The Anniversary Came and Went Without Fanfare

This past week marked the 500th birthday or anniversary of the great “Protestant Reformation.” That’s right. Just calm down; I know most of you are probably disappointed—probably a little broken up—maybe a little teary-eyed even that you missed all the festivities. Oh wait: there weren’t much in the way of festivities to mark this great historic event.

I was, however, able to pull up a small handful of articles this past week that highlighted this event:

A German website—dw.com—posted an article entitled “Germany marks 500th anniversary of Protestant Reformation in Wittenberg;” reported on gatherings by certain German leaders in ceremonies throughout the country commemorating the reformation that originated in the city of Wittenberg in 1517.

As you may or may not know, Martin Luther, a 16th century Wittenberg Catholic Monk, initiated the Protestant Reformation when he allegedly posted his famous 95-theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle Church on the 31st of October, 1517. I say allegedly because of late, a certain sect of scholars are challenging the validity of that story, which we will not debate here today.

Martin Luther allegedly nailed his 95 theses to these doors in 1517.

Nevertheless, it is universally accepted that Martin Luther was indeed the flame that ignited the process that ultimately became the Protestant Reformation. We’ll reflect upon this aspect of the Reformation in just a bit, but for now let’s continue on with this past week’s acknowledgments of the anniversary day.

Lutheranreformation.org posted a video on its website entitled “The Luther Mile,” whereby the president of this organization traced Martin Luther’s footsteps. (I will admit, however, that I did not watch the video. Just saying.)

Time Magazine’s website—time.com—reported on the various festivities around the world commemorating the day. The article reported that the hub of the celebrations were to be held in Germany where “Reformation Day,” has been somewhat of a sanctioned state holiday for many years (did you know that such a day existed? I didn’t). With this in mind, this being THE 500th anniversary of the reformation, the day would be observed as a national holiday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel led much of the day’s ceremonial observances.

Aside from Germany, there wasn’t much in the way of global attention for Reformation Day 2017. The article concluded with a sobering reminder that “For some people, this anniversary may be the first they’ve heard of Luther and the Reformation;” and indeed it likely was. Not only are Christians as a whole (and to a great extent, Hebrew Rooters) biblically challenged, they are equally challenged when it comes to Church History as well.

Now, I realize that most will take exception to this. Let’s face it, Church History is not as attractive a subject matter as, say, some of the latest and greatest “itchy ears” teachings from the latest and greatest Hebrew Roots/Messianic teachers. And if we dare bring our Fundamental Christian cousins into the discussion, many just don’t have the desire to understand anything about their Faith other than “Jesus and Him crucified.” Indeed, I am speaking from experience my friend.

The problem I see with ignoring church history is that we as a vibrant and emerging Faith Community, if we’re not careful, are destined to repeat the mistakes made by the Christian Church. Not only are we at risk of repeating the mistakes of Christianity (that would, by the way be easily identified by gaining even a modest understanding of Church History), we fail to gain a clear understanding of the origins and basis of some of the central and fundamental beliefs and doctrines of Protestantism. It stands to reason that the more we know about Christianity and her history, the better equipped we become to carry out our mission in the Great Commission.

The Barna Group, a Fundamental Christian think-tank that samples and analyzes data on various topics and issues pertinent to the Christian Faith, recently found that roughly 33% of American Evangelicals were ignorant of what the Protestant Reformation was about, leaving roughly a third having a little knowledge of the event and the rest sampled having what they believe to be a comprehensive understanding the reformation. The interesting finding of this study, however, was that 86% of those sampled felt the reformation was justified, but then 56% of those same sampled felt the event was divisive.

I’m not entirely sure what was actually meant by the reformation being divisive as the article did not elaborate. Did those who deemed the reformation divisive see the event as regrettable? I don’t know. Given that so many today, both within and outside the Faith Community, have become hypersensitive to any actions that may be perceived as offensive and divisive, one can only surmise what was meant by this statement. Certainly, the actions taken by Martin Luther were decisive and meant to divide; or for that matter, incite serious dialogue to address the many problems that 16th century Catholicism had become well known for in the western world.

The Political and Social Situation in 16th Century Europe

By the time Luther ignited the flame that would usher in the Protestant Reformation in 1517, the Catholic Church had emerged as the absolute ruling power over the western world. Despite her dominance, the Church and the Vatican had many detractors who dreamed that someday the Church would abandon some of her self-serving and foolish ways.

History suggests that Luther was not the only one in 16th-century Europe desiring to see the Holy Roman Catholic Church make changes moral, institutional and doctrinal changes. It is known that some within the Church’s hierarchy had become disillusioned by her hubris and hypocrisy.

To add fuel to this all consuming fire, many western royals and nobles had become uncomfortable with the political environment that the Vatican arrogantly Lorded over Europe’s royal families, whereby these royal families, out of fear of being ex-communicated or militarily challenged by the Church, were forced to subjugate themselves and their citizens to the authority of the Vatican and the Church hierarchy.

The increase in literacy and mass communication, facilitated by the invention and use of the Gutenberg Printing Press, enticed many common westerners to question the efficacy and relevance of the Church.

Aside from doctrinal and political tensions, the cracks in the facade that was 16th Century Catholicism was made worse by the Church’s brazen adoption of lifestyles that some scholars described as opulent. While the Pope and his cardinals, bishops and priests were supposed to portray a life that imitated that of Christ and the saints of old, they were living large as any of the most wealthy and powerful kings of known history. These Church leaders lacked or wanted for anything. Some even sported women (and men) and properties on the side, which we know was a violation of the vows of poverty and celibacy that every Catholic priest is supposed to take and adhere to as fundamental requirements of their profession of Faith and service to the Church of Christ.

And if violations of the so-called vows of celibacy and poverty weren’t enough to spark the fires of reform, the Vatican enacted various non-biblical—pagan inspired traditions and practices within the Church that served only to fatten the Church’s coffers and add yet another layer of control over the people. The most incendiary of these practices was the selling of indulgences and offices in the Church which frustrated Luther to no end and became the premise of his 95-these.

The Igniting Fires of the Protestant Reformation

So what were the primary issues that are believed to have started the Protestant Reformation?

1. The Catholic Church had adopted a number of rituals and celebrations that served to “bind the people to its ministrations,” this according to Robert Freeman, author of “The Protestant Reformation.” These rituals and celebrations were not only intended to control the masses, but also to generate and maintain a cash cow for the Vatican. Recall that I just mentioned the selling of indulgences in the Catholic Church of the 16th century. We’ll touch briefly upon this issue momentarily.

2. The Catholic Church hierarchy, essentially from the top down, had become “lax and corrupt.” (Reference again Freeman) It was widely known at the time that many of the Church officials had become wealthy off the backs of the laity, counter to the so-called “vows of poverty” that each Catholic priest was required to give upon their acceptance into the service of the Church. It was also known that certain of the Church’s officials working out of the Vatican in Rome were flagrantly breaking their so-called vows of celibacy and possessed a good number of concubines. Thus, the whole construct of the Catholic priesthood and bishopric being Christlike in how they conducted their lives was nothing more than a grand facade which Freeman described as “Caesar-like arrogance.” Both insiders and outsiders of the Church knew about and saw this happening, and this had an undesired alienation effect upon a great many 16th century European citizens.

3. The Vatican and its Papacy had grossly departed from its original premise of being the seat of the Vicar of Christ to that of a powerful and vibrant business. The Vatican routinely sold offices and positions within the Church hierarchy to the highest bidder. The one financial misdeed receiving the greatest attention, especially from Martin Luther, was of course the “selling of indulgences” which involved the bestowing of “grants of the remission of sins,” which was ultimately based upon the payments parishioners agreed to make to the Church. In other words, if a loved one had died and was feared to be in purgatory or even hell, that loved one could conveniently receive freedom from purgatory or hell and be ushered straight into heaven simply by the relative of that loved one making a substantial donation to the Church or to certain power brokers within the Church. The Church was able to get away with this insane practice because the Vatican asserted and maintained the Pope’s absolute power to stand in the place of Christ here on earth; and by virtue of this holy privilege, the pope and his charges had the absolute authority to forgive sin. And who in their right mind in 16th century Europe, under the vise grip of the Roman Catholic Church, would challenge such authority?

The selling of Indulgences prompted Luther to post his 95 theses.

It was this practice and abuse of the laity above all that prompted Luther’s ire towards the practices of his beloved Roman Catholic Church. As I just mentioned, it was this obscene practice of selling indulgences that drove Luther to draft his 95-theses and allegedly nail them to Wittenberg Castle Church’s front door. This flagrant act, as it would be understood in 1517, was in reality a symbolic act of calling the Bishop of Wittenburg out for debate on the authority of the Catholic Church to do the things it was known to be doing without any regard for the rule of Scripture and human reason.

The Protestant Reformation is Born and Spreads

Martin Luther’s actions essentially challenged the extent of the Pope’s and his church’s authority on several levels. The Catholic Church’s founding position was that the Pope stood in the place of Christ on earth and thus had absolute authority to do anything she purposed to do; even when those purposes opposed the Bible. Luther’s challenge, then, went to the heart of papal authority. Consequently, by calling the Church out in such a public manner, Luther placed himself, as well as all who would support and follow him, in harm’s way.

On a number of occasions Luther was ordered to report to headquarters in Rome to explain himself and recant his challenge. Fortunate for Luther, his actions appealed to the sensibilities of certain members of the local nobility and even certain elements of the church hierarchy, and thus he was miraculously afforded protection.

Luther’s notoriety stems primarily from his groundbreaking nailing of the 95 theses on Wittenberg Castle Church’s front doors. However, truth be told, the nailing of his 95-theses on the Church’s door only kindled the flame to the Protestant Reformation. In ensuing years, Luther authored a number of additional challenges to Roman Catholic Church and Papal authority that grew and spread the reformation throughout the whole of Europe. Needless to say, Luther, his supporters and protectors remained, for a number of years, the bane of the Vatican’s existence.

More than Luther’s widely published challenges, the Church’s greatest problem was found in the relative rapid spread of anti-Catholic sentiment throughout Europe that led to calls from within and outside the Church to completely reform the Roman Catholic Church.

This rebellion ultimately culminated in a series of wars that was based upon the Vatican’s so-called “Counter-Reformation” that was aimed at eradicating Protestantism, and as Freeman describes, “reclaim the souls that had been lost to Protestantism.”

Tapping her extreme wealth, resources, influence and reach, the Vatican launched the what some scholars have labeled as the Roman Inquisition in 1542 (note this is roughly 25-years after Luther posted his theses in Wittenberg). The so-called Roman Inquisition was patterned after the Spanish Inquisition of prior years. Simply put, Rome embarked upon a heavy-handed scheme to track down and destroy any whom they considered to be “heretics,” which essentially meant any person or groups that appeared to be part of this pesky Protestant Reformation. Rome was effectively demanding a pound of flesh from the reformers and all challengers (be they real or perceived) to her authority.

A Half-Hearted Attempt at Reform from Within

In the midst of the terror that Rome launched against Europe’s reformers in the mid-16th century, the Vatican actually stepped back and critically examined herself and sought to implement internal reforms that included: formal training of her priests; forbidding concubinage by members of the priesthood; the abolishment of the practices of selling offices; and the redirecting of more funds to relieving the poverty of the Church’s poor. Much of these and other reforms were meliorated by the newly formed Jesuit Order that was composed of men who were fiercely loyal to the Pope; zealous for the fundamental ways and traditions of the Church; and who fearlessly went on to facilitate the spread of Catholicism to the Far East and on to Latin America.

As it relates to the incendiary practice of selling indulgences, the Catholic Church did officially outlaw the practice in 1567. However, according to Google, the practice continued, as such, through the giving of charitable contributions to the Church, combined with certain specified acts, would go a long way to earning one an indulgence. Oh, by the way, “there is a limit of one plenary indulgence per sinner per day.” (reference: Google—are indulgences still sold today?) It should be mentioned, however, that the Catholic Church’s official position on the whole topic of indulgences is that “the Catholic Church does not now nor has it ever approved the sale of indulgences…This practice is utterly opposed to the Catholic Church’s teaching on indulgences, and it cannot be regarded as a teaching or practice in the Church.” (Aaaaameeeen.) (reference: https://www.catholic.com/qa/does-the-catholic-church-still-sell-indulgence)

Back to the Roman Catholic Church’s “counter reformation,” which actually blossomed into a series of wars that extended over into the middle of the 17th century before peace was finally established and Protestantism was allowed to flourish, un-harassed by the Church. Truth be told, the Protestant Reformation did not take place on October 31, 1517 as the story of Martin Luther nailing his 95-theses to the doors of Wittenberg Church might lead us to believe. The reformation was actually 130-years in the making, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and the restructuring of nations and rulerships on the European continent.

What Came Out of the Protestant Reformation?

The effects of the Protestant Reformation extend well beyond the birthing of a new religion or faith from the womb of Catholicism. When one clearly understands the extent of power that the Catholic Church had over much of the western world prior to the reformation, only then can he or she understand the huge impact it had on the entire world. In other words, the reformation impacted not just the realm of religion, but it also profoundly impacted the whole of western secular society.

The Reformation brought into question the preeminence or sovereignty of any one man or organization over the souls of men and women. Thus, the Reformation caused a refocusing, if you will; from that of the organization being the end all to be all, to that of the individual being the end purpose of religion and Faith; from ordinances and sacraments to the individual soul; from a traditions-base to a scripture-base.

The Reformation changed the way we view nation states. Whereas before the Reformation, the state was subordinate to the Church. This core structure of The Church and The Papacy persisted unchallenged for some 8-centuries. The Reformation summarily reversed roughly a millennium of Catholic supremacy over the nations of western Europe. It was this reversal of politics that inspired the creation and implementation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution—that being the separation of Church and State.

Capitalism received fertile ground upon which to better the plight of nation state citizens and eliminate the horrendous scourge of feudalism that existed during the Dark Ages.

Science was able to emerge from the dark cellar in which she dwelt for the 8-centuries that the Catholic Church inhibited the masses from discovering Truth for themselves.

Luther Not the Pariah Many Have Labeled Him As

Martin Luther Maybe Not the Pariah Most of us See him As

At this juncture, having reflected upon the Protestant Reformation in a broad sense, I would now like to briefly reflect upon the person of Martin Luther and how his actions in spurring the Protestant Reformation helped deliver our Faith—the Hebrew Roots/Messianic Faith–from the bonds of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. And if you think this a far-fetched statement, consider the plight of the Waldenses of the 12th to 13th centuries who were all but wiped out by the Church for their reformist beliefs and way of life at the time of the Protestant Reformation. Granted, little is truly known about this courageous sect of believers as just about all of their written documents were deemed heretical by the Church and destroyed without remorse. All we do know about them comes from the Catholic Church, unfortunately. Therefore, much of the information that we now have could very likely have been misrepresented and tampered with by the Church. But all indications are that, although not classically Hebrew Roots or Messianic in their theology, the Waldenses Community was the closest we have record, of a people, who aspired to live as the first-century Body of Believers in Yeshua Messiah. These dear souls were summarily and systematically wiped out by the Roman Catholic Church because they rejected the Church’s and the Papacy’s authority over their Bibles and their lives.

My position on Martin Luther is not in line with the thinking of some in our Faith Community. I’ve heard anti-Luther teachings that labeled him a heretic; an avowed Catholic till the day he died who was against the True Faith once delivered; and other less than flattering labels.

But based upon my rather limited research into the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther, the person, I see Martin Luther as somewhat of an emancipator. I believe that if Martin Luther, and those who followed behind him and his work, had not stopped the Catholic Church in her corrupt tracks, and the Catholic Church had been allowed to exist in the state she existed for the better part of a millennium, Hebrew Roots/The Messianic Faith would have been summarily crushed, if not under total and complete subjection and control of Catholicism, maybe even to this day. The Protestant Reformation served to free us from the scourge of forced religion (which was once Catholicism), just as the True Faith of the first-century freed many from religion (which was once Judaism). For me, Martin Luther broke the back of Roman Catholicism and freed the masses from forced religion.

Consider: prior to the Reformation, no one was permitted to possess a copy of the Scriptures and of course, illiteracy was common to all but the elite of society. The only religious gathering permitted was in a sanctioned Catholic Church. All tithes and offerings belonged to the Church. Thus, everything and anything that the masses learned about Christianity came from the processed and repackaged dogma and pagan-derived traditions of the Vatican. So you see, one’s Faith was controlled by men and an institution, something that the author and finisher of our Faith never intended, and even forbade us to put tradition before Truth.

Master railed against the Pharisees and Scribes over this very thing, which is recorded in Mark, chapter 7. It reads:

“Then came together unto Him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why walk not they disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He (Yeshua) answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias (i.e., Isaiah) prophecied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Where was Master getting this from? From Isaiah 29, where the prophet wrote, speaking against the Nation of Judah:

“Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from Yahovah, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? And who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding (Isaiah 29:13-16; KJV).“

The Catholic Church, launched by Roman Emperor Constantine, paved the way for the Assembly of Messiah to adopt traditions that would all but replace the instructions of our Creator and God. History does indeed repeat itself. Master continued:

“For Moeses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban (that is, a gift to be offered), that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the Word of Yah of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye (Mark 7:3-13; KJV).”

I can only speculate how much blood is on the hands of the popes and the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church through the centuries; for their indiscriminate warring against those who would, if not for the overbearing traditions and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, who to the best of their ability, follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. How many souls has that institution led away from the Truth, but instead delivered unto them a gospel of damnation? How can anyone have but respect for the man Martin Luther; for the work that he did to break the hold of the great satan over the souls of men? Oh, Martin Luther may not have been a Hebrew Rooter or Messianic, that’s for sure, but he darn well knew right from wrong, and he set out to right the wrong that he saw playing out before him in the only way he knew how. That in and of itself should serve as a lesson to us all today: when we see wrong being perpetrated with impunity around us, do we simply turn a blind eye and go with the status quo? Or do we stand for what’s right and speak Truth, regardless the consequences we might face in doing so?

Martin Luther reintroduced the essential concept of the individual man or woman, through the atoning work of Messiah, establishing a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Prior to the reformation and Luther, the individual had to establish a relationship with the Church in order to be connected in some sanctioned way to God. Every man’s salvation was seen to rest entirely with the Church and its Sacraments and Traditions. (Of course we know better than this; but perceptions have that nasty tendency of becoming reality if not altered or proved wrong.)

This whole relationship paradigm that Luther sought to challenge Rome with shifted the discussion from one of man-made religious authority and sacraments, to that of Faith and Justification and Grace. Faith, justification and grace are fundamental elements of, not just Protestant Christianity, but Hebrew Roots as well. Luther’s refusal to accept the Pope’s and the Church’s claim over the souls of men ignited a flame within him that of course, in a series of succeeding acts and events, led to a more biblically-based understanding of salvation and faith, absent the keeping of Torah and a true understanding of the person and work of Yahoshua HaMashiyach.

Let me just say here, that none of what I’ve mentioned here in favor of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, justifies or explains some of the spurious doctrines and beliefs that Martin Luther and cohorts such as John Calvin espoused—much of which were carried over into what we know today as the Lutheran Faith and Calvinism. But I would stand on that age old argument of “do we as a body throw this baby out with the bathwater? I would of course say absolutely not.

Is it possible? Is it even remotely possible, oh ye who are vehemently anti-Luther and anti-Protestant, that Father in His infinite wisdom and providence used Luther and Protestantism to lay the fertile ground that would re-introduce to this world, His True Faith that was once delivered to the first century saints? Just a thought.

Concerns Abound

Now, some in our Faith Community, and rightfully so, have expressed concerns that the Catholic Church is quietly working behind the world stage to put an end to the Protestant Reformation. It has been reported on a number of websites that this current Pope, Pope Francis, has made it one of his papacy’s missions to dissolve the Protestant Reformation and bring all the Protesters back under the wing of the Catholic Church.

I’ve read a few articles over the last couple years that told of Pope Francis having been in secret (and some not-so-secret) meetings with Protestant Leaders, discussing terms of a possible reunification of the Catholic Church and Protestant Denominations. Certainly a monumental undertaking to say the least. However, all indications seem to suggest that many of these assumed Protestant Church leaders are favorable to such a reunification.

I watched a video a couples years ago where Pope Francis addressed an Evangelical Protestant Conference, where he all but demanded that the Protestant Faith return to Mother Catholic Church. It should be mentioned that the attendees of this conference, after the Pope’s address, entered into a time of rejoicing and affirmation at the prospects of such a proposed reunification.

Other stories of signed agreements between the Vatican and certain Protestant Leaders have been bantered about on YouTube and various private websites. These alleged signed agreements are said to be documents that lay the groundwork to an eventual dissolution of the Protestant Reformation of 1517 and a return of the Protesting Church to the Catholic Church, planned for sometime around the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Oh, this year!

I will say that since seeing these videos and reading the articles about a proposed reunification of both Churches a couple years ago, I’ve not seen any follow-up to this story. So needless to say, when the 500th Anniversary hit this past week, I was anxious to see if anything would be reported about such a reunification.

Alas, I found nothing!! Not one new article or even a hint that all these once reported concerns of a reunification of Catholicism and Protestantism in 2017 would happen this year.

I do not want you to think that I am somehow desirous of such a thing occurring, because truth be told, if such a reunification were to actually take place, I fear that the end would not be too far off. Not only would the end not be too far off, in my opinion, if such a thing were to happen, both our Faith Movement and Community would be all the more challenged and isolated.

So What Then?

I don’t want to get into the specifics of such a scenario in this installment of Thoughts and Reflections. What I really want us to reflect on is how the Protestant Reformation helped or harmed our Faith Community and Movement. Then I would like us to reflect on how we must view and treat Protestantism: do we shun it and turn our back on it as so many in our Faith Community advocate? Or do we embrace Protestantism as a sort of wayward cousin with expressed love and compassion and offer them a lifeline and pathway to Truth and a life of true discipleship?

Whether we choose to believe it or not, we are inextricably linked to Protestantism, just as much as we are inextricably linked to Judaism. Obviously, both religions categorically reject us as a Faith Community—Judaism for identifying with Yeshua as THE Messiah; and Protestantism for our adoption and keeping of Torah.

Nevertheless, Protestantism is going through a New Reformation that is already marginalizing her as a viable World Faith Religion. Like Judaism and Catholicism in so many ways, Protestantism has lost her way. She has forsaken her self-adorned role of rescuing souls and getting people saved, and has today taken to a role that is primarily geared towards “social engineering.” It’s no longer about pointing people to Christ and establishing a viable relationship with the undisputed Creator of the Universe. It is now focused on making herself relevant to society and community; to fashioning the Protestant Church into some form of all inclusive organization; it has devolved to subjugating the primacy of the Bible over the lives of her members to that of elevating man-made ideals and principles that best fit the preferences and conveniences of members of the community and society. Protestantism has become a religion that is in so many senses political and idealistic. It has become a thriving and burgeoning business that exists through the expert use of production and entertainment. All this and so much more I’m afraid. Yet Protestantism is hemorrhaging members at a rapid pace. (Reference: Barna Group, 2011 study) The reasons cited in that study range from perceptions that Christianity has become shallow to Christianity does not offer them much in the way of meaning in their busy and complicated lives. In a 2016 post, The Christian Post reported that some 3,500 people leave the Church every day. (Reference: https://www.christianpost.com/news/3500-people-leave-the-church-every-day-139631)

And you know what the most concerning aspect of all this is? It’s the realization that our Faith Community is following right behind and in the shoes of our Protestant cousins.

So many of us are into social reforms, politics, compromising on the tenets of the Faith and selling the Word of God for personal gain. It seems as though that every month there arises a new sect or denomination of Hebrew Roots believers who have adopted a new and unconventional spin on what it means to be a Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah. I fear, like that which has happened to Protestantism, Catholicism and Judaism, we as a Faith Community and Movement may be gradually losing our way.

Now that’s not to say that Catholicism ever had the right way, because they never did. Catholicism ultimately uprooted Hebrew Roots because shysters were allowed to infiltrate the Body of Messiah–sometime just after the death of the Apostle John–and introduce a Gospel, a Messiah, a Creator, and a Faith that was unlike, in every respect, that which was delivered to the first century Messianic Believers. And for whatever reason, the 2nd century Body of Believers began to compromise on the Truth and allowed the trash that the shysters brought in to the Body to take root and grow in influence to the point that we didn’t know whether we were coming or going.

So instead of turning to Scripture to find our way back, we turned to more men, in the hopes that they, being smarter and wiser than us, might get us back on track. But that getting back on track never came. We simply stayed on that train, heading the opposite direction in life, until we were hopelessly unable to find our way back. By the time we reached that point of no return, we had surrendered everything to these men and their Church: our families, hopes, dreams, lives, our very souls were all turned over to them. Thus, history repeated itself yet again—our God became men and their institutions. And this remained the case for some 800 or so years; until a low-level Monk by the name of Martin Luther came on the scene, and reminded us that there was once a time—many—many-years prior—where we possessed the divine opportunity to establish a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe; the process of linking up with the Creator would involve no one else but us as the individual and our Creator.

And although we may have some uneasiness with some of Luther’s beliefs and perspectives, I believe we are in debt to this man and the movement that he ignited. Where would we be today if not for the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther?

Then we have the Reformation’s end product: Protestantism—a behemoth of a religion composed of some 30,000 denominations; in many ways doctrinally separate from her mother the Roman Catholic Church, but still hanging on to her apron-strings through the practice of certain traditions and beliefs.

This being the case, should we as a Faith Community, abandon our Protestant cousins by not making ourselves accessible to them as the means for finding the True Faith once delivered?

Absolutely not. Consider the story of Master and the Samaritan woman. If Master had followed convention and rejected the Samaritans, He would not have introduced the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Samaritan Community of His day (John 4). If Paul and the other apostles had followed convention and rejected the Gentile peoples of the surrounding region, the Gospel of the Kingdom would have not reached around the world and ultimately us today.

Who knows the extent of the harvest that awaits us in the great field that is Protestantism today. Assuming that the Christian Church is losing members even today, many of those former Protestants will be looking for a place in which to rest their weary souls, and certainly this Faith of ours fills that prescription to a “t.” In fact, while blindness in part remains in effect for our other cousins the Jews, pending the scales being dropped from their eyes through the miraculous revealing of Yeshua as their Messiah (Romans 11:25), I would be so bold to contend that our discipleship efforts must, in great part, be aimed at the Truth-Seeking Protestant. And certainly, the harvest is plenteous and ready for the laborers (Matthew 9:37).