Mike,

I pray that all is well with you. I have been reading a lot about Judaism. I have seen the similarities between Christianity, Judaism and Islam. I notice they all have a small part of the truth, but still are deceived. I was wondering if you spent a lot of time in your early years studying other religions such as Judaism, or maybe thought at times you needed to convert to one of these, even though it is impossible due to beliefs in the Lord Jesus. I realize that I have came out of Egypt but am still wandering the desert, looking for the true Shepard. I also believe that by studying these I feel more at ease in my faith, and in my patient waiting for the revelation of Jesus. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

God bless,
D____

Hi D____,

I certainly agree with you that you need to know something about the major religions in the world. In any study of religions, you will find that no other religion is as old as the religion of the Bible.
Judiaism, as Isaiah puts it long before Christ, had already lost “the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water.”

Isa 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, takes away the stay and the staff from Jerusalem and from Judah; the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water;

In that sense Judaism was not even the religion of Moses. That was why the Jews could not recognize their Messiah when He came to them. They had a doctrine which called for a kingdom to be established but which ignored the prophecies concerning the death of the Messiah. Victory over ones enemies through death just does not compute in any religion except the true religion of Christ. It does not compute in Judaism, in Buddhism, in the Muslim religion, or for that matter in orthodox Christianity. The very thing that places the doctrine of Christ so superior to all other religions on earth, is the very thing which makes those who cling to that doctrine so despised by all men:

Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Yes, it is impossible for the natural man to “resist not evil” and to “love thine enemies”. But those who are given the strength to do so will be the most hated people on earth.

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Who in their right mind wants to be “hated of all men?” Yet that is what will be the case for any and all who follow the doctrine of Christ.
The Truth is hard to receive, and it is even harder to “endure to the end” with that Truth. But it will be done by a faithful few who realize the sovereignty of God, who do not worry about having to do something of themselves. There is much to be done but those with whom God is working realize that all they do is actually what Christ is doing in and through them.
You ask me:

I was wondering if you spent a lot of time in your early years, studying other religions such as Judaism, or maybe thought at times you needed to convert to one of these, even though it is impossible due to beliefs in the Lord Jesus.

The answer is that yes, I did study the religions of the world and became familiar with their origins. I was surprised to discover how young all other religions are compared to the religion of the Bible.
I say “the religion of the Bible” simply because Judaism certainly was not the religion of the Bible or of Moses any more that Christianity is the religion of Christ.
So the Bible was first, from the beginning, then approximately 560 – 483 BC Buddha founded Buddhism. The Muslim religion is the youngest of the major religions of the world and was founded in the seventh century A. D.
Not one of these religions has prophecies of a Messiah who will die for the sins of the earth. None of their prophets even claim to be the Son of God. They really are very lacking in the things of the spirit. They are entirely connected to this world at this time; rather like orthodox Christianity.
You ask if I ever felt the need to convert to any of these religions. Absolutely not! The Jewish faith is the mother of orthodox Christianity, but Judaism has no spiritual bread or water to offer its adherents. So why would I sell my spiritual birthright for a bowl of physical “red pottage?” Of course I spent much of my adult life in orthodox Christianity, but I have never felt the need to go back to a religion which has never even accepted its own prophecies concerning its own Messiah”

Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [ there is] no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [ our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither [ was any] deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [ his] seed, he shall prolong [ his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, [ and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him [ a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Judaism, to this day, cannot cope with this their own prophesy.
I hope this is of some help to you.
Mike