Lamed Messianic Jewish Studies

To our Jewish friends, and to those Jews who are curious, or who stumbled upon our website, we’d like to address concerns typical to Jewish folks who hear about us, Messianic Jews and Gentiles in general, and Lamed Messianic Jewish Studies specifically:

First, we understand how it can be perceived that we are just 'Christians in disguise.' And we understand how it can seem offensive that we would call ourselves Jewish [many of us are], or Hebrew, and name ourselves Messianic at the same time. However, there is nothing anti-Jewish about being one who believes in the Messiah Yeshua. In the wider Jewish community, there are many groups who believe other men are the Messiah, such as those who believe[d] Menachem Shneerson is/was the Messiah. Why, then, are they accepted in the wider Jewish community, and we, by and large, are not? Likely, we propose, because of the nearly 2000 years of history and the Gentile takeover [and re-naming/reshaping] of the Messianic community.

We would like to express to the Jewish community that we are not Christians in disguise. We at Lamed Messianic Jewish Studies have left behind most of what makes a person traditionally 'Christian' in the Catholic-dominated Christian world and the modern sense of the word. We do not believe in a poly-theistic trinity; we do not answer to (nor venerate) a pope, nor any other religious figurehead; we do not keep feasts that are NOT proscribed in HaTanakh (Scriptures), such as Easter, Christmas, Halloween, and other extra-biblical holidays; we do NOT agree that the Jewish people have been replaced by the 'church'; and we have NOT, by any means, forsaken the Torah, nor do we believe that our Messiah Yeshua taught anyone to do so, as many Christians insist.

We believe that the Messianic community of which Messiah Yeshua created, and which His Sh'likhim (Sent-Ones, Apostles) established and built, was created upon the Truth of HaTorat b'Moshe' [2 Tim 3:15-16]....¹⁵and knowing that you have learned from your childhood the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach. ¹⁶All Scripture written by the inspiration of HaRuach HaQodesh is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in tzedaqa;...
--Timoteus Bet (2^nd Timothy) 3:15-16 We believe ALL the followers of Messiah Yeshua, including His Sh'likhim, other Jewish followers, AND Gentile followers, were Sabbath keepers, and talmidim (students) of Torah, well into the third century. But, the congregation suffered greatly by false teachers who entered in and began to “paganize” the Messianic community. The most damaging blow to that community was by Constantine, who forbade the JEWISH 'Bishops' [Z’kenim] from attending the first 'ecumenical' counsel of the 'church'. He expelled all Jews from fellowship. His successors killed those Jews AND Gentiles who would not stop observing the Sabbath, and those who would not accept their 'new' definition of "Christ" and G-d as a 'trinity', an obvious Egyptian influence on the theology of the day. In short, he made "Christianity" as we know it; though, it has evolved even further away since then. But, we contend that there has ALWAYS been a remnant of Jewish followers of Yeshua; only, they have had to hide and practice their faith privately, and eventually lost their Jewish identity altogether, until the advent of the American colonies and the first efforts to establish freedom of religion.

We understand and grieve over the fact that many who call the Son of G-d "Jesus" have at the same time persecuted the Jewish community in that name, even killing in the Name of 'G-d.'

There is a distinction to be made between the Yeshua of the Brit Chadashah Scriptures and any 'Jesus' of wider 'Christianity' that would condone or overlook such heinous behavior.

Many Believers did not even know they were of Jewish descent. But, something in them, even from little children, gave them an inexplicable affinity for all things Jewish, and a deep affection for the Jewish people. As a believer in the Messiah, they always somehow understood that 'Jesus,' (Yeshua) the REAL Messiah of Scripture, IS Jewish. And, upon hearing the JEWISH explanation of the Messiah from Torah, knew and understood that those who follow Him should "walk His Halakhah [ Life-walk ]." And they set out at that point to learn what it means to be Jewish, and to teach others the same. After 20 some-odd years, a this Lamed Messianic group was the result of one such personal realization. There are many in our congregation whose Jewish lineage was hidden from them for one reason or another. That does not make them any less Jewish than anyone else, as far as lineage is concerned.
"A true Jew is one who is Jewish inwardly." [ Ref.: D'varim 10:16; ... ^{דְּבָרִים D'varim (Deuteronomy) 10:16}
.טז וּמַלְתֶּם, אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם; וְעָרְפְּכֶם--לֹא תַקְשׁוּ, עוֹד
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

D'varim 30:6; ... ^{דְּבָרִים D'varim (Deuteronomy) 30:6}
.ו וּמָל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת-לְבָבְךָ, וְאֶת-לְבַב זַרְעֶךָ: לְאַהֲבָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ--לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ
6 And Yahu'ah Elohekhah will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahu'ah Elohekhah with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.

Yerme-Yahu 4:4; ... ^{יִרְמְיָהוּ Yerme-Yahu (Jeremiah) 4:4}
.ד הִמֹּלוּ לַיהוָה, וְהָסִרוּ עָרְלוֹת לְבַבְכֶם, אִישׁ יְהוּדָה, וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם: פֶּן-תֵּצֵא כָאֵשׁ חֲמָתִי, וּבָעֲרָה וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה--מִפְּנֵי, רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם
4 Circumcise yourselves to Yahu'ah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Y'hudah and inhabitants of Yerushalayim; lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Romim 2:28-29... ^{רומים Romim (Romans) 2:28-29}
אגרת שאול אל הרומים
( פרק ב : משפט הצדק של אלהים )
כִּי אִם-תּוֹכוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הוּא יְהוּדִי וּמִילָה הִיא בַּלֵּב כְּפִי הָרוּחַ וְלֹא כְּפִי הַכְּתָב אֲשֶׁר-לֹא מִבְּנֵי אָדָם תְּהִלָּתוֹ כִּי אִם-מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים׃(דברים י' טז'; ירמיהו ד' ד')
For he is not a Yehudi who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Yehudi who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from HaElohim.

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We wish to tell the wider Jewish community that as much persecution as you still suffer, and as much as you often feel slightly 'out of place' in the Christian dominated society, so do we! And even more, in some ways! We often can no longer identify with family and friends, who do not understand why we keep the Sabbath, why we eat kosher, why we wear tzit-tziyot, why we pray in Hebrew, and more.

We also wish to tell you that we are not here to try to replace you; nor to try to force conversions; nor to persecute Jewish people in ANY way; conversely, we will stand beside you in any struggle, whether you would have us to or not, because we affirm your place as the Chosen People of G-d. Those of us who are Jewish have learned to stand beside others who believe in our Jewish Messiah, Yeshua of Natzrat. Those of us who are Gentile have learned just how Jewish our Messiah really is, and how important the Torah is to Him and to following Him. So, we bless you! Because we KNOW that is how Yeshua would have it. We only ask that you endeavor to understand us, as we strive to understand and embrace you!

Shalom!