Be A Berean!!

One of the biggest problems in religion (both in ancient and in modern times) is that religious adherents do not take the time to examine the Holy Scriptures to discover whether or not what their leaders are preaching and teaching is Biblically correct. As a result, we have divisions, strange teachings that are foreign to the Bible, and a multiplicity of views about any one doctrinal matter.


God gave every one of us free will. We all have the ability to think, to reason, to receive, to give, and to communicate our feelings and understanding on any particular issue. We exercise those rights on a daily basis. If we are hungry, we choose to eat. If we suddenly realize that we are charged too much at a particular store, we let the cashier know immediately. If we want a specific style of mocha or coffee, we know just how we want it to taste, how to make it or where to find the place that makes it to our satisfaction. What am I saying? When we want something, we take action!



When it comes to religion, however, it seems like our brains freeze, we become passive, and we do not think about what we are seeing or hearing supposedly coming from God and put it to the test. Why? Some folks do not want to think as they worship; they just want to feel good, hear a decent sermon, leave the church building, go back next week and repeat the same actions. Caution: If that is your modus operandi, you are skating on very thin ice. Your soul is too precious to play those kinds of games.


Twenty centuries ago, the apostle Paul traveled on many foreign missionary journeys. One of the places that Paul traveled to is still talked about today because of the notable actions of the people that he encountered. The Bible says, "The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews of Thesssalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds." - Acts 17:10-13 (New American Standard Bible).


This is a prolific passage of Scripture. Those Bereans did not take anything for granted. They demonstrated how proactive they were in their faith, and how serious they were about application of God's word to their lives. Even though Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ (i.e., an eyewitness of the resurrected Lord Jesus and a divinely inspired messenger of God's word who could perform miraculous powers), the Bereans EXAMINED THE SCRIPTURES to determine whether or not Paul was correct in his message. WOW!



My friends, we must do the same today. If the apostle Paul can be examined, then your pastor, preacher, priest, rabbi, and pope ought to be examined. And if what they say does not match with God's holy word, then you must reject those messages and turn to the living God and His word for direction in your life. Jesus put it this way, "Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." - Matthew 15:14 (New International Version).




If you read the immediate context of this passage in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus came down very hard on those Pharisees (teachers of the law) who held their traditions on a higher level than God's word. Tradition and opinion must never supersede or replace the word of God in our lives! Discern what you hear from altars and pulpits my friends!


Be proactive in your faith! Study and examine the Scriptures! "Test everything. Hold on to the good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (New International Version). Your soul is worth it! And remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!