There is a great awakening occurring today. This is not a ‘Revival’ as we think of today, but is the ‘Restoration of all things’ promised in Scripture, immediately before the return of Messiah.

Some of the Truths of the Bible, having remained hidden and unfamiliar for centuries, are coming into the spotlight. Believers worldwide are being exposed to the full message of the Bible. Some are awakening to Righteousness, and are beginning to make themselves ready. Yet others refuse the fullness of the Bible’s message, preferring instead to maintain their present course.

Why do some respond differently from others? We must first understand that many today have heard the true Gospel message, yet many continue to hear a watered-down, false Gospel message. In this writing, we will look at possible responses to the true Bible message. We will see how that the Bible’s message is clear, but highly inconvenient!

The Bible offers only two choices of how we may respond to its message. We will take a frank look at these two fundamental choices, and the characteristics of those who embrace each choice. We will also see the end result of each choice.

Our Response

What are the possible ways to respond to the Bible’s message? And what are the outcomes of our different responses?

As a part of its message, the Bible gives us only two options, two absolutes from which we must continually choose:

How do we respond to the truths of the Bible’s message? The above are the only two choices from which to choose. Before we look at how we respond to these two options, we will look at why we respond to truth the way we do.

We often read or hear only a snippet of what the Bible actually says. If we are unfamiliar with the message we are hearing, we may feel uncomfortable — we experience a ‘collision’ of sorts.

What the Bible actually says often collides against what we currently know and understand! Our current foundation begins to shake. We squirm, and feel uncomfortable.

Our response to this uncomfortable feeling occurs in one of two ways. As Yahushua [Jesus] tells us (Luke 24:25), how we respond reveals whether we are foolish, or wise — ‘slow of heart,’ or ‘quick.’

Our response to the various truths of the Bible is of ultimate importance! Our place in this last-days Restoration, and ultimately our place in His Kingdom, will be determined by our day-by-day responses to the Bible’s message!

Because how we respond to Truth is of such great importance, we will look at these two options. We will see what they mean, and where each option will take us.

Option 1: Bend Ourselves to Fit the Bible’s Truth

The first option is to bend ourselves to fit the Bible’s truth. This is the least popular choice. When taken for what it actually says, the Bible demands that we bend to its clear and simple, but absolute Truth. There are no gray areas, there is no allowance, no leeway for wiggling out of what it says. And herein lies the problem for many.

When I hear the Bible message, it is quite inconvenient for me to change my current lifestyle. This message urges me to make some changes [repent and convert] — that is, to stop doing some things, and begin doing others.

If I choose Option 1, I must begin a life-long journey, to re-evaluate everything in my life. I must be willing to conform my life according to the new [for me] and different standard I see staring me in the face.

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

As I first begin to read the Bible, the first change [repentance] I see that I am to make, is to believe the Bible’s message. Because I am a sinner, I am declared guilty, and have been given a death penalty. But because Yahushua [Jesus] loved me, and He spilled His blood on my behalf, my debt has been paid, and the penalty cancelled.

When I see the great favour and goodness Yahuweh has shown to me, I then realise His great love and mercy He has toward all His people.

In view of His goodness and mercy toward me, am I going to love Him in return? Am I going to make a fundamental change in my life [repent], and begin to obey Him? It is when I take an initial step of obedience, to truly believe in Yahushua, that His forgiveness of all my sins is applied to me!

As a part of this fundamental change, the day comes when I choose to be immersed [baptised], going down into the depths of the water, and then arising up out of the water. This baptism is the event in which I am to identify myself with Yahushua [Jesus], in going down with Him into His death and burial — and arising with Him from His death, to resurrection!

Father also gives us His Holy Spirit, who will lead us into all His Truths, which are all in accordance with the written Scriptures. Father also pours out His Holy Spirit upon His people, to equip them and empower them for His service, and gives them His Grace, His enablement for obedience.

Continuing in the Scriptures, I find that because of faith in Him, I have been forgiven of all my sins — yet I now see that I am also exhorted to stop sinning!

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

Let’s see now. If I choose Option 1, I must now stop doing those things the Bible calls sin!

If however, in a moment of weakness I do commit a sin [is there anyone who does not sin?], the Scriptures tell me I have Yahushua as an advocate alongside the Heavenly Father, and I can confess to Him my new sin, and be forgiven of that too! (See 1John 2:1.)

As I continue to plod through the Scriptures, I begin to see that if I truly love Yahushua Messiah, I will keep [obey] His Commandments. This tells me of the motivation for whatever choices I will make!

The question then becomes, “He first loved me — so am I going to love Him in return?”

Notice the following passage. Here Messiah tells us plainly:

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments…” (1John 5:2-3a)

As we see in the above passage, Messiah says in His own words:

This presents a problem. If I truly want to love Him, I must bend my lifestyle to fit His Words.

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

As I continue to choose the first option, I begin to see there are some activities that delight our Heavenly Father. Other things, however, Father considers detestable, and abomination. He has forgiven me of all my sins, but He tells me that if I love Him, I must bend my lifestyle to walk in His Commandments.

Isn’t this enough?

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

Are these restrictions, or is He setting me free from bondage to these sins?

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

As I continue to choose the first option, Father opens my eyes further, to see and understand from the Scriptures, that Yahushua Messiah is the Word of the Father. This tells me that Messiah, before He was made flesh (John 1:14), also appeared to Abraham (Gen 15:1), and gave all the Commandments to Moses (Num 15:31).

Uh-Oh! Another problem! In my past, I have heard many men in many pulpits, giving many reasons why they claim that the ‘Old’ Testament commandments are not a vital part of the ‘New’ Covenant. These men claim the ‘Old’ Testament commandments are ‘done away with!’

But when I read the Bible for myself, I see in Scripture that it was Messiah Himself, the Word of Yahuweh, who wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger, and gave all the commandments to Moses!

Now I must reason, “If I truly love Yahushua, by keeping all of His Commandments, these must include the ‘Old’ Testament Commandments, with only the changes as outlined in the Book of Hebrews!”

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

As I study His Word, I see that He invites all to enter into His Everlasting [New] Covenant with Him, but I must choose to come on His terms, and not my own:

It is at this point that many will separate me from their company, both family and friends alike. It seems that many have not read the Bible’s message for themselves, but have chosen a much easier path.

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

And as I continue to search the Scriptures, I see that Messiah, as the Word of Yahuweh, tells me that if I want to avoid committing iniquity, which is disobedience to His Word, I will include the following:

These things, as the Bible clearly tells me, are not even to be considered as ‘food.’

Woe is me! Where will it end?

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

Oh! With each change I make, my life becomes more topsy-turvy! As I choose day-by-day not to sin, not to disobey the words of Messiah, I find my familiar world is being turned upside down! Only by Father’s Grace can I maintain a humble heart to be obedient to His Word!

I discover that evolution is nothing but a myth, an old wives tale, a disjointed collection of statements void of any logic, foisted upon those who do not investigate every matter for themselves! Creation is but a subset of a great, master plan of the Creator Himself!

And, like a great, panorama of a giant picture puzzle, the Creator’s plans and purposes begin to unfold, and come into view!

As I begin to make these changes in my life, old friends and family members begin to complain about, and want to quarrel over, my new lifestyle. I tell them my secret — that I have chosen to love Yahushua by obeying His Word!

These words are as goodly pearls, diligently sought, and dug from deep within the field, prophetic of entrance into the Kingdom. Alas, they are as pearls cast before the deaf ears of those who choose to remain wallowing in the mire of this world, of those who do not know the identity of the WORD of Yahuweh.

One by one, the old friends fall away, and I am now fast becoming a pariah, a castaway from the world I knew so well. The sorrow and pain begins to grow alongside the loneliness.

But as I read the Bible, I can see the great love and mercy Yahushua had for me, in giving up His life for me. I thus consider the pain I must go through — in bending myself to fit the Bible’s truth — is much less indeed, than the pain He suffered for me!

As I proceed along this path, I have the growing sense that I have much more preparation to undergo! Father is washing me, cleansing me, with the pure water of His Word. I see in the Scriptures that, as we become a “DO-er” of what we read, we become more cleansed, more prepared for some certain destiny, as part of a great Kingdom in a distant land!

But every day I continue to face a choice:

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

As the way becomes more difficult, I am reminded each day that I must make a choice. Each day I may choose to go further, by choosing the first option.

Or I may choose to remain where I am, and advance no further. But this choice would bring me to the second option.

Option 2: Bend the Bible’s Truth to Fit Ourselves

The second option, to bend the Bible’s truth to fit ourselves, is very appealing. The further along the way I proceed, the better this option looks. At some point, what I read in the Bible might make a demand of me that I am not willing to pay. What can I do?

If I see that the Bible demands more of me than I am willing to do, I must justify myself before others, lest they think of me as a hypocrite! My only recourse [the popular option] is to bend what the Bible says to fit my lifestyle choice!

Those who have chosen Option 2 at some point begin to gather together in groups called denominations. These groups are collections of those that have gone only so far, but refuse to go further.

As I continue in my Option 2 group (those who are at the same point as I), the teaching I hear from the pulpit justifies my choice of Option 2. This teaching also vilifies, ridicules, and scoffs at those who continue to choose Option 1, who walk in obedience. The message from many pulpits today say that those who choose Option 1 are heretics!

And so it is, that a wall begins to be built, ever so slowly, between those Believers who continue to choose Option 1, and those who continue to choose Option 2. Perhaps the Option 1 folks do not know the Option 2 folks label them as heretics!

As I continue to choose Option 2, my heart begins to condemn me. I feel condemned, however, only when around Option 1 Believers — so I must conclude they are to blame! This condemnation I feel when around them must surely have a name. I will call it the ‘Legalism’ of the Option 1 group!

Continuing in Option 2, my ears are now becoming trained not to listen to what those Option 1 folks are saying, for they always make me feel uncomfortable. If I choose Option 2, I must also choose to listen only to the Option 2 Pastors, Ministers and Religious Leaders — those that have chosen Option 2 as I have.

Pastors, Ministers and Religious Leaders Who Choose Option 2

If I am a Pastor, Minister or Religious Leader, I would not want to offend those in the audience that contribute to the Budget, by telling them Bible truths that would make them just as uncomfortable as I have been.

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

If as a Leader, I were to tell those in the congregation the absolute truths of the Bible, the following might occur:

If as a Leader, I were to choose my Reputation and Livelihood instead of what Messiah is calling me to do, then my only recourse would become Option 2. I could then choose to bend the Bible’s truth [ever so slightly] to fit MY concerns…. which is the Budget — er, ahh, I mean, the people.

If as a Leader, I were to choose Option 2, I could remain highly regarded among the other Pastors and Ministers as Reform, and as Conservative. I must also, however, actively deny the absolutes of the Bible that I am not willing to preach. It must look real, I’m sure you understand.

Of course, the only problem with my choice of Option 2, as a Pastor or Minister or spiritual Leader, is that the many people in the congregation would be unaware they were being led astray, and were in disobedience. That is, they would not find out until later, that they had forfeited and lost their Great Reward, marriage to the Bridegroom Himself.

Only those few who left the congregation, in order to study the Bible on their own, would seek the Bridegroom, and would find Him, and would enter the Bridegroom’s preparation program — learning to walk as He walked, in full obedience to the Scriptures.

• ►  This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?

On the other hand, if I as a Leader were to choose what Messiah is calling me to do, instead of loving my Reputation and Livelihood, I must revert from Option 2, and choose Option 1 instead. To do this, I must be willing to:

Conclusion

It is the Bridegroom Himself, who is indeed, our exceeding great Reward!

The Bridegroom Himself continues to seek, and to choose His Bride. To do this, He watches His people, to see whether they choose His Words of Truth, or instead choose man-made doctrines.

His Holy Spirit continues to lead His people into all His Words of Truth — yet each must still choose daily, to receive only His Words of Truth, and to reject all others.

Whether I am a Pastor, Minister, Spiritual Leader, member of a Congregation, or a nobody, I must choose wisely.

It is the Bridegroom Himself, who, by His Grace, is enabling us to walk as He walked, in obedience to His Word, to make us ready.

It is the Bridegroom Himself, who is calling His Bride-Company to choose the necessary pain and suffering of making changes in our lives, bending ourselves to fit the Bible’s truth.

• ► This is an inconvenient message. What will I choose?