There is a price to pay for having an independent mind!  Having been a Christian or Messianic Jew for over thirty years has given me much insight into the motivations and politics of what we in America call Christianity and Messianic Judaism.  Back in the mid 1970s I was a new believer. Having been raised a Jew in the Midwest and Southwest, I was particularly naive of the various commitments I was expected to make once associating myself with one denominational camp or another.  While attending Gentile Protestant churches, I was supposed to go along with the marginally anti-Semitic attitudes of my Gentile brethren. Church leaders never expressed any overt anti-Semitism, but the under-current of rejection was often present.  I do admit, that I met some believers that had a great love for the Jewish people.  So the good outweighs the bad.

The hardest part of being a Messianic Jew or Hebrew Christian was not getting caught in the ongoing feud between the Charismatic, Reformed and Dispensational Messianic leaders.  I never quite got the message that I was supposed to adhere to "all the doctrine" of a particular denominational group.  I kept stepping on political "land mines" by expressing myself in an independent fashion.

While in the charismatic MJ camp I was hard pressed by the leadership to elevate my prayer life to hours of ranting that I was supposed to accept as charismatic prayer.  I also had to endure the most cult like behavior of leaders who prophesied against anyone who would question their decisions.

While sojourning with fundamentalist/dispensational Hebrew Christian believers, I was also hard pressed to reject any charismatic doctrine and to fully accept their teachings. Both I and my wife were ostracized for not having the correct doctrine.

And again, while sojourning in the Reformed Christian camp, I faced the most anti-Semitism that I ever had experienced in my life.  I must confess though, that I met some of the strongest and kindest believers in my life in a Reformed Hebrew Christian ministry.  So in this case again, the good has indeed outweighed the bad.

So now, some thirty five years after beginning my journey I have found peace by not letting myself get cornered by those who would dictate my beliefs.  If they want to associate with me, they are free to do so.  I welcome them into my life and home.  I may have disappointed some by "being neither fish nor foul" in accordance to their doctrine, but nevertheless, I have remained true to my conscience and my Lord.

In Yeshua's (Jesus) gracious kindness,

Marshall Beeber

Messianic Literary Corner director

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The Messianic Literary Corner is an independent Messianic Jewish (Hebrew Christian) ministry offering grace oriented teaching, prophecy studies, biblically related science & archaeology topics, poetry and more!!

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