Lex Meyer (Unlearn the Lies on Youtube) published a video describing his top ten list of problems within the Messianic/Hebrew Roots/Torah community.  Link to the video:  Unlearn The Lies Messy-Antics Video
He is absolutely right that these issues need to be addressed and corrected. There are many people causing damage with arguments, condemnation, arrogance, exclusivity, etc…
Yes, mankind needs to improve on how we treat one another, and Torah keepers should blaze the trail and set the example for others to observe and follow, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

While I completely agree that some behaviors need to be called out and corrected, I would like to respond to one of the ten topics that Lex brought up in his video.
Problem #4 – Angry Christian Haters
Lex has stated that mainstream Christians are not the enemy.
I wholeheartedly agree!!
Some Torah followers show hatred for the mainstream Christian church system through their words and their attitudes.
Man, no matter their religion (or lack thereof), is not our enemy.
Our enemy is HaSatan, the deceiver and destroyer.
Ephesians 6:12-13 explains who our battle is with:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

I stand with Lex on this concept, that we should not hate our mainstream Christian folks.
Men and women are not our enemy.
Other men and women are created by Yahuah, just as we are.
Just because they have different ideas and thoughts and doctrine does not make them our spiritual enemy.
Even if some (not talking about the church here) willingly and openly follow and serve HaSatan, they are still  men and women.  They are still flesh and blood. They are not spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Yes, we must be wary of them.  We must pray for them.  But they are not our enemy.

However…
Lex goes on to say these things about mainstream Christians:
– They are trying to follow the same God as us.
– They are trying to follow the same Messiah as us.
– They are trying to follow and obey the same scriptures as us.
– They just have a different revelation and understanding of the
    scriptures.
– This doesn’t mean they are wrong.
– They are just in a different place or spot than us.

I’d like to consider these statements and ideas.
First of all, are they following the same God and the same Messiah as us?
If we simply say they read the same bibles as us, and therefore, are following the same God and the same Messiah, then I would agree with Lex.
But here is the problem I have with this idea.
Do we simply follow a name written down on paper, or do we follow an entity, the character of our God and Messiah?

In my 30 plus years in the mainstream Christian church, I was shown an angry, wrathful God in the Old Testament as compared to a loving, accepting God in the New Testament.
When we read scripture, we find that Yahuah does not change.
That means He is the same in the Old and New Testaments.

Malachi 3:6
“For I am the Lord, I do not change…”

John 1 tells us that Messiah is the Word become flesh.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Messiah has never changed, does not change, and will never change.  This means that neither the word nor Messiah have ever changed, nor will ever change.

It is impossible for “God” to have one character in the Old Testament and a different character in the New Testament.
Even if the mainstream church is a bit confused on this, are they still following the same God and Messiah?

–Mainstream doctrine teaches that Messiah fulfilled the Torah law
     so that we don’t have to. The law is done away with at the cross.
–Mainstream Christians do not keep and honor the Sabbath.
–Mainstream Christians do not keep dietary laws.
–Mainstream Christians teach that ‘the law’ is a curse and a
burden.
–Mainstream Christians do not observe the moedim, Yahuah’s
     appointed times. 
And on and on and on…

If you want to follow God/, you have to know who He is.
You have to know His character.
You have to know His ways.
You have to know His words.
You have to know His promises.
You have to know His warnings.
Otherwise, what are you following? Who are you following?

Yahuah gave many instructions, and said they are forever, for all generations, perpetual, never ending.
Mainstream Christians do not follow those instructions and His ways. If a person claims to know and follow God, but does not know His ways and does not follow His instructions, are they really following the God of the bible?
Or are they following a made-up deity?
Yes, I understand that is an extremely difficult question.
But it is important. So let’s look at it in more detail.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 tells us how to spot a false prophet.
“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. ⁵ But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.”

Yahuah (God) gave us His words. He gave us His instructions.
He shows us His character in scripture. He shares how He expects us to believe and how He expects us to live.
If a religious system teaches doctrine that does not accurately describe Yahuah’s character, and does not teach the ways of Yahuah, then are they teaching about and following the same God?
If a religious system teaches doctrine that says to do something other than what Yahuah commanded us to do, then are they teaching about and following the same God?
Deuteronomy 13 says no, they are not following the same God.

This is a big deal!!
Are we warned of this in scripture?
Absolutely, we are.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Jeremiah tells us that in end times (day of affliction) that Gentiles will realize they have been taught nothing but lies.
Whoa…
Yes, this was predicted.
Jeremiah did not say these lies would be a little off from truth, but everything is still ok…
Jeremiah said these lies are worthless and unprofitable.
Double Whoa…
What happens as a result of these lies?
Jeremiah says men will make gods for himself, except these deities are not gods.
Triple Whoa…
This is not good, is it?

Messiah Himself says that not a single pen stroke or letter of the Torah instructions (the law) will change until heaven and earth pass away (Matthew 5).
And yet, the mainstream church teaches that Messiah did away with the law, fulfilling it so that we don’t have to.

The mainstream church does not keep and observe the Sabbath, which is the 4th commandment of the ten commandments.
Scripture says that anyone who profanes the Sabbath will surely die.
Scripture says that anyone who does not observe the Sabbath and keep it holy will be cut off from the people.
Scripture says that the Sabbath is a sign between Yahuah and His people.
Scripture is clear on this.
If one does not keep the Sabbath, then they are not Yahuah’s people, they will be cut off from His people, and they shall surely die.
Not my words, but straight out of scripture.

I could go on and on and on, comparing mainstream Christian practices vs. Torah…
But I’ve done that and will continue to do so with my many blog posts.

But here is the issue I have with Lex Meyer’s take on the Christian churches.
Not long ago, Lex was sitting on a question and answer panel for a live stream session at a Torah conference.
Someone in the live audience asked if it is ok to continue attending mainstream Sunday church as a Torah follower.
Lex said, yes, it is ok to continue in the mainstream church.

I disagree.
People in the Torah community will give testimony that they have been “called out” of the church.  They will testify that they have been called to learn and keep Torah.

If the mainstream churches are ok, then why would anyone be called out of them?  If the churches are ok then why bother with Shabbat, the Leviticus 23 moedim, eating clean, or anything else in the commands?
If none of this matters, then why are any of us doing it?
Well, the answer is simple.
These things do matter.

If we know our Creator, then we will learn His ways and do them.
If we do not know our Creator, then we will follow man-made traditions and religious gobbledy-gook.
If we want to know what Messiah thinks about these things, check out Matthew 23. It is a scathing, awful rebuke of the religious leaders of His time, teaching the traditions of men instead of the Word of Yahuah. It is not pretty.

If Messiah called them out on this issue and told them they are a pit of vipers destined for the Lake of Fire, then why on earth would we claim the mainstream church and all their traditions in defiance of the Word are ok??
We would not.
We should not.
But some do, and it is very dangerous.

Am I a Christian hater?
Absolutely not.
I share what I learn in scripture out of love for our mainstream Christian friends and family.
Love is telling the truth.
Let’s pray for our mainstream Christian friends and family.
Let’s pray that their veils are lifted (2Corinthians chapters 3/4).
Let’s pray for them to shed the lies that Jeremiah warned about.
Let’s help them to get on the narrow path that Messiah says few will find (mainstream churches teach that the masses are all on the narrow path).

No, we will not hate anyone.
But we will tell them the truth, out of love…

The bible is a big book.  Much is said by many different authors, spanning many centuries.
But Messiah told us some things at the very end in His Revelation, which was given to Him by the Father. In case we get lost or confused in the many writings along the way, Messiah gives us some vital information at the very end…

Revelation 14:12 tells us who the saints are:
 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of Yahuah (God) and the faith of Yeshuah Messiah (Jesus).

And in case we missed it in chapter 14, Messiah tells us who is in His kingdom and who is not in His kingdom at the very end, in Revelation 22:14-15.
 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Those who keep the commands are in.
Those who love and practice a lie are out. Think about what Jeremiah said about Gentiles inheriting nothing but lies…
I believe that we are saved by our faith in Yeshua Messiah.  I do not ever state that our salvation comes from keeping the commands.
However, Messiah told us this:
John 14:15 
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
And Messiah told us this:
John 14:21
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”
And Messiah said this:
John 15:9-10
 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

Salvation comes by faith.
But keeping the commands proves that we know Him and that we love Him and that we obey Him and that we abide in Him.

Here is another direct quote of Messiah:
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Lawlessness will cause our rejection by Messiah.
The mainstream church doctrine teaches, believes, and lives lawlessness. Do you see what I’m saying here?

Lex has a great heart and shares some really great teachings.
I agree with him that we are not to hate the mainstream Christian churches.
But I disagree with him that they are all ok, but are just “in a different place than us”.
That is why we need to tell them the truth and pray for them.
In love, not in hate.