@ppm56 — I want to respond to you with the respect and sincerity I’d expect in return, without getting condescending. But I do want to be crystal clear and firm in what I believe.
I don’t say the things I say because I think I’m better or that I alone have the truth. I say them because I’ve spent years making sure what I believe lines up with Yeshua and what is written—not with denominational spin, and certainly not with traditions that contradict Scripture.
You said that following “collective understanding” is somehow safer than individual faith. But respectfully, truth is not decided by majority vote or tradition. Scripture must always be our plumb line, otherwise we become blind followers of men. The Pharisees also had tradition—and they missed the Messiah standing right in front of them.
Yeshua warned us plainly in Mark 7:7-9:
“In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men… All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”
You ask me how I can be sure I’m not being deceived by Satan. That’s a fair question. But I check myself daily. I weigh every thought, doctrine, and conviction against Scripture. I pray for discernment. I repent when I fall. I walk in obedience to the commandments of YHWH, and I see the fruit of His Spirit in my life: love, peace, self-control, gentleness, faithfulness—not pride, confusion, or deception. That’s how I know who is guiding me.
But I’ll ask you—how do you test whether what you're following is truth, if it contradicts Yeshua’s own words? How can it be of YHWH if it cannot be backed by the Bible?
Yes, I do trust YHWH alone, and I’m not ashamed of that. The apostles taught obedience to God’s Word—not blind submission to church institutions. And yes, I agree the Holy Spirit can work among groups—but only when that group is truly submitted to YHWH, not when they’ve replaced His commands with man-made ideas.
So let’s be real—there are thousands of denominations. They all say “the Spirit is guiding us.” Yet many of them contradict each other. Does that mean God’s Spirit is confused? Of course not. That’s why the only safe place is in Yeshua’s words and the Scriptures, not what a council or a pope decided hundreds of years later.
I don’t hate the church. I’m just not going to follow a system that I can see is clearly out of line with the teachings of the Messiah. That doesn’t mean I’m better. It just means I’ve chosen to be accountable to the Word, and not to men.
If you ever want to go verse by verse and test doctrines honestly with Scripture—no tradition, no spin—I’m all for it. That’s how iron sharpens iron.
