From: Donna.D'Iorio@f7022.n124.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Donna D'Iorio)
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: Gentile Christianity
Date: 23 Sep 92 16:23:00 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:124/7022 - MAXUS World H, Dallas TX


    In response to Ken Mann:
KM>From: mannk@fshvmfk1.VNET.IBM.COM (Ken Mann)
KM>Date: 21 Sep 92 17:22:17 GMT
KM>I never said they were no longer relevant, but they have to change.
KM>How can you not celebrate a Passover and realize that Christ fulfilled i

    Why do they have to change?  They are prophetic pictures of *G-d's*
APPOINTED SEASONS.  What Passover pictures is exactly what happened.
A Messianic Passover clearly demonstrates the Messiah's full-fillment of
each and every element.  You should go to a Messianic Passover Sedar and
see first hand how much more relevant to our faith is this observance
than the typical "Easter" or "Resurrection Sunday" observances. I have
nothing against the re-enactments which are typical observance in
Gentiles churches, but Scripture NEVER issued the change. This was a
man-initiated change that leaves Gentile believers absolutely ignorant
of any connection to the prophetic pictures contained in the "APPOINTED
Feasts." Every shred of Jewish context has been stripped out, so that
there is no witness left to the Jews.  The Gentiles lose because we are
disconnected from our foundations. & our observances are made totally
alien to Jews. G-d never says in scripture to cease or modify these
feasts. And there are yet-to-be-fulfilled prophetic pictures in those
Fall Feasts.

KM>seems that Donna is content with throwing the baby out with the bath
   That is precisely what Donna is NOT CONTENT with! These unscriptural
changes have only furthered the gentile believer's erroneous idea that
their faith has nothing to do with anything Jewish....that the "Church"
sprang out of a vacuum!  But if our faith has no roots in the Jewish
people, it simply has no roots.  If our faith is not built on the
foundation laid in Israel, we simply have built on a non-apostolic
foundation.

KM>... seems to me that you feel that Gentile Christianity is false

    No that is not what I think.  But I think much of the traditions and
doctrines of Gentile Christianity--specifically from the point of fusion
with the Church-State in 4th century--is based on traditions of men, NOT
upon first century apostolic teaching or based in the instruction of the
Scriptures.  I believe that from the Reformation onward apostolic truths
have been in the *process* of BEING RESTORED, but that we are still not
back to perfect doctrinal agreement with the first century apostolic
teaching or observance....and that an awareness of the Jewish roots in
our faith is absolutely essential--for us to get back to that doctrinal
agreement and for the redemption of Israel.
    The early church fathers led us away by a rejection of our Jewish
roots.  Someone recently wrote to me, "The same thing happened to the
early Church, which was judged and carried away into captivity, into
spiritual Babylon--the place of confusion and division for G-d's
people."  I believe that is a true assessment.  I believe the Dark Ages
stands in history as a testimony to how dark the "light" had become in
the Church--because light dispels darkness.  If those guys had been on
track in the changes they instituted, in severing from the roots in
Israel, then light in the world would have been produced....but the age
is known as the Dark Ages!  The Church was as dark & ugly as the age.
    I don't condemn Gentile Christianity. It has come a long way, but it
still has a way to go. Do you realize that I am a gentile believer, Ken?
I have only begun to attend a Messianic congregation this year & came to
these understandings outside and apart from Messianic teaching. To
return to apostolic doctrine, we must embrace our Jewish roots.
    It is the call of G-d for those with ears to hear.  -Donna D'Iorio


--  
Donna D'Iorio - via ParaNet node 1:104/422
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