About Us

“…proclaiming the Kingdom of God [the Good News] and teaching about the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.  [Acts 28:31, CJB]

“Preaching the Malchut Hashem [kingdom of G-d] and saying shiurim [a study session, usually led by a rabbi] concerning the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach [King-Messiah] Adoneinu Yehoshua [our Lord Yeshua] with all openness and without hindrance.” [Acts 28:31, OJB]

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ABOUT US – WHO WE ARE

Following Messiah (FM) is an online Judaist ministry and outreach that combines Orthodox, Conservative, and Messianic forms of Judaism that are committed to the two related messages of Yeshua and his early Jewish movement: (1) The Ge’ulah (Redemption) and the Restoration of the whole House of Israel as discussed in the Written Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings; and (2) the life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, and soon return of ADONAI and His Chosen Anointed-Messiah to Jerusalem to rule and reign over Israel and the nations for a thousand years.   We were founded by Chris & Karen Verschage in 2013.

As part of our ministry to help bring about the Ge’uluah (Redemption) and the Restoration of Israel, we are committed to the following:

• To Teach the whole Bible to all people regardless of their nationality, sex, social or religious background from a Judaist perspective.
• To restore and teach the “Writings of the Way” (Heb. Ketuvim HaDerekh) from a strictly Jewish context.
• To support the continuation and flourishing of the life, culture, and teachings of the Jewish people, including the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and for Israel’s continued rights to the Promised Land, Israel.

Following Messiah is a combination of Orthodox and Messianic Judaist educational organization. However, it is not a non-profit organization (We’re working on that). As a result, donations at this time would not be tax deductible.

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WHAT DO I MEAN BY A COMBINATION OF ORTHODOX AND MESSIANIC JUDAIST?

Our beliefs are a combination of Orthodox, Conservative, and Messianic Judaism. We adhere to many of the beliefs of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, particularly the works of Solomon Schechter’s book, Aspects of Rabbinic Theology (1993).

THE MESSIANIC MOVEMENT – “A FULFILLMENT OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY”?

We believe that the Most High is using the Messianic Movement to bring about His prophecy in Yiremeyahu (Jeremiah) 16:

“‘Therefore,’ says ADONAI, ‘the day will come when people will no longer swear, “As ADONAI lives, who brought the people of Isra’el out of the land of Egypt.” but, “As ADONAI lives, who brought the people of Isra’el out of the land to the north and out of all the countries where he drove them”; for I will bring them back to their own land, which I gave to their ancestors.  

“Look,’ says ADONAI, ‘I will send for many FISHERMEN, and THEY WILL FISH FOR THEM.  Afterwards, I will send for many hunters; and they will hunt them from every mountain and hill out of caves in the rocks….ADONAI, my strength, my fortress, my refuge in time of trouble, THE NATIONS WILL COME TO YOU FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, saying, “OUR ANCESTORS INHERITED NOTHING BUT LIES, FUTILE IDOLS, COMPLETELY USELESS.”  Can a person make himself gods?  (In fact, they aren’t gods at all.)  Therefore, I will make them know, once and for all, I will make them know my power and my might.  Then they will know that my name is ADONAI.” [Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 16: 14-21, CJB; emphasis added]

We believe the Yeshua’s life and ministry was calling and training “fishermen” who would go out across Israel and out to the nations and “fishing for them [all the descendants of Jacob / the ancient northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah].

WHAT IS THE “MESSIANIC MOVEMENT”?

The Messianic Movement is like a long suspension bridge that spans and connects two distinctly different Islands: On the one side, there is Judaism in all its various forms, and on the other side, there is Christianity in all of its various forms.  Merely stating that one is “Messianic” is only acknowledging that one is somewhere on this “bridge,” but it does not identify one’s lifestyle, beliefs, values, or culture.  We do not believe that either Judaism or Christianity completely has all of the truth, but that Judaism has a larger portion of the truth and Christianity has seeds of truth mixed with misinterpretations, misunderstandings, errors, and man-made doctrines and religious traditions.

OUR FOUNDERS’ BACKGROUNDS

My wife, Karen, and I who founded this ministry were not ethnically Jewish, nor were we raised in the Jewish religion.  Instead, she was raised in the Southern Baptist church until she was 12, and then when her family moved to Florida, she and her sister began to attend a Pentecostal Church of God congregation.  I was raised in a small Pentecostal Church of God congregation until the age of 12, and then my family began to attend an Assemblies of God church that was closer to our home.  My wife and I met when her family came visiting my church.

OUR DIVINE CALLING

However, once we were married, the God of Isra’el began began calling and exposing us to the Messianic Movement and to Judaism through various means until in 2015 (almost ten years ago as of this update), he called us to begin living a Torah-centered Orthodox lifestyle.  He told us that He wanted us to keep the weekly Sabbath, observe the biblical feasts, keep kashrut, as well as the other biblical commandments.  In 2016, He called us to go to Jerusalem where we lived for three months.  In looking back, I would say that we have learned more about God, His Kingdom, and the Bible since the time we returned from Isra’el (the last 8 years as of November 2024), than in the previous 53 years of our lives.  Most definitely more than all the years we spent attending Christian churches.

ABOUT OUR FIVE MAIN DISTINCTIVES

Only Tanakh – Not a Divided Bible.

The first main distinctive that stands out above all others is that we believe that the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the eternal Word of God, and it is, therefore, valid and applicable to all people for all time.  However, we do not believe in a divided Bible that contains two distinctly different revelations from God.  Instead, we believe the whole Bible, like the God of Isra’el, is ‘echad (One), and therefore, this Christian teaching that the Bible is divided, comprised of an “Old Testament” and a “New Testament” is a man-made invention.  Rather, the books that make up what Christians call the “New Testament,” or what Messianics call the “B’rit Chadashah” are not separate from the Tanakh – but were meant to be a continuation of the third section of the Tanakh, the “Writings.”  Therefore, there is only Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures.

One Kingdom – Not a Religion

1.  Our second main distinctive is that we maintain that the Bible is about the Kingdom of God – Not about a religion – much less, two world religions.  God is King who rules and reigns over all of His Kingdom; He is not a religious leader.  The Bible teaches us about Him and His Kingdom – it does not teach us about being part of a religion.  In fact, we teach that the Bible is about “One God keeping One covenant with One man for One purpose: the establishment of His Kingdom here on earth.”  It is not about getting humanity into heaven to live with God for all of eternity, but about establishing His Kingdom here on earth where He will live with us on the “new earth” for all of eternity.

2. One Eternal Covenant – Not 7 Different Ones

3. . Our third main distinctive is that we believe in One Eternal Covenant that is comprised of seven parts.  These seven parts are what many people believe are separate, distinct covenants, but they are not.  They each have a different beginning point, but once they begin, they run simultaneously with those other parts of the covenant that began before.  In the Tanakh, there is not one example of a covenant replacing another covenant.  Thus, we see Christianity’s teaching concerning the “New Covenant” as a violation of the covenantal pattern that is established within the Tanakh.

4. The Torah is for All of Humanity – Not just for the Jews

5. Our fourth main distinctive is that the Written Torah is intended for all of humanity for all time, not just the Jewish people.  At Mt. Sinai, there were not just the Jewish people there at that time – but all of the 13 tribes of the children of Isra’el.  We say the “12 Tribes,” because one of the tribes did not get any land rights, and that was the tribe of Levi.  Therefore, 12 of the tribes received a division of the land.  Also, there were non-Jews at the foot of Mt. Sinai who came out of Egypt with the Isra’elites (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4). so those Christians who teach that the Torah (trans. “law”) was only given to the Jewish people need to go back and study their Bibles again.

6. The Gospel is about the Restoration of Isra’el – Not about Getting Humanity into Heaven.

7. Christianity has traditionally misinterpreted not only the “Writings of The Way” (Heb. Ketuvim HaDerekh), but they have also misinterpreted the gospel (Heb. basorah) because they have removed them from their original contexts: the Tanakh, the History of Isra’el, and Second Temple Judaism, and specifically, the Restoration of Isra’el.  Once we restore this collection of writings back into their appropriate contexts, then the evidence clearly demonstrates that “the gospel of the kingdom” was about “the restoration of Isra’el,” which includes the “salvation of God” being taken to the nations. (see Isaiah 49:5-6).

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OUR VISION – WHAT WE HOPE TO BECOME

Our vision for this ministry is that over the next five years, Following Messiah would become a significant online Judaist resource for people looking for answers, interested in finding out more about Jewish Messiah of Isra’el, His Kingdom, the Scriptures, discipleship, ministry, and/or apologetics.

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OUR MISSION – WHY WE EXIST

• To proclaim and promote the redemption (Heb. Ge’ulah) and the Restoration of Israel (trans. “the kingdom of God”) and its Spirit-dependent way of life, fully centered on Messiah, to people of all nations.

We believe that every believer, who is part of God’s kingdom, has been called to participate and actively engage in the Kingdom at some level, whether you’ve been called to share God, His Torah, and the Scriptures to your family and friends, to those in your neighborhood, to people at your job, to people at a local group or congregation, to people in your village, town, city, state, or country, or to minister in another country.  God has placed His commission in every believer’s heart, and so it is our desire to reach out and to educate and train people so that they can be fully equipped to do whatever level of ministry God has called them to do.

Yeshua (Jesus) wanted a Kingdom people who would live their lives reflecting the values, norms, beliefs, and teachings of His Kingdom, which are found in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.  He did not die to establish a religion, but to open the way for the restoration of a Kingdom.  And somehow that idea of the Kingdom has been largely spiritualized and lost to the historical Christian church.

Consequently, as we approach the time period of our King’s return, we need to return to a biblically-centered, Kingdom-focused lifestyle. We need to be His kingdom, living the life of the Kingdom, and doing the work of the Kingdom until the time period of our King’s return. And if we can come back to that basic understanding, then we can return to an identity, belief and lifestyle that was central to Yeshua (Jesus) and His early Jewish disciples, their lives and ministry during Second-Temple Judaism.  And it is for that purpose and reason that Following Messiah was established.

As a result, we at Following Messiah will be involved in the following:

• sharing God’s call to become actively engaged with the restoration of Isra’el (trans. “gospel (or ‘good news’ of the kingdom”) and our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) the Anointed-Messiah with others;
• leading people into an intimate relationship with ADONAI, the Holy God of Israel, and His Chosen Anointed-Messiah;
• teaching the whole Scriptures in a way that’s true to their original Jewish contexts, comprehensive, understandable, thought-provoking, and applicable to people’s daily lives.
• teaching people about the kingdom of God, the restoration of life, and its Spirit-dependent way of life, and how to share it with others.
• teaching people how and why they need to follow the holy Written Torah of God; and
• Preparing people for the soon return of ADONAI, the Holy God of Isra’el, with His Chosen Anointed-Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and the establishment of His Kingdom here on earth where He will rule and reign from Jerusalem, Israel, for 1,000 years to prepare us for the Eternal Kingdom after the Day of Judgment.

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OUR CALLING – WHAT GOD HAS INSTRUCTED US TO DO

The Lord has called Karen and I to share and teach the following:

• That God loves us with a love that we cannot comprehend or understand;
• That God is eternal, He does not change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever;
• That God’s Word does not change, and that ALL of His word from Genesis 1:1 to the end of the book of Revelation is for all people for all time;
• That God’s primary focus is on establishing His Kingdom in our lives and, eventually, on the earth; it’s not about a religion or in “being religious”;
• That God cannot dwell in an unholy and corrupt people, His Temple; to be His Kingdom people, we must work with the Holy Spirit (the Shekinah, ADONAI’s Dwelling Presence) to sanctify ourselves and walk in obedience to His commandments, statutes, and ordinances, including those found in the Torah given to Moses on Mt. Sinai;
• That the Lord’s return is very, very soon, and we need to prepare for His coming or take the chance of not making it into his Messianic Kingdom; and
• That we are to reach out and minister God’s love and compassion to others.

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OUR ENDS/GOALS – WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE

The following is what we at Following Messiah would like to achieve in and through our ministry:

• The transformation of people’s lives around the world through their intimate relationship with ADONAI, the Holy God of Israel, through the Anointed-Messiah Yeshua, and their daily time spent with Him in prayer and the study of the Scriptures, and their participation in the work of the kingdom of God;
• To awaken in people the reality that a Whole Bible lifestyle is. in fact, both possible and attainable;
• To awaken in people a desire and hunger for more of God and His Word;
• To restore to people a desire and hunger for the holiness of God, “that we might be partakers of His holiness,” for without “holiness, no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 13:10, 14);
• The development of people within God’s kingdom to reflect His character, nature, values, and beliefs;
• The development of people into a more active role and presence as ambassadors of the Messiah and His kingdom within the surrounding society, nation, and the world;
• To equip and empower believers with the education and training to successfully  minister to the needs of others with God’s love and compassion, His Word, and the gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit; and
• To restore to people the surety and evidence that the whole Bible is for the believer today.

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OUR TEN VALUES

• To continually seek to make the kingdom of heaven/God (Heb. Malkhut Hashamayim) our number #1 top priority;
• To keep the Anointed-Messiah as the focus and Lord of our lives;
• To follow the leading of the Shekinah, the Dwelling Presence of God, aka, Holy Spirit (Heb. Ruach HaKodesh);
• To keep our teachings and ministry based on the Word of God;
• To reach out to others with God’s love and compassion;
• To maintain a holy, Torah-observant lifestyle that’s consistent with the message that we teach;
• To strive for excellence and professionalism in both attitude and conduct;
• To build teamwork, interdependence, and mutual accountability;
• To present messages that are clear, concise, well-supported and documented, and that elevates the Holy God of Israel and the person of the Anointed-Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) in love, integrity, and grace; and
• To be responsible and careful in the use of our position, opportunities, and platforms that are made available to us.

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OUR INVITATION

If you are visiting our site, we would like to welcome you.  We invite you to check out our various links, to read our articles and blogs, and to consider and pray regarding our teachings.  But whether you are a first-time visitor or a regular attendee our of site, it is our prayer that our materials will assist you with your walk with the Lord or in your search for the Truth, and that it will bring you into a closer, more intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior, the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

PLEASE NOTE:

Following Messiah (FM) is a Spirit-led, Whole Bible Judaist outreach and ministry that’s been called by God and the Anointed-Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) to represent ADONAI and His Chosen Messiah and all His Scriptures.  Our ministry was officially founded in December 2015.

However, we are still in the early stages of our development as an organization, and so we are not yet a legal non-profit.  Therefore, any donations to us at this time would not be tax deductible.

However, we do covet your prayers for this ministry and the families of those who choose to be a part of our community and support us as we follow God’s calling on our lives.  As soon as we have attained the legal status of a non-profit, then we will announce it here on our website.

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