A Little Leaven

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh

We are truly living in the last days, before God’s judgment upon the whole world through the End Times. And before the End Times come to pass, Christ will come amidst the skies to take the Church out of the world. Why do we know this? Because the Eternal Living Word of God, the Holy Bible, has prophesied so. And this prophetic word comes directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not a coincidence that the Book of Revelation, the final book in the Bible, contains the prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ about what will happen in the last period of human history.

For those who don’t believe in Christ, they don’t need to concern themselves with His prophecies. But for those who claim to be believers in Christ yet do not reflect upon or seek to understand His prophecies, I fear that they may not be truly sincere believers in Christ. They are more focused on worldly matters than looking toward the blessed hope that Christ bestows upon them. Perhaps they think that merely accepting God’s salvation is enough; however, they fail to grasp that the Word of God teaches that each individual must build their life upon Christ.

I Corinthians 3:10-15

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

In order for someone to build their life upon Christ in a fruitful and pleasing manner to Him, that person must always have their focus on His coming, using it as the purpose of their life. In this way, everything they do during the days they live in their current physical body will be like gold, silver, and precious stones, lasting for generations to come. This is how the people of God can enter heaven with Christ’s reward.

Regarding Christ’s coming specifically for the Church, the Bible has helped us understand that we are living in a time when Christ could come at any moment. Signs and indications of His coming have already occurred in the 20th century.

The first signs are the World War I (July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918) and World War II (September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945). The second sign is the reestablishment of the nation of Israel. After over 2,500 years of being without a homeland and losing sovereignty over the Promised Land of Canaan due to repeated grave transgressions and defiance against God, the nation of Israel was restored by God on May 14, 1948. The third sign is the reclaiming of Jerusalem by Israel on June 7, 1967.

On December 6, 2017, United States President Donald Trump announced the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the nation of Israel. This event can be seen as a sign that Israel is ready for its spiritual revival, as prophesied in Ezekiel 37:10. Simultaneously, it signifies the time for Israel to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. This will be the Third Temple, and the AntiChrist will sit within it, proclaiming himself as God during the End Times (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). Currently, the “Temple Institute” organization in Israel [1], [2], [3] is fully prepared for the reconstruction of the Temple of God. They possess all the necessary construction materials and have crafted all the instruments needed for the Temple. They are also training Levites and priests to serve within the Temple. The construction of the Temple can potentially be completed within seven months.

At the beginning of July this year, three red heifer calves were brought from the United States to Israel to be raised there, ready for the ceremonial offering in the Temple once it is completed [4].

The very imagery that the Lord Jesus Christ used of the fig tree budding and putting forth leaves to signify the arrival of summer is symbolic of the event where Israel fully gained control over Jerusalem on June 7, 1967, marking His coming and the End Times. The Lord Jesus Christ prophesied that the generation witnessing that event, which is the event of Israel taking full control of Jerusalem, woud not pass away before the End Times came to an end.

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 24:32-34).

One generation refers to one human lifespan. According to Psalm 90:10, a human’s lifespan is roughly 70 or 80 years. Adding 70 or 80 to the year 1967 gives us the years 2037 or 2047. Subtracting the seven-year period of the Great Tribulation of the End Times leaves us with the years 2030 or 2040. Those are two of the latest possible timeframes for Christ’s arrival to take the Church out of the world. We are currently in the year 2023. Therefore, we have a significant span of time, anywhere from seven to 17 years, left in this physical body before the arrival of Christ.

However, if the prophecy in Hosea 6:1-2 is applied to God restoring the spiritually revived nation of Israel and the beginning of the End Times, then the End Times could occur in the year 2027. Israel rejected Christ, leading to His crucifixion in the year 27 [5], which caused them to be punished by God for two days, with each day representing 1,000 years. After two days, or 2,000 years, of punishment, God will restore Israel. Therefore, it’s possible that God will restore the spiritually revived portion of Israel after the Passover of the year 2027, marking the completion of 2,000 years since Israel’s rejection of Christ.

“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” (Hosea 6:1-2).

If God restores the spiritual portion of Israel and begins the End Times in the year 2027, then before that, Christ will come to take the Church out of the world. Therefore, Christ could come to gather the Church at any moment, before the Passover of the year 2027. This means that the time we have left in this physical body will be less than four years.

We believe that Christ can come at any moment, and we hope He will come before the Passover of 2027. However, we are also saddened by recent events within the Church, where some people are still living in sin. Despite knowing that there will always be individuals within the Church who do not fully commit to the Lord, we feel sorrow for those who have had so much exposure to the true Word of God and yet still choose to live according to their own desires, especially when the day of Christ’s arrival is so close.

Today, we want to share with you the significance and application of Galatians 5:9:

“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

We hope that this sharing will help awaken those who have not fully committed to the Lord.

The yeast used in baking is a microorganism belonging to the fungi kingdom. When yeast is mixed into dough, it metabolizes the sugars in the dough and produces carbon dioxide gas (CO2), causing the dough to rise. This creates gas pockets within the dough, making the bread expand and become lighter during the process of steaming or baking. Baking yeast is commonly used to make bread, buns, and various other types of baked goods. The characteristic of yeast is to alter the properties of dough and make it expand.

The Bible employs the characteristic of yeast, which changes the nature of dough, to symbolize sin that corrupts human nature. The Lord Jesus referred to false doctrine along with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees as yeast, and He warned His disciples to be cautious (Matthew 16:6, 11-12; Luke 12:1). The Lord Jesus also used the quick expansion quality of yeast to illustrate the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21). Thus, yeast can symbolize both negative and positive aspects. Similarly, the lion is used to symbolize the Devil (1 Peter 5:8) but is also used to symbolize the Lord Jesus (Revelation 5:5).

A little yeast leavens the entire batch of dough, just as a little sin can corrupt a person’s entire life in the same way. There are four common types of sins in the lives of God’s people: pride, improper self-esteem, greed for wealth and possessions, and the desire for immorality.

Pride stands at the top of the list of sins and is also the root that gives rise to various other sins. Lucifer, one of God’s angels, due to his pride, desired to be equal to God and committed sin, becoming Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19). Humanity, driven by pride, desired to be like God and sinned, resulting in a fallen state throughout generations (Genesis 3:5-6). Pride is a sin because the proud person overestimates themselves, thinking they are better, more knowledgeable, talented, important, worthy of admiration, and more deserving of respect than others. Pride comes in many degrees and forms, but its common characteristic is valuing oneself more than others and seeking praise and admiration from others. It means seeking glory for oneself, while everything good a person possesses is a gift from God. Even a person’s existence is the greatest gift from God. Thus, all must attribute glory and gratitude to God.

A person can honestly assert their abilities, understanding, and all other good qualities they possess; however, not to boast in pride but to show gratitude and honor to God, as well as to let others know how they can contribute to society. As long as the intention behind the affirmation is not to seek praise and admiration from others, it is not bragging with pride.

Within the Church, a proud person might believe they understand the Word of God better than others and therefore refuse to accept advice or opinions from others. They fail to understand or accept the command of the Holy Spirit, which is:

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:21).

Some individuals in positions of shepherding or elder leadership exhibit pride, desiring the members of the Church to show deference to them, even if they are younger. These people fail to understand or accept the command of the Holy Spirit:

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” (Philippians 2:3).

Those serving the Lord in respected positions cannot demand that older brothers and sisters treat them with deference.

Pride also leads a person to not admit their mistakes, find ways to justify themselves as being right, or blame others or circumstances. Pride can often be subtle, making both the proud person and others unaware; it is only known to God. Someone may outwardly appear humble, but inwardly desire others to praise their humility.

Self-esteem is loving oneself, a characteristic bestowed upon each person by God. With self-love, one learns to care for and protect oneself. God teaches humanity to love others as oneself. However, many times, self-esteem is not understood correctly. Incorrect self-esteem means refusing to accept criticism or feedback from others, even when one is wrong. Incorrect self-esteem is also a form of pride.

Greed for wealth and possessions drives people to only think about how to earn more money and acquire material comforts. Those driven by greed for wealth and possessions fail to understand or accept the command of the Holy Spirit:

I Timothy 6:6-10

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Greed for wealth is evident when a person seeks to make money quickly, such as by buying lottery tickets, gambling, investing in stocks, or trading cryptocurrencies. However, any money-making endeavor that doesn’t involve hard work, doesn’t require effort to earn, and relies solely on probabilities of success or failure is a form of gambling.

Many people believe that they are not greedy for money, but they only think about how to earn money to sustain their lives. However, if someone is always preoccupied with making money, then money has become an idol in their mind. A person with true faith in God will direct their heart to seek God and trust in His providence. The Lord Jesus Himself taught clearly that God will provide for all the needs of those who seek His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).

The need for sexual satisfaction is a blessing bestowed upon humanity by God. However, sexual satisfaction must be carried out within the context of marital relations between a man and a woman, as ordained by God. All forms of sexual satisfaction outside of marriage are considered immoral. Those who engage in sexual immorality are individuals who either fail to understand or refuse to accept the command of the Holy Spirit:

“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Corinthians 6:18-20).

In today’s world, with the widespread use of the Global Information Network (Internet) and countless free websites promoting sexual immorality, people are more susceptible than ever to the temptation of committing sexual sins. Sexual immorality is also one of the hardest sins to overcome, especially sins related to homosexual desires. However, with sincere repentance and by the power of God, any sin can be forgiven by God and removed from a person, as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

The day of Christ’s coming is very near, and it could happen as soon as the next breath we take. Therefore, let us wholeheartedly rely on the Almighty power of God to live a pure life pleasing to God and be ready for Christ to lead us into heaven.

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye 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.” (I Corinthians 5:7-8).

May the Eternal Living Word of God sanctify us and give us strength. May all of us remain steadfast in faith and loyal to the Lord until the day of Christ’s coming. May the love, grace, and righteousness of the Triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, envelop you all. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
07/22/2023

Notes

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[1] https://templeinstitute.org/

[2] https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/the-third-temple/

[3] https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/article/update-building-third-temple

[4] https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/israelis-come-to-see-red-heifer-and-discuss-the-temple/

[5] https://preachingfromthebible.net/dates-of-the-lords-resurrection-and-pentecost/