Are we pointing people to church or to YAH?
A thought crossed my mind in the middle of editing this blog post. I felt a quiet nudge directing me to address something that has long felt peculiar to me.
There is so much emphasis on “winning souls,” yet, conviction itself comes from YAH.
I have observed environments where the focus seems centered on filling church pews, increasing numbers, or “getting young people back into church.” I have been seeing people, especially in recent times being baptized en masse without truly understanding conviction, repentance, or even why they were coming forward at all—
Conviction is not simply an emotion.
“And having come, He shall convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment.”
Before any preacher attempts to define sin…before denominations debate doctrine or arguing about laws vs. grace; Scripture says He shall convict the world.
He—
The Spirit of YAH convicts.
This led me to another question:
If there are churches teaching that YAH’s laws are done away with, others teaching only certain commandments matter, and others reducing righteousness to outward appearance or religious performance, then how does a sincere seeker distinguish personal conviction from religious influence? How do they discern what YAH is actually requiring of them?
I believe that is where personal pursuit of the Father becomes necessary.
When I was encountered, I was first drawn toward the book of Yoḥanan (John). What I experienced was beyond anything I could have imagined, but more than anything, it opened me up to a depth of seeking I will always be grateful for.
That pursuit immediately led me directly to Torah; what many call the first five books of Scripture. Interestingly, I was not even led to begin at Berĕshith (Genesis). I found myself starting in Shemoth (Exodus), moving book by book, instruction by instruction. Through that process, I felt transformation taking place within me.
There was a growing conviction concerning what was expected of me, and that conviction came with a great deal of shedding— ideas, old perspectives and identities I had become comfortable carrying but no longer aligned with who I believed I was being called to become.
I cannot say that process has been easy. I can say, it became increasingly difficult for me to hear people speak about The Most High as though He is inconsistent, as though He simply changed His mind concerning righteousness, holiness, or obedience— or to hear His statutes reduced to “Jewish traditions,” while many continue holding tightly to church practices and customs that are not even rooted in Scripture at all.
That tension forced me deeper into seeking for myself.
Conviction does not tell us we are “bad.” Rather, it draws us toward Truth; it exposes, corrects, and leads us into alignment with YAH.
This is also why discernment matters so deeply— Not every feeling is conviction. Conviction reaches beyond a moment and continues speaking long after the service ends, and nobody else is around— Scripture repeatedly points us back to the Word itself; not so we can become prideful in knowledge, but so we can learn the character, instructions, and heart of the One we claim to follow for ourselves.
If conviction comes from Him, then discernment must also begin with Him— He urges us to seek Him in order to find Him.
“‘And you shall seek Me, and shall find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.’”
So, why does so much of the conversation seem to revolve around getting people into church rather than encouraging people to genuinely seek The Most High for themselves?
Now before anyone misunderstands me, I am not against fellowship or community. I believe both are important. Scripture speaks about gathering together, encouraging one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and growing alongside fellow believers.
“And let us consider one another, in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…”
— Ibrim (Hebrews) 10:24–25
But even accountability and community should remain grounded in Scripture rather than loyalty to systems. I have started to wonder whether, at times, our priorities become reversed— it feels as though the goal becomes getting someone into a building, adopting a denomination, attending a service, or joining a membership list. Yet throughout Scripture, I consistently see YAH calling people to seek Him.
The prophets pointed people toward Him.
Yahusha pointed people toward Him.
Even Yahusha Himself said:
“No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
— Yoḥanan (John) 6:44
Scripture changes the way I look at evangelism altogether— if conviction belongs to YAH, then perhaps our responsibility is less about persuading and more about faithfully witnessing— less about recruiting and more about pointing.
There is no human argument that can produce genuine repentance and no amount of pressure can create true surrender.
Only YAH can do that.
Perhaps our role is simply to plant, water, encourage, and testify while trusting that YAH is fully capable of drawing people to Himself.
“I planted, Apollos watered, but Elohim was giving growth.”
