Hebrews 5: Is that a Milk Mustache?

In Hebrews 5:11-14, Paul exhorts the readers to hear the Word of God and grow spiritually. If they don’t, they will remain babes in Christ or spiritual infants consuming “milk” or the basics of the Christian life instead of growing in spiritual maturity and consuming great Biblical truths or “meat”.

The Bible is full of rich doctrine and truth that help the believer through this life. If one takes the Word of God seriously and applies it to their heart, they won’t struggle with the same problems, addictions and habits. We should take responsibility for our spiritual growth and develop a closer walk with the Lord over time, graduating from milk to meat. Christians ought not have a milk mustache forever.

There are some stark differences between Christians still consuming milk or struggling with the first steps of their Christian life (faithful Bible reading, faithful church attendance, faithful witnessing) and those that have graduated to eating meat (living faithfully, seeking the Lord’s will for their life and studying God’s Word).

A mother’s milk will only help an infant grow so much. If they don’t eventually start consuming solid foods (meat) their growth will be hindered. Christians need to seek to grow through consuming God’s Word or they will not grow spiritually.

Infants are dependent on others. They depend on their mother for milk. Without the mother, the babe is helpless. Christians ought not rely on others for help and assistance, they should seek grow spiritually through studying God’s Word. They should become consistent and reliable in their service and not require “hand holding.”

Meat eaters are independent. They can cook and cut their own food without assistance. Similarly, mature Christians can resolve problems and difficulties in their life by studying the Bible and applying it their lives. They are consistent in this.

Infants cry a lot. Christians would do a lot less crying about their problems if they spent more time in God’s Word, coming to a greater understanding of the truth God has for them. They would then have the victory and become mature meat eaters.

While some may still be babes, every Christian must determine to become spiritually mature and not wear a perpetual milk mustache. If they don’t, consider what happened to the Corinthians that refused to grow spiritually:

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

The Corinthians refused to grow spiritually and as a result, they were carnal and caused strife and hurt feelings in the church. God help us if we always have a milk mustache.

I Samuel 18: The Critical Spouse

In I Samuel 18, David and Michal were a young married couple in love. Michal loved David. David was asked to slay 100 Philistines to earn Michal’s hand in marriage and he proved his love for her by slaying 200 Philistines.

But King Saul was jealous of David and sought to take his life. David had to leave behind the country and his wife, Saul’s daughter. Saul then gave Michal to another man, Phalti, to be his wife.

A lot happened over the next ten years. Saul and his son Jonathan were dead. His general, Abner, was now running Israel and promised to unite Israel under King David. But David only agrees to Abner’s plan if Abner takes Michal away from Phalti and gives her to David – her first husband.

A short while later, in a procession with 30,000 men, David lead the ark of God back to Jerusalem. It was a great day for the nation of Israel. The ark was where it needed to be, Israel was united and David was no longer running from Saul. There was great excitement in the air and David thought God was doing great things! David blessed the ark, made offerings to the Lord and gave some food and drink to all the people. What a time! David “danced” – he jumped and leaped for joy for what God had done. And he wore a linen ephod – representative of the ephod the priest would wear. Everything David did, he did so with an attitude of sincere worship and thanksgiving for the victory God gave.

And then David returns home to his wives and family. Think of how great it is to come home with great news and you have the privilege to be the first to announce it. Certainly, Michal will be just as excited as David about all God had done for Israel!

But Michal was not excited about what God was doing. In fact, she comes out of the house to meet him in the road before he even gets to the house and accuses David of making a fool of himself. She criticizes him. “You’re the king, why are you leaping through the streets in front of everyone?”

Why was she so critical? Why wasn’t she encouraged by the work of the Lord?

First, Michal changed over time. Remember, she spent ten years living in the house of her father, Saul. Saul was a godless king. The spirit of God had left him a long time ago.

And there no public worship in the days of Saul: 1 Chronicles 13:3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul. During Saul’s reign, the people grew cold towards the things of God and Michal was no exception. She had become suspicious like her father and was also a false accuser and cold in her heart. If Christians don’t develop a walk with the Lord, they will become cold and indifferent to the work of the Lord.

Second, she had a heart problem: v.16 Michal despised David in her heart. Why? She was prideful and had little concern for God. We can see this was her problem by looking at David’s response to her attack: note v.21-22 “I will be more vile”, “I will be base.” David says: You’ve got a problem with me humbling myself before God because you’re prideful. You don’t care about the ark, you just care about the throne. And these maidservants you despise will honor me when you won’t.

She enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of being the King’s daughter just as much as Saul lusted to remain king. And while David was walking closer to the Lord while hunted by Saul, Michal was drifting farther from God in the palace. She didn’t share David’s zeal for service, worship and consecration. The ark of God meant nothing to her – the prestige of the throne was her goal. She enjoyed being the queen and her husband the war hero and king, but she had no interest in being married to a devout Christian that served and worshiped God. She didn’t like it when he took off his kingly purple robe and wore a godly linen ephod.

Michal’s heart was not right with God. David was praising God for what He had done to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He’s serving the Lord and giving God his best and what is she doing? Finding a way to be critical. Imagine that: David praises God with the whole country for bringing the ark to Jerusalem, he blesses the nation and the whole nation is happy with him – except one person: His wife.

And what was he coming home to do? According to v.20, have family devotions. She doesn’t care that her husband wants to read the Bible and go to church. She doesn’t care if he wants to spend time in prayer. She wants her husband to be her king-boy at home, not out serving God with the common people! And so, the one person that ought to be his biggest supporter is his biggest critic. The one place that ought to be a haven and rest for his weary soul – home – is a battleground. We ought to put our helmet on when leaving the house and take it off when we return. But because of a spouse that was critical and had little heart for God, David had to prepare for battle before he crossed the threshold!

After a couple trips home like that, many spouses don’t come home! I’m not saying that’s right, but I can see why they’d rather stay out doing something else than come home to their biggest critic! If you spend so much time criticizing your spouse, you better hope they’re patient – or there’ll come a day when you go out to meet them half way home to tear into them and there won’t be anyone there!

What she should have been for him: Proverbs 31:10-12 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Spouses should rejoice in the work of the Lord together, worshiping and serving together, not criticizing. Stay close the Lord and support your spouse.

John 11: For Your Sakes - What to Remember in Troubling Times

The Lord has great purposes for each of our lives. First, we must see our sin nature and our need for Christ. Then, it His desire that each of us become a great Christian, full of faith. And he makes us into that kind of Christian by using difficult trials.

In John 11, notice what God does to make Mary and Martha the great believers they were. Jesus is in Jerusalem when messengers from Mary and Martha arrive. They tell Jesus that Lazarus, their brother is sick. Based on Jesus’ response, it appears that Lazarus is terminally ill. Jesus tells the messengers that the sickness is not to result in permanent death, but rather so that God would be glorified.

In v.5, we read that Jesus loved not only Lazarus, but Mary and Martha as well. Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but he would so in a way that would teach Mary and Martha how to be better Christians.

Jesus is informed that Lazarus is sick and he took four days to leave where he was beyond Jordan to get to Bethany where Lazarus was. I’m sure his disciples must have been wondering what the boss was doing. “Why is he waiting? This is a life and death situation, we need to get moving, Jesus!” Four days they waited and prayed. Finally, God came and did a greater miracle than just healing Lazarus. As a result, many believed!

Why did he make Mary, Martha and others wait on God? The answer is in v.15: “For your sake.” Jesus allowed Lazarus to become sick and die for their benefit. He desired those that knew Lazarus to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and offers eternal life. That’s why he was glad he was not there to heal Lazarus and prevent his death. If Jesus prevented his death, there would be no opportunity to raise him from the dead and fewer people would see who God is and believe on Him.

Think of how many people would never trust in Christ as their Savior if God never allowed anything bad to happen. If we never needed deliverance, why would we ever call upon the Lord? If we never saw how frail and powerless we really are, would we ever need God?

Now consider this. We see the big picture in the life of Mary and Martha. We’re cruising at 30,000 feet looking down and reading the announcement of Lazarus’ terminal illness, his death and resurrection four days later. We don’t see any reason for Mary and Martha to worry because we know the outcome. Why should they fear and be dismayed that Jesus didn’t come yet? Why do they worry? Don’t they know Jesus is God? Four days to wait on God is not that long. How confident we are in God when we know how the story ends!

But what about when you don’t know how the story ends? What about when it’s your family member diagnosed with cancer? Or you lose your job? Or some other calamity happens in your life and you can’t escape the pressure and cruise 30,000 feet above the situation because you’re in up to your neck in the calamity as it slowly unfolds, one plodding and painful day after another? You’ll give anything just to make it end! It’s those days when we need to remember who God is and what he is doing, just as He did for Mary and Martha:

Remember that He sees all things: He knows the suffering you endure. 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers...

Remember that He is all powerful. He is in control. Look to see what God is doing – what is God accomplishing through your trial?

Remember that it is “for your sakes” that God does not provide deliverance when you want it. We don’t become more faithful and consistent Christians that trust in Him more and love him more because only good things happen. It’s when we continue to walk with him through hardships that we become better Christians.

Don’t accuse God. Mary and Martha blamed God for the death of Lazarus – “God if you did something, none of this would have happened. It’s all your fault!” When God allows something bad to happen, look to see what God is doing instead of blaming Him.

Remember that God does the unexpected. Upon learning of Lazarus’ illness, the expected reaction would be to heal Lazarus immediately, not wait for him to die. And we would certainly not expect to open a grave! But God is not limited to our expectations and be glad He isn’t: We’re not always right!

Remember, it takes time to build great faith. We’ll have seasons of pain and difficulty that will not be short if we are to be the great Christians God wants us to be. But praise God, those four days didn’t seem so long when Lazarus walked out of that cave! When we get what we prayed for, the season of prayer always seems shorter after the fact!

Remember, God loves us. “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.” He loved them and had a purpose for them in this trial. It was for their sakes that he was not there. And he loves you and has a purpose for you in your trial. The sooner we figure that out, the sooner we can patiently wait on God.

Genesis 34: Teenagers and Relationships

Genesis 34:1-2 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. Genesis 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

What a tragic account.  It may well be that Dinah was raped by Shechem, but that is not certain.  "Took" does not always mean "forced" and "defiled" could refer to Dinah losing her virginity to a man that was not her husband.  Further, Shechem otherwise demonstrated good behavior towards Dinah.  A clearer description of an incident of rape can be found in II Samuel 13.  Nevertheless, Shechem's behavior towards this woman was an inexcusable act of lust.  He was wrong.  "It ought not to be done!"  So the answer to the question of "Did Dinah deserve this" the answer is clearly "No."

But if the question is "Did Dinah allow herself to enter into a compromising position," the answer is "Yes, she did."  Dinah left home to see the daughters of the land - what she had at home no longer interested her and she instead sought what was in the world around her.  The fact that she had 11 brothers and no sisters probably didn't encourage her to stay home!  But there was great danger in her leaving the safety of home, the oversight of her parents when she was still a young teenager (about 14 years old) and lacking wisdom in how to do deal with the smooth talking Shechems of the world and the ways of people that didn't know the Lord.  She left the safety of home and found herself in a vulnerable position.  Be cautious of the company your children keep!  Parents ought to know where their children are at all times, who they are with and what they are doing.  There are those that will influence them or take advantage of them!

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Proverbs 4:14-16 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

This leads to the point of this blog entry.  What was missing at home that Dinah sought for among the daughters of the land? What were her parents thinking? Where was her mother?  Titus 2:3-5 instructs older women to teach younger women to be discreet and chaste in their behavior.  If Rebekah taught her daughter this truth, perhaps Dinah would not allow herself to enter into a compromising situation.

Further, the heart of children should be towards their parents, not Shechem: Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.  Apparently, Jacob and Rebekah lost the heart of their daughter to the world - Dinah saw something in the world, the daughters of the land, that she was not getting at home.  Perhaps it was love or attention.  Parents should teach their children the Bible at home, spend time doing some fun things with them, teach them how to live life in a God fearing manner to ensure their heart is at home and not for the daughters in the land.  If parents keep the heart of their children, when they are teenagers they will want to talk to their parents instead of looking to get out of the house at every opportunity to run with their pack of friends or look for relationships on the internet.

And when we allow young people to enter into close relationships with the opposite sex, parents risk losing the child's heart to that boyfriend or girlfriend.  Note in v.3 that Shechem romanced Dinah with his kind words.  Shechem had an emotional bond with Dinah that she should have had with her father till she met her husband.  Parents that allow their teenagers to run in the dating scene is dangerous business!

If parents keep the heart of the child, young people will enjoy homelife and not seek for something in this world that will put themselves in a vulnerable position.

Genesis 17-20: What Friends Do

No friendship in the Bible earns as much attention as the friendship between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son. Their loyalty to one another is exemplary. And they communicated well with each other. Friendships are made or broken in large part because of communication practices, how we listen and when we talk.


The origin of Jonathan and David’s friendship is found in Genesis 17 when David slays Goliath. They each wanted to be friends and made a covenant with each other. Jonathan even gave David his weapons and armor. They were considerate and shared. Their friendship was unconditional. They obviously showed themselves friendly toward one another. If one of them wanted to be standoffish, this friendship would never have happened. Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly...

Friends are loyal to one another. David was one of King Saul’s best men, but Saul attacked David’s character and tried to kill him. Who could David run to in this time of despair? Jonathan. Even though Jonathan was Saul’s son, he was a loyal friend.

Friends protect one another. In Genesis 19, Jonathan committed to tell David the truth if King Saul desired to kill David. Jonathan would warn David if needed, even if it meant risking his life and siding with his friend instead of the King. Their friendship was not superficial: Even during these hard times, Jonathan was David’s friend. Jonathan spoke well of David. He did not promise to protect David and then betray him. In Chapter 20, when Saul made false accusation against David, Jonathan risked his own life and his relationship with his father to defend David’s reputation.

Friends Listen and Resolve Differences. In Chapter 20, David tells Jonathan that he is convinced that Saul is trying to kill him. After Saul assured Jonathan that David would not be slain (19:6), Jonathan doesn’t believe his father is still trying to kill David. He’s certain that he would know if his father was trying to kill David. Because they listen to each other they each recognize that they differ in their opinion of King Saul. Jonathan was willing to find out if he was wrong. Together, David and Jonathan determined what to do to solve their differences and find out the truth.

Friends are interested in listening to their friends. Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear [LISTEN], and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.

Friends don’t dominate a conversation with their one pet topic, always bringing the conversation back to their pet topic. That’s not listening. Proverbs 17:27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words... Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Friends don’t talk over one another. That’s not listening. Friends don’t try to “one up” each other: always feel they have to have something more important or better to say, prove a point that’s already been proven. That’s not listening. Friends don’t try to maintain they know everything. That’s not listening.

Friends encourage spiritual growth. In Chapter 23, we read that “Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God,” meaning Jonathan sought to encourage David in his walk with the Lord. David was distressed and Jonathan reminded David of the Lord. Friends care about the spiritual well being of each other. A friend won’t:

1. Persuade you to forsake church attendance

2. Persuade you to forsake Bible reading

3. Turn you against your Pastor

4. Turn you against church members

5. Turn you against God

Proverbs 19:27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. A friend will encourage you to do more for the Lord, walk closely with God and have strong relationships at church.

Do you not have friendships like you desire? Do you want to be a better friend?  Be careful how you listen and talk.  Resolve differences.  Be loyal and seek to protect friends.

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Genesis 29: Husbands, Love Your Wife

Genesis 29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

What does the Bible say regarding the love a husband should have for their wife?  In Genesis 29:20, we read that Jacob worked a hard labor job for seven years without pay to earn Rachel's hand in marriage.  And because of the love Jacob had for Rachel, those seven years seemed like but a few days. In other words, his love for the woman who would be his wife was so great that seven years of unpaid labor seemed like a very small sacrifice. What a testimony!

There ought to be real love in the marital relationship and it starts with husbands. We find three occasions in the Bible where husbands are commanded to love their wives:

Husbands should love their wives sacrificially: Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it...  Husbands should be willing to make sacrifices for the one they say they love.

Husbands should love their wives and care for her as they care for their own selves: Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Husbands, we don’t ignore ourselves, hurt ourselves or give ourselves the silent treatment. Don’t do that to your wife.

Husbands should not have wrong attitudes toward their wife: Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.  A husband that loves his wife will not be angry, bitter and resentful towards her.

Husbands, Jacob loved his wife and proved it.  Now it's your turn.

John 8: Conviction of the Conscience

In John 8:1-11, the Pharisees bring a woman that is caught in the act of adultery to Jesus.  The Pharisees knew the law condemned adultery, but they also knew Jesus liked to forgive sinners.  They hoped to accuse Jesus of forgiving someone that was condemned under the law and then deny that He is the Son of God because he contradicted the law.

Jesus responded that the one that was without sin should cast the first stone at the woman.  In v.9, we learn that the conscience of these Pharisees and Scribes was convicted.  In the light of their sin being revealed, they realized they were sinners and one by one, they walked away.

Conviction of the conscience is only valuable if it is followed by action.  When we are confronted by truths in God's Word that reveal our own sin and the need to repent and change, we ought to heed that warning.  What if the Pharisees ignored the conviction of their conscience and stoned the woman anyway?  We would observe their behavior and proclaim that they were very foolish and arrogant for ignoring the conviction of their own conscience.  But do we have the same indignation toward ourselves when we ignore the conviction of our own conscience?  How foolish we are if we should be confronted with the truth of our sin and need for Christ or our need to change and ignore it!

Jesus did not ignore the woman's sin either.  Any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage is sin and Jesus makes no exception here - he tells the woman to "go and sin no more."  Consider her plight:  Under the law, she was condemned.  But Jesus forgave her sin.  How ungrateful she would be if she then returned to the same sinful life she was just delivered from!  Let's heed the conviction of the conscience and appreciate the grace of God by living a life pleasing to the Lord.