I want to share a story from long ago, having witnessed similar scene's, whiletraveling in Israel in 1971.

A tour member of a Tour walks towards the Kotel, the Western Wall, in Jerusalem.He is approached by an enthusiastic Jewish missionizer:“Would you like to try putting on tefillin (phylacteries)?” The man shook his head. “No, thank you.” “How about putting on a tallis (prayer shawl) to say a few prayers?” Once again, the visitor declined. “Well, then, let me give you a siddur (prayerbook), and we can say a few prayers together.” “No, thanks, I’m all set.” “Then at least won’t you try a kippah (head covering) as you stand with your fellow Jews.” Finally, the visitor exclaims in frustration “You don’t understand! I’m only a tourist here.”

The story is certainly complicated. The aggressive tactics, the exclusive claim to Jewish authenticity, indeed, the seeming reduction of all of Jewish observance to itsritual garb, the feasts, and liturgy as opposed to an equally important emphasis ondeeds of justice and loving kindness, any or all of these things might make many of us quite uncomfortable.But the visitor’s response, at the end, is a problem as well. Perhaps, it is true, thattoo many of us feel this way, too much of the time. But we are not, we cannot be, wemust not remain mere tourists on the horizon of Biblical history. We are and can bemuch more. We are authentic players, we are actors on an ancient and still sacredstage, we are and must see ourselves not as

tourists

but as

pilgrims

, participants ona holy journey, shapers of an ever-renewed faith, wanderers on a journey whoseshining conclusion is yet to unfold.For 1937 years we believers in the Messiah have been bullied by those claimingapostolic succession, or Orthodox Judaism, and now by the Messianic movementitself. We have been and are being pushed around. The Hebraic Roots Community is NOT a band of invaders trying to steal anything,they are NOT pagan's/gentiles trying to take anyone's place in the eyes of HaShem. This community is made up of Jewish and Non-Jewish Believers in the Messiah thathave joined or are trying to join together with their brothers and sisters in theMessiah, for worship, fellowship and encouragement. Being called of G-d to returnto Torah, but what are they finding? They/we are being persecuted by the Churchof Rome because they/we do not accept the Magisterium of the Church and theauthority of the Bishop of Rome. We are being persecuted by the Orthodox (Eastern)Church because we do not accept their claim to apostolic succession. A Successionthat by the writings of the Early Church fathers proves to be interrupted on morethan one occasion by assassinations from with in and with out the sect, leaving attimes many months if not years of no apostolic leader as it took at times many manymonths to gather those together to appoint a new leader/pope/bishop. Or of themainstream Christian denominations and their insistence that we have to join one

of them, or that our choice to follow Torah or any of G-d's commandments means weare rejecting Yeshua/Jesus and His grace. Or we are being “legalistic”. Or by theMessianic Movement (as there are as many denominations in it as main streamChristianity) for wanting to destroy their “Jewish” design on the faith in G-d andobservance of His Torah, they attack us because we say Jesus or play “Christian” worship music. Or that we hold services on the first day of the week as well as onShabbat. You say we are acting too Christian, or they are saying we are acting too Jewish.We are persecuted because we don't give in to man's idea of what we should do orhow we should worship.I charge right now that each of you that do these things are guilty as the devilhimself for trying to lead believers away from the Most High. YouDenominationalists for trying to destroy G-d's Word the ONE Book you call the HolyBible. If it was so Holy then you would follow the entire book and not just partsthat suit your fancy. You followers of the Bishop of Rome are just as bad, you claimto be the true church yet your history is littered with forced conversion andacceptance. You became a “city-state”, just like ROME of the Caesars. You want torule the World religious community by force if necessary. Both Eastern and WesternRite's did every thing in it's power to remove the ancient form's of worship. Youmade being Jewish, or a follower of the Way of the Messiah as practiced in Jerusalem illegal, you made it a sin, you called it an abomination. You took the TaNaKh – the Old Testament as you labeled it and declared it obsolete. And youmade new laws. New feasts, a new Religion. These are not vain baselessaccusations, but facts taken from the very words of your early church fathers. Theyboldly bragged about molding the religion to be what they envisioned. Those in Judaism are just as guilty, you taunt and threaten and act as terroristsagainst your fellow Jews, because they are not as “righteous” as you are. And you of Messianic Judaism you are as bad, just because a believer does not have the samelevel of “Jewishness” as you do or speak Hebrew as well as you do. Or go to a shulon Shabbat you treat them as second class citizens.Shame on you, Shame on you all.You Sadducees and Pharisees. You abomination before G-d. You claim to berighteous and just, and loving and followers of “The Way”. Yet you can not followthe simplest of commands of our G-d.Your arrogance and pride have clouded your hearts, you have forgotten what G-dsent His son Yeshua – Jesus here to teach us. You have forgotten that even thesimplest lesson of love and charity comes from the heart.We each forget that our focus is to be on Messiah Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah. Noton what branch or religious sect we belong to. Not on how righteous we are or theother person is. G-d gave us one WORD, He gave us ONE Messiah. And He hasgiven us numerous chances.

I personally do not care if you have a Christmas tree in your house, or go to thebiggest church in town, or what your denominational tag is, I don't care if youcelebrate your liturgy in English, in Hebrew, in binary. What I care about is that you are being honest with G-d and with your brothers and sisters in the Messiah.What I do care about is that you know Jesus - Yeshua as your savior, that youfollow HIS laws, and that you are doing everything you can to keep on the path thatG-d has placed before us.I care that your keeping the 10 Commandments, all 10, not just 9, or 4 or 6, but all10.I care that you are learning about HIS appointed times. And learning what G-d hasfor us to know and do.I care that you are getting the truth, that you are being taught the WORD of G-d.You know that Book that says Holy Bible on the front.It's one Book, about this supreme being called G-d in English, Adonai in Hebrew,Yeshua, Jesus, that provided a way for you to be released from sin and death.I care that you know that His salvation is the most important thing in His WORD.And that everything else is done in G-d's timing.It's not about all of the things and stuff you do. It's not about how you can appearto everyone else. It's not about who or what your parents were or are. It's not about your place in a sect of religion, or about your position in your community.It's all about G-d. It's about following the same steps that the Messiah took. Howarrogant are we to change the very path that G-d set down for us by making newrules and declaring those set down by him to be invalid.When the non salvific issues become more important than salvation itself, and thename of your religion becomes more important that the saviour then there is aserious problem.G-d's word is very specific;

John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

No where in scripture does it say that salvation is exclusive to any Church,Denomination, or people. It is by the grace of G-d for all who call upon HIM.

John 3:15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth inhim should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through