Being an open Messianic Jew has gained me a couple friends but a lot of hostility, anger, rejection, accusation, and being unfollowed/ blocked by people who I thought were on my side.
Hardcore Orthodox religious Jews are determined to give Messianic Jews the rejection experience similar to Jesus, which only makes the lived experience for us more realistic, meaningful, and essentially deepens our connection to Christ
Yeshua is Messiah
When Jewish people come to faith in Jesus, they don’t stop being Jewish. They are recognizing their own Messiah, the One foretold by their prophets and promised through their covenant.
Following Jesus doesn’t erase Jewish identity: it completes it. It is the fulfillment of the very faith that gave birth to the Messiah Himself.
The early disciples were Jewish. The apostles prayed in the Temple, kept the feasts, and preached the gospel first to their own people. They didn’t see belief in Jesus as a rejection of Judaism, but as its divine fulfillment.
To follow the Messiah of Israel is not to abandon Jewishness. It is to embrace the fullness of what God began with Abraham, confirmed through Moses, and completed in Christ.
I know that some of you have followed this trend:
Me: I am Jewish and believe in Jesus!
You: YAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me: I am Jewish and believe in Jesus!
You: yay!
Me: I am Jewish and believe in Jesus!
You: Didn't you say that already?
Me: I am Jewish and believe in Jesus!
You: No longer interested.
I get it. I hear you. Point taken.
And also...
I am Jewish and believe in Jesus!!!! 😆😆😆
❤️❤️❤️
Left: Lost, Overweight & Depressed
Right: Jacked, Man of God, Happiest I've ever been
It didn’t happen overnight…
But here are the 8 habits that changed my life:
A dad can lose friends. He can be misunderstood by his own family. He can carry the weight of criticism and still sleep just fine at night.
Why?
Because his mission isn’t to be liked by the crowd. His mission is to be respected, trusted, and loved by the most important audience in his life.
His children.
One day, those kids will look back and realize why Dad said ‘no’ when everyone else said ‘yes.’ Why he stood his ground when it would’ve been easier to bend. Why he took the long road, even when the short one looked tempting.
A father success isn’t measured by applause.
It’s measured by who his children become.
By how much they seek his company when they no longer need him.
And by the grandchildren who carry his legacy forward.