Category Archives: Truth

A Sign of a Mature Faith

Posted on July 7, 2023 by expressyourself4him

A friend in college told me about a truth from the apostle Paul’s confession in 1 Timothy 1:15. While writing a teenage Pastor, Paul refers to himself as the greatest sinner of all time. The premise my friend shared is that the closer you draw near to God, the more your imperfections are exposed. Subsequently, a sign of a mature Christian faith is the acknowledgement that Jesus must become more, and you must become less.

I indeed baptize you [c]in (with) water [d]because of repentance [that is, because of your [e]changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out. 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John [f]protested strenuously, having in mind to prevent Him, saying, It is I who have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? 15 But Jesus replied to him, [g]Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness [that is, to [h]perform completely whatever is right]. Then he permitted Him, Matthew 3:11-15.

My favorite class in Seminary was Revival and Revivalism. This course studied the spiritual climate just before and immediately following the first and second Great Awakening. The content in this course was enhanced by the teaching of Leonard Ravenhill which I often listened to while I worked at Ton Communications. According to Ravenhill, these movements of God began with Christians honestly addressing the sins in their lives. These public confessions sparked spiritual awakenings.

You yourselves are my witnesses [you personally bear me out] that I stated, I am not the Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), but I have [only] been sent before Him [in advance of Him, to be His appointed forerunner, His messenger, His announcer]. 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the groomsman who stands by and listens to him rejoices greatly and heartily on account of the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my pleasure and joy, and it is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so,] John 3:28-30.

If you want to examine a great example of mature faith in the Bible, you can begin with John the Baptist. The first mention of John begins with Isaiah 40:3, “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” As John drew a large following from his baptism ministry, pride could have gotten in the way. “Hey, look what I’ve done!” Yet, when the timing was right, John acknowledged his role, “Jesus must become more and I must become less.” This is the type of faith modern Christians need to begin to emulate.

by Jay Mankus

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Don’t Go There Again

Posted on July 6, 2023 by expressyourself4him

History repeats itself when individuals fail to remember past mistakes. To prevent this from reoccurring, Jewish families spent time each evening recalling the lives of their patriarchs. This practice began after Rachel’s life. Apparently, she hadn’t heard about Sarah’s irrational decision to let her husband sleep with Hagar. Or she was so desperate, Rachel would have done anything to have a child, even allow her own husband to sleep with her maid.

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, See here, the Lord has restrained me from bearing [children]. I am asking you to have intercourse with my maid; it may be that I can obtain children by her. And Abram listened to and heeded what Sarai said. 3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her Egyptian maid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his [secondary] wife. 4 And he had intercourse with Hagar, and she became pregnant; and when she saw that she was with child, she looked with contempt upon her mistress and despised her, Genesis 16:1-4.

When Hagar conceived and gave birth to Ishmael, Sarah was filled with envy and jealousy. Since Ishmael went on to become the father of the Arab nations, Israel is still dealing with the consequences of Sarah’s irrational decision. If only somebody warned Rachel of Sarah’s stressful ordeal, she might have been persuaded to not go there again. Nonetheless, human nature is a real force that leads many individuals into repeating the same mistake over and over again.

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I will die! 2 And Jacob became very angry with Rachel and he said, Am I in God’s stead, Who has denied you children? 3 And she said, See here, take my maid Bilhah and have intercourse with her; and [when the baby comes] she shall deliver it upon my knees, that I by her may also have children. 4 And she gave him Bilhah her maid as a [secondary] wife, and Jacob had intercourse with her, Genesis 30:1-4.

Looking back on my own life, high school and college relationships taught me a lot about myself. As long as I avoided desperate situations, I didn’t do something that I regretted, Romans 7:16-18. However, when I put myself into a tempting situation over and over again, I did the exact opposite of what I wanted to do. Therefore, if you find yourself slip, sliding away from the Lord, 1 Corinthians 10:13, look for the way out of temptation so that you don’t go there again.

by Jay Mankus

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Why Christians May Not Experience God’s Promises

Posted on July 5, 2023 by expressyourself4him

From time to time, sermons will surprise me with a unique take on life. I’ve heard countless messages on living the abundant life promised by Jesus. Yet, when you look throughout the greater church community, many believers find their lives void of experiencing God’s promises in the Bible. Today’s blog hopes to shine light on why this is happening.

I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [b]overflows). 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep. 12 But the hired servant (he who merely serves for wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases and snatches them and scatters [the flock], John 10:9-12.

While Albert Einstein is famous for many things that he did, one of his quotes explains why Christians may not experience God’s promises from the Bible in their lives on earth. Einstein once said: “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” Living the abundant life that Jesus promises above requires believers to be all in with their whole heart.

And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!] 16 But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us? 17 So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself), Romans 10:15-17.

Meanwhile, one Old Testament prophet wrote that people perish for a lack of knowledge, Hosea 4:6. Unless Christians habitually walk with God by studying the Bible daily, you won’t know God’s promises. Subsequently, if you don’t know God’s promises, you won’t actively pray for and claim these promises for your own life. A lack of full devotion and knowledge of the Bible are two main barriers preventing many Christians from experiencing the abundant life of Christ today.

by Jay Mankus

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My Lot in Life

Posted on July 4, 2023 by expressyourself4him

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that the Bible was no longer relevant, “merely a book that’s out of date with modern times,” I’d be a millionaire. Perhaps, this one question drove me to attend seminary and become a high school Bible teacher. I spent a decade of my life seeking to bring the accounts of the Bible to life. This quest led me to words of Jacob, reflecting upon his lowly life of a herdsman and shepherd.

These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your she-goats have not lost their young, and the rams of your flock have not been eaten by me. 39 I did not bring you [the carcasses of the animals] torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss of it; you required of me [to make good] all that was stolen, whether it occurred by day or by night. 40 This was [my lot]; by day the heat consumed me and by night the cold, and I could not sleep, Genesis 31:38-40.

When teachers first asked me as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was urged to shoot for the moon so to speak. I dreamed of being a marine biologist as well as a famous golf course architect. Despite working hard to pursue each of these goals, my life hasn’t worked out exactly how I had hoped. Subsequently, as I recently studied the life of Jacob, I had to come to grips with my own lot in life. While this may change, I’m currently a blue-collar worker.

[I thank my God] for your fellowship (your [a]sympathetic cooperation and contributions and partnership) in advancing the good news (the Gospel) from the first day [you heard it] until now. 6 And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you, Philippians 1:5-6.

If I ever met you for the first time, you could tell from my hands that I like to work in the dirt. Although my dream of designing golf courses never materialized, I enjoy hardscaping, landscaping and recently completed a synthetic golf course using a brick wall as a backdrop. Rather than write a typical Independence Day blog, I wanted my readers to consider their own lot in life. If you’re not sure what your lot is or want to make more of a difference in life, follow the apostle Paul’s advice in Romans 12:1-2 so that next year you can celebrate how God has blessed your life.

by Jay Mankus

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Household Gods

Posted on July 3, 2023 by expressyourself4him

When I first studied Genesis 31, I thought I had found a typo in my Bible. The end of Genesis 31:19 reads Rachel stole her father’s household gods. I assumed that Rachel took possessions that she thought were rightfully hers. However, in the passage below, Moses clearly states that Laban possessed images of gods worshipped by the people in Paddan-aram.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went from Leah’s tent into Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the images (gods) and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban searched and felt through all the tent, but did not find them. 35 And [Rachel] said to her father, Do not be displeased, my lord, that I cannot rise up before you, for the period of women is upon me and I am unwell. And he searched, but did not find the gods, Genesis 31:33-35.

This passage struck a nerve in my soul, causing me to wonder, “what households gods do I possess?” Is the Lord lifted up on high or do I display graven images that have led guests and visitors astray? Meanwhile, what kind of activities, games, or hobbies inside my home distract me from spending more time daily with the Lord? – Mark 1:35-36

Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. 4 You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, Exodus 20:1-5.

Compared to Canaan, growing up in Paddan-aram was likely a much more suitable place to become a good and decent human being. Yet, every city has bad influences which divert your attention toward idle practices. According to Moses, Laban had collected images of gods worshipped in Paddan-aram or nearby towns. If the book of Genesis serves as God’s ultimate display of free will, the Ten Commandments places a limitation on exercising free will, starting with household gods.

by Jay Mankus

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Turning Your Attention Toward Love and Service

Posted on July 2, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Every human being experiences peaks and valleys in life. Depending upon your level of inspiration and motivation, you might have your mind set on higher aspirations and goals to achieve. As Jesus prepares his disciples for life on earth following his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, He turns his attention toward love and service.

When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. 9 I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [[a]continue in His love with Me]. 10 If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love. 11 I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing, John 15:8-11.

Based upon the accounts of four first century historians, Jesus was a master storyteller, painting a vivid picture in the minds of his audience. This was accomplished by using analogies and parables that common folk could understand. As Jesus talks to his disciples in the passage above, his goal is to turn their attention toward loving and serving one another in His absence.

This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends, John 15:12-13.

Jesus doesn’t use empty words like modern leaders who follow the motto, “do what I say, not as I do.” Jesus practiced what he preached as He was about to lay down His own life for His friends on Good Friday. Jesus gave many hints to His fate such as John 14:1-4. Nonetheless, 3 days later Jesus conquered death on Easter Sunday, leaving His disciples with one final plea: turn your attention toward love and service, 1 John 4:18-21.

by Jay Mankus

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The Crossover Connection Week 22: A Modern Version of Run DMC

Posted on July 1, 2023 by expressyourself4him

As I go through my own music collection, I continue to search the internet for the opinion of other Christians. My goal is to blend top artists with groups that were influenced by popular secular artists. My latest search led to a list: 13 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Christian Rock Bands. Number one on this list is P.O.D., a group I featured on my year long series Sing A New Song. While it’s unfair to limit any group to a specific genre, P.O.D. reminds me of a modern version of Run DMC.

For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 6:23.

P.O.D. is short for Payable On Death. While one site categorizes P.O.D. as nu metal, this group is essentially a mix of rap, hard rock and metal. Music videos like Youth of the Nation highlight the target audience of POD. The lyrics of this song speak to teenagers who are struggling to get through life. Perhaps, this has led many Christians to place P.O.D. at the top of their all-time lists. As you listen to the lyrics of the attached You Tube this week, may the lyrics and sound speak to those of you who grew up listening to Run DMC.

by Jay Mankus

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Living a Dream or a Nightmare: You Be the Judge

Posted on July 1, 2023 by expressyourself4him

According to the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, past mistakes documented by the Bible serve as a history lesson. Prior to the introduction of the Ten Commandments and Book of Leviticus, the goal for godly living was to habitually walk with God like Enoch and Noah. Since rules about marriage had not been unveiled, descendants of Abraham learned by trial and error. When it comes to relationships, Jacob was either living a dream or experiencing a nightmare of bitter women.

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I will die! 2 And Jacob became very angry with Rachel and he said, Am I in God’s stead, Who has denied you children? 3 And she said, See here, take my maid Bilhah and have intercourse with her; and [when the baby comes] she shall deliver it upon my knees, that I by her may also have children. 4 And she gave him Bilhah her maid as a [secondary] wife, and Jacob had intercourse with her. 5 And Bilhah became pregnant and bore Jacob a son. 6 And Rachel said, God has judged and vindicated me, and has heard my plea and has given me a son; so she named him Dan [judged], Genesis 30:1-6.

The expression “be careful what you wish for” dates back to the second century before the birth of Christ. Aesop’s Fables states “be careful what you wish for, lest it comes true” was recorded around 260 BC. As for Jacob, grandson of Abraham who was promised descendants as numerous as stars in the sky, having lots of children was likely something he talked about. However, once Rachel and Leah gave him their maids to serve as secondary wives, this seems like a dream rather than reality.

When Leah saw that she had ceased to bear, she gave Zilpah her maid to Jacob as a [secondary] wife. 10 And Zilpah, Leah’s maid, bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, Victory and good fortune have come; and she named him Gad [fortune]. 12 Zilpah, Leah’s maid, bore Jacob [her] second son. 13 And Leah said, I am happy, for women will call me blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied); and she named him Asher [happy], Genesis 30:9-13.

Legend has it that former NBA star and Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain slept with over 1,000 women over the course of his life. Perhaps, Chamberlain was trying to one up King Solomon who accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines, 1Kings 11:3. Nonetheless, whoever Jacob spent the night with, the other 3 were left disappointed and heart broken. Although Jacob did help fulfill God’s promise via children, this dream life could have its nightmares. You be the judge.

by Jay Mankus

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Expressing Your Dependence Upon God

Posted on June 30, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Attention spans vary depending upon the situation, the topic, and the time of day. For example, if you’re in church and you have plans to do something afterward, your mind may wonder back and forth between the sermon. At the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He ends with a call to action. “Don’t just listen, but put my words into action.” How you respond will express your current dependence upon God.

 If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine, John 15:6-8.

Prior to the introduction of the Ten Commandments in the book of Exodus, one common theme runs through the book of Genesis. This can be summarized by Moses’ description of Noah and Enoch’s lives: habitually walking with God. Genesis 5:22 and Genesis 6:9 set the standard for all those who seek to keep in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25. This is how modern Christians should express their dependence upon God.

And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and [x]learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. 29 Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his [y]magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? 32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. 33 But seek ([z]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([aa]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [ab]taken together will be given you besides. 34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble, Matthew 6:28-34.

The middle portion of Jesus’ sermon listed above is a convincing argument of why believers should place their hope and trust in God, Proverbs 3:5-6. Unfortunately, many minor miracles are overlooked daily. The half glass empty mindset casts doubt, sometimes leading to second guessing if a lifelong commitment to Jesus, Romans 10:9-10, is really worth it? However, those who take the plunge called faith put it all on the line by expressing your dependence on God to provide day after day. May today’s Scripture challenge you to go all in for Jesus.

by Jay Mankus

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Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

Posted on June 29, 2023 by expressyourself4him

The origin of the idiom “desperate times call for desperate measure” comes from the proverb, “Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies.” Historians credit the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates as the source of this concept. While studying the life of Jacob in the Old Testament, he finds himself in an awkward situation requiring desperate measures.

When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my own place and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know the work which I have done for you. 27 And Laban said to him, If I have found favor in your sight, I pray you [do not go]; for I have learned by experience and from the omens in divination that the Lord has favored me with blessings on your account. 28 He said, State your salary and I will give it. 29 Jacob answered him, You know how I have served you, and how your possessions, your cattle and sheep and goats, have fared with me. 30 For you had little before I came, and it has increased and multiplied abundantly; and the Lord has favored you with blessings wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own house also? 31 [Laban] said, What shall I give you? And Jacob said, You shall not give me anything, if you will do this one thing for me [of which I am about to tell you], and I will again feed and take care of your flock. 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted animal and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages. 33 So later when the matter of my wages is brought before you, my fair dealing will be evident and answer for me. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the sheep, if found with me, shall be counted as stolen. 34 And Laban said, Good; let it be done as you say, Genesis 30:25-34.

Jacob was a mamma’s boy who was likely walked all over by other dominant personalities his entire adult life. Uncle Laban used and abused Jacob for nearly two decades. Jacob’s come to Jesus moment occurs in a dream where God revealed to him Laban’s deception. Subsequently, God provides Jacob with a plan in the passage above to ensure he receives a fair share of Laban’s herd.

And Jacob noticed that Laban looked at him less favorably than before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your people, and I will be with you. 4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, 5 And he said to them, I see how your father looks at me, that he is not [friendly] toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my might and power. 7 But your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said, The speckled shall be your wages, then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said, The streaked shall be your hire, then all the flock bore streaked, Genesis 31:2-8.

While Jacob’s response to Laban’s shady business practices isn’t turning the other cheek, God uses this plan to teach Laban a life lesson about sowing and reaping, Galatians 6:6-7. As Jacob secretly puts God’s plan into action, one day Laban’s sons realize their once great inheritance has been slowly shifted into Jacob’s growing herd. When desperate times call for desperate measures in your own life, listen to the Lord for advice so that keeping in step with the Holy Spirit will be possible.

by Jay Mankus

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