Why so many differences in the Messianic Movement?

Q. Why are there so many differences in the Messianic Movement?


A. One of the problems with the Messianic movement is that it tries to resemble "Judaism" and its practices that centered around Rabbinic Judaism. Some believers get caught up in all the "Jewish" practices which can get them right back into a religious perversion that is just as bad as some of the practices in Christianity. Most Messianic Jewish organizations are just "fronts" to win Jewish people to Christianity. Their leaders have said it was never the intent of these organizations to direct Jews and Gentiles to follow the Torah. This has been dealt with in many previous articles so I won't get into it here, but that is a problem. If one stood up and said that they should follow the Torah they would be escorted out of that Congregation. That's why pork is served at their conventions and they buy and sell on the Sabbath. They have a Jewish window dressing so that they can reach Jews to Christianity without telling them. So, when one realizes what is going on they reach out to other organizations who follow the Torah but the problem with many of those places is that they incorporate Rabbinic Judaism into their practices, which God never sanctioned either. So discussions over the matter lead to dissension and that tends to lead to some confusion. Any organization that uses the term "Judaism" will eventually drift into that direction and then they start following the Rabbis to some extent. But these Rabbis are the spiritual descendants of the Pharisee's and we know what Yeshua said about their teachings. An article was written several weeks ago about this very thing. There was no "Judaism" in the first century and while the Temple stood. Everybody went to the Temple and worship centered around what the Torah said about that. There were many "sects" and believers were just one of many, called the Way in the Book of Acts. Since the Temple was destroyed, the Rabbi's have come up with "Judaism" that is anti-Yeshua and have given the people the Talmud, Kabbalah and other writings and say those writings are more binding on the people than the Torah. Christianity has done the same thing with the writings of the "Church Fathers" and these writings have perverted the truth of God. People are taught that only the Rabbi or the priest can properly interpret the Bible. The Rabbi's tell their people not to read the New Testament and the priests/ministers tell their people not to read the Torah and understand it. The problem is when a person comes out of Christianity and they begin to study from the Rabbi's. Which one are you going to follow? They don't agree among themselves and they are certainly placing themselves under anti-Yeshua instruction. Yeshua already told us about their teachings (Mt 16.11, Mk 8.15). Truth be known, are the teachings of the Rabbi's today any different than their spiritual fathers in the first century? I think not, but many Messianic organizations are following these teachings. Their leaders have been fed at the troughs of the Church and some say the Torah is only for Jews, but how can that be. All that does is create two different groups. Others go the other way and teach their congregations to follow Rabbinic Judaism. Now, one can glean some truth from all of this but I have heard people say that Yeshua's teachings were similar to the Pharisee's so He must have been one, but that is not the case. Yeshua was very clear about what He thought about their teachings. The bottom line is this. When one becomes a believer they must go out to the desert. They are not going to change the Church into Torah observance and so Yeshua said let them be and to come out. Most Messianic Congregations won't listen either and they missed it long ago. Rabbinical Judaism has rejected Yeshua, the Church has rejected the Torah and the Messianic congregations say Torah observance doesn't matter. The Lord is leading people out of these groups and to a "new land" that He will show them. The Lord will be at the head of that flock in spite of the Rabbi's, the priests and the Messianic leadership. We aren't called to follow organizations but to follow the Lord. This can be lonely and difficult, but it is the way it has to be. These man-made organizations have missed the boat and the Lord has said "my sheep hear my voice" and they do. There so many differences because they have left the Lord behind and developed their own "ways" and that is what has caused the confusion. We don't have to belong to any organization or be put under their authority. We are to follow the Lord and learn a proper understanding of His Word. Yeshua didn't belong to any group and we don't have to either. But this takes trust and it can be lonely, but in the end you will know the way in which you are to go.