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| The little country church I grew up in. |
First and foremost, I am a child of God! I grew up in the church -- my beloved Daddy was an elder in an old Evangelical United Brethren Church in Minneapolis (EUB roots began at the time of the Great Awakening and are Pietist German Reform & Mennonite from Lancaster, PA; i.e. Very German & Very Conservative); Dad was a wonderful Godly man -- God/Jesus was always as real to me as my physical Daddy because of his wonderful example and life of faith. We later moved and switched to a little county church (after EUB merged with the Methodist church in 1968) where I asked Jesus into my heart (around the age of 9 or 10 -- I remember it like yesterday, but unfortunately failed to record the correct date) and have always had a passion for God and His Word. I went to an Independent Fundamental Baptist school (9th-12th) and IFB college (Missions & Elem. Ed.), and was preparing to go to Tanzania as a missionary but through a near-fatal surgery & my Dad's already failing health, my plans changed. I've served in (and love) children's ministry for 40+ years, but currently my ministry focus is more with the poor, widows, & orphans.
I hold to the totality of Scripture, both the Old and New Testament, as my one true guide for life and firmly believe that salvation is by Grace through Faith alone and then once we are saved, obedience to God's instructions is the fruit of our faith, because we love Him and hunger after His righteousness. By God's grace, I/we seek to grow in obedience to Him more and more as we travel the old path.
Be a Berean, Test Everything!
(Extended Play Testimony)
Personally, I'm not fond of denominational tags as denominations are of man, and man is fallible. There are just so many variations of most denominations & churches that saying one is of a certain denomination conveys only a vague understanding of one's personal beliefs, and unfortunately, it's often human nature to immediately think of the errors of that particular group. Labeling brings association. I guess what can best "label" me would be a "Whole Bible Believer!" I LOVE, believe in, and follow Yeshua Messiah (Christ Jesus) as my Saviour and His doctrine for living. I LOVE reading, studying, & obeying HIS WORD, the Scriptures, and believe the entire Bible, beginning to end, as true & applicable today. My religion is all about "The BIBLE". I'm a Believer, saved by Grace, and therefore I am grafted into the family of Israel as stated in Romans 11 -- my identity is Israel, and I'm a student of the Hebraic understanding of the Bible. I and people like me do not follow any powerful earthly founder/pastor/speaker, we don't have a denominational headquarters or a doctrinal statement that we all adhere to, just Scripture, from beginning to end.
It's nothing new or added to Scripture; nor is it rejecting faith & grace (which was clearly taught from Genesis on) -- it's all about being in the Scriptures, relearning our faith not from denominational interpretation, but from the original Hebrew and then being obedient to what God says. I think we can all agree that Love & Grace are cornerstones of the Christian faith, unfortunately the pendulum today has shifted so far to grace & love, that no one seems remotely concerned about listening & obedience and if one dares mention obedience, they are labeled a legalist or working for their salvation. Name calling certainly seems to be the vogue of the day rather than seeking truth. But what did Jesus say in how we should love HIM?
Jesus said, "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." ~John 14:15
Teachers are quick to point out that we are to love God, but they fail to teach what it means to "Love God". Jesus said, we show our love by keeping (obeying) His commandments. We do not show our love to God simply/only by what we deem
is love, cherry picking what we do or do not wish to believe and obey, but by All that He instructs.
Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. ~ Matthew 22:37-40
(The first 4 of the 10 commandments are about Loving God, the last 6 are of Loving Others. As Jesus said, one can actually group ALL the law and teaching of the prophets under these two headings because if we truly obey God's instructions, we automatically show love to others).
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So continuing on...
Over the years I have been blessed to sit under the teaching & preaching of many of those that are considered the finest Christian Evangelical leaders of the past 50 yrs. and I have learnt and grown in my spiritual walk immensely by their teaching; for that I am very grateful! However, even as early as in my teen years, it disturbed me that often a teaching/preaching just didn't seem to line up with Scripture. How could this be? Although I don't have a Ph.D., I'm not unlearned; I've read through the entire Bible almost every year since I was 16 and studying the Bible is my constant passion! However, I would be listening to a pastor, but would look at the verse and say within myself, "But that's not what the verse says!"/"But what about this or that verse that say the opposite of what the Pastor said?" A red flag would pop up within my spirit! I kept silent, yet would continue to ponder it in my heart. Somehow this older & much learned person must know something that I don't, yet it bothered me. I know this might sound harsh, but little did I realize in my early years that I was being taught the dispensational doctrine of man, not necessarily the Bible, and yes, those older and "much learned" teachers; albeit sincere, were just parroting what they had been taught in seminary, passing down decades of erroneous denominational indoctrination (as I too had been as a Sunday School teacher); not actually testing what they were taught -- not digging deep & studying for themselves what was really written in a reliable text and in context, not checking the original Hebrew & Greek -- not being a Berean and testing everything!
Okay, so fast-forwarding to around 2004, from no outside influence, God challenged my belief system and rebuilt my faith from the foundation up; I started over, putting my feet on the solid rock of Scripture. Amazingly, around that same time and since, thousands, worldwide, were seeing the same things as I!
Now in hindsight I realize that those red flags were part of a still small voice of what was now staring me in the face as I began to understand Scripture in a Hebraic light. I no longer saw Scripture through the lens of dispensation or denominational doctrine, but rather all the puzzle pieces of Scripture that was taken out of context and/or misinterpreted fit beautifully together -- from Genesis 1:1 all the way through Revelation 22:21, it is one big beautiful cyclical telling. I learnt that to fully understand the New Testament, one must also understand the Old Testament as over 1/3 of the New Testament is either direct quotes or at least referenced in the Old Testament; the Messiah Himself stated that all things must be fulfilled about Him that were first written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms (Luke 24:44). To rightly discern and interpret the New Testament, one must go back to see what the Old Testament says...
Remember the former things of old: for I AM EL, and there is none else; I AM ELOHIM, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure ~ Isaiah 46:9-10
Likewise, in the book of Deuteronomy, we see several references to proof of text through 2 or 3 witnesses and YHWH Himself, called Heaven & Earth as HIS witness, so wouldn't it behoove us to also find at least 2 or 3 other places in Scripture that repeat a teaching? They are there if we know where to look; if our interpretation contradicts other parts of Scripture, we can be sure that our interpretation is faulty as Scripture NEVER contradicts itself. Prayer is so important in understanding Scripture (Luke 24:45). And if a Bible teacher makes a statement, they ought to also back-up their teaching with at least two or three other verses within the Old Testament! My favorite Bible teachers constantly bring one back & forth in the Old & New Testament!
Yes, my understanding & love of the Bible turned "on" like a light bulb way back at the time of my Salvation, but my understanding grew a bazillion times deeper and continues to grow as I study Scripture in light of Romans 11 (and many other Scripture) as we are grafted in -- we are of the commonwealth of Israel.
Remember the former things of old: for I AM EL, and there is none else; I AM ELOHIM, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure ~ Isaiah 46:9-10
Likewise, in the book of Deuteronomy, we see several references to proof of text through 2 or 3 witnesses and YHWH Himself, called Heaven & Earth as HIS witness, so wouldn't it behoove us to also find at least 2 or 3 other places in Scripture that repeat a teaching? They are there if we know where to look; if our interpretation contradicts other parts of Scripture, we can be sure that our interpretation is faulty as Scripture NEVER contradicts itself. Prayer is so important in understanding Scripture (Luke 24:45). And if a Bible teacher makes a statement, they ought to also back-up their teaching with at least two or three other verses within the Old Testament! My favorite Bible teachers constantly bring one back & forth in the Old & New Testament!
Yes, my understanding & love of the Bible turned "on" like a light bulb way back at the time of my Salvation, but my understanding grew a bazillion times deeper and continues to grow as I study Scripture in light of Romans 11 (and many other Scripture) as we are grafted in -- we are of the commonwealth of Israel.
Speaking of Israel, it's not them or us, the Jews and the Law vs. the Gentiles and Grace; the Bible clearly states there is One God, One Way to Be Saved (it's always been through Faith), and One Law (instructions) for the Hebrews and the Greeks/Gentiles; Jesus died on the cross to remove the law of sin & death (meaning the penalty for sin, which is death), not to remove God's instructions (that's what Torah (Hebrew) or Law (Greek) mean = "God's instructions"); we get so hung up on the word, "Law" when it simply means "instruction", God's instructions, which are Holy, Perfect, Righteous, Just, Unchanging, and Eternal! Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it ~ Matthew 5:17; "fulfill" ("pleroo" in Greek), means give full meaning to it, fully teach, to cause to abound, to be the pattern model -- He gave us the perfect example to follow; "pleroo" is used in other places in Scripture and it always means to do; not end it or abolish it. It makes no sense to say, "Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to abolish/end it". Likewise, many may argue, "But that was nailed to the stake", referring to Colossians 2:14 & Ephesians 2:15, however, if we look at the word "ordinances", this is not talking about doing away with God's Law, the Old Testament Commandments, which are not against man but are good for him, but the word "ordinances" here is "dogma" (Greek) which is speaking of man-made traditions & commandments. Often Bible translations do us a disservice. Not to be preachy, but these are just a couple examples of why it's so important to study & understand the full Hebrew/Greek meaning of the word and not just read the Bible with a Western mindset. Keeping (Obeying) God's instructions aren't just an Old Testament thing that's been done away with because now we are under grace (see Matthew 5:17-20; Matthew 19:17; Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 10:19; John 14:15; Romans 3:31; Romans 7:12; Romans 13: 8-10; I Corinthians 7:19; I John 2:3; I John 3:4; I John 5:3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14). The penalty for our sins was paid for at the stake, not the doing away with His good & eternal instructions!
Some may err in what it means in Hebrews 8 when it says the New Covenant makes the Old Covenant obsolete. There was nothing wrong with God's perfect Old Covenant that God needed to start over with a whole new set of instructions or leave a few laws out to make His instructions more understandable and doable -- man's disobedience is just that, disobedience; God did not decide to lower His standards so we could fudge a bit; no, Scripture clearly teaches that the New Covenant only makes the Old Covenant obsolete in that we will not have to be taught His laws because the New Covenant is actually God putting "MY LAW IN THEIR MINDS AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS" (Jeremiah 31: 31-34); Hebrews 8-9; Romans 7-8. There aren't two sets of laws, one for the Jew, and another/different set of laws of the Gentiles. The same Law (instructions) apply to both and are just being transferred from tablet/paper to our hearts & minds. Doesn't it make sense that we tend to obey what is in our heart & mind -- what we love, know, and makes up our very fiber?
If one would reread their Bible keeping in mind that us as believers are Israel, the whole Bible becomes very personal, more so than ever before. [Just as a side note, in the description of the new heaven and the new earth, there are only 12 gates, and on each gate is written the name of one of the tribes of Israel. There isn't a 13th "Gentile" or "The Church" gate. -- hmm, something to ponder.]
Some may err in what it means in Hebrews 8 when it says the New Covenant makes the Old Covenant obsolete. There was nothing wrong with God's perfect Old Covenant that God needed to start over with a whole new set of instructions or leave a few laws out to make His instructions more understandable and doable -- man's disobedience is just that, disobedience; God did not decide to lower His standards so we could fudge a bit; no, Scripture clearly teaches that the New Covenant only makes the Old Covenant obsolete in that we will not have to be taught His laws because the New Covenant is actually God putting "MY LAW IN THEIR MINDS AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS" (Jeremiah 31: 31-34); Hebrews 8-9; Romans 7-8. There aren't two sets of laws, one for the Jew, and another/different set of laws of the Gentiles. The same Law (instructions) apply to both and are just being transferred from tablet/paper to our hearts & minds. Doesn't it make sense that we tend to obey what is in our heart & mind -- what we love, know, and makes up our very fiber?
If one would reread their Bible keeping in mind that us as believers are Israel, the whole Bible becomes very personal, more so than ever before. [Just as a side note, in the description of the new heaven and the new earth, there are only 12 gates, and on each gate is written the name of one of the tribes of Israel. There isn't a 13th "Gentile" or "The Church" gate. -- hmm, something to ponder.]
There is much I could say on all this, but that would take many posts and others have already done this who are far more articulate than I. But wrapping it up, it's been quite a learning process. Our family gradually did away with celebrating traditional holidays that are really steeped in pagan roots and symbolism like Christmas & Easter (you can see my posts about that) and now observe God's Feast Days given in Leviticus 23. I eat clean (Lev. 11), and keep the true Sabbath from sunset Friday until sunset Saturday (You will not find anywhere in Scripture where God changed Sabbath from the last day of the week to any other day, the Roman Catholics take full credit for that; nor does God's perfect peace, His shalom, replace Sabbath, which God specifies is the 7th day), and we keep the Sabbath of the land (Exodus 20) in gardening.
Living a life of obedience is just such a joy and blessing! And I hope I made this perfectly clear -- obedience comes AFTER salvation, not to earn ones salvation! Am I perfect? NO WAY! But I strive to obey Him the best I can simply because I love Him, just as a child who loves his/her parents wants & tries to obey and please their parents. Obedience doesn't make the child more their child, it's an act of love & respect. It shows Who our Authority is; as Scripture teaches, with obedience comes blessings, but with disobedience comes curses.
I've been asked whether I'm Jewish. (I've also been asked if I'm Amish, ahh no) At any rate, no, in the sense that would mean I'm from the tribe of Judah, so no. Although my ancestors could very possibly be Ashkenazic Jewish -- Ashkenazic (German) Jews are a diaspora population who gathered as a distinct community in the Holy Roman Empire that assimilated into Europe. So I could literally be from the house of Israel (one of the other 11 tribes), just not the house of Judah. I have also discovered that individuals sharing my ancestorial surnames from almost all sides of my family appear at the Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem) and although my direct family escaped that atrocity, there could have been others on the family tree that sadly did not. But that's really neither here nor there; God will sort it all out someday! But no, I came to this understanding of Scripture long before I learnt that I may have any ancestral Israeli roots. It really doesn't matter -- if you are of faith in Messiah, you are of Abraham's seed, you are grafted into the Family.
So in closing, I grew up believing in the same church doctrines as most of my friends. Change is hard and especially when it affects most everything you once believed and held as true and dear. Yes, of course, I LOVE God! Yes, I'm Saved! And because I am saved and I love Him, I WANT to obey Him.
It's a matter of obedience -- doing Bible things in Bible ways, taking God very seriously; choosing His instructions over once held denominational tradition. If one's doctrine contradicts anything in Scripture, there's something wrong with one's beliefs.
Again, God's Word will NEVER contradict itself!
Again, God's Word will NEVER contradict itself!
I'm more of a thought-ponderer and like to share Scripture, even if it goes against modern theology; Scripture offends some. Like the beloved late Judge Scalia once said, "I attack ideas. I don't attack people. Some very good people have some very bad ideas." I'm excited about the truths I've learnt and want to share hoping others will be excited too -- I love people enough to be truthful and want all of God's best for them, but unfortunately many don't want to hear which saddens me greatly. Please don't misunderstand, I share the truth in love! I don't believe real love is quiet acceptance of another's sins or errors which have eternal consequences.It's choosing what God says over what man says.
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P.S. The above is my testimony. My intention is not to aim darts, hurt anyone, or be preachy; nor do I think I'm better than anyone (seriously, I'm lower than dirt). I'm not thinking of any particular person while writing this. I'm just sharing my life & belief.
It is my hope & prayer that in sharing my testimony, it may encourage others in some way and point some to search the Scriptures, to take God seriously and trust & obey Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
May YHWH be glorified!
Humbly Submitted With Much Love, Jane
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