Purification by Testing
By
Gary Primo
Ok, who likes to be tested? Almost no one, right! And yet, we, who are trying our best to follow Yahuwah, are faced with trials and testing all the time. At the begging of a trial, we may be filed with terrible dread fearing failure. However, I do not believe that this is what these trials are about. They are about learning and developing righteous thinking and behaviour (aka practicing to become elohim.). Are we going to face trials after becoming elohim? Yahuwah sure did – with us humans. If we end up creating life on our own planet, will we not face similar trials to those Yahushua faced in creating life on Earth?
Trials are Yahuwah’s way of teaching us. And, nobody hated school more than I did – rebellious to the bone! Yet, when my heart got turned around towards Yahuwah, I developed a passionate love for learning, which I know my fellow Believers all share. This is Yahuwah’s spirit dwelling in us leading us to desire all righteousness. Carnal hearts revile seeking righteousness because they believe they are already god and feel no great need to learn anymore. Therefore, when trials come their way, they curse Elohim. When they do that they are actually saying “Take away your trials. I do not want to be perfect as you are perfect. I do not need your salvation”.
Yes, Yahuwah certainly does test us, just as any parent desires the best possible future for their children. Humans tend to use what I call the “monkey see- monkey do” approach to teaching, or teaching by sight. Yahuwah teaches by testing - how to get creative in getting ourselves through the trials. Yahuwah rejoices every time we succeed. And, we should rejoice too, because we are one step closer to graduation.
It was just such testing that got me turned towards Yahuwah in the first place. I had just turned 30 and working on a loading dock packing freight in transport trailers. On New Year’s Eve 1980, I was loading 180lb bags of sea shells in a trailer with the help of another worker, when I tore all the ligaments in my back. For anyone who has not experienced such an injury, let me tell you it is most excruciatingly painful. I was laid up for about 3 ½ years. During that 3 ½ years I had to move several times and ended up in Hamilton Ontario. While cleaning the basement I found a Bible that was left up on top of a beam. It was in modern English too, which was even better (I thought) and I just started reading it. Some time before that a friend had encouraged me to read the Bible and so I began reading it at first to prove my friend wrong, but, while doing so, I became more and more intrigued and every now and then I heard what I can only describe as a voice in my head speaking directly to me and opening my eyes to understanding what I was reading. This became my pet project until I completed reading it about 1 year later. The one overwhelming question I had when I was finished was, “Where is the church I just read about today?” I certainly did not recognize it in any of the Mainstream Christian Churches that I had ever been to or been part of. And so I began searching TV evangelical programming for a church that resembled that of the first century. The closest one I could find was the Worldwide Church of God. I began getting the Plain Truth magazine from local stands and finally gave them a call near the end of 1982. I was baptized after the New Year, in 1983. A few months later, I learned that they performed healings via the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. So naturally I was eager to have this done and gain even some relief from my back pain.
Well, I guess the minister was pretty busy the day I asked for the healing to be done and told me he would do it the following week. Yahuwah must have seen my disappointment and I suppose He decided not to make me wait any longer and I awoke the next day to get ready to start a new job and low and behold, I felt no pain. I worked all that day with no pain and every day since.
I believe that even back then Yahuwah was teaching me the way that led to where I am today. One of the prime lessons I learned from this trial was that true healing can come directly from Yahuwah without the need for a minister or a church (even though the WCG taught otherwise). We know that Yahushua opened the door to direct contact with the Father and a personal one-on-one relationship with Him. We can call on Yahuwah directly for our healing and He will honour our requests.
Luke 18:35 - As Yahushua approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.
36 - When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
37 - They told him, " Yahushua of Nazareth is passing by."
38 - He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
39 - Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
40 - Yahushua stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,
41 - "What do you want me to do for you?" "Master, I want to see," he replied.
42 - Yahushua said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."
43 - Immediately he received his sight and followed Yahushua, praising Elohim. When all the people saw it, they also praised Elohim.
This blind man was healed by faith, directly by Yahushua. He needed no church or church pastor to heal him. He had the One, True, Eternal, High Priest of all creation standing before him with all the power of His Father to heal him. All it took was faith.
We have no need of any man to stand between Yahuwah and ourselves. We ARE each high priests and kings ourselves and have no need of any man, save Yahushua, to enjoy our personal relationship with Yahuwah. While fellowship is great between like-minded people, it is our personal fellowship with Yahuwah that we should be seeking first and foremost.
Who was tested more than Job? He lost his family, wealth, health and all dignity in his quest to serve Yahuwah and prove his righteousness. Not once did he curse Elohim as HaSatan hoped he would. How would you or I stand up to such a test? In the end, Job got a new family, more wealth and his health and dignity back. He passed the test and was rewarded for his righteousness. But just listen to what Yahuwah told Job.
Job 40:1 - Moreover Yahuwah answered Job, and said,
2 - Shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproves Elohim, let him answer it.
3 - Then Job answered Yahuwah, and said,
4 - Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer you? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
5 - Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
6 - Then answered Yahuwah unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7 - Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of you, and declare you unto me.
8 - Will you also disannul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be righteous?
What was Job’s sin? He lived by tradition, not faith. When his traditions failed him, his faith took over. He had been putting his traditions before the Word of Elohim, which the world is yet guilty of today. Once we get these manmade traditions out of the way, we can SEE Elohim more clearly as Job did. Job successfully learned the lesson of his trial.
Are we guilty of disannulling Yahuwah’s judgements – refusing the lesson? Are we leaning towards our own understanding (traditions and doctrines) and; thereby, declaring ourselves more righteous than Elohim? This is what it amounts to, folks.
Of course we should not be seeking reward, but rather, the righteousness of Yahuwah. When we find righteousness, we find the true nature of Yahuwah and learn to develop that same nature in ourselves. This is what we must have to enter the Eternal Kingdom of Yahuwah. Without it, we will end up on the outside looking in. Corruption CANNOT inherit eternal life and that is all there is to it. Everything that remains corruptible will be burnt up by the righteous flames that will purify the planet at Yahuwah’s approach. Yahuwah cannot abide corruption and neither should we.
The trials we are going through right now are intended to make us incorruptible; which is the prime requisite for entrance to the Kingdom. Yahuwah is fully incorruptible and we are to become fully as He is. This is no easy task. It takes a great deal of effort, prayer and meditation. Yet, it is to be our top goal. When we consume ourselves over trivial matters, such as petty disagreements over manmade doctrines and traditions, we are wasting precious time.
Testing also affords us the opportunity to pause and reflect on our spiritual standing before Yahuwah. He is trying to tell us something. If we get angry at Him because of our testing and refuse to learn our lesson, we become like rebellious teenaged children rebelling against the authority and wisdom of Yahuwah just as a teenager rebels against teachers and parents. This kind of response will lead us further from the Kingdom, not towards it.
Blaming Yahuwah for our trials is something as old a part of human nature as Adam and Eve. What was Adam’s response when confronted by Elohim?
Gen. 3:12 - And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
That’s right, Adam blamed Yahuwah outright and directly for giving “the woman” to him. His human nature wasted no time in taking over. If Adam had of repented and sought Yahuwah’s mercy right off, the world may not have become the mess it is today. Instead Adam took the rebellious teenager route and spiritually crippled the entire human race. When we refuse correction, we repeat the error of Adam; and declare ourselves more righteous than Yahuwah. And, that is the example we set before those around us.
A good example might be our obsession with purified drinking water. We go to great lengths to find the purest drinking water we can. Most decline tap water. Many turn to bottled water which has been proven no better than tap water and a total fraud. Those in rural areas often have sulfur tainted water that is gross smelling and undrinkable. So, they invest in expensive purification systems to purify it. We should be seeking the purification of our spirit in the same manner. Righteous spirit is the spiritual water of eternal life. And, it does not cost one penny.
Conclusion
So, the next time any trials befall us, let us seek what Yahuwah is trying to teach us, instead of being bitter and blaming Elohim. In every case that we point a finger at Elohim, there is always 3 fingers pointing back at us. Seek after what it is those 3 fingers are pointing at. Examine our spiritual condition and seek ways to improve it. Pray, meditate, study, fast; do whatever it takes to seek an answer from Yahuwah.
Our goal is to become 100% incorruptible. Yahushua is our example. He proved that it can be done. And, He declared that it was not only possible for us to achieve but that this was something the Father absolutely intended for us. All we need to do is blindly put all our faith and trust in Him. We can do it, folks! We absolutely can! Believe it and bring Yahuwah’s spirit dwelling in us to be fully awakened in us. When we do, we will receive all the wonderful blessings and gifts of the spirit. May Yahuwah bless us all in this regard.
Yahuwah Bless
G.P.