Truth in Love

That's what this whole blog is about, what my LIFE is about! Sometimes people like me may come off  "harsh" in this text form, but it is truly coming from a place of love. I know I wouldn't bother to say anything if I didn't care.

This is another note on FB from a different friend of mine......

Isn't it love when we speak truth?  Isn't bringing a person to the knowledge they are lacking speaking truth in love even if that truth is a hard pill to swallow?

I have heard from several people that we need to speak kind loving words to convey truth.  I do think that we should indeed BE kind and caring but isn't speaking the truth doing just that?

For far to long people have been reading only what they want out of G-d's Word and in very errored and flawed versions (yes those versions can bring you to knowledge of salvation) but what next? (Thanks Brother Klepac)!  The question is will you settle?  Or will you dig deeper finding the origins and searching for truth like hidden treasure?!

Who is Yeshua {Jesus} What would HE do?  What did He do?  He did the will of the Father!  He followed all the commands, He celebrated Shabbat, He celebrated all the Holy feasts and festivals, He abstained from the pagan rituals and ways of doing things.  He ate only clean food and drank that which was clean also.  He prayed, He read the Scriptures, He listened, He taught, He helped those in need. 

Who is He?  He's Jewish coming from the line of David!  He is the only one Holy and Pure!  He was our sacrafice.  He studied for 30 years, not in a seminary but in G-d's Holy Word.  30 years of devout and complete worship to YHVH.  His ministry was only 3 1/2 years so He spent most of His time studying, not so today for the average church goer or pastor!  He touched peoples lives, He prayed for them, He healed them, He pointed to thier sin and showed them the way out.  He put everyone else first hoping that all would follow His example.  He is G-d, He is life, He is truth, He is the Word that people hate so much.  He is the Truth in Love.

Are we forgetting that if we love people, our friends and family that we will give them the whole truth?!  Are we forgetting that the whole truth is from B'ersheet to Revelation?  Are we forgetting to tell people that being a follower of El Elyon and Yeshua is hard work and not for the faint hearted.  Are we forgetting to tell them that you will have to give up everything to serve the Most High G-d?!  But if we don't and we choose to have it all now and serve the world and Satan they will surely burn in the fires of Hades.  Are we forgetting to tell them that the earth is quakeing as a sign of birth pangs for the second coming and that we all need to be ready? 

Why would The Word warn us to be ready if we didn't have to do anything at all?   Is it truly LOVE to hide these things from people?  Isn't it love if we share the truth and point to the One True Redeemer, Yeshua the Messiah?  Isn't it love telling them that it is so worth all the sacrafice, persecution, glares, stares, mockings, gossip, tales people tell and death to follow YHVH and Yeshua?!!  Isn't it love telling them that in the end IF we peresever and don't look back like Lot's wife did that we will inherate the Kingdom?!  Isn't it love telling them that you don't want to just come in smelling like smoke but that you will want to have treasures there when you get there?!

It is NOT love telling people that they can keep on sinning and expect to get into heaven, it's a lie.  It's kind and cozy to hear and most people take comfort in that but it's a lie right from the decievers mouth.  Why do you think that the Word warns us to watch out for wolves in sheeps clothing?  It's because they are out there and REAL!

Please don't take my word for it.  Research it, dig, ask, seek, knock, pray G-d's Word to Him, search, study, pray, pray, pray and trust that YHVH will bring you to the truth.  Not pastors truth, not Amy's truth, not the worlds truth, not John Doe's truth BUT HIS infalliable, omnipresenct, omniscient Truth.  It may seem harsh to some but it is truth in love.  Walls may have to come down but it is truth.  Your reality may crumble (mine did) but it is truth.  Everything you thought was fine may all of a sudden seem disgusting to you but it is truth.  YHVH {G-d} can not lie, He is not a liar, His ways are perfect and infalliable.  He speaks Truth out of Love for all man kind.  Yet we have inherited lies from our fore fathers and claimed them as truth.  SEEK TRUTH!

"The L-rd is not slow in keeping his promise, as some people think of slowness; on the contrary, He is patient with you; for it is not His purpose that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sin.  However, the Day of the L-dr will come "like a thief."  On that Day the heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will melt and disintergrate, and the earth and everything in it will be burned up."  {1 Peter 3:9-10}

We are all sinners and capable of sinning still after we have recieved Salvation.  We need to work out our faith with fear and trembling turning from sin and walking in righteousness always.  That way when Yeshua comes like a theif in the night you will not be found sleeping in your sin, you will have life with the Word able to stand in victory and be HEIRS of the Kingdom of heaven.

That is Truth in Love.

Now you have a choice.  You can choose to believe it or not, but that is NOT between you and I, that is between you and the L-rd.

AGAIN....READ your scriptures PLEASE do not take my word for it because I am a mere human being who is flawed and I could have erred somewhere in this writting.  Take it to the scrolls my dear friends.

Blessings and Shalom {peace}

My personal testimony

I was a sinner (Rom. 3:23), I placed my faith in God who saved me through His grace (Eph. 2:8-9), and now I am dying to myself and living for Him daily (Luke 9:23)!

I do not really remember much of my life before I committed it to Christ at the age of 5. All you really need to know is that I was a sinner, just like everyone else in this world. I realized that I needed a Savior, not for "fire insurance", but because He loved me and wanted me to be with Him for all eternity, praising His name forever! (1 Peter 3:8-9)

I lived a pretty typical "good Christian" life and never got into big trouble with anyone. God definitely had His hand of protection on me concerning things of this world, such as drugs, sex, and anything that comes along with hanging around the wrong crowds (the influence of the world). Even though I saw these things in the Christian school I attended and in church youth groups as well, I recognized that it was not God's plan that was messed up but the heart of individuals who were not seeking His will. They were only seeking selfish desires. I was not immune to selfish desires, but mine were more along the lines of wanting to just hang out with friends regardless of other priorities, not taking care of my body as well as I should and things like that. Still bad. Still selfish. Still sin.

And I still struggle with these things. Not that they are "easier" to deal with now, but as an adult and as I have grown in Christ, I recognize the importance of putting selfish desires of any kind to rest and trust that God will take care of my wants if they are HIS desires. I have learned to pray that my desires become His desires, and it works!

The greatest time of growth for me personally has been in the last 3+ years. I met a family who holds weekly meetings in their home. I learned a lot about how the New Testament Church was structured, and I was faced with some biblical doctrine I had not ever heard before, or in some cases, had even argued against before. My first reaction was to run away, thinking it was false doctrine. I was challenged, and through trials come growth! James 1:2-4 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." I have also learned to pray for wisdom, believing God will give it to me (James 1:5-6, the very next verses), and what a difference this truly makes!

So as I was challenged, I continued to ask God for wisdom. The teacher at these bible studies, the elder of this house church, taught in a way that made us look for the answers ourselves straight from God's word (2 Timothy 2:15). He asked questions and was constantly giving Scripture passages to look up, many of these things I had read over my whole life but never noticed before! After having been in church since the first Sunday after I was born, I honestly felt completely dumb every time I walked through the door of this house. But that was a good thing because I had become teachable!

After a few months, some concerned friends and family were getting to me. I started having doubts about whether these doctrines that were being taught were really biblical or if this was some kind of cult, as the average life-long denominational Christian seemed to believe. So I backed off for a while. I stopped meeting with this group of believers, but I was still challenged and still hungry for the word! Over the next couple of years I thought of this family and the others who attended quite often. I would occasionally call or email, but they had come to believe that I was like most other Christians and was not open to any more teaching. They thought I had gone back to the denomination and was no longer teachable.

Not so! Quite the contrary, actually. As I was continually challenged by family and friends, I only saw confirmation again and again that some of the doctrines I had held onto most of my life were indeed false! Instead of listening to the doctrines of men, I was now listening to the Word of God, and I could see much more clearly that so much of what I believed was wrong! And it was important to get it right!

As a result of me being challenged and growing through it all, I am now burdened to challenge others. I do not always come across well in written form, but I am overcome with love for God and for my Christian brothers and sisters, for everyone to get the doctrines of the bible right. God desires unity, so I do not believe it is okay to just "agree to disagree". (Eph. 4:3, Rom. 15:5-6, Phil. 2:2) 1 Cor. 10:10-13 says, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" There is so much in the bible about being in unity. We are all part of one body, the body of Christ. I do not have all the right answers, but I definitely have better answers now than I did 3 years ago, because they come from the bible, not from denominational doctrine.

Through being challenged in a denominational church earlier this year, I have learned that by adopting a creed, a statement of faith, catechisms, etc. I was putting God in a box and did not feel the need or desire to learn outside of those things. I have also learned that if those things are truly based on Scripture, then I do not need to rely on man's own interpretation of Scripture....I have my own copy of God's word and the Holy Spirit to interpret for me! I think that is why there is so much division in the Church right now. Everyone wants to believe something different, and instead of just simply studying the bible together, they refer to a written outline, a man-made set of beliefs. No wonder there is so much confusion in the Church, and we know confusion does not come from God! (1 Cor. 14:33)

I pray that all who read this testimony of how God is working in my life will be challenged in their own walk, to seek the Truth of God's holy word and not rely on man-made doctrine. May God get the glory. For only He is worthy. I am merely a vessel used for His purpose, to give glory, honor and praise to the Creator of all things! It is my prayer that I will be used to show others how they can do the same. God bless!