CHOKING ON MEAT

     CHOKING ON MEAT

(Spiritually)

When a baby is born the best thing for its' sensitive digestive system is a substance designed by God, called colostrum. This is a protective substance that lines the intestines, helping to ward off germs etc. and prepare the digestive tract to receive the most perfect food, its mother's milk.

Mother's milk is far easier to digest than any other substance. It is so gentle that a baby who is drinking mother's milk, with no added substances, will not become constipated.

Since the milk is so easily digested, it may go through the baby's system faster than other formulas would and he may want to eat more often.

The more the baby nurses, the more intimate connection it has with its' mother, the more skin to skin stimulation it receives and the more of a bond can be made to its' mother.

At the breast, the baby learns to trust the mother above all others, to listen to her voice above all others and learns to place its dependency on her. It learns to put its trust in her as its only source of provision. This is very important as she is to be the child's provider, protector, nurturer, and authority. It is important that the baby begins on day one to look to its' mother as its' source. In time, she can teach the child of its father's provision for them both.

If a baby were to be given solid food right after its birth, it would choke and die. The milk is the perfect food for the baby. It has no teeth with which to chew solid food and its stomach could not handle it.

Even when a few moths old the baby cannot handle meat. Although it could survive being given cereal in its milk. Even that, however, if given too soon, can begin to effect the baby in negative ways that, at first, the eye cannot see, since it is now receiving less of the nutrition only available from mother's milk. Among other possible problems, not being as easy to digest, the baby may feel uncomfortable or become constipated. There is more of a chance for the baby to develop allergies on any other food than mother's milk. It is said that it is best for the baby not to receive anything other than mother's milk for about a year after its birth.

However, the child's health will decrease if it is never fed solid foods. The baby will often be the best indicator as to when to begin feeding him a little solid food. The baby will either begin to demand the foods everyone else is eating or begin to lack energy. These are signs that it is time to receive something more.

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Sincere in the Greek is (Strong's) – adolosad'-ol-os; undeceitful, i.e. (figuratively) unadulterated:--sincere.

Unadulterated is (The Free Dictionary) 1. Not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter; pure:

Peter's instructions to new born Christians was to desire the sincere milk of the Word. He did not say to shame them for drinking the milk, but rather wanted them to desire it.

This word 'desire' in the Greek is – epipotheoep-ee-poth-eh'-o; to dote upon, i.e. intensely crave possession (lawfully or wrongfully):--(earnestly) desire (greatly), (greatly) long (after), lust.

As a baby when it nurses must be up close, making direct contact with its mother, so does the new babe in Christ need to be eating straight from the Word of God. He needs to be consuming the Word of God directly from the source, not listening to doctrines of men. Like the colostrum, the Word will line his spiritual intestines, so that when anything that is not of God tries to enter, the baby will be resistant. Oh, he may not yet understand every word that he reads, in the beginning, but he is learning the sound of his Savior's voice.

As a baby up against his mother's skin, may feel his mother's heartbeat, so the new child of God needs to begin to get a sense of the rhythm of his Father's heartbeat.

There will come a time for him to dig a little deeper into his Father's thoughts and begin, so to speak, to eat the meat, that in this case is still His Word. But let him first get a feel for His heartbeat and the sound of His voice. Let him read the Word, look and listen. Let Him consume it and digest it. Teach him in simplicity. God will only give him enough at one time that he can digest well before He gives him more.

Hebrews 5:12-14 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.

Spiritually speaking, Paul the apostle spoke of those who were of an age to be eating solid meat but had a need to go back and receive the milk. Why might this be? It seems they had jumped ahead and were eating solid food before they were able to digest it properly. This may have already done damage to their spiritual digestive tract.

Notice that even as babes they received teaching. But what were they taught? The first principles of the oracles of God.

What are the oracles of God? Oracles (Greek [Strong's]) logionlog'-ee-on; an utterance (of God):--oracle.

So what did they need when first born again? They needed to learn the first principles of the words uttered by God.

As they soaked in these first principles of God's Word, they were learning how to apply them to their own life, what their God was like, how to hear and follow His voice. This was a learning time, not a time to be trying to teach others anything more than to witness what they had received. They were not yet skillful in the word of righteousness. They were being taught the skills they needed. The armor of the Lord was for them, but they had to learn it's purpose, how to put it on and how to wear it and use it.

If you are a person who was overstuffed with 'meat' before you had a chance to be comfortable with the milk of the Word, before you had enough time to sit at Jesus' feet and learn how to trust Him as the provider of all things and the sole authority in your life; if you did not have enough time to soak in His Words (His voice), His love and affection, so that you could become accustomed to His voice and become fully secure in Him and surrendered to Him, you may be one who has choked on the meat. Or you may have become sick and confused from receiving more than you could digest.

When this happens to new Christians, they may reach a point of great dissatisfaction and either leave the faith altogether or become burned out and dissatisfied.

Sadly, some may decide that the solid food is not good, that it is a problem and should be avoided by any and all, or they may decide not to eat at all. They may think they can have Jesus, without eating His Word. We know what it is to feel so nauseated that we do not want to eat at all. That is a very vulnerable condition to be in.

This is dangerous. Certainly such people need to take a deep breath, relax and turn back, once again to the milk of the Word. They need to take their time and focus on the love and security of their Savior until they have become well accustomed to His touch, His voice and His leadership.

Then, in time, He will begin to offer them solid food.

However if these who have become sick and/or have choked on the meat, having not yet become accustomed to the voice of the Savior, should in their dissatisfaction, decide not to eat at all and to despise the meat, they may begin to listen to a voice that is not that of their Savior and begin receiving food that claims to be from God while it is actually from the enemy.

When Satan finds a person sick, discouraged and/or confused, he finds them far more vulnerable to his deceptions. He will begin to play on their discouragement, dissatisfaction, and even their anger. Not only will he assure them that they are justified in their attitudes but present them with lies as to what their next course of action should be.

How many who have choked on the meat or become sick from trying to digest what their system was not ready for, have acquired a dangerous distaste for that which would be sweet to their taste if eaten at the right time? How many times have they failed to go back to the beginning and start afresh on the milk they so greatly needed to prepare them for the meat?

Notice that Paul did not say, “Shame on you! You better start eating meat! You are old enough!” No! He did say that they should have been on meat by now, but he pointed out their need. That need was that they had - “... become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

No matter if they 'should' have been able to handle the meat, they could not. They were unskillful in the word of righteousness. To become skillful they would have to be - “have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

A baby in his mother's arms is having his senses exercised. His sense of touch, taste, smell, and sight are all being stimulated by his mother and the things around him. But he is experiencing all that is around him in the safety of mother's loving arms. He will begin to move out a distance from her as he learns that she will never leave nor forsake him. In time, he will walk out of her sight, knowing if he needs her she will always be there. Their dependency on their mother develops a trust in her care and a trust in their own abilities which she has encouraged and cheered on.

There are those who may have come to Christ in sincerity but quickly began to depend solely on the person who first told them the gospel and others who they esteemed as wiser in the church or older in their growth, to feed them. In so doing they may have received some of the milk of the Word, but mixed with personal opinion, a bit of meat and other substances until the new Christian, while having the appearance of growing, has no idea what the true, unadulterated voice of God really is.

Their image of God becomes distorted and His voice uncertain. They may begin to establish themselves upon a faulty foundation and hold to what they think are pillars of truth which are ready to topple at any moment.

In time, when they become weary of the insecurity in their lives, they may either turn away from God altogether, try to cover their insecurities with a show of pride, or for some - maybe just maybe - they will try to find their way back to the milk, only with such an unhealthy disdain for solid food that they are determined to never again eat it.

There are many voices going out into the world. There is a confusion of voices. There is competition even in the church world. There are youth who need to be having their senses exercised to discern good from evil through the milk of the Word, but who are trying to be leaders and teachers. These are so unskillful in the word of righteousness that they are like blind leaders leading the blind into the ditch where they both will fall. There are older Christians who did not spend enough time on the milk, in the beginning, who are doing the same thing and worse.

If you are one who has grown ill on polluted milk, or milk mixed with meat too soon. If you are one who has grown sick of doctrines and condemnations of men and debates between so-called Bible scholars; if the very thought of doctrine and theology causes your stomach to begin to churn, then consider Paul's instructions to Timothy. -

1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Grace, which is not only unmerited favor but also the divine influence (of the Holy Spirit) upon your heart, be with thee.

Grace – (Greek [Strong's]) - charis khar'-ece from [cairw] - chairo; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):--acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

May you go to the Lord and ask Him to clear from you all that is not of His heart. Ask Him to lead you into the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Ask Him to help you begin anew to desire the milk that will once again make you healthy and strong. Ask Him to guide you one step at a time down the path of life and to exercise your senses until you can properly discern good from evil and become skillful in the word of righteousness. Do not rush things. Do not get in a hurry and do not despise what is ahead. Enjoy the training He gives as you accept a position once again as a babe in Christ.

Remember that while you are desiring to turn away from wrong teachings and ideas, you may have already developed some erroneous ideas and beliefs. Let the Lord remove what is not good and fill you with what is. Do not resist Him, even if at times He must correct you and the correction be uncomfortable. You need the milk, but you are used to having more, even if it was not good for you. Do not be obstinate or stubborn. Remember that you are tired of the games, so let Him do His perfect work in you.

Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Hebrews 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

A baby does not have preconceived ideas about truth when he is born. He learns at his mother's breast. Go back to the beginning and give up preconceived ideas. Drink in the sincere Word of God as you look into your Father's face, with ears tuned to listen to the Holy Spirit.

For those who have become irritated or perhaps even angry at the outcry from some, against the study of God's Word, doctrine and theology, please realize that some of these cries could be coming from wounded children. Being vulnerable they may be manipulated by the enemy unaware. This does not make their actions right or even okay. It does not justify them. But if you are mature and more skillful in the Word of righteousness, if you are a teacher of the Word and have been uncomfortable at the words of others who not only underestimate the great truths of the scripture but even despise them, please hold strong in the Lord and be not shaken.
Pray against the enemy. Pray for the wounded and the blinded. Pray for wisdom. Be patient with the babes in Christ and let God do His perfect work in them. Encourage them to greatly desire the sincere Word of God to which nothing has been added but the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Instruct them in the first principles of the oracles (utterances) of God.

Continue to preach as the Lord your God leads and equips you to do.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Do all this with longsuffering and doctrine. Do not override what the Holy Spirit is doing in a person's life and try to force feed him meat before he is ready.

For those who have become complacent and lazy, speak the reproof God leads you to speak.

1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: