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We Got Duped

Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson starred in the 1997 film Conspiracy Theory.  Gibson plays a New York City cab driver named Jerry Fletcher who is not afraid to share his theories based upon The Catcher and the Rye.  Fletcher spends most of his days telling anyone who will listen, including Julia Roberts, played by Alice Sutton, a Department of Justice attorney.  When I first watched this movie, I thought Gibson was crazy.  However, the older I become, the more I am beginning to think, we are getting duped.

For instance, back in the 1970’s, a scientist from Canada claimed he had discovered the cure for cancer.  After contacting the local media, he was scheduled to have a press conference the next day, telling the world of his findings.  That evening, according to reports, he died in a house fire, destroying all of his research, 12 hours before this disease would have been eradicated from mankind.

When I was young, I remember my teachers telling students about America’s ingenuity.  I recall reading and seeing shows on how buildings, canals and roads were completed as corporations and from time to time the government did whatever was necessary to finish their project.  Today, it takes road agencies a year to fix local pot holes or 10 plus years to finish road construction and expansion.  Meanwhile, scientists which once were in the business of developing cures appear to make more money on temporary medicines which usually doesn’t completely heal you.  I hope I am wrong, but recent trends support the notion that Americans are being duped.

Based upon eye witnesses and personal encounters, King Solomon is often credited as one of the wisest people to ever live, second to Jesus, the son of God.  Kings, queens and anyone who could afford the journey, traveled to catch a glimpse of Solomon’s wisdom, 1 Kings 3:16-28.  One of the wisest men I have ever met had a PhD from an Ivy League institution, a guest speaker at the school where I taught at for a decade.  During his lecture and slide show, he exposed the fraud of the missing link, revealed complete skeletal remains of early woman to explain the curse in Genesis 3:16 and evidence to support the biblical belief that snakes once had legs.

One of the points this professor was trying to communicate was if the media could convince society that the earth was created by some other means than creation, mankind could do what they want without any consequences.  In fact, many in the liberal media continue to seek to discredit Jesus, like the Roman soldiers in Matthew 28:11-15, claiming he didn’t rise from the dead.  Rather, they believe his disciples secretly stole Jesus’ body in the middle of the night, burying his remains in an undisclosed location.

Don’t take my words in this blog as gospel.  Instead, test everything I have said and search for other facts on your own, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.  If you want the truth, may your own quest be beneficial and fruitful, setting you free, John 8:32.  Education is a life long journey, not just a piece of paper you keep framed on your wall after graduation.  Therefore, if you are diligent in your research to uncover the facts of life, you will avoid being duped by anyone or any conspiracy theory.  Enjoy the journey!

by Jay Mankus

Note to Tweeters: Think Before You Tweet

Yesterday, January 28th, 2013, Lesean McCoy, star NFL running back for the Philadelphia Eagles was burned by the world of Twitter.  Initially, claiming someone hacked into his account, (I’ve heard that one before) he publicly apologized for airing his dirty laundry.  In an exchange with his ex-girl friend, Lesean acknowledged that he lost control of his temper and should have been more mature, dealing with this matter face to face like a man during an interview on CSN, the Comcast Sports Network.


Unfortunately, Lesean was not aware of Solomon’s words in Proverbs 21:23. “He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself from calamity.”  A womanizer in his own right, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, 1 Kings 11:3, before he settled down.  Solomon recognized that woman often bring out the worst in a man as detailed by his words in Proverbs 21:19.  “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.”  In case you forget, Solomon repeats these warnings throughout Proverbs like the version in Proverbs 21:9.

According to C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, anyone can acquire prudence and temperance, within his chapter on the Cardinal Virtues.  Lewis defines prudence as practical common sense, thinking about what you are about to do or say and the likely outcome of it.  Temperance on the other hand is learning to go or take something to the right distance, but no further.  You don’t have to be religious to apply these basic principles.  Rather, one must have an inner desire to better themselves, to maintain a good reputation and leave a legacy that is honorable.  Therefore, the next time you think about tweeting when you are angry, reflect before making  your words public!  Then, you might make this world a better place.

by Jay Mankus

Flirting with the World

The term flirt is an intransitive verb which means to behave in a playful or alluring manner.  At the high school and college level, flirting is a method used to ascertain whether or not another individual shares any interest in you.  Like a scientific experiment, probing, tickling or winking either stimulates a mutual connection with another person or results in a cold rejection.  Unfortunately, flirting with the world is like playing with fire, often leaving deep scars from where your soul got burned.

Eve introduced the world to flirting in Genesis 3.  Flirting begins in Eve’s mind, questioning the boundaries God had set in Genesis 2:16-17.  As Eve’s thoughts began to wander, her eyes enter the fray, lusting over the beauty of the fruit on the Tree of Knowledge.  Cain had a similar problem in Genesis 4:6-7 as God tries to intervene to prevent free will from being exercised in the form of murder.  According to Jesus in Matthew 5:21-22, the jealousy within Cain’s heart, led to immense hatred, ultimately planting the seed to kill.  When you flirt with the ways of the world, death and destruction often follow, Deuteronomy 30:17-18.

In his book entitled Flirting with the World, John White reaches a scary conclusion about the impact flirting is having on the church.  According to White, “the sexual behavior of Christians has reached the point of being indistinguishable from that of non-Christians”.  In an attempt to blend in, trying not to offend others, the salt of faith has lost its flavor and the light of Jesus is experiencing nation wide power outages, Matthew 5:13-16.  As godly role models continue to fall from grace, an “everybody’s doing it” mindset has led saints toward a pit of despair, James 1:13-15.  Intervention, public confession and accountability is essential to break free from the bondage to sin, James 5:16.  Therefore, if you think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, think twice before you actually flirt with the world.

by Jay Mankus

The Nuances of Nihilism

Historians credit the Age of Enlightenment, a period of the 17th and 18th centuries, for introducing nihilism to America.  Nihilism is a total rejection of social morals, believing that nothing in society is worthwhile.  Slipped under the covers through comedy acts, cartoons and sitcoms, naive minds have been convinced by nihilistic propaganda that objective truth no longer exists.  Thus, the nuances of nihilism is near completion, successfully shaping the worldviews of one generation to believe established authority is corrupt and must be destroyed to rebuild a just nation.

On the other hand, I believe nihilism was conceived during the Renaissance, spanning from the 14th-17th centuries.  Christian educators claim the painting entitled The School of Athens by Raphael Sanzio between 1509-1510 served as a theological turning point.  This piece contains 2 of Greece’s greatest philosophers, Aristotle and Socrates.  Christian’s interpret this painting as a transition from the belief truth comes from God above toward a realization truth comes from within.  John Calvin’s theology was inspired by the Holy Spirit to combat this age filled with humanism, naturalism and rationalism.

With an end goal of eliminating God’s existence, atheists and agnostics continue following in the footsteps of Friedrich Nietzsche who boldly proclaimed, “God is dead!”  As the boob tube, social media and college elite drive home their message daily, most Christians are sleep walking through life, disengaged from this spiritual war.  Yet, there are a few still up to this cultural challenge.  Music groups like The Newsboys are carrying the torch against nihilism with their God’s Not Dead tour in 2011-2012.  However, its going to take a radical effort, covered in prayer and led by vision, to take back the lost ground from the nuances nihilism has established.

by Jay Mankus

The Land of Lost Love

Pink Floyd once sang about what I feel in my heart today in their song Comfortably Numb.  The 4th stanza’s lyrics express the following: “There is no pain you are receding; A distant ship’s smoke on the horizon; You are only coming through in waves; Your lips move, But I can’t hear what you’re saying.”  My issue is not with words.  Rather, my concern is with a lack of action.  After reading Proverbs 17 this morning, I am left to question, where has all the love gone in America?

According to verse 9, anyone who covers over an offense promotes love.  Unfortunately, what I watch on television or experience in life is another story.  Reality Television series ratings seem to skyrocket when cursing, drama and fights are portrayed.  While a friend is suppose to love at all times, Proverbs 17:17, back stabbing, gossip and trash talking appear to sell, making Hollywood millions of dollars each year.  Meanwhile, family value shows are becoming extinct or cast off like Marshall, Will and Holly into the Land of the Lost.

The only kind of love I regularly see is eros, the Greek word for sensual or sexual love.  Every time I go to buy groceries, magazines surround the checkout counter, filling your mind with unwholesome thoughts if you’re not careful.  Philia, the Greek word for brotherly love pops its head up from time to time.  People like Tim Tebow, Bethany Hamilton and communities like Ocean City, New Jersey keep this kind of love alive.  However, agape, translated unconditional love is even vanishing from churches.  Grudges, power hungry individuals and unforgiveness is stripping Christianity from its main attraction.

Instead of living in a land of love, crushed spirits continue to reign, Proverbs 17:22.  In the absence of a cheerful heart, the medicine people seek is missing, awol, absent without love.  If there ever was a time for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 22:30, the time is now.  Who will stand in the gap of a unloving world and love the unlovable?  If someone doesn’t act quickly, we might all become comfortably numb.  Developing a Philippians 4:8-9 mindset is a good place to start.  The rest depends on how well people live out the Bible.  Choose agape love today!

by Jay Mankus

I Can’t Do Anything

After rededicating my life to God during the second semester of my freshmen year of college, everything gradually fell back into place for me.  Every position I applied for except for one I received, in some cases having to decline offers.  From 1988-2010, life seemed easy, like I could do anything I put my mind to.  When the school I was teaching for began to struggle financially and eventually was sold during the school year, I actually thought I would make a smooth transition to another career.  Unfortunately, almost one year later, I was dead wrong!

When you are blessed with many talents, sometimes you get over confident or don’t work as hard as you are use to like first round draft picks in professional sports.  Then again, technology has drastically changed from the days of Cad, MS-Dos and Word Perfect when I graduated from the University of Delaware.  Anyway, I have gone from thinking I could do anything to a fear I can’t do anything right.  Solomon was right when he said, “humility comes before honor,” Proverbs 16:33b.  I just hope the humility part of my life has come to an end or is about to conclude.

As for now, its back to the drawing board.  Instead of having a touch of gold, my cover letters and resumes have turned into fools gold.  Despite these setbacks, I am laying in prayers of friends and relying on the words of Scripture to slowly restore my self-confidence.  However, I am no longer naive about my current state.  Alone, I can’t do anything but try, cry and try again,  In the long run, Proverbs 16:9 will determine where I land or where I fall.  Bethany Hamilton was right in Soul Surfer, quoting Philippians 4:13 numerous times.  With Christ I can do something, exactly what my next career is, only God knows.

I’ll let Bernie Taupin close this one out with his song sung by Elton John, “I’m Still Standing.”

You could never know what it’s like
Your blood like winter freezes just like ice
And there’s a cold lonely light that shines from you
You’ll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use
And did you think this fool could never win
Well look at me, I’m coming back again
I got a taste of love in a simple way
And if you need to know while I’m still standing you just fade away
Don’t you know I’m still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
I’m still standing after all this time

A Week In Paradise


In this economy, its hard to imagine anyone having enough time or money to afford a week long trip to the West Coast during the school year.  With a summer vacation road trip traveling across the country to the Grand Canyon and back already etched in my families distant memory, I didn’t think anything could compare.  However, thanks to my extended family, most of our expenses were covered, opening the door for a memorable week in paradise.

This journey began in Ontario, not Canada, at the John Wayne International Airport in California.  After a night in Corona, not the beer, rather staying with a cousin playing pool and embracing palm trees surrounded by mountains, it was off to the Pacific Ocean.  Following my first In and Out Burger, without knowing about the secret menu, my feet first touched the chilly waters at New Port Beach before my daughter found a sand dollar adjacent to the Huntington Beach pier.  An amazing meal at Ruby’s Diner even made the pelican poses for pictures before another scenic drive through the mountains toward Palm Springs.

Even getting lost and paying the same toll twice on 2 different scenic toll roads couldn’t damper my spirits, uplifted by the view of the Pacific in the background and the pictures engraved in my mind of the Coachella Valley from my honeymoon 17 years ago.  A trip to Indian Canyons, the largest oasis in the world, was like going back in time to the days of Adam and Eve walking in the Garden of Eden.  Hiking on these trails and similar vistas on the Lykkan Trail above Palm Springs was like re-enacting Moses’ voyage up Mount Nebo to see the Promised Land before his death.

My first trip to the Salton Sea, playing disc golf in Palm Desert and experiencing Monterey Country Club from the fairway, yes I did hit it straight, was like the icing on top of a birthday cake.  However, like the classic line from Jerry Maguire, my vacation wasn’t complete until family arrived.  As nearly 100 relatives came to La Quinta to honor Uncle Tom’s 80th birthday, the conversations I had, interactions with others and time spent with my own family completed me.  Simply put, this trip was like a tiny glimpse of heaven, a week of paradise in sunny California.

by Jay Mankus

Loose Lips Sink Ships

In the 1900’s, American families for the most part shared a common parenting trait.  Either mom, dad or both parents reminded children weekly of the motto, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t open your mouth.”  While variations of this expression existed, the heart of the matter involves the biblical principle inside of Ephesians 4:29.  Just of loose lips sink ships, unwholesome words directed at another individual grieves the Holy Spirit according to Ephesians 4:30.

As a parent of 3 children, each 3 years apart, siblings rivalries are alive in my household whether I like it or not.  Sarcasm, teasing and untimely words are a daily threat to tear down self esteem, self confidence and a spiritual connection with God.  Therefore, it is essential for parents to remind their children of passages like Proverbs 14:3.  When a child or student can associate or tie their words directly to a specific punishment, wisdom might be found before its too late or before their own ship sinks.

Jesus’ own brother James, highlights the power of words in his letter to Christian’s scattered throughout the world following Nero’s persecution in the 60’s AD.  James 3:3-6 magnifies the force of a word, comparing the tongue with fire.  Like Smokey the Bear in his public service announcements airing as commercials, “only you can prevent verbal forest fires!”  As Facebook, Twitter and other outlets of social media continue to explode, make sure you practice self-discipline before you press send.  If not, you could be the next Manti Te’O.  Therefore, tighten the reigns of your own tongue before loose lips result in another titanic disaster.

by Jay Mankus

Let It Flow

As I was attempting to have my morning quiet time with God, I felt rushed.  Instead of naturally engaging God in prayer, listening to words of the Bible and seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit, my intentions became skewed.  Unfortunately, treating God like a daily check list has become the norm in recent weeks.  The emotional connection I long for has been hijacked by a selfish soul desperately wanting to get in the way, Galatians 5:16-18.

This struggle is nothing new as I wrestled with a similar issue during my 10 years as a teacher.  If I am expected to stay on task and fulfill the requirements of my Bible curriculum, when do I make room for God?  What do I cut out, shorten or eliminate if I want to entertain the presence of the Holy Spirit in my classroom?  While my superior’s goals and objectives were met, the connection with God’s power and the spiritual realm gradually lost reception, Galatians 1:10.

Like public schools in America seeking better results, if leaders truly want to see change, you must make room for Jesus.  Political correctness is not the answer nor are years of trying to appease everyone’s feelings.  Rather, if believers want to see a genuine example of Joel 2:28-30 fulfilled today, a switch in priorities is a must.  Americans need to learn to take a back seat to Jesus, allow the Lord to take the wheel and set your GPS to the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25.  Once God is fully in control, let it flow!

by Jay Mankus

On the Up and Up at 30,000 Feet

Another cold and rainy winter day can damper anyone’s spirit.  While taken for granted, there is something magical about the sun shining down to brighten your day.  Unfortunately, on this soggy afternoon, the only way to see hope is by climbing above the clouds.

As I try to pass time on a 5 hour flight to the West Coast, music has been my buddy the last few hours.  After listening to a lull of blah sounding songs, I have become reacquainted with Reliant K.  Feeling my cold begin to wear down my body, The Bee Sides was just the medicine my soul needed.  A little toe tap here, head bob there and rush of adrenaline following through me raised my spirit.

In the lyrics of Up and Up, Reliant K focuses on re-dedicating their faith.  One of their lines talks about using the past as a conduit for change by learning from the mistakes and sins you have made in life.  The key part of this chorus refers to trying to be a better version of Jesus in the future than you have in the past.  Although, I’ve had my own ups and downs this week, thanks to the inspirational words of this song, I’m trending toward the up and up at 30,000 feet, heaven bound and ascending higher!

By Jay Mankus