Raised in a Christian school, an adult congregant of a local Christian church body, and being a wife and mother of young children, my religious status was securely devout Christian—or so I thought. My reality? Well, the truth is simply this: I had questions.
I am an average woman in her 30s. I love my family. I enjoy coaching strength and fitness classes and am passionately involved in a career of teaching and instructing students of all ages in vocal and piano performance.
It sounds as though I’ve painted a wonderful portrait of attributes, yet I found myself yearning for something. Unsure of what I was missing, I sought advice from friends and peers venturing down avenues I thought had possibly been overlooked in making my life and existence in the world meaningful. Having also experienced the loss of immediate family members, spirituality was at the forefront of my quest.
Feeling unsatisfied with my spiritual growth, and finding flaws in the message of my church body, I felt an unquenchable thirst for truth. I began slowly breaking my tradition of attending Sunday service. My husband—who was of like mind—also replaced Sunday worship by separately researching past cultures, studying history, and, most importantly, reading Scripture with fresh eyes. I set a goal for myself to read my Bible from beginning to end in chronological order. With a few resources—a Zondervan Bible dictionary, and an insatiable urge to explore what had been uncharted territory for myself—I eagerly opened my Bible. What I was amazed to find was, as I opened it, Yah also opened my mind and heart to his truths.
As I initiated my departure from mainstream religion, I found more and more enlightenment in reading Scripture and believing the words I read, rather than making those words fit my religious belief system. Further study of Yah’s Scripture revealed that my life was not reflecting the message and instructions he left. In order to follow him with all my heart, I had to abandon some of my worldly traditions.
While this may sound logical, giving up family holidays and traditions I had known all my life was not a small task. It was easy for me to say I was not going to celebrate worldly customs, but as the time drew nearer to each holiday, I found myself wrestling to cling to what was familiar. I struggled especially during the mainstream winter festival dates, yet remained dutiful to my initial determination to devote myself fully to Yah and his ways. As a mother, it is even more challenging raising young Hebrews who are surrounded by children who blindly celebrate worldly tradition and culture. Yet, it is more important to me and my family to remain set apart from these events because we live and love Yah, and find our true celebration and purpose for life in him.
What I discovered during this process has been transcendent! In addition to guiding me and my family to knowing who he truly is, Yah continues to reveal more and more as I study prayerfully. Each and every time I read and continue to research the Scriptures he leaves as our remembrance, I am amazed to find even more depth in the revelations he presents. Pairing Scripture study with world history has allowed Yah to unveil to me the vast amount of evidence throughout his creation that coincides with his immaculate law and order, as well as the recollection of events he has given through his prophets.
All of us exist in a rapidly changing world, yet Yah and his ways have remained intact and ever constant since the beginning of all things. As Yah presented this to me, it also became clearer to see that our function while here in this current world has been iterated throughout Scripture. A simple shift of perspective allowed me the opportunity to really comprehend what it meant for me to walk a narrow path to follow Yah. It is not a wide and open passage in which there are many meandering roads all leading to the same destination; no, there are very deliberate and descriptive instructions as to how we are to order our lives to truly walk in faith. Accepting this knowledge from the Most High and applying it in my life has truly brought me more happiness, patience, and understanding; and it has given me true faith. It has also provided me immeasurable peace knowing that, as the world we live in unravels, there is Yah who is a consistent and unchanging Elohim, and he has and always will abide by his promise to restore his people.
I was inspired to share this with you because I imagine there may be others searching for and finding these same truths. When the meaning and application of Yah’s ways become clear, it presents a choice to either follow him or remain blindly complacent in pop culture, societal norms, and family tradition. The first option does not come bearing a host of friends and high acclaim, as those who search for worldly gain cannot possibly remain wholly faithful to Yah. Separation from religion, customs, and sometimes even family members are often necessary factors in choosing Yah above all else. Most do not relish the notion of detaching from a community of inclusion and acceptance; however, the rewards in staying faithful to Yah greatly surpass the immediate and short-term acceptance worldly views offer. I encourage you, brothers and sisters, to seek wisdom and truth in Scripture. May Yah guide your hearts and open your eyes as he has mine.
105Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
—Psalm 119:105
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This blessed me. Thank you.
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Excellent!
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Praise Yah for allowing me to hear this message and thanks to Yah for allowing you, my sister, to share it. I am learning to listen to Yah. Shalom!
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I love all my black people. I understand the article and am trying everyday to learn more. But how do you get our folks to listen?
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We are in that mind set. I enjoy the article.
—Martha B.
Shalom Family. 100% in agreement on this message. But, I want to comment on the picture chosen for this wonderful message. It truly expresses the story itself; this is a lonely journey, a narrow way and few will find it or stay on it. Hebrews must come to terms with that and understand we are better off in the long term, because this journey is filled with enemies, seen and unseen, who want us to fall and one way is by distracting us, and tempting us. The bigger the crowd the greater the distractions.
One more thing. I saved the picture for this article and will use it as my background screen. Why? because it will make a great scene for meditation when I am overcome with feelings of loneliness. It will help me focus on the fact that this is exactly what our Messiah was warning us about in Matthew 7:13-14. Peace and Love Israel.
—Brenda W.
I found the article to be very interesting and relatable to my own life in similar ways. Although I grew up not celebrating holidays, as I became older I had questions and doubts about my Christian religion. I came in contact with Kingdom Preppers and I began getting answers to my long awaited questions. I had to let go of the name Jehovah and the name Jesus which is a man-made customary tradition. In my prayers I now say Yah or Yahweh and for Yah's son I say Yahshua. Using these authentic names has caused me to shift from my religion and friends. The article gives me encoragement that I'm pleasing Yah by setting myself apart from a learned religious practice that does not sanctify my heavenly father's name. Thanks for the well written article!
—Roberta R.
I am so thankful this article was written and that I was led to read it. I find it easy for myself to let go of what the world says we should follow, but my husband and children struggle with letting go of what they are comfortable with. It has been difficult to walk in a new light because of what my household believes, but I am thankful for Kingdom Peppers suppling the tools to share with my family to help them open their eyes, minds, and hearts to be open to a better walk with our Elohim.
—Kameshi T.
Shalom Kingdom Prepper and Amah! Yah is good!! I am a gentile, learning to walk in His Truth. My husband, a Hebrew, and I came to the Truth of The Most High about 18 months ago. It took me time, just like you, Amah, to come to realize that I need to let go of what I am so familiar and comfortable with. The biggest thing for me is the worldly and family traditions, and family members. As someone who thrived on the acceptance of others growing up, especially from my parents, I am learning that they are not the ones I must please and appease. It is my Father, Abba Elohim whom I want to glorify in everything that I do! I found your words so encouraging and it was a blessing to read that a sister in Yahuah has experienced the same struggles as I in her journey to living for Yah. I want nothing more than to live for Him. I love Him in a way I can't describe. I am no longer a christian! Thank you for sharing your heart. May Yah bless you and keep you. Shalom!
—Nadia M.
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