Milk vs. solid food

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Hebrews 5-6; Psalm 27

TO CHEW ON: "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are full of age that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Hebrews 5:13,14

What does the writer of Hebrews mean by "milk" and "solid food"? Where do you and I fit in this picture? Are we milk Christians, or do we eat solid food?

The writer gives us a clue when he talks about milk-requiring Christians as those who still haven't come to accept the "first principles" of the faith  (Hebrews 5:12) and again  refers to "elementary principles"  in Hebrews 6:1,2 where he goes on to name those six principles—the foundation on which faith is to be built. They are:

1. Repentance from dead works (see also Hebrews 9:14).
2. Faith toward God (John 3:16 comes to mind).
3. Baptism (see Acts 19:35).
4. Laying on of hands (some examples: Acts 8:17 and 19:6 where "laying on of hands" preceded people receiving the Holy Spirit; Acts 6:6 where it accompanied the commissioning of men for a special assignment).
5. Resurrection of the dead  (Acts 17:31).
6. Eternal judgment (Acts 24:25).

I ask myself, do I have a problem with / argue about / try to rationalize away any of these foundation stones of the faith? Because if I do, the writer would probably consider me a milk-limited Christian too.

On the other hand a "solid food" Christian is one builds a life of obedient practice ("...those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil") upon this foundation.

PRAYER:  Dear God, please help me to settle any issues I have with the basics, so I can go on to live a life of maturity and usefulness in Your kingdom.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 27

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Leaven alert

Yeast cells

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Then Jesus said to them, 'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'" Matthew 16:6

We can't help but smile at the little comedy of misunderstanding near the beginning of today's reading. Jesus had just had an encounter with the unbelieving Pharisees and Sadducess where they goaded Him for a heavenly sign. His reply cut to the bone: "Hypocrites...a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign..."

Then He and the disciples got into a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee. When they reached the other side, the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring bread.

Into that setting Jesus interjected, "'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'"

I can just see the wheels trying to turn in the disciples' heads: What does that have to do with anything? They tried, among themselves, to connect Jesus' statement with their present lack of bread.

But that wasn't the connection Jesus wanted them to make. So what was He talking about?

Not physical bread. His words in Matthew 16:8-11 show us that. Even the literal-minded disciples realized by the end of that conversation that Jesus was warning them not about some literal brand of leaven to avoid, but false doctrine.

It wasn't a specific teaching that Jesus was referring to either. Because the Pharisees and Sadducees beliefs contradicted each other. According to the study notes in my Bible:

"The Pharisees had a strong commitment to the Law as interpreted by 'the tradition of the elders.' They were strong ritualists and were legalistic.


The Sadducees came from leading social families and were rationalists and materialists. They rejected "the tradition of the elders" and denied the supernatural, including the possibility of a bodily resurrection. The Pharisees and Sadducees are best known for their mutual hostility" - J. Lyle Story, commentary on Matthew in the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1320.

Jesus was, it seems to me, warning them about the leaven of false doctrine of any kind.

Leaven or yeast, is a fungus that we add to bread dough. In the right conditions just a little grows in a matter of several hours to permeate a large lump of dough. Its presence is evident by the air bubbles that make the bread light and fluffy.

False doctrine is like that. Just a little imbalance or false teaching can quickly work its way through our whole teaching about God, resulting in aberrations as dissimilar as the cults and Christian liberalism.

How do we know when truth has been mixed with leaven? By getting familiar with teaching that is pure—that is, by immersing ourselves in the Bible. As we get to know its message from cover to cover, we will not be easily lured away by doctrines of a bloodless atonement, or angelic guides or any other leaven-permeated diversion from what Peter confessed later in the chapter: "You are the Christ the Son of the living God," or the simple gospel that Paul preached: "...Jesus Christ and Him crucified" 1 Corinthians 2:2.

PRAYER: Dear God, please sharpen my spiritual awareness so I will recognize the leaven of false teaching. Please guide me into truth by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

MORE: Feast of the Confession of St. Peter

Today is the day the church celebrates the Confession of Saint Peter. It begins with this prayer:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Liturgy for this day

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The danger of leader-worship

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 1:1-17


TO CHEW ON: "Now I say this, that each of you says, 'I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos,' or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for You? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" 1 Corinthians 1:12-13

Last year I read a biography of one of my spiritual heroes. I have always loved the writings of A. W. Tozer so when I discovered A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A. W. Tozer by Lyle Dorsett, I snapped it up.

Reading it was not altogether pleasurable, however, for I discovered this man (Tozer) who came across through his writings as practically perfect had some very human qualities. My reaction illustrates what Paul is talking about in our passage today. When we put too much faith in human leaders we enter hazardous territory on several levels.

We may be setting ourselves up for disappointment (such as I felt when I read the Tozer biography). My disappointment was just over discovering some common human traits. When prominent leaders fall, as in exhibiting moral failure, their followers often find themselves in a crisis of trust. Many have abandoned faith in God as a result of disappointment in a revered leader.


We may be jeopardizing our own orthodoxy. Mindlessly following a charismatic leader (charismatic in the personality sense) has led to the development of more than one cult.

We may be fostering needless division in the church—the problem Paul is grappling with here.

We have one leader who will never let us down, however. We can always trust Jesus who, as Paul reminds us, is the One who died for us, whose life, death and resurrection is our gospel (good news), and to whom we have united ourselves in baptism.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I easily put people on a pedestal. Help me to set You up on the highest place of my heart and view human leaders with realism—respect for sure, but not worship. Amen.

MORE: Follow with caution

In his Illustrated Guide to Religions, James Beverley has a chapter called Christian Sectarian Groups. He notes three common characteristics of such groups (which include Jehovah's Witness, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Unification Church, and others):

1."They usually adopt a non-Trinitarian perspective" (i.e. they don't believe in the Trinity).

2. "Each group retains the language of the Christian faith even if the substance is not retained on particular matters."

3."Last, and most important, each group has been shaped by an authoritarian and often narcissistic leadership, particularly at inception" (emphasis added).

- James Beverley, Illustrated Guide to Religions, p. 114.

False shepherd alert

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 23:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "'Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!' says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: 'You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,' says the Lord." Jeremiah 23:1-2

I have, in the last while, run into evidence that the problem Jeremiah had with false shepherds in his day continues in ours. Otherwise, how do you explain a Lutheran pastor who describes himself as a "vedic buddhist pagan," or a local church leader who, in his role as TV host-interviewer seems more interested in pointing out how Buddhism contains truth than explaining how it contradicts the Gospel.

In our time, when blending belief systems with a view to getting along with everyone is the trend, I guess it's not surprising. But the pervasiveness of such tainted teaching makes it all the more important to be able to tell who the false shepherds/teachers are. Jeremiah in this chapter names several lifestyle and teaching indicators:

1. They are profane (vs. 11). I can't help but think of the trend in parts of the church these days to use spiced up language even from the pulpit, supposedly to attract the unbeliever: "See, we can relate to you because we talk just like you do."

2. They prophesy by Baal (vs. 13). Sounds like modern syncretism to me.

3. They commit adultery and live like the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah (vs. 14). All too familiar, isn't it?

Throughout the Bible false teachers / shepherds are mentioned often. Looking at those references gives us some more ways to spot them.

• Unfamiliar teaching. Jeremiah describers them as teaching something "new" and says they "speak a vision of their own heart" (Jeremiah 23:16). Paul warns Timothy about their "doctrines of demons," and their "profane and idle babbling" (1 Timothy 6:20).

• Human-centered. This may mean making up rules for people to follow, as the Scribes and Pharisees did (Mark 7:7). It could also include teaching human wisdom instead of Christ: "philosophy and empty deceit ...tradition of man according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

• New take on Jesus. False teachers often tinker with Jesus' identity. Paul warns the Corinthians about preachers who proclaim an unfamiliar Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4). Peter warns about teachers who deny the efficacy of Jesus' work on the cross (2 Peter 2:1). Some may even use Scripture itself to challenge Jesus' identity, like Satan did during Jesus' temptation (Matthew 4:6).

• No bad news. The false shepherds of Ezekiel's day avoided the bad and unpleasant, saying only things the people wanted to hear (Ezekiel 13:10).

• Divisive. Paul warned Titus about teachers who were divisive (Titus 3:10). Related to causing division is the desire to build one's own following (Acts 20:30).

• Hypocritical and immoral lifestyle. Jesus warned about teachers who lived lives of hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). Paul lumped heretical teachers in with those who practiced idolatry, sorcery and a lot of other things (Galatians 5:20).

The key thing in identifying false shepherds still always comes down to being familiar with God's word. When we know what it says, we'll be alert to someone who is trying to tell us something it doesn't say: "...holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who contradict" (Titus 1:7-9).

PRAYER: Dear God, I want to live by truth. Help me to know and understand Your word so that I will be able to detect error. Amen.

MORE: Doctrinal defection

"What we see today in the moral collapse of the ministry is not the worst priestly failure. Far more devastating for the church long term is the doctrinal defection of thousands of pastors away from the authority and sufficiency of Scripture and away from biblical truth.

"The Curse of Priestly Failure" By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

How to Try the Spirits

(Extracts from an essay by A. W. Tozer)

There are large numbers of persons who have not left the true way but who want a rule by which they can test everything and by which they may prove the quality of Christian teaching and experience...Briefly stated the test is this:

How has it affected my attitude toward and my relation to God, Christ, the Holy Scriptures, self, other Christians, the world and sin.

By this sevenfold test we may prove everything religious and know beyond a doubt whether it is of God or not.

1. God
The health and balance of the universe require that God should be magnified in all things.

[...]The big test is, What has this done to my relationship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? If this new view of truth – this new encounter with spiritual things – has made me love God more, if it has magnified Him in my eyes, if it has purified my concept of His being and caused Him to appear more wonderful than before, then I may conclude that I have not wandered astray into the pleasant but dangerous and forbidden paths of error.

2. Jesus Christ

Whatever place present-day religion may give to Christ, God gives Him top place in earth and in heaven (verses cited: Acts 2:36, 4:12)

[...] He must stand at the center of all true doctrine, all acceptable practice, all genuine Christian experience. Anything that makes Him less than God has declared Him to be is delusion pure and simple and must be rejected, no matter how delightful or how satisfying it may for the time seem to be.

[...] If the new experience tends to make Christ indispensable, if it takes our interest off our feeling and places it in Christ, we are on the right track. Whatever makes Christ dear to us is pretty sure to be from God.

3. Holy Scriptures

Did this new experience, this new view of truth, spring out of the Word of God itself or was it the result of some stimulus that lay outside the Bible?

[...] Whatever is new or singular should also be viewed with a lot of caution until it can furnish scriptural proof of its validity.

[...] What does it do to my love for and appreciation of the Scriptures?

While true power lies not in the letter of the text but in the Spirit that inspired it, we should never underestimate the value of the letter.

[...] If the new doctrine, the influence of that new teacher, the new emotional experience fills my heart with an avid hunger to meditate in the Scriptures day and night, I have every reason to believe that God has spoken to my soul and that my experience is genuine..

4. Self Life

Before the Spirit of God can work creatively in our hearts He must condemn and slay the “flesh” within us; that is, He must have our full consent to displace our natural self with the Person of Christ.

[...] A good rule is this: If this experience has served to humble me and make me little and vile in my own eyes, it is of God; but if it has given me a feeling of self-satisfaction, it is false and should be dismissed as emanating from self or the devil. Nothing that comes from God will minister to my pride or self-congratulation.

5. Fellow Christians

Any religious experience that fails to deepen our love for our fellow Christians may safely be written off as spurious.

[...] we conclude that whatever tends to separate us in person or in heart from our fellow Christians is not of God, but is of the flesh or of the devil. And conversely, whatever causes us to love the children of God is likely to be of God. (John 13:35)

6. The World

(The definition of the world he refers to here is from 1 John 2:16,17)

This is the world by which we may test the spirits. It is the world of carnal enjoyments, of godless pleasures, of the pursuit of earthly riches and reputation and sinful happiness. It carries on without Christ, following the counsel of the ungodly and being animated by the prince of the power of the air....

Any real work of God in our heart will tend to unfit is for the world’s fellowship... It may be stated unequivocally that any spirit that permits compromise with the world is a false spirit. Any religious movement that imitates the world in any of its manifestations is false to the cross of Christ and on the side of the devil – and this regardless of how much purring its leaders may do about “accepting Christ” or “letting God run your business.”

7. Attitude toward sin

The operation of grace within the heart of a believing man will turn that heart away from sin and toward holiness.

[...] Anything that weakens his hatred of sin may be identified immediately as false to the Scriptures or to the Savior and to his own soul. Whatever makes holiness more attractive and sin more intolerable may be accepted as genuine.