Getting Ready for the Feast … An Introspection

HalleluYah! Praise Yahweh for the inspiration to write for Him.
This poem came to me a few weeks ago. Some trials and challenges came up one day,
and I realized I needed to do some work to get my heart right with Yahweh, especially
as I prepare to come before Him at the Feast. Then Yahweh helped me realize how I
can do better. And so, I felt compelled to share.

Are our hearts right with Yahweh?
Do we give praise and thank Him every day?
Do we seek first the Kingdom and His Righteousness,
Or do we get into the busy-ness of our day?
Have we spent time in Yahweh’s Word today,
Or is the to-do list getting in the way?
How else do we expect to get to know Him and His ways
If the Bible sits on the table or on the shelf day to day?

How else would we get to learn from examples like Job,
Who said “Yahweh gives and Yahweh takes away, blessed be the name of Yahweh”
after losing it all?
Or read and learn how Solomon, in all his wisdom and wealth, said both,
“The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge” (in Proverbs)
and that “all is vanity” (in Ecclesiastes) despite seemingly having it all?
How can we learn to walk as Messiah did if we don’t keep His words in our hearts and
minds, Who sought His Father in all things, fasted and prayed,
And taught us to love and obey Yahweh, and to seek and we shall find?

Some days we get so busy,
We say, “I’ll just do this one thing then I’ll sit to read.”
Or, “I’ll just spend five minutes on social media.”
But then we get lost in the feed.
Or we get so angry about what just happened, and say,
“No, I can’t come before Yahweh in this state.”
One thing leads to another, …
The clock ticks, and then it’s late.

Then we realize we must stay the course,
And realize, “I must put keep putting Yahweh first no matter what.”
Yes, He must come first, In our lives, in our hearts and in our thoughts.

Yahshua taught us to seek first
The Kingdom and His righteousness, then all these things will be added unto you,
These things being what shall we eat, drink, or be clothed.
And He taught us not to omit the weightier matters of the law-judgment, mercy, and faith-
And His servant Paul listed the Fruits of the Spirit, and the necessity of love.

Yahshua taught that all who endure to the end shall be saved,
And in Revelation told us that we must overcome;
We can only do it if we put on the mind of Messiah
And put our spiritual armor on.

Yahweh shows us that our relationship with Him
Is not dependent on our station in life nor things we may “own.”
It’s what in the heart that matters
And our hearts need to be right no matter what is going on.

Yahweh first!
We need to read and study His Word every day;
His Word says, He will bless and prosper us
IF we love Him and obey.

~submitted by Judy Stern

Restoration Times September – October 2024


In this issue of the Restoration Times, we discuss:

• Feast and Foremost
• Taste of the Kingdom
• What is Yahweh Like?
• Did You Know
• Building Expansion Progress
• Feedback

Download PDF Restoration Times Archive

Shewa

It is understood that the name Joshua in the Old Testament is properly “Yehoshua.” This “yeh” pronunciation is based on the vocal shewa under the yod יְה The pronunciation of this shewa is usually taught in Biblical Hebrew that it has the sound of “eh”. We asked Steven Fassberg, one of the world’s foremost Hebrew Scholars at the Hebrew Language Department of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, the following question:

QI was taught that the vocal shewa (shewa marked under an initial letter is classified shewa naʼ or mobil) makes a short “eh” sound. But I stumbled on a Tiberian Hebrew lesson that said that in Tiberian Hebrew, the vocal shewa makes an “ah” sound while modern Hebrew uses an “eh.” Can you please clarify? I understand that hateph vowels take on the sound of the vowel next to them but what about when these vowels appear alone in the initial syllable?

A“The Modern Hebrew pronunciation ‘e’ of the shewa mobile is based on the medial Sephardic pronunciation of Hebrew. The Tiberian Masoretes pronounced shewa mobile as a short a (like a hataf patah). We know this from: 1) the fact that sometimes a hataf patah replaces a shewa mobile when the consonant is not a guttural; 2) Tiberian Masoretic compositions; 3) the traditional Yemenite Hebrew pronunciation of Hebrew, which agrees in many points with Tiberian Masoretic compositions.” (Note: The Hateph Pathach has the sound of “a” as in amuse)

–Steven Fassberg, PhD

– Member, The Academy of the Hebrew Language, Jerusalem
– Associate Editor, The Historical Dictionary of the Hebrew Language project, The Academy of the Hebrew
Language
– Associate Editor, Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics. Leiden: Brill, 2013.
– Acting Provost, The School for Overseas Students, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Spring semester 1998
– Associate Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, 2004-2005
– Chair, Department of Hebrew Language 1998-2001, 2006-2009
– Director, Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature, 2006-2009
– Academic Head, Revivim Honors Program for the Training of Jewish Studies Teachers, 2014-

Full list of credentials:
https://pluto.huji.ac.il/~fassberg/

Restoration Times July – August 2024

Restoration Times

In this Issue of the Restoration Times, we discuss:

• You and the Spirit World
• Crossroads of Faith
• Grace Invokes Obedience
• Q&A
• Building Expansion Progress
• Feedback

Download PDF Restoration Times Archive

Feast of Tabernacles 2024

Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry invites you to the 2024 Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebration in Holts Summit, Missouri, from the evening of September 19th – 26th. This Feast offers incredible insight into our Father’s plan of salvation for mankind. It represents not only Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness but prophetically points to the coming Kingdom when Yahshua the Messiah will govern this earth with His saints, Revelation 20:6.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Updates: When you register, please check your e-mail, as we will send periodic updates about your lodging, etc.

Worship and Activities
Above all, the Feast is a time to worship Almighty Yahweh (Lev. 23:1). There is no greater purpose! To follow this command, we will have daily worship services along with several Bible studies throughout the Feast. We will also have a baptismal service for those seeking immersion into Yahshua’s Name. We will have our traditional Night of Special Music and all are invited to participate. To honor our Father in heaven, we ask that all Feastgoers make an effort to attend each day as this is a commanded, eight-day observance. In addition to the inspiring and informative messages and Bible workshops, we have several activities planned, including Bingo, trivia night, wiener roast and s’mores, and much more! See 2024 FOT Schedule Here!

Lodging
Since there is a limited number of rooms and RV spaces, they are only available to those who stay for the entire eight days of the Feast. Whether you stay on or off YRM facilities, we also ask for a minimum donation of $50 per registration, in addition to the above lodging fees. This donation will be used for food and supplies throughout the Feast. Registrations are final ONLY after receiving BOTH the registration form AND lodging/registration donations.

Early Arrival: For those wanting to arrive a little early, we are opening up the YRM lodging sites on Sunday, Sept 15th. We ask no one to arrive prior to the listed date as the ministry staff will be working on the grounds, and preparing for the feast is made much more difficult when we have all kinds of people in the way.

Departure times: YRM asks that all feastgoers vacate the grounds no later than Monday, Sept 30th. We understand we will all want to stick around and fellowship as long as possible, but the Ministry staff has to be able to clean up and work on the grounds in a timely manner.

YRM Dorm Rooms:
 We have several dorm rooms available for a donation of $150 per room (not including the $50 registration fee). This will account for the entire feast (all 8 days).

YRM RV Sites: YRM also offers RV sites with full hookups for a donation of $100 (not including the $50 registration fee). (Please note that smoking is not permitted on assembly grounds, including the campground. If you smoke on YRM’s property, you may be asked to leave).

YRM Electric Tent Sites: Electric camping for a donation of $50 for the entire Feast (not including the $50 registration fee). There are also offsite RV spots available for those interested. Binder Lake in Jefferson City (about 15 minutes away) has several RV and camping spots available. There are several hotels in Jefferson City all within 15 miles from the Assembly. For more information on lodgings or any other general inquiries, go online and search for your preferred hotel.

YRM’s pet policy: [No pets or service animals in YRM facilities. (Religious entities are exempt from the requirements of Title III of the ADA III-1.5000.) Pets and service animals are allowed on the property so long as they are leashed. (in campers/ tents, etc…)]

Meals
While some meals will be provided by YRM, most meals will be the responsibility of individual feast goers. There are two kitchens available, one in YRM’s main building and a second in the gymnasium. Both kitchens contain several stoves with limited refrigerator and freezer space. Those who use YRM’s kitchens must clean up after themselves, including any pots and pans used to prepare their meals and any messes they create in the fellowship (dining) hall. If they do not, they may forfeit their rights to kitchens. There are also several BBQ grills throughout the camp.

Airport and Bus Connections
The closest airport to Holts Summit is the Columbia Regional Airport. However, it may be more affordable to fly into St. Louis or Kansas City, Missouri. Due to the distance from the assembly, visitors flying into Kansas City and St. Louis airports will need to provide their own transportation or schedule a pickup and drop-off by Mo-X shuttle service from the Kansas City and St. Louis airports to the pickup location in Kingdom City. You can reserve a ride online at moexpress.com or by calling (877) 669-4826. If advance notice is given to YRM, the Ministry will provide a shuttle from Kingdom City to Holts Summit.

Another option is W&W Superior Transportation; they are sometimes the cheaper option: https://www.wwsrt.biz/

For those taking Greyhound or Amtrak, the closest depot/station is in Jefferson City, MO. If advance notice is given to YRM, the Ministry will provide a shuttle from Jefferson City to Holts Summit.

Background Checks
For the safety of the assembly, especially our children, the Ministry will be conducting background checks from SMART for all those 18 years and older. The Ministry reserves the right to request official identification upon arrival.

Dress Code
To ensure proper respect during worship times, and modesty throughout the Feast, we request that the following guidelines be honored: during worship times, men and boys should wear dress shirts and pants. Women and young ladies should wear dresses, skirts that cover the knee or dress pants. If you do not have adequate attire for worship, please come in your best, as we are coming before the King of the Universe. At all times, please avoid immodest shorts, sleeveless, tight or low-cut clothing. Also, women and young ladies should cover their heads during worship and men are to leave their heads uncovered (1Cor. 11:6-7).

Ministry Guidelines
Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry asks all who attend to respect our doctrines, not purposely spread discord, and to follow our Code of Conduct. Our teachings and worship are in the Names Yahweh and Yahshua only. The Feast is a time to worship and to enjoy the company of like-minded believers, not to engage in doctrinal disputes. If you have a different belief from our Statement of Beliefs, we ask that you discuss it with only YRM’s ministers.

We pray that you will make plans NOW to join us for these special times. The time of reflection and spiritual growth during the Feast of Tabernacles will be a blessing for all in attendance! May Yahweh bless you in your desire to serve Him! To make your reservation, please complete and submit a reservation form with your donation.

Updates: When you register, please watch your e-mail, as we will send periodic updates about your lodging, etc.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Restoration Times May – June 2024

Restoration Times

In this issue of the Restoration Times, we discuss:

• From Passover to Pentecost
• Billions Are Deceived About Salvation
• Traversing a Continental Divide
• Q & A
• Building Expansion
• Eldertorial: You Can’t Afford NOT to Attend the Feasts

Download PDF Restoration Times Archive

To You, Almighty Yahweh

What wonderful things cannot be said of You?
Heavenly Father, Yahweh of Hosts,
As You and as Yahshua rightly taught,
Whom we should love in our lives the most.
If we feel alone, You are Omnipresent
So You are with us, right there.
If we feel unloved, Your Word says,
“Yahweh is love” and that for us He cares.
If we are in need of food or raiment,
Yahshua teaches, don’t worry what you’ll eat, drink or wear.
If we’re in trouble, Yahweh, You say
You are with us, have no fear.
When in my life I thought I would lose it all,
I felt that into despair I’d fall,
Not knowing what else to do, I looked up,
Cried to You, Yahweh, and You definitely heard my call.
You have blessed me in more ways than I can count,
You healed me of my trauma, eased my pain.
Yahweh, You saw it all, and wiped away tears
That used to fall down my face like rain.
Sometimes we may wonder, “What have I done to deserve this?”
Both in good and in challenging times.
And of course, in each case, Yahweh,
You are Omniscient, so You have the answer every time.
Your Word says You refine us as iron in the fire and You give us grace;
The good times in life are blessings, promised to those who love you and obey.
Praise You Yahweh, You are so patient,
As on this walk I’ve made many mistakes.
My righteousness is as filthy rags,
Yet you don’t cast me away because of Your love, mercy and grace.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to find the right words
To express how glorious You are,
Bigger and more grand than anything I can think of,
Larger than life! You are:
Faithful, Wise, Good, Just,
Our Refuge, All Powerful,
Righteous King, Creator,
Abba Yahweh, You are wonderful!
Thank you, Yahweh, for Your Word
That you share with us and wrote in our hearts.
Thank you for loving us and for Your Son Yahshua,
And for the blessings You impart.
Thank you for hearing our prayers,

Thank you for Your Kingdom Come,
And for pouring out Your Holy Spirit.
You are so wonderful! Thank you for all You have done!
To You, Almighty Yahweh,
To You our praises and worship we bring.
To You, Yahweh, all honor and glory,
Avinu Malkeinu, our Father, our King!
HalleluYah!

~Submitted by Judy Stern, inspired by Yahweh

Green Thumbs Up!

Are you ready for the garden?  Here in the Midwest, it may be too early to actually plant anything, but the cold months of winter are the perfect time to plan the garden.  Consider what you will plant, when it will be planted and where each herb, vegetable and flower will be located.  Make out a map of the garden before heading out to dig in the dirt and keep three important gardening techniques in mind:  rotation, companion and successive planting.

Rotation means simply to rotate your crops – do not plant the same thing in the same spot as last year.  This discourages insect infestations. Little critters may be just waiting for more of the same delicacies that were served up last year in the same area.  While some plants will rob the soil of certain nutrients, other plants will add those, and other, nutrients back into the soil.  So, by rotating crops you will also be helping to keep the soil in good condition.

Companion planting is another method used to help prevent insect damage by planting mutually beneficial plants near each other.  Likewise, some plants should never be placed in close proximity to one another.  More specific information on neighborly plants is easily obtained on the Internet.  By mixing herbs, vegetables and flowers together as companions you can make an interesting, beautiful and organically functional garden.

Successive planting is the method whereby a second crop is planted in the same soil after a first crop has been harvested.  This second crop may be a repeat of the first crop, or an entirely different one altogether.  Cool weather crops, such as carrots, chard, lettuce, onions, potatoes and spinach, are planted early in the spring, mature early in the summer and may be planted again, some even multiple times, during the growing season.   Some vegetables, such as kale, green beans or turnips, do better when planted in the middle of the summer, maturing in the cool of the autumn.  With this in mind, I will plant turnips in the same spot formerly occupied by my harvested beets or green beans in the area where the squash had thrived.  By planting crops in succession, you can produce more in less garden space, almost doubling your harvest.

Following is a rough schedule of when to plant here in Mid- Missouri, or Climate Zone 5.  This list is by no means exhaustive or definitive and you can customize it to fit your own personal choices and timetable.

Very early (mid-March to early-April) – chard, lettuce, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach

Early (April) – beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, onions

Mid (May) – corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, okra, parsnips, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, flowers

Late (mid-July) – beans, cabbage, carrots, chard, lettuce, onions, potatoes, radishes, spinach, turnips
Keep in mind that not everything in the garden will do well every year.  Some growing seasons can be downright heartbreaking, while the abundance of others can be almost overwhelming.  Despite good soil, special techniques and constant vigilance to weed and insect problems, the weather is always the determining factor in production.   So, whether the garden thrives this year or not, enjoy the outdoors, the exercise and the visual and culinary delights that Yahweh  provides.

by: Debbie Reed

Do We Trust in Yahweh?

I firmly believe that Yahweh speaks to us through His Word – the Bible, the Scriptures. Trusting in Yahweh is something that I think I need to continually remind myself to do. When situations like what happened to me the other day happen, my initial reaction is to stress out about it. Yes, maybe even have some anxiety kick in. In that moment, my heart rate went up, I thought, “Oh no, what do I do?” and literally, for a few seconds (which seemed much longer than that but was literally only a few seconds), I had no idea what I could do about it, how to solve this problem.

After I took some deep breaths and calmed down, I prayed, then called brethren to please pray for me. (Those were some great conversations, more on that in a bit.) I did what I was guided to and what I could do, in order to move things along, then the rest was up to Yahweh. …

Obviously, those prayers were answered because Yahweh took care of it. He resolved it in a much better way than neither myself, nor any other person, possibly could have! HalleluYah! As I was writing this article, I thought, “The problem is I wonder how to solve the problem. The answer to how to solve any problem is to trust in Yahweh.”

This message of “Trust in Yahweh” has been salient for days now. It has come up several times: in a poem for a special offering that my husband Daniel Stern was inspired to write titled “The Answer Is Yahweh” (offered in the Sabbath service for March 2, 2024); in a Bible verse that I saw posted by a sister on social media; in some phone conversations with brethren; in Scriptures that came to mind in and after those conversations; and in the Psalms from the Bible reading portions I read on the day I was inspired to write this article.

Yahweh tells us in His Word of His power. In my conversation with a sister the other day, she mentioned “Job trials” and I agree, when we think of trials, we can read about what they look like in this book. What also came to mind from the book of Job is how Yahweh speaks of His power and mighty works in chapters 38-41. Yahweh is a wonderful and Almighty Father and Elohim!

In a phone conversation with a brother, where we spoke about how sometimes it is hard for us to remember to trust in Yahweh, and we feel like we are in a tight/rough spot (financially, physically, mentally/emotionally), the following Scripture came to mind: 1Corinthians 10:13 – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but Elohim is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Over the last several days, additional Scriptures came up to confirm that if we truly trust in Yahweh, He will help us:

Psalm 46:10a – Be still, and know that I am Elohim: (I saw this posted on social media by a sister.)

2 Samuel 22:2-4 – And he said, Yahweh is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The Elohim of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

(From the Song of David in 2Samuel 22, which was in the Bible reading portion of the day before this article was written.)

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in Yahweh with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

(My conversation with my brother jogged my brain and this Scripture came to mind, one of my favorites, right after we hung up.)

Psalm 57:1 – Be merciful unto me, O Elohim, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

(On the day I was inspired to write this article, the portion of the day according the to the 52 Week Bible Reading Plan was Psalms 60-62; for some reason I felt like I had to also read the prior week’s Bible reading portion, Psalm 57-59. …)

Psalm 62:11-12 – Elohim hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto Elohim. Also unto thee, O Yahweh, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work. (These powerful verses were the last verses of my Scripture reading portion of the day.)

We see from Scriptures quoted above that Yahweh is our refuge. The word “refuge” is Strong’s H2620 chacah and means “to flee for protection; figuratively, to confide in.” And, since the word “trust” keeps coming up, I looked it up on biblebub.com; the word “trust” is Strong’s H982 batach and means “to trust”; Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance states: be bold confident, secure, sure, careless one, put confidence, make to hope, put, A primitive root; properly, to hide for refuge figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure.”

Yahweh tells us in His Word, in numerous Scriptures, to trust in Him, and so I believe we need to pay attention to that! See article on YRM site: https://yrm.org/trust-in-yahweh-fear-not/ In addition, in the verses from the Psalms that book-ended my Scripture reading of the day, I think I heard a powerful message, to really drive home what has been coming through for days now:

Trust in Yahweh (as David did). Yahweh is powerful. He can help us get through every situation, every trial. And Yahweh renders to every man according to his work.

So, when trials come up and we try to figure out how to proceed, what do we do? I think it’s important to consider: Are we still, or are we leaning on our own understanding? Do we trust in Yahweh?

~Submitted by Judy Stern