If you are right with God you will never be right with this world!
“Indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.” (2Tim 3:12)
It is what you actually believe that determines how you walk out your faith,
“but avoid stupid controversies, genealogies,
quarrels and fights about the Torah; because they are worthless and
futile.” (Titus 3:9)
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Please Note: Absolutely nothing on this website should be taken as anti-Church. I am not anti-anything or anyone. I am only pro-Torah and pro-Truth (see “Philosophy”), but sometimes the Truth upsets our long-held beliefs. I know it certainly upset mine! For example, see “Why Isn’t My Theology Consistent Throughout the Website?”
Please see What’s New • Weekly Parashot
WE ARE THE BRIDGE!
Jew and Gentile, one in Messiah!
Here is what Yehovah[GN] says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask about the ancient paths, ‘Which one is the good way?’ Take it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not take it.’” (Jeremiah 6:16)[1]
Please Note: In order to avoid misunderstanding of the content of this website, it is very important that you first carefully study the Vocabulary Matters page. See also my summary Statement of Faith.
Welcome to the
Center for Messianic Learning
why is all this “religious stuff” important?
On June 28, 2006, then-president Barack Obama declared, “… we are no longer a Christian nation …” Granted, the words are here taken out of context,[6] but that does not matter in the slightest. Regardless of whatever the context may be, as the elected spokesperson for the United States of America, his declaration stands as the “official” position of the whole nation, and the actions of the government in the past few decades prove the statement to be true. Contrary to the First Amendment of our Constitution guaranteeing religious liberty, Secular Humanism has now become the “official religion” of the United States of America.
The word of
Yehovah came to me:
“Son of man, speak to your people; say to them, ‘Suppose I bring
the sword on a country, and the people of that country take one of
their men and appoint him their watchman. Now if, upon seeing the
sword coming against that country, he blows the shofar and warns
the people; then, if the sword comes and takes away someone who
heard the sound of the shofar but paid no attention to it, the
responsibility for that person‘s death will be his own-- he heard
the shofar but paid no attention, so the responsibility for his
death is his own; whereas if he had paid attention, he would have
saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does
not blow the shofar, so that the people are not warned; and then
the sword comes and takes any one of them, that one is indeed
taken away in his guilt, but I will hold the watchman responsible
for his death.’Even though the nation’s founding documents clearly declare that our country is to be one that recognizes the authority of the Creator, all three branches of government — Executive, Legislative, and Judicial — have openly declared war on Christianity,[10] and any war waged against Christianity is a war against the God of Christianity — the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And God will hold the entire nation accountable for that declared position.
Once a major textbook in all public schools, the Bible has been banned from the classroom and the biblical truth of creation has been replaced by the Humanist religious doctrine of evolution.[7]
The Ten Commandments are no longer allowed to be displayed in public schools or on any government property. Not even the scene of the historical event of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth may be displayed on public property, even though the day designated by the Government as His supposed birthday is still a federal holiday and our secular calendar recognizes the event of His birth, life, death, and resurrection by dividing history in terms of BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, the Year of the Lord).
The Supreme Court has ruled that “the Lord’s Prayer” — or even a very “ecumenical” prayer (one that simply acknowledges a “Higher Power”) — may no longer be uttered in any government-sponored public assembly or on government property (except in the halls of Congress), nor may any form of prayer, even it is student-led or student-initiated, be uttered at any public school or in any school-sponored event.
Little by little pastors across the land who teach God’s standards of conduct have begun to be accused of “hate speech.” And I believe that it is only a matter of time before the government orders that this website be taken down for the same reason.
Yet across the country, and even at some distant American embassies, the “rainbow flag” will be seen flying over government buildings during the month of June.
Ask yourself: Are Christians “Domestic Terrorists?”
 Source: bookjoy.livejournal.com/37140.html |
Since the Roe v. Wade decision in January of 1973 over 63 million unborn children[8] (over ten times the number of Jews murdered by Hitler) have been sacrificed on the altars of Molech, primarily for financial prosperity or to avoid financial or social burden associated with a child.[9] And it is no secret that the primary infantacide mill in the nation targets a minority population.[12]
When the rulers of ancient Israel permitted the worship of false gods in their land, God punished the entire nation by sending them into captivity. There were two major captivities: one to Assyria and one to Babylonia. If the rulers (and people) of America continue to reject the God of the Bible and permit the worship of false gods in our land, will the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob be somehow more tolerant of us?
If we claim to be followers of the Jewish Messiah Yeshua, then we must accept His Torah as true. If the Torah (that is, the entire Torah from Genesis through Revelation) is true, then it must form the foundation for our worldview, and must therefore be the standard by which all other knowledge is to be measured. So, yes, this “religious stuff” is really important! ב״ה
How Did America Become a Pagan Nation?
This Is Coming and Christians Aren’t Even Aware | Church Under Attack
Calvin Smith | Answers in Genesis
Messianic Jewish Restoration
the Messianic
Jewish Restoration, or Modern Messianic Judaism, is a prophetic movement uniting
Jew and Gentile
For the people of Isra'el are going to be in seclusion for a long time without a king, prince, sacrifice, standing-stone, ritual vest, or household gods. Afterwards, the people of Isra'el will repent and seek Yehovah their God and David their king; they will come trembling to Yehovah and His goodness in the acharit-hayamimLast Days. (Hosea 3:5)
After this, I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions; and also on male and female slaves in those days I will pour out My Spirit. (Joel 2:28-29)
What Identifies Messianic Judaism?
Dear Friends, I was busily at work writing to you about the salvation we share, when I found it necessary to write, urging you to keep contending earnestly for the faith which was once and for all passed on to God’s people. (Jude 1:3)
This sentence, originally penned by the brother of Messiah Yeshua, eloquently describes my ministry through this website, which began in about 1994 as an essentially Baptist outreach before I became aware of the Messianic Restoration Movement. In about 2000 Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) began revealing to me that what I was teaching and writing about was a radical departure from “the faith” that Yeshua revealed to his talmidimdisciples and instructed them to pass on to the world. I then found it necessary to return to the ancient sources to uncover for myself — and then write to you about — the truth of “the faith which was once and for all passed on to God’s people” (Jude 1:3), from which the Gentile Christian world has significantly departed. Not only must I write to you about this, I must keep contending earnestly for that faith. And so, as HaShem continues to give me strength, that shall I do.
One of the current works of Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) is to convert twenty-first century followers of the Greek “Jesus” into first century followers of the historic Hebrew Messiah Yeshua, alongside the Children of Abraham who follow Him.
“It is not the Messiah alone which identifies Messianic Judaism; the Church has the Messiah and is not Messianic Jewish. It is not Judaism that makes Messianic Judaism; the Rabbinic Temple has Judaism. Messianic Judaism can only be practiced within a Messianic Synagogue.
“Is this something exclusively for the Jewish people? Absolutely not! All who respond to the Messiah, Jew and Gentile alike, are heirs to a rich Jewish spiritual heritage and have deep Jewish roots (Romans 11:17). We invite all to to recapture the first century setting of our common faith. The walls between the Jewish people and Gentiles have been broken down as we have united in a common worship and life.
“As a Synagogue, we try to live out the principles of love and service that should follow from the true faith. We desire to support and build one another up and to spread the Good News of Messiah’s salvation to all men.”
— Rabbi Greg Hershberg
Beth Yeshua International
(LiveStream Services) ב״ה
See “What is Messianic Judaism?”
The richest field for true evangelism
in 2023 is the American Church
According to the 2020 Barna “State of the Church” poll, Christianity in America is dying:
“…although we proclaim ‘In God We Trust’ on our currency, a slim 51% majority of Americans believe in a biblical view of God—down from 73% 30 years ago. Increasingly, the research finds mounting evidence that Americans are both redefining—and rejecting—God.
“Stunningly, Americans are more confident about the existence of Satan than they are of God. Overall, 56% contend that Satan is an influential spiritual being, yet almost half (49%) are not fully confident that God truly exists.
“More specifically, ‘The largest declines in possession of an orthodox, biblical perspective on the nature of God since 1991 were among individuals who attend Pentecostal or charismatic Protestant churches (down by 27 percentage points); people in the 18- to 29-year-old category (down 26 points); adults in the Elders generation (that is, people born before 1946, down 25 points); and women (down 25 points).’”(Charismanews.com, accessed 13 July 2021)
“In addition to the viewpoint that eternal salvation can be earned, survey results show that 58% of Americans believe that no absolute moral truth exists and that the basis of truth are factors or sources other than God. Seventy-seven percent said that right and wrong is determined by factors other than the Bible. Fifty-nine percent said that the Bible is not God’s authoritative and true Word and 69% said people are basically good.
“‘If you look at some of the dominant elements in the American mind and heart today, as illuminated by the Inventory, most people believe that the purpose of life is feeling good about yourself,’ Barna said in a statement sent to The Christian Post.” (christianpost.com, accessed 13 July 2021)
“The results certainly do not reflect favorably on the churches that these people attend. Barna says it nicely ‘If the views of the people attending our Christian churches these days are any indication, we need to redirect our efforts for greater impact.’ We at Protestia are a little more direct. Half the people in this poll are unregenerate pagans and have a false assurance of salvation. They’re part of seeker-sensitive churches that don’t teach the whole counsel of God, led by emasculated betrayers of Christ who’d just as soon preach on self-help and trivialities than a mercilessly tortured Christ who was murdered on a cross because of mercilessly foul sins — slitting the throats of their sheep with bad teaching and then juggling their heads to entertain the goats. May God have mercy on us.” (protestia.com, accessed 13 July 2021) [More here]
“… when the Son of Man comes, will He find the faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b)
The Greek text is quite specific; it includes the definite article “the” identifying the word “faith” and translates into English literally thus:
πλὴν (Nevertheless), ὁ (the) Υἱὸς (Son) τοῦ (the [one]) ἀνθρώπου (of Man)
ἐλθὼν (having come), εὑρήσει (will He find) τὴν (the) πίστιν (faith)
ἐπὶ (on) τῆς (the) γῆς (earth)?That is, will He find the one and only true faith on the earth when He returns?
See also “The True Gospel.” ב״ה
Watch this two-part video message on Cultural Christianity: Part 1 • Part 2 • Related
Five Theologies I Disdain
There are five theological positions embraced
by many who refer to themselves as followers of Yeshua/Jesus with which I am in total disagreement,
and which I consider significantly errant and abhorrent. At the very top
of my list of theologies too deviant to be worthy of any
consideration at all are Supercessionism or
Replacement Theology,
which is part and parcel of the doctrinal position of virtually
every Christian denomination (and what I taught for over 35
years). The second on my list of deviant
“Christian” theologies that is also embraced by some who call
themselves “Messianic” is
Word of Faith Theology. The top two deviant theologies (in my
opinion) within nominal Messianic Judaism are
Ephraimite Theology
(a.k.a.
Two-House or Two-Stick Theology) and
Sacred Name Theology.
There is a fifth popular theology among those who self-identify as “Christian” or “Messianic” that I find especially offensive: the Theology of Cheap Grace, a.k.a. the “Individual Salvation” Gospel, the “gospel” that is reduced to merely the salvation message.
A gospel that does not preach repentance is not the full gospel. A gospel message that does not preach immersion is not a full gospel message. A gospel message that does not preach discipleship to Jesus is not a full gospel message. A gospel message that does not preach the kingship of Jesus, including subjection to His Lordship, is not a full gospel message. A gospel message that does not teach the restoration of Israel and of the Jewish people is not a full gospel message. A gospel message that does not teach the coming kingdom of heaven on earth is not a full gospel message. A gospel message that does not teach the physical, literal resurrection of the dead is not a full gospel
message.[3]
This so-called “gospel” teaches that all that is required to “go to heaven” when we die is to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God and to accept Him as Savior.
“You believe that …? Good for you! The demons believe it too — the thought makes them shudder with fear!” (James 2:19, CJB)
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This errant “theology” promotes trying to become a resident of the Kingdom and partaking of all of its benefits without accepting its responsibilities (the Torah[4]). Isn’t that a lot like sneaking into the kingdom by climbing over the wall or swiming the river and then participating in all the benefits of the kingdom with none of the responsibilities? That doesn’t make you a citizen of the Kingdom; it makes you an illegal immigrant! Please see “The True Gospel.” You will not find anything on this website that reflects or supports any of those five theologies. ב״ה
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Next Year in Jerusalem! |
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| The Restored Temple in Jerusalem Year 1 of Melech Yeshua HaMashiach’s Reign |
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| On that day, the “Root of Yishai,” Which stands as a banner for the peoples, the Goyim will seek Him out, and the place where He rests will be glorious. … He will hoist a banner for the Goyim, assemble the dispersed of Isra'el, and gather the scattered of Y'hudah from the four corners of the earth … There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who are still left from Ashur, just as there was for Isra'el when he came out from the land of Egypt. [Isaiah 11:10-12,16 CJB] |
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If we believe that the Bible is the Creator’s handbook for humanity, shouldn’t we be doing Bible things in Bible ways, and naming Bible things with Bible words? Shouldn’t we be doing what the Bible says we should do?
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)
“Everyone who keeps sinning is violating Torah — indeed, sin is violation of Torah.” (1 John 3:4)
“… For how can righteousness and those without
Please note well: All the information on this website (except where otherwise specifically stated) is my own opinion, is sometimes highly speculative, and does not represent the opinion of any other person or organization. You are under absolutely no obligation to either agree with me or to accept my opinion; in fact, I prefer that you do not. You should simply read what I have to say, and if you are interested in what I say you should compare it to the Word of God and reach your own conclusions! [About the author]
No Intent to Offend
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Please note well: It is not my intent to belittle, unduly criticize, or “bash” anyone who may hold religious or political[5] persuasions or opinions other than my own, as long as you do not attempt to “convince” either me or others through any form of coercion. Neither is it my intent to cause any kind of division within the Family of God. Even though I may absolutely and totally disagree with your opinion, I will defend to the death your God-given right to hold it. Even if you are terribly wrong, you have a God-given right to remain terribly wrong. I am not “anti-anybody” — I am only pro-Truth [click HERE for the definition of “Truth”]. I firmly believe that it can be proven with absolute certainty that the Bible, and the Bible only, is the revealed Word of God. It is the standard by which all knowledge and opinion must be judged.
I also believe that for nearly 2,000 years (starting within 100 years following the Resurrection), the “Church” has been blinded to the truth of the Scriptures because of their disdain for the children of Abraham — they simply refuse to read and interpret the Jewish Scriptures (yes, all the Scriptures — all 66 books — are totally Jewish) as they were intended by their Jewish authors and as they would have been clearly understood by their Jewish recipients.[11] I have come to believe that it is impossible to properly interpret the Scriptures apart from their ancient Jewish historical, cultural, and linguistic context.
Information on this website that concerns non-Biblical religious beliefs is provided for the sole purpose of comparing those beliefs with the Revealed Truth of the Bible. I also attempt to demonstrate, for educational and restorative purposes only, just how far the Christian Church has drifted away from its Jewish origins, and to provide a possible alternative view to what I taught for nearly 40 years as an evangelical Christian pastor (over 20 years with Baptist congregations). I earnestly await the return of King Messiah, the establishment of God’s Theocratic Kingdom here on earth, and the “Restoration of All Things” as promised by the prophets. For more on this subject, please CLICK HERE. ב״ה
Many Gentiles will go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yehovah, to the house of the God of Ya'akov [Jacob/Israel]! He will teach us about His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For out of Tziyon [Zion] will go forth Torah, the word of Yehovah from Yerushalayim [Jerusalem]. (Micah 4:2; Isaiah 2:3)
Return in compassion to Your city, Jerusalem, and rest within it as You have said. Rebuild it speedily, and in our days, a structure forever. And may You establish the throne of David within Jerusalem speedily. Blessed are You, Lord, the Builder of Jerusalem. (The Amidah, Blessing 14)
I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7)
For Tziyon’s sake I will not be silent, for Yerushalayim’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out brightly and her Yeshua like a blazing torch. (Isaiah 62:1)
So for America’s sake I will not be silent, for Washington’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out brightly and her Yeshua like a blazing torch.
Hear what Yehovah says to Israel: “I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)
And hear what Yeshua says to the whole world: “Yes! I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these [Jewish] brothers of mine, you did them for me!” (Matthew 25:40)
“From Your heavenly abode You will appear, O our King, and reign over us, for we wait for You. When will You reign in Zion? Soon, even in our days, may You dwell there forever and ever. May You be exalted and sanctified within Yerushalayim, Your city, from generation to generation and for all eternity. May our eyes see Your Kingdom, as it is expressed in the songs of Your Might by the hand of David, Your righteous Anointed: ‘Adonai shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, from generation to generation! Hallelujah!’” (K'doosha, the Sanctification Prayer from the Shabbat Sidur)
What This Website is All About: HaDerek ב״ה
1. Except where indicated, Scripture quotations on this website are from the Complete Jewish Bible. [BACK]
2. The New American Standard Bible renders this phrase, “… for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness …” The Greek word rendered “lawlessness” is ἀνομίᾳ (anomia), “without Law.” In the original Hebrew in which this was originally penned “Law” is “Torah.” So the clear intent of the phrase is to contrast those who follow Torah against those who do not. [BACK]
3. Lancaster, Daniel Thomas. Elementary Principles: Six Foundational Principles of Ancient Jewish Christianity. Marshfield, MO: First Fruits of Zion, 2014, pp. 25-26. www.ffoz.org (my emphasis added) [BACK]
4. Whenever I use the word ”Torah” I am referring only to the written Word contained the 66 books contained in the generally-accepted canon of Scripture. More about that HERE. [BACK]
5. Absolutely nothing on this website is intended to be political in any way. That being said, when the kings of Israel did evil in the sight of Yehovah, it was the responsibility of HaShem’s prophets to call them out. I am the farthest thing from a prophet, but I still believe that as a follower of Yeshua HaMashiach, and especially as a Torah teacher, I have a responsibility to call them out when America’s elected “representatives” (we certainly can’t call more than a very few of them “leaders” these days) do evil in the sight of Yehovah. [BACK]
6. The complete quote is, ”Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation – at least, not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.” As the elected spokesperson for the United States of America, his declaration stands as the “official” position of the nation. Defenders of his position argue that what he meant was that America is an “inclusive” nation and that people of all faiths are welcome here. The plain truth of the matter is that Judeo-Christianity as defined by the Bible is simply no longer tolerated, nor is it compatable with religions that worship false gods. [BACK]
7. Dictionary.com defines “religion” as “the set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe … a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons … something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience …” (dictionary.com) The “theory of evolution” is a totally unproven and unprovable theory presented by Charles Darwin in 1859, and is a cornerstone belief of Humanism. Thus Secular Humanism is by definition a religion and evolution is one of its prime tenets. The United States now tolerates virtually all of the world’s religions (except Judeo-Christianity) and openly promotes the Secular Humanist religion. [BACK]
8. www.foxnews.com/politics/abortions-since-roe-v-wade accessed 30 May 2023 [BACK]
9. “In addition to sexual rituals, Moloch worship included child sacrifice, or “passing children through the fire.” It is believed that idols of Moloch were giant metal statues of a man with a bull’s head. Each image had a hole in the abdomen and possibly outstretched forearms that made a kind of ramp to the hole. A fire was lit in or around the statue. Babies were placed in the statue’s arms or in the hole. When a couple sacrificed their firstborn, they believed that Moloch would ensure financial prosperity for the family and future children.” (www.gotquestions.org/who-Molech.html accessed 30 May 2023) [BACK]
10. Why don’t I include Messianic Judiasm as a target of the government’s war against Believers? Because I don't feel that it’s necessary to point out that any war against Christians is a war against Messianic Believers, and any act of anti-semitism is an act against Messianic Believers. As the group that “forms a bridge” between the two faiths and includes both, anything that affects Jews also affects Messianic Believers and anything that affects Christians also affects Messianic Believers. [BACK]
11. One might argue, and fairly so, that all of the letters that Rebbe Sha'ul (the Apostle Paul) wrote to congregations were written to a primarily gentile audience. While that may be true, those gentiles were living in Torah-persuant communities that were under the ecclesiastical authority of Jewish Rabbis who were engaged in training them to live a lifestyle compatible with the greater Jewish communities. Their lifetyle would therefore of necessity looked very Jewish to any observer. [BACK]
12. See, for example, just one of many articles: “Margaret Sanger’s Racist Legacy Lives On At Planned Parenthood” at washingtonexaminer.com, accessed 4 June 2022. [BACK]
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