Matthew 13:33 “Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”
Very few things smell better than bread baking, and very few things taste better than bread fresh from the oven spread with butter. (I’m drooling just thinking about it!) When I was growing up, we made much of our own bread. It was always amazing to me that I could mix a packet of yeast with a little warm water and sugar, allow it to sit for a little bit, and then mix it into the bread dough. We always allowed our dough to rise twice before baking it. The trick was to knead the dough and then punch it down well enough that all the air bubbles would be gone. One small packet of good-quality yeast would make at least 2 large loaves of bread. Another thing I learned was that the yeast had to be completely mixed throughout the bread dough. Partial mixing would result in a weird loaf that wouldn’t rise well or taste good.
My Grandma Delphia made cardamom-scented butterhorn rolls for every special occasion, as well as citron-flavored Swedish limpa rye bread. (It took years before I realized that in nineteenth century Sweden, the unbleached rye flour was considered fit only for poor people. I thought it was a big treat!)
In Jesus’ day, housewives would make a great deal of unleavened bread, the kind we now call pita. Pita requires little more than flour and water. But for special occasions, housewives would create leavened bread that required yeast and sugar to make it rise properly.
What does leaven have to do with the kingdom of heaven? God is really sneaky! Give God any kind of an opening, and before you know it, He is working in your life or in the lives or your family members. God is also the Consummate Opportunist; He will use any occasion, any circumstances, any connections, anything at all to insert Himself into your consciousness and direct your attention to His kingdom. You might think that you are just attending a concert; before you realize it, God is speaking to you through the music. You think you are dropping into a meeting out of curiosity; meanwhile, God already has a plan. And once you open yourself to the leaven of the kingdom of God, watch out! Your life will never be the same again.
C.T. Studd was a physically worn-out 51-year-old former China Inland Mission missionary when he stopped by a Gospel hall in London to listen to a speaker describing the needs of the Belgian Congo. By the time the meeting was over, not only had Studd committed himself to mission work in the Belgian Congo, but he later founded the Worldwide Evangelism Crusade, WEC Mission, that would eventually work in countries around the world. Studd sailed for Africa in 1910 with no support; even his wife disapproved. Studd’s example has inspired thousands of others to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel.
Here are a few quotes from C. T. Studd:
• “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop, within a yard of hell.”
• Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell, when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle.
• If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.
• Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill. living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
• Christ wants not nibblers of the possible, but grabbers of the impossible, by faith in the omnipotence, fidelity, and wisdom of the Almighty Saviour Who gave the command. Is there a wall in our path? By our God we will leap over it! Are there lions and scorpions in our way? We will trample them under our feet! Does a mountain bar our progress? Saying, ‘Be thou cast into the sea,’ we will march on. Soldiers of Jesus! Never surrender!
The question for us is simple: Will we allow the leaven of the kingdom of God to enter every part of our lives? Will we allow God to do everything He wants to in us, or are we going to try to limit God? Limiting God is as worthless as trying to keep bread from rising once the yeast has been thoroughly mixed in. But there is one requirement for yeast to work properly once it has been mixed; the bread dough must be allowed to rise in a warm place. Chill the bread dough and it won’t rise, although you can warm it later and allow it to rise. Once God is working in our hearts, we must be careful not to allow ourselves to become cold, thus thwarting the work of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray that we will be receptive to God, so that He may do everything He wants to in our lives!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to always allow Your kingdom to fully come and Your will to fully be done in our lives, no matter the cost. In the matchless and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
BUTTERHORN ROLLS (FROM REDDIT)
Recipe:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup milk, scalded
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups flour
3 beaten eggs
Instructions:
Activate the yeast in warm water in separate container. Combine hot milk, shortening, sugar and salt; stirring until lukewarm. Add 1 cup of the flour; stir. Add yeast mixture and eggs, beating well. Stir in remaining flour.
Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 – 8 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, rolling it once to grease the top of the dough. Cover and let rise until double.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in thirds and Roll each third into a 9-inch circle. Brush with melted butter. Cut each circle in 12 wedge-shaped pieces. Roll each wedge up (wide end to point)
Arrange rolls, point down on greased baking sheet. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.
https://www.reddit.com/r/recipes/comments/dyynd9/my_grandmas_famous_butterhorn_rolls/
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