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.

----------- snip -----------
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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Pruning in the Lives of Christians

Pruning.  I have been sitting on this topic for a year and a half now, but I believe the timing is just as fitting now than it would have been then.  Honestly, my hesitation was primarily due to the fact that what must be said affects me just as much as it does you.  No matter the difficulty or whether I am as ready as I wish, I must be obedient to the Holy Spirit.  I will not delay this any longer, so, let's talk about it.

(Courtesy of Wikimedia)

What does it mean to prune something? To prune something means,

To cut off or remove dead or living parts or branches of (a plant, for example) to improve shape or growth...[t]o remove or cut out as superfluous ([b]eing beyond what is required or sufficient) - (see pruning) 

Have you ever planted a vegetable garden?  If so, directions on the package of seeds instructed you plant a few together with a certain amount spacing between them.  Later, you would have to prune (or cut back or down) the other plants, so that your row of plants will have enough room to grow. The purpose of the pruning is to ensure better or desired growth for that plant or tree.  I have grown a couple of gardens before and I have learned a few things from it as well. For example, I have thrown a bunch of tomato seeds in the ground and didn't prune at all.  I ended up with a nice produce, but things grew out of control and vines were all over the place.  Some of the other plants in the garden box were not as strong as the tomatoes.  I probably could have ended up with a better yield of everything had I followed the instructions to place the seeds the right amount of space apart and pruned where needed. You'd be surprised at what you can learn through gardening!

The beautiful thing about this is that pruning not only relates to physical gardening, but it also relates directly to our spiritual walk with Yeshua as well. In John 15:1-6, it says:

(1) Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. (2) He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit. He also trims every branch that produces fruit to prepare it to produce even more. (3) You have already been prepared to produce more fruit by the teaching I have given you. (4) Stay joined to me and I will stay joined to you. No branch can produce fruit alone. It must stay connected to the vine. It is the same with you. You cannot produce fruit alone. You must stay joined to me. (5) "I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. (6) If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned." (ERV)

So, let's break those verses down into three sections.

Roles

In verses 1-3, Yeshua, immediately gives us His identity and then identifies Yahweh the Father.  The Father is the gardener and the Son is the true vine.  We as followers of Christ are the branches.  A gardener takes full care of his plants and takes the necessary steps to ensure that they get the maximum production out of them. While pruning is one out of many things that must be done, it is still necessary to trim back the branches in preparation of producing the fruit.  This means that if you are not producing fruit (doing what has been commanded of you) as a branch, you will be cut off from Christ.


Connected to the Vine

In verses 4-5, Yeshua stresses the importance of staying connected to Him.  He tells us that we are nothing by ourselves.  I am pretty sure, that many of you can attest to trying to do it alone without Him and the mess from which you are probably still trying to recover.  There is no way we can be fruitful, if we are disconnected from the True Vine.  Yeshua wants a healthy relationship with each of us, but that means we have to remain healthy branches in order to stay in relationship with Him. He has already given us the promise of being fruitful, we just have to do our part.


What Happens to The Separated

Verse 6 pretty much sums everything up.  You have seen branches that are trimmed from trees.  You have seen what happens to dead portion of trees and plants that go by the wayside.  They are separated from the healthy part of the plant, so that the rest of the plant continues to thrive. If you have ever seen a fire started, you know that it is started with dry material.  You don't start it with healthy living material.  Dry wood is something which has been separated from the living plant for quite some time.  This is why campers and people with wood-burning stoves or fireplaces seek out dry wood to start fires.  Simply put - dead wood burns better.  This is what Yeshua tells us.  If you become separated from Him, you become like kindling for a fire.


What does this means for you and I?  Well, it means quite a bit.  You see, a branch on a vine, typically has its own little branches as well. We should be connected to the True Vine all the while being fruitful, however, we as branches need to continuously prune things in our lives.  If you leave dying branches on a plant, it will eventually cause harm to the rest of the tree. One article states that you should "[r]emove dead, damaged and diseased branches to help prevent insect & decay organisms from entering the tree." ("Why, When, & How to Prune Your Trees").

Folks, the Gardner (Yahweh) WILL NOT let the Vine (Yeshua) and the true church be damaged or diseased by branches that are not producing fruit.  In addition, those who chose to go against His will are subject to being trimmed as well.  As such, we as followers, should not allow anything to cause us to be cut away from the True Vine.  This means that we have to make some decisions in our lives - some easy, some medium-sized and some difficult. If you know that there are stumbling blocks in your life, then it is simple - prune them from your life.  However, it gets difficult when the Holy Spirit instructs us to cut things out of our lives that we have become use to having, like:

• TV Entertainment
• Habits (coffee, cigarettes, etc.) 
• Hobbies
• Things (houses, cars, games, etc.)
• Friends
• Family
• And many more things...

The two on the list that may cause the most heartburn for folks are friends and family. I understand it, because we are use to those who are close to us, especially family.  I have had the same struggles as well just as many others on this Christian walk.  How do you just cut them off?  How do you cut off the ones that have brought you through thick and thin? How do you cut off grandmothers, aunts, or uncles who may have raised you?  What about the ones who birthed you?  I do not have that answer for your situation or the words for you to say (should it come to that), but I can only point you back to scripture. In Matthew 12:46-50, Yeshua tells us His true family:

(46) While Jesus was talking to the people, his mother and brothers stood outside. They wanted to talk to him. (47) Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside. They want to talk to you." (48) Jesus answered, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" (49) Then he pointed to his followers and said, "See! These people are my mother and my brothers. (50) Yes, anyone who does what my Father in heaven wants is my true brother and sister and mother." (ERV)

Our commandments are to stay connected to (and love) Yeshua and Love people as He loves them.  Then, we are commanded to share the gospel.  Those are our jobs, but listen - everyone cannot and will not accept the Word in its entirety. Doing the parts that benefit us comes easy.  The part that causes us heartache and sacrifice is a different story for many others. We cannot think that those before us who were righteous can also gift us an easy Christian walk and connection to the Vine. Sunday morning service does not guarantee you a constant connection to the Vine. Your parents' relationship with Yeshua, does not guarantee you constant connection with the Vine.  It is your own walk which determines your connection to the Vine.  As such there will come a time where we must make a choice as it pertains to our direct relationship. We will have to chose to either stand up for the Messiah or not.  Unfortunately, this may mean some emotional decisions for many of us (I included). The question is where will you stand?  Will you stand with the Son or will you stand against Him?

We have to realize that pruning in our spiritual walk is also a constant health check on our relationship with Christ.  You do not want anything in this life to jeopardize your eternal life after this flesh is gone.  So, I end with this last question:  What do you need to start pruning from your life today?

Decisions. Decisions.

Be blessed folks.


Antoine E. Hall

Updated: January 21, 2020

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Let Your Actions Speak

Fig Tree - Image courtesy of 
Stoonn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Luke 6:43-45  "(43) For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. (44) For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. (45) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (NKJV)

Like the fruit of a tree, your work can tell people what you are about.  You may know people who do a lot of talking and a lot less showing of what they say they can do.  However, you may know others who are as quiet as a mouse and their good "fruit" speaks volumes about them.

Whether on your job, in the church, or simply interacting with random people, some have the tendency to garner great titles, but their actions seem to not make them worthy of those titles.  For example, today there seems to be an explosion of folks who call themselves prophets or prophetess.  In fact, they insist that the title be included on any literature where their name is printed.  The problem is that in the majority of the cases, these are self-appointed titles.  A prophet is known by his or her works with those works not contradicting the Word of God.  It is not a matter of simply scribbling the adjective in front of the person's name, but rather the action of the individuals.

The same can be translated into the work place as well.  Because you hold a certain title on your job, it does not mean you are completely worthy and entitled to the title.  Your work must prove your worthiness of the title and the fruit of your labor will show yourself worthy of the title.  By this, your co-workers and/or employees can honestly measure you and agree/disagree of your worthiness.  It is not to say that every person will agree that you or anyone else belong where they are.  There will always be those who think others do not belong where they are, purely for selfish reasons.  Generally speaking, your reputation will precede itself.

At the end of the day, I urge you to be concerned with your actions and your hard work. Let it all speak for itself.  You do not have to make claims about what you are or what you can do.  You do not have to grab the fanciest title and slap it in front (or behind) your name.  Even if your title does not fit the description of what you do, others will notice the good fruit that you produce.  Simply, let your actions speak for you and people will always know you by your fruit.

Antoine E. Hall

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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The Art of Self-Deception

About 8 years ago, I read a book called, "Why I Am A Christian" by Norman L. Gesler & Paul K. Hoffman.  It was some pretty tough reading as it is a methodical book, but it had some very good information in it.

In it, was a chapter called, Why I am Not an Atheist.  It was about a man who was raised in a Christian home as a child, later became an atheist and was then lead back to Christ.  He explained this topic from his own personal experience. As such, he started talking about how an atheist would deceive themselves into believing what they want even though they have knowledge otherwise. Below is a excerpt from this chapter:

"Self-deception means playing dumb. It means pretending to ourselves that we don't know what we really do; it means playing at being ignorant though we are really in the know. I suggest that we human beings play dumb with God. We lie to ourselves, and one of the things we lie about is our knowledge of his reality. Psalm 14 opens with a remark that is often misunderstood: 'The fool says in his heart There is no God.' The psalmist is not calling the man a fool for thinking there is no God but for telling himself there is no God, though deep in his mind he knows better. Unbelievers do not disbelieve, they reject".

What? OK, so let's get this straight. Humans can play dumb with Yahweh?! Well, in short - yes! Think about it.  Let's go beyond the atheist and look at it in a different perspective.   Every time you know that God says turn right and you "pretend" not to hear Him and you turn left, you are playing dumb. If you know the Holy Spirit told you to stop eating deep fried food when you know you have digestive problems, why do you continue to do it?

One thing about this concept is that the enemy knows if he can get you to question Yahweh's existence and/or will, he has a foothold in the door. If he can kindly assist you into ignoring what you know to be true, then he got you. All you have to do, is turn on a television, listen to the news, are read the internet.  People are bashing Yahweh's existence and believe that man has all the answers.  You are told that man is the superior being of reason, right?  In fact, some will read this and say that I and all those who believe in fairy tales are foolish.  We are not being reasonable for believing such things.  Some will say that we are not living in the real world and need to live in the modern world.  Well, I think Romans 1:19-21 says it best:

"(19) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. (20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (21) because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (NKJV)

No one can deny Yahweh's existence.  In the end, if no one else knows, you know in the back of your mind what's right and true.  When you deceive yourself, you reject God and to reject Him is foolish.

Antoine E. Hall

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Riches Are Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 5:8-18 (NIV)
BibleGateWay.com

"(8) If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.

(9) The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

(10) Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.

(11) As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?

(12) The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.

(13) I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,

(14) or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.

(15) Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.

(16) This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?

(17) All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.

(18) This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.

(19) Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.

(20) They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart."

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Permission Based Invasion

Now who in their right mind would give someone else permission to invade their territory? When you give someone permission to invade your space, you are opening up a can of worms. For example, "how long will they stay?", "what will they be doing?", "will they overstep the bounds of your permission?"  Of course there has to be a better explanation for this though.  Again, who really gives some other entity permission to invade their space?  After all, to invade something means, "[t]o enter by force in order to conquer or pillage" (from TheFreeDictionary Online, "Invade").  Well, let's put a spiritual twist on this topic.

Satan would love nothing more than to invade your territory.  He would love to conquer and plunder you, but you must first give him the permission. For a good example, I would like to go to the book of Job and look at the following verses:

Job 1:9-12: "(9) So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? (10) Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. (11) But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”  (12) And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord." (NKJV)

Here, we see a conversation between Yahweh and Satan. We know it is about Job, but I want to focus on verse 12.  In this verse, we see that the Lord gives Satan permission to test Job's faith. Yahweh gave him specific instructions on what he could and could not do to Job. If you read the previous verses, you will find the that the angels went to the Lord and Satan joined them (see Job 1:6). The conversation sounded like a parent talking to a child: "Boy where have you been", said the Lord. "Just walking around earth, checking things out", said Satan. "Have you checked out my man Job? He's a pretty faithful. I bet you can't break him!". That was pretty much how things got started, but because we know that Lord is the Alpha & the Omega and the King of Kings everything has to answer to Him.

If someone has been invaded and held captive by Satan and/or his minions, they still have to bow down to the triune God. Let's look at just one occasion where Jesus (Yeshua) healed a possessed man where in Mark 5, we see evil spirits beg to not be destroyed.

Mark 5:1-13: "(1) Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.(2) And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, (4) because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. (5) And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  (6) When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. (7) And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”  (8) For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” (9) Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” (10) Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  (11) Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. (12) So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” (13) And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea." (NKJV)

Yeshua came to earth and gave his life so we should have everlasting life.  He did not come so that we can be slapped around by the enemy and every false doctrine of the world.  If this is the case then, why do we allow the devil to invade us? It is only with our permission that he can do this. The enemy is cunning which means that you have to remain vigilant in your walk.  As a believer, Satan will not just walk up to you and ask for an invitation. Oh no no no. He will use other subtle ways like through your TV(just look what is acceptable now-a-days); through people; when your have a lot of times on your hands or what we call an idle mind. Believe it or not, the enemy can be at work right in your church through the twisting of scripture and directly from the pulpit.

The devil works over time. It's hard to punch the clock the same number of hours he does, but Yahweh keeps those who believe in Him. Isaiah 26:3, says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You" (NKJV).  When we lose focus on the One who can keep us,  then we start to open the door for the enemy. Stay on guard at all times and keep the triune God at the forefront of your life. This not a guarantee that the devil will not attempt continue to trip you up in your walk with Christ. In fact, he will try harder!  After all, this is Satan's nature.  He walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, so do not make yourself easy prey.

I will leave you with this.  You can take a lion cub, bring it into your home and raise it as though it was a domesticated dog, however, it is still becomes a 400+ pounds adult lion.  It may seem domesticated, but by its nature, it will jump at the opportunity to be a lion.  Stay alert folks!

Antoine E. Hall
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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