Stirred up and Rising

And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Luke 13: 20,21

Have you ever wondered what the bread was like in Jesus' day? What was their leaven? I venture to say it wasn't a package of yeast or a spoonful of baking powder. It was probably sourdough because sourdough is easily made from nothing more than flour and water. But why would the Lord say the kingdom of God is like a woman who hid leaven in three measures of meal? What does leaven do?

First, let's think about the two ingredients; flour and water. The Holy Spirit is often depicted as water. To make the sponge for sourdough we need to mix flour and water and allow it to sit overnight. When the Holy Spirit enters into us in salvation it becomes thoroughly mixed into our lives. As young Christians, we want to tell everybody we meet about the change the Lord has made in us. Each day the sourdough sponge has to be divided and either given away for someone else to start a sponge or thrown away.

The sponge will begin to sour and bubble after the first twenty-four hours. The yeast picked up from the environment is beginning its work to change the flour into a usable sponge. It is eating up the sugars in the flour and creating a living sponge. It must be fed daily for the sponge to live. Don't we need to feed on God's word every day for us to continue to be usable?
When the sponge has grown for about two weeks it is ready to be used to make bread. If we are not ready to make the bread it can be stored in the fridge for several weeks. The day before we make bread it will need to be brought out, fed and warmed again to room temperature. What if we lose our desire to be used in God's kingdom? We essentially put ourselves in the fridge. But when the Lord stirs us up again, brings us out and we begin to feed upon His word again, then we can be useful.
Around the world, we are hearing of revivals but also great persecutions. Persecutions and revival seem to go hand in hand. Brazil, Iran, and China are making Christian news outlets for the great things going on in their countries. Why aren't we seeing the same stirring here?

Could it be we have put ourselves in the fridge because of the safety and freedom we have so long enjoyed? Will God have to bring persecution to stir us up and fill us with the spirit of revival?
Jesus taught us to pray "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Were it not a possibility He would not have instructed us to pray in that manner. Will we be a part of the leaven that causes the rise in the kingdom of God? May I challenge us as Christians to pull together to bring revival not just in Brazil or China or Iran but here in the United States and around the world.
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. Luke 9:49,50
"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Blessings,
Gail