future wife. Began teaching other Christians about the Hebrew roots of our faith (including putting on really traditional Pesach seders, etc)
2005 - Went to Israel for two weeks as part of the ICEJ's Grafted Summer Working tour
2007-2012 - Married. Finishing school (finally)
2012 - Back in Action on ChristianForums.com

My perspectives (not for debate or argument on this particular thread):

• Non-denominational, Evangelical-type Christian
• I believe Christ and G-d are One in the same
• I believe Christ died for our sins
• I believe only by the grace of G-d do we have our salvation and not by what we do on this Earth
• I am extremely interested in Hebrew-roots and teaching other Christians about Jews, Jewish culture, and Jewish history
• Believe in G-d's Divine purpose for the Jewish people
• I believe that the Torah is still G-d's will for the Jewish people, but I don't believe that Gentiles are bound to it other than the four things in Acts and the ethical, moral mitsvos (though they can partake if they wish)
• I do believe in some semblance of Torah She'Be-al Peh (Oral Torah). I value what it provides on Jewish culture, history, and the interpretation of the Torah
• I believe that the Jewish people of today consist of members of all the tribes of Israel and not merely those from the Kingdom of Judah
• I do not ascribe to any of the two house theories
• Ultimately, I do believe a third Beis haMikdash will be built

Hope to chat with you all (I think some of you are still on my friends list).

Michael

 

[Yahudim]

Must be in the air. I just returned too. Welcome back Brother!

Here's a hypothetical hug! ​

 

[Messianic Jewboy]

Shalom and welcome back. Since you had a conversion, do you still consider yourself Jewish?

 

[HaNotsri]

I was never m'giyurred (i.e. I never finished my conversion).

 

[pat34lee]

My perspectives (not for debate or argument on this particular thread):

• Non-denominational, Evangelical-type Christian

It's nice to meet you, and welcome back.

I have a question though. As an evangelical Christian, why do you use the messianic symbol?

 

[HaNotsri]

Hold over from when I was here before. I'll keep it on there though because of my appreciation for Hebrew-roots stuff. I don't really have a denomination so its icon is as good as any!

 

[xDenax]

Hello! Good to meet you. I can't say I've met anyone who started conversion then quit to become Christian again. I've heard of people who decided against it but not in order to go back to Christianity. That's something new (for me).

 

[JRSut1000]

I'm sure there are those out there who think they want to do the messianic thing, but then decide it's just easier to be evangelical without all the Torah rules.

 

[xDenax]

I'm sure there are those out there who think they want to do the messianic thing, but then decide it's just easier to be evangelical without all the Torah rules.

I hope that wasn't intended as a jab. Not the best way to re-wecome someone to the community.

 

[JRSut1000]

No, it wasnt directed towards the OP as a jab, just saying there are lots of times people change denominations then realize they dont feel they belong there and they revert or switch to another denomination (see my new thread, so as not to derail)

 

[mishkan]

Baruch haba, Michael!

Unlike you, I am really new here.

I appreciate the introduction. We have a lot in common. Those things that are different, I hope we can discuss.

I LOVE your tag line!

 

[yedida]

Welcome, Michael.

 

[Lulav]

Welcome back Michael, I saw recently you voted on the poll about wither or not the Torah was for gentiles and saw you voted no.

Just to catch you up that is becoming a requirement for being a scroll holding member of this forum, so perhaps a non-denom or seeking icon would be better for you to choose?

It seems you have had quite a roller coaster decade. If I am not intruding, how is your mother? I pray well?

I noticed on your timeline that before being a Christian for very long you turned to Judaism. Was it really all those circumstances that happened that turned you away or was it something else?

Forgive my interest but you have quite an interesting story

Welcome Back

 

[Tishri1]

Welcome Back!!!

 

[MessianicMommy]

Welcome back.

 

[ChavaK]

Hi Michael, I remember you very well. Welcome back.

 

[ChavaK]

Hello! Good to meet you. I can't say I've met anyone who started conversion then quit to become Christian again. I've heard of people who decided against it but not in order to go back to Christianity. That's something new (for me).

I haven't heard of it either, but that is one of the reasons we make
conversion so challenging. People need to make sure exactly where
they stand, because there is no "going back".

 

[HaNotsri]

It seems you have had quite a roller coaster decade. If I am not intruding, how is your mother? I pray well?

I noticed on your timeline that before being a Christian for very long you turned to Judaism. Was it really all those circumstances that happened that turned you away or was it something else?

Forgive my interest but you have quite an interesting story

Welcome Back

Thanks for the update on the icon situation Lulav, I've changed it to the non-denominational icon. I am not seeking I've found Christ.

As far as the circumstances that led me towards conversion, I would say there were multiple things.

1. The first and foremost reason was a sincere desire to find God's Truth and live my life for Him
2. I was a young believer at the time and wasn't solid in my Christian faith
3. I asked a lot of questions about why we didn't still do things mentioned in the Bible (such as keeping Shabbos, being shomer Kashrus, etc) and no one could give me good answers other than "Christ did away with that"

I spent almost three years pursuing gerus. A lot of that time I spent living among my Christian friends. I would daven at home (until I became acquainted with the Chabad house in my city) and learned with a frum Rabbi that lived in a city about 75 miles east of me. I also became acquainted with a person in New York City over the internet and she became my "morah" of sorts. I spent a Pesach in New York with her and her family.

Eventually, I moved to a community whose leaders came from a great Chassidic dynasty, but had a strong focus on educating ba'al t'shuvas. I lived with two ba'al t'shuvas while in that community, davened at the community shul, and otherwise integrated myself in the community. I did only live there for six months before I got the letter mentioned in the timeline and my relationship with my family (mostly my mother) was extremely strained. During Christmas of 2002, I actually went to New York to a yeshiva on a week-long program of learning for ba'al t'shuvas for re-inspiration if you will. Ultimately, I decided I couldn't honestly continue after that letter from my mother had shaken my faith a bit.

That's the short version. There are a lot of little details that could also be discussed, but it could be a novel.

In regards to my mother, unfortunately (or fortunately...depending how you look at it) she was called Home in November 2009 BD"E. She has returned to her King B"H.

I haven't heard of it either, but that is one of the reasons we make
conversion so challenging. People need to make sure exactly where
they stand, because there is no "going back".

Indeed Chava and I had/have too much respect for the process and the Jewish community (especially the religious one) to have continued on. It would have been a spiritual disservice to them and to myself to have continued.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. I've updated my icon and some items in my profile as well.

Michael