You Have To Start Somewhere
When is the best time to tell people about the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ)?
Tulsa has had a triple digit (at least 100 F / 38 C) day in every month except January, since it was founded a little over 100 years ago. Tulsa has also had tremendous snow storms as early as October and as late as April, since I have lived here. That is the way it goes in Tulsa, you simply never know what kind of winter that you are going to get.
Some winters, it is just down right cold. I remember one winter day, when the high temp was 7 F / -14 C. Naturally, I had to take care of some things outdoors on that day.
Last winter in the Tulsa area was pretty mild. It only snowed a few large flakes that melted as soon as they hit the ground. Still, it did manage to get very cold a few times. On the coldest day last winter in Broken Arrow, where I live, the high was 20 F / -9 C. This day was particularly memorable, because of what happened on that day.
I was taking my turn to stay home with my youngest daughter, who was too sick to go to church on that Sabbath. It was very cold, and very peaceful. When I had went out to feed the dogs earlier, it was strangely quiet. The usual highway noise, and the sounds of people or their pets being out in their yards, was completely missing. Nothing was outside unless it was absolutely necessary. So I settled in for a very quiet afternoon, expecting to spend it sipping hot cocoa while watching a sermon from our pastor on YouTube.
While I waited for my daughter to wake up, I was enjoying the quiet peace of the Sabbath. I was spending time talking to the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) when my home Sabbath routine was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.
So I got up and looked through the peep hole to see who it could be. I saw a group of about a half dozen people standing on my porch. I thought, who could they be? Jehovah Witnesses? Mormons?
I was pretty sure, that my house had been marked as "avoid" again by the Jehovah Witnesses.
I have a habit of going out to meet them, and then using their own translation of the Book of Truth (The Bible) to show them the error of their doctrine. For example, I show them in their own literature where their founder said that the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) was forever dead. Then I borrow one of their own copies of the Book of Truth, and show them where it says that no one can be saved by a dead Jesus. Sometimes this sinks in with some of them and they leave the Jehovah Witnesses, so they can come into the House of Truth.
So the people in charge of the Jehovah Witnesses in Broken Arrow, would mark my house as "avoid". Then I would not have them coming to knock on my door for a few years.
Similarly, the Mormons have marked my house as "avoid" occasionally.
It is a really simple matter to make a comparison of the Book of Mormon and a copy of the Book of Truth that they are carrying to show them why both books cannot be true. Sometimes this sinks in with some of them and they leave the Mormons, so they can come into the House of Truth.
So I decided to go out and talk to these people, so that maybe some of them could come into the House of Truth.
When I stepped outside things were not at all like I expected. These were not Jehovah Witnesses or Mormons. These were people from the local Baptist church in my neighborhood. They had no tracts to hand out and were not there to persuade me to join their organization.
Instead, they asked me if I had anything that I needed prayer for. This was new.
So I asked them, why they were going door to door in freezing weather to ask people, if they needed prayer. The young man who was leading them explained,that they believed that the Father of Truth would answer those prayers, and that this would cause people to seek after Him. They were not necessarily seeking to have people join their church, but they did want people to come into the House of Truth.
Now that I was out in my yard where I could see them more clearly, I realized that one of them was a woman in her eighties. It absolutely astonished me that she was willing to spend all day in this freezing weather, just so people might have the opportunity to come into the House of Truth.
Now that I understood what they were doing, I realized that they were among the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him). So I offered for them to come into my house and warm up. They did not have time to do so, but they did take some of the hot cocoa that I offered them.
So I stood out there with them and told them about my situation while they sipped on hot cocoa.
I showed them the memorial pillar in my front yard. I explained how the Man of Truth had stood between my daughter and death on three separate occasions. I told them that I was not angry at the Father of Truth for her condition, because I know where sickness comes from.
I explained to them how important producing the sound of power had been in each of these episodes. I explained to them that as I spend time with the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost), how the commandments of the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law) started being written on my heart. I explained that the Spirit of the Law was by no means at odds with the Law of Truth. I explained to them that I had come to understand why it matters what I eat, and who changed the Sabbath. I told them about how I had become like the Mensch who killed Christmas. I explained that instead I kept the Feasts of Truth, even though I was playing with broken toys, because it is not possible to keep these feasts exactly as written in the Law of Truth at this time.
Then I went on to explain that none of these things saved me, and that I had not lost sight of the simplicity of the Gospel. I let them know that people are saved by faith, but grow by knowledge. I told them about the two kinds of knowledge, and how the second kind of knowledge had caused me to make all of these changes.
I then told them that the seeds for all of this had been planted long ago, when I was a child, by my mother who took me to the Baptist church in our neighborhood. I probably would never arrived at the point where I am at now, if I had not began hearing the Word of Truth back them. I had to start somewhere.
I let them know that I was so thrilled to see them out in this brutally cold weather, because they cared enough about people to demonstrate the power of the Father of Truth, so people would seek after Him. While there were many differences between my understanding and practices and those of the Baptist church, what we had in common was more important than those differences.
I admired their willingness to sacrifice their temporary comfort, so others could experience eternal comfort. They were doing what they could to bring people into the House of Truth. I sincerely wanted them to have success in their endeavor, because people have to start somewhere.
So when everyone was done drinking their hot cocoa, we prayed together for the complete healing of my daughter. Then I asked them, if I could pray for their success in their endeavor. They consented, so I laid hands on the young man leading them and asked the Father of Truth to fill them with the Spirit of Truth, so they could have boldness in telling people about the Man of Truth.
Then I stayed outside and watched them go to the next house. While there were many things that we did not agree on, I knew that their journey was not over. I am also still learning, and who knows what I am ignorant of today? I had started where they were at and it had been enough, because you have to start somewhere.
I obviously recognize the importance of knowledge. If it was not important, then I would not have learned how to rightly divide the Word. I certainly would not have spent thousands of hours applying those principles to deepen my understanding of the Father of Truth.
However, knowledge is not the most important thing. I was taught this by the Spirit of Truth a long time ago.
One Sunday night, we were having a discussion about the Book of Truth (the Bible) at a Pentecostal church that I attended in Cheyenne, Wyoming. One of the ladies told us about how she thought that the Baptists had a better grasp on grace than we did.
Now this lady went on to explain, how the Baptists, at least the ones that she had been talking to, had told her that basically the grace of the Father of Truth would let her willing disobey the Father of Truth, that is to say sin, as much as she wanted. I cannot verify that this is what these particular Baptists really told her, but it is what she reported. I can verify that the Baptists in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, where I went when I was young, did teach this at that time.
Of course, I know that not all Baptists teach this. There are over 150 Baptist denominations that meet together for the Southern Baptist convention. What they teach about various subjects covers about every imaginable position. As far as I can tell the word "Baptist" in their name is about the only thing that they have in common, except for a belief in the resurrection of the Man of Truth.
Still, it was time to set the record straight.
So I showed her where the Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament) plainly states that His grace is not meant to cause His Children to sin more (Romans 6:1-2). I showed her where it plainly states that people can fall from His grace, if they leave the House of Truth (Galatians 5:4). I showed her where it plainly states, that His grace is meant to enable us to obey Him more fully (Philippians 2:12-15). I showed her where it plain states that it is not His will for us to use the liberty that comes His grace as a license to sin (1 Peter 2:15-16).
This then lead to a wider discussion of things in the Book of Truth that this church understood better than most Baptists. As I sat there listening, I realized that this group really did have a much better understanding about a lot of things in the Book of Truth than most Baptists. This is understandable, since being baptized in the Spirit of Truth is such an advantage that the Man of Truth told his disciple to not leave Jerusalem without it (Luke 24:49).
Yet something was bothering me about the whole thing. I thought to myself, since the Baptists have all of these things wrong, then why does the Father of Truth send so many of them out as missionaries? Immediately the Spirit of Truth said to me, "Because they will go.".
At that moment I understood that being willing to take action is more important than getting every last detail of doctrine correct.
While the members of this church spent a lot of time and effort discussing doctrine, they did not spend any where near as much effort in bringing people into the House of Truth. Many of the Baptists, on the other hand, spent a lot of time and effort on bringing people into the House of Truth, even though they did not spend any where near as much effort in discussing doctrine.
Many Baptists took the part of the Great Commission that they understood very seriously, and it moved them to take action. So even though their understanding of the Book of Truth was not near as great as this other church, they were being sent, because they were willing to go and teach others, what they did understand. It did not matter how much this other church understood, if no one in it was willing to go and teach others what they understood.
The fact is, correct doctrine only matters after people come into the House of Truth. Nobody suddenly understands everything the moment that they come into the House of Truth. After the Baptists brought people into the House of Truth, then they could start growing into a greater understanding. The Baptists were being used mightily to bring people into the House of Truth, because you have to start somewhere.
For example, it has taken me more than half a century to get where I am now.
I did not know much when I started. I have learned something from every congregation that I have been involved in. The beginning of my understanding started with the Baptists. Then I went through many other congregations, including Methodists, Non-denominationals, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Nazarenes, and Messianics along the way.
Each one prepared me for the next stage of becoming more like the Man of Truth. Yet none of this would have happened, if everyone involved had waited to get everything perfect before they did something. They acted on what they understood, because you have to start somewhere.
The ironic truth is, that the more people seem to understand the message of the Book of Truth, the less their zeal to reach others tends to become. Over the years, I had many Baptists reach out to bring others into the House of Truth, a few Charismatics, but not one single Messianic.
One reason, that I have never seen any Messianics handing out tracks, or witnessing to others, is that they frequently put the cart before the horse. They tend to stress things that took them a decade to learn, instead of focusing on the basics, when talking to those who have not come in the House of Truth.
This is not a good idea. When someone is uneducated, you don't start them off with PH. D. material. You start them off with kindergarten material.
Yet those who have developed a deeper understanding, often seem to forget where they started. They should remember what brought them into the House of Truth to start with. That is what they need to focus on, in order to bring others into the House of Truth.
After people come into the House of Truth, then they can begin to be educated, starting with the most basic principles. It should be no surprise that if it took the teacher a decade to get where they are at, then it might take the student a decade to get there as well.
So the best strategy for teaching others about the Man of Truth is to find out what they already know, and then go from there. The goal of is to engage their heart and mind by using what they already know, because you have to start somewhere.
So when is the best time to tell others about the Man of Truth?
Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)!
You do not need to wait until you have perfect understanding of everything before doing anything. If you wait until everything is perfect, then you will never do anything (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
If you are in the House of Truth, then you already know enough to tell others about the Man of Truth. For example, Andrew the Jew (The Apostle Andrew) told Peter the Jew (Cephas aka Simon aka Simeon aka The Apostle Peter) about the Man of Truth as soon as he knew about him (John 1:36-41).
All that you really need to know is that people must make a commitment to obey the Man of Truth, because they believe, that Father of Truth raised him from the dead, in order to come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:8-10). So start telling others how to come into the House of Truth based on what you already know, because you have to start somewhere (Romans 10:14-17).
Come into the House of Truth!
Tulsa has had a triple digit (at least 100 F / 38 C) day in every month except January, since it was founded a little over 100 years ago. Tulsa has also had tremendous snow storms as early as October and as late as April, since I have lived here. That is the way it goes in Tulsa, you simply never know what kind of winter that you are going to get.
Some winters, it is just down right cold. I remember one winter day, when the high temp was 7 F / -14 C. Naturally, I had to take care of some things outdoors on that day.
Last winter in the Tulsa area was pretty mild. It only snowed a few large flakes that melted as soon as they hit the ground. Still, it did manage to get very cold a few times. On the coldest day last winter in Broken Arrow, where I live, the high was 20 F / -9 C. This day was particularly memorable, because of what happened on that day.
I was taking my turn to stay home with my youngest daughter, who was too sick to go to church on that Sabbath. It was very cold, and very peaceful. When I had went out to feed the dogs earlier, it was strangely quiet. The usual highway noise, and the sounds of people or their pets being out in their yards, was completely missing. Nothing was outside unless it was absolutely necessary. So I settled in for a very quiet afternoon, expecting to spend it sipping hot cocoa while watching a sermon from our pastor on YouTube.
While I waited for my daughter to wake up, I was enjoying the quiet peace of the Sabbath. I was spending time talking to the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) when my home Sabbath routine was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.
So I got up and looked through the peep hole to see who it could be. I saw a group of about a half dozen people standing on my porch. I thought, who could they be? Jehovah Witnesses? Mormons?
I was pretty sure, that my house had been marked as "avoid" again by the Jehovah Witnesses.
I have a habit of going out to meet them, and then using their own translation of the Book of Truth (The Bible) to show them the error of their doctrine. For example, I show them in their own literature where their founder said that the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) was forever dead. Then I borrow one of their own copies of the Book of Truth, and show them where it says that no one can be saved by a dead Jesus. Sometimes this sinks in with some of them and they leave the Jehovah Witnesses, so they can come into the House of Truth.
So the people in charge of the Jehovah Witnesses in Broken Arrow, would mark my house as "avoid". Then I would not have them coming to knock on my door for a few years.
Similarly, the Mormons have marked my house as "avoid" occasionally.
It is a really simple matter to make a comparison of the Book of Mormon and a copy of the Book of Truth that they are carrying to show them why both books cannot be true. Sometimes this sinks in with some of them and they leave the Mormons, so they can come into the House of Truth.
So I decided to go out and talk to these people, so that maybe some of them could come into the House of Truth.
When I stepped outside things were not at all like I expected. These were not Jehovah Witnesses or Mormons. These were people from the local Baptist church in my neighborhood. They had no tracts to hand out and were not there to persuade me to join their organization.
Instead, they asked me if I had anything that I needed prayer for. This was new.
So I asked them, why they were going door to door in freezing weather to ask people, if they needed prayer. The young man who was leading them explained,that they believed that the Father of Truth would answer those prayers, and that this would cause people to seek after Him. They were not necessarily seeking to have people join their church, but they did want people to come into the House of Truth.
Now that I was out in my yard where I could see them more clearly, I realized that one of them was a woman in her eighties. It absolutely astonished me that she was willing to spend all day in this freezing weather, just so people might have the opportunity to come into the House of Truth.
Now that I understood what they were doing, I realized that they were among the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him). So I offered for them to come into my house and warm up. They did not have time to do so, but they did take some of the hot cocoa that I offered them.
So I stood out there with them and told them about my situation while they sipped on hot cocoa.
I showed them the memorial pillar in my front yard. I explained how the Man of Truth had stood between my daughter and death on three separate occasions. I told them that I was not angry at the Father of Truth for her condition, because I know where sickness comes from.
I explained to them how important producing the sound of power had been in each of these episodes. I explained to them that as I spend time with the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost), how the commandments of the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law) started being written on my heart. I explained that the Spirit of the Law was by no means at odds with the Law of Truth. I explained to them that I had come to understand why it matters what I eat, and who changed the Sabbath. I told them about how I had become like the Mensch who killed Christmas. I explained that instead I kept the Feasts of Truth, even though I was playing with broken toys, because it is not possible to keep these feasts exactly as written in the Law of Truth at this time.
Then I went on to explain that none of these things saved me, and that I had not lost sight of the simplicity of the Gospel. I let them know that people are saved by faith, but grow by knowledge. I told them about the two kinds of knowledge, and how the second kind of knowledge had caused me to make all of these changes.
I then told them that the seeds for all of this had been planted long ago, when I was a child, by my mother who took me to the Baptist church in our neighborhood. I probably would never arrived at the point where I am at now, if I had not began hearing the Word of Truth back them. I had to start somewhere.
I let them know that I was so thrilled to see them out in this brutally cold weather, because they cared enough about people to demonstrate the power of the Father of Truth, so people would seek after Him. While there were many differences between my understanding and practices and those of the Baptist church, what we had in common was more important than those differences.
I admired their willingness to sacrifice their temporary comfort, so others could experience eternal comfort. They were doing what they could to bring people into the House of Truth. I sincerely wanted them to have success in their endeavor, because people have to start somewhere.
So when everyone was done drinking their hot cocoa, we prayed together for the complete healing of my daughter. Then I asked them, if I could pray for their success in their endeavor. They consented, so I laid hands on the young man leading them and asked the Father of Truth to fill them with the Spirit of Truth, so they could have boldness in telling people about the Man of Truth.
Then I stayed outside and watched them go to the next house. While there were many things that we did not agree on, I knew that their journey was not over. I am also still learning, and who knows what I am ignorant of today? I had started where they were at and it had been enough, because you have to start somewhere.
I obviously recognize the importance of knowledge. If it was not important, then I would not have learned how to rightly divide the Word. I certainly would not have spent thousands of hours applying those principles to deepen my understanding of the Father of Truth.
However, knowledge is not the most important thing. I was taught this by the Spirit of Truth a long time ago.
One Sunday night, we were having a discussion about the Book of Truth (the Bible) at a Pentecostal church that I attended in Cheyenne, Wyoming. One of the ladies told us about how she thought that the Baptists had a better grasp on grace than we did.
Now this lady went on to explain, how the Baptists, at least the ones that she had been talking to, had told her that basically the grace of the Father of Truth would let her willing disobey the Father of Truth, that is to say sin, as much as she wanted. I cannot verify that this is what these particular Baptists really told her, but it is what she reported. I can verify that the Baptists in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, where I went when I was young, did teach this at that time.
Of course, I know that not all Baptists teach this. There are over 150 Baptist denominations that meet together for the Southern Baptist convention. What they teach about various subjects covers about every imaginable position. As far as I can tell the word "Baptist" in their name is about the only thing that they have in common, except for a belief in the resurrection of the Man of Truth.
Still, it was time to set the record straight.
So I showed her where the Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament) plainly states that His grace is not meant to cause His Children to sin more (Romans 6:1-2). I showed her where it plainly states that people can fall from His grace, if they leave the House of Truth (Galatians 5:4). I showed her where it plainly states, that His grace is meant to enable us to obey Him more fully (Philippians 2:12-15). I showed her where it plain states that it is not His will for us to use the liberty that comes His grace as a license to sin (1 Peter 2:15-16).
This then lead to a wider discussion of things in the Book of Truth that this church understood better than most Baptists. As I sat there listening, I realized that this group really did have a much better understanding about a lot of things in the Book of Truth than most Baptists. This is understandable, since being baptized in the Spirit of Truth is such an advantage that the Man of Truth told his disciple to not leave Jerusalem without it (Luke 24:49).
Yet something was bothering me about the whole thing. I thought to myself, since the Baptists have all of these things wrong, then why does the Father of Truth send so many of them out as missionaries? Immediately the Spirit of Truth said to me, "Because they will go.".
At that moment I understood that being willing to take action is more important than getting every last detail of doctrine correct.
While the members of this church spent a lot of time and effort discussing doctrine, they did not spend any where near as much effort in bringing people into the House of Truth. Many of the Baptists, on the other hand, spent a lot of time and effort on bringing people into the House of Truth, even though they did not spend any where near as much effort in discussing doctrine.
Many Baptists took the part of the Great Commission that they understood very seriously, and it moved them to take action. So even though their understanding of the Book of Truth was not near as great as this other church, they were being sent, because they were willing to go and teach others, what they did understand. It did not matter how much this other church understood, if no one in it was willing to go and teach others what they understood.
The fact is, correct doctrine only matters after people come into the House of Truth. Nobody suddenly understands everything the moment that they come into the House of Truth. After the Baptists brought people into the House of Truth, then they could start growing into a greater understanding. The Baptists were being used mightily to bring people into the House of Truth, because you have to start somewhere.
For example, it has taken me more than half a century to get where I am now.
I did not know much when I started. I have learned something from every congregation that I have been involved in. The beginning of my understanding started with the Baptists. Then I went through many other congregations, including Methodists, Non-denominationals, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Nazarenes, and Messianics along the way.
Each one prepared me for the next stage of becoming more like the Man of Truth. Yet none of this would have happened, if everyone involved had waited to get everything perfect before they did something. They acted on what they understood, because you have to start somewhere.
The ironic truth is, that the more people seem to understand the message of the Book of Truth, the less their zeal to reach others tends to become. Over the years, I had many Baptists reach out to bring others into the House of Truth, a few Charismatics, but not one single Messianic.
One reason, that I have never seen any Messianics handing out tracks, or witnessing to others, is that they frequently put the cart before the horse. They tend to stress things that took them a decade to learn, instead of focusing on the basics, when talking to those who have not come in the House of Truth.
This is not a good idea. When someone is uneducated, you don't start them off with PH. D. material. You start them off with kindergarten material.
Yet those who have developed a deeper understanding, often seem to forget where they started. They should remember what brought them into the House of Truth to start with. That is what they need to focus on, in order to bring others into the House of Truth.
After people come into the House of Truth, then they can begin to be educated, starting with the most basic principles. It should be no surprise that if it took the teacher a decade to get where they are at, then it might take the student a decade to get there as well.
So the best strategy for teaching others about the Man of Truth is to find out what they already know, and then go from there. The goal of is to engage their heart and mind by using what they already know, because you have to start somewhere.
So when is the best time to tell others about the Man of Truth?
Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)!
You do not need to wait until you have perfect understanding of everything before doing anything. If you wait until everything is perfect, then you will never do anything (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
If you are in the House of Truth, then you already know enough to tell others about the Man of Truth. For example, Andrew the Jew (The Apostle Andrew) told Peter the Jew (Cephas aka Simon aka Simeon aka The Apostle Peter) about the Man of Truth as soon as he knew about him (John 1:36-41).
All that you really need to know is that people must make a commitment to obey the Man of Truth, because they believe, that Father of Truth raised him from the dead, in order to come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:8-10). So start telling others how to come into the House of Truth based on what you already know, because you have to start somewhere (Romans 10:14-17).
Come into the House of Truth!
Labels: Tulsa, Witnessing
posted by The House Of Truth @ August 11, 2016
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