THE HOLY LAND CONNECTION- PART VI

UNDERTSANDING THE HEBRAIC ROOTS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

Hebraic Roots of Christianity

It is important to remember that Christianity was born out of a mindset that was Hebraic in nature and not in a Greek mindset like most of the Church functions in today. Our Lord Jesus Christ chose to walk among us as a Jew for a reason, and it would be good for us to think more about this. I continue to learn a great deal about God and his ways and am blessed as I search out the scriptures in the Hebraic mindset. The person we call Messiah, Lord, Savior, and who we desire to intimately know was Jewish! He honored the traditions, customs and culture of the Jewish people because his Father chose them to reveal to the world his ways and his Holy Word. It is also important to remember that the early church in the book of Acts was functioning in the Hebraic mindset naturally and innocently. It is not as if they were interpreting scripture and then by their own understanding creating their own theologies of living out the scriptures. The reason is they had just witnessed Yeshua (the Word of God in the flesh) demonstrate what the pure “Christian” faith looks like through the power of the Holy Spirit, miracles, and all! Maybe instead of “Christian” we should say as Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul did that we are really BORN AGAIN and followers of THE WAY OF CHRIST: John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Acts 24:14, “But I'll admit to you that I am a follower of The Way [of Christ], which they call a sect. This means that I serve our ancestors' God and believe everything written in Moses' Teachings and the Prophets.” Unlike the church today, the early church had no Constantine, Calvin, Luther, Pentecostal, Methodist, Catholic, Greek or Reformation type influences to deal with. They had Jesus and Jesus only, and they believed in him like little children believe in their father. They were pure in faith and it just happened to be in a Hebrew frame of mind. Moving along, is it then a paradox that there is neither Jew nor Gentile in the Bride of Messiah even though God chose to be Jewish? Or is it majesty at its finest? In the same light, is not marriage between a man and a woman majestic and a mystery at the same time? Even though we may not know and completely understand the mystery and majesty of “Jew and Gentile” as “One New Man in Messiah” (spoken of in Ephesians 3) or the “Beauty and Mystery of Marriage as Man and Woman in Messiah” we will still experience the blessing as we remain faithful to God who is sovereign and leads us by the person of the Holy Spirit. For God is in the business of uniting all that he has claimed as his even when it seems impossible!

With all of that in our minds, growing in these things is a result of seeking and studying truth, and the Hebraic Roots movement has a key element to restore the lost Hebraic nature of our faith into scripture. For the Christian, this means becoming aware of and getting back into the Jewish roots of their faith by living holy lives and becoming set apart. The Most High gave an eternal style to our ancient faith that would be unmistakable in the world as belonging to him. His people are to be his own and be a chosen people, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. One of the worst things that could happen to the people of Adonai is to assimilate into the world's fashion; to think like the world thinks and to follow the world's lead. One of the main purposes of the Bride of Christ is to lead the world to worship and obey the Almighty. This demands that we stop taking in and digesting what the world is feeding and what our flesh craves. We must reflect the ancient ways he gave us or else how can we show that we have something different and better to offer the world? Read what King David said in Psalm 119 which is speaking of Moses Teachings, the Torah, the law that Jesus Christ fulfilled and delighted in! May we hunger and thirst for God’s instruction, precepts, statutes, commands and principles in the same way and become set a part.

We should not be shocked as we see Christianity die in America and so many people being deceived and led astray from God. Leaders in the churches who are moving further and further away from Christianity’s original Hebrew roots and Spirit are not putting a proper emphasis on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the prevalence of living in sin and how to deal with it, the nation of Israel and the Church, prophecy, and living by the power of the Holy Spirit. These subjects in and of themselves are sensitive, divisive, offensive, truly convicting, or deemed unknowable because they demand a surrender of the will through childlike faith. These subjects are definitely not ecumenical or politically correct in nature. Rather they are very narrow and not flexible as they should be. Living in the purity of the faith is challenging and requires a conforming or circumcision of the heart to God’s ways. Thank the Lord that his love is unconditional, and equally, thank the Lord that living in Holy Spirit Power is a result of living conditionally in obedience to Christ. Unfortunately, many so called “Christian” movements and authors are popping up all the time who are far from the purity of the faith. For example, at Olive Tree Ministries with Jan Markell, research the Emergent Church, the Church Growth Movement, the Ecumenical Church, the Contemplative Prayer Church, the Replacement Theology Church as well as how eastern religious practices have found there way into the churches of America. When all is said and done, how are these evolving “churches” as well as their practices reflecting the heart and mind of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach who is The Way we are to follow, The Truth we are to believe, and The Life we are to humbly receive (Psalm 119:30, John 14:6, John 1:4, John 1:14, John 10:9, John 11:25, Romans 5:2, Ephesians 2:18, Hebrews 10:20, 1 John 5:20)? Are the people coming to church looking for the answer to their LIFE getting the answer they really need? Jesus modeled what we are to do in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. One question we must ask ourselves as members of the Bride of Christ in this day and age of change is: Do we want to conform to what the world’s idea of “Christ likeness” should be and our own idea for that matter only to be swallowed up by the one world religion? Or should we embrace our real Hebraic roots where there is the rich heritage and reflection of the heart of God, where Jesus himself chose to demonstrate his ministry and where the true context of scripture is revealed? Summing this up, there is only one seeker who requires our sensitivity. (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9, 1 John 4:19, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 4:10, Luke 19:10, Romans 5:8, Romans 5:10, Romans 3:10-12).