NEW YEAR 2011 – BEWARE THE WRONG LEAVEN

Having written what I did the other day, nevertheless, I recognize it is a great literary device, especially in our contemporary times, to create a sound-byte to capture the readers attention; which we also called a “blurb”, when I worked as a newspaper reporter, although I obviously prefer to freelance.

Greetings Beloved, In the Precious Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
I’m Rev. John McFarland, and I’m excited to welcome you to our new blog, and invite you to a further experience of Wonderful Counselor’s prophetic outreach ministry and apostolic empowerment, as we enlarge our borders to be able to effectually meet your needs during this upcoming year.

“I Am Here To Call You Forth Into God’s Kairos Time:

To Confirm And Accelerate Your Heavenly Vision,

To Declare And Reveal Your Windows Of Opportunity;

To Open Doors To Your Future,

Which Can Never Again Be Closed;

And Close Doors To Your Past,

Which Can Never Again Be Opened."

It was never my intention to disparage any of those other ministers, who are already inclined to aphorize their pronouncements, but simply to challenge and set in order the misconception that our New Year rises, or falls, based upon a solitary singsong thought. There are indeed microcosms of what we will all experience in our lives, always popping up to speak to us by God’s renewing design. “There will be a voice behind you in the way, saying, this the way, come back here and walk in it, again.” But I am frustrated with the temptation to those other voices, who might then, howbeit unwittingly, usurp ownership of the concept for their own purposes, or make merchandise of us, surreptitiously. If there is a common thread for us to share in hearing God’s voice, it is still subject to the apostolic injunction, that we do these things, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy, for by faith you stand”. Our God is interested in both “the thought and the intent of the heart”, so we should also use our best discernment concerning these things. Do we seek after the convenient rhyme, along with those who twist the scripture every which a way until some explanation finally fits, since there are only limited possibilities in our vocabulary? Remember! “There are some who wrestle scripture out of context to their own destruction.” Let us diligently pursue God for the full measure of His own answers, and only then create a mnemonic device, simply to remind us?

This morning, as I pondered over what I had already written in my last blog, I also wondered if there might not actually be some appropriate "tag line" for what we need to remember and always consider first throughout this New Year: as relates to my previous explanation of the symbolism of the number "eleven" in Biblical Numerology. Scarcely having taken thought, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Beware the wrong leaven!” "Leaven" most definitely rhymes with "eleven". In fact I cannot think of another recourse than to use the word “heaven”, as if one might only say, “In 2011… We’re Closer To Heaven.” That doesn’t really work for me, since we are ever closer to heaven on one level or another. So, casting about in my mind for a scripture confirmation, I was immediately quickened to remember those most obvious words of Jesus, already warning us, “Beware the leaven of the Pharisees.” This immediately answers for what I have written above concerning “the thought and intent of the heart”, not only in others, but also ourselves. As William Shakespeare wrote, “the fault lies not in our stars, but rather within ourselves”. We are not controlled by some usurping destiny, but suffer most often based upon the bad decisions of our own willfulness. I pray you will not be deceived into accepting even the right "thought", if it comes along with or from the wrong "intention", during this New Year 2011, since even the subtle wrong "intention", as the wrong leaven, will still defile the "thought", as risen bread, in some unexpected way, shape, or form. It really does make a difference, as dramatic to the “Bread of Life” we commonly share, as is the effect of the least little bit of leaven to the formulary increase of any natural dough into it’s final composite. "Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

What do you know about the Pharisees, and their Scribes? The Scribes always seemed to be there taking notes, and even asking some of the questions, like a newspaper reporter, just in case a Pharisee said anything that actually sounded as if it might be spiritual, or at least spiritual sounding enough for the Sanhedrin to spin later on? Doctors, or spin doctors? How do we tell the difference? They were all once upstaged by a twelve year old boy. Forget about it. We’re only dealing with them trying to be religiously profound to enlarge their phylacteries, which becomes like covering yourself in “post-it notes” with each one of them containing a scripture verse you memorized for all to now see. Jesus describes everything they did as simply “creating vain traditions of men that make the commandments of God of no effect”. Sounding good, and looking good, but only becoming like “whited sepulchers, filled with dead men’s bones". "They place heavy burdens on others, but will not lift a single finger to help anyone bear them.”  "These are no shepherds, who not only do not feed the sheep, but also kill the ones who are fed (by God)." Definitely something wrong with this picture. Imagine suddenly realizing exactly how many things you’ve been carrying around with you that are completely ineffectual in your life when finally put to the test, because you were unwittingly following after the cult of personality, rather than receiving the simplicity of the truth of God’s word. “Awake, all of you who still sleep, and put on Christ.”

New Year 2011? Beware the wrong leaven! Whether this year finds you adding 10+1=11, or subtracting 12-1=11, you still need to do the math for yourself. Reduce the leaven, or increase the leaven, but beware the wrong leaven. We are here, "Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy, for by faith you stand". This is our leaven. So feel free to contact us for prophetic ministry with confidence.

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