[Discourse 1-12 have so far been between BAN@S6K and her missionary friend. This continues that exchange though this reply is written by VAN@S6K, husband of BAN; together they were converted from Catholicism to evangelical Christianity by the missionary couple involved in this series of exchanges.–Admin1.]
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I have been reading your exchange of emails with [BAN@S6K] and I am happy that so far, you have kept it on the intellectual level —pray it will stay that way. Let us keep our hearts where it should be — our love for one another.
For my part of the story, let me start from the beginning of my search for God. Of course, you know that I was born into a Catholic religious tradition —well, almost all Filipinos are that way. We worship the ‘Blessed Virgin’, the ‘mother of God’ to get to Jesus, ‘the son of God’, to get to ‘God the Father’, ultimately. I grew up with this religious belief handed down to me by my mother. This changed when God took my father away whom I loved so much. He was not only a father to me, he was also a brother, and a friend. This I resented very much. How can a loving God take someone whom I loved so much? This was the beginning of my search for the one true God. The first stage.
When we moved to Victoria Valley, we met you. You introduced us to the Bible and to Jesus, as Lord and Savior. This started my interest in the study of the Bible. You encouraged me to even go to a Bible seminary, which I did. This gave me a new perspective in my search for God. You know the rest. The second stage.
When we moved to Baguio City, there I met another Bible teacher who introduced us to Messianic Christianity — going back to our “Hebrew roots.” Here we were taught the Hebrew Scriptures, TORAH (five books of Moses), the Prophets, and the Writings. These are the Scriptures, the TORAH, that Jesus taught his disciples. He observed the Sabbath and the biblical festivals. He taught the disciples to obey the commandments. He lived a TORAH lifestyle. Our Bible teacher also taught us to think Jewish to enable us to understand the Hebrew mind, and to better understand the Hebrew (OT) Scriptures. As messianic Christians, we observed the Sabbath and the biblical festivals, adjusted to kosher food, and followed Jewish liturgy as much as possible. However, we still believed Jesus as part of the Triune God, who is coming again.
In observing the Sabbath, we would go through the Scriptures, portion by portion, which enabled us to read through the TORAH, the five books of Moses, within a period of one year. As one of the elders of the messianic community, I took my turn in teaching and facilitating the study of the portion assigned on that Sabbath.
At the time my turn came, the portion assigned for that Sabbath was Exodus 10:1-13:16 which covers the Passover. As I was studying this portion of the TORAH in preparation for the Sabbath, I could not understand why, for the first time, after seven years of studying the Hebrew Scriptures (OT) that the apostle John in the NT pointed to Jesus as the lamb in the Passover. The Scriptures tell us that God’s wrath was to fall
” . . .on all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments, I am the LORD” (Exodus 12:13, NASB) [underscoring mine].
The Scriptures also tell us that Joseph told his father Jacob and his brothers that when Pharaoh asks ‘what is your occupation’, they shall say that they are keepers of livestock from their youth that they may live in Goshen; “for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians” (Genesis 46:33-34; underscoring mine). Why ‘loathsome’? Because the sheep or goat is sacred to the Egyptians, as it is one of their gods. So, why make Jesus the Passover lamb? And why did God offer Jesus to die for our sins when God hates human sacrifice? This is an abomination to God (Deuteronomy 12:29-31). Has God now changed His mind? Or, just maybe, the apostolic writers, if they were Jews, forgot their Scriptures? Or, again, just maybe, they were not Jews?
So, if you ask me now, what is the source of my faith? I would say the Hebrew Scriptures (OT). Why? Because it is trustworthy, complete, nothing to add to, nothing to take away from (Deuteronomy 4:2). And who is my God? His name is YAHWEH (YHVH) [Exodus 3:14-15]. He is the God of Abraham and the God of Moses. He is the God of Creation, the God of the Scriptures, THE ONE TRUE GOD.
I have no more resentment toward YAHWEH for having taken my father whom I loved so much, because knowing Him now is to love Him with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my might —with everything I have! This is the fourth and the last stage.
I want you to know that I think of you [both]; you have always been there for me. You have given me comfort when I needed it — even your “shoulders” to cry on, specially during the time when my mother died. Remember?
Both of you — and even your children— have become and will always be part of our lives. I certainly thank YAHWEH for that! [BAN] and I will always love you both and continue to remember you in our prayers.
VAN@S6K
Next: Discourse – Christian to Sinaite, back to Christian- 14