“The Lies & the Leaven” in Our Lives: Why God created “The Purge” (Intro)
A Message of “Lies and Leaven”…
Oh, what difference does a “little lie” make?… A little lie here and a little lie there. It never seems like much. Rarely are these small “untruths” anything to shout or call home about. Right? –Well, what’s super interesting about this theory, especially now, is that we can clearly see that people actually DO care about lies. “A little lie” happens to be exactly what people are “calling home” for…
One of the few things we can all agree upon is that no one “in the know” has been totally honest with us – has completely told the truth about our current COVID-19 situation. We all have that sense of “uneasiness,” mistrust, -and now an overall disdain for those who continue to change the running narrative of facts to suit the revolving agenda of the week. “Is this really such a Big Deal?” -Well, I should say so my beloveds!
This current crisis and pandemic may be the most glaring example – in our living history – of how one or two “little lies,” or pieces of misinformation – the omission of certain truths or facts – can rob us of more than a night’s sleep. In this case, these little “untruths” or redirected facts about a deadly invisible virus can cost us our very lives. And I dare say it has already cost many just that.
-1 Corinthians 5: 7
The little lie of “leaven” is exactly what God told the children of Israel to leave out of the preparation of their Passover offering to Him. It is important that we understand why? Leaven was a very simple ingredient, in small pinch-like portion used regularly and routinely to make their daily bread. A basic staple of survival to their diet…
The Passover Feast offering would present a very special occasion for God to demonstrate a “spiritual principle” operating within everyday life. God used the unique nature and rising properties of leaven to accomplish this. He illustrates for us what happens when this “little” ingredient is added to the regular dough and what happens to -the WHOLE “lump.” -How this leaven acts as a “rising agent” to bread, causing it to get puffed up – just as the symbolic “leaven”, i.e., the leaven of Pride, acts as a “lying” agent when added to our lives.
I write this week’s message with the biblical concept of “Purging” in mind. We must think about God’s Purge in terms of “lies and leaven.” In the case of the latter, removing the “Leaven” from our lives is the Passover focus for the remainder of our Holy Week. There’s quite a bit of wordplay here so we’ll have to do our best to keep up.
The Devil is always in the details. -“Why he prefers the little lie, the best!“
A few things “about Lies” to remember
- Lies may be invisible… but they are very, very real and can destroy your soul, your life, and certainly your relationships.
- “Little Lies,” which aren’t white at all – are of the worse sort. Always destructive and always “ugly.” They also seem to create the most (systemic) long-term damage. Creating rot from the inside out.
- Like “leaven,” LIES causes regular or existing situations to RISE...
Now I’m sure none of us here need a lecture on how God feels about lies and liars. We are, of course, Believers in the Holy Scripture and would not dare try to change or contradict what it says. Thank goodness for that! So a simple review and reminder should suffice…
Pride is the leaven to be “Purged” –driven out of our lives. . .
“These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” -Proverbs 6: 16-19
What always struck me about this passage – and quite frankly frightened me about this scripture – is how “lies or liars” appear on God’s list TWICE. Both “the convenient liar” and the “little smart fox” should find this very troublesome. God goes on in numerous other places, but most specifically in Revelation 21 & 22 to let us know, without any reservation, what the end will be for those that “practice these things” – and practice these things is a key concept of understanding.
We have a very strong exhortation and warning given to us in Scripture:
For we know the Bible says that “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3: 23), however, simply “falling short” is not what God is speaking about here. He is dealing with individuals full of lies and the “leaven of pride.” Those who would continue to “hide their leaven” in the meal of their lives. Those who are unrepentant, stubborn, disobedient and who are unknowingly doing irreversible damage to their “Christian” character and soul. Leave the liar to their own judgment, for “evil company corrupts good habits.”
-For the Believer, the old man has died, including the lies of Pride about him, of which he boasts, but we have put on the “New Man” of Christ.
“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” -Colossians 3: 9-11
When we begin to understand the true nature of “pride and lies” we will understand why it is such an abomination to God and why He feels so strongly about PURGING it from His very presence.
We know that the “Religious Scribes and Pharisees” represented the epitome of Jesus’ illustration of “pride and leaven.”
They dwell among us today in many forms. Not just in cloaks and robes, but suits and ties and formal dress. Those who are “puffed up” in pride, with lies, claiming to know or be authorities of things that they truly know not. Who cannot stand to be corrected by the Spirit of Truth and who hate to submit to the authority of Christ in those He has truly sent. Jesus said that such as these, their true father is the devil…
There is also a “sin that leads to death. . .”
A startling story can be found in the Book of Acts, where we find one of the few examples of God’s immediate judgment for lying to the Holy Spirit and violating God’s Witness on earth. Ananias and Sapphira thought they were lying to His holy apostle, to a man, about their withholding of money, but instead found out that they lied to God himself.
“With God, we always have ‘New Mercies’ and opportunity to Repent of our Lies and Leaven.”
As we bring this segment to a close, we want to exhort that Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are God’s Holy and set time in our Biblical (not Gregorian) calendar of New Beginnings! THIS IS THE TIME TO ALLOW CHRIST’S SANCTIFYING WORK TO PURGE AWAY OUR LEAVEN – and for us to drive out the “abominations” from our midst. This is indeed our NEW YEAR, for He gave His people their very own calendar, His calendar, during this very month!.
As we CELEBRATE the Ressurection of our Risen Lord, may we never forget what HE has done for us – and what we must now do for ourselves – as HE IS “The Way, the TRUTH and the Life!” –John 14: 6
He is our Passover Lamb, our “sinless, perfect, and Eternal” sacrifice. Amen
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