In Search of Truth

Since I was a small boy G-d has been calling me to a closer walk with Him. From the tender age of 8 or 9 I recall a lump in my throat and a tug at my heart to follow this G-d that the preacher was preaching about. At a church camp the preacher would make a plea for people to respond to his message and for three consecutive nights I cried at this solicitation and without really knowing why. Someone close to me suggested G-d was calling me to a life of surrender to Him and His ways. I responded by walking forward and saying a prayer to receive this Savior. A nine year old doesn't know much about sin, at least back in those days, so nothing much really happened after this night. At 14 years old this process was repeated. Again at 15 and maybe 16 too. I was very prone to falling away from this surrendered way of life back into the more attractive life of sin throughout my life, but G-d was always there calling me back.

Even into my married life there have been many wonderings and failures and outright rebellion on my part and to the praise of HaShem our Heavenly Father never gave up on me. He tugs me still today as I continue on this journey of the pursuit of Truth. Hence the name of this article, "In Search of Truth". I thank G-d that He never leaves me and keeps wooing me closer still to Him and His ways. This journey has led my beloved wife Stephanie and I into what is today commonly called Messianic Judaism or the Hebrew Roots movement. Yeshua of Nazareth is our Messiah and we do our best to follow him in a Torah observant lifestyle.

Bob Mumford, a long-time pentecostal preacher, once said that after some fifty years of ministry the whole thing boiled down to two words; follow Me. Follow Me.....follow ME. FOLLOW Me. This exploded inside of me the night I heard it and still rings in my ears today. Stephanie and I began asking the question, "who are we following"? Man or Yeshua? G-d's ways or mans ways? Mostly we ended up answering that question with "man's ways". From Sunday observance, to the "Lord's supper", to eating swine, to christmas, easter, you name it....man's ways. This was a problem. Yeshua told his talmidim/disciples to "follow ME". We were being sucked into man's traditions that were contradictory with G-d's commandments. Now I will say that some of man's traditions are perfectly fine and acceptable; i.e. the wedding ring. But many are not!

Life is a journey with many twists and turns, ups and downs, and failures and successes. Hopefully as we go through life we will feel that wooing of G-d and continue to repent of our wicked ways, crucify  the evil inclination and pursue the Truth with all that we are. I am a mere babe in understanding HaShem but the journey is not over yet. I'm on a mission of Truth. This pursuit will involve learning the Hebrew language, the customs and historicity of our Messiah, travels to the Holy Land, engaging with others in lively debate of the Holy Scriptures, the fear of G-d, and the walking out of His commandments. In the end, may prayer is to hear those beloved words, "well done, good and faithful servant".

Definitions:

• G-d - this spelling is used as not to offend my Jewish family
• HaShem - The Name. Used in place of the Sacred Name of G-d. 
• Yeshua - the Hebrew name of the Jesus of the Bible