Author Archives: expressyourself4him

During my second year of teaching, I attended a conference in the Poconoes.  While the main purpose of this weekend event was to develop student leaders, there were a series of seminars for advisers and teachers.  The key note speaker was Dr. Jeff Myers who also led all the classes for adults.  One of Dr. Myers’ topics exposed a flawed approach to education.

His topic for this specific seminar was entitled, Is Clifford the Big Red Dog Christian.  Dr. Myers used basic apologetics, performing a cultural exegesis of a few episodes.  Viewing this show through his children’s eyes, Dr. Myers used scripture to explain the worldview expressed by this show.  What I learned early in my teaching career was that I didn’t expect as much as I should from my students.  In fact, Dr. Myers taught me that education is teaching students how to think.

Proverbs 22:6 was the essence of Dr. Myers’ seminar, ” train a child in the way he or she should go, and when they are old, they will not turn from these ways.”  If students can learn how to think from a biblical perspective, they will be able to escape the corruption which surrounds them.  While information is important, a biblical worldview is essential.  This will transform what students listen to, what they watch and how they invest their time.

by Jay Mankus

The gospel of John is divided into 2 parts.  The first 11 chapters are devoted to 7 miracles of Jesus.  Beginning with turning water into wine, each preceding miracle illustrates Jesus being master over a specific thing: elements, time, distance, quality, quantity, illness, life and death.  The final 10 chapters focus on the passion week, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday.

Whether you have been a Christian for a year or many years, it is easy to allow yourself to become comfortably numb with the Easter Message.  The same passages are read annually, with similar songs as well as a familiar message.  However, one of the greatest stories of Easter in the gospel of John is the transformation of Nicodemus.  Initially ashamed to be associated with Jesus in John 3, the words of John 3:16-17, unsettle Nicodemus’ stubborn heart as a Pharisee.

Based upon the accounts of John 7:45-52, Nicodemus begins to stand up for Jesus, remembering his words spoken at night during their face to face conversation.  While the disciples were afraid they might be arrested or be killed due to their allegiance with Jesus, Nicodemus comes full circle in John 19:38-42.  During passion week, something clicked inside of Nicodemus’ heart.  Maybe it was Jesus’ innocence, the brutality of his public beating or simply his response to his critics while dying on the cross, Nicodemus became born again.

As Easter Sunday quickly approaches, don’t forget the story of Nicodemus.  There will be many people like Nicodemus entering church tomorrow like him in John 3, skeptical of the gospel.  However, the power of the Word of God is immense, living and active, Hebrews 4:12.  Get ready to celebrate the greatest miracle of all time!  Remember the passion week and the resurrection power which has transcended history, 1 Corinthians 15:54.  Christ is risen indeed!

by Jay Mankus

During 2012, there have been a few times I have experienced a strong sense of God’s presence.  As I have spent time reading God’s Word and in prayer, I was led by the Holy Spirit to do certain things, apply for positions or even contact a person.  Throughout these encounters, I felt as if God was about to reveal or clue me in on what His will is for the rest of my life.  Unfortunately, there has been something lost in translation.

Maybe I need someone like Eli to help me discern the difference between a dream and God’s voice.  Maybe God is simply saying wait, be still and trust me.  Or its possible that I have had impure motives in the midst of my conversations with God resulting in empty mirages.  Whatever the reason for my lack of progress, I am searching for a better understanding of God’s language.

Like Riley in the National Treasure movies, I wish God would say, “go to this place and you will find the treasure I have for you.  Although, this is not the way God works as in this Hollywood script.  Rather, there are great mysteries about Christ that have kept people like me in the dark.  As I continue to be lost in translation, I feel compelled to grasp to Ephesians 3:20.  God is able to do immeasurably more than I can ever ask or imagine.  While I cling to this promise, I pray that sooner than later, God will give me eyes to see and a mind to understand where I need to go, what I need to do and when I need this should be accomplished.  The answer lies in the Spirit!

by Jay Mankus

There are 3 types of leafs which carry a poison: sumac, oak and ivy.  While all 3 can be dangerous once contracted, poison ivy is the most common.  Fear the leaf, especially if you body is vulnerable to any of these poisons.

Some people are blessed to be able to touch, step on and even play in without ever contracting poison ivy.  Others may not contract this until their 20’s or later in life.  However, there are those who catch it without ever coming into contact with a leaf.  For these poor people, poison ivy is painful, oozing and spreading like an uncontrollable rash, often needing steroids or shots to be cured.

Poison ivy is like sin, it starts off with just a slight touch or being surrounded by a negative influence.   Before you realize it, a part of your life has been contaminated, corrupted, unable to hide it any longer.  Like an itch, it spreads throughout your body until you need antibiotics to be completely healed.

Thanks to Adam and Eve, God allowed these poisons to enter the ground, Genesis 3:18.  I am currently battling all 3.  It started on my arms, then around my ankles and know is spreading up and down my body.  Thank God someone invented Super Ivy-Dry to make the itching tolerable.  Salt water is also a good cure, as least it has been in my life.  Whether your skin is normal, rough or currently infected, consider it a pure joy, James 1:2-4.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord, Psalm 150.

by Jay Mankus

I have been reading a book about how the church responded to the 1960’s.  During the 1960’s, people were experimenting, indulging and searching for something.  After their temporary pleasure faded away, people were longing for God, but the church developed a Jonah complex.  Instead of reaching out to needy sinners like Ninevah, most churches in America ran away from the issues facing their communities.

According to Summit Ministries, there are 3 ways to respond to society.  First, people can be offended by their culture and withdraw like the Puritans and Amish.  Second, you can assimilate, becoming just like your generation with a Christian twist.  Or you can engage the culture by developing biblical solutions to societal problems.  In reality, every day we have 3 choices with one life to live.  The question is what are you going to do?

The apostle Paul set the standard for how to engage your culture in Acts 17:16-34.  While visiting Athens, Paul became greatly distressed, yet did not tell these lost people they were going to hell.  Rather, Paul went to the people and reasoned with them using basic Apologetics.  Paul compliments them in Acts 17:22, calling people religious.  Then, Paul finds an altar dedicated to an unknown god in Acts 17:23, using this as a catalyst to introduce people to Jesus.  Finally, Paul quotes one of their own poets to illustrate the Lord.  At the end of his conversation, Paul led a few people to Christ.

As people continue to search for Jesus, don’t miss the opportunities that come your way.  While you may be offended or have the urge to assimilate, engage your friends, family and community as much as you can.  Follow Paul’s example, study God’s Word and be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

by Jay Mankus

Neglect means to abandon, desert or disregard someone or something.  Neglect is something that everyone does from time to time.   Maybe we forget, overlook or passover a person we care about.  However, neglect can also be something more blatant like ignoring or avoiding people we are angry at or simply can’t stand.

Psalm 119:16 urges people to not neglect the Bible.  In America, most families have at least one, while other families may have multiple copies of the Bible.  Yet, how often are these copies opened, pages turned or highlighted?  I know in my own life there have been periods when my Bible has collected more dust than my own attention.  Deuteronomy 6:1-9 exhorts families to make God’s Word apart of their lives.  Nonetheless, even Christian families have abandoned the Bible due to busyness and every day distractions.

Deuteronomy 6:18 strikes a cord with me every time I read it.  If I do what is right, by reading, keeping and living the Bible, things will go well with me.  Although life can be so simple, I often neglect the basic commands and principles of the Bible which results in the opposite of this passage.  If Christians would just begin to care about the word of God more than anything else, their lives and this world would be a much better place.  Therefore, don’t let the sun go down today until you open God’s Word, providing light for your feet and a lamp unto your path, Psalm 119:105.

by Jay Mankus

Sometimes in life things don’t go as we expect or how we have planned.  For some of us, you maybe experiencing a refining period or a series of trials.  Others may be going through a period of doubt, frustrated by a lack of fruit or production.  While a few may even be going through a period of rebellion, mad at God for something that did or did not happen.  During these times, Christians often give the devil a foothold, an open door to change your thought patterns or have a spirit of oppression restricting your freedom in Christ.

While visiting Philippi in Acts 16:16-18, Paul meets a slave girl who has the ability to tell the future.  Her owners are using this girl as a freak show, enslaving her like a prostitute.  Luke explains that this girl has a spirit of divination which is enabling her to actually foretell people’s future.  In the Greek, Luke uses the word python, spirit of the serpent.  This spirit had strangled this girl so much that she was held in bondage, suffocated by the serpent’s grip.  Paul aggravated by this spirit takes authority in Christ, casts out the spirit, setting her free.

There are 4 things which can stop a Christian’ progress or entangle them like this slave girl.  First, some of you may be enduring a generational sin or resulting curse, Exodus 20:5.  Second, others may have allowed yourself to have a few ungodly beliefs by living according to world not the Word.  Third, a few of you still have not recovered from a soul spirit hurt, deeply wounded by a believer or circumstance.  Finally, there are those suffering from a spirit of depression or demonic oppression, stealing your joy for life, hope for the future and killing any dreams of success.

Wherever you are or whatever you do, remember the words of Romans 8:1-15.  There is live through the Holy Spirit, freedom in Christ and victory in your future.  Let your mind be transformed by the Word of God, Romans 12:1-2 so that the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead can raise you from defeat into victory, Romans 8:9-11.  Pray the words of 1 Corinthians 15:53-58 so that you will verbalize the power of God through Jesus.

by Jay Mankus