Have you ever thought of going to a counselor to help you with your problems? I know my immediate reaction to this thought is to talk myself out of it if at all possible. I mean counselors use “psychology,” and what if the counselor I get does not agree with my beliefs?

What if I don’t like the person, or they can’t understand me? There are so many ways to let fear rule our actions. Counseling is not a bad thing to do, it can be very helpful.

Counselors can teach us things, like how to deal with our thoughts and our emotions, how to communicate with others, and a lot of other things. Let Yahweh help you to choose someone to talk to, whether that is a professional counselor, an elder in your assembly or a good friend. It can really help to talk things out, to pray, to listen to the counsel that is presented, and then do what has been suggested (as long as it lines up with the counsel of Yahweh).

The best news is that Yahweh is an infallible, wise, and ever-pres­ent counselor and He sent His son, the Messiah, Yahshua to be our counselor as well! We are a blessed people if we listen and obey His counsel!

Here is a list of things that Scripture says about counsel and counselors:

Why We Should Listen to the Counsel of Yahweh

•  Yahshua Came to Be Our Counselor

Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty Elohim, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 11:1-5 – And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understand­ing, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of Yahweh: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righ­teousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Ephesians 1:11 – In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

The Scripture Teaches Us to Seek Sound Counsel from Yahweh and/or From Man

Proverbs 15:22 – Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established.

 It Is Available to Us, a Promise

Hebrews 6:17 – Wherein Elohim, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, con­firmed it by an oath:  

His Promises Are His Counsel, the Torah, Tanakh, and the Renewed Covenant

Psalms 1:1-3 – Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of Yahweh; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

There Is Safety

Proverbs 24:6 – For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counselors there is safety. Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

 We Receive Wisdom

Proverbs 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Proverbs 19:20 – Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

Yahweh’s Counsel Stands; It Is Reliable

Psalms 33:11 – The counsel of Yahweh standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Proverbs 15:22 – Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established.

Proverbs 19:21 – There are many devices in a man’s heart; never­theless the counsel of Yahweh, that shall stand.

Isaiah 46:10 – Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

How to Know If You Are in Yah’s Counsel

You Have Repented

Jeremiah 23:22 – But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

What Happens to the Unrighteous If They Don’t Take Yahweh’s Counsel

Isaiah 30:1 – Woe to the rebellious children, saith Yahweh, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

Psalm 33:10 – Yahweh bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

Psalm 107:11-12 – Because they rebelled against the words of Elohim, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. If your heart needs wisdom, comfort, reassur­ance, hope, mercy, grace and peace, then seek the highest Coun­selor and He will hear your prayers.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

May Yahweh bless you and heal your heart!

by: Gayle Bonato

In the New Testament, Martha is primarily known as the com­plaining woman whom Yahshua rebuked. The story, as told in Luke 10: 38-42, tells that Yahshua had been asked to eat at the home of Martha.

She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Master’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Master, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” Yahshua responded, “Mar­tha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha is often remembered in a negative manner, but she was also a most conscientious and worthy woman who had a deep faith in Yahshua and was dearly loved by Him. When her brother, Lazarus, died and Yahshua came to bring him back to life, He first asked Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies: and whoever lives and be­lieves in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

With no hesita­tion, Martha answered, “Yes, Master. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of Yahweh, who was to come into the world.”  I think many people have a Martha-side to them. I know that I do. When life gets so hectic and we are trying to do so much in a lim­ited period of time, it is easy to become overwhelmed and frustrat­ed. I love cooking and I love visitors, but I can go into a complete meltdown when having company for dinner.

For example, with the whole afternoon ahead of me, I consider all of the marvelous dishes I could prepare, but I must first find the location of my favorite recipe. Recipe in hand, I realize that I am out of one ingredient and prepare to drive to the small country market four miles away, but the car keys are missing. I begin a frantic search through the pockets of coats and jeans. Keys located, trip completed, home again, pots finally bubbling on the stove and delicious smells com­ing from the oven, I start to prepare the salad.

Midway through chopping radishes, I decide instead to set the table. Most of the forks are still in the dishwasher, unwashed. I fill the sink with hot soapy water, grab the forks and begin scrubbing. In the meantime, the stuff on the stove bubbles over, the cat has just deposited a hairball in front of the refrigerator, the UPS truck is coming down our driveway with a package delivery, and, then, the phone rings. Company is due to arrive within the hour. My son walks into the kitchen and, noticing the panicky look in my eyes, remarks casu­ally, “Gee, mom, you really need to learn relaxation exercises.” Resisting all temptation, I silently scream…

Consider Yahshua’s words when He said, “Only one thing is need­ed.” Did He mean that they only needed one dish for their meal instead of many? Perhaps, but further reading, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her,” reveals a deeper meaning. Mary’s attention and devotion to the Messiah and His message would last beyond a meal – the spiritual feeding she was receiving would last for eternity.

Does this mean that we, as daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers are to neglect our responsibilities in service to our families, friends and neighbors? Of course not; but we should put these activities in perspective. Some things are more important than others and, when looking at the whole picture, we need to separate the small stuff from what really matters in this life – studying His word and learning how to better serve Him and each other with patience and humility. I truly identify with Martha’s situation, but know from first-hand experience that it is counterproductive for me or those around me to become so agitated. So, when I am in Martha’s state of mind, I often stop, take a deep breath and say to myself, “Just one thing, Martha!”

Now, if I could only convince my family to eat just one thing each night for dinner…

by: Debbie Reed

Sometimes we see things we think we cannot do

        but we must understand that we are slates that are not blank

                    but silently filled with things within

                                that Yahweh has for us to do.

We shine in our differences

        that Yahweh makes you, uniquely.

        You, filled with jewels of slowly revealed riches.

                    In all things praise Yahweh.

by: Michelle Love

After much planning and false starts, I wondered if I was ever going to get to Guam to see my son Jesse & his new Filipino wife, Joan. I had wanted to share their wedding with them on the island of Saipan. But that was not in Yahweh’s plan.

In March 2013 Jesse called and said, “Get your passport mom, you are coming to Guam.” My heart swelled with excitement. Since I was attending Passover & the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the trip would happen after I returned from Holts Summit, MO. Late in the month of Abib, Jesse called again and asked, “How long can you stay? Are you up for 6 weeks?” Of course I was!

The flight was long. The leg from Los Angeles to Tokyo alone was 11 hours and the total travel time was over 24 hours. When I arrived in Guam, however, I felt great! Jesse put a lei on my neck, which he had just made from Plumeria trees in his yard.

I had a wonderful time with my son and getting to know my new daughter-in-law. Yahweh truly blessed us both with Joan. Long before Jesse met Joan, I had spent much time journaling in prayer to Yahweh for a wife for my son. I didn’t realize then that Yahweh would answer my prayers with a wonderful woman from the Phil­ippines, a school teacher on the island of Saipan.

We had a grand time in Guam. We rode a commercial submarine to the bottom of the ocean and glimpsed a part of Yahweh’s cre­ation seldom seen. While deep sea fishing and dolphin watching, we spotted a large pod of spinner dolphins. We also visited many historical sites from WWII and the commemorations to those who lost their lives. We were able to actually talk to people about what it was like during the Japanese Occupation. On one side of Guam, where Magellan first discovered the island, we saw a small look-out from that time in history. Being right on the ocean the whole time I was there, we were able to spend lots of time swimming on private beaches and learning to snorkel. Traveling all over the is­land was totally awesome. Until you have experienced “tropical,” it is hard to imagine.

My son was in the U.S. Coast Guard at this time and his job was to orchestrate rescues in the ocean when people were in trouble. Before I arrived in Guam he had received a call from a small island close to Saipan. There was a boat with a dead engine and five div­ers in the water. It was almost sundown and the boater had lost sight of his divers. Jesse thought to put out a call on the citizens band radio. Because of his quick thinking, another boater heard this and all six lives were saved. So, while I was there I got to see Jesse receive an award for this service, along with many other USCG men and women being recognized for their work.

I am so very thankful to Yahweh. To see the other side of the world was a life-changing experience. I left Guam on a Thurs­day and, because of the time change, arrived home on the same Thursday. Would I do it again? Yes, and I would stay even longer. Yahweh is to be praised for answering my humble prayer.

Praying unceasingly, as it says, does work. Did I doubt? Yes, but I kept praying

by: Linda Cox

I draw this lone flower

Instead of a bouquet

It reminds me, we must stand alone

If all should turn away.

We must be a good example

Be a light unto the world

Be a path that leads to life

Instead of one that leads to death.

We must be there for our brother

Help him back up if he falls

Be a giver not a taker

And love one another most of all.

And though all should forsake us in this life

And a friend there can’t be found

Hang on to the promises of our Savior

And He will see us to the end.

And Yahshua will say

Come you blessed of my Father

Inherit the Kingdom

Prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

By: Brenda Scott Riddle

“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase,” -Ecclesiastes 5:10. (RSB)

While looking at the things my parents and my in-laws left behind after their deaths, it became so clear to me that our “stuff” isn’t ours. Some of their favorite pos­sessions bring back memories of their concern that someone might break in and steal the coin collection or the antique silverware. How much more we would rather have another day with them, than the things we inherited! How much time was spent at work in trade for some material possession? We brought nothing into this world and we take nothing out. The clothes we are buried in will soon rot away and we will eventually become dust. When one of the world’s wealthiest men in history died his accountant was asked, “How much did John D. Rockefeller leave?” His an­swer was, “All of it.”

We use things for a few years but we always want new, bigger, fancier things. What we have (whether it is a car, a house, clothes, jewelry) no longer satiates us so we want something more. The new cell phone will make us happy, and it does for a while, but soon a new, better phone comes out and we look at ours and it no longer brings us the satisfaction that we thought it would. I never learned all of the applications my Samsung 4 Android phone had when I upgraded to an I Phone 6. Did I need it to make calls or take better photographs? The salesman thought I did. Being caught up in Costco’s once a year deal, and with my husband’s encouragement (he got one too), I got the phone. Now I have a learning curve again and either a contract or a payment and there was nothing wrong with my old phone. I can almost hear Solomon whispering in my ear, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

It’s also clear that our “stuff” is not us. When Yahweh looks down on us will He identify us by our new phone or our new dress? He looks at our hearts and He looks at how we care about our brothers and sisters. He knows if we are hiding our light and if we are carrying out the Great Commission. He told us in Matthew 6:31-33 He would care for us and not to worry about what we eat and what we wear.

I’m not always good at following that advice and every year at the Feast of Tabernacles it becomes apparent. I usually pack more clothes than I will wear along with make-up and jewelry. I have discovered that within a few days I’m not wearing any make-up or jewelry and I just grab the first thing I see in the morning to wear. The spiritual food is what I hunger for and a lot of the food I bought at the local big box store doesn’t get eaten; I try to give it away or I have to throw it out.

Yahweh will take care of us. The Israelites probably wore the same clothes and shoes for 40 years. Yahweh sent them a food that had to have been the perfect mix of vitamins and nutrients. How much happier we would be if we, like our ancient ancestors, relied on Yahweh to take care of our needs. As our Brother David reminds us, “Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

by: Linda Lowe

Matthew 7: 13-14 says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

I was on that wide road leading to my destruction for a very long time. But I’m now on that very narrow road and have found that sharp rocks can also be on this narrow road and, if you are trying to walk along it barefooted, it is very hard. Psalms 10:1, “Why do you hide in times of trouble?” comes to mind.

But, as I am walking I see what looks like an oasis ahead and am reminded of the verse in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” You realize that your feet aren’t hurting anymore and look down to see that you have hit a smooth patch in the rocky road. I know that I will hit both rocky and smooth patches on the road; but I also know that my Oasis (Yahsh­ua) is also on this long narrow road to give comfort, to encourage us to keep going and to help us reach that much sought after destination.

My husband and I were worldly people, and we thought we were having fun. But when my husband died in 2008 everything changed. I became really depressed and pushed my family away, (thinking in my depressed mind that if I didn’t love them too much they wouldn’t die). I stopped doing family functions or going any place except work and home.

One day my daughter-in-law asked me to go to church with her. I did, and went for a while but it just didn’t feel right. So I stopped going but I felt better about life and started searching. I had heard about Sabbath keepers, and started doing Bible studies with them. I was really interested in what they had to say about the right way to keep the Sab­bath.

I started keeping the Sabbath (the best way I knew) at home. The Sabbath keepers taught me about Xmas, Easter, etc., and was OK with that also; it made sense to me. (I was starting to see the light, so to speak.) I started feeling something again and noticed that I wasn’t feeling so sorry for myself anymore. I always looked forward for the next Bible study booklet to come in the mail.

Just when I started getting my head wrapped around all this new and wonderful knowledge, they threw in keeping the Feast days, and how we are to observe them. I didn’t know what to do or to whom to turn. So I prayed.

Then one Sunday I was flipping through the channels and heard this man say that the Father’s name was Yahweh. (Say what!) I listened to the program and I watched and listened the following week. The program was Discover the Truth and the man was Elder Alan Mansager.

I wrote to YRM and asked them if they would send me any­thing and everything they could about this new information I had heard. It wasn’t very long before I received a pack­age full of “HOPE.” I was baptized in 2014 at YRM during Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I have never regretted it, and I never want to be in that dark world again.

Picture YRM like a beacon in the night. When you reach it and look inside, you see warmth, love and kindness. Pic­ture a sign hanging over the door saying, “Wipe off your heart and come on in.” As you go through the doors from the darkness outside, you first feel shame because you aren’t used to the real kindness and love that you receive.

It’s hard to trust because you have come from a dark un­trustworthy world. Eventually you feel a warmth creeping in and, then, trust. You eventually realize that the only thing that these wonderful people want from you is nothing. They just want you to have exactly what they have – hope for a new beginning in Yahshua.

I have peace now, learning to forgive, learning to give, and learning to love my neighbor. When I go to the YRM as­sembly, and am with the brothers and sisters, my heart feels full of love when I leave to go back home. I am so grateful and blessed that Yahweh led me to YRM.

by: Lendia Ball

Who do you think you are? Do you really know? Are you an artist, an athlete, a stay at home mom, or an entrepreneur? Maybe you would rather define yourself by how you look…fashionable or old fashioned, thin or plump, short or tall, beautiful or plain? Perhaps it seems more fitting to bring up the important causes you support, “stop abortion, save the earth, eat vegan.” All of these things are a fact of our exis­tence. We all have jobs and skills, bodies to clothe, and worthy causes in life to support, but do these really define you? Do you want them to define you? Do these things reach the core of your being? Would you be happy to have your closest friends and family say they love you because of how you look? How about because you are talented or have a good job? All of us know that there is a deeper side to our existence than these.

Personally I do not want to be identified by my looks, job, or interests; nor do I define myself by any of these things! If I define myself by what I do, when I lose the ability to do what I do…then who am I? What if I define myself by my looks? When I grow old, have I lost myself? When the values of the world deteriorate and I can no longer follow fashion or trend, have I also lost who I am because I cannot continue to follow what appears popular at the moment? And while causes can hold some worth, this also is only a minute part of the whole picture…who would you be if the need for the cause disappeared?

So what is it that truly describes the inner part that is you? I would like to share with you a quote by Gila Menoleson in her book Outside Inside, A Fresh Look at Tzniut.

“For if you have pared away the layers of ‘what I have, what I do, and what I support,’ you have reached the core of who you are. Internality means knowing that your deepest self lies in your efforts to become a better human being–and then acting on that knowledge, with the Torah’s guidance, in your relationships with others and with [Elohim]. That and that alone, is tremendously liberating, for it frees you from having to build an identity based on society’s constantly changing values. It is also empowering, for the strength of your soul to choose good is the only aspect of you which is independent of any outside force. Unlike your looks, your abilities, or your causes, it cannot be lost, be taken away, or disappear. It is yours forever.” (Pgs. 79-80)

Is what she says true? Will my efforts to become a better human being, in light of Yahweh’s Word, define me better than the exter­nal factors in my life?

What are some of the internal values which Yahweh requires of us as believers? Kindness, hospitality, loving, forgiving, content­ment, humility, and obedience, to name a few. Are you kind, are you hospitable, do you love, can you forgive, are you content, are you humble, will you obey Him? Can you let Him set you apart from this world? Each of us must look within to know the an­swers to these questions. With His strength we can be made able to be who we should be as believers. In the end we must discover that Yahweh sees us as we are; as souls, and His children.

Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Yahweh require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy Elohim?”

Second Peter 1:3-10 tells us that Messiah has given us all things that pertain unto life and holiness. We are to be overcomers and, through His power, we will succeed! Seeing ourselves as inter­nal beings does not mean we must abandon our external being, our appearance, what we do, or what we support. Rather, we can allow these things to reflect the inner values that make us who we are.

Does the way you dress reflect a soul that respects our Creator, yourself, and others? Do the things you do and support witness to others of Yahweh’s infinite goodness and your desire to live obediently and to delight in Him? It’s not likely that you can present yourself to the world as one who will go with the flow and still be set apart. Yahweh calls us to be set apart and, in time, this should touch every aspect of our being.

In 2 Peter 1:8-9, we are reminded that when He empowers us to overcome, we will not be unfruitful and that we should not be like the blind man who has forgotten that he has been purged of his sins. If we abandon our quest to overcome by asking Yah­weh’s help to empower us in this, then we have become as the blind man in verse 9! Our internal self, the core of who we are, is meant to overflow into the physical aspects of our life as a witness to the watching world. We are also being true to our­selves when, as believers, we strive to allow the uniqueness that Yahweh has called us in, to spill over into how we relate to those around us and how we present ourselves to the world.

Romans 8:13, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Psalms 40:8, “I delight to do thy will, O my Elohim: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

Psalms 34:14, “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”

So these questions remain: Who are you? Who should you be? Do you know what you were created for?

As believers it is our privilege to be guided by His truth. The correction we receive in life is due to His great love for us. Do you resist His loving correction? Do you feel threatened by His laws? Are you intimidated when He speaks through a fellow brother or sister in the faith to correct you or to guide you into a more perfect understanding of His truth? Or do you see it as guidance from a loving father? When we accept His guidance and obey His word it should be out of the realization that He cre­ated all of this for us out of love.

Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son (daughter), despise not the chasten­ing of Yahweh; neither be weary of his correction: For whom Yahweh loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son (daughter) in whom he delighteth.”

So, who am I? A daughter of a king, a set apart child of Yahweh, privileged to be cared for by the creator of the universe! What was I created for? To delight in him and for him to delight in me, to overcome the plans of the evil one in my life, and to encour­age my dear sisters to do the same. Let’s “worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness” (Psalms 29:2) by choosing daily to allow Yahweh’s Word to touch the outward shell of who we are as a representation of who He has called us to be….daughters of the King.

by: Jennifer Bonato