“The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." (Mark 8:14-16, NIV)

Observations:
What do we learn about the disciples?

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread!
The disciples caught the attention of Jesus.
They discussed Jesus addressing about yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod and assumed it was because they had no bread.

Observations:
What did Jesus do for the disciples?
Jesus warned the disciples to ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod?’

Interpretation:
Why do you think Jesus gave that particular warning?
To understand that I had to think about the function of yeast! One of the things that yeast does is that it makes the dough rise to make bread or ‘acts as an agent of fermentation’ according to dictionary.com! In this instance, I thought Jesus could be talking about the rise of the Pharisees and Herod. Specifically, Jesus wanted the disciples to stay clear of their influence because they were there to cause agitation, unrest, commotion, and tumult in a negative way. All of these are synonyms for ferment which is a definition of yeast!

Jesus also wanted to let them see that the bread they were going to offer as Pharisees (religious leaders) and Herod (as a political leader) will not be anything like what Jesus can offer. The yeast that makes the dough rise in making bread will be corrupted and convoluted with contamination because it is coming from the Pharisees and Herod. Jesus who is the Bread of Life alone can offer us pure holy influence in our lives and will lead us to places and people who are influenced by Him and follow Him, if we diligently seek after the Lord.

Jesus had just fed the 4000 men with seven loaves of bread. The disciples saw that. While they were worried that they forgot to bring bread and had only one in the boat, Jesus relates their thinking to address the issue of the Pharisees and Herod.

Implications:
I saw important implications to my life. I need to beware of not only some religious leaders but some political leaders too, especially those who do not want to follow the teachings of Christ but instead lead people on the wrong path. I need to stay clear of those kind of peoples’ influence because they will not give the kind of bread Jesus offers. Instead, they will rise to give a bad influence and cause agitation, unrest, commotion and tumult in a negative and destructive way!

I ask you now dear friend, whose yeast should you beware of?
Dear friend, we see in this passage that Jesus wanted the disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Jesus was telling the disciples that agitation, unrest, commotion, and tumult in people’s lives in a negative way can be caused by the Pharisees and of Herod. They were the religious and political leaders that people were surrounded by. Jesus was not happy with their ways. Jesus did not want the disciples to be influenced by their ways. Jesus does not want you to be influenced negatively by some of the religious leaders and political leaders of this day. They will tell you that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality, the Bible is outdated, same-sex unions and marriage done within confines of monogamous relationship will be ok by the Lord because Jesus was all about love, that the Bible does not really address abortion, etc! This is all hogwash my friend!

If religious leaders and political leaders go against the Word of God on any issue and you continue to follow them, you are putting yourself in danger. You can be an influence on them to see the way of the Lord or you can put yourself in trouble by being influenced by them. The choice becomes yours and you need the Lord’s help to follow His ways and not those who go against Scripture. Only those who go against the ways of the Lord is whose yeast you should beware of!

This means there are those who yeast we need not beware of. Yeast that produces a positive change even through unrest, agitation, commotion, and tumult is a good function of yeast. When we read Scripture and it causes unrest, agitation, commotion, and tumult in a person's life, it is because that person has realized what they are doing wrong and needs to change. If they allow the rise of the Holy Spirit to work in their lives and make them better to serve the Bread of Life then they have gone the right path!

May you know Yeshua Everyday Answers Scriptural Truth! Amen!

“Yeshua Everyday Answers Scriptural Truth!” (Y.E.A.S.T)/”Whose yeast are you beware of?”

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for helping me learn about these verses. Help me not to be influenced by certain religious leaders and political leaders of this day who rise to cause agitation, commotion, tumult, and unrest by their teachings that go against your Word, by their actions that go against your Word, etc! Help me Oh Lord to follow you faithfully! I need you Lord and need to be covered in your mercy and grace! Thank you so much Jesus. When I come in contact with people, help me to influence them positively as I become influenced by you Jesus. Please influence in my life Jesus so that I can always be a good influence on others. Thank you so much Jesus. Protect us in your care Oh Lord and help us to be an example in word and deed to those around us. Thank you Lord. Please forgive us our sin and hear our prayers Oh Lord as we are sorry for our sin. Thank you for dying for our sin and coming back to life to save us! Thank you for hearing our prayer and answering us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Make this your prayer. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking you need all the answers before coming to Christ. Let me just assure you though you may not have all the answers right now before coming to Jesus, He will answer them slowly. Yes, He will for I know our Redeemer will! Amen!

PRAYER:
Father God thank you, you love us so much that you sent your only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. I love you Lord. Thank you Father God for your Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus thank you for loving me so much. Thank you Jesus, you will take care of my problems. Nothing is too hard for you. For many of us Lord, we face many obstacles in life whether it be Spiritual, financial, marital, emotional, physical, or educational problems. We turn these problems and the prayer requests to you. Thank you Lord you never fail to answer our prayers. Just because we don't understand does not mean you didn't answer our prayers. Thanks Lord for cleansing us by your precious Blood. Please come into my heart Jesus. Please forgive my sins. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart. Thank you Jesus for making my heart, your home. Thank you Jesus for living in me. I will live for you Jesus and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I pray right now for the one who is so troubled that only your presence and love can meet them where they are at. Come Lord Jesus and please intervene in their life. Cover them with your awesome presence and help them through what they are going. Thank you Jesus as you saw the disciples in trouble and came to their rescue, you can come to our rescue too. We entrust our lives in your care. Thank you for the answer and you will carry us! IN YOUR NAME, I PRAY JESUS THANKING YOU FOR EVERYTHING. AMEN.

Friend you may feel something or may not feeling anything but do not go by your feelings. When you ask Jesus to come into your life, He will and does. He will take over from here as you depend on the Lord and let Him work in you and through you! This is exciting friend! May each one that came to know Jesus be filled with His Holy Spirit forever more and those that know Jesus come to know Him more and more! Amen!

Get yourself involved in a campus Bible study, fellowship, and most of all find a Bible believing church and be involved to grow in your Christian walk with the Lord. They all need to be supplements for your own precious time with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word. If you need a Bible, please let me know!

As the movie DaVinci Code opened across the theaters on May 19, 2006, which speaks against the church and most importantly degrades the Name of Jesus Christ, we need to make ourselves available to speak the truth to the falsity presented in the movie and the novel. If you plan to watch the movie or have read the book and have questions or your faith seems to be shaken, please email me or give me a call at 412-720-4579 so we can discuss the false claims in the book that are presented as fact even though the book itself and the movie is presented as fiction. May the Lord bless you and guide you!

If you need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this Summer of 2006, you can email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579. Please do not hesitate. One-one Bible studies can be so powerful too because the Holy Spirit is still in the midst.

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Express Your View

SEPTEMBER 2005

MARK: CHAPTER 1

How seriously do you T.E.S.T.I.F.Y to prophecy? (Sept 01, 05)

Who do you P.O.I.N.T to? (Sept 02, 05)

"Will you take a S.T.A.N.D?" (Sept 03, 05)

How is your loving P.R.A.I.S.E? (Sept 06, 05)

"How do you handle T.E.M.P.T.A.T.I.O.N?" (Sept 07, 05)

"Who controls your T.I.M.E?" (Sept 08, 05)

"What kind of P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N are you in?" (Sept 09, 05)

"Whose T.E.A.C.H.I.N.G.S do you listen to?" (Sept 12, 05)