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My mentor in Christ came across this video on the Palm Tree. It is a fascinating teaching by Pastor Valdimir. I recommend you watch it, he is a very clear teacher. Watch the video before reading my commentary below.
Commentary
That our greatest success is we know Jesus and escape hell is very good. That our world’s defintion of success is not the truth, that you can have all the money and prestige but if you end uo in hell fire what good did it do you.? Very few people will preach on hell these days, even though as Vlad quotes, Jesus spoke of hell thirty-three times. So many pastors gloss over the Second Death (Revelation 20:10, 15) because they fear it will scare of congregants like Jonathan Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God.”
His exploration of how the palm tree cannot graft other trees into it or it dies and in the same way we cannot graft the world into us is supported by these verses “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2), “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you, “ (1 John 2:15) “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God,” (James 4:4), and “If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world..” (John 15:19). The Word Cburch or Kyrios Ecclesia means “Called Out of the World and to God.”
The fact that palm trees is chained when they grow can break the chains unlike other trees that embed the chain inside thr trunk and bark is a great analogy of how Christ shatters our chains, “He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains” (Psalm 107:14).
The parable that a snowflake alone when it touches our skin melts but if the snowflakes group together they shut down schools and transit is a great example of how we as Christians need each other, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near,” (Hebrews 10:25) and “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2). This particular analogy is hard to implement in the wake of CoVID-19 Pandemic and its resurgence. How are we the saints to gather in a storm of disease that prevents gathering or at the very least its risky. May Christ show us saints how to gather like snowflakes in safety.
That palm trees can only live in hot climates reminded me of what Christ said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16). Contrary common exegesis by pastors that this refers to a church thay had hot and cold springs, Jesus is saying either be hot, “on fire for Christ,” or cold, “wicked and a witness of destruction.” The cold or wicked show people that godlessness is death in many forms, but a lukewarm person is confusing, they make people confused by their fire for God and praticing sin, which is major no for the Church (1 John 3:8-10). Being lukewarm is a broken witness that causes doubt and confusion, it is like Pharisees, hypocrites who claimed they were hot for God, but were also cold in their wickedness , “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”(Matthew 23:27-28).
Having your roots go down deep in Christ so you are not shaken when you have bad circumstanced remonds me of Jesus saying, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We cannot stand unless firmly rooted in the Vine of our Lord.
Putting Sin to death is important. Christ has paid for all our sins, “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:1-2), but when we begin to fail to participate and practice bad habits and sins this happens, “So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin,” (1 Peter 4:1). However, be forewarned that if you intend to live a godly life you will be persecuted, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12). This is where I think Vlad could have done some more teaching, that the result of you trying to walk in The Way of Christ will make you a primary target of Satan, like you went from ordinary soldier to a Lieutenant or General. The enemy wants our witness to be crippled, he is content for us to be Lukewarm Christians who have God’s Grace but no fruit, np growth in the Lord. A teacher once said, “If Satan cannot stop a person from comverting to Christinaity, his next goal is to make sure that’s all you do, that you never grow and are a poor witness to the world.”
Overall, Vlad touched on some very mature aspects of our Christian walk without falling into the trap of works based (meriting) salvation. He does a good balancing act of we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and we should grow, mature, and regenerate. Its not often I find a teacher who is clear and balanced. I hope you enjoyed it. I thankful that this brother in Christ is out there teaching in such a concise and clear way the truths of Christ our Lord. Amen.
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