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Snakes in the Grass

by Rabbi/Brother Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky

As I mix and mingle and expand my associations with messianic believers and leaders of all backgrounds, doctrines, and levels of Torah observance, I am appalled at the number of Rabbis and leaders who preach a different gospel. Our philosophy of fellowship and Chavurah with other ministers is pretty straightforward and simple. In the essentials of Messianic New Covenant faith there has to be total agreement. Such issues would include the virgin birth, the incarnation, the bodily resurrection, heaven and hell and the deity of our Adon Yahshua. Without full agreement on the above matters no Chavurah can or should take place! In secondary matters such as the exercise and manifestations of the Ruach, how one conducts the mikvah or the shulchan (table) of Yahshua, we must give others liberty and freedom of conscience. We should walk always in charity & understanding. In all things, both those doctrines we agree on and those we agree to disagree on, there should be mutual respect and charity. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, pick and carefully choose your theological battles.

The battle that I am willing to break any and all Chavurah over, is an illness and virus that I find in our camp more so then in other born-again camps. As we know a little leaven leavens the whole lump, and more importantly thousands of Messianic sheep are being led astray. I have discovered and found an appalling number of Messianic rabbis who, in their pursuit of being very Jewish instead of very biblical, have either renounced or denied Yahshua's deity as Almighty Yahweh, delegating Him to other secondary roles that limit His direct claims to being Yahweh the lawgiver who took on flesh and walked among us to pay the redemptive price for our transgressions! These snakes in the grass lie low, often rarely confiding their true beliefs and often are unknown to the governing alliance of messianic organizations with whom they hold ordination or association. Often fellow rabbis with whom they have been eating bread for many years don't even know their secret perverted belief. I am sure there are several who deny this cardinal truth reading this newsletter. As far as Your Arms To Israel is concerned the truth is simple. Over and over again Yahshua makes statements that he is Almighty Yahweh even telling those who don't believe this that they will perish in their sins (John 8:24). Yahshua tells our people that He was Yahweh before Abraham was Abraham (John 8:58). These wolves in sheep's clothing are bringing into the Messianic Jewish camp damnable heresies even denying the master who bought them with the blood of Yahweh himself! Unfortunately these instances are no longer isolated but have developed into a plague. I wonder in my heart what the official result of a private poll amongst Messianic rabbis allowed to be honest on this issue would be! I fear and quake in my boots over the results! There are even many rabbis that you may truly respect and have come to love, who unfortunately have doctrine more in line with The Watchtower or The Way International, then with the mainstream leaders of our great movement.

In order for our movement to remain great we must take immediate action demanding honesty from all affiliated rabbis with all major governing organizations to come clean and answer one simple question. Is Yahshua, ALMIGHTY Yahweh in the flesh? The eternal Word in the flesh? If these doctrinal snakes in the grass start to mumble, grumble, stumble or become tongue tied or plead the fifth and refuse to answer such a simple and honest inquiry given to protect the purity of our teachings, then these people must be asked to resign and step down from any and all positions of leadership immediately. If that should fail then the sheep need to be informed about the false teaching regarding Yahshua's true identity, that they and their innocent families are being exposed to. Now is the time to clean house before our Heavenly Father brings judgment to our house! We must examine our leaders through accountability!