“…Why do you also transgress the commandment of GOD by your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3) 

“I am a non-religious Bible believer. I am a Bible literalist, meaning I believe in the Bible, the whole Bible, just as it is written.  Did you know that technically speaking, the Bible doesn’t really teach a religion?”  

Some folks still prod me, wanting an answer that they can identify with, and then I say, “I am a Protestant Christian with Messianic beliefs.  Or as some people call it Messianic-Christian, meaning I hold more to the Hebrew customs of Yeshua that predate Roman Christianity. I try to explain, technically speaking, Messianic and Christianity are redundant terms, but it has come to mean people who were Sunday keeping Christians are abandoning some of their traditional Roman Christians habits they grew up with and are now adopting some Hebrew beliefs from the first Jerusalem Messianic church (the Jerusalem followers of Yeshua). 

When you study Judaism and Roman Christianity, and reflect back on it, one can see many similarities.  Some Messianic Jews will say if you take all the paganism out of Christianity there would be nothing left.  Well the Roman Christians did a pretty good job of copying the Jewish religious infrastructure.  Both claim apostolic power, Jews have Moses, Roman Christians have Peter, to change YHWH’s and Yahshua’s words – but neither can prove it through scripture.  They both have men in black exercising power over the people - rabbis / father-priests.  The pomp and ceremony of high priests reflects in the Jewish High Priest / Pope.  They both have a religious police force to enforce their religious laws - Sanhedrin / Vatican.  Both teach more of man’s religious law and very little of GOD’s Words in literal scripture.  I could go on and on, but I think you see the picture, and if you think about it the Muslims have much the same problems.  The religious curmudgeon in me asks: Explain it to me one more time why I should join up – and do it slowly.

I am interested in learning, and there is a lot I learned from the Messianic-Jews but their religious problems are not my problems.  It is the same for the Christian Sabbath Keepers, Holy Name keepers, Holy Day keepers etc., there is much I have enjoyed learning from them, and there is much that I disagree with. For example their endless criticism of the Sunday keeping Christians. For the words say any day that we set aside in holly worship to the Lord he would be pleased. Simply because our heavenly Father wants to spend time with you and I