The Yeast of My Faith

Matthew 13:33

When my children were growing up, I loved to bake for them.  Mountains of cookies and tins of pies and cakes always adorned the countertops.  Their lunch bags rarely held a store-bought dessert, but contained homemade goodies, instead.   But what drew them the most to the kitchen was the aroma of freshly baked bread.  It was a common practice of mine to bake several loaves each week.  A old recipe given to me by a friend provided enough dough for seven loaves and often I would use some of it for cinnamon rolls - a favorite among the men in the household.  When just dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls were in order, I would turn to a sweet roll dough recipe given to me by an Aunt whose baking and cooking skills were touted in our extended family.

Baking a successful loaf of bread requires much diligent practice and adherence to the recipe.  The first time I made cinnamon rolls for my new husband, I unknowingly killed the yeast.  This means that the water I used to activate the yeast was too hot and prevented the dough from rising.  The result was a pan of rolls resembling hockey pucks.  However, my husband ate them, and I am sure he did so just to make me feel better about my unsuccessful attempt to please him.  I was more careful the next time and more determined that I learn everything necessary to make a good batch of dough.

As I mentioned earlier, it is the aroma of bread being prepared that sticks most in my mind.  If you have ever made your own bread, you know that without yeast, salt, and sugar the dough is tasteless and smells like bland flour paste.  It is the added ingredients that give it that wonderfully pungent aroma and delicious flavor.  And it is the yeast’s essence that drew my family into the kitchen where they would wait for that first warm, golden brown slice smothered in butter and jam.

My Mom once told me that, as she was growing up, her mother would heat fat in a pan, pull small lumps of freshly made dough from the ball, and fry them in the fat.  She called them “dough gods”; crispy, golden brown on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside.  It was a treat in an otherwise poor household that her family looked forward to with delight.

The most amazing process of bread baking is in the reaction of the ingredients.  One of the most essential parts is the yeast for, without it, the result would resemble my failed cinnamon rolls, or a flat and unleavened type of bread.  The word "yeast" in Scripture is often applied as a symbol of sin.  Just as a little yeast in a bowl of flour will cause it to grow into a larger amount, a little sin in a person’s life will also increase and eventually ruin it (Lev. 2:11; Matt 16:12).

However, yeast is also used as a positive symbol of growth.  The leaven that Jesus describes in Matthew 13:33 depicts an agent that is necessary in growing His kingdom.  The yeast, which can be substituted for His Word, was first viewed as insignificant, only affecting a few.  But as it permeated the whole batch, it began to enlarge and spread out and eventually impacted the entire world.

Just as the improper application of yeast in bread making can ruin the whole batch, the wrong use of it in our lives can create a very unpleasant stench to our Lord’s keen sense of smell.  Even our smallest sins will carry a sour and unpalatable aroma to heaven.  We may think that just a little will not hurt.  But in reality, it will seep into every grain of our makeup until it overpowers us, and the result is nothing more than a worthless lump of tasteless and discarded dough.

The aroma that drew my family to the kitchen is the same one I desire to present to the Lord.  I want the yeast of my faith to be a “fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Phil 4:18).

It is imperative that we carefully follow the instructions we are given in the recipe for successful witness.  If I inadvertently, or even intentionally, overheat the water I use to activate the yeast with which I am attempting to leaven others, the result could be disastrous.  If I fail to add the salt of faith , or the sweetness of Truth that flavors the dough, my hearer will be left with a bad taste in his mouth.  God's Word of Truth, His recipe for forgiveness and salvation, cannot be altered or suited to fit the world's perception of the Gospel.  It must be retained in its original purity in order for the aroma of its message to be pleasing to the Lord.   By attempting to add foreign or offensive ingredients, or remove a necessary one, the perfection of the loaf is damaged and He will find it inedible.

If I obediently follow God's recipe for success, as I kneed the flour and break down its components, the texture will become pliable, yielding to the Hands that hold my own and that gently shape it into loaves worthy of His palate.  The yeast of my faith will be proven in the final product.  And as they are placed on His cupboard, their aroma will draw others to do the same, until His pantry is full and His children are fed.

Celebrate with joy, for our Lord, our God, our Savior has come to bring salvation to the world!

Give all your praise to our King Emanuel!

~~~ Merry Christmas Everyone! ~~~

A More Notable Celestial Event

Matthew 2:2 

The world was abuzz Monday night as two celestial events occurred at the same time: a full lunar eclipse during the winter equinox.  It had been over 450 years since both had coincided and everyone wanted to see it.

Although cloudy skies and rain and snow were in the northern hemisphere’s forecast, millions stayed up late hoping to catch a glimpse of the earth’s shadow being cast upon the face of the moon.  The scientific community and the media heralded it as one of the most spectacular events of the last four centuries - a must-see of stupendous proportion - and the world was poised to view it.

I did not expect to be fortunate enough to see the eclipse because of the weather.  It had snowed hard all day and more was supposed to come.  But at the appointed hour, I was drawn to step outside on the chance the weatherman was wrong.  And he had been.  Because we live in clear mountain air and have no yard lights, the scene my eyes beheld was nothing short of divine.

As I lifted my eyes directly above my head, I saw that the clouds had parted and presented a perfect circle of clear sky.  In the center of the circle, the almost-fully eclipsed moon hung on an invisible chain.  It was surrounded by glittering stars, like diamonds under brilliant light that seemed to dance in the cold night air.  I stood in utter amazement, gazing at God’s handiwork with childlike awe.  Praise for our Creator instantly flooded my mind and I whispered the only thing I was capable of uttering at that moment, “Thank You, Lord!”

King David must have witnessed something of equal or greater magnificence as he penned certain psalms and spoke of God’s power over His creation.

“When I consider Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which You have set in place,

what is man that You are mindful of him?”

(Psalm 8:3-4)

His eloquence in praising the God of the heavens and the earth defy my feeble attempts.  My camera failed to capture the glory God displayed to us that night.  And, unlike David, my pen is equally unable to describe to you what my eyes beheld, or how my heart swelled as He revealed Himself to this sinful world in such a way.

“The heavens declare the glory of God

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”

(Psalm 19:1-4) 

If I had been able to capture the moon on my camera, it would have looked like the picture above.  But, I must be content to store the image in my mind and tuck it safely away in my heart to be remembered and viewed now and then.

There was a time when another spectacular celestial event occurred.  It happened over two thousand years ago, but drew less attention than Monday night’s display.  There was no media splash notifying the world of its coming; no vast scientific community marveling with excitement and directing their telescopes and cameras heavenward.  Mankind failed to mark off their calendars, or their hearts, the day and hour it would present itself.  Nor did they sit vigil in the cold winter night to view it.  It came quietly and suddenly, and only a few were aware of it.

At the exact appointed time, a brilliant star moved across the heavens and settled directly over the little village of Bethlehem, remaining there for some time.  What is not known, but is greatly debated, is how this celestial event occurred.  Secular scientists and astronomers discredit it as a supernova, or some heavenly catastrophic demonstration.  Some suggest it was a conjunction of planets aligning themselves to create a brilliant light in the night sky.  What we do know, however, is that it happened, and it did so in order to point to the location of our Savior’s birth.

Mankind finds it impossible to believe that the Creator Who formed and fashioned the heavens could, at His whim, move the celestial objects He divinely placed.  Even Christians lack the faith required to believe in an all-powerful God Who is able to place His finger on a star and move it to another location.  Or for Him to simply create another one to be used for His purpose, then hidden among the vast array of the universe.  But our God did so to reform the galaxy into a sign of His presence - the Light that had come unto the world.  The star that hung over Bethlehem, the one that awed the shepherds who were guarding the sheep and drew the gift-bearing Magi from Persia, proclaimed the fulfillment of God’s glorious plan of salvation, creating a backdrop of brilliant light and heavenly design as the multitude of angels sang,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”
(Luke 2:13-14)

As I pondered the different reactions these two events received, I could not help but feel sadness.  There is no comparing the two.  Yet, even on the eve of Christmas, Monday's  celestial display was seen through the eyes of the world as more significant and meaningful than that which had occurred over two thousands years ago.  Man can explain the eclipse, even its untimely coincidence with the winter equinox.  He is able to reason with science and astronomy, calculate with mathematics, and give it credibility because he was able to witness it with his own eyes.  His belief system is limited by his experience and the shallowness of his skewed perception of reality that is really no reality at all.

“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
(John 1:3-5)

The man that is able to step out into the cold night air and lift his eyes to the heavens with faith is the one who will witness the Creator’s glory in its full majesty.  Both events described here were orchestrated by the hand of God.  But the second was the one that brought the greater Blessing.  The Magi and the shepherds were given the honor of having had their eyes and hearts opened to see the Light suspended in the sky and to respond to it.  I was rewarded the same way.  What could be seen by others as merely another eclipse was seen by my eyes as the handiwork of God.  Just as He did for the world with the star over Bethlehem, He again did for me as I gazed with wonder at what was happening.  It was a reminder of His power, His great love for mankind, and a brief demonstration of His beauty which He so eloquently displayed in the heavens.

Although the eclipse briefly brought darkness upon the world, it was a short interlude.  As the earth’s shadow moved across the moon’s face, the brilliance of the Light returned to once again shine down upon a dark and sinful world, signifying hope in the promises we hold so dear.

Let us all rejoice this Christmas season in the knowledge that our God once blessed the world with a celestial sign announcing His arrival, and that He continues to bless us with signs of His presence and the promise of His return.  Until then…

May the Light of His Love shine brightly upon everyone, both day and night.

Merry Christmas

Have A Little Talk With Jesus

How often do you pray?

There is a misconception in the church that the employment of prayer has its proper purpose, time and place.  When asked by others to pray for their urgent needs, we comply.  When we have our own immediate needs, we pray for the Lord to meet them.  Our church bulletins usually include prayer lists of those with specific health or financial problems of which we are asked to pray.  But the immensity of this growing list of prayer requests can be daunting and cause us to merely glance at it, perhaps selecting only a few of them to respond to and overlooking the rest.  And of course, we all bow our heads for the opening and closing prayers our Pastor gives before and after his sermon.

“Well, isn’t that enough?” some of you may ask.  The answer to that question depends entirely upon what kind of relationship you want to have with God.

The idea that prayer must always have a definite purpose is one that should be discarded.  Prayer is perhaps the most important tool we have at our disposal to draw us to a closer intimacy with God.  It is the most essential form of communion we can have with Him, a time when we can approach Him and fellowship with Him on a personal level.  At that point, we are face to face with the Lord and He gives us His complete and unwavering attention.  Like sitting down with an old friend over a cup of coffee and merely enjoying each others company, these moments with God enable us to talk to Him about the simplest or the most complex things.  There is nothing happening in our lives that will bore Him or cause His thoughts to wander away from our conversation.  And He is always ready to respond with correction, instruction, or encouragement.  God’s desire for an intimate relationship with us is far greater than our desire to have one with Him.  After all, He created us for that purpose.

The time we spend in prayer is also critical to our Spiritual well-being.  Each moment of every day is the proper time, especially if we want to remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of our lives and get alone with Him.  Regardless of what we are doing at any given moment, He is available to us.  It is good to follow Jesus’ example of being in constant communion with God.  Many times throughout His ministry, Jesus would separate Himself from the throngs of people to be alone with His Father.  As His disciples slept, He would slip away to a mountain top, the starry hosts displayed in splendor above their Creator, and find solace as He talked with God.  His strength would be restored and the horrible burden that was approaching Him briefly lifted as He poured out Himself to His Father.  In these quiet moments of divine conversation, God the Son and God the Father became One.  This reality is also available to us when we take the time to talk with Him.

The place where we pray is probably the least important.  Because God's Spirit physically dwells within every believer, the opportunities we have to approach Him are limitless.  No appointment is necessary.  No formal meeting place need be designated.  We carry Him with us wherever we go, and it is only our own silence that prevents us from having that intimate moment with Him.

Perhaps one of the most telling and amazing examples of the Lord’s desire to commune with us is told in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden.  God’s presence there was literally physical!  He walked with Adam and Eve in “the cool of the day,” delighting in His creation and desiring their companionship.  Sadly for us, their disobedience took away that glorious privilege of being in His physical presence.  But He sent His Son to remedy the rift that had been established between us and Himself, reestablishing the closeness of the relationship He first had with man, and guaranteeing us that one day we would once again be able to physically stand before Him.

Is that not also our goal?  To be in such intimate closeness with God that each thought we have is spoken to, or is directly related to Him?  The words we speak reflecting His very presence and our expectation of His influence and intercession?  If not, it should be.  We should desire, above all else, to have the same unity Jesus had with His Father.  We should not think that prayer requires formality or ritual, a specific place or a time when it is to be employed and draws us near to Him.  However, we should not “be like the hypocrites” Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6:5-9 who “like to be seen by men” while standing in their preferred places in the synagogue.  These self-righteous men desired to be seen as holy and have the attention of others drawn to them.  Instead, our prayers should be humble, contrite, and repentant like the tax collector who stood far off and beat his breast in confession over his unworthiness, begging for mercy (Luke 18:9-14).  They should be full of praise for Him, and drenched in the dew of adoration and worship.  Our prayers should exalt Him above every trial or trouble we experience, seeking His will that they be overcome.  There should be an open intimacy with God unlike any other relationship we have because He knows our hearts and all of the secret thoughts hidden there.

Neither is it a requirement that prayer be eloquent.  Sometimes we are at a loss for words over certain conditions affecting our lives or the lives of others.  However, it can be said that the fewer the words uttered, the better.  The Holy Spirit continuously searches our hearts for these things, and He carries our petitions to God’s ear.  Words are not necessary because the Holy Spirit and God are in agreement, and the Lord fully understands our groaning (Romans 8:26-27).  Whether it be one word, a person’s name, or simply crying out, “Lord!” His ear is acutely tuned into us.  So much so, in fact, that a single thought or the faintest cry is heard by Him (1Corinthians 2:10-11).  They are “divine articulations within the Trinity that cannot be expressed in words, but carry profound appeals for the welfare of every believer,” according to God’s perfect will. (John MacArthur)

So, how often do you pray?  Is your heart so closely knit to His that you find yourself going throughout the day in constant communication with the Lord, nearly every thought focused on Him?  Wherever you are, or whatever you are doing, have a little talk with Jesus from time to time.  In your room behind closed doors, or in public, honor Him by acknowledging His constant presence and converse with Him, either in prayer for yourself or others, or just to let Him know you are aware He is there.

The Lord desires your praise, your worship, and your prayers.  Whether you groan, pour out a flood of words, or just merely want to have a little talk, He will give you His undivided attention.  And He is patiently waiting for you to start the conversation.


Additional reading:

Psalm 54:2
Luke 6:28; 18:1
Romans 8:26; 12:12
2Corinthians 1:11
Philippians 1:19
Colossians 1:35; 4:2
Hebrews 5:7
1Timothy 2:1; 2:8
1Peter 3:7
Revelation 5:8