Berean Mission

Berean Mission Biblical-based lessons and curriculum to enhance personal growth.

The Berean Mission lessons are written for those new in their faith or for anyone wanting to further understand scripture. Lesson material is written from a compilation of Bible verses, research materials and revelation from the Holy Spirit.

03/31/2026

Psithurism (sith-ur-iz-um) comes from the Greek word for "whispering". Specifically describing the sound of the wind moving through the trees. Back in the chair, sitting in the dark, listening to the psithurism outside. Wind, one of the mysteries of God's creation. In and of itself it is invisible, it seemingly goes wherever it wants and has a fickle disposition.
That is sort of how my thoughts are, "blowing in the wind." Thinking of the craziness of the world, the events of the passion week as it unfolds from Palm Sunday to the crucifixion, to, "it's Friday, but Sundays coming!" Have you given any thought to how much love was poured out through so much pain just for you? For me.
Imagine, if you will, being in Jerusalem during this week, where are you standing? Waving palm branches or somewhere in the shadows with Peter? How did he feel when he heard the rooster crow? Maybe a witness to the crucifixion itself? Hearing the nails driven into Jesus hands and feet and seeing Mary's tears. Most of the disciples didn't even attend. Could we just walk away, get on with our lives wondering what just happened, as did, the two disheartened disciples heading to Emmaus? Where may have you been on that April day when Jesus died?
This is not what I had thought I was supposed to post but here we are. The rest of the story. I read an account once of a young girl that had somehow missed out on the resurrection because she thought the crucifixion was the end, there was no more, that was it, Jesus died. Sad, she stopped listening at death and nobody told her about the celebration in/of life. Some sermons end on Friday and your left to find Sunday on your own. Don't be that girl!
I think some people are much like her. They don't believe the resurrection happened, at least not for them. If you were the only person on this earth Jesus would still have died for YOU! That angel would still have rolled that stone away, just for YOU. He rolled it away for everyone. Even Peter, the one who denied him. Don't be caught standing at the crucifixion, don't be caught running to the tomb, don't be caught believing Jesus is dead. He's not there!
Two thousand plus years later, He is still not there. So, this week, today, right now where do you find yourself? The rest of the story continues today... no more walking away, no more getting blown around by the wind... Jesus has risen, He's alive!
Read and believe John 3:16 each day this week.

03/05/2026

Been sitting in my chair here in the dark, as is the case most nights, thinking. Sleeping seems to be an inconvenience for a mind that likes to ponder. The darkness hides any visual distraction except the flickering from the pellet stove and the quietness helps keep the mind somewhat tamed. But...
Tonight there is no sort through random thoughts and let the horses run, so to speak. It's dump the box out.... and listen.
The Sound of Silence.... Who listens to silence?
Remember in Genesis, what did God create out of chaos and silence? Everything, and He called it good! Well, in my world, today, there seems to be plenty of chaos and ugly. Darkness and no light, yet God has not changed, our perception has. You have probably heard the saying, "God has the best box of crayons." He really does, we just see our world through a smoky mirror and listen to senseless chatter. The ugly tries to silence us. The darkness tries to blind us.
Have you ever heard a great musician seemingly master every note? Great concert halls have been built to amplify every sound, every voice, and every note.
Our worship songs are carefully crafted. The vocals are rehearsed to sound perfect. But, has the perfection buried the worship? I'm not saying, don't bring our best to the throne room, but have we come with more than needed?
What do we need to worship? When the world gets ugly, when the volume and the voices rise and we cry in the darkness, who hears?
When my heart cries "Holy" in the turmoil, when it cries "Holy" in the darkness or at the break of dawn or if it cries "Holy" with no sound at all, it is God who interprets the sound of silence.
It's the posture of our heart that makes even our silence worship. It is not always the music or the words that catch the heart of God. There are, in fact, times when we have not even the words to pray, but the Holy Spirit prays for us.
You may just be a rainbow in someone's ugly sky today.

02/01/2026

More thoughts on my previous post. Can't seem to let the experience go. Should leaving a church cost you friends? This is the question that continues to ask for some sort of resolution.
If our relationship, as Christian brothers and sisters, is estranged in the church and we can no longer stand beside each other to speak, how or where do you suppose we stand together in heaven to worship? Don't just peruse through that question, stop and think about it. I don't think a v***r of that attitude will permeate the holiness of heaven.
Where does the attitude come from that says, "I can can only stand with you, if you stand here with me?" Is our love that fragile? Our friendship ends if God moves in my life? How has either of us changed?
There is much to be said that always remains unsaid. We each have our stories, whether they come from church or everyday life, where individuals, for whatever reason, fade away. However, I can only follow where I believe God has set my path. If I must move on because God is changing me, don't hate me. You may have been a big part of getting me this far, don't abandon me.
The world has a shallow view of love and less understanding of agape love.
Some have become so obsessed with those in "their" flock they miss the concept of being a "part of" the bride of Christ, in its entirety.
Probably should stop here. Again, think on this, if we can't wave, we can't talk or even make eye contact because, for whatever reason, someone leaves the church, how do we believe we can stand as brothers and sisters in heaven? There is no asking for your mansion to be on the other side of heaven just because you have a tude over your neighbor. Now we have a much bigger problem.......

01/18/2026

Because thou sayest..... Rev. 3:17. The Laodicean church has quite the high estimate of themselves. I'm rich, I have everything I need (increased goods), and there is nothing that I need that "I" can not supply for myself. This opinion is far from their true condition and the reality is they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Just how blind are they? Being spiritually blind to the point they have become useless and nauseating. They actually do not even recognize their nakedness. Blindness can be self-imposed both physically and spiritually. Being deceived can manifest itself in odd realities.
The counsel from Jesus...
Rev. 3:18, "BUY FROM ME."
The gold tried in fire, not your wealth in your banking community.
White raiment, not the black woolen fabrics, that you can cover your nakedness and shame.
Anoint your eyes with salve so you can see (also hearing is emphasized as part of being aware and attentive. "Behold")
Jesus is addressing the church of Laodicea not individuals here but, can we as individuals become as nauseating as the church?
What's the point? The other six churches all received commendations, it is the Laodiceans that get a rebuke, why? What is so special about Laodicea? Read Rev. 3:19.
"As many as I love I rebuke. It says rebuke not forsake!
We don't correct to condemn, we correct to restore with love and truth.
Correction must be rooted in scripture. The Laodicean church may have been deemed useless and nauseating, but they were not deemed unlovable!
What's the role of repentance?
That's part of our response to heeding the counsel of God. Our willingness to hear the "BEHOLD."
Jesus stands at the door and knocks. Our response and relationship may need repentance to apply salve to our eyes and open our ears, but Jesus still stands and knocks out of love.
We may believe, like the Laodicean church, that we are "all that" in our own eyes and the eyes of the world. Our "all that" may actually be no better than a pig style, but Jesus still approaches our door and knocks.
What a Savior, what a Friend, we have in Jesus.
What's our application here after going through these verses?

Has Holy Spirit whispered "Behold" in your life lately? Not necessarily as a rebuke, he has bold things for each of us this year. There are "well done commendations" for you!

01/14/2026

Let's look at some behind the scenes info, from a historical perspective, before we get into the rebuke the church receives from Christ. This, I believe, will help us understand what is mentioned in Rev. 3:15-17. First thing I want to point out is there are seven churches mentioned in Rev. Chapters Two and Three. The first six receive commendations. It is only the Laodicean Church that received a rebuke from Christ.
Laodicea was a very wealthy, very proud city. As an industrial center, it was known for the production of fine black wool and Phrygian powder, used to treat eye diseases; hot mineral springs made it noted as a medical center.
Laodicea had no fresh water of its own. It was piped by aqueduct and by the time it got to Laodicea it was tepid and full of sediment. It was neither hot (zealous) nor cold (refreshing), thus useless, prompting Jesus to say he would spue it (vomit it) out of his mouth. They were a very self-sufficient, complacent and prideful church. They had essentially lost their first love and ousted Jesus from their materialistic focused culture.
Spiritually bankrupt (poverty) vs Material wealth (complacent, self-sufficiency)
Enter Rev. 3:14
To the angel (Pastor) of the Laodicean church
Saith... Jesus
I know your works....
Hot nor cold is not necessary speaking of a Christian being zealous or timid in character only. The text is speaking of the uselessness of their water. It was neither cold and refreshing as to satisfy your thirst, nor was it hot. Useless and full of sediment one would spit it out. Are we a refreshing spring of living water?
Rev. 3:17, Because you believe you are rich....
Your trust in material wealth has made you spiritually bankrupt and blind. You are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. You have lost your love of relationship with Christ and don't even see how naked you have become. Have they become a useless witness for Christ? Does it seem some churches have built walls of self-identity and exclusion today?
Might Jesus be writing letters yet today?
Rev. 3:18-19
Jesus's counsel
This is why I done the historical review above. What is Jesus addressing in verse 18?
Wealth (banking) the emphasis on buying of me.. to redeem... that which has been purified and tried in the fire.... in Jesus, not material wealth. True, lasting, value comes in spiritual wealth.
Let's stop here for this post.

Homework, look at what other things Jesus addresses in verse 18. Have we mentioned them above? Example, black wool vs white raiment etc.
Will the the church heed the counsel and hear the "Behold" in verse 20?
Respond if this is being helpful. Share if you wish.

01/12/2026

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear...." This is how Rev. 3:20 begins. Behold, as used here, the Greek word "idou," is defined as "to see." It's a strong word to begin the sentence, in fact it is meant to be an attention grabber. It is anything but passive and the same emphasis can (and should be) placed on the word "hear."
It is always hard to know exactly where to start each post as we continue on in various lessons. I like to word study, research culture, tie together biblical tidbits, etc. and sometimes it gets to be more information than I can possibly put in a short post. Some like just the surface value of the printed text and move on.
So, like in our original painting, do we take the simple portrayal of Jesus knocking at our door and waiting on our response and move on? That may have been all the artist wished to portray. Or do we look at/for the subtle hints of more? Does that put us on a sometimes dangerous slope of assumption? Possibly reading or seeing something that isn't implied, but would fit "our" narrative?
I think Holy Spirit is cautioning us not to add to the Word of scripture. We must remain true to the context of what was said.
Let me add this, since we kind of moved off our lesson (but maybe not). How do we apply scripture to our lives? One way, we take our everyday situations, with our finite minds, and try to reach up and grab a random scripture and pick and push ourselves into it until we now feel comfortable hanging on to it. Now tell me is/does the truth and context get distorted? Quite possibly.
Secondly, we can allow scripture to come from an infallible, infinite source, the Word and Holy Spirit, be applied to our lives and allow it to change us. We need to rightly discern scripture. Do you see the difference? Does it make sense? Am I off course here?
Let's move back to the lesson abit. Whatever the scripture is we need to apply it to our lives not our lives to it. So whether we have a painting or not let's look at the scripture and the Laodicean church. Let's not make assumptions.
Behold! What would be your response? Would we hear? There is a tie between hearing and seeing in scripture. However, are the Laodiceans so self-consumed they do not realize their spiritual depravity? They may believe they hold the key, but do they? What will be their response to the "Behold?"

Read again the verses in Rev. 3 regarding the Laodicean church.
We shall continue....
Hot vs. Cold
Behold
Hearing
Seeing and eye salve

01/08/2026

So, I hope you have done your "homework." If so, you have learned about the life and times of Laodicea. I won't have to recount all that historical lineage of what makes Jesus say, "I will spue you out of my mouth." Verse 16, Revelation 3, the word used as spue actually has a stronger, more visual inducing definition, - vomit.
Let's backup abit and answer some questions from the last post. If we stay true to the context of Revelation 3, we find out the door on our painting, is not a door to our heart, but quite possibly be that of the church. It's not a random door. Jesus knows exactly who is on the other side of this door, in these scriptures He addresses them by name, To the Church of the Laodiceans.
Jesus, in verse 15 says, "I know thy works." He knows........ He knows, their works, yet He knocks. He knows, their heart, yet He knocks. He knows, they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, but He knocks. They are a nauseating example of a church lost in their own self-sufficiency and isolation.
A "we can do it by myself" attitude. Oh yes, they're home, their lights on inside. They are going about business and as they even unashamedly display, don't want those outside annoyingly knocking at their front door. There is no entrance here.....

Are there churches who have actually lost their "first love?"
Who are so self-consumed they blind themselves in their own light?
What is Jesus's response?

Comments .

01/06/2026

Follow up to the post of Jesus standing at the door and the question of what do we know about the picture. The picture is a bit different than the original, but I chose this one for a couple reasons. One, for the simplicity of being able to show, indeed, there is no door handle. The second, there is a light on inside the door.
In this post, let us follow the usual narrative taught, of Jesus portrayed, as standing at our door knocking. Other paintings show Jesus holding a lantern providing the light without the small light, from within, displayed. Some, do include a door handle on the outside. So, I guess it depends upon the artists interpretation of what is going on, why is Jesus there, and exactly who is on the other side of the door?
We most often see this painting used to portray Jesus knocking upon our door, patiently, hoping we will open the door from inside. Jesus will not, without our invitation, enter our home or lives. Thus the subtle absence of the door handle.
A very simple straight forward visual display of scripture. However, is Jesus just out doing random door-to-door evangelism visitations here?
What scripture might this painting be associated with?

Homework!
Look up and read some historical background on the people, city, and church of Laodicea.
Read Revelation 3:14 - 22.
Can you make any application, of the painting of Jesus, to the church of Laodicea?

12/02/2025

Good people all, this Christmas time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved son.

Opening lines of the Wexford Carol.

10/25/2025

Listen.....

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