John McKee delivers the October 2023 Outreach Israel News update.
Messianic Lifestyle
If there is any area where today’s Messianic movement tends to absolutely excel, it is with integrating a wide selection of the mainline Jewish traditions and customs for observing the Sabbath. Regardless of their background before coming to Messiah faith, religious or secular, today’s Messianic Jews tend to remember Shabbat with the common elements of lighting candles, breaking challah, drinking wine, and attending synagogue services with traditional liturgy and Torah readings. Non-Jewish Believers who have been led by the Lord into the Messianic movement, seeking to embrace more of the Hebraic and Jewish Roots of their faith, have also taken a hold of Shabbat, the opportunity for rest it offers to the people of God, and many of the significant traditions that can make the Sabbath a very holy and sanctified time.
Much of the Messianic community has promoted what it considers to be “Biblically kosher,” which primarily begins and ends at not eating pork and shellfish. In traditional Judaism, however, what it means to be kosher is much more involved than observant Jews not eating certain meats labeled to be “unclean.” Kashrut involves classification of unclean meats to be sure, but also involves some significant traditions regarding the butchering of animals, how meat is to be prepared, what can and cannot be eaten together, separation of utensils and cookware—as well as a variety of theological and philosophical reasons proposed for the institution of these Biblical instructions, and their subsequent interpretation and application over the centuries by Jewish religious authorities and diverse Jewish communities.
John McKee discusses the significance of stability versus instability, considering some examples from your likely, current Messianic experience.
I have encountered many people in my Messianic experience, who believe that they have special information or perspectives. Much of this actually manifests in people thinking that they are entitled to just talk or say anything they want about various matters, offering no references or documentation to what they say. Can you please help?
John McKee discusses how many people in today’s Messianic movement, believe that they should have some kind of insider information or perspective—precisely because of their involvement with Israel, Jewish salvation, and the return of the Messiah. If indeed so, how can this be done in a responsible manner, facilitating Kingdom of God purposes?
Perhaps the most shocking trend present today in the Messianic movement, is witnessing a return of many evangelical Believers to the foundations of our faith. This is best exemplified by many individuals studying the Torah on a consistent basis. The Torah is the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, also commonly called the Law of Moses or Pentateuch.
How do you respond to the view of some that Millennial Kingdom worldwide Torah practices, such as the remembrance of the seventh-day Sabbath or Feast of Tabernacles—should not be breaking into the present time?
Are non-Jewish Believers who are anticipating these things by keeping them, holding to an “overly-realized eschatology”?
