The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 3
There is a forgotten art that seems impossible to learn. It is the art of learning how to learn. For once sight is gone, and the ears ring deaf, how can one see and hear? And how can one, untaught to decipher, know such a wonder as learning the Truth? It cannot be by man, for man hath forgotten to remember. How? How! O Yahoweh of Hosts! Can we see? Can we hear?
“At that time Yahoshuah responding, said, ‘I thank You, Father, Master of the heavens and earth, because You have hidden these matters from clever and learned ones and have revealed them to babes. Yea, Father, because so it was well-pleasing in Your sight.’” (Matthew 11:25-26).
By Your breath, O Yahoweh, the heavens and earth were made, and this foundation I have not forgotten. If this then … then this be: by Yahoweh we can learn how to learn once again, with eyes or without, with ears or without, by His Word we can see and hear the Truth. Allow me now a great pleasure. This letter to you contains snippets of things I have noticed about learning to learn. I pray they aid you in the upcoming Letters you are about to read. Shalom, my dear new friends, shalom.
It was my eighth year, and the summer had snuck in, though ever welcomed, that I went to the class for children at my church, but, when I arrived at my class, they told me the instructor was ill; I would have to go to the young adult’s class. It was a big room with an old long table. The man leading the class asked us to write down what we wanted if the Creator would give us anything … within reason. Many answered cars, some money, others houses and land. I answered: “I would ask for wisdom and understanding.” The class jeered at me, saying I only proclaimed such a thing because Solomon had asked for just that, and was rewarded with wealth. To their mockery, I replied, “Without wisdom, the wealth you had would not last long. Even if I were never rich, I would still want wisdom and understanding.” They did not believe my words that I accredit to swiftly answered prayer. Regardless, we prayed for what we wanted. I prayed there … and at home … all the way to today. I do not have a thousand women or wealth as Solomon did, but I do have a wife with a Love and Tenderness I have never, in all my days, seen in any other woman. Her heart contains a great wisdom. From where could such a gift have come?
“The fear of Yahoweh is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.” (Proverbs 15:33). To learn, one must fear Yahoweh, which is to have a fervent reverence for Him, to know He is powerful. One must pray for wisdom and understanding, while accepting His answers in love and tenderness. For this is where true wisdom that withstands the test of time comes from. If you do not fear Him, then you lack the respect needed to pray meekly enough for such a gift. And if your hope of wisdom lies in men’s understanding, then your truth will change more often than the seasons sneak in on us. Unlike the seed that falls only to produce more, their chaff, blowing in the wind, will produce nothing desirable.
“The works of His hands are truth and right-ruling,
All His orders are trustworthy,
They are upheld forever and ever,
Performed in truth and straightness.
He sent redemption to His people,
He has commanded His covenant forever.
Set-apart and Awesome is His Name.
The fear of Yahoweh is the beginning of wisdom,
All those doing them have a good understanding.
His praise is standing forever.” (Psalms 111:7-10).
The horror of spiritual blindness is this: the blindness is unknown. People assume they already know, and so, often unknowingly, block out what another, or even themselves, is trying to say. The blindness is unknown. Consider a child who does not like peas, tomatoes, or even pudding, who then gives reasons that lack in true explanation or test. The child simply decided it was icky without ever trying them. That is often the case with living a more spiritual life. Some may feel that their life is complete without ever stepping into the unknown. Or perhaps they tried once, found it too frightening, and retreated back to what they knew. Consider also how a person will not stop doing drugs—because they are doing drugs. And I am not talking about addiction to the drug itself. To take the drug the first time they had to convince themselves that it was okay to do so. They silenced their own voice, and are now nearly deaf to any voice. However, this is not something that stops when you reach adulthood, nor is it applicable only to drugs, but rather to most areas of life. We must be willing to listen to our own voice and to others, but, above all, we must never allow the voice of our own Creator to be silenced; yet, we allow that silence if we cling onto what the Creator calls wicked, even when the church may claim it to be righteous. We must dare to read the Daring Gospel apart from the theology that binds it.
This is true with all the Teachings of Heaven. Many fight His Way because they are unknowingly living apart from Him. Until we give Him a true chance, we cannot begin to understand why His Way is Good. So many claim sight, claim to be following Him, and yet are not walking as He walks. Will you hear? Will you see?
It is time to look for clues, and time to remember old ones.
Take time to ponder deeply a very simple, yet ignored, truth: How you see things depends on where you stand and what your viewpoint is. These are two different things. If I stand in front of a cactus, I will see a cactus. Like I said: very simple. However, depending on my viewpoint, on my spiritual understanding, I may see the cactus as a beautifully designed plant that is also in a state of decay, signifying both a fall and the need for a Saviour—this is what I see if I believe in a Creator. Alternatively, if I only said I believe in a Creator, but actually believed in the religion of evolution, I may see the cactus as a product that for billions of years lived outside the framework of thermodynamics, and evolved to the state it is in now, only to decay (with a very convenient bat evolving with it, because without each other, they would both have already been dead). Alternatively, if I look at it from a pagan perspective, I may offer the cactus a drink of wine to appease the wee folk, and then bow down to worship it. Alternatively, if I was dying of dehydration, I may not think of anything but a drink of water to appease the moment … never knowing of Living Water. It is, however, regardless of all this, just a cactus. So how can we view everything we look at from the right viewpoint, knowing in our heart where we should stand? If in a church, then we cannot see outside of its doctrines. If on a mountain, then how can we see the valley? If in a valley, then how do we see the ocean? If upon the ocean, then pray tell our knowledge of a flower? The viewpoint that offers a truly wise perspective is that of Heaven. To do this: metaphorically stand in Heaven by His side. Be sure to leave all your interpretations and emotional baggage where you are sure to lose them. Simply stand with Him before your question, problem, or even that which you thought was right all along. Do not look for allowances, but ask and allow His Spirit to guide you in His desire. If you live your life here by Heaven’s precepts, then you will live in accordance with the will of the King of Heaven. You will see His Desire, and find it desirable. To seek the ability to hear, the ability to see, then truly we must first seek His Kingdom.
Many assume they know what their viewpoint is. Christians usually answer that theirs is of the Bible, or of Christianity. Alas, even for those who claim the Bible, have a Biblical viewpoint that has gone from a four-thousand-year-old culture laden with idioms and different mindsets to modern-day America. It has gone from Paleo-Hebrew, to Babylonian Hebrew, to Greek, to Aramaic, to Latin, to old English, to simplified American, to Catholic commentary, to Lutheran commentary, to Baptist commentary, to a preacher’s version of that commentary, to your parent’s commentary, and finally to your viewpoint. If faith were compared to coffee, then by the time it went through these filters and more, faith would taste of filters and nothing more. Therefore, when hearing a different vantage point, always consider if it is a drink from the original source, the Throne of Yahoweh Elohim, or not.
Unless your mind is calm, you will never be able to concentrate. In this cluttered world, sometimes the best way to learn is to stop. Give pause. Daydream. Imagine. Pray. Read. Rest. Breaks are necessary in the relentless pursuit of knowledge, of reclaiming reality. Be certain you do not slip into escapism often, though, for it is ever only from understanding that we escape. Learning is a habitual act. So is not learning. Understanding is the lifeline to wisdom, for without understanding: wisdom dies and becomes folly. Wisdom arrives in those who are dedicated. However, the dedication to Whom, or to what, will determine whether there is understanding or not.
I once worked sixteen to eighteen hour days for most of the month, and on my few days off, I slept, played, and went to church every now and then. I had little to no study on my own, and was spoon-fed a fluffy sermon every now and then. I fear this is where many Christians fail in their walk. Over the last ten years, I have studied, prayed, listened, and written, with the hope and intent of reaching my old self, and indeed, others like him. I remember who I thought I was, and so I know that some of these things may not be accepted unless you allow the truth the time it needs, be it a second or a decade, to reach your heart and ignite your mind to a world of understanding, humility, and the wisdom of action upon Heaven’s decree.
As children, we attended school for many hours a day, and later we attend college for even more hours each week, but after college—the majority of college graduates never reads a book again—the learning slows or stops. While school seems to miss important things like etiquette and how to live compassionately, a severely neglected point is this: We do not know how to truly study, and, therefore, we miss the joys of studying and learning every day. The main reason there are so many people in the world who are not as knowledgeable as they should be, or who reach such diverse conclusions, is that the art of learning has been forgotten to be earnestly sought.
The bizarre tendency to reject learning happens most outspokenly in a person’s teenage years. Sometimes we view learning from another as identical to being inferior to the other. We feel stupid like a little child. However, a parent is not above a child because they share wisdom with their children. Nor are children stupid, but rather learning. While learning from others lifts ourselves higher, we often place ourselves lower by not taking into account truths presented.
Isaac Newton once said, “If I could see further than others, it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants.” Therefore, we must first find a giant.
That giant is Yahoshuah, for He is our Rabbi, which is to say, “My Great One.” I am not a teacher. I can only share and hope you will consider what I share, while the Teacher can cause you to learn even when you do not want to. My Biblical duty is to instruct the oracles of our Rabbi (1 Peter 4:11). The Messiah, however, can do more than I can, as simply hearing and reading His Word can teach you. His Word runs deep into your heart. My words only cause your ears to turn for but a moment, and your eyes to see but a glimmer.
If you do not have a sincere desire to learn that which you study, then you will never apply it to your life. I could study a subject that is not interesting to me, and become so bored with it that, at the end of a long study course, I would know nothing more than I already do. However, the Creator is far and away more exciting than any hobby! Interest is imperative. Take joy in learning by learning more about what you enjoy and what would benefit your physical, mental, and spiritual life! Then apply those lessons by humbly accepting betterment through application.
After we have a desire to take joy in learning, we begin to truly study. Yahoweh Almighty will not zap your brain one day and change you from dull to smart. Study. However, do not study in the wrong way and learn the wrong answers to the wrong questions. This skill will take practice. And yes, I suppose you could, as many do, look at studying as “study, study, study,” or you can look at it as getting to know Him better. In fact, the latter is the only course with a worthwhile outcome.
A forgotten art of learning is listening, for self-righteousness often plugs the ears first. Many times in my life have I sat and heard the ramblings of old men, young girls, scholars and students alike, and it has blessed me, but not near as much as listening to our True Rabbi. What can people teach you? Nothing. They can instruct you, but without your willingness to learn, then their breath is a waste and not a conversation. But the true life changer, the True Rabbi: His Words can change the heart of men and women even when their self-righteousness clenches tightly over their ears, for the deaf ears do not know ‘tis the heart that hears His Words, and changes because of Him.
“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.” (Proverbs 18:13).
When listening to others, opinions and replies are often formed before they are finished. Many have denied what I present before I finish my first sentence, let alone my last, and so long ago I made it a point to not do that to others. After all, when you hear a new idea, there is no requirement or need of any kind to reject it, or accept it; all one must do is consider new ideas. That is what I ask of you. Indeed, I ask a lot of you.
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald
Take the whole in, then consider it … as if you believed. It is only with the sincerity of belief that are we able to see things as they are presented. You can come back to other ideas, or you may keep this one. It is not painful or harmful to ponder other concepts, but it is the acrimony of foolishness not to weight the matters of life. Thus, when reading or hearing, rather than paying attention to personal questions and habitual rebuttals—only waiting for our turn to speak—take the time to really hear what is being said, by considering it as if believed.
Again, the formulation of opinion in regards to someone or something is often achieved too quickly—mere seconds. Not only is this rude, but it can do more than rob us of the ability to learn. Consider a medical example of this: Most doctors have their diagnoses within the first thirty to sixty seconds of the interview. This is what causes so many false diagnoses. The doctor, very often unknowingly, asks questions to get the answers he or she wants. Such as, “Do you have shortness of breath?” in contrast to, “What is your breathing like?” One is leading; the other is open and honest. The doctors may have an opinion already, but they are checking it honestly. The wisdom gained in understanding how to be more like the Messiah is often gathered the same way, but if we do not give this the value it deserves, we rob ourselves as well as all those we, very often unknowingly, minister unto.
Wise people have a habit of listening longer than almost anyone else. Foolish people interrupt and argue by being willingly too stupid, and too uneducated in manners, to listen. Granted, there are those who talk endlessly without saying much at all, no matter how long you listen, therefore, it is also wise to decide who to talk with. Just be sure your inner voice and their outer voice, isn’t going at the same time. Have you ever had two or more people try to tell you different stories at the same time? Doesn’t work too well, does it? All I hear is, “Esr heslhrt lesrgesirg nesurig berg dioe rgeuirg nerug.” Then I say, “ I understood the word berg.”
Granted, to discuss intelligence to the point of clarity would take months simply to wipe the dust off that long forgotten book. Intelligence, though, to metaphorically hand you the dust-cloth, does have with it a shortcoming. It has no guided emotion, and without the proper balance, intelligence does not just become foolishness, it becomes wickedness.
“The intellect has only one failing, which to be sure, is a very considerable one. It has no conscience. Napoleon is the readiest instance of this. If his heart had borne any proportion to his brain, he had been one of the greatest men in history.” -James Russel Lowell
Hence, we must have love as well, but all too often we come up with our idea of what love is, never giving the right to decide what love is to those who are on the receiving end. To love your spouse, you must ask and observe what is desired. If your wife loves time with you and simple gifts, but you work long hours to buy her all manner of things, then you have failed to love. If the Almighty desires you to lovingly keep the Commandments, but you do away with them, and take on human traditions instead, then you have failed to love.
Your current intelligence will be the same as your future intelligence if all you rely on is your current intelligence. You must be open to new ideas, and old ideas that are new to you. You must love yourself enough to grow, for those with a self-hatred so strong that it overflows onto others, that they interrupt and argue at length the ideas and pleadings of love that others present in earnest, will never know or understand possible the vastness of peace, love, and joy that knowing simple truths can bring.
“The surest way to be deceived is to think oneself more clever than others.” -Francois de La Rochefoucauld
“I not only use all the brains I have, but all that I can borrow.” -Woodrow Wilson
“The desire of appearing clever often prevents our becoming so.” -Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are many messages throughout Scripture that gives warning of what will hinder, or even stop, our hearing and seeing the Teaching, the Torah, of Yahoweh. And if the Teaching is hidden then so too is all the Teaching points to. These messages are many, and while I share three now, there is a passage I will share later about a Commandment so important that if we do not love Him enough to keep it, then Yahoweh will know, “This one will not hear My Son when He says, ‘Follow Me.’”
“Yahoweh rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He repaid me. For I have guarded the ways of Yahoweh, and have not acted wrongly against my Elohim. For all His right-rulings are before me; as for His Laws, I do not turn from them.” (2 Samuel 22:21-23).
“‘And all these My hand have made, and all these that exist,’ declares Yahoweh. ‘Yet to such a one I look: on him who is poor and bruised of spirit, and who trembles at My Word.’” (Isaiah 66:2).
“‘But the wrong, if he turns from all his sins which he has done, and he shall guard all My Laws, and shall do right ruling and righteousness, he shall certainly live, he shall not die. All the transgressions which he has done shall not be remembered against him—in his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wrong?’ declares the Master Yahoweh. ‘Is it not that he should turn from his ways, and live?’” (Ezekiel 18:21-23).
Often when people fight an idea of worshiping the Father as He desires, they consecrate their choice with, “I love the lord.” However, if someone loves Him, then the advice to act upon it will not be offensive. Unless we want to learn … we cannot. If you are interested in learning how to be more loving, then when the advice comes to you, it will be appreciated for its intended worth if nothing more. So pray for, and study to learn, the ways of a seeking heart. If we seek the Wonderful, then His way is more desirable than our alleged need to be right. So let us get in a mindset of seeking to improve and growing beyond our current understanding of what growth could be. Don’t come up with reasons not to in the first thirty seconds, for while some people call them reasons, most of them are actually excuses.
Do I know everything? No. In fact, that reminds me of a passage that I, for years, had no idea what meant. People asked me and I had to shrug my shoulders and say, “I don’t know.” “Bring the first of the first-fruits of your land into the House of Yahoweh your Elohim. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (Exodus 23:19). I did not know what that meant. I had no idea. Then, one day, I found out, and boy was I excited. I went to Bible study that night and in eager haste told everyone there. After my explaining, they said, “Boy, Val, it sure seems like it bothered you not knowing, but what does it matter what that passage means. I mean, it’s not that important.”
Two things: We have to be excited about learning, or we will not. Second, loving the Creator is very important. The Almighty has stressed that we are by no means to worship Him the way others worship their mighty ones—regardless of it being common, or thought of as Christian or Jewish. We are to worship Elohim, we are to love Him, as He states. If we fight this idea—we have no wisdom or understanding. We are blind and deaf.
While I will share with you what this passage means at a later point, it is presently pertinent to make known that: The truly wise may already know the answer to the question, but will seek to see if the other person is speaking the truth anyway by means of prayer and study. They do not set out to prove the person wrong, nor to prove themselves right. The wise go to see if the other person is truly in the right. He may or may not be, but in the end, it is irrelevant who is right or wrong. What is important is growing in Spirit and Truth. We are in a constant state of growing or shrinking. To consider and try something Biblical is about love. It is about improvement. It is about worship. It is about running the race … and staying on the path. Do not try to add faith to your knowledge, rather, add knowledge to your faith! It is the best way to grow.
It is like a person who seeks to learn swordplay, and so studies and learns by applying wisdom. Others see him do this and most scoff, but a few desire his skill, and so they observe and learn the motions. In spite of this, they do not know swordplay, only motions. To learn swordplay, one must have the desire to learn it for a reason of a deep inward calling, and not just because it looks marvelous. It takes the dedication of training, focus, the artistic feeling behind each motion, and so much more; from bumps to mistakes, a true seeker has a chance at becoming. What is sought with that action will define that becoming.
There is a desire that arises from deep inside, but just Whose Spirit is deep inside us? Is He a prideful boy wanting to do this because of the majority, or an abused boy doing it because He has to, or is it a joy unto Him even if it hurts? Is He a Christian, or Jew, unmotivated or peaceful? What does this Spirit tell you? Are you listening to the right one? What does this Spirit want to tell you? Are you letting Him?
The swordsman knows his stance deeply, not just in the hidden fibers of muscle, but in the deeper places of mind, heart, and soul. Others know how to get the sword from A to B … sort of. It is a diligent truth seen only by a few. Few grasp it because few want to, but for those who pick up their Sword, their Bible, with a seeker’s heart yearning the way thereof, then they will grow beyond preconceived stereotypical idealisms. If this is not your desire, then I mourn for you, but only if you refuse this advice: pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to you the Truth, filling you with the desire to follow Him.
Let us go beyond the formalities of a church, and transcend the mediocrity of the casually comfortable lukewarm feeling. Good intentions mean little. The parable of the good seed on different types of ground was not said just to sound true. It is true. (Please take a moment and read Matthew 13:14-35). Some of you will take this and run with it for a week or even a decade, and then you will quit. Pray. In fact, now is the time to pray for good ground, good light, and good water, or else the Good Sword will fall from your hands after it does from your heart.
“Kindness and truth shall meet, righteousness and peace shall kiss.” (Psalms 85:10).
Seek and yea shall find.
Read the proverbs daily.
“The proverbs of Shelomoh son of Dawid, sovereign of Yisra’el:
For knowing wisdom and discipline,
For understanding the words of understanding,
For receiving the discipline of wisdom,
Righteousness, right-ruling, and straightness;
For giving insight to the simple,
Knowledge and discretion to the young.
The wise one hears and increases learning,
And the understanding one gets wise counsel,
For understanding a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of Yahoweh is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:1-7).
Some try to be wise by attempting to make the Word say what they wish. They compare a word in one verse to prove what another passage means. If we did this with the word, “love,” in today’s language, then we would run into problems. “I love my cat.” “I love my mother.” “I love my wife.” “I love my King.” or, “I just love losing money, don’t you?” All of these are dramatically different. For another example, let us consider the word plane. Are we talking about a passenger plane, or a warplane, or a toy plane, or a flat plane, or was this misunderstood and should have been plain? Digging into the meaning of words for an answer apart from the Whole Word and the Holy Spirit is a dangerous business. Seeking the Ruach for understanding, and looking at the Word as a whole (not just supposed agreeing or disagreeing passages) will aid us in the quest to be true worshipers in Spirit and Truth so much more than a word study with a biased outlook. We must look at His Word as Ageless, Jewish, and the Narrow Path for you and me.
Regardless of this, our ability to understand and think is directly related to how well we know grammar; since we think in language, our thoughts can be hindered, or increased, by our understanding thereof. Therefore, I encourage you to read books by authors who are still famous hundreds of years later, and are above your reading level so that it requires effort and dedication to grasp what is being said. Also, read well-written books on grammar, and make a habit of learning new words as you discover them.
Examine how you speak. I am not stating you should be perfect in this. I certainly am not, but if you say, “Well, I believe in Jesus.” it may not seem life altering to correct your sentence, but it will be. Consider this statement for a moment. It is not needed to lead by saying “well,” also, the devil believes, so that really does not say much at all, therefore let us use a better word, such as “follow,” and while we are at it, let us use His real Name; He uses ours, after all. “I follow Yahoshuah.” We think in language, and we carry out these thoughts concerning who we are, thus it is imperative to constantly examine our thoughts, questions, or even basic statements. There are major alterations in life when you profess the truth.
“Well, I believe in Jesus.”
“I follow Yahoshuah.”
Often people try to put Him into a realm of what they think is reality, but the Almighty is more than a subject, or a feeling; though, that is often all He is seen as. He is Awesome. He created Heaven and earth … there is no way He could ever fit into our theological box.
One such presentation is the idea of the Father and Son not being able to be One in the same. That is similar to proclaiming if a few people pray at the same time, all He could hear is, “sdkgflksuhfrlugdnruispow,” or saying that it would be impossible for Him to see a bird fall in Kentucky, and heal a little girl’s heart in Kenya, all the while giving comfort to the soul of a little boy in Israel. With a king, this would not be possible. But, I serve no man! I serve the One True King! Yahoweh!
Scripture! Scripture is always my bias. If everything I find points away from Scripture being the truth, then I will examine the Scripture deeper and deeper to see, with prayer and patience, where I have misunderstood, not if I can make His Word say what I want with arrogance and haste. However, if Scripture disagrees with the best of man’s wisdom, then too bad false scientists, historians, archeologists, and preachers—I will take Yahoweh’s Word over anything you say. He has proven you all wrong in the past. He will again. Man’s wisdom is folly to Him, and if you are seeking true wisdom, then this noble truth will be with you as well.
Now some may have stopped already to proclaim that I have a closed mind, but consider: the Bible is so vast and amazing that people who have studied the Scriptures their entire lives have not gone a month of their days without learning of treasure, and growing closer to Him. Yet, if one opens his mind to all sorts of allegedly new concepts, one must be very careful, as lies to Truth is a million to one out there. Having your mind too open is a crash course in stupidity, while having a closed mind to Scripture is an instant graduation into ignorance.
My wife, when she believes in something, cannot be moved by the shouts of others to believe something else, until a truth comes along that overrides what she knew. Then, after several days of pondering it and verifying it, she will believe in the new idea. Her mind is like a properly functioning scale, one of the greatest wisdoms I have ever beheld, an invaluable asset to being able to see, to hear.
However, the arguments in this collection of Letters are not in hope to prove to you a point, rather, they are there so when others argue with what you believe then your faith will have already been tested, and empowered. Yet, faith is like the mind or muscle: exercise makes it stronger, but too much, or too little, wears it down.
People often debate to test an idea, but this is folly masquerading as wisdom. For a proper discussion to occur: announce and consider the concept above concerning the cactus and where to stand, in order that you both may stand at the same place when looking at the subject in question; otherwise, you will be arguing about the cactus while looking at it from different sides. You will see the flower, and he, on the other side, will not. Unless you agree to stand in the same spot, then the debate about the flower will never be fruitful. However, if you are standing in the same spot, it will be a pleasant discussion, rather than a foolish argumentative debate.
If you could change someone’s mind by argument, then the next argument would change it right back. To reason, people must agree to examine the Scriptures without belittling each other’s ideas. In reasoning, you will find the Scripture is Truth; in arguing, the next argument supersedes the previous. Arguments occur because of an immediate readiness to battle, but not an immediate readiness to improve one’s ability to worship Him. How? By considering that we may be wrong.
True wisdom comes from Yahoweh through His time, not bits and pieces of Him on our time. Writing this works have taken a great deal of prayer, time, and study, so I urge you to take notes, and be open to the idea of walking more like the Messiah. Take your time with these works. I did not write them in a week; it took decades and a lot of growing up. And I mean a lot of growing up. Some of it, painful beyond measure.
“But set apart Yahoweh Elohim in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone asking you a reason concerning the expectation that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, so that when they speak against you as doers of evil, those who falsely accuse your good behaviour in Messiah, shall be ashamed.” (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Until you hear the whole question, understand the whole answer, and how you get the answer, then it is best to keep quiet and listen with the intent of learning. Nevertheless, some will say, “I have a question. (Like this needs to be announced.) You think the Father and Son are One. (This is not a question. It’s a statement often said in a derogatory manner.) If the Father and Son are One, then why did the Messiah pray to the Father, huh?” (This is a trap presented by one who has no interest in learning.)
Is this person asking because they want to know, and, if the answer is there, they will believe? Doubtful. A question like this is usually asked by a person trying to say, “Oh, yeah, well what about this?” Do not even waste your breath on responses to this unless it edifies the questioner into asking better questions, and for better reasons. There are thousands more questions where that one came from. Not because it is a questionable subject, but because they are trying to understand Yahoweh on their own level, or rather, they think they already do, and want desperately to trap you so they can feel wise. Thus, the “Oh, yeah, well what about this?” speech, will go on until they feel they have won. They will then rabbit trail until they can trap you. (Rabbit trailing is a phase meaning to go from one area to another in questions while never considering the answers given.)
The question should have been: “Can the Father and Son be One if they are separate to the degree of the Son praying to the Father? If so, then how should this affect our behaviour? What does Scripture, as a whole, teach us on this?” Answer questions like these, and ask questions of people like this as they are seldom looking forward to trapping anyone. “What does Scripture, as a whole, teach us on this?” Chances are, this rare individual has learned a great deal with this approach, and will be able to share it without pride.
To arrive at a conclusion, we rely on witnesses. To come out of a conclusion, we must also rely on witnesses. The questions are: how many, and what of the old? What would you do if I told you that you were wrong about a doctrine you hold dear? What if I said everything you believe about that subject is in grave error? What is the evidence you have? Was it that your parents told you so? Is it because everyone else thinks the same as you do? Or vice versa? Is it because a translator told you? What if Scripture, many times over, says something different from what you or your church believes? We must know and consider the witnesses, otherwise, our scale will be moved with a feather, or unmoved with a boulder.
How can we tell what is right and what is wrong in the swaying opinions of even ourselves? One must consider the validity of each witness. If you have ten translations, eight ministers, four elders, and forty friends and family members, then those are not enough witnesses if the Heavenly Father says otherwise. We, therefore, must focus on Him.
How can we focus on goodness when we are bombarded with wickedness? Here is who to listen to and who not to: Listen to those who tell you to listen to the Word. Do not listen to those who would go against His Word. Focus on living a heavenly life by keeping a straight walk. Do not allow your focus to sway into the sourness that a separation from Him brings. Listen to those who speak: “Let us follow Him completely.” Ignore advice from those who say: “Let’s follow part of what He did.”
Most of us are accustomed to using denial in painful or unpleasant situations. We look at the world through a pair of normalizing glasses, so that abnormal appears normal. We must take these normalizing glasses off to see what is before us from a true perspective. Consider Christmas. Consider how you treat your children in contrast to your spouse. Look at how you view each thing the Messiah does—do you see His actions with the same view—or does it change? Are we wearing the normalizing glasses of denial? Begin by viewing something small in your life. Consider the treatment of your Bible, and how you would feel if the same treatment was done to your church. This is seeing.
Most of us are accustomed to having filters on our ears to block out all that we have disdain for, and when something reaches that filter, it never reaches further. We may claim to hearken to each Word the Messiah says, but do we hear all of His Words the same way, or are all of them accepted? Consider short pieces of wisdom He shares—do you see the need to plead for the widow with the same ears as you do the need for keeping Passover in remembrance of Him? Consider Proverbs and other quotations, and how you would live if they were as true to you as they are noble. This is hearing.
There are many keys to the many locks on learning truth, rather than an amalgam of lies and truth. A great key to learning is seeking the source. The source of the idea behind an old earth is a bitter man angry at Elohim. The source of a young earth is faith in a Benevolent Creator. I find that this is one of the absolute best ways to learn. I always seek the source. In the medical field, as in faith itself, people most often want to cover up their ailment instead of seeking the original foundation. If the problem is a headache, then people will take a pill, but will rarely consider dehydration as the cause, or that of stress from undesirable expectations rather than busying oneself with the servitude of love. Is a lack of things the problem, or is it a lack of joy, or is it from not honoring Yahoweh by honoring the fifth Commandment? To see, to hear, we must seek the original source.
A lost secret to understanding is hidden away in our inexcusable lack of motivation to find the roots of what we do. Many martial artists practice techniques thousands of times a year but do not know what they are for. Many Christians practice in a similar fashion. Seek, and you will learn the origins of the things that fill your life; from saying, “Bless you.” when someone sneezes, to the celebration of typical holidays. Do not seek, and the myopic fog shall one day consume all reasoning, seeking, and yearning for truth.
To learn wisdom, we must pray for it, but we ought not pray for a good crop, unless we do so from behind the plow. Therefore, diligently refine questions, and understand the problem to a greater degree than anyone else; then, taking the time to research and confirm your answer, refine your own words and understand your own answer. This is imperative.
We need to ask questions—set questions, and in set order—when we hear or see anything new or old, known or unknown. Metaphorically standing by His side in His Kingdom, as we yearn to show Him love, worship, and praise, we must ask often:
1. Who is in charge, and how much? Is it the world, the church, and myself, or is the Master of Heaven and Earth, Yahoweh Almighty, 100% in charge, 100% of the time?
2. I admit that I may be mistaken, as I have certainly been wrong in the past. I desire the truth. Considering this, what evidence am I willing to accept as sufficient reason to change, and to what end? What about the evidence of His Footsteps?
3. By doing so, am I more of a mirror image of the Messiah, thereby giving glory to Elohim? Is this mirror the right one? There is the Catholic Messiah, the Jehovah’s Witness Messiah, and various religions with their image of Him, but these are not the images I desire. Am I seeing and hearing Him, or a brand name version?
4. Having prayed for His Holy Spirit and about this matter, what is the Holy Spirit putting on my heart, and does it line up with the Word as a whole, spanning from Creation to Heaven, from Genesis to Revelations?
5. There are many doors before me. Some are labeled welcome, but are unwelcoming. Some are labeled welcome, and are indeed welcoming. Before me are many doors. Some doors have signs that say they are Christian. Some that say they are Jewish. Can I honestly claim to be a follower of the Jewish Messiah if I do not go where He goes, even if the Door reads: Jewish—even if the Door reads: Christian—even if the Door reads: Orphanage?
6. Am I asking the right question? Should I ask, “Do I have to?” or “May I, please?” Is it right to deny the possibility of being wrong by means of the question itself? No. The only way to win an argument is to not be afraid of losing, as only the one who loses gains any wisdom. Am I asking the right questions?
7. Am I making the right statements? How long have I said, “Well, I am a believer in Jesus.” when the true statement is that, “While not perfect as I am only justified by His grace, I am a follower of Yahoshuah.” Have I believed my own lies … no: Have I followed my own lies through unrefined statements? What have I said that has gone unnoticed, yet changed my course?
8. Am I really reading what is said, as it was written, and intended to be read, to the point where I understand this from a Hebraic and Jewish perspective of those times, including their idioms and culture, without being bound by them or any other physical or traditional philosophical interpretation?
9. What is the foundation? Is it His Word or the world’s traditions? How far back, and indeed how far forward, can we trace this? Our Saviour is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change, and He does not lie. If it was not His desire in the Garden of Eden, and is not in His Kingdom, then it cannot be His desire for our lives today. I know the first line of Scripture is “In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” Since that is the first line of Scripture, the page that only reads, “The Old Testament,” is not Scripture. What happens if I place His Word above tradition?
10. In seeking first His Kingdom, I ask: Does this action display what He is against, what He allows, or what He desires? Yet, what am I really seeking? Is it His Kingdom, or is that just what I’m supposed to say? What is my true answer when I look at how I spend my time, or where I spend my money, compared to His Kingdom?
11. Am I being consistent, or am I only following part of what He says? After all, why would I be opposed to walking as He walked? What is the opposite of this, and is that what is leading me away from His teachings?
12. We can race, while carrying our cross and looking right at Him, yet run in the wrong direction, just like we can walk north, but look to the east. What is this step in His walk, in comparison to the last step, as well as the next? Am I truly following the only Rabbi, the Jewish Messiah Yahoshuah?
The twelfth question returns us to the first, and we must ask them again, and again. Come back to this list when you are sure, or unsure, about any subject. Ah, but once you learn how to ask the right questions, you must then learn how to answer them; therefore, pray, search the Scriptures, and walk as He walked, no matter how different, no matter how much you are hated, and no matter how Jewish the Door may be.
Oh … but so many walk past the Door. They see an unfamiliar Name upon that Door and so do not go in. Will we not give Him a chance?
Side Note: Two paragraphs before this list of questions, to here, were added long after this was written. It originally came from To See, To Hear, Volume Two, but I found it too valuable not to include it in this first work as well.
There once was a man who took up gold panning. He found little, until an old timer walked up to him, and said, “If you pan in the bends of the river, and near large stones, you will find much gold.” The man, upon hearing this, ran away.
There once was a man who took up photography. He enjoyed the awe-inspiring scenery. He wanted to capture the vast hills with his camera, but his photos never seemed to be as good as the ones in galleries. Then another photographer said to him, “You need to use a higher f-stop on your camera, then those hills will all be in focus.” The man, upon hearing this, ran away.
There once was a man who thought he knew the way, and so kept going down his chosen path. There was no need to ask for directions because he already knew the way. Then one day a young man called out, “Sir, you’re going the wrong way. There are no detours on the straight path.” The man, upon hearing this, ran away.
… Will you also run away from “old” and “new” ideas revealed as ageless? Will the Door be ignored for but a sign?
“Praise Yah! Blessed is the man, who fears Yahoweh, who has greatly delighted in His commands.” (Psalms 112:1).
“O how I love Your Torah! It is my study all day long.” (Psalms 119:97).
Let it be said of us that, “They improve all the time, as they are constantly seeking His wisdom and understanding that is so loving and tender.” Truth does not go away simply because we ignore it. I yearn for the truth, but I see a great amount of pain in people’s lives because they allow themselves to be ignorant. The cure for this, though, is not something only scholars can grasp. Awhile back, I went to a large conference, and, afterwards, there was a question and answer time. A man who was mentally handicapped asked a question that was vastly more intellectual than all the other questions asked by scholars. He knew how to ask, how to learn, and that the Scriptures are the most important. He has the ability; I have the ability, and so do you. We can all yearn, seek, find, and improve, to a greater level of faith, happiness, and value.
Do not be afraid of reality. Do not be afraid of Truth. It might sound far-fetched to you that people are terrified of truth, even possibly yourself; yet, the reasoning behind their fearful madness is that they do not want to lose any emotional, physical, and social investment in their cherished delusions. Many are afraid truth will set them free, for freedom is terrifying when the world’s violent slave owners loathe freedom. Who are these slave owners? Are they circumstances beyond our control (but not prayer), those around us (might they see our masks), and those who appear to be friends (could they be using us as we are using them)? No. The slave owner is none other than ourselves, enslaving our heart, mind, and soul to the world, but there is One Spirit Who can set us free—free to live in the Truth.
“So Yahoshuah said to those Yahudim who believed Him, ‘If you stay in My Word, you are truly My taught ones, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” (John 8:31-32).
“This is the third time I am coming to you. ‘By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.’” (2 Corinthians 13:1). The Word of my Father, the Word of my Saviour, and the Breath of Yahoweh claims the Truth, and He justifies Himself. I have my Witnesses—but those who refuse to acknowledge their Creator … they do not have a witness; therefore, rather than arguing with false reasons, let us seek Yahoweh with reverence and fear, as this is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.
And so, fellow seekers, we begin.
“Call unto Me, and I shall answer you, and show you great and inaccessible matters, which you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:3).
“If it is hidden, it is the Flower; if it is not hidden, it is not the Flower.” -Zeami
Be Blessed and be a Blessing.
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
If this blessed you, please share it.
Additional Scripture References:
Deuteronomy 29:4, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Job 28:28, Jeremiah 29:13, James 1:5-8, Psalms 19:7-14, Matthew 5:6, Proverbs 3:7-8
