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The process of sanctification
As stated in the previous article, sanctification is not something that we acquire instantly when choosing Y’shua as our Messiah. It is the process that takes us out of our old nature and brings us into the kingdom of YHVH. It is a process of breaking down the old and building the new. In some cases, He may even break us down completely in order to start rebuilding on a new foundation. This may be a very painful and traumatic process, and may happen more than once during our journey.
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Knowing YHVH
An artist is known by his work. If you were to show a person interested in art a certain masterpiece, he will know who the artist is. YHVH is the greatest Artist ever. His art is visible all around us, in every living being and creature, in nature, in the setting of the sun. YHVH can reveal Himself in this way to us for He is the Creator of all. This is not the only way YHVH reveals Himself to us…
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Who Am I?
When we become believers, we become children of YHVH. He is our Father who loves us unconditionally and wants the best for us. If we did not have an earthly father who modelled this love for us, or failed us in any way, we may not be able to fully comprehend this love the Father has for us. It is human nature to equate our perception of our earthly father with whom we think YHVH is. The reality is that our earthly fathers will fail us and this will give us a flawed perception of who YHVH is. If your father didn’t protect you, you will have difficulty is trusting YHVH for protection. If your father always criticized you, you will see YHVH as a Father looking for faults in you. This brokenness robs us of the blessing of our Father’s love and makes it difficult or impossible for us to have a relationship with Him built on absolute trust. We need to study the word and find our true identity in Y’shua.
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Overcoming Temptation
Temptation is something every one of us has to deal with on a regular basis. We are YHVH’s children and for this reason, satan will not rest, but will constantly attempt to lure us away into his kingdom of darkness and sin. However, if we know this and know what to look out for, we can stand strong against this. Self control is important, but at certain times our self control may fail us due to tiredness or stress. We need to have a strategy in place to protect us from falling into temptation.
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The Biblical pattern to forgive
If we want to ensure that we live within the blessings of YHVH, we need to ensure that our relationships with our brothers are in good shape. We cannot go before YHVH if we have a brother that has something against us. Does this imply we simply need to forgive all who transgress against us? If we follow the pattern that YHVH establishes when we sin, the restoration process cannot be one way. Forgiveness is required for our relationships to be restored, but in order for it to be a lasting restoration, it has follow the pattern YHVH established.
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Preparing for the Fall feasts
We are currently in the sixth month of the Biblical year, the month of Elul. This month is traditionally known as a month of introspection or repentance. This is a tradition, but a worthwhile one. It is good to consider where we are and what we have done. It is also good to ask YHVH to reveal to us what may be standing between us and Him and between us and fellow believers. We can use this time well and forgive and ask forgiveness. This introspection is part of the preparation for the fall feasts: Yom T’ruah, Yom Kippurim and Sukkot. But there is more…