What more appropriate day to bring forth revelation than the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice. Today is the day of the least sunlight. From this point forward, the light of day will increase.
I believe that once again, a revelation has been hidden in plain sight and our ego is the culprit in preventing us from realizing the truth of the matter. For example, men focus on every other aspect of the Law other than Love, even though Jesus specifically expressed the greatest importance of Love. The “old man” in us blinded us from this Truth thus we studied every other topic we could find in Scripture. We looked at every number, every meaning of a name, and projected events based on the prophetic feast days. However, Love was not at the forefront. This is what partial blindness is all about.
Another area where I believe we missed it up to this point is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Please consider this possibility with an “open mind”. This means to set aside your current doctrine and consider a fresh view of a topic that was set in stone.
The Earnest of THE SPIRIT:
2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (KJV)
The word “earnest” (or guarantee) means: money which in purchases is given as a pledge or down payment that the full amount will subsequently be paid. It is the initial portion of something to be fully received or acquired at a later point in time. Paul expressed it again in the 5th chapter:
5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (KJV)
Again, Paul expressed it in Ephesians:
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (NKJV)
It has been preached countless times that we have a “portion” of the Holy Spirit and that some time in the future we would receive the rest of the Holy Spirit, that is to say the fullness. This view has justified our flesh and rationalized away the need to grow in THE SPIRIT. I now believe we have been missing it for this entire age. We have been hanging our personal doctrines on a verse here and there rather than considering all of the words and deeds of Jesus, our ultimate example. As an example, the rapture doctrine was based on one primary Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
We assumed that we would escape the earth, the same place that Jesus told us to pray “Thy Kingdom come”. After studying the Greek meanings of the words in the verse, we found that the escapism doctrine isn’t credible. The same is true for the doctrine of “eternal hell and damnation”. Those who failed to study The Law were blinded from the righteousness and Love of Our Heavenly Father. Where’s the door to this prison cell I’m in?
We have assumed that the “leaven” of the Pentecostal Age was simply “sin” being resident and tolerated during the age. Let’s now consider it to reflect something that has been hidden in plain sight. In the simplest definition, the word “leaven” means: to rise, rising, increase. For those who bake, the leaven causes the bread to rise or grow in size until the “leavening” has overtaken the entire bread. Couldn’t we then say that leavening could represent growing into full stature?
Jesus said:
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.”
This was the first use of the word “leaven” in the New Testament. Jesus used parables to hide truths in plain sight. If the Holy Spirit was deposited into us as a guarantee, did we receive ALL of the Holy Spirit in us, or just 10% or some other minimal amount? Once you place leaven in the bread, do you need any more yeast to bring the bread to its fullness? Isn’t the issue about allowing the manifestation of the Holy Spirit Who resides in us to come forth? Isn’t Pentecost really about growing into the fullness of power and authority rather than waiting on some future date to receive a full dose of the Spirit? Was Jesus partially filled with the Holy Spirit? Luke expressed it this way:
Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
The wilderness is a type and shadow of the Pentecostal Age. Jesus walked in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Shouldn’t we expect to do the same? After being tested and tried, Jesus was further described:
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Now is the time for us to expect the power of the Spirit to be operational in our lives as well. We need not remain passive, waiting for some future date to arrive. The leaven has been placed in us and has been hidden away. It is time for us to die to the flesh and allow the full manifestation of the Spirit to operate in us. This is what Jesus did and He walked in the fullness of power and authority, even prior to the Day of Pentecost. Should we expect any less? Didn’t Jesus say that we would do greater works? Our old man has convinced us that we have not yet received sufficient means to walk in the same power and authority of Jesus. However, once it has been revealed that we can, we now become accountable.
Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
I guess that Stephen understood the true purpose of leaven.
In the late 90’s, Martin Paulat shared this vision with me:
“I was in a jail cell and two sides were brick, the other two were iron bars. I could see no door to the cell. I kept pacing, looking for the door. Suddenly, it appeared and it opened up allowing me to depart, and I did.”
Today, I believe this vision is fulfilled. Selah!