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
This is the parable of the leaven. It shows us without a doubt God will continue His work of sanctification in His church until the end of this age. Usually leaven is the work of evil and corruption from what is good and pure. This is not the case in this parable. God knows how to take what is meant for evil and use it for good. He loves to snatch from the storehouse of Satan. He will take a champion for evil and use that person for His kingdom. Jesus Christ will snatch the goods of this world when He raptures His church as a thief in the night. When God does this even the church has trouble recognizing or accepting it, but this should never be the case. Barnabas recognized Saul as a converted member of the Body of Christ. Barnabas also kept hope that John Mark would be restored again into fellowship with the missionaries by the sanctifying work of God. He was right. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
When we receive this parable along with the parable of the soils, we understand that not everyone allows this work of sanctification. It is not natural. It is supernatural. The modern believer refuses to get out of his own way because he wants to remain in control. Brother or sister we do not know what is best for us. We are not good judges of character. Man looks on the outward appearance and we cannot boast that we are able to look on the heart. We have discernment by the Holy Ghost and judge accordingly, but our modern trajectory of the church is a self reliant, made in China version of the real thing.
The parable of the leaven shows that God will continue this work until the last person receives Jesus Christ and completes the Bride of Christ. It was not necessary that the church would do its best to keep the doors open by modernizing every aspect of worship and worldview. The church is not dying. It is thriving. Not in America but in places all over the world like Africa and Asia. The church is growing where God can work in the hearts of people. If you can boast of numbers than that is just what the gospel has the power to do, but I would pray that it is of a sanctified spirit. Sanctification is not joining up with the wrong crowd and rubbing off a little at at time. It is not the work of man but of God. You're not rubbing off dear Christian, you're getting rubbed on.
I love America, but it is evident that it does not have the power to uphold justice or to carry out an election. Until the Millennial Reign of Christ upon the throne of Jerusalem, sat upon by the Ancient of Days comes, God's theocratic earthly power is the sanctified church. The church has all the power she needs to carry on in troublous times. This power does not equate to world affirmation of the church. Most of the apostles to whom were promised this power were martyred.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt. 16:19
In sanctified spirit we face empty pews, murmuring, persecution, false accusations, and compromising ministers urging us to let down on the truth and all your troubles will go away. His sanctified ones are not fatalists and do not shudder at the swordless threats of woke Christians. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Psalm 91:7.
Many are seeking political reform and church reform. We have watched believers fall for viral preachers who would fall into sin and disqualification within months of their stardom. They seem none the wiser for it. A man who has total confidence in himself, or whose message is aimed at the pocketbook, and does not deal with the depravity of the human race is a false teacher. If their ministry is to scatter the flock of local churches it is not a work of God.
Now we have "thus saith the Lord" preachers all over America. My "thus saith the Lord" has 39 Old Testament books, and 27 New. I was given exact instructions not to add to it nor take from it. The ministry of prophecy is to teach scriptures as they are and shed light on our modern world to given comfort to some, and warning to others. There are enough prophetic passages to preach every sermon on prophecy. Jesus came as fulfillment of prophecy into Jerusalem at the close of Daniels 69th week. He comes back into Jerusalem at the close of Daniels 70th week. This 70th week begins with the rapture of the Church. It is imminent and you don't want to miss it.
It is apparently very attempting to set a date for the rapture for man have fallen victim. I suppose in some honesty it is tempting to conclude the day is very soon, and all the trials of this life will end.
The Jewish calendar is not this timeline for the Church, however the Jews will clearly recognize the rapture of the church as a sign. The Church is given seven church ages and the seventh Church is charged that they are not clothed with white raiment, and that they must anoint their eyes with eyesalve because they were unable to recognize their condition (Revelation 3:18). We no doubt live in this Laodicean age of people who are not sanctified, and therefore cannot see their own condition.
Jesus in Acts chapter 1 tells the apostles that it is not for you to know the times and seasons. This was important because He did not stop there. He tells them but ye shall receive power. It is not the ministry to of the New Testament preacher to predict the future but to proclaim the truth. We should be able to identify the time in which we live in and by doing so we know that these are the last days of the last days. He wanted us not to lose focus on the power that we have been given. He will prepare His body of believers a table in the wilderness of apostacy and uncertainty.
Political reform is important but what the modern world needs is not reformation but transformation. The message should guide the hearer to ask the question what must I do to be saved? Jesus showed this was the right question. Ye must be born again. You must confess you are a sinner, helpless and hopeless, but come to Him and confess that He died, was buried, and rose again. Then ask and receive Him into your heart.
Jesus spoke often to His disciples about His approaching death as the days drew closer. How He must die and rise again. Not only would He die and raise from the dead, but He would depart. His departure was necessary for the unification of believers for the period of at least 2000 years. In order for this to happen Jesus must send the Holy Spirit in His absence. He who would not speak of Himself but would glorify the Son,(John 16:13) is also the hinderer of the manifestation of evil upon the earth. The Holy Spirit in this age sanctifies believers and constantly points to the glorification of the Son of God. The glory of this present age is shown to us by Him that Christ has already overcome the world. What glory should we be counted worthy to live between the Cross and the Second Coming of Christ. Stephen saw Him. May your heart and soul be sanctified that you may fix your spiritual eyes upon our High Priest at the right hand of the Father.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom. 8:18
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