I was raised within a Pentecostal family and went to a Pentecostal church my whole life. Even though I no longer attend that church, I still feel like I’m a part of that sector of Christianity. Beyond that, I’ve come to realize that the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) is the foundation of all Scripture and that all of the commandments of the Torah are still authoritative (where applicable). I’m not the only one who has come to understand this. There is a whole movement of Believers, across the world, who are coming to this understanding. This movement is called Messianic Judaism.
I feel like I’m stuck in the middle. On one hand, I know Evangelical Christian culture from the inside and still feel I’m a part of it (whether I like it or not!). On the other hand, I’m intently studying the practices of Messianic Judaism and aspiring to live my life within the norms of the Torah and Jewish tradition. Sometimes it feels almost impossible to make the transition. Maybe I never will. Perhaps it’s not for my generation to enjoy the Torah life to its fullest extent (as much as we can enjoy without the return of Messiah). Maybe what God is doing now is simply to prepare for the next generation?
This blog will be written from this perspective. That is, an Evangelical Christian who is learning how to practice Messianic Judaism.
If you are an Evangelical Christian, please don’t be offended. Instead, I hope you are curious as to why I’ve come to the conclusions that I have. I was in your position once. I haven’t forgotten what it’s like to be a part of church culture.
If you’re a Believer who practices Messianic Judaism, please understand that I’m probably not at your level. I still have a lot to learn. I don’t know Hebrew (yet!) and I don’t quite understand exactly what work (melachah) is on the Sabbath. (I could list a whole host of things that I don’t know yet!) Please remember that we are all the same in the Messiah and if you have more knowledge of the Bible, please share it with the rest of us!
If you’re in neither of these camps: welcome. You’ll get a unique glimpse into the culture clash that is my life!
