MasterTruth

Choose Meat

How do you know when it’s time to wean a baby from milk and move on to solids? There are several indications. One is when milk is not satiating any more. You can supplement the milk, but it’s also a sign that you can introduce solids, including meat, which provides the iron and zinc the body needs.

Well, that’s physical babies. You know the Bible talks about baby Christians and the need and desire for milk, but also how it’s eventually time to move past that and onto meat.

Illustrations always break down. When babies first get meat, it’s mush. That’s not the Bible idea of spiritual meat. Neither does it mean ABC meat (already been chewed). If you’re living on devotional books, consider weening yourself off of those and finding your own meat and discovering the delightful mysteries of God on your own. You can do it. In fact, God expects you to mature to the point you can handle strong meat.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Heb. 5:12-14

This may seem like a silly question, but as a Christian, how do you know if you are only on milk level with the Bible or if you are consuming meat? It also begs the question, what is meat? I’ll apply the Bible study principal that will put you on the path to meat. That is, when you can compare scripture with scripture and come to conclusions on your own without a Bible teacher, devotional book, sermon or conversation with the pastor.

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isa. 28:9-10

Fortunately, we live in a day when it’s easier than ever to look at precept upon precept and line upon line and find a little here and a little there to draw it all together because we have Bible study tools. I maintain, all it takes to soar ahead in your knowledge of God and the Bible is a strong curiosity and Bible tools, like the Blue Letter Bible smartphone app. Or on my computer I use eSword and the Online Bible. Whatever Bible program you have that allows you to type in a word or phrase and find all the verses with the word or phrase, that’s the start of “line upon line.” It’s also helpful if the app or program gives cross references to verses—taking you to other passages that discuss the same topic.

This leads to meat, but it also takes work. If you’re used to milk—that is reading devotional books of what someone else wants you to see from the Bible, the idea of getting it yourself might sound difficult. But you must do it if you’re going to grow in your knowledge and understanding of God.

Remember, growth is our goal. We stop eating, we stop growing. We drink just milk, we only grow so much. The apostle Paul tended to pray for spiritual growth for those he ministered to. Growth involves knowledge. Here’s one of his prayers, That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power…. Eph. 1:17-19

You learn these kinds of things when He enlightens you in the Scriptures. Surely you’ve had that happen … where you read something that burned in your heart and it brought tears to your eyes and you “got it.” The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to do the work of God in your heart. And that will happen regularly if you curiously study a book of the Bible, a Bible character, a word or a concept in His word with anticipation that He will show you something.

When you see things, write them down. Keep a Bible study journal, perhaps on your computer. Then practice what you know and teach it to others. Help them to grow past milk into strong meat.

Tell me what you think.

Jody

A Manifested Mystery

Some might say that God Himself is the greatest mystery of all. After all, you can’t see Him. How do you know He even exists? That’s exactly what I said as a youngster. I concluded that believing in something invisible was absurd. Yet I could be found in my bedroom at night gazing out the window up at the sky, hoping to see just one star that I might wish upon. I’m probably not the only one who has ever repeated in earnest, “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.”

That’s because when God created us, He hard-wired in us a conscience and a consciousness of something out there greater than ourselves. And, He didn’t want to remain anonymous. He chose the things He created to point to Himself and get us thinking and seeking to learn the mystery of Him.

Not only did he make us with a heart to lean toward Him and a conscience to know we need Him, He gave us a giant missive of 66 books written over a period of 1,500 years from three continents using 44 authors to convey everything He wants us to know about Him so that He doesn’t remain a mystery to us. In that, He says Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. (Rom. 1:19-20)

Let’s practice our grasp of God’s big secret by examining His message in these verses.

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. God has manifested something about Himself to someone. Who is the “them” referred to in this verse? We have to look at the preceding verse for that: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness (vs. 18) So, what this is saying is that what can be known of God has been revealed to ungodly people who hold this truth in unrighteousness.

Hmmm. How has God manifested Himself and shown Himself to such unrighteous people? Look at the next portion of our study verse: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. God found a way around the fact that He is invisible so that He can be knowable. How? We understand the invisible things about Him by examining the things He made in creation. What things about Him do we clearly see through what was made? Now the rest of the verse: even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

In His creation, we can see His eternal power and Godhead. You can pick almost any of creation and see that, but the most obvious is the sun. The power of the sun is eternal. Talk about solar power! You see His Godhead in various aspects of the sun. The light it gives (Jesus said He’s the light of the world); the heat it gives (God’s heat that heals can also destroy, Mal 4:1-2); the x-ray power it contains (the Holy Spirit’s examination penetrates right to the heart).

These ungodly people who refuse to acknowledge the invisible God, even though He has manifested Himself so clearly to them, are without excuse. No one is going to face God at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11) and say, “I had no idea about you. Why are you judging me?”

So, back to the beginning: God—invisible as He is—does not intend to remain a secret to us. He has given us a starting point to learn about Him, and that is creation. Once a person is drawn to God through the wonder of creation, it’s time to read about Him in His book that He preserved and will continue to preserve for every generation, because He promised to do that. (Psa. 12:6-7)

It’s time to go on a journey of other secrets and mysteries of God.

Jody