When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. ⁴⁴ Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. ⁴⁵ Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43-45 KJV)

 In many respects the modern “Messianic Movement” is much like the “house” described in our Master Yeshua’s teaching above.  There are many believers in the Messianic Movement that have genuinely embraced YHWH’S call to come out of Babylon. Having discovered the pagan origins of many of the rituals, customs, and traditions that shape and dominate the worship, liturgy and piety of the Christian Church, believers have, and are, leaving the Christian Church in droves.  I would wager to guess that the bulk of those who identify themselves as members of the Messianic Movement are Gentiles coming out of the Church, and not Jews coming to faith in Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel.  Scandals involving sexual abuse, child abuse, marital infidelity, homosexuality, actively gay and lesbian clergy and bishops, a general disregard for scripture, and financial improprieties have given many believers plenty of reasons to leave the Church.  In other words, there is a growing “anti-church” sentiment among many believers.  This negativism toward the institutional church has led many believers to reject the “Christian Faith” as taught by these institutions and to search for the “genuine faith.”  Unfortunately many of these believers are drawn to the strong “anti-Christian, anti-Church, anti-Pagan” message of the Messianic Movement.  Believers angry over being taught “lies” and “paganism” for so many years want to “clean house”.  Christmas trees and decorations, Easter baskets and bunnies, statutes of the Virgin Mary, Crucifixes, Rosaries, and prayer books all find their way out of the attics, off the shelves, and into the garbage.  Sunday worship, First Friday Novenas, Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, and a number of other formerly acceptable celebrations are suddenly removed from the calendar and rhythm of daily life. While it is good to get the “leaven” out of one’s home and life, the feeling of emptiness left behind can at times be overwhelming.   

 Unfortunately, once the “house” has been cleansed of all the defiling objects and traditions many people feel a great void in their lives.  Once the purging work is complete the emptiness and quiet is deafening.  The whole world seems to stop for the pagan holidays, but the non-participating believer feels lost and displaced like a fish out of water.  Sooner than later, the recently liberated believer will begin searching for something to fill the time and space left by the zealous purging or paganism.  Many of the recent converts to the Messianic Movement erroneously and quickly fill the void left by the purging of all the man-made Christian traditions, by embracing and adapting the man-made Rabbinic Jewish traditions.  The Christmas tree is replaced with a Hanukkiah (9 branched menorah), the cross on the wall is replaced with a Star of David, and Ashes on the forehead are replaced with a kippah (or yarmulke) on the back of the head.   Such moves are truly lateral moves.  But, for a brief moment in time the new Messianic convert feels a sense of contentment, satisfaction, and belonging.  The novelty of the new traditions fills the void.  But, before long, the origins of these rabbinic traditions are exposed and the anger, and the purging, and the feelings of confusion and emptiness begin all over again.  So, the search to fill the void continues.  

 Unfortunately, these new converts to the Messianic Movement have little foundation in the Torah.  Many of these believers did not “convert” to the Messianic Movement because they understood the teachings of our Master Yeshua, the Messiah, or because they understood that he was teaching the Torah as Moses received it.  Many of these new brothers and sisters in the faith have joined the Messianic Movement because they are “anti-Church”, and are searching for something OTHER THAN THE CHURCH—that still teaches faith in Jesus/Yeshua.  Many of these brothers and sisters have run the gambit of Christian denominationalism and the non-denominationalism and were left hungering for more. The “icing” of modern Christianity did not satisfy the hunger, they now want cake.  The Messianic Movement is the next promising and novel thing to draw their attention.  Drawn by the anti-Church, instead of the pro-Torah, message, these believers are looking for something new and novel to stimulate them.  Once they have purged their lives and homes of all from the church that failed them, they willingly seek to fill their house with the latest and greatest novel revelation from the Messianic Movement.  This search for satisfaction without understanding leaves the new believer vulnerable to the incredible division and confusion within the Messianic Movement.  Almost daily someone invents another calendar to follow; first, it was the Julian Calendar, then the Gregorian Calendar, the rabbinic Calculated Calendar, the Enochean Calendar, and now the Equinox Calendar,  Kabala, Gematria, Bible Codes, Mishnah, Talmud, Paleo-Hebrew, Chiastic Structure, Aramaic, are all a part of the Messianic Movement’s “Fad of the Month Club.”  This spirit of “novelty” is clearly rooted in the lack of identity.  Most believers are simply not comfortable with quiet—with nothingness—with simply being.

 The biblical faith is not religion.  It is living.  Biblical faith is a life of submission to the perfect will of the Father as revealed by his Spirit, and testified to in his word.  The Torah, as received by Moses and lived and taught by Yeshua our Master is our identity.  We have been called to be the body of Messiah.  This means that we submit our flesh to the infilling of the Spirit of the Holy One to manifest himself through us.  In this we become the vessels by which YHWH restores his image in the world.  Since the Creator does not change, what he desires to manifest in the world through us is what is recorded for us in the Torah.  The Torah, as given to Moses and taught by Yeshua, reveals and affirms for us what the nature and character of YHWH is.  We need not search for an identity.  Ours is to merely embrace the cross and allow YHWH to manifest his identity in and through us.  We do not need to look for novelties to entertain us.  We are merely the vessels by which YHWH will do his work.  If we are genuinely being led by the Spirit of the Holy One then he will lead us to the truth.  WE do not need to follow the various mixed teachings of men.  There is one calendar—the CREATOR’S CALENDAR.  There is one truth—the CREATOR’S TRUTH.  Instead of searching for “things” to fill our house with, and “things” to occupy our time with, instead of shopping for “religion” we should be denying ourselves, picking up our cross daily, and following the Messiah.  We should be embracing the cross and we should be embodying the Pure Torah. 

 It is good and right to purge the old leaven from our homes and lives…but if we do not fill the void with the Pure Torah, as received by Moses and taught by Yeshua, then we will certainly fill it with every new and novel revelation, interpretation, translation, and desecration that comes down the pike—and as Yeshua has taught us, surely our last fate will be worse than the first. We must get the leaven out, and study the pure Torah.  Do not listen to the fantasies and fairy-tales of men.  Open your Scriptures and read.  Does the Torah tell you to follow the Calculated Calendar? The Enochean Calendar?  The Equinox Calendar?  No!  It calls for the children of Israel to follow the Creator’s Calendar!  Do not be deceived by novelty.  Once you have purged the leaven out of your house, do not fill your house with leaven that others are cast out.  Open the Torah and pray as you read.  The Spirit of the Holy One is the Spirit of truth that will lead you in all truth. 

 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. (John 16:13 KJV)

 Do not trust me or any other man to lead you.  You are to be disciples of Yeshua the Messiah.  What I share with you, I learned from my Master, Yeshua the Messiah.  But, I am only human, and may misunderstand his teaching.  I share these teachings with you, not so you will follow me, but so that you may turn to the same teacher that I learned from.  My heart is to lead you to the Messiah as your Master and teacher. I am NOT a rabbi.  I am but a disciple.

 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Messiah; and all ye are brethren. (Matthew 23:8 KJV)

 I am not asking you to follow me, but to follow Yeshua.  Instead of filling our houses with the philosophies, translations, interpretations, traditions, and abominations of men, we are to fill our houses with the Spirit of the Holy One and the leaven free word of Yeshua.