Are YOU Berean?

Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day
to see if what Paul said was true.

The Bereans are one of my favorite peoples that Paul ministered to while on his journeys! Not just because they received his message but more than that, they investigated for themselves what the Scriptures said. In other words, they went to the source, the best and last word-Scripture!

One of my pet peeves is that people quote or otherwise express opinions without first checking the source for themselves. Many go and "eagerly receive" a message from the pulpit and then implement it without first studying for themselves what the Word really says. After all, the pastor IS a man of God isn't he?

In this age of information overload this really puzzles me. Today, we have access to so much more than did the Bereans and yet we hear something-whether from a leader or a commentator or some YouTube video and take it as truth without SEARCHING for ourselves!

About the Bereans

BEREA [beh REE ah] — a city of Macedonia about 73 kilometers (45 miles) west of Thessalonica (modern Salonika). On his first missionary journey, the apostle Paul preached at Berea (Acts 17:10) with much success. The Bereans were "more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica," because they "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

The Berean Jews were "more fair minded" (or of more NOBLE CHARACTER) because they valued truth and so daily tested Paul's teaching against their standard of truth, the O.T. The Thessalonian Jews had been more concerned with the number of Greeks who showed respect for Judaism than with truth.

What this says to me is that they took personal responsibility to find out the truth for themselves instead of taking the word of another. Like the Bereans, it is my opinion that we should search out the truth, whether in Scripture study, in the news, on television and yes, even on the internet! Especially on the internet.

Going even further, just as when studying our Bible, consider motives, customs, and culture!

Before you vote…

Getting more to my point…we're in the last days of an election season. Needless to say its pretty ferocious out there as politicians scramble to get your vote. It is said (and yeah, I've checked sources) that this year more money has been spent than ever before to win the privilege of representing you in Washington D.C.

The airwaves (and the internet) are full of all kinds of negativity and ugliness as far as I can see. My hope is that, regardless of how you may vote-GET OUT AND VOTE! Going further, I pray you will not just take the words of a well crafted ad, or a popular commentator or even a news story and especially NOT a video found on YouTube. I pray instead that you will be Berean-MORE FAIR MINDED and listen to all sides (even those you disagree with J ) before going to the polls next Tuesday. Making a truly sincere and informed decision is your choice.Don't be swayed by those that tickle your ears-check it out for yourself!

BE BEREAN

…the cruelest month

I've been pretty uncommunicative of late. It's just that I really don't like September. I know it seems strange to not like a "month". It's really just a way that we mark the passing of time, of years, of seasons. Nevertheless, I really don't like it when the calendar brings me to this place.

What is really strange is that I know its coming. That right after the hot August nights comes the cooler air heralding the onset of the Fall season. September sees the temperature drop 10% almost overnight. The pool in our neighborhood gets locked up, and the previously welcomed breeze quickly changes to a cooler and more energetic wind that knocks the leaves from the many trees surrounding me.

Oh, I know the reasons. September seems to be when many hurtful things have happened in my past. One, my first marriage, which when ended, left me an insecure, emotionally drained single mother of four. The loss of my dad, in 2003, which was totally unexpected, found me having to acknowledge my own mortality and that yes, I was indeed getting nearer to "leaving the building", with so many dreams left undone.

Of course, you know the saddest one. On September 11, 2001 I was a project manager for a financial firm in the heart of lower Manhattan. The office located about 3 blocks from the World Trade Center. I'm not going to go into all that I saw that day, or how scared I was, or the shock and horror of even the next few days, when I was, at last, home. After all, I DID survive, right? Except for this nagging distaste for September.

So, now you know why I don't like this month.

As the years have passed, and healing continues, I am trying, today to "forgive September". Given all the ugliness, bigotry, and hatred that now surrounds the event that, for a time, brought us all together, it's not easy. Some of our "leaders" are now politicizing what was a time of unity. Even so-called "Christian" folk are saying, proposing and doing horrid things.

Husband and I were talking last evening, as the "Tower Lights" were on for a moment, reflecting brilliantly off the clouds above. The place where the light reflected looked like what I'd seen in countless movies just before something ominous was to happen. As we discussed current events, our lives now, and the political divide, the view from the balcony seemed more and more representative of all that was REALLY accomplished on that morning nine years ago.

Never mind the 3000 that were lost, or the buildings that fell, or even the scars, emotional and physical. As we fight about buildings, books, and the "right" kind of government-the bad guys won. They have us at each other's throats, and we are divided. Dare I say it? I imagine that those who attacked us on 9/11/2001 are looking at the news and congratulating each other "mission accomplished".

Quoting from scripture (Luke 11:17), Abraham Lincoln said it best; "A house divided against itself cannot stand". Of course he was talking about slavery, but isn't the fear-mongering also a type of slavery? Isn't feeling that others are evil because they are different a kind of slavery? And isn't looking back to "the way it was" also a prison? Isn't "my way or the highway" a kind of fence that prohibits moving forward, and keeps us from the peace and unity that really IS what we desire?

Ah well, I'll be glad when September passes.