Shattered

I’m a Messianic Jew. I’m not a Christian. To be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure what a Christian is? To be Christ-Like? Maybe. But Christianity does not reflect the Holiness of the Scriptures at all. I recently read that there are an estimated 50,000 denominations and rites in the world.

Estimated 50,000 denominations/rites worldwide (2025) (up from 44,700 in 2020).

https://christian-witness.org/christian-denomination-statistics/

How can this be?

I want to focus today on Ephesians Chapter 4:4-6 and teach on the failures of man-made denominations.

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Ephesians Ch 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as when you were called you were called to one hope.

5 And there is one Lord, one trust, one immersion,

6 and one God, the Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is in all.

Pay close attention to the verses above.

Let’s begin with one body.

How can there be one body when there are so many man-made denominations that have their own doctrines and by-laws (yet they refuse to obey G-D’s Laws)? You have the Baptist—and different sects of the Baptist from Southern the Primitive to American to Independent. Then you have the Methodist, and some of the Methodist sect supports homosexuals to be pastors. The same applies to the Presbyterians, some sects support sexual sins. Then you have the Episcopal who are openly hostile toward Israel and support sexual sin and the murder of unborn babies. Then there are the Catholics who pray to Mary and bow down before statues and confess their sins to man instead of YESHUA. There are many others like the Salvation Army, the Seventh Day Adventist, the Mormons, the Jehovah Witness.

All of these denominations are ‘Christian’. All lumped together but divided by different man-made doctrines. If someone says to me: “I’m a Christian’. They don’t add: ‘I’m a Baptist’ or ‘Methodist’. But that person is under the teachings of some man-made doctrine. If I ask what church they go to, the response is usually connected to one of the mainstream denominations: Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic.

And all of these denominations are supposed to be one body—the Body of YESHUA my LORD? No. And worse, they teach man-made doctrines that violate Scripture. And of course, every last one of them attend church on the 1st day of the week (what is called Sunday) instead of honoring the 7th Day (what is called Saturday) as G-D commanded.

One Spirit.

How can there be one spirit among all these denominations when they are divided and have their own man-made doctrines? What I see is division, not unity. I honestly do not believe the HOLY SPIRIT honors denominations that teach against the Truth of Scripture.

Have you ever stopped and truly looked at the Spiritual condition of the world? Yet, each Sunday church doors belonging to countless different denominations open. Different sermons are preached. But the world keeps growing more vile and evil by the day. Something isn’t right.

One Spirit among Christians? I don’t see that with my own eyes. In fact, I see the opposite.

One Lord.

There is One Lord: MESSIAH YESHUA.

MESSIAH YESHUA was Jewish. HE attended Synagogue on the 7th Day of the week (Shabbat). HE ate clean foods. HE wore HIS Tzit-Tzits. HE followed and obeyed Torah. HE had a beard. HE followed Jewish customs

Yet the LORD taught of in the Scriptures seems to be far from the Lord churches preach today. Man has turned MESSIAH YESHUA into who they want HIM to be instead of who HE Truly is.

They don’t like words like ‘Obedience’ and ‘Jewish’ and ‘Persecution’.

Matthew Ch 10:38 And anyone who does not take up his execution-stake and follow me is not worthy of me.

YESHUA’s words about taking up your execution-stake and following HIM, and those who don’t aren’t worthy of HIM, seems to be seldomly preached on.

Yes, there is One LORD: MESSIAH YESHUA. But the Lord preached throughout the veins of all the denominations today is a different Lord from who YESHUA MESSIAH, the SON of G-D, Truly is. In fact, I would honestly suggest that if YESHUA walked into a Christian church today and began to preach many would reject HIS teachings.

One Trust.

There is one Trust: Trust in MESSIAH YESHUA, that HE died, was buried and on the third day G-D raised HIM from the dead.

And on that foundation alone we understand why YESHUA had to die: for the sinner.

Yes, we are all sinners. Every last person from Adam until the baby being born at this moment (the baby being born at this minute will someday sin).

What is sin? As I made clear many times: Sin of Violation of Torah (1 John Ch 3:4).

YESHUA taught:

Matthew Ch 4:17 From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”

Your sins must be forgiven. That is why YESHUA died. When we turn from our sins to G-D, through YESHUA our LORD, we are forgiven of our sins—cleansed—and reconciled back to G-D. We put our Trust in G-D and all that HE did through HIS SON for us.

Denominations today seem, in my view, more interested in trusting in their own man-made doctrines than YESHUA MESSIAH. People become comfortable in whatever denomination they belong to and feel they are secure. But who are they really trusting in? Is being a Baptist or Catholic or Methodist going to get you to Heaven? Who are people really trusting? God or man?

Denominations simply mean you are choosing to worship God the way you decide instead of the way HE commands. That is not trust. That is spiritual manipulation. One denomination can’t be different from another if they belong to the same Boyd: YESHUA MESSIAH. But they are all different. One Trust? If there was one trust there wouldn’t be so many different denominations.

One immersion.

Those who belong to MESSIAH YESHUA undergo One immersion. One.

And the Body of YESHUA undergoes the same immersion, they become part of the same Body. If you are immersed into YESHUA MESSIAH, you have died with HIM and are risen with HIM. Therefore you will live as HE lived. Yet, how many countless people undergo immersion and live in violation of how MESSIAH YESHUA truly lived? They undergo immersion yet remain under the authority and teaching of whatever denomination they are part of.

And they undergo immersion according to that denomination. Some sprinkle water (as a baby or a child or a teenager or an older adult). Some believe in turning you around backwards and making you go under the water back first. John the Baptist (Yochanan the Immerser) immersed one way and he taught his Talmidim to immerse the way he did. YESHUA’s Talmidim immersed people. These men did not immerse people in different ways. There was one immersion and when that person was immersed that came up out of the water changed.

Pay attention to that word: Changed.

If a person undergoes immersion and still lives with a carnal mind instead of a spiritual mind, he or she has not been changed. And sadly, it seems to me, all the immersions given by countless denominations create no change in people. I’m not saying that goes for everyone—many do become new creations. Amen to that.

If we are One Body, then we should undergo the same immersion and come out of the water with One Spirit and become unified. But there is no unity. What I see are countless denominations created by man demanding authority over G-D rather than living by G-D’s Spirit.

One G-D.

There is ONE G-D.

Deuteronomy Ch 6:4 “Sh’ma, Yisra’el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, Isra’el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one];

There is One G-D. And G-D alone is the authority.

Isaiah Ch 33:22 For ADONAI is our judge, ADONAI is our lawgiver, ADONAI is our king. He will save us.

G-D is our Judge, Lawgiver and King.

Pay close attention to those three Titles.

Nowhere in Scripture did G-D command a single gentile to break away from Israel and become a Baptist or Catholic or Methodist and the rest of the denominations that man created. As I have written about many times, the New Yerushalayim has 12 Gates and each Gate is named after the 12 Tribes of Israel—there isn’t a 13th gate for the gentiles. This is the gentiles are grafted into Israel by G-D’s grace (Romans Ch 11, Ephesians Ch 2).

It seems to me, and this is a very serious problem, that the gentiles have changed G-D, The G-D of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, into who they want HIM to be. Woe to them for G-D does not change (Malachi Ch 3:6). YESHUA does not change (Hebrews Ch 13:8)

G-D commands all of mankind, Jew and Gentile, to listen to, keep, observe and obey HIS Holy Torah. And because the gentiles are grafted into Israel, they learned from Israel, not the other way around.

Some will say Israel still rejects MESSIAH YESHUA as a whole. Yes, that is true. But there are countless Jewish believers and always have been. Beginning with Adam all the way up to Peter. Job knew of YESHUA. Joseph, Moshe, Joshua, King David, the Prophets.

Just because the modern nation of Israel as she stands right now rejects YESHUA does not mean the gentiles have replaced Israel or have taken full authority. Just the opposite. Even is a state of disbelief—remember how stiff necked the Israelite were in the desert—G-D alone sets aside a remnant to teach, preach and guide HIS people. From Moshe to Joshua to the Prophets.

Do gentiles really believe G-D has not saved countless Jewish believers in MESSIAH YESHUA through the ages? Do gentiles truly believe they have replaced Israel, the people G-D alone made an eternal covenant with? And do they believe they are to be separate from Israel and create their own religion and still expect to worship the G-D of Abraham, Issac and Jacob?

There is One G-D. One. And HE is the G-D of Israel.

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All of the man-made denominations of the world today are like a car racing at full speed toward a brick wall. And when they hit that wall they will be shattered into pieces.

You must understand that G-D is the authority. G-D commands man to obey, keep and follow HIS Torah—for in HIS Torah are the Laws in which men are to live by, Laws that make man holy for G-D, because those Laws come from G-D.

G-D does not change or negotiate or turn a blind eye. What G-D said to Moshe stands eternal. HIS Torah is Eternal. HIS people are Eternal. HIS Covenant is eternal. And YESHUA MESSIAH is the very heartbeat of all these things.

No. I don’t know what a Christian is? And honestly, I don’t really concern myself with wanting to find out. If I go to a Baptist they will see this or that, the Methodist will say this or that, the Catholic will say this or that and on and on. Everyone’s right and the other denominations are wrong. Those Jehovah Witnesses, stay from them! But it’s okay for the Baptists to violate Torah and eat pork and go to Cracker Barrel on Sunday and the Catholics to pray to Mary and ask a priest (a man of flesh and blood) to forgive their sins.

I’m a Messianic Jew. I belong to YESHUA MESSIAH my LORD. Am I perfect? Goodness no. Far from it. But each day I pick up my cross and follow my LORD with the understanding of what that means: I’m dead to self. The New Covenant lives in men (G-D’s Torah written in my mind and on my heart). I’m a citizen of Heaven. I seek the things above and think on those things where YESHUA sits at the Right Hand of G-D, for my life is hidden with YESHUA in G-D. The HOLY SPIRIT lives in me and guides me—and the HOLY SPIRIT cannot go against Torah, so I know when those false teachings occur it is from satan. The HOLY SPIRIT reveals the Truth of Torah.

Because I’m saved by the Grace of G-D, I know I can follow and keep Torah by that Grace, not through legalism. G-D’s Torah—and the Light of YESHUA MESSIAH Lights up every single word of the Torah—is my guiding light (Psalms Ch 119:105).

I’m not implying every gentile who goes to a Baptist church or Catholic church, and so on, will never see Heaven. Only G-D knows the heart. In this article I’m pointing out that man-made denominations create division, not unity. And the denominations are just that: man-made. They are not of G-D.

The Torah is of G-D. And Moshe taught the Torah. He didn’t begin his own religion. He spoke to G-D face to face.

Think heavily on that.

Who do you follow today? G-D, who spoke to HIS servant Moshe face to face, or doctrines of man? And remember: Moshe taught G-D’s Torah, not the doctrines of man.

The Jewish people are still G-D’s chosen people. That has never changed. And G-D never once commanded the gentiles to break apart from the Jewish people and start their own religion. In fact, the gentiles have been grafted into Israel since MESSIAH YESHUA’s precious Death, Burial and Resurrection.

And YESHUA commanded HIS Talmidim—-Jewish men—to go into the nations and make Talmidim. YESHUA did not command gentiles to do that.

But as Paul said: As long as the NAME of MESSIAH YESHUA is being preached, that’s all that matters. Whether in a Synagogue or a gentile church, G-D’s Power is not restrained.

Philippians Ch 1:18 But so what? All that matters is that in every way, whether honestly or in pretense, the Messiah is being proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

It is just my desire that the gentiles return to G-D’s Torah as they are commanded to do. I say that with a heavy heart.

Shalom and blessings.