the PABLUM thread

[murjahel]

I have been honored to know some really fine Christians through the years, and even with them, they are not always on spiritual meat... in fact, in the natural, not many would want a total meat diet.

If we ruled out ice cream, candy and cakes, for some of you we would hear an outcry... if we ruled out veggies, some might applaud, but most of us would be starving for them if we did not have them...

Babies need, can't do without the milk and pablum, and would choke on meat...

I like a balanced diet, and too, like the rest of you, find the Holy Spirit trying to give milk into my daily diet... and I appreciate it...

The thread is on those who balk at meat, attack anyone who preaches or teaches a meatier lesson. They attack, laugh, berate, threaten, and try to embarrass... They hate meat that much... If meat bothers them that much, there are churches that are 'meat free' churches... The diet there never has any meat therein... and they must all love their pastor...

Well, the Lord does allow a person to remain on milk, at least till heaven, but in the Bible, as I have shown, there are some rebukes for that kind of choice. Sharing those portions of Scriptures makes some mad... but in reading this thread, they have had to read some 'non-pablum' posts, and in so doing, it is not a refusal of meat any longer, it is a regurgitation of meat... a purposeful regurgitation...

A baby cannot eat meat... no teeth, too small a throat, digestive system not matured enough... an adult does not have those excuses, so a regurgitation of meat is a rejection of it.

We are in the last days. The Lord has tried and tried to get some to mature spiritually, be ready to be the 'without spot and without wrinkle saints' that He is coming for...

His tactics to get some to eat the spiritual meat in the Bible times was to send some who spoke sometimes some blunt messages... some like Ezekiel preached to mountains to get some to ask why... some like Jeremiah had to be thrown into the prison toilet and be waste deep in sewage, and there preach to a people who could not believe that he was still preaching from there...

Sometimes it feels like that to get a message out that God puts on one's heart... but, I would rather be in that sewer preaching truth, than be the ones who threw him there...

 

[mourningdove~]

This is an excellent post, and an excellent way to present the "pablum" messages that so many children of God are in need of. It does not condescend, it does not shame, it does not belittle and it does not carry with it an attitude of superiority. Rather, it is a message of Love, of hope, and of encouragement to those brothers and sisters in Christ who may not be quite on the same level as others in certain areas.

Had the OP been framed such as you just did here, it would have been an ideal opportunity to feed people what they need.

There's still plenty for all of us to learn.

I think most all would agree, that not all of us here are 'the same'.
And what a boring forum it would be, if we all were!

And even in marriage, God does not make us all to be 'the same'.
If it is a healthy marriage, a man and a woman will not lose their personal identity in it.
That is my belief.

Maybe what I have written has appealed to you in some way ... and I accept the compliment ...
but I have no doubt that there are others in this forum that prefer the style of the OP, over mine.

This passage of Scripture comes to mind:

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—
and have all been made to drink into - one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?
If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
And if they were all one member, where would the body be?"

~ 1 Cor. 12:12-19


What meaning do I take away from that?
In pablum form: we in the Body of Christ need each other, for 'the parts' that God has made us to be ...

 

[probinson]

I think most all would agree, that not all of us here are 'the same'.
And what a boring forum it would be, if we all were!

And even in marriage, God does not make us all to be 'the same'.
If it is a healthy marriage, a man and a woman will not lose their personal identity in it.
That is my belief.

Maybe what I have written has appealed to you in some way ... and I accept the compliment ...
but I have no doubt that there are others in this forum that prefer the style of the OP, over mine.

Were we simply talking about a "style", I would agree wholeheartedly with you. In fact, I said very much the same thing in this post just a little over a month ago;

"...It's remarkably easy when we've been set free from something to try to bottle it up into a neat little formulaic package so that EVERYONE can be as free as us. But not everyone is reached in the same way. That's why we are a diverse body, made up of many different parts. Perhaps there is room for both. Perhaps the people set free by poster 1's methods needn't be invalidated by poster 2's methods. Maybe EVERYONE would do well to heed the voice of their Father instead of insisting that they alone know the secret path to freedom..."
​

With that said, this is less about "style" and more about attitude, IMO. I'm sure some see it differently than that, but I personally don't know anyone who prefers people to talk down to them like the OP does.

What meaning do I take away from that?
In pablum form: we in the Body of Christ need each other, for 'the parts' that God has made us to be ...

Indeed. Sanctus Real's song "We Need Each Other" is one of my favorite songs for that very reason.

But I don't believe that God has made any of us to present ourselves as elevated and superior to our brothers and sisters so that we may belittle them and talk down to them condescendingly.

 

[murjahel]

Down through the ages, God has shown us that some will refuse to hear the Word of the Lord.

In the days of Zechariah, we read...

Zechariah 7:11-13
"But they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in His Spirit by the former prophets: therefore, come a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts. Therefore, it is come to pass, that as he cried they would not hear, saith the Lord of Hosts."

It is not 'attitude' that makes one speak of this problem, it is God speaking though His Word, and some will hear His call, some will preach about it, and others may ignore, or attack those who speak out about it.

They killed Zechariah as he walked into the Temple... where that murder happened was a place where only the priesthood was allowed... so one of the priests killed Zechariah.. Today, the so called religious ones do not like messages like Zechariah gave... Today they resort to false accusations, twisted ideas, false charges, mocking, and ... well, all one has to do is find where this message is being preached and see the attacks that come because of it...

Some people in Christianity today have made their minds as a hard stone, shutting out the Word of the Lord.

The message of the teachers in the Bible has been ignored, not heard, or rejected by those to whom it is given.

People today hear so much, and so much of what they listen to is trash. This thread is designed to point out bluntly that those who spend long hours in magazines, video games, sports pages and the like... but have no time for Scripture, or want all their sermons as long as a fortune cookie fortune, have a problem, a spiritual problem. That is not 'condescension, that is fact, supported by Scripture...

Their minds are "waxed gross", i.e. "made fat" with these avocations, these distractions from God's Word, the debates on meaningless topics, these attacks on anyone who preaches a messages that ends with 'repent'.

When the truth is spoken by the Lord, through the Word, or through the ministers of God, or through the Spirit, the voice is not heard. How do I know?

Isaiah 6:9-10
"And He said, God and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed."


Jesus agreed with Isaiah, and validated this message given from Isaiah. Jesus quoted it and applied it to the people of His day.
Matthew 13:13-17
"Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because they - seeing, see not, and hearing - hear not. Neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, who saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing, ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross (Greek = pachuno = make fat, stupid, insensible), and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time, they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."



Isaiah said it, Jesus repeated it, this thread is likewise repeating it... and some, no many here, are saying 'amen' to it... There are many who are not denying that we need to get into the meat of the Word, let the Spirit teach some vital lessons from the Book He authored, before the rapture removes us from where we are to be doing God's work.

The disciples were warned often that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to be betrayed, crucified, and would then rise again the third day. Yet, they could not understand what the Lord was telling them. They heard the message, but did not perceive what was being told to them. Their minds were too full of the false expectations of a Messiah. They wanted Christ to overthrow the Romans and begin a new kingdom with Him as King.

Today, we often find ears that cannot hear. This is very hard on those with the ministry of teaching. It frustrates and needs to be recognized as not the fault of the teacher, nor of their message, but it is the fault of the hearers.

When Jesus preached that they would "destroy this temple, and He would raise it up in three days...", they heard His message, but thought He meant the earthly Temple structure in Jerusalem. They did not understand that He meant His body. Many were not into the meat of the Word, not having ears to hear, not having a mind capable of understanding those deeper truths...

When Jesus told them that He was the "manna" sent from heaven, and if they wanted eternal life, they must eat of Him, they took Him literally, and many of His disciples left, and never followed Him again. Those thousands who ate of the broken bread and fishes the day before, left... because they could not understand a deeper message from Jesus.
They did not truly "hear" Him.

Jesus, Moses, and Elijah spoke on the mount of transfiguration about what was about to happen in Jerusalem. Peter, James, and John were there, hearing part of the discussion, but Peter did not truly hear, for he wanted to stay there, build three temples, and let everyone come up there to worship Jesus. Why could he not comprehend the message being spoken? He had his ears too full of other things, too tired to pay attention.

Do not worry about what others think... do not look to me to be the one to tell you the meat things God wants you to learn... I am only here to wake up a few to the fact that the Holy Spirit has a school that is designed to give each of us lessons beyond the pablum level, and lessons that we will need in these last days.

Time is short before Jesus comes. The devils are in the midst of working out the details they think will give them victory. This is a spiritual battle, we have One Leader, in Jesus... but some are not even paying attention.... But many of you are... and that is great !

 

[murjahel]

In preaching the meat of the Word of God, there will be attackers... they do not like the message...

Have you ever been criticized? falsely accused? verbally attacked?

Those are silly questions, for most all have been.
Yes, probably all of us have been. Sometimes, other people believe the attackers.

Some believed the attackers of Jesus.
Some believed the attackers of prophets, preachers, witnesses of the Bible times.

Revelation 2:10 (KJV)
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.


James 1:12 (KJV)
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.


The hearers can become very adamant against the message that is spiritual meat.

Joseph preached what he was shown in dreams, and was sold into slavery by his brothers.

Moses was accused of bringing the people out into the desert to die.

Stephen was stoned.

Paul was shunned, refused to be heard by the church in Jerusalem.

Job was told to curse God and die by his wife.

The attacks against those who speak forth a meat message are still numerous.

There is a story about a young boy, who after the church service, told the preacher of the church: "When I grow up, I am going to give you some money.’ The preacher asked, ‘Why?’ The boy answered: ‘My daddy says you are the poorest preacher we have ever had.’

The comments from others do hurt, do sting.

One can do their best, and still there will be harsh, hurtful comments.

Jesus was the epitome of a preacher. Yet, they misquoted His sermons, they lied about Him, questioned every decision He made. One criticism that seems to some to be valid, is Jesus’ preaching to Judas. Three years Judas heard Jesus’ preaching, and it did not change him. Judas was an apostle, ordained to preach, ordained to heal, baptized others, had eternal life. (Mark 3:13-19, John 4:1-2, 17:2-12)

Jesus even knew from the beginning that Judas would betray Him.
John 6:64 (KJV)
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

This friend of Jesus was there to be preached to, there with Jesus knowing what his failure would be.

How could the preaching of Jesus not bring a change to Judas? Were the sermons of Jesus ineffective? Of course the sermons of Jesus were better than anyone else’s ever. But, the best of sermons, with the gift of discernment, word of wisdom, etc active in them, still God allows mankind to resist the rhema words.

Judas failed in spite of the sermons, not because of them.

We find many who will criticize a sermon for lack of results.

Jesus’ sermons to Judas had lack of good results. Yet, it was not Jesus that was to blame. Many preachers, pray, study, and preach up a storm, and still feel like they failed, and are criticized as though they failed.

Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands always before eating. Did not Jesus preach to them of the customs. Were His sermons lacking? They attacked Jesus for the manners of the disciples. Most of us today wash our hands before meals. We consider it proper. Jesus’ sermons, His preaching, did not discipline the disciples to all that society thought proper. His hearers were not perfect. The critics attacked Him for that.
Jesus’ disciples picked grains along the pathway to eat, on the Sabbath. The Lord dismissed that as inconsequential, for He said, ‘the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’ The law was not to punish the hungry, the purpose of the Sabbath was to illustrate the spiritual rest to be found in Jesus. Jesus went by the real intent of the law, not man’s interpretation. Jesus saw the high principle of that rule, and the pictorial use of it.

Many listen to sermons and criticize poorly chosen words, bad grammar, too short, too long, too loud, too soft. The message gets rejected for reasons other than for heresy, or for true errors.

The critics are predictable. They have an agenda, i.e. to find fault. It is their goal, their hope, their chosen profession. They gain a feeling of import, a feeling of superiority when they can criticize the sermon.

A preacher was trying hard to make his sermon comprehendible, and said,
‘That should have been as plain as A B C.’ ‘
Yes’, replied another, ‘but your hearers are D E F.’

And yes, some refuse any message of 'meat' and prefer a pablum message... they are 'D E F' to many messages...

 

[murjahel]

1 Samuel 15:22 (KJV)
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.


Why is meat better than milk or pablum? Well, sometimes in coming into the faith, a babe in Christ needs first to know that when they do fail, they need to repent and be cleansed afresh, to maintain a good fellowship with God.

In the O.T. some learned that and everytime they sinned, they ran to the altar and offered a lamb, turtledove, etc...

That maintained a forgiveness, and satisfied that...

but God wanted obedience, and a development in spiritual growth so that one was not sinning every five minutes...

that growth into knowing right from wrong, knowing how to love the neighbor and to love God, so one did not want any longer to do the things that were sinful ... takes some 'meat' training, some study in the Word, some prayer and fellowship with the loving Holy Spirit...

surely, we can just repent every fall,... or we could get some meat meals spiritually, and learn how to not need so often to repent....

 

[murjahel]

Romans 6:1-2 (KJV)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?


Some on the pablum feel that repenting is good enough, no need to learn to love so that sin does not abound in their lives...

some on pablum feel they repented once, and can now live as sinful as they want, and no sin will be remembered by God...

a meat lesson will teach like Paul did above, that we are not to let 'sins' continue, whether God remembers them or not, we are to not live in sins, not condone sins, not ignore sins, but learn the love that God wants us to have for Him, and for our neighbor...

That growth is a meat lesson... and it is vital to our lives... surely, we may try to condone or just often repent, but a more mature lesson is learning to love as instructed by our Lord.

to obey is farrrrr better than to continually sacrifice... the pablum ideas need maturing...

 

[murjahel]

A PABLUM LESSON ON LYING...

Lying has many forms, and yet, its essence is 'deception'.

Lying is the telling of an untruth, with the intent to deceive.

Cain lied when asked about Abel's whereabouts. Cain said 'I know not'. He did not want to hurt his parents, he did not want to be judged by God... lots of reasons he could have justified lying.

Joseph's brothers lied when they said they found Joseph's coat, and did not know where he was. They knew the truth would have devastated, perhaps brought the death of their father... lots of reasons, they thought, to lie.

Many advertisements are lies. The sales pitch of many a salesman is a lie. The politicians have lied and lied.

Many do not hang their heads, when after election they do not do what they promised to do, and they do what they promised not to do. Many lie to get elected.
　
Mankind destroys his character by lies. The devil, being the ‘father of lies’ is behind many lies we see in this world. He does not have to inspire all lies, for mankind has a bent toward evil, and easily decides to lie, following the example of the ‘father of lies’.

Lying put Jesus on the cross. The devil was behind those lies, but the pharisees, and religious leaders did not want the kind of Messiah that Jesus is, and they wanted Him to be of no effect to their community.
　
John 8:44-45 (KJV)
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.


Lying is serious. We need to watch our lips so that what comes from them, is truth. Lies have caused many an innocent person to be convicted of crimes. They have caused many a saint to suffer persecution, even martyrdom.

Lying though does more harm to the liar, than the lie does to the one lied about. We have all likely been victim of the lies of another, and it can hurt deeply to hear what another has said of us.

The Holy Spirit is called the 'Spirit of Truth', and He is cleansing lies from the church. This cleansing process found going on in the church today, is not just a dusting off of our sword. it is a restoration of real truth into the mouths of the saints.

As with Ananias and Sapphira in the former rain revival, great judgment will come on liars in the church. So, lies need to be repented, not hidden.

Lies need to be expunged from our words. Truth needs spoken.

The lies need ‘revealed’ to be the untruths that they are.

Someday, all lies, un-repented, will be revealed.


Isaiah 6:5-8 (KJV)
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Lying, in whatever form, needs to be ‘purged’. We need ‘iniquity... taken away.’ Too often the lies go un-repented to God. The ‘tongs’ of the Lord need to purge our lips, and lies need to never again flow from those lips.

The coal on Isaiah’s lips cleansed the iniquity of his lies from His soul. This represented the cleansing we all need from lies we have spoken. We now see that the type of that ‘coal’ is fulfilled in the ‘blood of Jesus’ that was shed for us.

We need to get our lies washed by the blood, cleansed from our person, and then ‘obey the truth’. That is the simple healing process that the Lord has given us.

Following that kind of cleansing, we find the Spirit of truth will be with us, making us more and more sensitive to lies. We will feel His conviction if we speak, or think to speak the lie. We will hear a word of knowledge, sense the ‘discernment’ of lying in others, by the Spirit.


The purification of our tongues is to have the precious blood of Jesus to cleanse us. That purification, like the coal on Isaiah’s lips, can cleanse us from lying lips, untruthful oaths.

The Lord will do a cleansing... the church will decide like Ananias and Sapphira decided, to either clean up the lying lips or not... They chose not to... the Lord is watching now our choices.

 

[murjahel]

FOR THOSE WHO COME HERE FOR A PABLUM MESSAGE, LET ME SHOW YOU A SPIRITUAL MEAT LESSON, AND TASTE IT, SEE IF YOU MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO WANT MEAT AND NOT STAY ON PABLUM...

On this forum, there are several threads discussing the permissibility of lying... Lying is condemned in Scripture, and there is no announcement that it is allowable.

There are ten words that I find in the Bible for sin, and let me show with those words how each speaks a message to us that condemns lying..

1.HAMARTIA

The Greek word hamartia is translated "sin." It literally means "missing the mark, missing aim, failing by missing the true end and scope of our lives (that is - God)."

I John 5:17
"All unrighteousness is sin (missing the mark)."

We follow the Lord, Who is Truth, and we are to be Christ-like. Lying is missing that mark, missing that target.

As an archer fails to hit the target, hamartia is falling short of the target that God has given us. Our real target is be like Jesus.

2. PARAKOE

Parakoe means "disobedience to a voice, failing to hear, hearing amiss - or not hearing rightly, unwillingness to hear."

We get ourselves into trouble when we fail to give attention to God's Word and to checks (the quiet urgings to stop) of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us over and over that we are to tell truth, and not to lie. So, lying is also parakoe sin.

Sometimes, we are unwilling to heed or listen to the Holy Spirit speak the truth we are to say in certain situations.

　
3. ANOMIA

Anomia is "non-observance of a known law."

The law against lying, adultery, lust, greed, taking the Lord's name in vain...etc. are well documented in Scripture.

Any Christian should be able to see clearly in the Bible that God does not want us to do those type of things.

To do them, is anomia.
Matthew 7:23
"...depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Hebrews 10:17
"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more..."
　

4. PARABASIS

Parabasis means "overpassing of a line, stepping over a boundary."

Just as there is a normal tendency to touch the wall where one sees a "WET PAINT" sign, so people are often tempted to step past the boundaries that God has set up for us.

When one sees a sign that says "NO FISHING", one naturally begins to wonder how good the fishing would be there.

It is a fact that God has set up boundaries for us. One of them is to not lie... and if we lie, we step over that line that God has told us not to step over.

Romans 4:15
"for where no law is, there is no transgression. (stepping over the boundary)"
　

5. PARAPTOMA

Paraptoma means "failing where one should have stood upright."

Ephesians 2:1
"And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses (falling when you should have stood) and sins (hamartia)."
　
When we lie, we fail where we should have not fallen. The Spirit of Truth could have inspired a truthful answer to whatever question, but we chose to use our own ideas and spoke a lie the Spirit of Truth did not inspire.


6. AGNOEMA

Agnoema is "ignorance of what one should have known."

It is found only once in the Bible.
Hebrews 9:7
"But into the second went the High Priest alone once every year not without blood - which he offered for himself and the errors (ignorances of what they should have known) of the people."

We should not have to ask 'can I lie?'. We should not be that ignorant. We know the answer. So, if we claim ignorance for our sin, well then that is 'agnoema'.

7. HETTAMA

Hettama means "a lessening of that which should have been given in full measure."

God is not satisfied with partial obedience. Failure to do our complete duty is sin. He has told us to love our neighbor. He is not satisfied with us just "not hating" our neighbor. He told us to do good to those who despitefully abuse us... He is not satisfied with us just not getting revenge.

God told us to speak truth, and not to lie... and if we do any less than that, we are sinning a hettama sin.


8. ASABAS

Asabas means "ungodliness, positive and active irreligion, a purposeful turning away from God..."

This word does not include the wrong deeds that follow it, but rather it means the act of turning away, deciding in one's heart to not follow God.

When we decide to use the 'devils' lies' that they inspire in us, instead of the truth that God wants to speak to us, we are choosing to turn from God to the devils' ways. This is asabas.

Romans 1:8
"The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness (deciding to not serve God)."
　
9. ADIKEA

Adikea is "knowingly doing wrong deeds, crimes against God."

When joined with asabas (deciding to not serve God), adikea is positive and active irreligion in motive and deed. Allowing and condoning lies in our lives leads to many other sins. We grieve the Spirit with the first lie, we continue to grieve if we do not 'repent' and have a change of mind toward that sin.

Actively living and speaking lies is adikea.

I John 5:17
"All unrighteousness is sin (knowingly doing wrong deeds)."
　

10. PLEIMMELEIA

Pleimmeleia means "a discord or disharmony, a false note in music."

When one sings out of tune, the whole choir is spoiled. When one instrument hits a wrong note, the conductor of the orchestra hears that discord. In the same way, when we are serving God, and doing well... one slip, sin, trespass, failure...
and yes, one lie, is like a false note in the orchestral song of our lives.

Leviticus 5:15
"If a soul commit a trespass (a false note)... bring a ram without blemish..."

Every note but one in a song may be perfect, but the one wrong note will spoil the song. It will be remembered long after the correct notes are forgotten. In the same way, our lives may contain much good, but the one sin or failure can ruin the well lived life. These sins need forgiveness and atonement also.

Therefore, one lie can spoil our witness.

That... was a meaty message on lying... is it so hard to swallow??? does it need mashed and watered down into pablum? or can we mature to meat???

 

[murjahel]

The pablum version of much of what I have been posting in these threads, is that ... we have but ONE LORD, JESUS, and we have ONE TEACHER, THE HOLY SPIRIT and His Written Word to guide us to be pleasing to our ONE GOD, THE FATHER.

There is much sin in the camp, and we still have a world to win to this camp. We need to preach that sin is still sin, and yet, God is a loving, forgiving God, and He wants to put in us that same kind of love and forgiveness.

Our lives and words will reflect what is truly within us, and our lives should become examples of Jesus, so we are truly Christ-like.

So, for those who do not want to read long posts, filled with Scriptures and explanations, this is the pablum version.

 

[murjahel]

A PABLUM LESSON ON HOW TO BE A PERFECT ONE IN CHARISMATIC CIRCLES...

Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV)
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father Who is in heaven: for He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father Who is in heaven is perfect.

 

[murjahel]

HOW DID PAUL KNOW THE CORINTHIANS NEEDED MILK NOT MEAT?

Their behavior was a dead give-away... Our behavior, as Christians, shows if we have matured or not. If we are mature, we are craving a good steak for spiritual dinner, if we are choking on the truths of milk and pablum, we are still babes.

1 Corinthians 3:3 (KJV)
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Our lives are illustrated lessons to the world, to the church, and to even the angels who behold. Do we love our Christian brothers and sisters, even if we do not agree with all their doctrines? Do we treat each other with respect, or are we like the Corinthians, fighting over who is the best or worst minister?

Our lives are illustrated lessons. This pablum thread has been criticized as being unnecessary in this forum. However, I believe that the Lord illustrates the need for some things, as we watch. There is a need to get our Christian brothers and sisters to mature beyond pablum, and get onto meat.

The work of the church is not to be name calling, attacking, denigrating those who are only to be judged by the Lord. Cannot we love those who dislike us? Cannot we find some good in even the worst of Christians to speak of?
Surely, we can disagree on doctrines, and we had better have Scriptures to back up what we feel is incorrect, or keep quiet about 'I feel' kind of arguments. Yet, to attack the person who has not come to the 'doctrines' we feel are right, is wrong. We can pray for them, we can do good for them, we can defend their Christianity, and still disagree with some of their doctrines.

When we can't, we are choking on the meat of the gospel... and need to go back to pablum.

 

[intojoy]

I knew, long ago, a pastor who had adult Sunday school classes, and yet, some never brought their Bibles, never studied the lesson book, never could add anything to the class from their studies.

He grew frustrated at the spiritual infancy of many of his church.

So, he started a 'pablum' class.

Pablum is food designed for infants, some who have just quit needing the bottle with a nipple, and yet, are not ready for 'meat' and most solid foods. This pablum serves a time of infancy until the child matures to meat, and potatoes.

The class, as designed by him, was to be for those who would not be given a lesson book, would not need to bring their Bibles which never got opened anyhow, and no questions would be asked, for no one was expected to study.

He made membership in the class to be mandatory for those who might spend hours reading the sports page, or find time for video games every day, but who had no ability and no desire, to study God's Word in depth.

He then organized some 'in depth', spiritually meaty classes for the ones who were ready and anxious for lessons in depth, for teachings stronger than 'go into all the world and smile.' The snoring and yawning of the pablum infants did not distract in those classes.

It worked quite well for that church. Some even decided to graduate from the pablum class from time to time. For those perpetual infants of Christianity, there was a class with simple, short sentence, no questions, no loud talking to awaken anyone.

Paul spoke of pablum Christians...
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (KJV)
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 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.


Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV)
12 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.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 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.


I post often here, and most of my posts contain Scriptural evidence to prove what I am trying to say. These posts therefore are too long, too meaty, requiring a bit of study, requiring some study to verify what is said...

That is too hard for 'pablum' level saints. So, in this thread, I will remove meat, remove anything chewy, mash up the soft food even, cut the portion size of the meal down to fit those who are still pablum infants.

On my 'CAN YOU IMAGINE' POST of today, the pablum meal for those who find that thread too meaty and chewy, is ...
DON'T ASK THE LORD TO FOLLOW YOU, FOLLOW HIM.'

Sorry if that is still too long, I am going to have to get used to making these edible for pablum saints.

in my thread on 'blessings and cursings', the post today taught that 'not all words from pulpits are pleasing to God...'

Hope this thread will be beneficial to those who need their study time for things like the sports page, the ball game, and Oprah.

The fact that Paul says that these believers should have been teachers by the time he wrote the letter gives us a clue as to how long babyhood should last. From the time Paul founded the church of Corinth to the writing of 1 Cor was between 3 & 5 years. Believers need to be disciples and move on from the milk to the meat. If they do not, they will "become dull of hearing" and become carnal.

 

[murjahel]

The fact that Paul says that these believers should have been teachers by the time he wrote the letter gives us a clue as to how long babyhood should last. From the time Paul founded the church of Corinth to the writing of 1 Cor was between 3 & 5 years. Believers need to be disciples and move on from the milk to the meat. If they do not, they will "become dull of hearing" and become carnal.

Very correct... true babes in Christ need milk and pablum, and that is great to have them growing on such...

if they are still on milk and pablum after a couple decades of claiming to be saved, they have no excuse... surely a little milk with the steak is fine anytime, but some are still on just milk, and there is no growth to the steak at all...

those upset Paul... and they should have been 'teachers' but were still needing the simplest of messages..

 

[intojoy]

Notice that they "became dull of hearing"?

That tells us that the danger of not using the meat resulted in becoming carnal believers who like newborn Christians could only handle milk. The difference is that while the new believers can only eat the milk of the word it is not their fault whereas the carnal believers are to blame for themselves. We need to move into deeper bible studies to learn the deeper things of God. In the context of Hebrews the Melchizadekian Priesthood was the meat topic.

 

[murjahel]

Yes, and the 'dull of hearing' never can mature past milk to meat. Refusing to let the Word of God go into the mind, past the ears and eyes, into the soul, will keep one a baby in the Lord.

We learn to know the Lord, we learn to grow in Him, we find out what He wants of us to please Him, we learn to obey His voice,... by allowing His words to enter.

The 'dull of hearing' cannot be healed, matured, nor grow...

Proverbs 3:1-2 (KJV)
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.


Proverbs 4:20-22 (KJV)
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.


Health comes by obedience to the Words of God.

Getting our minds cleansed from all rebellion to His Word is vital to receiving the cathartic release from inner wrongs.

To have inner rebellion to God’s Word, and then to stand in a healing line, hoping for healing, is not going to work.

To have inner rebellion to God's voice keeps one then on pablum at best, and starvation if one rejects even the pablum.

If the pablum is rejected, that rebellion to God's Word brings starvation...

 

[intojoy]

I was a carnal Christian and for years needed to hear messages about eternal security and forgiveness of sins etc. I finally settled those issues in my mind, and have moved on to know the hidden things in God's word. I'm an example of being unfruitful but I could have snapped out of it sooner. Those who become dull of hearing can get right back on track.

 

[murjahel]

So very true... they can, if they choose...

 

[murjahel]

Psalm 99:1-9 (KJV)
1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble:
​

The pablum version of this message is that Jesus loves judgment. The people, the sinful people should tremble. The blessed additional truth is that He loves mercy and forgiveness more.

Jesus came to make a way for us not to be judged, He died to save us from our sins. The mercy-seat is His throne. His judgments are never tyrannical. He is sovereign, and yet, He delights in right. His powers are used for just purposes.

This passage reminds us of Moses, Aaron, Samuel, who were sure that the Lord was just, and they humbly submitted to Him, rejoicing in the omnipotent God.

Jesus is just and fair. He is merciful, but allows mankind to choose, not be forced to honor Him and His laws. He is just, and allows the rebellious to depart and suffer sin’s consequences.

Jesus is still more than fair, to keep mercifully pleading with mankind to reconsider their wrong decisions. Those that wrong and offend will be cut off, will be judged. (Matthew 13) That is a fact that should make sinners tremble. Justice is instituted and executed in the kingdom of King Jesus.

The world’s nations are often ruled by despots, by sinful men whose goals supersede the rights and needs of the people. They make their people victims to their ideas, and are often cunning, often play favoritism, and sometimes brute force to establish their own goals.

The kingdom of King Jesus is not a robbers den, nor a despot’s castle, nor a dungeon for those who disagree. The history books of this world record the many tears of victims of evil rulers. Yet, we Christians have King Jesus, and as citizens of His kingdom, we have no wrong ever recorded in history of anything Jesus has ever done unjustly to a Christian.

Those who wrong Christians are said to be better off to have a mill stone put around their neck, and to jump into the ocean. Jesus is strong and mighty. Those that wrong His children need to tremble.

Jesus loves judgment, but loves mercy so much the more. He uses His powers in righteousness, and executes only perfect, fair, mercy-offering justice. He judges mankind for only their own works, and forgets all their works of which they have repented.

Therefore, let us magnify and exalt Jesus, let us give Him worship. Though the world need 'tremble', we need only to accept His loving mercy.

 

[murjahel]

Is it spiritual to look to the Bible for God's answers to our problems...?


I Corinthians 14:37
"If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."