There’s a school of thought out there that teaches us that we should never pray and ask God for personal things.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

“Enjoy the silence…” - Depeche Mode

“And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom: the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep in death were raised to life: And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those who were with him keeping watch over Jesus observed the earthquake and all that was happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, Truly this was God’s Son!” (Matthew 27:50-54 AMP)

“Be still and know I AM God.” (Psalms 46:10) and “Put me in remembrance.” (Isaiah 43:26)

Ahhh yes, the third studio album by the Beastie Boys released in 1992, the soundtrack of my sophomore year of high school. As fond as those memories are, I really just wanted to focus on the title “Check Your Head” and how it relates to the megachurch. I believe every one of them should have a sign over their main entrance with those words spelled out in giant block letters. Why? Because that’s exactly what you must do in order to fall prey to their system, you must check your head, or check your brain at the door. Let me explain.

“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.” (Luke 23:33 KJV)

“From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: Thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23 KJV)

“Why is it that the bible is more entertaining and instructive than any other book? Is it not because it is addressed to the imagination, which is spiritual sensation, and only immediately to the understanding or reason?” - William Blake

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

“And he said unto them, which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I can not rise and give them. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Luke 11:5-10, KJV)

No, this is not a political piece, God knows we have quite enough of those floating around these days. Have you ever noticed how the Bible always refers to the right side of things? The right side of the boat (John 21:6), the right hand of God (Psalms 110:1, Psalms 118:16, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:13, Psalms 89:13, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 12:2, 1st Peter 3:22, Acts 2:33, Acts 7:56, Acts 5:31, Romans 8:34) and so on and so on.

Everybody knows the story. Jonah is a prophet who disobeys God, gets swallowed by a gigantic fish, lives inside the belly of this fish for three days and eventually gets spit out onto the shore and reluctantly goes to the city of Nineveh to preach. But what if this is not what this story is actually about. Remember, the Bible is not a book of secular history (despite popular belief) but rather a book of consciousness which is addressed to the human imagination. So, with this in mind, we need to ask ourselves what the real message is here. The Bible is one big allegory from start to finish, so this story of Jonah and the Whale is not what it appears to be on the surface level, there is a secret of reality creation hiding in plain sight within the words.