There are "clergy", "pastors", "ministers", and even "bishops" who not only try to get their parishioners to turn off their brains in Worship and Study, but who actively seek to bring into question those who have prepared for ministry and encourage the use of one's brain as being "unfaithful" somehow. These are usually clergy who have not gone through any kind of formal training, as did Jesus' disciples for three years at His feet before being sent out as Apostles (including internship when Jesus sent them out to do ministry and brought them back to debrief the experience - Luke 10). They are threatened by anyone who uses their brain in conjunction with their faith, because if they do, they will see through the false authority, false teachings and false directions they preach regarding Scripture and the following of Jesus in the world. Anyone who has been formally trained, anyone who questions those things that might seem inconsistent with the pastors' teachings and anyone who dares to ask about the depth of meaning within The Word is held in contempt or disregarded for using their brains.
"Woe to you lawyers (of The Word)! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering." Jesus Luke 11:52
"Then He (Jesus) opened their MINDS to understand the scriptures..." Luke 24:45
"He (Jesus) said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your MIND.'" Jesus Matthew 22:37
"The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the Good News." Jesus Mark 1:15 "repent" = Metanoia in Koine Greek = change one's MIND - way of THINKING - (so that your direction will change)
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your MINDS, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
"Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults... (regarding the higher need for the telling of God's Will than for speaking in tongues)." II Corinthians 14:20
If ANYONE who claims to represent Jesus gives you a simplistic, "canned" and black/white answer to a sincere question, and especially if then they say that you must just "believe" without using your brain or without questioning them in their answer - find a DIFFERENT TEACHER regarding Jesus and your following of Jesus.
If ANYONE tells you to open your heart and spirit and close your MIND with regard to the Word, and they give a surface-level, superficial and literalistic understanding to you, insisting that you just believe what they say - find a DIFFERENT TEACHER regarding Jesus and your following of Jesus.
If ANYONE repeats the same thing over and over without explanation, and tells you that you must just believe it without question in order to be faithful or righteous - find a DIFFERENT TEACHER regarding Jesus and your following of Jesus.
If ANYONE casts aspersions on those who have taken the time, money, effort and sacrifice to get formal training in The Word from credible biblical scholars and critical thinkers - find a DIFFERENT TEACHER regarding Jesus and your following of Jesus.
Jesus is the fulfiller of the Law and Prophets. Jesus is our authority on The Word and Will of God. If you want to know how to follow Jesus more closely in your life, start by reading the Four Gospels and what Jesus TAUGHT and EXEMPLIFIED about how to follow Him, and not just the miracles, signs and wonders. Yes, Jesus died for us and was risen from death to life. No - that is NOT all we need to know about Jesus. Yes, Jesus is Savior, but Jesus is also LORD of our lives. Wouldn't it make sense to read what Jesus Himself is witnessed as saying, teaching, commanding and doing?
If ANYONE suggests to you that this walk of faith is ALL ABOUT saying "the sinners' prayer", "accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior"and they ignore the needs of the most vulnerable, all or only about praise, adoration and tithing alone, a certain way of thinking (or non-thinking), all about YOUR purity and holiness and not about God's, supernatural interventions with no action needed on our part in each others' lives, getting your blessings and being highly favored for yourself with no concern for neighbor or brother or sister, "hating the sin" and pointing it out all the time to "the sinner" (who is no more sinful than you are), deciding that someone else - ANYONE else is going to hell, twisting the Word around to make themselves look good and anyone not like them look bad, judging ANYONE for ANY reason, church growth, prosperity or American Civil religion (the inability to distinguish between God and country or believing God only favors this country) - they do NOT know the Jesus of the Gospels. Find a DIFFERENT TEACHER regarding Jesus and your following of Jesus.
Please. Use your Brain! God created you with it so that you would use it.
Pastor Jamie (B.A. in Theology; Master of Divinity Degree from an accredited Seminary)... 27 years of ministry in The Word, and NOT the only one!
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