The Parable of the Woman and the Meal

"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened"(Matthew 13:33)
The leaven that Jesus described in this parable is not peace: it refers to the apostasy that will increase throughout the church age and leaven the whole "visible church."  Compare 2 Timothy 3:13.  Leaven in the Bible is always a symbol of sin or error.  The woman of the parable "hid" the leaven in the meal, indicating deception.  The first time we see leaven mentioned in Scripture is in Exodus 12:15.  Beginning on the day of the Passover, which signified salvation through faith in the blood of Christ, there was to be no leaven in the Jewish homes for a full week.  This signified the putting away of sin after salvation.  The only offerings that had leaven were the two loaves of the feast of 50 days or Pentecost.  (Lev. 23:17), and this is because those loaves signified the Jews and Gentiles united in one body in the church and the fact that they are not sinlessly perfect in this present world.  On the other hand, the other offerings signified the sinless Christ and were thus made without leaven (Ex. 29:2; Lev. 6:17).  Jesus warned the disciple to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees," referring to their hypocrisy and heresies (Mat. 16:11-12; Luke 12:1).  Paul warned the churches that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," referring to the leaven of sin (I Cor. 5:6-8) and the leaven of doctrinal error (Gal. 5:9).
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Children are natural mimics - they act lie us in spite of all our attempts to teach them good manners.
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If a man gets drunk and goes out and breaks his leg so that it must be amputated, God will forgive him if he asks it, but he will have to hop around on one leg all his life.  ~ D.L. Moody
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Noah's Sunday School
Noah had a Sunday School, bit it was very small,
Nothing like the SUPER ones, he just had eight in all.
Yet he kept right on preaching, warning men of sin,
"Except ye be converted, you cannot enter in!"

"There's a flood coming boys, this I know right well.
And unless you all repent, it'll wash you down to hell.
God told me to build this ark and all who come inside
Will be dept safe from harm as upon the waves we ride."

But all the people who came his way,
Laughed each time they heard old Noah, as he built his boat, and preached to them God's Word.
"To think that God would punish us, He must not know how we rate.
Why, we have the largest Sunday School in this entire state!"

Each year the churches held seminars on "HOW" and "WHO'S WHO".
On the ways to be the biggest and how to fill up each pew.
We've got to come up with something that's sensational and new,
To keep the people coming, for the "old way" will never do!

We've all tried it once before, the "old way"doesn't work!
"Old Noah is living proof of that!" Someone said with a smirk.
"By the way, how's he doing? Has someone heard from him of late?"
"It's still the same as last year, he only has his eight!"

"Well, let's forget about old Noah now, we've got much work to do.
We've got to come up with a plan to fill up every pew.
Let's get right down to business, your suggestions now we'll hear.
Does anyone have something new, since we met last year?"

Suggestions came pouring in from the front, back to the rear.
For each and every new thing the applause was loud and clear.
"A little rock and a little roll we gave the gospel sound.
Why we've had 'em pouring in from many miles around!"

"Vegas stars and night club acts is what caused us to grow.
Next year we have to have someone from the Champagne show."
"We have Circus Sunday with Bozo the Clown.
We have the largest Sunday School now in our home town!"

"We hid some gold dust 'neath one saddle in our camel fleet.
The whole caravan was filled, as they tried to find the lucky seat!"
"We've got the nicest building, and the most modern swimming pool.
I think that's what helped us most to become the largest Sunday school."

"Bubble gum and politicians and marshmallows on a stick,
Eating chicken on the roof, now that's a fancy trick!
To ride a donkey round the church, or an elephant down the aisle,
To Shaking of the monkey's hand which caused the kids to smile."

Yet Noah kept right on working, preaching as he went,
"There's sure a flood that's coming, you'd better all repent!
All your modern methods will be of no avail,
As its waters of judgment rise and sweep you down to hell!"

Then finally all the leaders met.  They said, "We've had enough!
Now he's preaching against the movies, the way we dress and dipping snuff!"
"How many has he got in Sunday School?"  Someone asked with hate.
"Why he's not gained one member. He still has only eight!"

But the ark was not completed and the animals gathered in.
The time had come for God to judge the people for their sin.
Counting Noah and his family, there were only eight,
as God called them into the ark , and then He closed the door!

A messenger came running through the land to spread the good news.
The church leaders all leaped for joy, and began to jump the pews.
"We didn't have to do a thing, God knew just what to do.
Old Noah will be so ashamed when his prophecy fails to rise.
After all, what Noah had said was but a pack of lies!

But the rain fell in torrents like from a bucket when it's poured.
The band played much louder to calm the wicked horde.
Under the doors the water came as it rose by leaps and bounds.
To keep the people from panic, they called in Bozo the Clown.

And though they tried to pacify, it was to no avail.
"TOO LATE! TOO LATE! TOO LATE!" came the bitter wail!
Fifteen cubits upward the flood waters did prevail,
Sweeping everyone of them down to a sinner's hell!

But safe and secure inside the ark were Noah and his own,
While all the rest were washed away to reap what they had sown.
He would never hear the taunting of their bitter hate.
His church was now the only one, though he just had eight!

Well, the waters slowly abated, and the ark finally sat
Upon a great hight mountain called Mt. Ararat.
As everyone came marching out, they had good news to herald,
NOAH HAS THE LARGEST SUNDAY SCHOOL, NOW IN ALL THE WORLD!
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Some people think God does not like to be trouble with our constant coming and asking.  The way to trouble God is not to come at all. ~ D.L. Moody
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We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. ~ D.L.Moody