Many times we can be somewhere and not be fully engaged We can be here but not present We can be looking but not searching, and hearing but not listening The Master wants our undivided attention. He desires all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul. Our ability to live in the moment can be fleeting when we are full of worry. Whether it?s worry from yesterday or worry for tomorrow, it can keep us from being present in the now We must be present to ask the Father to accomplish His Will for our lives through us according to His Word We must forsake our way and our thoughts to accomplish His purpose. We must be present in and through the process of transformation. We must focus on redemption, deliverance and truth. To be present we must seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness
?But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own?(Matthew 6:33 34).
Our Master?s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom with everlasting dominion from generation to generation, a kingdom that can and will not be destroyed Consider that He no longer calls us servants, but friends to the point that He laid down His life for us to live We must be present and mindful of His grace and mercy to save us from ourselves.
His Salvation has been revealed through Yahshua Messiah who is the wisdom, redemption, and sanctification of God. His righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and His law is truth. To be present in the power of His eternal presence should leave us in awe. To wrap ourselves in the everlasting goodness of God should leave us full of love, shalom, hope and joy He calls us to choose life? to choose to be present with Him. Hear and obey. Shalom.
In the fall of 2000, as we drive North to Land- Between the Lakes; everything packed but the kitchen sink and room enough only for myself, my mother and younger son. We are well on our way, as we had prepared all year to keep our first Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). I did not know any Hebrew at the time.
The motel was 40 minutes away from the meeting hall, $125 for the full 8 days, 2 full beds and a bunkbed, 1 bath and a wall to hold the table, microwave, electric skillet and a cooler that held our frozen meals for the stay. Second tithe in hand, we had purchased tickets to a river cruise dinner and tickets to a dinner get-together with the brethren, being catered It was a very skimpy year, as far as extras go. We rejoiced before the Lord, we enjoyed the fellowship, we met so many like minded believers from around the US, we created life long relationships and have continued in His Way year to year We will focus on Sukkot in this article, but
I say all this to emphasize the importance and necessity of preparing for all of the Holy Days throughout the year (Leviticus 23)
The Hebrew word ?????(koon), has multi-faceted meanings. Not only prepare, but also, to be ready, firmly established, be secure, enduring, securely determined, remaining stable, direct toward, be restored and set up, hopefully this gives a glimpse into the deeper meanings We must prepare spiritually. Throughout the month of Elul, it is a time of self introspection and a striving of removal, of those things within us, not like HIM.
We must prepare financially. Deut. 14:22-27, speaks of taking your 2nd tithe, come to the place where The Most High chooses to place His Name and rejoice and get what your heart desires. When you save your 2nd tithe all year, you have the financial securit y, to do as He has commanded and possibly to help others enjoy as well.
We must prepare mentally. This is a necessary step, in direct correlation with spiritual preparation. We must be able to rejoice and direct our worship t ow ard The Most High.
We must prepare physically As you go to a temporary dwelling, you must have clothing, toiletries, food and transportation. This set s up a formula for success, when we follow His commands.
Each step takes sincerity, time, thought and organization. All are necessary, to prop you up and prepare you to overcome every obstacle of the enemy To allow you to be securely det erm ined, in the observance of His Feast Days, enduring to the end.
Have you ever believed something about yourself or someone else that you knew was untrue, but you still chose to stick with it?I?ll be the first to admit that I have, and sometimes still do It?s unfortunate how easy it is for us to agree with false beliefs, yet we struggle to quickly embrace truth. What is that about?
I?m reading a book that has pushed me to identify and challenge the beliefs I have adopted and test them against scripture. Any belief that does not align itself with the words of Yah is an ungodly belief "Ungodlybeliefs providelegal permission for evil spiritsto remain in our lives. Why?Because wearein agreement with theenemy- rather than God..." Biblical
By Theresy YosefHealing and Deliverance by Chester and Becky Kylstra That statement stings, but it forces us to think through every behavior and see what Godly or Ungodly belief guides it. We must not continue believing lies as truth That?s from the enemy of our souls This is a clear reminder that our warfare is not carnal!
Our belief systems (what we believe about self, others, God) guide everything we do When ungodly beliefs find their way into our hearts, they create a space for evil spirits to dwell because now we live by their code (lies and deceit) Take this ungodly belief for example: ?I am not valuable?or ?I am not important?. This thought may not come out in words but certain behaviors, such as
gossiping, are rooted in this belief. Gossiping creates a false sense of value in the people partaking in the conversation So if we agree with this ungodly belief about ourselves, it also affects our interpersonal relationships. The truth to this belief is that we are the apple of Yah?s eye and so is our neighbor. With this belief, our conversations would be tender and seasoned with salt when needed Consider your interactions with others and ask Yah to inspect and show you if there be any wicked way in you (Psalm 139:23 24)
Let's make a conscious decision to renounce the agreements we've made with our enemy as it relates to what we believe about ourselves, God, and others Let's align ourselves with the Word of Yah. Then, we can really start to break the shackles of sin that so easily entangle us. Let us put on your armor and fight May Yah help our unbelief. Shalom.
Keeping our mind on the straight and narrow is often our biggest battle We are required to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah. This indicates that our thoughts require monitoring, so we do not go wayward from the Word Let this mind be also in you that is in Messiah There is no condemnation to those who are in HaMashiach. These reverences indicate that we need to examine our thoughts to see if they be in the mind of the Messiah. His mind is to do the will of our Father To have the same mind, we must weed out wrong thinking So as man thinks, so is he We are not to allow the enemy to condemn us because of unrighteous thoughts. Neither do we allow our minds to entertain thoughts that are not directed by the Word By the authority given by being led by the Spirit, we bring all thoughts into captivity to the obedience of the Word. We do not allow wicked thinking to linger and influence us to sin. We redirect our minds and think on those things which are sound in the Word We refuse to entertain vain imaginations Allowing our minds to wonder into the darkness is sin which can lead us to dishonor our Father. Thoughts and imaginations are precursors to actions. Satan planted thoughts in Adam and Eve He tried Yahshua, but it did not work with the second Adam. Resist the devil every time he shows up and he will flee. Think, speak, hear and do according to the Word of our Father, the Highest Power Captivate thoughts with the Sword of His Spirit Speak and think the Word
1 Chronicles 28: 9 ?As for you, my son Shelomoh, know the Elohim of your father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a pleasing life, for ???? searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts If you do seek Him, He is found by you; but if you forsake Him, He rejects you forever
11 Corinthians 10: 3 6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly but mighty in Elohim for overthrowing strongholds, overthrowing reasonings and every high matter that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to the Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Romans 12: 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.
Ephesians 4: 17 So this I say, and witness in the Master, that you should no longer walk as the gentiles walk,a in the futility of their mind having been darkened in their understanding, having been estranged from the life of Elohim, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,
Ephesians 6: 12 Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of wickedness in the heaven lies Because of this, take up the complete armor of Elohim, so that you have power to withstand in the wicked day, and having done all, to stand.
Colossians 3: 1 If, then, you were raised with Messiah, seek the matters which are above, where Messiah is, seated at the right hand of Elohim Mind the matters above, not those
on the earth
1 Peter 5: 6 11 Humble yourselves, then, under the mighty hand of Elohim, so that He exalts you in due time, casting all your worry upon Him, for He is concerned about you Be sober, watch, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour Resist him, firm in the belief, knowing that the same hardships are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. And the Elohim of all favour, who called you to His everlasting esteem by Messiah ???? ?, after you have suffered a while, Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you To Him be the esteem and the might forever and ever. Am?n.
By Kelly Vonner
God is light, love and Spirit, and every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Many times we prefer the assumed good and perfect gifts of this world only to realize that it is empty and fleeting. The gift of repentance, reconciliation through Yahshua Messiah, YAH?s plan of salvation, the Shabbat, the Ruach HaKodesh, the fruit of the Spirit, His long suffering towards us are all gifts and demonstrations of His love
Jesus answered and said to her, ?If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ?Give Me a drink, ?you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living ?water? (John 4:10).
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8)
Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands (2 Timothy 1:6)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23)
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God?and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Yahshua Messiah, the gift that came down from heaven to save, redeem and deliver so
that we could be reconciled to God To walk in the perfect steps of our Master is a gift To have instruction full of wisdom and understanding is a gift. To be taught of God is a gift. To have our conscious cleansed from death works is a gift To grow in the knowledge of the will of God is a gift How well do I receive the gift sent to save my life? to save me from myself?
The Gift and the Giver are holy, and they call us to be holy. The Gift and the Giver are eternal, and they implore us to choose life. The Gift and the Giver are echad, and they call us to be one We are in the season of receiving the gift of God with great joy for He has been patient with us. What a friend we have in Messiah! All who are thirsty, come! All who are hungry, come! All who are seeking rest for your souls, come! The gifts of God will rest upon us. Choose life.
?I am a mess and yet deeply loved and pursued by God? We use this phrase in my non profit often But a lightbulb recently came on and I now have a new understanding When I think about the mess that I am, I like to create a separation between that messy, unpolished person and the perfect,well-spoken,well behaved human I want to be I take control and put forth a perfect,loveable,and acceptable image. In the process of creating that separation,I failed to unroot the imperfect pieces of me;suppressing them,hoping they?d suffocate and never resurface again Meanwhile,I didn? t make room for my new,righteous, Torah led,Spirit filled roots to grow deep
I?m not much of a gardener,but I know Yah is During this time of introspection,leading to Yom Kippur,I am realizing that these old roots didn? t suffocate I hid them from myself,others,and Yah,pretending these flaws never existed As I am asking Yah to purge me from sin,I?m seeing a lot of ugliness that I refuse to believe is in me. That?s the ugliness that I want to separate from That ugliness isn? t embraced and loved by others. My first instinct is to shove it back down again but this time,I see a different way
Part of the planting process (good seed) is to first uproot the rocks and debris that could prevent the new seed from growing strong,deep roots That means that I have to face the fact that my heart is uncircumcised,my thoughts are sometimes judgemental and unkind,and I may have a little bitterness lingering somewhere in there too These ugly characteristics are the parts that Messiah Yeshua
has the power to heal,forgive,and then say ?Go and sin no more?. But I have to allow Him to call it out In order to experience transformation and become a new creation,I have to allow the Holy One to see me as I truly am so He can make the necessary changes in me. The flesh makes us believe that when Yah sees our ugliness,He?ll run So we fear and hide like Adam and Chuah did. however
There is no fear in love If we say we love Yah and are fearful to be bare before Him,we are immature in our love (1John 4:18) We see that Yeshua sought out those who were sick physically and spiritually Let us go to Him with our infirmities and imperfections.
Join me this season as I allow the Master Gardener to uproot the ugliness of sin and let us trust Him to deal with our sin without destroying us. We are not righteous enough to do this work on our own Let us allow Him to plant us by the streams of living water so that our roots can grow strong like trees (Psalm 1:2-3). May Torah set its roots in our hearts in a way that does not leave room for the roots of sin to regenerate. We really can become new creations reconciled to Yah,but it comes at the cost of the destruction of the old tendencies and desires we have to let them go. These tendencies and desires will not fit in the body of glory which we eagerly await We have much more to gain by letting our sin die to experience new life Endure the purging with me
Shalom
Beverly Holiday is a wife, mom, ?meme?, sister, aunt, friend and mentor to many She has devoted her life to caring for the needs of others. She writes from experience and has overcome so much in her life. She has been married to her husband, James, for over twenty years Together, they have two sons and five grandchildren Beverly works as a nurse specializing in wound care
Dr Shirley M Moore has a Doctorate in Ministry, Masters in Rehabiliation Counseling, and Bachelors of Arts in Psychology She is a retired Social Worker Service Practitioner and Deputy Conservator for Children Services Her greatest call is to receive the Light of life from the Almighty and share with others what she hears from Him
Theresy Yosef is the wife of "Jacob's Seed Podcast" host Yirmeyahu Yosef, and mother to three daughters. She is passionate about the holistic (mental, emotional, and spiritual) well being of Israelite women. She enjoys quiet time and a good cup of coffee
Jerem y Vonner is a husband, father, founder of Restoring the Branches Ministry and author of Lost and WIthout an Identity Until Now: God's Restoration of the Slave Descendants He loves preaching the Word of YAH and seeing the people of YAH returning to the ways of the Father through His Son, Yahshua, in truth, obedience and righteousness
Kelly Vonner is the wife of Moreh Jeremy Vonner and mom to three YAH given sons Jeremiah, Joshua, and Josiah She is the author of A Boldness for Him and Deconstructing Race and is a lover of the Word, graphics design, and all things righteous Kelly started RESTORATION Magazine in 2017 and works as the graphics designer and lead editor for the magazine
Interested in being a part of the team?Email restorationmagazine17@gmail com
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Restoring the Branches Ministry is an assembly of believers who are part of the body of Yahshuah HaMashiach, Jesus Christ. We acknowledge that we have been redeemed to serve our Elohim, and we exist to take YAH's healing, truth and light to the nations. We are disciples of Yahshuah (Jesus) who are striving to worship YAH in spirit and truth and serve Him in wholehearted obedience. We acknowledge that YAH's instructions are summarized by loving Him with everything and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.
