קהלת שר שלום 

Kehilat Sar Shalom

Prince of Peace Community

John 4:22-24 (New King James Version)

 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

~~~International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS)

Frequently Asked Questions

• Messianic Judaism is not gentile x-tianity in disguise.

• Messianic Jews observe traditional Jewish holidays such as Purim, Chanukah, etc. x-tians do not.

• Messianic Jews observe the Hebrew Biblical feasts such as the Feasts of Trumpets, Tabernacles and Passover. x-tians do not.

• Messianic Jews do not observe x-tian holidays borrowed from paganism, such as x-mas, lent and easter.

• Messianic Jews worship on the Biblical Sabbath (Shabbat/Shabbos), i.e., friday sundown till saturday sundown at a Shul or Synagogue, not a "church."
  

• Messianic Jews worship the one true Elohim as any Jew would and do not get involved in the various forms of corrupted Judeo-pagan worship, i.e. kabbalah or "x-tianity."

• Messianic Jews know the difference between sunset and nightfall. And about how much time there is in between both for their area.

• Messianic Jews have Siddurs, not hymnbooks.

• Messianic Jews have Rabbis, not pastors and would have priests if there were a Third Temple.

• Messianic Jews have four Sabbath Prayer services (which mirror the services and sacrifice times of the Temple):
  

•     Erev Shabbat/Ar'vit (eve of the Sabbath) where the prayers of the weekday Ma'ariv (nightfall) service are said (with slight differences) on friday 18 minutes before sundown. This is followed by the first meal, Oneg.

• Shacharit as well as the additional Musaf are recited on Shabbat morning around 10 o'clock, or so, followed by the Torah service and the sermon. This is followed by the second meal S'udat Shabbat.
  
• Mincha is recited on Shabbat afternoon anywhere from 1/2 an hour after-Noon to 2 1/2 hours before nightfall and finished before sunset. This is followed by the third meal Kiddush, or S'udat Sh'lishit .
  
• Ma'ariv is recited the same as on weekdays with only two additional phrases. At nightfall, Havdalah is performed, followed by an optional fourth meal, S'udah R'vi'it (The Fourth Meal) or S'udat David ha-Melekh (The Feast of King David)
  

• Messianic Jews cant their prayers such as: Sh'ma Yisrael, Amidah (Standing Prayer) a.k.a. Shmona Esre (the Eighteen Blessings) and the Kaddish.

• Messianic Jews know traditional Jewish blessings that most x-tians have never even heard of, e.g., the kiddush and the Aaronic benediction.

• Messianic Jews know that the B'rit Chadasha (New Covenant) is mearly Elohim's commentary on the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).
  

• Messianic Jews cant the Torah portion, the Parashah, in Hebrew at worship services.

• Messianic preaching is mainly from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), although references to the B'rit Chadasha (New Covenant) are not unusual.

• Messianic Judaism emphasizes the special relationship between Elohim and the Jewish people, whereas +testantism and catholicism only mention it in passing, or teach that they have "replaced" the Jews.

• Messianic Jews know the proper understanding of Romans Chapters 9-11. They know that the gentile branches have now been in-grafted into the olive tree that is the covenant family of Elohim.
  

• Messianic Jews know that there is but one covenant between Elohim and man, and that is the Avrahamic covenant.
  

• Messianic Judaism emphasizes Jewish traditions that do not conflict with the Hebrew Bible, whereas +testantism and catholicism totally ignore those traditions.

• Messianic Judaism asserts that the Torah (literally, "teaching") is still in effect (as modified by Y-shua). x-tianity claims that j-sus ended the Torah. See Grace or Law.
  

•             But x-tians still teach the Ten Commandments and tell church members to Tithe!!!

• Messianic Jews bar-Mitzvah their sons and bat-Mitzvah their daughters. x-tians don't. 

• Messianic Jews wrote the B'rit Chadasha. X-tians didn't. 
• 
  
• A Jewish person who converts to +testantism is called a Hebrew x-tian, not a Messianic Jew.

• Messianic Judaism and +testantism teach the Hebrew Biblical doctrine that salvation is a free gift from Elohim, by faith in Y-shua. roman catholicism teaches that catholics earn their way into heaven by good works and that moslems will also be saved, even though islam denies the deity, death and resurrection of Y-shua. Also, evangelicalism teaches that moslems too can be "Messianic" and stay moslems (Introducing World Missions, Moreau, 299).

• Messianic Jews do not need to be evangelized into x-tianity -- they already believe in Y-shua.

• Messianic Jews use the same scriptures as +testants, including the common translations, e.g., NIV and New King James Version. (NASB-U -- The New American Standard Bible-Updated in 1995 translation is generally preferred)

• B'rit Chadasha (The New Covenant) was written by Messianic Jews, not the "roman catholic church." Despite its claims to the contrary, roman catholicism did not even come into existence until around 325-400 C.E.

• Contrary to common belief, there is no historical evidence that Luokas was a non-Jewish Goy.                      Either he was of Jewish ancestry or he was a proselyte Jew, i.e., a Goy who converted to Judaism---Goyim don't hang around with itinerant Jewish preachers---Jews do.

• Most adult Messianic Jews converted from traditional Orthodox or Conservative Judaism into +testantism (i.e., became Hebrew x-tians) and then went back to Judaism, while retaining their belief that Y-shua is Elohim's promised Messiah.

• Like about half the +testant denominations, Messianic Jews only Mikvah believers and only by triple self-immersion; Messianic Jews do not Mikvah infants or Mikvah by pouring or sprinkling.

• Not everyone who considers himself a "Messianic Jew" is.

  For instance, for over a year I regularly attended Zola Levitt's Shalom Shalom Congregation in Dallas, Texas. He is ethnically Jewish, he was raised Orthodox Jewish, and he definitely considers himself to be Messianic. However, theologically his beliefs are mainstream baptist. Hence, he really is a Hebrew x-tian, not a Messianic Jew. (He is an ordained baptist <ster.)  Almost all the attendees are goy +testants. All the staff ministers except Zola are goyim and all were trained in mainstream +testant seminaries.

• This site is an independent site not affiliated with any congregation or organization.

• This is not a general x-tian or Messianic Jewish site. It is intended specifically to be a relatively small introductory site. If you want extensive information on what the Hebrew Bible teaches, request it and I will e-mail a list of relevant URLs.
  

BASICS OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM

1. YESHUA IS MESSIAH AND L-RD
   Messianic Judaism started with Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) as His Jewish followers accepted the evidence that He was the promised Messiah (Anointed One) of Israel, and as the scriptures foretold, He also was the God of Israel in the flesh, YHVH, the L-RD, who died for sins according to Isaiah 53, then rose again according to the Psalms and the Prophets. The believers in Yeshua were called Notzrim (Nazarenes), which Christians are called in modern Hebrew today. However, there is that faction today who call themselves Notzrim and say they believe in Yeshua, but they do not accept Him as appearing as God Himself in the flesh. Most of Messianic Judaism does not accept them as true believers because of their denial.
   
2. BIBLICAL MESSIANIC JUDAISM IS VALID CONTEMPORARY JUDAISM
   Since the first Jewish followers of Yeshua never left the faith of the God of Israel, YHVH, but rather came into a more personal covenant with Him through trust in Messiah Yeshua, their faith was and is the only complete Biblical Judaism and thus a superior Judaism. This is because Messiah Yeshua is the promised deliverer from sin and completed the understanding of the Torah (His ancient Word) that was lacking. However, this does not mean that  modern Rabbinical Judaism does not have truth within it.
   
3. YESHUA DID NOT BEGIN ANOTHER RELIGION
   Since Yeshua is God in the flesh, He is the eternal God of Israel, who gave all holy things only to Israel and promised them for all time. He did not come to reject Israel or to take back what He promised, but only to fulfill what He promised, without taking away any promise to Israel. He came to make Israel a better Israel, not to start another religion. This "better Israel" was foretold through the Prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) in 31:31, which was the promise of a new covenant that would put the Torah and the Ruach (Spirit) of God into Israel as an indwelling new creation. Since He is God of all, Yeshua also came to allow anyone of the Gentiles who trust in Him as the Messiah of Israel to be grafted into Israel by way of that same new covenant in Him. This better Israel Yeshua called His "Miqra" in Hebrew, which means "Called Out."  It is "Ekklesia" in the Greek.
   
4. THE CHURCH NEEDS TO RETURN TO ITS ROOTS
   Since Messianic Judaism is Jewish, it deems all Jewish people as its siblings. Also, since Christianity professes the Jewish Messiah as their Savior, Messianic Judaism deems all faithful Gentiles as its siblings (and no longer to be pagan Gentiles). This does not mean Messianic Judaism agrees with all the doctrines, traditions, customs or practices of either traditional Judaism or Christianity. We believe it would be the best and is ultimately necessary for all Jewish people to know their Messiah Yeshua, but we do not believe that God has called any Jewish person to become Gentile or Western Christian in custom. Rather, we believe it would be best and is ultimately necessary for Christianity to remove its pagan influences and return to the roots of Judaism, that is, to return to the way of Yeshua as He walked by example and set forth in His entire Word.
   
5. JEWISH PEOPLE AS A WHOLE HAVE NOT REJECTED YESHUA
   By the end of the first century over one million Jews believed Yeshua to be the Messiah of Israel, but many of them, if not most, were martyred or driven underground because of anti-Semitism both within secular and religious society.  This eventually precipitated the lie that a Jewish person does not believe in Yeshua as Messiah. Today there is estimated to be more than one million Jewish people who believe in Yeshua as the Messiah. In addition, the rejection of Christianity by some Jewish people is not necessarily a rejection of Yeshua. It is rather the rejection of a Gentile religion, which has little in common with the Jewish Messiah. Because a Jewish person does not want to be a Catholic or a Baptist does not mean they reject Yeshua. Christian denominations have little in common with the life, faith, customs or worship experience of Yeshua. Messianic Judaism affirms the eternal Jewishness of Yeshua ("The Lion of the Tribe of Judah") and that He did not come to destroy Jewishness. Therefore, those who attempt to destroy Jewishness are not of Him; they are not at all true followers of Him. In fact, to deny the Jewishness of Messiah is to deny the truth of the Scriptures. To oppose the Jewish people, simply because they are Jewish, is to distrust the appointment of God and hate the very Messiah of Israel. In other words, wholesale anti-Semitism or anti-Judaism is demonic.
   
6. RESTORATION OF JEWISH FAITH IS PROPHETIC
   God promised to restore Israel, "as at the beginning."  The apostle Kefa (Peter) announced that Yeshua would not return until the "restoration of all things spoken by the prophets since the world began", Acts 3:21. This makes everything in the ancient Scriptures concerning the restoration of Israel of contemporary importance, especially as we see it happening. The restoration of the land, the language, the people, and the faith of Israel are all taking place as foretold in the prophets of Israel. The prophecies concerning the world's obedience to the laws of Israel ("the Law shall go forth from Zion") are beginning to be restored today, as believers in Yeshua rediscover the beauty of the Sabbath and the holy festivals, which the Bible declares will be observed by every nation in the Messianic Kingdom.
   
7. MESSIANIC JUDAISM IS NOT MONOLITHIC OR HUMAN-CENTRIC
   Unlike most religious expressions, Messianic Judaism cannot be traced to any other person except Yeshua. There is no contemporary founder or leader. No one speaks for all Messianics. It is not monolithic, and thus this writer must admit that other Messianics may take issue with some of my points, or at least may choose to word them differently. That is just fine with me. I will confess freely that I certainly do not speak for all Messianics. However, even with differences in expression, Messianics generally have no trouble fellowshipping together, and understanding the general direction in which the movement is going. This freedom is refreshing and unique, and one which most Messianics appreciate deeply. While Messianics hold to their faith and walk tenaciously without compromise, they are usually remarkably tolerant and loving to others who especially are sincere and honest in their faith.

Copyright © 1998 - 2007 David M. Hargis & Messianic Bureau International. All rights reserved. Use by written permission only.

http://www.messianic.com/articles/basics.htm

Orthodox Rabbinical Judaism -  how about that?

BRIEF HISTORY LESSON

RABBI  is a term which the Pharisees were known by.

The Pharisees grew very powerful after the city and Temple of Yahuah was destroyed in 70 CE. 

The most powerful "rabbi" within Pharisaism arose in the early 2nd century, and he took it upon himself to put the "oral law" into a written form, called the Talmud.  His name was AKIBA. 

He perceived the Yahudim who followed Yahushua to be a serious threat, so he promoted a false Messiah (Bar Kochba) as a scheme to legally kill the Natsarim, the followers of Yahushua. 

As Bar Kochba rose-up as the false Messiah, his followers challenged the Roman occupation.  The Natsarim would not fight Rome over this false Messiah, and so this gave Bar Kochba (and the instigator, AKIBA), the legal authority to exterminate them - at least in their eyes. 

So, many Natsarim were killed, and even more driven away. 

Thus, Rabbinical Judaism (Pharisaism) took complete control over the early development of the post-Temple era, and it is still alive and well as an apostate form of religion, mostly due to this "Talmud", begun by AKIBA.  In it there are fabulous tales of AKIBA's greatness, and horrendous tales about Yahushua. 

The concept of "RABBI" is central to the Talmud's idea of eternal life.  Without a "RABBI", one cannot possibly acquire eternal life, according to Talmud. 

Talmud declares that all Rabbis are infallible. 

AKIBA's Talmud also declares that YAHUAH is but one of 70 rabbis, and He must go along with what the majority says.

Many Messianic leaders quote from this Talmud, unwittingly using AKIBA's rationalizations in their own teachings.  Since Yahushua was called a "RABBI" (my Teacher), it is likely that He was mistakenly thought to be a Pharisee, or the dominance of Pharisaism was so great that all who taught were customarily referred to by this term. 

The word "RABBI" is not found in the TaNaKh 

This brief overview was prepared by Lew White, Institute for Scripture Research - USA

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