My Messianic Faith

    

 I grew up as a Baptist preacher's kid. My Dad made sure that I understood what I believed and able to defend my faith when needed. When I was 12 years old, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I had a baptism by immersion when I was 15. Faith is what my life is all about, and prayer is a big part of it.

      Back in 2011, I dabbled in the Tourism industry and discovered Israel. In 2012, I had the privilege of going to the Holy Land. The Bible came alive as if I was walking on the pages of the book. I prayed to God to connect me to Israel since I didn't know many Jewish people. After work, I would regularly stop by the prayer center of my church to pray about this. I vividly remembered when I got home from praying that day, that as soon as I stepped out of the car, my son, who happened to be in the driveway, asked me the question," Mom, would you like to go to a Shabbat dinner?" The rest is history.

     What is the Messianic faith? It is a faith that believes that Jesus, whose Hebrew name is Yeshua, is the Messiah (HaMashiach). God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and that the Old and New Testaments are one book. The Old Testament is The Scripture that our Lord and His disciples referred to in the New Testament. It is a faith that believes God's commandments are still relevant today.

      I am obeying NOT because it will save me, but because I am. If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

      I love observing the feasts of the LORD. Leviticus 23:31 says that it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations wherever you may be. To me, it is worshipping my God when I observe the feasts. Avodah is a Hebrew word that means worship, work, craftsmanship, service, and ministry. When I am working to prepare for our Shabbat meal or feast meals, using my artistic abilities to set the table, serving, and ministering to my family, I worship God. He desires that we worship Him in everything we do.

      One of the reasons I was attracted to the Messianic Jewish faith is that it is God-focused and not me-focused. I observed that worship is about blessing the LORD, giving Him praise, thanking Him for saving His people, singing of His greatness! I forget about myself. Back then, it was about my prayer requests, testimonies, ministry, and what God can do for me.  I forgot the main reason for worshipping is to think about God and not about me! He only asks for one day! Now, whenever it is Shabbat, I give Him the praise and trust Him that He will take care of all my concerns. I don't even need to mention them because He's got it! I need to enjoy the day and not worry!

"If you hold back your foot on Shabbat

from pursuing your interests on my holy day;

if you call Shabbat a delight,

Adonai's holy day, worth honoring;

then honor it by not doing your usual things

or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.

If you do, you will find delight in Adonai —

I will make you ride on the heights of the land

and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov,

for the mouth of Adonai has spoken."

Isaiah 58:13-14 (CJB)

     In the beginning, I attended a local Messianic Jewish Synagogue, and later I also participated at a Hebraic Christian fellowship. I was active in both groups. There are variations among the Messianic and Hebraic groups, and at times, it's not very clear. Let me discuss their differences then I will tell you where I aligned myself.

God’s Name: YHVH

Group A: Translated as LORD in the English Bible

Group B: When you come to the word YHVH in the Jewish Bible, say Adonai (LORD) or HaShem (The Name). Jews consider the name of God too sacred to pronounce. 

Group C: It is Yahweh. (In the Hebrew Alphabet, it's the letter Yud, Hay, Vav, Hay). The group who pronounced it as Yahweh is claiming that the vowels under the letter next to the Y is an A, H is silent, and V pronounced as W, and next to it is the vowel E, then the H is silent.

Group D: It is Yehovah. In this group, they claimed that the vowel next to the Y is e. The vowel next to the H is o. The vowel next to the V is a. The H is silent.

    I call God and Jesus (Yeshua), LORD. I prefer Adonai (LORD) to HaShem(The Name). I realized that it's not His names. It is a Title. Since people argue how to pronounce His Name, YHVH, I prefer not to take sides since I am not sure who is right. Adonai is perfect for me. It doesn't mean that I differ from the rest of the Messianic doctrine.

Groups

Messianic Jewish: Messianic Judaism is the name given to New Covenant faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah by Jewish heritage. It also invites into fellowship Gentiles who have the calling to embrace an expression of faith in Yeshua in a Jewish communal context. (Definition by Jewish Voice)

The order of the service is more Jewish in nature. Liturgy and Hebrew language is part of the service. They accept Yeshua (Jesus) as their Savior but practice the Jewish lifestyle, whether Jews or Gentiles. This group alone will have variations in how they interpret God's name, address Him, Jewish practices, lifestyle, and worship. Not all Messianic Synagogues are the same, as some are more Orthodox.

Hebraic Christians:  

1. (Peoples) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Hebrews or their language or culture

2. (Languages) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Hebrews or their language or culture

They are Jews and Gentiles who believe in Yeshua(Jesus), intending to worship God the way the early Christians did. They are Christians with a focus on the Jewish or Hebraic interpretation of the Scripture.

Day of worship varies between Friday Night, Saturday, or Sunday.

Hebrew Roots Movement: Definition from Hebrew Roots dot info:

The Hebrew Roots Movement is a general term used for an emerging grassroots spiritual awakening worldwide. Christians return to the original first-century faith, beliefs, and understanding of the Scriptures taught by the Messiah, Early Church, and Apostles.  Hebrew Roots is not a denomination or church but rather a mindset seeking to emulate Jesus (Yeshua) as much as possible. 

There are many sub-groups out there, but only one way and only One God.

Clothing: 

     Some groups believe in women covering their hair, and some don't. Some only wear long skirts, and anything goes for others. Men typically wear Kippas, but not everyone does.

     When I pray at home, I cover my head, and when I light the candles on Shabbat. I usually wear a hat to keep the wind from blowing my hair since moving to a windy place.

Food:

     Dietary restriction is in Leviticus 11. Before I became a Messianic, I noticed that many patients have digestive troubles with unknown causes. People don't seem to have any control over what kind of diseases falls on them! I decided to follow the guidelines because I believe God knows what is good for us. Saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer." Exodus 15:26

     People follow dietary guidelines prescribed by doctors or YouTube channel guides, and it's alright. Everyone gets to choose what they want to eat, and so do I.

What day is the Sabbath?

     The only day on the Jewish Calendar with a name is the seventh day which is called Shabbat. My rest day is Saturday which starts on Friday evening. Having a Shabbat Dinner with the family is something I look forward to every week.