The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 2
Out of the hundreds of people I know, there are only a few of them who agree on anything Scriptural. I once attended a church service where, afterward, I asked ten of the people there a question regarding a singular Biblical subject. I received twelve different answers, but each person said one thing completely the same; they closed with: “And that is what the Holy Spirit has led me to.”
A secret to walking any path is to know about the traps along it, so as to not fall in and remain ensnared. While there are many, there is indeed a greatest trap. Satan first used this deadly trap on Eve, and has even used it, though failingly, on the Messiah. This trap causes people to think they are listening to His Spirit, even though they are not in line with the Words of the Saviour. The greatest trap is this: Satan will use twisted verses of Scripture against … Scripture. He will use the very Word. (Please read Genesis 3:1 and Matthew 4:1-17).
There is an epidemic affecting a wide range of Biblical teachings, including baptism, tithing to the poor, honoring the Holy Spirit’s temple, Passover, creation, not having graven images, honoring your parents, staying true to your spouse, loving your neighbor, not being angry with your brother, and so forth. How is it that the Word Himself could speak on all these things, and yet the Holy Spirit could tell ten different people twelve different things? (Please read Luke 11:17-19.)
Yahoweh says He will answer the inquirer, “according to the multitude of his idols,” in Ezekiel 14:3-4. He will not tear down false beliefs that exist in our hearts. We are the ones who set up idols, and when we ask for answers—Yahoweh will give us the answers we’ve already decided to believe. (Please read 2 Peter 2:9 and 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11.) Our wickedness is directly proportional to our spiritual blindness, and our Father, although very loving and wonderfully kind, will not just override that sin and force us to hear His Truth. To get past this, we must embrace His Teachings as we would Yahoweh Himself!
“And I shall sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean—from all your filthiness and from all your idols I cleanse you. And I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I shall give you a heart of flesh, and put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My right-rulings and shall do them.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
A defense for the greatest trap is, “Well, the lord told me.” When someone says this, and it is apart from the Teachings of Elohim, then they are claiming to have had a personal revelation that is above the Scriptures, which is akin to witchcraft. The Father will never tell you it’s a good thing to sin, so always check what you feel is from above with what we know is from above: His very Word. But be careful—or Satan will twist that verse and use it against the Messiah’s walk!
Truth is reality, whether or not a person believes in it or not. The trap’s power is that at times what seems so obviously true can actually be wrong. Traps would capture very little if they looked like traps. There have been, after all, many times that each of us has found what we once thought was good is actually wicked.
Consider the heart’s intent: If I hug my wife only to do a bear hug and hurt her, then it is wrong. If I hug her but put no love in it, then I will leave her almost as cold as myself. However, if I do not hug her, then it doesn’t matter how much love I claim to have—I do not show it! However, if I hug my wife, then it matters what’s in her heart as well. As well! If she has a sunburn, or is sad and desires to be alone for a while, then it really doesn’t matter what my intent is as a hug would be wrong. Your heart’s intentions will never be able to change evil to good. Never. Therefore, it matters what’s in your heart as much as what you do, as well as what is in the heart of the One you seek to love.
There are, of course, more traps than the greatest one, and sometimes avoiding the greatest trap simply leads you to another—one that is linked to it. When we leave behind a false doctrine, then we start to question all our old doctrines. It is a little scary, but the devil will sometimes bring a person out of false worship … just to have them deny everything, or to submerge them even deeper into a different false doctrine. Often people escape one part of Babylon only to find themselves living on the other side of Babylon, thinking they are saved, thinking they have fled.
It takes bravery, courage if you will, to walk down His path. It grieves my heart when I hear it put before people, “This is Yahoweh’s Way, and this is the sun-worship our forefathers adopted. Which do you choose?” only to hear people make all kinds of excuses to continue false worship. You can serve arguments for your actions and find in the end it’s only madness, or you can serve Love, and seek the Perfection of it.
When we live apart from the action of the Word, then we have no King. “In those days there was no sovereign in Yisra’el—everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6). Do we have a King or do we live a lie? A slave, a servant, an adopted son, the Son Himself, does not question The King! Only the grumblers outside His gate do such a thing.
According to Matthew 12:50 the reward far outweighs the trials of improving one’s ability to worship. To walk in an idea of truth, but not Spirit, or an idea of spirit, but not Truth, is not worth it. So, like Solomon, just like all others, to pray for truth one must be willing to seek it in Spirit, but if one is not willing to pray, then all his seeking is in vain. So … let us pray to our Heavenly Father:
“Yahoweh! Creator of Salvation! I come before You upon the knees of body, mind, and soul. Hear my plea. I need to tear down the stumbling blocks I have put before myself as written of in Ezekiel 14:3-4. Lift the veil I placed over my eyes and show me Thy Word that I may truly see the snares I have set before myself. I desire to follow You alone, and not put my faith in any other, as written of in 1 Corinthians 3:1-7 and 1 Corinthians 1:11-13. I do not want to gather only a portion of Paul’s writings and allow Satan, or my own foolishness, to trap me, as stated in 2 Peter 3:15-18. Give me not only the strength to tear the strongholds down, but fortify me with knowledge, faith, understanding, and a deep foundation in your lovely Word. Let me have the good soil that you spoke of in Matthew 13:8, with Your seed and water. I ask this so I might see Satan’s attacks and defeat them by wearing the armor of Ephesians 6:11-20 to bring glory to Your Name. I desire to see Satan’s attacks, not only in temptations of the flesh, but also when the Deceiver twists your Holy Word and distorts the translations. I need Your Truth to sanctify me in this, as written of in John 17:19, so that I might not be he in Romans 1:18. I tremble in Hebrews 10 before You. I know I must destroy the idols I placed in my life, but I know it is only by Your strength and my desire to do Your Will that this will happen. I ask for this in Your Name, for Your Name! By Your promised answer in Luke 11:13, I request Your Holy Spirit, so I can break the chains of blindness I have but cannot yet see, that have bound me to the greatest trap of twisted verses against Scripture!
HalleluYah! Praise be to Elohim! I’ve bled and fallen, but now know that You have heard my plea. I seek Your Will and shall do so forever and ever. I sing praises for answered prayer. Praise You, True Father, the Creator, Yahoweh! In Your holy and precious Son’s Name I do pray in thanks, yes, in the beautiful Name of Yahoshuah! HalleluYah and amen!”
There is no ride. You’re going to have to run if you want to come along. So put on your running shoes, pick up your cross, and let us race to the Glory and Majesty of * Yahoweh Elohim. For I know that Truth alone will not change a man’s mind. His Spirit is a requirement, and prayer a necessity. That’s why I seal every letter I write with a prayer of shalom and an etching of pause. Please—please—give His Word a chance.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing.
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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Additional Scripture References:
Matthew 16:4, Romans 3:23, (Idioms: Matthew 6:22-23, Luke 23:31), 2 Peter 1:4-7, Psalms 119:2-3, Matthew 19:16-17, Ephesians 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 5:19, 1 Kings 18:17-40, Revelation 2:12-14, Deuteronomy 12:30, John 4:23-24
* Original Biblical Names and titles: Yahoweh (Lord), Yahoshuah (Jesus), Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit), Torah (Teachings / all of Scripture), Shalom (Peace), HaShem (the Name) Elohim (God). See the glossary for more detail and pronunciation of these and other names.
