1
2
Issue15 Spr ing 2022
3
www.restoringthebranches.org restorationmagazine17@gmail.com
And Yahshua sai d to them , ?Follow Me [as My di sci ples, accepti ng Me as your Master and Teacher and w alk i ng the sam e path of li fe that I w alk ], and I w i ll m ake you becom e fi shers of m en?. Mark 1: 17 TLV
It i s our job to w ork w hi le i t i s day by casti ng the nets of truth and ri ghteousness i nto a w orld full of si n and depravi ty. The Father k now s w ho belongs to Hi m and w ho He has called. We are to follow Yahshua so that w e can becom e fi shers of m en. No bate. No gi m m i ck s. Just spi ri t and truth. I pray your nets are full and m any are saved because of your deci si on to follow the Master.
Agai n, the k i ngdom of heaven i s li ke a dragnet that w as cast i nto the sea, gatheri ng thi ngs of every k i nd. When i t w as fi lled, they pulled i t ashore; and they sat dow n and gathered up the good contai ners, but threw the bad aw ay. So i t w i ll be at the end of the age. The angels w i ll com e forth and separate the w i cked from am ong the ri ghteous? Matthew 13:47-49 TLV
4
days of abib: a cycl eof l ov e Apost le Jer em y Von n er In our m odern day, w e are surrounded by di fferent dynam i cs of pai n and sufferi ng. As the years go by, w e hi t speed bum ps i n li fe. Whether i t?s the loss of loved ones or our ow n health scares, w e have m om ents w hen w e need to stop and reflect. Marri ages are 40-50% m ore than li kely to end i n a di vi orce and stati sti cs say that these num bers are decreasi ng. Thi s i s not a reflecti on of our com m i tm ent to love, trust and respect one another but m ore of our w i lli ngness to cohabi tate and just ?w i ng i t?. The battle w i th vari ous addi cti ons i s another speed bum p. It?s hard to see fam i ly m em bers trapped i n that deteri orati ng m aze. Poverty, Covi d-19, random acts of vi olence, and soci al uproar have been speed bum ps as w ell for Uni ted States ci ti zens. We are currently w i tnessi ng w ar i n other countri es, and i t's probable that w e w i ll face that m assi ve speed bum p i n our near future.
We w i ll look to Yahshua as an opportuni ty to substanti ate Love. What?s helpful i s that the scri ptures have a starti ng li ne for thi s li felong m arathon. Seei ng that he i s the Son of Yah, Messi ah hi m self has to have the sam e attri butes of Hi s Father w hi ch are found i n the Torah and Tanak h. Our teacher pai nts a pi cture of a fi eld w i th a shepherd and a large flock of sheep. After a long day of w atchi ng after the sheep, m ak i ng sure they've grazed, keepi ng predators aw ay, and keepi ng them aw ay from harm ful plants, i t i s ti m e to bri ng the sheep back i nto the sheepfold. The shepherd counts hi s flock and reali zes that one sheep i s m i ssi ng.
In our soci al m edi a, sm artphone, fast-paced li ves i t w ould be hard to fi nd people w i lli ng to go back for just one person, especi ally w hen they have so m uch already. Avi v m ark s the begi nni ng of cerem oni es, w orshi p, and m ost i m portantly relati onshi ps. Wi th that sm orgasbord of posi ti vi ty, Thi s i nvi tati on i s based on an i ndi vi dual?s w here does love fi t? What opportuni ti es are deci si on to say ?I Do?. In the story recorded i n avai lable for m ank i nd? Yahshua (Jesus) i s Shem ot/ Exodus, Yah shook heaven and Earth the m ost k now n nam e i n the w orld. Som e are to bri ng Israel unto hi m self on eagle's w i ngs, follow ers and others di scredi t hi s very so w e could say ?I Do?. That sam e love story exi stence. Yahshua HaMashi ac i n the gospels w as told to us by Eli ezer; Abraham 's servant, i s portrayed by hi s talm i di m (di sci ples) as as he detai led the m ajesty and fusi on of love di vi ne, rabbi , prophet, Master, Lord, fri end, as Rebecca w as selected and brought to Isaac 5 Son, Anoi nted, and so m uch m ore. after she sai d ?I Do?. Yochannan (John) calls
Yahshua the ?Lam b slai n for the World?. The lam b i n the renew ed covenant sym boli zes one half of the relati onshi p w i lli ng to do anythi ng for the other half, and i s strong enough to bear her fear, w eak ness, and i m m aturi ty. The other half m erely has to say; ?I Do?, and w alk i n a renew ed m i nd w i th understandi ng and covenant of love that surpasses all of the vani ty and w i ckedness i n the w orld. Mi shpacha, (fam i ly) m y subm i ssi on to you i s that Avi v m ark s a new start for you and your relati onshi p w i th your Creator. God ordai ned events through hum an hi story to get us to thi s poi nt. Si n i s accessi ble and w eaved i nto our li ves li ke a fi sher?s net. How can hum ani ty avoi d thi s net of chatta (si n)? The answ er i s as si m ple as sayi ng ?I Do?! I Do accept Yahshua as m y Savi or, I Do request the pow er of the Ruach HaQuodesh so I can halak hah (w alk ) w i th m y Lord, and I Do k now that Messi ah has m ade m e quali fi ed to w ear hi s ri ng of torah and keep i t ti ght unto m y heart unti l He bri ngs m e unto hi m self under the cloud. Fri ends, God has show n that He i s w i lli ng to forget our w i ckedness and rem em ber our ri ghteousness. Make thi s Pesach (Passover) the m om ent you say I Do and trust Hi m to help you w alk i n a new ness that i s holy and acceptable to Yah through Hi s Son Yahshua (Jesus). Baruch Haba BaShem Adonai -Blessed Is He Who Com es i n the Nam e of the Lord
6
BeSt r ong & Cour ageous
By Th er esy Yosef March i s w om en?s hi story m onth, so w hat
carry that strength w i thi n as w ell.
better ti m e to talk about Esther and her courageous leadershi p! Duri ng thi s m onth,
The story goes on to say that Esther?s
w e tradi ti onally com m em orate the
beauty caught the eye of the k i ng and she
li fe-savi ng act from our si ster Esther
w as selected as the new queen of Babylon.
(Hadassah), duri ng Puri m . As hi story tells
Doesn?t that gi ve you Joseph vi bes? Bei ng
i t, the chi ldren of Israel w ere li vi ng as
i n a posi ti on of pow er w hi le i n a forei gn
exi les i n Babylon. A ti m e cam e w hen the
nati on and havi ng favor i n the eyes of your
k i ng began to look for ?young,
oppressor. Prai se Yah that He k now s
good-look i ng vi rgi ns? to replace Vasthi as
exactly w ho to place i n posi ti ons and at
queen (Esther 2:2,4). Esther?s cousi n
proper ti m es (Esther 4:14). Duri ng Esther?s
prepared her before she w as taken by the
ti m e as queen, she had to outw i t her
k i ng?s offi ci als to be presented to the k i ng.
opponent, Ham an, w i th her subtle, gentle
So she k new not to di sclose her full
yet shrew d w i sdom i n order to save the
i denti ty w hi le i n the k i ng?s court, and not
li ves of her cousi n Mordechai and her
defi le herself. We celebrate the subtle and
fellow Isreali tes. She w as able to be all
qui et strength w i th w hi ch she carri ed herself. May w e teach our daughter to
7
these thi ngs by relyi ng on the El of Israel;
she called a fast am ong the people, and i t
w herever w e go. We are i n the spi ri tual
m ade room for her to stand i n the gap for
w ar of our li ves and w e m ust fi ght w i th
them before the k i ng of Babylon. We sti ll
prayer and fasti ng. As the Last Days
have an opponent w ho seek s to destroy us,
approach, our enem y w i ll only ram p up hi s
Satan. Many of us have the pri vi lege (or
attack s on the people of Yah i n hope to
the challenge) to be i n vari ous posi ti ons of
have som e to renounce thei r allegi ance to
pow er i n thi s w orld; are w e standi ng i n the
ri ghteousness. The enem y spends hi s ti m e
gap for other beli evers i n Yeshua w hi le i n
roam i ng the earth w i th purpose to see w ho
those posi ti ons? How are w e usi ng our
he can devour (Job 1:7, 1 Peter 5:8, John
vari ous sk i lls, connecti ons and posi ti ons
10:10). We have an acti ve spi ri tual enem y
to advocate for those w ho are vulnerable?
w ho, li ke Ham an, seek s to destroy Yah?s
Even i f w e don?t have pow erful posi ti ons,
people. Si nce w e k now that the w eapons
w e have the gi ft of havi ng the ear of the
of our w arfare are not carnal, let us begi n
Alm i ghty. How are w e peti ti oni ng Hi m to
to tear dow n strongholds that w ould gi ve
rem em ber Hi s people w hi le i n capti vi ty?
our enem y the abi li ty to not only take us
Rem em ber that the ?effectual, fervent
out, but also our Torah-observi ng nei ghbor.
prayers of the ri ghteous avai l m uch?
?Be strong and courageous?, these w ords
(Jam es 5:16). We m ay not necessari ly have
have been spoken over and over to the
to ri sk our li ves for others, but the i dea i s
people of Yah. Our Elohi m k now s that w e
to rem em ber that w herever Yah places us,
need i t. Prai se Yah for hi s Spi ri t w hi ch
there i s room for us to m ake a di fference i n
em boldens us to fi ght w i th Wi sdom on our
som eone?s li fe.
si de.
May w e be encouraged to em ulate the
Shalom .
courage of Esther?s strength duri ng dark ti m es. Dark days are ahead and i t i s our ti m e to shi ne the li ght of the Most Hi gh
8
Nor mal izing Sin's Ev il By Dr . Sh ir ley M oor e Whatever becom es norm al i n the w orld today also becom es classi fi ed as good, acceptable for the m asses. Are m an-m ade norm s acceptable to the Creator? The m ajori ty no longer consi der or even k now w hat He requi res of m ank i nd. Nei ther do they reali ze He does not change. He only k now s w hat i s good for Hi s ow n creati on. We, the created, are now telli ng the Creator w hat should and should not be the norm . Gross dark ness i s sai d to be com i ng upon the w orld. Thi s i ndi cates that m ank i nd w i ll be generally doi ng harm , di sregardi ng li fe, m orali ty and thi nk i ng i t i s alri ght. All of the com m andm ents and plans of the Creator are to do Hi s creati on good. He gave us m i nds of our ow n but asked us to use our m i nds to joi n Hi m for the good of the w hole. Let?s look at m oderati on i n the USA today. Wom en w ere told to dress i n m oderati on. A hundred years ago, m oderati on w as defi ned to look a w hole lot di fferent than w hat w e see today. It i s com m on now to see everythi ng on a w om an except her ni pples and her spli t on TV, i nternet, pools, beaches, ads,and m agazi nes. What w as rated X or not fi t for chi ldren, can now be seen i n cartoons. A bi k i ni has less m ateri al than underw ear. We do not talk m uch concerni ng m odesty for m en. For som e reason, m en tend to w ear m ore coveri ng and looser fi tti ng garm ents than w om en. Nevertheless, i n today?s soci ety, m any are now tryi ng to dress for sex appeal. What i s the rati onali zati on for 9
adverti si ng a car w i th a m an dressed i n a sui t and ti e w i th a w om an next to hi m dressed i n a sw i m sui t? Whi ch one are they selli ng, the car or the w om an? Maybe they are sayi ng, i f you get the car, you can get a w om an li ke thi s also. How ever, due to the new norm of forni cati on, prosti tutes are losi ng busi ness. Moderati on i s redefi ned to perm i t nudi ty as the norm . Proverbs 5:1-11 The Scri ptures (ISR 1998) My son, li sten to m y w i sdom ; Incli ne your ear to m y understandi ng, So as to w atch over di screti on, And your li ps guard k now ledge. For the li ps of a strange w om an dri p honey, And her m outh i s sm oother than oi l; But i n the end she i s bi tter as w orm w ood, Sharp as a tw o-edged sw ord. Her feet go dow n to death, Her steps lay hold of the grave. She does not consi der the path of li fe; Her w ays are unstable ? you do not k now i t. So now , li sten to m e, you chi ldren, And do not turn aw ay from the w ords of m y m outh. Keep your w ay far from her, And do not com e near the door of her house, Lest you gi ve your splendor to others, And your years to one w ho i s cruel; Lest strangers be fi lled w i th your strength, And your labors go to the house of a forei gner. Then you shall how l i n your latter end, When your flesh and your body are consum ed, What about the evoluti on of sexual encounters? Do w e k now w hat i s good and w hat i s evi l? Where i s today?s generati on headed? Forni cati on, m arri age outsi de of sex has becom e the norm . Sexual m i sconduct has been prom oted for thousands of years. Now w e are i n an era w here parents are deci di ng w hat gender the chi ld i s m ore sui ted for. All at once, w ell no, thi s has grow n over ti m e to now becom e the norm for fem ales to becom e m ales and
m ales, fem ales. They determ i ne the gender of li ttle chi ldren w ho don?t even have any aw areness of gender peri od. Thi s i s i n the m i nds of those legali zi ng evi l. The w ay you determ i ne one?s gender i s plai n and si m ple, look betw een thei r legs. If they are convi nced otherw i se by soci ety or the new defi ni ti ons of gender, they w i ll becom e confused and trai ned by the norm s of today to becom e abnorm al. Di d they put som ethi ng i n the Kool-Ai d? People are goi ng by w hat they are ?attracted? to. That bei ng the case, w hy does a w om an w ho i s attracted to w om en get w i th a w om an tryi ng to look , behave and acqui re body parts of a m an? Why are the m en usi ng the body parts of the m an as i f he w as a w om an? Why i s one of them acti ng and tryi ng to look and sound li ke the opposi te? Who m ade thi s the norm ? It i s pure fooli shness spreadi ng li ke w i ldfi re. We are w arned agai nst hom osexuali ty. It turns people i nto freak s of nature w i th i nner confli ct and a need to deny thei r ow n reali ty. Thi s i s gross dark ness tak i ng advantage of the generati ons not regenerated i n ri ghteousness. Then, there are aborti ons ri ghts. How has aborti on becom e a norm al need, ri ght and or practi ce? Injecti ng a baby w i th sodi um even halfw ay out of the w om b i s unreal. There are those w ho do not agree that thi s should be legal or consi dered m orally correct. How ever, som e of those sam e people do not m i nd k i lli ng outsi de of the w ound. Many are raci st, or prom oters of other deadly practi ces such as drug sorcery. Ki lli ng i s k i lli ng. Thou shall not k i ll. If i t i s ali ve, that m eans i t w i ll conti nue to li ve unless k i lled. It w as a norm i n som e cultures to sacri fi ce babi es on the altar and burn them ali ve as a sacri fi ce to gods. The aborted fetus i s used for all sorts of 10 experi m ents and other uses. The fi ght for
aborti on ri ghts i s benefi ti ng those w ho need these suppli es. Aborti ons are now the norm for getti ng ri d of unw anted pregnanci es. They are generally unw anted due to the w ay they w ere concei ved. Most w ere concei ved i n forni cati on, adultery then rape and or i ncest. The w om en get left holdi ng the bag but m en w i ll also be held accountable for thei r part begi nni ng w i th the concepti on. Im m odesty, hom osexuali ty, and aborti ons have becom e norm al practi ces of evi l am ong m any others. Im m odesty i s used i n prom oti ng sexual encounters w i thout restri cti ons. Both genders and all age groups are subject to be vi olated dependi ng on the appeti te of the perpetrator. Hom osexuali ty prevents reproducti on and causes a lack of horm onal balance of m ale and fem ale. Tw o heads or a headless uni on does not prom ote the i ntent of the Creator for Hi s creati on. He created m ale and fem ale for thei r di fferences to prom ote the good of the w hole. Aborti ons are justi fi ed i n the m i nds of the people as a w om an?s ri ght to do w i th her body as she pleases. Thi s i s devi li sh w i sdom and thi nk i ng. We all m ake choi ces. For the beli evers, the ri ght to do w i th our bodi es anythi ng w e please stopped w hen w e accepted the Messi ah as our Savi or. We have the ri ght to put on Ri ghteousness or rem ai n num bered w i th the unri ghteous. No m atter how the w orld i s accepti ng si n as the new norm al, i t w i ll never be accepted by the Creator. We do w ell to alw ays reconsi der the Anci ent of Days i n these ti m es. He does not change. The gross dark ness has com e upon the earth. It li m i ts the abi li ty of every generati on to see the Li ght of Truth. Thi s i s the broad w ay of the new norm s for the body and souls of m ank i nd w hi ch are leadi ng the w orld to destructi on.
Mathew s 7:13-29 ?Enter i n through the narrow gate! Because the gate i s w i de ? and the w ay i s broad ? that leads to destructi on, and there are m any w ho enter through i t. Because the gate i s narrow and the w ay i s hard pressed w hi ch leads to li fe, and there are few w ho fi nd i t. But bew are of the false prophets, w ho com e to you i n sheep?s clothi ng, but i nw ardly they are savage w olves. By thei r frui ts you shall k now them . Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or fi gs from thi stles? So every good tree yi elds good frui t, but a rotten tree yi elds w i cked frui t. A good tree i s unable to yi eld w i cked frui t, and a rotten tree to yi eld good frui t. Every tree that does not bear good frui t i s cut dow n and throw n i nto the fi re. So then, by thei r frui ts you shall k now them . Not everyone w ho says to Me, ?Master, Master,? shall enter i nto the rei gn of the heavens, but he w ho i s doi ng the desi re of My Father i n the heavens. Many shall say to Me i n that day, ?Master, Master, have w e not prophesi ed i n Your Nam e, and cast out dem ons i n Your
Nam e, and done m any m i ghty w ork s i n Your Nam e??And then I shall declare to them , ?I never k new you, depart from Me, you w ho w ork law lessness!?Therefore everyone w ho hears these w ords of Mi ne, and does them , shall be li ke a w i se m an w ho bui lt hi s house on the rock , and the rai n cam e dow n, and the floods cam e, and the w i nds blew and beat on that house, and i t di d not fall, for i t w as founded on the rock . And everyone w ho hears these w ords of Mi ne, and does not do them , shall be li ke a fooli sh m an w ho bui lt hi s house on the sand, and the rai n cam e dow n, and the floods cam e, and the w i nds blew , and they beat on that house, and i t fell, and great w as i ts fall.? And i t cam e to be, w hen ???? ? had ended these w ords, that the people w ere astoni shed at Hi s teachi ng, for He w as teachi ng them as one possessi ng authori ty, and not as the scri bes.
11
c r u c if y m y f le s h a n d
by M r s. Jan essa Edge-Siler
Resur r ect My Spir it Father GOD I ask that you cruci fy m y flesh and resurrect your Spi ri t i n m e that I m ay li ve. My flesh keeps m e bound to the si ns of thi s w orld. My flesh w ants to take over m e. I w ant your Spi ri t, Father GOD, to li ve i n m e. The flesh w ants to curse, steal, li e, k i ll and destroy. The flesh i s unruly at ti m es and doesn?t have m y best i nterest at heart. The flesh causes m e to com m i t adultery, forni cati on, lust, have parti ali ty and be confused by i ts acti ons. The flesh w i ll have m e jealous of others, vai n at heart w i th a bad atti tude. The flesh w ants to put enm i ty betw een i tself and the Spi ri t of GOD. The flesh w ants to have you bound w i th shack les and chai ns w i th no key. The flesh i s tri ck y and m akes you thi nk i t's i n love w i th you. The love of the flesh i s the destructi on of the Spi ri t of GOD i n you. Father GOD, please cruci fy m y flesh so your Spi ri t can li ve i n m e. The flesh causes w eak ness, no m oti vati on to k now the truth, double m i ndedness, and i s dangerous once i t i s let loose to rule i n your li fe. The flesh i s ravi ng m ad w hen i t can't have i ts w ay. The flesh i s very m ani pulati ve, envi ous and never sati sfi ed. The Spi ri t of GOD i s peace, m eek ness, full of grace, pati ent, hum ble and full of love. The Spi ri t of GOD w ants the best for m e. The Spi ri t that w i ll li ve i n m e i s cari ng, full of fai th and trust i n GOD. The Spi ri t of GOD i s di li gent, m erci ful, full of understandi ng and slow to anger. The Spi ri t of GOD i n you i s alw ays w i lli ng to bow before HIM w i th true w orshi p and prai se. The Spi ri t w ai ts on GOD for w i sdom , k now ledge and di recti on. GOD?S 12 Spi ri t i s full of li ght and li fe. Father GOD
please cruci fy m y flesh and resurrect your Spi ri t i n m e. Psalm 73:26 ?My flesh and m y heart fai leth: but God i s the strength of m y heart, and m y porti on forever.? Matthew 26:41 ?Watch and pray, that ye enter not i nto tem ptati on: the spi ri t i ndeed i s w i lli ng, but the flesh i s w eak .? Rom ans 8:1 ?There i s therefore no condem nati on to them w hi ch are i n Chri st Jesus, w ho w alk not after the flesh, but after the Spi ri t.? Galati ans 5:16-19 ?Thi s I say then, Walk i n the Spi ri t, and ye shall not fulfi ll the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth agai nst the Spi ri t, and the Spi ri t agai nst the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other: so that ye cannot do the thi ngs that ye w ould. But i f ye be led by the Spi ri t, ye are not under the law. Now the w ork s of the flesh are m ani fest, w hi ch are these; Adultery, forni cati on, uncleanness, lasci vi ousness.? Prayer: Father GOD help m e to w alk i n your Spi ri t so that m y li ght shi nes alw ays; help m e to becom e the w om an you created m e to be. I desi re your w i ll over m y ow n. LORD, help m e to recogni ze w hen I?m operati ng i n the flesh. I k now thi s i sn?t pleasi ng to you. Father, gi ve m e the strength to stand. AMEN
13
Tr ueObedienceLeads t o Cl oseness wit h YAH Deacon Shauderi c Avad We m ust understand the deeper m eani ng of w hat i t m eans to be close to Yah. It's not enough to just be obedi ent. Obedi ence does not autom ati cally m ean closeness. I can be obedi ent to m y boss at w ork and never be close to hi m or her. You can obey the law and never com e i n contact w i th anybody pertai ni ng to the law , you can obey the pri nci pal at school because he m ay scare you, but that doesn't breed closeness. Closeness com es from i nternali zi ng Torah unti l i t becom es you. Thi s w ay i s about closeness! It's hard to be i n sync w i th som eone w ho you aren't really close w i th. So, the key to a healthy relati onshi p w i th Yah i s getti ng close w i th hi m ! John 15:4-6 talk s about how We are to ABIDE i n Chri st and Chri st ABIDE i n us, and those that don't ABIDE i n hi m are throw n aw ay. Thi s i s not talk i ng about obedi ence, but relati onshi p! Deuteronom y 4:6-7 talk s about the i m portance of the law and how i t i s our w i sdom i n the si ght of the nati ons, then Verse 7 says, "For w hat nati on i s there so great, w ho hath Yah so NIGH unto them , as the LORD our Yah i s i n all thi ngs that w e call upon hi m for?" See i t's not enough to just follow Torah or do w hat i t says, w e m ust LIVE the Torah, w hi ch bri ngs us CLOSER to Yah! When w e are close w i th the Father our acti ons, thoughts, and li festyle w i ll be Echad w i th hi m . We have to m i rror our great Teacher Yahshua because he i s one w i th the Father. Questi on, are you look i ng to just be obedi ent from a di stance or do you truly w ant to have a m ore personal relati onshi p w i th Yah? How bad do you w ant i t? Or are you ok w i th the di stance that i s betw een you and the 14 Father?
15
Love & r espect Jer em iah Von n er People alw ays w ant to love som eone but they
But that doesn't m ean that you go to church
don't respect them ri ght. I feel li ke people
one day and poof, your si ns are gone. Agai n
don't k now how to respect one another. Love
John 14:15, "If you love m e, keep m y
needs to be bounded by respect but no one
m i tzvot/ com m andm ents." Lots of people say
k now s w hat that m eans. I learned a few days
they love Yeshua/ Jesus but they don't keep
ago from m y Em m a. She asked thi s sam e
hi s m i tzvot/ com m andm ents. Back to the
questi on. She m ade a logo of w hat that could
topi c, i f you love Yeshua/ Jesus, you m ust
look li ke. Love w as i n a ci rcle surrounded by
keep Yahw eh?s m i tzvot/ com m andm ents.
respect. But w hat does thi s look li ke i n the
Yeshua and Yahw eh are one. He even sai d i t
Bi ble you m i ght ask ?
hi m self. If you love Yashua, you m ust respect
It show s i n Yochanon/ John 14:14-15 w hi ch
hi m . Li ke Nadav and Avi hu, Aharon's sons
says, "If you ask anythi ng i n m y nam e, I w i ll
di ed i n the tabernacle i n Veyi k ra/ Levi ti cus
do i t. If you love m e, keep m y
for tryi ng to m ake a forei gn fi re to please Yah.
m i tzvot/ com m andm ents". Thi s m i ght not
But Yah di dn't ask for thi s so they di ed by the
look i m portant enough on the outsi de but
consum i ng fi re. They w anted to be close to
let's take a deeper look at thi s. Everyone
Yah but they di dn't respect hi m . People w ho
k now s that Yeshua/ Jesus i s the son of
w ant to love m ust also learn the i m portance
Elohi m / God w ho he sent to di e for our si ns.
16 of respect.
17
unl eav ened br ead: obser v e& cel ebr at e M r s. Bever ly Holiday In Exodus 13, Moses sai d to the people: ?Rem em ber thi s day i n w hi ch you w ent out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of thi s place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen am ong you, nor shall leaven be seen am ong you i n all your quarters. And you shall tell your son i n that day, sayi ng, ?Thi s i s done because of w hat the Lord di d for m e w hen I cam e up from Egypt.?It shall be as a si gn to you on your hand and as a m em ori al betw een your eyes, that the Lord?s law m ay be i n your m outh; for w i th a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep thi s ordi nance i n i ts season from year to year. Is thi s a m ark w e can place upon ourselves, that i denti fi es us as bei ng obedi ent and i n covenant w i th The Most Hi gh YAH (GOD), for our li feti m es and future generati ons? Do w e prefer com m uni on and obedi ence w i th YAH or eati ng the bread of fleshly desi res and busyness? There w as a death sentence attached to not observi ng the Feast of Unleavened Bread (ULB). How i m portant do w e thi nk i t w as/ i s to YAH? Our offeri ngs of prai se and w orshi p cannot be accepted by The Most Hi gh YAH i f they are spri nk led w i th leaveni ng, the si n of w i lli ng di sobedi ence. Just bread for thought! There are parallels of the physi cal and spi ri tual to keep and celebrate ULB. The practi cal routi ne of rem ovi ng leaveni ng from our hom es, consti tutes slow i ng dow n on buyi ng products w i th leaveni ng i n them as ti m e approaches, separati ng leavened i tem s and usi ng them (to not be w asteful), cleani ng areas as w e rem ove the leaveni ng and not rei ntroduci ng leaveni ng to that area. Thi s process can be very m ethodi cal and gradual so as not to overw helm by w ai ti ng unti l the last m i nute. 18
Spi ri tual deleaveni ng i s a ti m e of deep i ntrospecti on, i nto those nook s, cranni es and crevi ces of the cham bers of our heart (Tem ple), that m ust be ack now ledged, cleansed, rem oved and rededi cated. Leaveni ng i s associ ated, i n m ost cases, w i th types of si n (hypocri sy, false doctri ne, m ali ce and w i ckedness). In m y opi ni on, spi ri tual deleaveni ng i s m ost i m portant, w i thout leavi ng the physi cal aspect of deleaveni ng undone.
Abstai ni ng from all that i s evi l and devouri ng the BREAD of si nceri ty and truth, the BREAD that w as sent from heaven. The fresh BREAD of double porti on on Shabbat and the BREAD of com m uni on. Tak i ng i n m ore, m ore, and m ore of HIM and less, less and less of us. Luke 13: 20-21 Agai n He asked, ?To w hat can I com pare the k i ngdom of God? It i s li ke leaven that a w om an took and m i xed i nto three m easures of flour, unti l all of i t w as leavened.? Here, leaveni ng i s looked upon as som ethi ng good. In our dai ly w alk , allow the leaveni ng of HIS k i ngdom to perm eate our i nner bei ng and then outw ardly to those around us, allow i ng the Good New s, to go throughout the earth.
Not only i s thi s celebrati on com m em orati ng the deli verance from the bondage of slavery i n Egypt. We should also celebrate our ow n personal deli verance from the slavery of si n, w i ckedness and depravi ty, w hatever that m ay look li ke to you.
Ex 12:1-20, Ex 23:15, Ex 34:18, Lev 23:6-8, Deut 16:1-8,16, Josh5:10-12, II Chron 30, II Chron 35:1-19, Ezra 6:19-22, Ezk 45:21-25, Matt 26:17-30, Mark 14:1,12-26, Luke 22:1-2,7-38, Acts 20:6, Rom 6:17-18, I Cor 5:6-8
Absolutely, w e should prepare, observe and celebrate ULB, year to year, at the appoi nted ti m e. Duri ng the rest of the year, let us be ever m i ndful and di li gent to rem ai n i n a constant m ode of spi ri tual deleaveni ng.
19
20
21
Spr in g 2022 Issu e 15
Con t r ibu t or s: Deacon Sh au der ic Avad is from Little Rock, Arkansas. He is dedicated to serving YAH, his wife, his family and community. Shauderic believes that growing in selflessness is the key to an impactful and prosperous life. He is a talented music artist with albums on iTunes, Soundcloud, and Spotify. Shauderic is a Master 's degree in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership with the aspirations of becoming a principal where he can help impact and mold future generations. Jan essa Edge-Siler is a wife, mother, friend and entreprenuer. She loves YAH, and puts all her hope, faith, and trust in Him. Cooking is her passion, and she loves the beautiful gift YAH has blessed her with. Janessa owns a catering company, The Gourmet Edge. She enjoys spending time with her husband and family; she enjoys traveling meeting new people. Janessa has deep compassion for the works of YAH and loves to make a difference in the lives of others. Bever ly 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 . Sh ir ley M . M oor e 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. Th er esy 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. Jer em y Von n er 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. Jer em iah Von n er is the firstborn son of Jeremy and Kelly Vonner. Born in 2007, he enjoys reading and sports. He is passionate about the Torah and is the newest teen writer to Restoraton Magazine.
Rest or at ion M agazin e Design Team : Ya'M et r iu s Gan t t is the wife of Donald Gantt. She is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, an MAs in Counseling and Educational Administration. Together, Ya'Metrius and her husband have four beautiful children. She works as the assistant editor of Restoration Magazine and is an aspiring author and songwriter. Kelly Von n er 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.
22
To request a copy, please email r est or at ion m agazin e17@gm ail.com Cash App: $RTBMinistry
Restor ing the Br anches M inistr y is an assem bly of believer s w ho ar e par t of the body of Yahshuah HaM ashiach, Jesus Chr ist. We acknow ledge that w e have been r edeem ed to ser ve our Elohim , and w e exist to take YAH's healing, tr uth and light to the nations. We ar e disciples of Yahshuah (Jesus) w ho ar e str iving to w or ship YAH in spir it and tr uth and ser ve Him in w holehear ted obedience. We acknow ledge that YAH's instr uctions ar e sum m ar ized by loving Him w ith ever ything and loving our neighbor as w e love our selves.
S halom
23
24