CANCER IN THE BODY

Tags

2 Timothy 3, body of Christ, Candace Pert, Caroline Leaf, Ezekiel 37, Luke 21:34-35, Romans 12:1-2, Valley of Dry Bones

The human body is declared by the Psalmist to be “fearfully and wonderfully made”. Every day in all we do it battles off unseen viruses and bacterium. It heals cuts, mends bruises, binds surgical wounds, knits together broken bones, and rebuilds diseased organs. It takes in the food we eat and turns it into energy for our benefit. To the best of its ability and as much as we help it, it continually cleanses itself of germs, dead cells, chemicals from foods we eat and removes all waste. It is constantly building, rebuilding, energizing, cleansing, and detoxifying; there is not a day nor minute nor second that goes by that every organ is not working together for the benefit of the whole. As 1 Corinthians 12:12,14 says, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For the body is not one member, but many.” It is marvelous in its design, a masterpiece of its Creator!

The greatest adverse effects on the human body are found in two components: what we ingest and what we think. Our foods today are not as innocent as you think they may be. Not only is fast food grease detrimental to our bodies, but also our vegetables which are laden with pesticides and chemicals, this is not to mention how hybridization and the genetic modification of plants might have an impact on our bodies as well. According to researchers, 13% of sicknesses are brought about by poor eating habits and other environmental factors.

It has also been determined by researches and scientists, including Dr. Caroline Leaf (neuroscientist and author of Who Switched Off My Brain), Dr. Candace Pert (neuroscientist and pharmacologist) and others, that what we think greatly affects the body. Every thought we think causes chemicals/hormones originating in the brain to be sent out to the rest of the body, whether good or bad. A good thought sends out good chemicals. A bad thought sends out bad. 87% of all sickness is brought about by our thought life.

Therefore, if we eat junk food all the time, it is inevitable that we are going to get sick. Or if we think bad thoughts about ourselves or soak in the deconstructive words that others aim at us, then we too will get sick in our bodies. So, whether we are eating poorly or thinking poorly, it will inevitably make us sick.

Now, let us go deeper. The human body is a sort of picture of the body of Christ. So, what are we eating as the individual members of the body of Christ? Are we getting the spiritual nutrients that we need to make the whole body healthy? Indeed, if the liver is sick, the whole body will be sick. Are each of us thinking biblical thoughts? Where are we getting our information to think on? What is our mind set on? Is what we are taking in and thinking making the body of Christ making us susceptible to disease?

Everyone prays for healing from cancer and other diseases, but there is a cancer very few think about or know about. It is in the body of Christ, and is not physical but spiritual. Ezekiel saw in a powerful vision a valley filled with bones upon bones upon bones as far as his eye could see. Can you see it? It was a valley of death. And then through a series of events and of Ezekiel’s obedience to the voice of the Lord, there stood before him an army of bones clattering together, muscles being built, and skin being stretched out over them. It must have been an awesome sight to behold! But, then, Ezekiel noticed something. As awesome as that was, something was missing. “And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them” (Ez 37:8). Though this truly is a picture of Israel, it can also be applied to the body of Christ today.

As awesome as it is that the world is being reached with the Gospel and our churches are full, too many in the body sit in pews and chairs as bones with flesh and skin upon them but no Spirit. They appear to be alive, but they do not have the Spirit (Rev 3); they have a form of godliness but deny the power (2 Tim 3). But, God longs to breathe His Spirit in us once more! He longs for Christians to be a healthy, vibrant, and alive, the body of Christ, without spot and without wrinkle, holy and set apart. Jesus is returning soon and He warns us to “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35).

The Greek word for overcharged is baruno carries a meaning of “being heavy, even heavily oppressed or made dull or stupid.” That which oppresses and makes us dull, is dissipation/surfeiting, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. Surfeiting/dissipation, is the word kraipale which means “a headache”, a confusion in the head such as is caused by a hangover. Drunkenness is the Greek word methe which is stronger than merely being influenced by wine–one is overcome with it. When it talks about cares of this world, merimnes biotikes, it means that worry overwhelmingly interrupts our thinking and brings disorder to our minds and lives. The word for snare is pagis which literally means a “trap,” for even as a trap snaps down upon an unsuspecting animal, so the cares of this life “trap” believers in worry and headaches that they needlessly bear.

Therefore, let us no longer be unhealthy, making a meal of the fast food the world has to offer. Let us not think on things that have no eternal value such as watching movies that make us confused with the world’s philosophy and perspective on life and not God’s, listening to music overflowing with the lusts and hopes of the world that dulls our spirits to the Holy Spirit’s still small voice. Let us not be addicted to anything (drugs, smoking, sex, drinking, eating, to watching sports programs and even making money) that would cause us to be numb to the Word of God, dull in our spiritual senses, heavy with things violently destroying us within, rendering us inoperable while distracting our minds and spreading through the body of Christ as a deadly cancer.

Blessed Christians, remember that we are new creations in Christ; old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Cor 5:17-18)! Thus, as new creations, we as members of the body are to think differently and live differently than the world; we are to live based on what we learn from God’s Word. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” Romans 12:1-2.

The day of Jesus’ immanent return is so close, the signs all point to His soon arrival. Will you be caught off guard like an animal in a snapping trap because your minds are disoriented and dulled by the things of this world? Or will you be ready and unpolluted by this world, edifying the body by being pure and teaching others through word and deed to do the same? The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come” to our awesome King Jesus. May we not only say it, but shout it in all that we do!!

Dr Leaf’s Website:

http://drleaf.com/

Candice Pert’s Website:

http://candacepert.com/

Observant, Listening Love

Tags

1 John 3:17-19, agape love, Ameristella.worpress.com, Love, Mormonism, phileo love, YWAM

What does it mean to love each other as Christians? Is it an action or a feeling? Is it practical or spiritual?

One Sunday morning I sat near a woman who kept putting her fingers up to her eyes while she sniffled. Several thoughts crossed my mind as I sat there. I wondered if she had been touched by the testimony of one of the speakers, by the pastor’s sermon, or something else. As I continued to listen to her sniffle as well as to my pastor’s sermon on Jesus and the woman at the well, my mind reflected on what love truly is. (I’ll get back to the woman at church in a minute!)

There are several Greek words for love. In the Bible two are used predominantly: Agape and phileo. To put it very succinctly, agape love is what we are to show to all people, starting first with fellow Christians that the world will know we are Christians (John 13:35). Phileo is what we show only to the body of Christ and is friendship love in which we have things in common.

Agape love is not based on feelings nor does it merely give to others what they want or think they need. Did God so love the world that He gave us a Superhero? No. Did God so love the world that He gave us a conquering King? No. Did He so love the world that He made us all rich and powerful and gave us all mansions on the beach? No. God so loved us that He gave us His only begotten Son who veiled His Kingly glory and majesty and came down to earth where He was a misunderstood, rejected suffering servant who died on the cross and then rose again from the grave on the third day. Was that what the world thought it needed? No. Was it what it needed whether they knew it or not? Yes.

You see, agape carries the meaning of “regarding” a person. To regard someone means to look intently at that person, to watch them closely. No, not in a spooky way or like a stalker. To agape love someone is not just to feel warm fuzzies, but to reach out in a real way to meet the real need of that person whether they know what that need is or not.

I used to work for a ministry where people would call in for prayer. Many times people thought they knew exactly what they needed and stated it clearly. However, as my spirit listened to the Holy Spirit while the people listed their petitions, I often heard something quite different from the Spirit of God and thus, would pray accordingly. On one such occasion, a woman was praying for her and her husband’s finances, that they would be secure and have enough, even more than enough. In her mind, her greatest need was more money which meant more security, but to God her greatest need was to quit serving money. She was very shaken at the end of the prayer, for the Spirit’s direction concerning this was more than accurate. She had been serving money in fear, instead of serving God in faith. Indeed, the piercing gaze of agape sees beyond and beneath the hidden layers of wants and distractions (“I need money,” “I need a husband,” “I need a job,” or “I need a car”) to the root issues of the heart.

While serving on a short term teen performing arts mission’s trip with Youth with a Mission in the U.S., I and my group performed to music at a mall in Salt Lake City, Utah. While there, everyone also enjoyed eating and talking and goofing off. As we shopped around, I felt drawn to a young lady who worked in one of the stores. Now, I was an extremely shy kid who was severely homesick the first full week I was away from home with YWAM. But, as the Spirit drew me into the store, I felt compelled to speak with her. As I did so, I found out she had been raised Mormon but wanted nothing to do with them and had left her family. It was then that I opened up to her about the real Jesus compared to the Mormon Jesus, information that she had never heard before that day. I then asked if I could pray with her. She said no, and I could tell she was embarrassed because customers were in the store. I’ve always felt sad that she refused prayer. But really, what she needed she had received from a quiet kid who barely could put a sentence together. She heard about the true Jesus, the Son of the living God who was not the Mormon brother of Lucifer. Though she may not have even been thinking about it, she needed the truth that day, and the Holy Spirit knew that!

Agape love is not only for deep heart issues though, but is for all issues at all times. The woman putting her hand up to her eyes during the church service wherein I was reflecting on God’s great love, did not need me to pray for her nor did she need the gospel preached to her or for me to give her money. What she needed was more simple than that. She needed a kleenex! First John 3:17-19 explains this love in part as providing for the practical need of believers. “Whoever has this world’s goods and see his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.” Truly the perceptive eyes of agape love see even the simplicity of a need at hand and not just the complexity. However, it still takes the searching eyes of love to see the need of another no matter how complex or how simple, and then a willing heart to put the answer to that need to action.

Next time you’re in church or attending your small group or talking with someone in a store or are at home or work, remember to love by hearing beyond what is said and look beneath what is done and allow the Holy Spirit to lovingly meet the deepest needs through your obedient agape love.

**Used and Edited with permission of Ameristella.wordpress.com

Studies in Revelation: Reading, Hearing, and Keeping

Tags

Ameristella.worpress.com, present participles, Revelation, Revelation 1:3

I don’t know how many times I’ve read over Revelation 1:3 and did not really take in the full meaning of it. In short, the word “read”, “hear” and “keep” are all present participles in the Greek. That means they all should have an “ing” at the end of them, and they express continuous action. So, the one reading doesn’t just read it once, but over and over and over and over again. The same is true for hearing and keeping. Therefore, when it says, “Blessed is the one who reads….hears….and keeps….” it truly is saying “blessed is the one reading continually….hearing continually….and keeping continually.” So, have you read/heard/kept Revelation today? 🙂 Oh, and there’s more to say about these words. I’ll get back to you later on that!! 😉 Blessings! 

(Article compliments of Ameristella.wordpress.com)

On Prophets and Prophecy: Modern Day Hananiahs

Tags

False Prophets, Hananiah, Holy Spirit, Jeremiah 28, John Bevere, NAR, New Apostolic Reformation, prophecy, Thus Saith The Lord?

It has been said time and again by Church leadership, specifically under the umbrella of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation, also called Third Wave) that modern prophets are learning, and that even if their prophecies are incorrect this does not make them false prophets. However, how does God handle this?

In Jeremiah 28 an interesting story unfolds. Before a group of people and priests, a prophet named Hananiah dramatically prophesies that God is going to break the Babylonian yoke of slavery off of the Jews. To make this more vivid, he places a wooden yoke on Jeremiah, then takes it off him and breaks it. The prophet Jeremiah agrees, saying, “Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied,” (Jeremiah 28:6). However, he also added, “Nevertheless, hear thou now this word…the prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him,” (Jeremiah 28:7a, 9). Jeremiah agreed with him, but gave the disclaimer that everyone would know if the prophecy was true if it came to pass. Thus, he referred them back to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 which states, “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?” (Deuteronomy 18:21). And God answers that if the prophecy does not come to pass, then the prophet has “spoken presumptuously” and the people are not to respect that person as a prophet. First John 4:1 agrees with this when it says that we are “not to believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

The story in Jeremiah then takes a twist. God speaks to Jeremiah at home, telling him to go back to Hananiah to tell him the yoke is made of unbreakable iron. “Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now Hananiah, the LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust a lie…this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD. And Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month” (Jeremiah 28:15,16b-17).

So, let’s get this straight. Hananiah had thought he was right. “I am sure this prophetic word was well received by the people. It brought edification and comfort. It promised blessings and restoration. It spoke kindly to those who had suffered loss and assured the fulfillment of God’s promises. Most likely the people were praising God and some even weeping for joy” (John Bevere, “Thus Saith The Lord?” pg. 100). It did not seem even slightly false…………but…….. it was NOT a word from the Lord!

Not only was it NOT a word from the Lord, it taught the people to rebel against what God had said. For in Jeremiah 27 Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews were to serve Babylon and not resist. But they did not want to hear that! That certainly could not be a word from the Lord! But, when Hananiah spoke, certainly that was the word of the Lord for it promised good and not evil! Thus, Hananiah’s arrogant words led the people to believe a lie and to rebel against what God really had said.

But perhaps Hananiah had not been prophesying long. Couldn’t he have just gotten it wrong and yet not be a false prophet? He meant well, right? Perhaps he and all those dreamers just needed to be a part of a “school of the prophets.”

Here then is the real question. Is prophecy of the Holy Spirit or of man? It says in 1 Corinthians 12 that prophecy is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This means, that it is the Holy Spirit speaking through the person that is prophesying. Can the Holy Spirit get it wrong????? “The Holy Spirit is not in training, and He only speaks the true and the pure. The error comes when we speak when He has not or we are silent when He is speaking…Samuel, when he was only a boy, gave a pure and fully accurate prophecy his first time (1 Samuel 3:11-19). He did not have to “grow in the gift”.” (John Bevere, Thus Saith The Lord? pg 98). The Holy Spirit DOES NOT EVER GET IT WRONG.

“In the latter days you will understand it clearly. I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:20b-21). God goes on to say that He is “against those who prophesy lying dreams…and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them” (Jeremiah 23:32). Truly, “They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word,” Ezekiel 13:6. Wrong prophecy is divination, plain and simple. “Simply put, these prophets speak their own oracles as though they were God’s. Yet the words are not God’s but their own. This is another way of describing the imitation or counterfeit of the true prophetic word of the Lord” (John Bevere, Thus Saith The Lord? pg 90).

The Hananiahs are not gone. There are modern day Hananiahs who prophesy with great fervor and emotion, and more often than not they are wrong. Dead wrong. Yet they have no fear of death, for they say that God does not judge them based on the O.T. any longer. But….. God does not change, and He honors His word above His name (Psalm 138:2). Thus, “Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake…because of the LORD and because of His holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up…both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:9a,c 10a, 11-12). Truly, judgment starts first at the Lord’s sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6).

God-Breathed

Tags

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Discernment, God-breathed, Inerrant, infallible, Old Testament, Theopneustos

There are those within various Christian denominations and Church movements these days who question the validity of Scripture, especially the Old Testament. There are those who say the Old Testament has been fulfilled, that God does not do things that way any more. Since an author knows best about his own manuscript, let’s ask the author about this matter: God. Many passages could be turned to, but one is most often used. So, let’s inspect it.

Second Timothy 3:16-17 reads, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

All Scripture is theopneustos, “God-breathed”. What is being referring to when he says “all Scripture” is breathed out by God? The answer to this is found in the preceding verses. Paul had been telling Timothy to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (vss.14-15). The Greek terms used for “sacred writings” are ta hiera grammata, whereas, the term for “all Scripture” is pasa graphe. Though the Greek words gramma (writings) and graphe (Scripture) come from the same root, grapho meaning “to carve or engrave”, they are still very distinct. However, though distinct, they promote a powerful meaning.

In verse 16, ALL is the Greek word pasa meaning “every part of it together, and every part of the whole respectively and includes the idea of oneness, a totality of the whole”. Graphe is the Greek word most often used for Scriptures in the Bible. Thus, it could read, “every part of the Scriptures together.”

However, in verse 15 the word for Scripture is different. To begin with, the adjective used to define writings/Scripture is the term SACRED, which is hieros in the Greek meaning, “sacred and that which may not be violated” and refers to one’s position not one’s character. It is a thing or person that is consecrated to God, such as items at the Temple or the priests themselves. Gramma, the word translated as “Scriptures” in some Bibles and as “writings” in the ESV, actually carries the meaning of “letters of the alphabet or any style of writing such as a book or letter.” The letters of the alphabet mentioned here would be the letters of the Hebrew language, which Timothy had been trained up in since a child (though possibly the Septuagint was used). And these sacred letters of the Hebrew alphabet make up the words of the books of the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures).

What is the importance of every letter in Scripture? Jesus in Matthew 5:18 states, that “until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” A iota (or jot in the KJV) is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and a dot (or tittle in the KJV) is the Greek word keraia which refers to the small stroke of the pen that helped to distinguish the difference between the letters. Both the iota and keraia are extremely small, yet extremely important! After all, Jesus said that they are. The smallest marks of the pen in the Scriptures is extraordinarily significant. Indeed, every letter makes up a specific word, and every mark makes the message clearer. Indeed, every letter and mark is sacred, for all will be brought to pass.

Thus, when Paul writes that “all Scripture is breathed out by God,” he means quite clearly that every smallest letter and every tiniest mark is God-spoken. Not even the smallest part can be avoided, for every part of it together is God-breathed and will be fulfilled. For indeed, God honors His word above His name (Psalm 138:2). Thus, He will bring every part of it to pass. Not only this, but this means that the Old Testament is just as important as the New. After all, it is what Timothy was raised up to know. Yes, the New Testament was added later and is verified to be inspired as well, but that does not nullify the Hebrew Scriptures. They still have iotas and keraias to be fulfilled.

With this in mind, let us be ever mindful of the fact that the Word of God is infallible (without mistakes and always effective) and inerrant (without error) in every word and part, for God is truth (John 14:6) and cannot lie (Titus 1:2). And thus, His Word is truth (John 17:17, Psalm 119:160). It comes directly from His mouth (Matthew 4:4), is the sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:17), and it cannot be broken (John 10:35). It is living and active, judging one’s very thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12), and is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

So then, with Biblical inerrancy and infallibility established, let us proceed into the territory of what God says about prophets, and how to distinguish the true from the false. Let us train our “powers of discernment” by honing our skill in the meat of God’s Word (2 Corinthians 5:13-14), in order that we not be deceived.

Let’s Get Equipped

Tags

1 Corinthians 2:12-16, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Berean, Beroean, Bible Study, Discernment, Hebrews 5:13-14, Word of God

After being bombarded by an angry mob of dissenters in Thessalonica, Paul came across something quite unique in the neighboring city of Berea: a noble-minded people. Acts 17:11 states, “Now these…were more noble than those in Thessalonica: they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The word used for “noble” in the Greek is composed of two words. Eu meaning good, well, and Genus meaning family, race. To be noble was to be one who was descended from a good family, even of high rank. However, in Acts 17:11, the word is not referring to those of a noble bloodline, but rather, in the metaphorical sense of noble-mindedness.

The second way in which the people of Berea are described is that they “received the word with all eagerness.” In short, the Greek word for “received” means “to readily accept with great favor.” And this was done with alacrity, meaning a spirited enthusiasm. So, they were excited about it, even exuberant! They eagerly and with great joy accepted the offer of the Gospel.

But…..they did not do so blindly, nor did they simply take Paul’s word for it. According to Philippians 3:4-6, Galatians 1:11-17, 2 Corinthians 11-12 Paul was not just anyone. He was well versed in the Scriptures being a Pharisee of Pharisees. He was raised in an environment of learning the Torah. He ate, drank, and slept the Torah. It was everything to him!! His experiences are countless, some extremely painful and some simply beyond amazing. He had seen the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 9:1) and spent time with Jesus, one on one, as Jesus taught him from the Scriptures (Galatians 1:12). Furthermore, Paul was one of the Apostles. Though he called himself the least of the Apostles, he nonetheless was an Apostle (1 Corinthians 15:9). But, the Bereans did not care about his credentials nor his name nor his experiences. Why, he could have come from heaven itself, and they would not have thought anything of it!!

No, the Bereans did not take Paul’s word for it. They “examined” the Scriptures. The Greek word for “examine” is anakrino which is composed of two words fused together. Ana can mean “on or upon” and is emphatic and intensive. Krino means “to judge.” Thus, the two words put together mean, “To distinguish or separate through intense investigation (krino) by looking through the particulars (ana).” Indeed, this word has everything to do with preliminary judicial actions of examination in cases pending a trial. And this type of inquiry is not just for the sake of questioning, but is done in order to come to an accurate conclusion. This is what made the Bereans stand apart as noble-minded.

2 Timothy 2:15 reads, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” An even better way to put this would be, “Diligently make every effort to stand approved (as metal in fire) to God, an unashamed workman, rightly, accurately and skillfully handling the word of truth.” The skillful handling of the Bible comes from the Greek word meaning “to cut straight.” It is imperative that the word of God be accurately interpreted, or else we do violence to the text, and cause harm to the listener as well as ourselves.

Is it easy to skillfully handle the word of God? No! That’s why there are so many still drinking the milk of the word. The author of Hebrews speaks to his listeners as those who still needed the milk of the word but who should have been able to eat the meat of the word (Hebrews 5). Yet again, the Apostle Paul says the same thing to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. The Corinthians should have been ready for meat, but they still needed milk!!! So what does it mean to be a Christian still living on milk? Hebrews 5:13-14 explains, “…Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” To be “unskilled” is to be “inexperienced” in the Bible. Thus, the milk fed Christians are not “skillfully, accurately handling the word of truth,” as 2 Timothy 2:15 teaches, nor are they “intensely thoroughly investigating” the Scriptures daily as the Bereans. Because of this, the Christians living on milk cannot “discern clearly” what is good or evil because they do not know what God’s word says about it!

As new creations in Christ, Christians have been given the Holy Spirit that we might understand the Bible which is the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16a), even the mystery of God that has been revealed in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 2:6-10). The Bible can only be “spiritually discerned” by those who are “spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). The word for “discern(ed)” is anakrino which was also used of the Bereans, and has everything to do with “examining thoroughly for the sake of coming to an accurate conclusion.” Near the word anakrino is the word pneumatikos, which means that along with this intense examination one needs the “assistance of the Holy Spirit” in order to fully understand. However, “fleshly” believers who are “inexperienced” and living on the milk of the word cannot and are not able to “discern” it (1 Corinthians 3:1).

In conclusion, no matter what a minister’s credentials, no matter what a reverend’s title, no matter what big name is teaching or prophesying in the name of the Lord, as Christians we are to be like the Bereans who with the help of the Holy Spirit investigated the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was really true. It is time to “skillfully interpret” the word of God that we might be unashamed workers (2 Timothy 2:15), who use the Scripture accurately for the sake of “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Let’s be like the Bereans! Let’s get equipped!