I wasn't raised in any kind of religious environment. At age 25 I became a Christian just before starting chiropractic school, and for the next five years I attended a solid, Bible-teaching church, studied the Bible, and earnestly sought to grow in my relationship with God. I also made friends with a Jewish classmate in school who became a believer in Jesus as the Messiah through our friendship. 

My friend was raised in a Jewish household. She celebrated the Jewish holidays and "did shabbat" (celebrating the Sabbath) each week. One day she questioned me why the Church didn't celebrate the Jewish (biblical) holidays anymore. I didn't know. At the time I also didn't care because, like most of mainstream Christianity, it's just not what we do. "That's all Old Testament stuff," I said to my friend.  "We don't do that anymore."

Some time after we graduated from school, my friend sent me a book on the Jewish roots of Christianity. The author made many, valid points as to how and why the Church deviated and ultimately divorced itself from its original, Jewish context and culture. He also showed the numerous ways how the Church and the world are currently ensnared in what the Bible calls "Mystery Babylon." I was shocked and cut to the heart! My entire faith and self-identity as a Christian was called into question. I had to have answers. I prayed, "God show me the truth."

Two weeks later a Messianic Rabbi guest-lectured at my church about the modern history of Israel, how Israel fulfilled a 2700-year old biblical prophecy in 1948 when it became a nation again after 2000 years of exile, and the modern "Middle East Conflict." I was floored. Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled TODAY? The Bible is alive and things are happening TODAY? The idea ignited a flame in my heart, and I had to understand these things. The rabbi had set up a product table in the church foyer, and I bought every book on the table. And I started studying...