RESTORATION Magazine Passover 2019 Issue

magazine

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Inside this Issue 5 Editor’s Corner 7 Poem: “Peace”

8 How I Came into the Knowledge of the Truth 10

You Can Overcome Temptation 11 Who Is Able to Stand?

13 The Humility of Messiah

RESTORATION MAGAZINE is published for FREE distribution in the public interest. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. All Rights Reserved. RESTORATION MAGAZINE is published by Restoring the Branches Ministry.

Editor & Graphics Designer: Kelly Vonner Proofreader: Brittany Woody Cover Image: Photo by Karina Vorozheeva on Unsplash Email: restoringthebranches@gmail.com

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Editor’s Corner Deleavening Our Hearts

By Kelly Vonner

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us. There let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 To de-leaven our hearts during the season of Passover is hard. It requires crucial introspection and reflection. To come face-to-face with my selfishness, sin, rebellion, and shortcomings hurt.

To acknowledge the places where I have run and hidden and where I have broken trust and love with the Father is a steady reminder of why I need Messiah. It’s one thing to have my home and car free of crumbs, but it’s an entirely different level of understanding to allow the Great Physician to perfect my heart and mind. The

work is a lifelong process. This de-leavening of our hearts requires cooperation, love, and trust. We must actively believe that Yahshua, Jesus, is the Remedy sent by the Father to show the Way, to teach the Truth and to share His Life.

What did Christ show us? He showed us how to pray, to love, to lead, to correct, to obey, and to keep the will of YAH in the forefront of our hearts and minds.

I am guilty of drifting off the prescribed path. I am guilty of following my flesh and not the Spirit of God. I have neglected the gift of daily communion with the Most High. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light, but to my flesh, it looks impossible at times.

When we shy away from the “doctor’s orders”, we run the risk of becoming spiritually dehydrated. As followers of Messiah, we have been called to go and make disciples of all nations. Lack of communion with the Source will leave us empty.

We cannot pour from an empty vessel. Yahshua is the only one that fills to overflowing so we can go forth and serve.

The Hebrew word for leaven stems from a word (Strong’s

H2556) that means “to be leavened, be sour, to be embittered, grieved, to be cruel, oppress, be ruthless” (Blue Letter Bible). Our bodies are a sponge; what we take in becomes a part of us. We are literally what we eat.

He wants us to spend seven days taking in unleavened products, and since we are what we eat, He is very interested in us not taking things within our heart and mind which sour our thoughts and actions as well as embitter, grieve or oppress ourselves and others.

Earlier I spoke of the Great Physician perfecting my heart and mind. This perfection is not as the world sees. This perfection is one of completeness in Messiah. This is the perfection that the disciples spoke of in the epistles. As I said, this work that Christ is doing in us is a lifelong process. He is wanting to remove the iniquity that is interwoven into the very fabric of our genes. Yahshua, Jesus, is wanting to address the iniquity that’s been passed down from one generation to another.

Yes, He has shown us the way, but in order for us to try to follow Him, He must address our behaviors. What drives our behaviors? Our brains! He’s come to renew our minds!

HalleluYAH! I cannot stress 5

enough how this work requires our cooperation.

self-control. Against such, there is no law (Galatians 5:19-23).

In Navigating Change by W. Gary Gore, he states that,

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created Him…(Colossians 3:8-10).

To achieve personal mastery we must first see the enemy, and the enemy is ourselves. To conquer and be victorious, worthless chaos -producing elements must be eradicated from our mind. These elements consist of bitterness, hatred, jealousy, pride, selfseeking vanity, and delusion. The transformation of the mind would replace the ignoble elements with virtuous characteristics: patience, love, humility, self-reliance, wisdom, empathy, and compassion (Gore, 29-30).

Gore’s message mirrors our scriptures. To truly grow, our thoughts must change. The dictionary defines ‘renew’ as restoring to “freshness, vigor or perfection; rebuild, regenerate, revive”. ...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

Christ is the Great Physician and the Remedy. He is also the great High Priest and the Altar. All scripture is written of Him. To deleaven our hearts and minds, we must lay aside those things which “sour” our hearts and deem us unworthy for serve. We must allow the High Priest to inspect us thoroughly as we come daily as living sacrifices which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1).

We must seek to be like our Great Teacher. We must strive to be the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. We must remember that YAH wants to bring us to himself.

There is a purpose to this work that He is doing in us, and love will fulfill it all.

Kelly Vonner is the creator and founder of RESTORATION magazine, a publication of Restoring the Branches Ministry.

She is a wife, mother, daughter of YAH, servant of Yahshua. She is also the author of A Boldness for Him: Honoring God by Our Obedience.

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Peace

By Jonathan E. Greer There is a peace that passes all understanding, So great it cannot be described, This peace comforts His people, This peace comes from the Most High.

It embraces me in times of trouble, Engulfs and consumes all my fears, Overshadows the lies, but reestablishes my faith, While others would assume I would be in tears.

He will give peace to His people, So, I’ll abide in this Indescribable place, I’ll rest in the favor of Yahweh, As I feel His warm embrace.

Why cry when He upholds me, And comforts me when I should feel weak?

Yahweh is a faithful El, He will not despise the meek.

January 12, 2015

Photo by Jordan Steranka

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How I Came Into the Knowledge of the Truth

By Beverly Holiday

Photo Copy by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash 8

The first inkling of Sabbath, which I only knew as Saturday, was introduced by my mother in the middle 90’s. She would make statements such as, “no I can’t shop on Sabbath”. My response, “Saturday is the only day I have off, if you want me to take you shopping, Saturday is the day.” I knew she went to church on Saturday, but she was always a little weird anyway. Seeds were being planted.

A few years later, I began attending a Missionary Baptist Church and had acquired an insatiable hunger for the Word of God. I began reading 8-10 hours a day. I was blessed to be able to read while I worked. One day as I was reading in my hap hazard fashion, I stumbled on Ezra and his continued references to mixed marriages. I truly did not want to displease God, so this required further investigation. Reaching way back to my earlier childhood, I remembered Moses had married an Ethiopian woman. I thought to myself, let me go back to the beginning to see what happened with Moses.

Coming from a background of turmoil, the Lord has a tendency to speak to my spirit a little less conventional than most. As I was turning back to the beginning, He dropped in my spirit, “if you’re gonna read a book DUMMY, why don’t you start at the beginning.” Thus, my quest continued for the Truth of His Word. I found myself having read through the Bible in 3 1/2 months.

I began to ask questions regarding the clean food laws, whether we were so sick, because we did NOT keep them. Answer being, oh as long as you pray over it, it is ok. The “once saved—always saved” doctrine came into question, with no Biblical response. There were more questions, than I was getting answers.

One day in the fall of 1999, I found myself a patron of a quaint little shoe repair shop in Lexington, TN. My mother had instructed me to have non-skid soles placed on her shoes in preparation for her granddaughters (my nieces) wedding. The owner, a kind rather direct man I came to know and love, was

Marvin Ison. He directed the conversation to “what is sin”? My response being, “anything going against the Book?”, as his Bible was laying on the counter. He replied, “can you be more specific?”. I hesitantly mumbled, “does it have anything to do with the Ten Commandments?”

He exclaimed, “EVERYTHING”.

That well-worn Bible, went to splitting open and I learned more in an hour, than I had learned from studying on my own for the last 31/2 years in the Baptist Church. He invited me to Bible Study the following Friday night and the rest is history.

The TRUTH took me in hook, line and sinker. I continued attending Bible studies and Sabbath services, growing in the knowledge of HIM. For the last years of my mother’s life, we were able to share and celebrate Sabbath and Holy Days together.

Thank God for her perseverance and prayers.

Now 20 years later, I had continued to have questions, but the answers I received left me still wondering. Hair of wool, oh that means white, Absalom suspended in the tree by his locks, geographical location and still the answer was white. The Most High has allowed me insight to His original chosen people and design. The correct answers, began flowing from the knowledge of a young man, I now know as my Pastor, Jeremy Vonner and his lovely investigative wife, Kelly.

There are many more that need to come into this knowledge of who the original Hebrew people were and many that need to recognize their true identity and the obedience required, (natural branches or grafted in). Let us continue to be a bridge, so those being drawn may CROSS OVER into love and life in The Most High.

I continue to hold to these TRUTHS, following that narrow path, that leads to His soon coming KINGDOM.

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You Can Overcome Temptation Romans 7:15-25 & Revelation 2:12-17 We’ve all been tempted.

Sometimes it’s something small, like a delicious dessert when trying to lose weight. Other times it’s something big, like seeing an attractive person, and keeping your mind in check. And we can even be tempted to think that Yah is holding out on us, and that Yah could not possibly love us or we’ve been too sinful for Him to care anymore.

Have you ever felt like fighting sin is pointless? Every day, we're faced with opportunities to return to what's comfortable and familiar, to the way we lived before we knew Yah. Some days, it might feel like giving in to temptation is worth it.

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone.

Lies and temptation have been coming our way since Satan convinced Adam and Eve that YHWH was holding out on them, and they fell for it.

HaMashiyach describes living in Pergamum as living in the shadow of Satan's throne (Revelation 2:13). In Pergamum, cult activity was the norm and people worshipped the Roman Emperor as a god. To be a Believer in that society wasn't just

unpopular, it was downright dangerous. People were killed for their faith in Yah. We don't live in Pergamum, but it sure does feel like it. We still face the temptation to fit in and go along with the status quo.

Sometimes, we'll allow words to be spoken without correction or rebuke, not because they're right but because it's easier to let them go. This is often how we start losing sight of Yah and His way.

"Repent!" HaMashiyach says in Revelation. The Message paraphrases Revelation 2:16 as, "Enough! Don’t give in to them; I’ll be with you soon!"

Resisting temptation can be costly. It could cost you your business, a relationship, or even your reputation, even a promotion or position on your job but it will always be worth it in the long run.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And Yah is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

YHWH knows we will be tempted, and Yah Himself will provide an escape plan. Matthew 4:1-11 tells the account of the Savior’s own temptation and how to defeat temptation as He did: 1. Temptation comes when we seem weak and defenseless, so be alert. (Matthew 4:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 12:10) 2. The scriptures are our weapons against temptation, so arm yourself. (Ephesians 6:17 and James 1:25) 3. Remember YHWH is faithful to protect us and provide for us so we can endure. (John 14:27 and

Matthew 6:30) If we give up and give in, temptation leads to sin (James 1:2 -15). But this doesn't have to be the case! Yah gives us the Ruach Hakodesh to lead us and remind us whose we are (John 14:23-24).

Yah is faithful to protect and provide an escape plan. The question is will we be faithful and take it?

Resisting temptation sets us apart from the world we live in, just as it will set us apart on the day we meet The Savior face-to-face. It’s not natural to resist temptation because the rest of the world indulges in it. But we have been given Yah’s supernatural Ruach as our guide.

When we are tempted to sin, remember that the Ruach Hakodesh, Yahshua’s Spirit in us, gives us the power to say no to what the world offers and look toward the greater reward YHWH offers. The knowledge that Yah has something greater in store for us in resistance can give us the strength to walk away. Ha Mashiyach conquered death and with Him, we will conquer temptation.

Think on these things: * What temptations do you face daily? What is something you can do today to help yourself resist recurring temptation? * Do you often think that giving in to temptation will be better than what Yah has in store for you? Why or why not? * Do you question Yah’s ability to help you overcome temptation in your life? Why or why not?

Shalom.

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Who Is Able to Stand?

By Beverly Holiday Photo by Kyle Anderson

Rev 6:17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?�

Let’s comb through from the beginning and see who The Most High deems worthy to stand.

As we all know, sin prevents us from being able to stand in the presence of The Most High. This is demonstrated by Adam and Eve in the garden, as they hid themselves from Him, because of their disobedience to His commands.

Fear, guilt, selfishness, narcissism, hatred for truth, distrust, condemnation, lies

and the list goes on and on, were born into each of our lives that day.

As we grow in our walk with the one and only true Elohim, we have to beat our flesh (sinful nature) into submission daily. Will we choose His commands, judgments, statutes, laws, covenant and character over the pull of the enemy? The Levites proved faithful at the mountain. Will we have that same zeal for what is precious to Him (for our sakes), to be able to stand against family, friends, co-workers and spouses that walk contrary to His standard?

Psalms 4 tells us those that are Godly (show loyalty to Him), those that are angry and sin not, those that meditate on Him, those that are still before Him, those that offer up righteousness, those that trust in Him, He will set apart for Himself. We want to implement these characteristics in our lives so He chooses us to draw unto Himself, as stated in Eph 5:25-27 paraphrasing, those that are washed in the Word and without spot or wrinkle.

These characteristics and more will equip

us to be able to stand in His presence.

More characteristics are listed in Psalms 24. Clean hands, pure heart, no idols, no swearing, no deceit, those who seek His face not His hand, these are deemed worthy for Him to clothe in righteousness (right standing). Psalms 111 we are instructed to praise Him with our whole heart, to study His works with pleasure, to remember, to fear Him, to keep His covenant, to recognize His power, to be grounded on the Rock, to show justice, to be truthful, to acknowledge His precepts, remain in His covenant, again fear Him and do His commandments.

Let us examine ourselves with some questions and genuinely search our innermost parts for truthful answers. The spring Holy Day season is quickly approaching. Are we coming in His gates (forsake not the assembly)? Are we praying? Are we giving thanks? Are we walking in peace and prosperity? Are we seeking good for our brethren? Are we servants of the Lord? Are we asking Him what He requires and 11

desires? Are we blessing Him? Are we singing praises to His Name? Are we seeking the Lord’s counsel? Do we excel in our work? Are we good stewards of what has been loaned to us? Are we diligent? Do we have Faith?

Are we consistent? Are we conducting ourselves with integrity? Are we working in harmony alongside our brethren to promote His Kingdom work? Are we walking in His love toward our fellow man and ourselves? Are we fervently laboring and seeking to be perfect and complete (tamiym) in His will? Have we got our mind and spirit at one with His? Do we hold on to Truth that is taught to us or are we blown by every wind of doctrine into imbalance? Are we giving our all? Are we standing in freedom and liberty?

He says take My yoke upon you and learn of Me. Let us not be those that put back on the yoke of bondage. Are we dressed properly with the whole armor of Yah to withstand the wiles of the enemy? Are we using the strength in the power of His might as He lives within us?

We must embrace truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, His Spirit, the Word, pray in the Spirit to withstand the evil days we are currently in and the even more wicked days to come.

them return to you, but you must not return to them.

Zechariah 3:7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here.

The Word states it is established on two witnesses. We have seen it repeated over and over and over again. He is the same yesterday today and forever, there is no shadow of turning (changing) in Him. We are the ones who have to change, adjust and implement His character to be able to stand in His presence, where there is life ever after.

Beverly Thomas Holiday is a wife, mom, “meme”, sister, aunt, friend and mentor to so many that she comes in contact with on a regular basis. She writes from experience and has overcome so much in her life.

She is a member of Restoring the Branches Ministry, but more importantly a follower of Yahshua and an valuable asset to the Kingdom of YAH. Currently, she lives in West Tennessee and specializes in nursing and womb care.

Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth. Let

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The Humility of Messiah

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

Have we truly counted the cost? Do we understand the expectation of the Most High YAH? Do we truly grasp the role that Yahshua (Jesus) the Messiah plays as the Mediator, High Priest and Right Hand of YAH? Our obedience should reflect that understanding. Our reverent fear of YAH should bring wisdom and understanding, and understanding with our hearts should cause us to return to the ways of YAH and be healed.

At times we downplay to the power of YAH and fail to comprehend the obedience of Christ. Just as Christ’s humility was evident through His obedience, so should ours be if we desire to walk as our Teacher walked. Yahshua is the chosen Teacher from the Source of all things. He fully acknowledged and believed the Source, who raised Him from the dead. We must understand that YAH didn’t raise us up from the muck & mire of sin (lawlessness) and death to dwell in disobedience. His Word is infallible and worthy of our attention, and if we are living a “whole-book theology”, then we cannot shy away from the expectations of the Father.

By Kelly Vonner Photo by James Coleman

Unfortunately, we lack healing because we don’t want to return. We have deemed our way as truth and life. We daily reject the bread from heaven, the manna of life. We have proclaimed that we don’t need a teacher and that our feeble way of thinking is more than enough. We lack the humility of Messiah because we are full of pride and arrogance. Christ’s humility was evident through His obedience.

Let this mind be in your which was also in Yahshua, who, being in the form of YAH, did not consider it robbery to be equal with YAH, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Christ didn’t raise himself from the grave. He waited on the power and provision of YAH, the Source. “… but He whom YAH raised up saw no corruption” (Act 13:37). Praise YAH that He raised our Salvation.

In our effort to walk as Messiah walked and to follow Him as He followed and obeyed YAH, as true disciples, we too must allow the Source to raise us as we die to our flesh and the lust of this world. “...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding be enlightened; that you may know

what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power towards us who believe, according to the work of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And YAH put all things under Yahshua’s feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:17-23).

We must have faith in the power of YAH, and we must always be mindful of the obedience of Yahshua, Jesus, our Lord, and Messiah. If we are called to obey our earthly parents, how much more our heavenly Father. Yahshua completely surrendered to the will of YAH; we have been called to walk as He walked. Therefore; we have to completely surrender as well. The mind of Christ in us is one that says “Thy will be done” over my own. It is one that says Your way is not only better but perfect and flawless.

For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on YAH, they shall inherit the earth (Psalm 37:9).

Yahshua was the firstfruit of this inheritance and so much more.

Consider how He walked and follow Him. YAH raised Him that

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he would never see corruption. That is the seed in us.

Yahshua is our salvation from YAH, the redemptive power to redeem us from our lawlessness, vain actions, and deeds.

By humility and the fear of YAH are riches, and life (Proverbs 22:4).

The fear of YAH is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility (Proverbs 15:33).

Humility requires a careful watching over one’s life, analyzing our actions by the word of YAH and example of HaMashiach. The humility of Yahshua carried purpose. He obeyed YAH out of love, trust, and humility. Keeping the word of YAH is what allows His love to be perfected, entirely without flaw or defect, in us. We are called to walk as He walked.

Our obedience increases our ability to point others to the Way, Truth and the Life.

from the Source, fully embodying the Spirit of YAH, paid the wage for our sins though He was blameless.

To consider YAH’s way and will to be higher than our own is good, but to actually make life-changing applications is best. We can never get away from obedience. Christ’s actions prove that YAH expects more than lip-service. He wants our word, thought and deed to be perfectly aligned with His Word. Let that mind be in us.

Shalom.

Seek YAH, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of YAH’s anger.

Zephaniah 2:3

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen. And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty (1 Corinthians 15: 12-14).

Since we know this to be true, that Christ indeed rose from the dead, we further establish the power of YAH. The power and wisdom that raised Messiah is that same power and wisdom that created all things. The same power that established season and times in which to worship Him. The same power that gave us just and fair instructions to follow. Yahshua, salvation sent

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