One Phone Call With Love

It's been a while since I have written a post and I have had a few topics in mind, but this morning is a little different.  I have not purposely procrastinated in writing, but rather the motivation had not driven me to carve out the time to do so.

Early this morning as I sit at the pool-deck watching my kids swim at 7am, I am doing something a different.  I am up earlier than usual and out the house earlier than usual.  In addition, swim practice is usually in the evening, but they are on holiday schedule.  In addition to this different type of morning, today is my 39th birthday! Yaaaay, Happy Birthday to me!!!

Usually birthdays aren't a huge deal for me.  I don't count down the days or make big announcements.  I give thanks to Yahweh for keeping me alive yet another year and cherish the moments that I have with my family.  I don't ask for anything and it sometimes frustrates my wife and/or mother that I want nothing.  But just as this morning is different, so too is this birthday.

For once I have a desire for something like a little five year old wearing a birthday hat.  It is something that I REALLY want, but something that no one can provide - just one phone call from my father.  For the first time in my life, I will not hear my Daddy's voice on December 21st.  That is weird.  No, wait.  Actually, it is really weird.  Every year I would get a call from my parents singing Happy Birthday, but this year, the tenor from that duet will be missing.  One half of the reason for my existence no longer exists and it is a odd feeling.

It wasn't that he made promises of giving me lots of money or things.  It was that he was my Daddy and he loved me (and my brother who has a birthday tomorrow) unconditionally.  Now, it has been three months since his passing and while every day has its ups and down, it has generally gotten better over the short time.

I know that I am not the first to experience the lost of a loved one nor am I the last, but when a parent passes away, the situation seems to be parked only in your drive-way.  To those who will experience a first special occasion or holiday without someone they love, be encouraged.  Let the ones around you love you the way they know how and you reciprocate that love the best way you know how. There is some things that we can never get back, but there are somethings that we can pass forward. With that, I will leave you with the scripture that I shared during my father's funeral.  It described him to a "T", but also is an example of how we are to love as well.

1 John 3:17-19   "(17) But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (18) My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (19) And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him." (NKJV)

Be blessed folks.

Antoine Hall


Phone image is from Creative Commons and created by Christos Vittoratos

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Status: Rumors of Wars

It's crazy at where we are with the world, but it seems that we have stumbled into the rumors of wars phase of things.  For decades we've heard echos of a future World War III, but with the latest downing of a Russian war plane by Turkey, things have gotten really complex in the Middle East. You can see the boldness and pride on display as all of the countries involved in fighting are not standing down because no one can appear to be weak.

In all of this, followers of Christ should not be surprised.  The disciples asked Yeshusa (Jesus) how they would know when the end of age and time and in Matthew 24 it says the following:

(3) Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

(4) And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. (5) For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. (6) And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.

(9) “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. (10) And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. (11) Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. (12) And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (13) But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (14) And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (NKJV)

The same answer that was given then applies to us today, but do not be worried.  There are things that must happen before Yeshua's return and "rumor's of wars" just happen to be one of them. Do not be deceived in that the end is now because there are still verses many more things that happen before the second coming of Christ.

Be safe and vigilant during these times.

Antoine


Bullhorn image is from Creative Commons and created by Font Awesome by Dave Gandy

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Sin...Bringeth Forth Death

"(12) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."  - James 1:12-15 (KJV) 

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Not In Our Own Wisdom

The Bible does not shun wisdom as it is a good thing to have.  However, when we share the gospel we all have to be careful not to be wise in our own might, but rather through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I Corinthians 2:1-5   And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (NKJV)

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Church Attack From the Inside

(Image Courtesy of WikiMedia.org)

With all that is going on in the United States today most Christians would view that the church is under attack.  Most Conservative blogs, radio, etc. have exploded over the latest SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) ruling over gay marriage.  The consensus is that it is an attack on the church.  While I have my own opinions about this, my answers are a bit more complex and would have to be addressed at another time.  I wrote about this topic back in 2013 and if you are interested, please read my blog entry called "Christians, You Misunderstand The Marriage Debate":

http://toinebo.blogspot.com/2013/04/christians-you-misunderstand-marriage.html

While it is a complex topic, in its simplest form it will become an attack on the people of Yahweh. I do not believe that every person of the LBGT community is out to get us. For the most part, I believe most want to be left alone and don't want to bother anyone, but there are a select few who are powerful and lead the way.  You may not see them, but they have a powerful hand in everything that occurs.  All you need is for a select few to stir the pot and persuade people that XYZ is what they desire.

What we are seeing is just a tip of the iceberg and the church will begin to see a lot more persecution. This is not news hot off the press and there is/will be more than just one frontal attack by many things against the church.  Remember that Yashuah the Christ, said, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you (see, John 15:18)". There are many ways the church is and will be attacked and things will get a lot worst before they get better.  In 2 Timothy 3:12-13 it says,

(12) Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, (13) while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (NKJV)

So, this is nothing new under the sun. However, I believe what most Christians fail to realize is that the very church they attend or group they attend for fellowship can have individuals who will do the same.  What are you talking about Antoine?  My church has Christians in it and while not all visitors are saved, everyone else are all Christians.  This may or may not be true, but you are truly deceived if you believe that your congregation or group is immune from attack from the inside out. Paul goes on to tell the church and Ephesus this very same thing.

Acts 20:28-31  (28) Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God[c] which He purchased with His own blood. (29) For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. (31) Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. (NKJV)

This very same message that Paul shared with the Ephesians applies to us today.  Just because your church building have four walls does not make it immune.  It is not like getting under the covers to hide from the Boogie Man.  Satan and his cohorts, will not stop at the church door, snap his fingers and act like Swiper from Dora the Explorer:  "Awwww Man!" Just like that cartoon, that thought process is fictitious and will allow believers to be led astray from the inside, by people who tickle their ears.

People of Yahweh at a time such as this, it is not wise to be asleep.  We have to be awake and ready for all things that may and will come our way. We know that many believers will fall away, but we must be vigilant of the very thing that will let us put our guards down - being around other members of the church (see, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

Stay vigilant in these days to come!


Antoine E. Hall

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A Prayer for Boldness

We all could use some boldness but I think the Apostles in Acts gave the perfect example prayer for it. Boldness is defined as "the trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger...the quality of standing out strongly and distinctly" (TheFreeDictionary.com/boldness).  Let us take a queue from them and be truly bold for Yahweh.

Acts 4:24-30 

“(24)...Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, (25) who by the mouth of Your servant David[b] have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? (26) The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ (27) “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together (28) to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. (29) Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, (30) by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (NKJV)

 Antoine E. Hall

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By Their Fruit

The wise counsel of the Pharisee Gamaliel should be considered by many.  The counsel was trying their best to cause harm to Peter and John for preaching in the temple but they did not stop it.  Their work was from Yahweh and not from man.  The same is applicable today.  You can test the fruit of someone's works and if it is not of Yahweh, it will be evident in due time.

"...And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God."

http://bible.com/114/act.5.38-39.nkjv

Be Blessed.

Antoine E. Hall

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The Purpose of Christ: The Holy Spirit

(1) When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord[a] in one place. (2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (3) Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  - Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)

Image courtesy of WikiMedia.org

It has nearly been two weeks since Christians around the United States celebrated the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  As such, this was a great opportunity to address each part of the celebration of Yeshua.  First we talked about the cross. For that blog post visit,

http://toinebo.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-purpose-of-christ-cross.html

Then we talked about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ which can be found here:

http://toinebo.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-purpose-of-christ-death-burial.html

Today, we will look at the last and largely overlooked piece of the plan for the Son of God - the Holy Spirit.

In the grand scheme of things, there has been a plan since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against Yahweh, there was a plan in place to redeem man back to Himself.  It would be a long while before the full plan would be fulfilled, but the Father paved a way for us to get to where we are now.

Sin and the Law

First, man was given the Law of Moses.  "The Mosaic Law was a bilateral covenant made specifically for Israel alone to govern her life in the promised land. From the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen.12) we see Israel was a chosen nation, an instrument of God to become a channel of blessing to all nations. Yahweh was her Theocratic King who was to rule and guide the nation in her destiny that she might not become polluted or contaminated by other nations and could thus fulfill her purpose. For this the Mosaic Law was instituted to direct Israel as a nation in all spheres of her life—morally, socially, politically, economically and religiously" (The Mosaic Law: Its Function and Purpose in the New Testament, Bible.org).  In addition, the the law revealed the people's sin to them and as such, they had to atone for those sins.

About five years ago, I did a study on the different types of offerings in Leviticus and one of those was the sin offering.  Rather than duplicating efforts, I will copy a snippet from that blog entry:

The reason for the sin offering was for the atonement of the people. TheFreeDictionary.com defines atonement as "[a]mends or reparation made for an injury or wrong".  In looking at all of Leviticus 4 and 5:1-13, you will notice that blood is the key ingredient in which God requires to be burnt. The Burnt, Meat, and Peace Offerings were all ones that were voluntary and provided a sweet-savory aroma for the Lord.  The Sin and Tresspass (which we'll discuss the next time) Offerings did no such thing.

"He is merciful and will forgive based on Christ's sacrifice, which these offerings represent, but even though He accepts the offerings, He takes no satisfaction in sin".1

Therefore, there would have been no communion with God on that occasion.  At least in this case, "[n]o restitution was necessary because of the nature of the sin."2  (Leviticus Lessons: Offerings V; also see Leviticus 4; 5:1-13)

The key is the part which talks about Yahweh's acceptance of the offering, but there was no satisfaction of it.  No matter how many times this was done, the Israelites still could not restore themselves back to Yahweh.  The only sacrifice that would satisfy the Father was that of the Passover Lamb, which was without sin.

Fulfillment of the Law

We have heard that Yeshua died for our sins and this was definitely preached on Easter or Resurrection Sunday.  But, it should be explained WHY we no longer live in sin and how we are free from the penalty of sin. Something important to remember is that the Christ was sent to fulfill the Law.  He tells us this Himself.

Matthew 5:17-18  (17) “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (18) For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (NKJV)

What does this mean?  It means that He came to complete the law; put a period on it; end a chapter in the lives of those who were under the Law. Yeshua fulfilled the law because He was the only one who could walk perfectly in the law and uphold all of the law.  The moment He died, the law died with Him.  In addition, the veil of the temple was torn which meant, everyone had access to Yahweh again.

"The veil of the temple was torn in two: The veil was what separated the holy place from the most holy place in the temple. It was a vivid demonstration of the separation between God and man. Notably, the veil was torn from top to bottom, and it was God who did the tearing" (JESUS' TRIAL, DEATH, AND BURIAL, David Guzik :: Study Guide for Matthew 27).  

After Christ's death, we know that He walked among the people for a short while.  He was seen by various people, including the disciples to confirm that He had risen from death (see, Luke 24:36-37).  Even at this point, there was a piece of the plan that had not been executed.  The Law had been fulfilled, but now what?

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

If you recall, the Mosaic Law was put into place to guide the Israelites and to reveal their sins. However, since Christ fulfilled the law, what were those who lived by Yahweh to do?  By this point, I am sure you know where we are headed.  It was the promise of the Holy Spirit that completes the plan of Yahweh.

John 16:5-8  (5) “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ (6) But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. (7) Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. (8) And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  (NKJV)

Yeshua told the disciples this before He died, but they did not understand what was happening.  We see in Luke 24 that they were afraid when He reappeared before them.  It was at this point that He would help them to understand why He had to die and what was to come:

Luke 24:44-49  (44) Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (45) And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  (46) Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[h] from the dead the third day, (47) and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And you are witnesses of these things. (49) Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem[i] until you are endued with power from on high.” (NKJV)

Here, the promise is the Holy Spirit.  It is this Spirit that would fall down on the disciples like a mighty rushing wind that made them speak in the tongues of their own language (see, Acts 2:1-4).   However, this could not happen until Yeshua ascended into heaven to be with the Father.

The Purpose of the Holy Spirit

Today, many will ask the Holy Spirit to help them, but I do not believe many understand the purpose behind Him.  See, the Holy Spirit is now what guides man since there is no need for the Mosaic Law. The Law was completed when Yeshua died for our sins. By Him ascending into heaven and sending the Holy Spirit we were given the will of the Father!  Thus, we have a new covenant with Yahweh and are all reconciled back to Him!  There are numerous scriptures that show us this.

Hebrews 10:8-10  (8) Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), (9) then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.”[b] He takes away the first that He may establish the second. (10) By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  (NKJV)

The first that is taken away is the Law.  The second is established by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in man.

Romans 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (NKJV)

The law is no longer our prosecutor, but we now live under Yahweh's grace.

Galatians 3:19-25  (19) What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. (20) Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. (21) Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. (22) But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (23) But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. (24) Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  (NKJV)

I thought it good to share a good portion of Galatians here to add context, but verses 24 & 25 sums things up really well.

One might ask about the moral law. Doesn't that mean anything?  Well, we are still not allowed to steal, covet, or lust, but this is not because of the Law.  It is because we NOW know the will of the Father through the Holy Spirit that resides in us.  If we know Yahweh's will and intentions, then there is no need for the law.  Besides, scripture tells us that we are no longer under the law. We are not to cherry pick the laws which we want to apply because they seem good to us.  We are either under the law (death) or have the Holy Spirit (life) and if we are saved we are called to live by grace. The law doesn't apply to us.  For more in depth information on the Law, I would highly encourage you to read, Laying Down the Law, by Joseph Herrin. You can download a copy here:

http://www.heart4god.ws/index_htm_files/Laying%20Down%20the%20Law.pdf


Wrapping Things Up

It is interesting that most people do not realize that Yeshua actually lived under the Law of Moses until he began his ministry. He grew up in the same times and place where the Law was in enforced. It was not until He was baptized, that he began to live by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:13-17  (13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. (14) And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” (15) But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. (16) When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He[c] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. (17) And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (NKJV)

At this point, Christ is walking among the law-keepers with the Holy Spirit.  This is why He was able to do things like heal on the Sabbath.  He knew the Father's will because He was living by the Holy Spirit!!  The law did not matter to Him because it was ultimately Yahweh's will that prevailed and He continued living by the Spirit even unto death.  For example, just before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed the following:  "...Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will" (Mark 14:36, NKJV).

Yeshua is our perfect example of living by the Holy Spirit.  If we have been truly baptized by the Spirit and not by water alone, then we too will know the Father's will (see, Acts 19:1-6).  This is very important to remember as many may have been led to believe in Christ on the celebration of His resurrection two weeks ago.  It is my prayer they understand the symbolism of water baptism, but more importantly that they are baptized in the Spirit as Paul discussed in Acts 19:1-6.  If this is so, then one will be able to see and understand that going to the cross was not enough.  We needed Yeshua to die, be resurrected, ascend to heaven AND have the Holy Spirit come, so that the will of the Father could be known to us throughout our walk in Christ to the end.

Be blessed!

Antoine E. Hall

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The Purpose of Christ: Death, Burial, Resurrection

In the last blog post, I talked about the importance of the cross and how we must be careful not to turn it into an idol.  As we continue on this journey to understanding the purpose of Christ, we now take the next step in looking at His death, burial, and resurrection.  I know what you are thinking. We already know about these things, right? Well, I am sure that you do, however, I will attempt to dig a little deeper in understanding when the Messiah died and rose.

Many Christians have already participated in Holy Weeks around the country in the US with the "meat" of the celebration kicking off on Good Friday.  It all ended with a climatic Sunday stating that He has risen!  While the thought behind this is genuine and there is nothing wrong with honoring the resurrection of the Christ, there is something that we as Westerners miss.  Let's start by looking at the Passover.

The Passover

Courtesy of Wikimedia.org

The Passover is a Feast that was supposed to be celebrated every year by the Israelites.  In order to explore this, we must first go back to Exodus 12 where Passover was put into place by Yahweh. Exodus 12:1-11 says, 

(1) Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, (2) “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. (3) Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. (4) And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. (5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. (6) Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. (7) And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. (8) Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (9) Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. (10) You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. (11) And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. (NJKV)

This gives us the rules in which the Israelites were to observe the Passover.  The beauty about these passages is that they also help us to better understand the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua.  We will get to more on that later, but let's first lay a little ground work.

May times when we read the bible, our brains naturally translate words and their meanings into how we understand them in today's time and culture.  However, this is sometimes a mistake. We have to put ourselves into the time the scriptures were written and what was happening then.  We must also get a better understanding of the customs during those times.  So, if we look at the previous passage of Exodus you will notice verses 2, 3, and 6 contain the words "month".  When we think of this, we immediately think of our calendar today, which is the Gregorian Calendar.   This is a mistake as during biblical times, the Israelites used the Hebrew (or Jewish) calendar which is not a one to one match with the Gregorian Calendar.  This alone will start to shed some light on a few things.  

On the Jewish calendar, the first month of the year is called Nisan.  On the Gregorian Calendar, this falls in the later part of March through beginning portion of April.  This is why you have the celebration of the resurrection of Christ during the end of March and/or beginning of April. Also, there is something to say about a Jewish calendar day compared to a Gregorian calendar day. Whereas our day starts at 12:00 am (midnight) and ends at 11:59 pm, the Hebrew day starts at dusk and ends at dusk.

The Hebrew day (yom) begins at sundown, when three stars become visible in the sky (the rabbis reasoned that the day begins at sunset based on the description of God's activity in creation, "and the evening and the morning were the first day," Genesis 1:5). Evening is sometimes defined as the late afternoon, that is, between 3:00pm to sundown"("The Jewish Calendar", Hebrew for Christians)

With that said, now let's look closer at the Passover. In Leviticus 23:1-8, it says,

(1) And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. (3) ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. (4) ‘These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. (5) On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. (6) And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. (7) On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. (8) But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’” (NKJV)

The Lord made it a law that the Passover would be a holy convocation, or a Sabbath day.  If we understand anything from the present day, there has been confusion on what day was actually the Sabbath.  It was not Sunday as this was something instituted by the Catholic church, but that is for another discussion.   The Hebrew weekly Sabbath day was on the seventh day of the week which would be at sundown on Friday evening, going into Saturday, and lasting until twilight of Saturday evening.   However, we can see here that the feasts are treated as special Sabbath days as well and not necessarily the normal "Saturday" or seventh day Sabbath.  This is important to remember as we investigate death and resurrection of Yeshua.


Christ, the Passover Lamb

Up to this point we have looked at the Hebrew months as well as the Passover as being a Sabbath day.  If we recall, it is on the 14th day of Nisan that the lamb is slain at twilight which is the Lord's Passover. (see, Exodus 12:6-8, Leviticus 23:5).   This is where we draw the parallels from the old Mosaic Law to the promise of the Messiah and His purpose.  Yeshua is known as the Lamb of God and also referred to as the Passover or Passover Lamb.

1 Peter 1:17-19  (17) And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; (18) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (NKJV)

John 1:29-31  (29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ (31) I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 5:6-8  (6) Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (7) 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. (8) Therefore 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.  (NKJV)

Yes, HE is the Lamb of God and this brings us to my final thoughts.  Yes, I am sure that you already knew who He was and what He did.  However, I would be negligent if I did not talk about "Good Friday" and Christ rising on Sunday.

In many churches on this past Sunday, Christians (and non-Christians) went to hear about the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua.  It is always said that it is on Good Friday that He died and that on Sunday He rose, but let's stop and think for a minute.  If you count from Friday to Sunday, that is only two days!  This would seem to contradict things when preachers say "on the third day he rose!"   Well, it is not the preachers, ministers or pastors who this seems to contradict, but rather the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4  (3) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (NKJV)

Matthew 12:40  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (NKJV)

The Word does not lie and Yahweh does not contradict Himself, so what is the problem?  The problem is the misunderstanding that feast days can also be Sabbath days.   We can look no further than at Mary Magdalene going to the the tomb of Christ.

Matthew 28:1-7  (1) Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. (2) And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. (3) His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. (4) And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. (5) But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. (6) He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (7) And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” (NKJV)

The first day of the week for the Hebrews would have begun after the Sabbath (Saturday sundown) and on into Sunday.  We know that as the Passover Lamb, Yeshua would have to had died at twilight on the 14th of Nisan (see, Exodus 12:6-8, Leviticus 23:5).  For more evidence of this, we have to look at biblical account of the trial and death of Christ.  The Jews wanted Him dead before the Passover because remember it was a special Sabbath and time of rest.  As such, He was tried, crucified and died on the day of Preparation (just before the Passover) just as an unblemished lamb would have been killed on the 14th of Nisan.

Luke 23:50-54  (50) Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. (51) He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. (52) This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. (53) Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. (54) That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. (NKJV)

It would seem that Matthrew 28:1-7 and Luke 23:50-54 would contradict themselves.  It is not possible that Jesus rose the day after the Passover.  This is not possible at all.  Again, what we have to realize and understand is that the Passover was a special Sabbath day.  Given this, it is easy to figure out when Yeshua really died.

If He rose on the 1st day of the week (our Sunday), then you count backwards three days.  That leads us to our Wednesday day time. Let's look at this and compare the Gregorian Days with the Hebrew Days

Now that we understand that Hebrew days begin at dusk, we can visually see how the days overlap with Gregorian days.  Also, this allows us to see the how the special Sabbath feast can occur just before the regular weekly Sabbath day.  This helps to explain how Mary went to the tomb on the first day of the week, after the weekly Sabbath.  In addition, we now can see that it was not possible for Yeshua to have died on Friday because it does not equate to Him rising on the third day.

It is always a good think to recognize where you came from and where you are going.  In this case, it is good to recognize what Christ means to the Christian.  He was the sacrificial lamb for all of us and was the Passover.  As such, we do not have to keep the Feast of Passover along with all the other Mosaic Laws that He fulfilled.  In the midst of understanding all of this it is equally as important to get the timing of His actual death, burial and resurrection correct.  He has risen, but that is not the end.  There is still more that Christ did after he ascended into heaven to be back with the Father, Yahweh.

Stay tuned.....

Be blessed folks,

Antoine

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The Purpose of Christ: The Cross

During this time of the year, many people are into the home stretch of preparing for Easter weekend. For many it is a joyous time that is spent with family and/or friends.  For a lot of Christians, it is time to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Yeshua) the Christ.  In this writing I hope to bring some things to your attention that you may have never realized as well as help reinforce what you may already know.  In all that we do in remembrance of Him, we should always do it with the right frame of mind.

The Cross

Courtesy of Wikimedia.org

There is no way that we can talk about the Messiah without referencing the cross.  It can be seen and used in many different ways and I will name a few:

• ...on top of churches, 
• ...hanging on walls
• ...on license plates
• ...as jewelry
• ...as tattoos on people's bodies

The list could go on and on but I will stop there.  For many people, the image of the cross instantly stands for something.  Wearing or displaying a cross means that they are Christian and this is where I wish to address a few things.

In Yeshua's time and even in parts of the world today, the cross is anything but a happy show of support for Christianity.  It was merely wood hammered together in the shape of a cross and it's sole purpose was to cause a slow and painful death.

"Crucifixion is a form of slow and painful execution in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead. It is principally known from antiquity, but remains in occasional use in some countries." (Crucifixion, Wikipedia)

"Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution practiced in the Roman Empire and neighboring Mediterranean cultures, such as the Persian Empire, where a person was nailed to a large wooden cross or stake and left to hang until dead. Contrary to popular belief, those crucified did not die through loss of blood but through asphyxiation as they could no longer hold themselves up to breathe." (Crucifixion, New World Encyclopedia)

As you can see, the thought of crucifixion was no joy ride in the park.  In addition it was not something that was desired by anyone.  It was truly a tool used for slowly watching someone die a painful death. This helps us to put some context around what it means when Yeshua tells us to take up our cross and follow him.

In Mark 10, we find that a young rich man asks Christ what must he do to have eternal life.

Mark 10:17-22  "(17) Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (18) So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. (19) You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”  (20) And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”  (21) Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (22) But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (NKJV)

I wanted to share the entire exchange, so that one can understand the context of the conversation.  We see that in verse 21, Christ tells the young rich man that while he met all the other requirements under the Law of Moses, there was something larger that needed to be done.  He needed to sell everything, pick up his cross and follow Him, however, we see in the next verse that he could not bring himself to do it.  The part that pained him was selling everything, but something I believe most believers typically miss is the "taking up of the cross" part.  I believe the rich man missed this part as well because he was too distraught with having to lose all his wealth as a pre-condition to following Yeshua.

As previously discussed, going to die on a cross meant to be put to death. Not only that, but it was a slow and painful death. In addition, it was a  humiliating way to die because you were hung for all the people to see and mock you.  What Yeshua told the young man was a foreshadowing of what would happen to Him and as believers, we are called to die to ourselves in order to have Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says,

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (NKJV)

In order to become a new creation, all the old things must be "passed away".  Again, there is a reference to dying in order to following Christ.  I ran across an article that does a great job of summing up what has been discussed thus far and below is an excerpt:

"When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop. 

Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. Because the Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death. 

Therefore, “Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus." ("What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me”?", GotQuestions.org )

There is nothing wrong with recognizing the cross and remembering it as something on which Christ died.  However, we must not forget that there were a slew of people who died on crosses just as the Messiah (ie, the two thieves who were hung with Him).

We are called to die to ourselves just as Yeshua died on the cross.  This is the memory which should be invoked when we think of the cross.  Most people do not think of dying at all and in fact run from the idea even if it is meant spiritually.  Wanting Yeshua, without being willing to recognize our death that is involved, is completely missing the point and that is what the cross represents.  The cross is a symbol of one dying in the flesh, or to our will, in order to achieve an eternal life that is greater than this one.   Because of this, if we aren't careful, the cross will simply become an idol and nothing more.

Be easy folks and be blessed.

Antoine E. Hall

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Shaking Things Up a Little

Good evening folks,

I wish to share with you a writing dating back to October 2008.  Occasionally, I go back through old writings to see how far Yahweh has brought me.  Sometimes I check to see if things were just as relevant back then as they are today.  I started my blog back in 2010, so there are quite a few that never made it up here.

It is funny how we tend to forget the lessons that we've learned over the years.  Life teaches us many things and we have ups and downs - peaks and valleys.  The thing is that in the valleys we are seeking a word of wisdom but in the peaks, we forget the wisdom that was imparted within us in the valley.  With that, I wish to share this writing as I hope to help someone as well as remind myself that Yahweh is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  As a FYI, WFTD stands for Word For The Day.  It was a Yahoo Group where some family and friends used to share some words of encouragement for about 4+ years, beginning in 2005.

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Today, I want to pick up where Ryan left off on yesterday's WFTD. He talked about how we have to wait on the Lord when you go to Him in prayer on direction and your purpose in life. Now, lets fast-forward a little to where God starts to give you a response.

The thing that confuses us most is that God does not always give us the answer to our questions the way that we like. Sometimes it is not what we want to hear. Sometimes he takes his time and spread it out over time. Sometimes it could be both! Why is that you wonder? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! *LOL*. No, but really, sometimes what He has to say, you may not be prepared to accept. However, you can digest little chunks at a time. It's like you tell a child, "stop taking big bites....take small ones and you can chew it easier" (at least that's what we tell ours). The same applies here.

In Proverbs 3:11-12 (KJV) it says:

(11) My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: (12) For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Sometimes before God can move you to a different level or take you through a new door, He may have to pull you back for a bit and shake things up a little. What do you mean Antoine? Well it's like this, if you are traveling down the highway and you miss your exit, you don't keep traveling down the highway for miles and miles in an unknown direction do you? No, you pull over to regroup. You then figure out how you need to get back on track and implement the plan to do so. The steps here were:

1. Stop 
2. Step Back 
3. Learn from mistake and regroup 
4. Implement new plan 

Now apply this to your walk with Christ and it is no different. In order for us to hear God, He sometimes need to pull us back to a "quiet" place so we can be still. It wasn't that God did not speak before, however, we were not in a mode of listening or comprehending what He was trying to tell us. Once we are still, God then can allow you to step back for a minute. In this moment of stepping back, it can be revealed to you what God has for you. However, before you move on to step #4, you must endure the correction of the Lord. Like yesterday's WFTD says, when you pray be prepared for an answer because the one you receive may not be the one you were anticipating. That is all apart of growth and as anyone knows, sometimes growth can have some pains. Once you've endured your chastening, correction, and love by the Lord, then you go on to step #4 - go on to your new direction in the Kingdom of God. Wash, rinse, & repeat because God is in the business of opening and closing doors.

In the grand scheme of things, just be prepared to have God to rustle your feathers a little bit. In order to get you to where you are going, He has to make you recognize where you currently are and your current state just may not be as you imagined it to be.

Be blessed gang and have a good one.
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Regards,

Antoine E. Hall

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." - 2 Samuel 22:33

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No Seeds, No Harvest

Originally Written on Wed Jul 8, 2009

Good morning family. I hope that you all are doing well on this fine Hump Day!

 ...[Edit:  The scripture that I originally used for this post was not used in the correct context.  As such, it has been deleted, but for the readers information, it was Matthew 13:24-30]...

If you don't know (or do know), this year was the first year that we, The Halls, have started gardening. I had been talking about doing it for years and had never done it. This year, we finally got the gears in motion, to get it done. For me, it has become a pet project because the gardening aspect is almost soothing and relaxing in a way. However, this morning as I leaned against the glass door and looked at it, the Holy Spirit spoke something else to me that never crossed my mind. In short. If you never plant a seed, you can never expect a harvest. This pertains to the garden, but it is a lot larger than the garden. It applies to all aspects of our lives.

All Talk, No Action

If you recall, I said I had been talking about gardening for years but that's it. We all can talk a good game and we all have lots of great intentions in our lives, but if all we do is talk then we have done nothing but blown hot air. I hate to say that about myself but if the shoe fits.....As long as we continue to talk about the things we would like to do, or desire, or enjoy it'll be just that...talk only. In order to get going, we must first get started and sometimes [we'll do many forms of self-sabotage to] convince [ourselves] why [we] shouldn't get started.

Planting the Seed

Well if we've gotten past the lip action, we've started to sow seed. We've at least gotten started which is a step past where we were. In life we often have lofty goals, but majority of the time, we never get started. If we can plant the seed then we can at least step back and feel some sort of progress has been made.

Cultivation

I think we all wish everything was as easy as an infomercial -- "Set it and forget it" -- but we know life is hardly ever that easy. This is just the same with the garden. If we just tossed seeds out and never did anything else to them, chances are we probably will not be able to reap a harvest. While going through the growing process, any seeds we plant have to be nurtured. Weeds will try to creep into your garden. Birds will try to eat your seed. Some seeds just will not grow because they are duds, however, this is out of your control. A lot of the times it will be a constant battle and some you will lose but some you will win. What is important is that you are caring for your crop. The more you do, the more you learn, and the better you are equipped to care for your garden. For example, I had no idea that tomatoes and egg plant can carry a disease that be harmful to other fruit such as strawberries if sown in the same soil. Chances are that if we had never started gardening I would not know this nice little tid bit.

Reaping Your Harvest

We are in the sit and wait phase on most of our crop (while cultivating of course), but we've been eating strawberries for about 2 months now! The other items are still growing, but it's been a good learning curve and nurturing going on. Every day there may be a different thing to do, but thanks to sowing the initial seeds, we have an expectation that a harvest will come. In due time, we will be eating out of the majority of the vegetables from our garden.

Now what does this have to do with anything you may ask? Try replacing the seeds you plant into the ground with the seeds of your life. Is there something you've always wanted to do but have never done it? Well the seeds are in you, you just have to plant them to get started. If you never get started on anything you wanted to do in life, you will never be able to look back at the starting line or see the finish line. There will be obstacles to hender your progress, but you have to keep pressing on until the growing cycle is finished. For me, I am now in an "Expectation" mode because I have planted first and now I see the finish line in sight. However, if I never got started, I would never have this expectation that there will be a harvest. Getting past the starting point can be a big hurdle because of life's circumstances and/or just plain excuses, but the key is to start. If you start, your expectations may drive you to a harvest time.

Be blessed folks and have a good one.

Regards,

Antoine E. Hall

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." - 2 Samuel 22:33

* Seed Image Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

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The Responsibility of Wisdom

Learning is a great thing, but the one problem that some have with gaining new knowledge is the new responsibility.  That means we have to be accountable for that new wisdom even when it means we have to change what we think is a major part of our lives.  We could choose to ignore the knew knowledge but wisdom tells us that this action would be foolish.  Which shall you be?  Will you be wise or will you be foolish?

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