This message explores what the Bible actually means by “the glory of God,” tracing the shift from kavod (weight, substance) in the Old Testament to doxa (glory made visible) in the New Testament. It considers how a person’s life gets tested over time, the way a foundation and building materials are tested by storm and fire. It closes by contrasting those who took credit for what God did with those who redirected glory back to Him.
Kalon Mitchell
How Much Fruit Are You Bearing?
Spiritual growth can feel vague and hard to track. This sermonette examines what Christ teaches about pruning and bearing fruit in John 15, and asks whether our own growth is something we can actually see and measure, week by week.
Two Hundred and Fifty
On July 4, 2026, America celebrates 250 years of independence. Speeches will be made. Flags will be waved. Politicians from every persuasion will congratulate the nation and promise a brighter future. The word freedom will be repeated until it almost loses its meaning.
America was founded on revolutionary ideals. The Declaration proclaimed that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution and Bill of Rights sought to preserve those liberties by limiting the power of government.
Yet 250 years later, an uncomfortable question remains. What has become of that freedom?
Regardless of political affiliation, few would argue that Americans today enjoy the same level of liberty, privacy, trust in institutions, or confidence in their future as previous generations did. The government has grown. Division has deepened. Citizens increasingly look to political leaders to solve problems that politics has never been able to solve.
Christians however must view this milestone differently. We are not called to place our hope in political movements, elections, constitutions, or governments. Jesus Christ plainly stated that His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). While nations rise and fall, the people of God are commanded to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
That knowledge allows us to ask a question few will ask during America’s 250th celebration.
Is there another 250 in the Bible that serves not as a reason for celebration, but as a solemn warning?
Numbers 16 records another group of 250. They were not ordinary Israelites. They were “leaders of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, men of renown(verse 2). They were influential, respected and trusted.
Yet these men united themselves with Korah in challenging the authority God had established through Moses and Aaron. Their argument sounded reasonable enough: “All the congregation is holy” (verse 4). Why should Moses and Aaron occupy positions of authority over everyone else?
It was an appealing argument. It appealed to equality. It appealed to fairness. It appealed to the belief that no one should possess authority over another.
But Moses exposed the real issue. “Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD” (Numbers 16:11).
Their rebellion was never really against Moses. It was against God. That same pride, the conviction that we know better, that we get to decide what’s right—that is the same attitude we can observe today in America and in many other nations.
Scripture identifies the modern English-speaking nations: America, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and their kin are the descendants of ancient Israel, specifically of Joseph and the “lost ten tribes.” That identity carries weight. Not the weight of pride, but of responsibility. God has specifically warned that nations carrying this identity will experience national consequences for this exact pattern of pride and self-rule. While America may be enjoying its remaining freedom now, what is coming is predictable and yet entirely avoidable, if people would wake up and pay attention.
Deuteronomy 28 lays out the blessings (vs. 1-14) and the curses (vs. 15-68), tied to obedience or disobedience to God’s laws. When Israel lost her way and turned from God, notice the progression that God tells us would happen. It intensifies step by step: confusion and frustration (v. 20), disease and economic collapse, foreign oppression (vs. 43-44), military defeat (vs. 25, 49-52), siege and captivity (vs. 64-68).
In Leviticus 26, God repeats the same warning again and again: “If you will not obey me…” Again, each refusal deepens the consequence. The broad arc is pride, then broken national strength, then famine, then invasion, then desolation and finally scattering among the nations.
The 250th anniversary of America should be less a celebration of past greatness or coming greatness and instead be a more sober reminder that national blessings are taken away when a people turn away from God.
Proverbs 14:34 holds no punches: “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.” It doesn’t matter who people think they are in their own eyes. When their actions become so consistently unrighteous that the pattern itself becomes a verdict, there is a problem.
People today do not want to know what sin is. And when they do know, they still don’t want to fully obey God’s law in keeping the Ten Commandments. People speak constantly about defending freedom. Far fewer ask what freedom is actually for. Biblical freedom was never freedom from God. Rather, it is freedom to obey Him, which in the end gives true freedom from sin and the penalty of sin—death!
Modern society has redefined freedom as the right to determine morality, to decide what is right and wrong, what marriage is, what life is worth, what Truth is, and ultimately who has authority over us. Yet, this is not a modern philosophy. It is the oldest Satanic lie in history: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).
Satan’s “promise” was never that mankind would become like God in character. The temptation was that mankind could replace God as the ultimate authority, determining good and evil on its own terms. That lie has driven every major rebellion against God, including the one staged by Korah, and it persists to the present day. Korah’s rebellion was just another expression of the same spirit. That spirit is alive today. It is celebrated as progress. It is praised as freedom. It is defended as personal autonomy. But Scripture plainly calls it rebellion.
The 250 men who stood with Korah believed they knew better than God. They rejected the authority He had established while convincing themselves they were pursuing justice and equality. Their rebellion became a warning, preserved for every generation. The ground opened and swallowed them.
America now celebrates 250 years of independence. Scripture reminds us about the 250 men who died. One celebration remembers the birth of a nation. The other remembers the destruction of men, and their families—of those who rejected God’s authority. One is marked with fireworks. The other was marked with fire from heaven.
The lesson is not merely that America has reached 250 years, but what America has become along the way. God is not impressed by military strength, economic prosperity, or patriotic celebrations. He is looking for people willing to humble themselves, repent, and obey Him.
Will America and the other modern descendants of Israel heed God’s warning before it is too late?
When Everything Accelerates
The world is accelerating and nobody knows how to stop it. God told us this was coming. Underneath all the technology, capability, and noise, the same ancient problem is surfacing that has always surfaced when humanity gains more power, we want to be like God, on our own terms, without going through Him.
Living Life in Reverse
This sermonette explores the tension between living in the present, learning from the past, and trusting God with the future. Through several scriptures we are reminded that God calls us to be intentional about the moments we are given. The challenge is to embrace each day with gratitude and purpose.
Why do we have a ministerial conference?
Some may wonder why we hold a conference for the ministry. What is the purpose of meeting together?
Before we answer this question, some background history might be helpful.
In July of this year, it will mark the 25th year of existence for the Church of the Eternal God (CEG). While this is a good and impressive milestone, what is most important is that we continue doing the Work of God with fervency and zeal. Many people at the time when CEG was started stated that this organization would not last more than a few months. Yet, by the grace of God, we continue to operate and God continues to help open doors for us to preach the Gospel to the world (Matthew 28:19-20; 16:17-18).
One of the core tenets of CEG found in our Statement of Beliefs is the following:
“The Church’s Commission:
“We believe that it is the Church’s commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness, to warn all nations, and especially the lost tribes of the house of Israel (mainly in the United States, Great Britain, certain Commonwealth nations and nations in Northwestern Europe) of impending danger, and to feed the flock of Christ – the Church – spiritually and physically.”
As we continue carrying out this commission, it is important that we maintain our focus and approach in doing the Work. In order to do so, we meet monthly in technical meetings over the Internet to discuss various ongoing projects and continually work to keep doing what we are doing, making improvements when needed, but also staying true to our core values that God has entrusted to us.
We have often stated that we are to be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, which includes remaining steadfast in the Truth that we believe. Quoting again from our Statement of Beliefs:
“The major doctrines of the Church are those, which were taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, derived from the Biblical teachings as followed by God’s faithful servants, and originally established by Jesus Christ through the founding of His Church in the time of His chosen early apostles. Since we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are committed to review and alter any of our teachings, if and when proven to be wrong by the Bible.”
We continue to follow this principle, and it has served the Church well through the years. People have come and gone, but we continue to hold fast to the Truth and we persevere in preaching it. The Work that we are doing has been given to us by God, and by His grace and strength, we will continue.
On May 10, 2003, a Q&A was written asking the question: “Does the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates believe in and practice hierarchical government?”
The Q&A emphasizes that God is not working through independent, self-directed individuals, but through an organized structure under Christ. If God governs His Church through structure, then periodic gathering, instruction, and alignment within that structure are necessary and beneficial. The purpose of the unity is so that we can effectively preach the Gospel and help prepare the way for Jesus Christ’s Second Coming.
Quoting from that Q&A further should help us to understand how the Church operates administratively:
“We in the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God, the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom, and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, discuss things among ourselves, ‘submitting to one another in the fear of God’ (compare Ephesians 5:21). We are convinced, and experience has shown, that if a person is not willing to submit to others ‘in the fear of God,’ such a person will sooner or later cease to be a part of the organization. When we do not reach an agreement on a given point, we place the matter on hold, meditate and pray about it, and come together again for further discussion. When we decide an issue, we do it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, expecting full consensus, as was the case in Acts 15.”
Unity is a clear theme that runs through the Bible. In order to fulfill our part in God’s Work, we are anxious to maintain unity.
Paul clearly wrote about this in Ephesians 4:1-5: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism…”
The unity that is shared between God the Father and Christ should be the same unity with which we operate. But Paul doesn’t stop here. There is a reason why unity is so important in his view.
Continuing in Ephesians 4:11–16:
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
In participating in this conference, the ministry is working to do just this. We are working on behalf of the readers and those who are called. We do the Work because we have been called to do so to preach the Gospel as a witness and to help the growth of the entire body, by doing our part!
While the ministry continues to carry out its responsibilities, the membership also has a responsibility to grow spiritually. Together, the Church should be growing and maturing as one unified Body.
Ephesians 2:19-22 states:
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
We must allow God’s Spirit to be increasing within each of us. The more this happens, the more God can move His plan forward. We are not static; rather, we are created to grow and develop toward the fullness of God’s character and Way of Life.
While unity and spiritual growth are vitally important, another question must also be asked: Why do all this Work?
As mentioned above, preaching the Gospel and all that it entails is the commission given by Christ, and it is the one that we are keen on fulfilling. Christ told us exactly what would happen before His return: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
The world is still standing, Christ has not returned; therefore, our commission is still in full force and effect. Christ plainly tells us that this is what we must be doing to the extent that we can. We read in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” He added in Matthew 28:20, ”…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Our job is to watch, warn and exhort! Our StandingWatch YouTube channel does exactly this in commission of Habakkuk 2:1-3. We must not be discouraged by small numbers. (Remember, Elijah thought he was all alone, but God had preserved 7000 in Israel, compare 1 Kings 19:18).
God will bring people into His Work to help as we prepare ourselves. We are seeing growth though, even if it’s not in ways that we always expect. Our video on the Fall and Rise of the Jewish People has now surpassed 2.4 million views. This demonstrates that God continues to open doors for the Work. Each week, we also send out large quantities of booklets to individuals requesting them.
When ancient Israel sinned and went into captivity, people remembered God and turned back to Him. We should recognize that the greatest portion of the Work may still lie ahead of us. We should pray diligently that God will provide additional laborers to help accomplish His Work.
Matthew 9:35-38 tells us:
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’”
Christ cared about the people. This should also be a concern for us in such a way that we are dedicated to preaching the Gospel which contains good news to this world. In order to do this, there has to be unity so that we can continue to fulfill the commission of the Church.
One of the key takeaways from our conference is that we gather together to gain strength, encouragement, and greater understanding in how to better accomplish the Work of God. When the early Church met in Acts 15, they came together to seek greater understanding of the Truth. At that time, they discussed the issue of circumcision—a matter considered extremely important by some. Yet the conclusion they reached brought about a significant change for the Church. This aligned with what Peter had previously experienced through the vision he received before baptizing Cornelius and his household. The decision reached in Acts 15 helped open the door of salvation more fully to the Gentiles. It was a major development in the growth of the Church and the expansion of the Work.
As we conclude this year’s ministerial conference, we can move forward and be encouraged in continuing the Work of God. All of us are part of this effort together. Every prayer, comment, contribution, and act of support is deeply appreciated. This is not a one-person work. As Scripture says:
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).
We can all continue praying and asking God for wisdom, strength, and open doors to preach the Gospel, while ensuring that we remain aligned with His Will in all things.
In closing, Psalm 90:13–17 provides a beautiful capstone to this Q&A:
“Return, O LORD! How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.”
Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell
Give Your Amen Meaning
The word Amen is used to end a prayer. But is that the only context in which the word has been used throughout the Bible? How should we think about this word when we use it, and does it hold any implications for us today?
When Is God Glorified?
Christians are to glorify God. How does this work? How are we doing in bringing glory to God?
More Than a Game
Over the last few weeks, my youngest son has been playing soccer with a team. They practice twice a week and then usually have games on Sundays. As with any team, when you first put them together, it is challenging as everyone finds their place and starts to understand strengths and weaknesses. As a parent on the sideline, it can be quite frustrating at times to watch their games and not comment out loud on how they could be doing something different or better. Occasionally, I have yelled out to my son to push harder or change positions, even though this is discouraged.
When I take a step back and think about our lives as Christians, I can draw parallels between me watching these games and how God the Father and Jesus Christ watch us living our lives here now on this earth. I wonder how many times they are cheering from the sidelines, or groaning inwardly at our awkward attempts and failures. The Bible very clearly tells us that God is always watching our lives (Hebrews 4:13; Proverbs 15:3).
As we continue in this life, we are each growing and being tested and tried to show that we are worthy; that we can persevere and overcome those trials which we each face.
As we are approaching the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, our minds and our thoughts should be turning more inwards and reflective, contemplating just how we are matching up to what we proclaim to be true. In 1 Corinthians 11:27-28, Paul reiterates for us that we should be examining ourselves – seeing where we fall short and where we are winning.
When we do this examination properly, God is pleased with us because He sees our effort. He understands that we are continuing on and we are attempting to remain as true Christians. Psalm 103:13-14 reminds us that He knows who and what we are: “As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
When a parent yells for his child to do better on the sidelines, it’s a sad attempt at control. It produces nothing good or useful. In similar fashion, the Bible shows that God is not distant from us in this process. In fact, we are told that “the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth…” (2 Chronicles 16:9). He is watching, not just to observe, but to strengthen, to guide, and to help us grow.
The kids practice twice a week, working with their coach on things that they can do better. Oftentimes, the games reveal weaknesses that need tweaking and practice.
Similarly, we live from moment to moment, either including God in our ways or not. Paul encouraged the Christians at his time to keep trying, keep pushing, even IF it was challenging at times. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24–25: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”
When we think about our lives in this manner, all of the sudden, the game changes. It’s not simply a loss or win scenario; rather, we are playing for our eternal lives. God wants us to win. He will do everything in His power to help us to do so. We must be willing participants in this regard, though. We have to want this victory more than anything and in turn do everything required to win. When Jacob wrestled with Christ, he would not let Him go until he received a blessing from Christ, showing his serious desire to win.
Paul was constantly encouraging the churches he was writing to, to push harder, to do more, and to overcome more. We should develop or have the same attitude and mindfulness as we prepare to participate in the Passover ceremony. Let’s note what Paul says in Philippians 2:12–13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” This is such a powerful Scripture for us—we strive, we attempt, we push, and God empowers us to do so. He gives us strength to overcome and to grow.
God is never far away from us. God is always willing to listen and waiting for us to come to Him and to turn our lives in every way back to Him (Lamentations 3:40-41).
So, as I continue to sit on the sidelines and watch my son play, I’m reminded that growth doesn’t happen all at once. It comes through practice, through mistakes, through correction, and through persistence.
And in much the same way, our Christian lives are about striving for perfection, day by day. As we approach the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, let’s take that examination seriously. Let’s look honestly at where we need to grow, where we need to push harder, and where we need to let God work more fully in us. We have to be careful here, though. It is easy to get caught up in the looking and the realization of our shortcomings; it is another to actually make the necessary changes to improve and grow. James 1:22-25 warns us to “…be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
We are striving for an imperishable crown, eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Nothing can compare with that. When we think about this, when we meditate on it, when we let it fill us up and overtake our entire lives, then we will make real, tangible progress.
As we move forward from this point to the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, let’s not just recognize where we need to change, but actually commit to and practice it. Let’s put in the effort, the practice and the repetition. Just like those kids on the field, improvement doesn’t come from simply knowing what to do; it comes from doing it, again and again.
Let’s each respond with this determination. Let’s push harder. Let’s strive more. Let’s refuse to give up. This isn’t just a game; we are fighting for our eternal life.
Is sourdough bread allowed during the Days of Unleavened Bread?
More specifically, can you use a sourdough starter, or allow it to live in your fridge through the spring Holy Days?
There are a few bakers in the Church who have received sourdough starters and have started to make sourdough bread. A sourdough starter is essentially flour, water and salt. Once these ingredients are added together it begins to ferment. There is natural wild yeast that is on ground flour that begins the process of fermentation when it is combined with the water and salt. The longer a starter is allowed to grow and be used, it gains flavor characteristics, and older starters are prized as having a fuller flavor and stronger binding properties.
Some of the oldest actively used sourdough starters are over a century old, with notable examples including a 120-year-old Yukon Gold Rush starter and San Francisco starters dating back to the mid-19th century. Many family-kept starters are 50–100 years old. Recently, there was even an experimental, 4,500-year-old yeast from Egyptian pottery that has been revived and used to bake bread.
When we look at the properties of sourdough starter, while no commercial yeast is added, the key point is that the starter is fermenting and growing, which gets to the heart of the matter.
During biblical times, they did not have the commercial rising agents we commonly use today (baking powder, baking soda, yeast, etc.). What they used during that time was a piece of dough retained from a previous batch which had fermented. This was then used to mix into a new batch to start the leavening process. The Israelites were deeply entrenched in Egypt. The Egyptians were advanced bakers and beer makers. So it goes to reason that the Israelites were well versed in how to make bread.
In the ancient Hebrew and Greek when a substance was added to dough or liquids to cause fermentation, especially a portion of fermenting dough preserved for baking purposes, it was specified by the Hebrew word seʼorʹ (“sourdough”; Exodus 12:15) or by the Greek word zyʹme (“leaven”; Luke 13:21). A leavened thing is designated by the Hebrew word cha·metsʹ or Chametz (חָמֵץ) such as found in Leviticus 2:11. In Jewish law and tradition, it refers to any food product derived from five specific grains—wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt—that has come into contact with water and been allowed to ferment or “rise”. Under most halakhic (Jewish law) opinions, grain mixed with water becomes chametz if it is left unbaked for longer than 18 minutes.
We are informed that Jewish law (Halacha) strictly forbids owning, using, or benefiting from sourdough starter (se’or) during the Days of Unleavened Bread, as it is considered chametz (leaven). Because it is a fermented flour-and-water mixture, it must be removed from the home. As we will discuss, we agree with that conclusion, but not with the Jewish practice of some to sell it to a non-Jewish person and buy it back afterward or to give it to a non-observant friend to care for during the week and to receive it back afterward. Rather, we agree with most observers who choose to throw away their starter before the Holy Days of Unleavened Bread.
When we look at what God commanded the Israelites when they were leaving Egypt, He wanted them to make their bread without allowing it the opportunity to rise. In Exodus 12:14-20, the specific commands were to remove leaven from their houses and they were allowed to only make that which could be eaten, again showing that no bread was to be left to rise and ferment.
Further on in the Israelite story, they are reminded of why they were continuing this tradition (one that is still relevant for us today). In Deuteronomy 16:3-4, they were instructed again as to the reasons why they must eat unleavened bread: “You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days…”
When Israel left Egypt, they did so with haste. They were leaving the sin-ridden Egyptians and they were to do so with an eye toward their ongoing journey. They were supposed to be looking to God who brought them out of Egypt, out of sin. They were removed from the slavery of Egypt. Today, while we do not live in literal slavery, many are still enslaved by sin and its power. Those who ate leavened bread during the Days of Unleavened Bread were to be cut off from the congregation (Exodus 12:15). The same principle applies today. Those who persist in sin without repentance ultimately separate themselves from the Body of Christ (the Church), and more importantly, from God.
As we know from the Old and New Testaments, leavening was disallowed during the Unleavened Bread Days. During the Old Testament, we know that leavening was often associated with corruption, impurity and sin. Offerings made to God in the Old Testament were oftentimes not to be made with leavening (Leviticus chapters 2, 6 & 7; Exodus 29:2; Numbers 6:15). (Please see our free booklet The Sacrificial System and the Tabernacle in the Wilderness for more information). In the New Testament, unleavened bread took on additional significance in the context of the Lord’s Supper. During the Last Supper, Jesus broke unleavened bread and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). Christ used the symbol of unleavened bread and wine to foreshadow the Sacrifice that He would give of Himself for the redemption of humanity.
In the New Testament, leaven is used metaphorically to represent the pervasive nature of sin and false teachings. Many times Christ warned the disciples about the “leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,” referring to their hypocritical and erroneous teachings (Matthew 16:6)—showing how easy it is to believe something so dogmatically while being utterly wrong. Similarly, the apostle Paul used leaven as a metaphor for sin in the Church, urging believers to “purge out the old leaven” to become a new, unleavened lump (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). That is to be free from the fermentation of sin. We must do a thorough search of our hearts and minds, asking God for help in this manner as well. Paul warns us that “many are weak and sick” because they have not properly discerned “the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:27-33).
In the prophet Amos’s day, Christ warned Israel in Amos 4:5 about what they were doing in transgressing His laws and commandments: “‘Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings; For this you love, You children of Israel!’ Says the Lord God.” God here is telling them that their worship of other gods was a transgression against Him. They might as well offer leavened bread on the altar (which was disallowed) because they were actively committing idolatry, so that their religious services had become useless.
While Christ mentioned a few times that leaven can be likened to the pervasive nature of sin and false doctrine (Matthew 16:6), He also made a very interesting statement about how the Kingdom of God should grow! Quoting from Luke 13:20-21: “And again He said, ‘To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’” This is the proper way to think about God’s ways working through us. We should not be compromising or sinning, which will grow, but rather grow by showing and manifesting good fruits in order to qualify for the Kingdom of God. It is a way that transforms our whole lives—just as how the world will be transformed when Christ returns and ushers in the Rule or Kingdom of God.
As we prepare for the Passover evening and the upcoming Days of Unleavened Bread, we should take note of our spiritual condition and ensure that we are entering these days with the right frame of mind. It is then that we can keep these days as the Israelites did with great gladness, rejoicing and joyfulness (2 Chronicles 30:21; Ezra 6:22). We are looking forward to the time when this world will be ruled differently. The Days of Unleavened Bread show us that we need to continually be looking at our lives and seeing where we can improve, and how we can incorporate more of God’s ways and allow that new lump to form, as Paul mentioned.
In regards to the active sourdough starters in our homes, based on Scripture and our understanding, as described herein, we conclude that these types of starters are to be removed from our homes. Let us also ensure that we keep the coming spring Holy Days in a perfect state of mind, having worked to clear up our houses not only from literal leaven during that time, but also, by removing any lingering issues we may see in ourselves, so that we have the proper lump growing within ourselves.
Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell