Category Archives: truth

The Cave of Machpelah

Posted on April 20, 2023 by expressyourself4him

The first mention of a permanent burial place in the Bible, a modern-day cemetery, is found in Genesis 23. Based upon what I could find online, the oldest known cemetery on earth is the Gross Fredenwalde Cemetery. The ancient resting place in Germany is believed to be close to 8,500 years old. After the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham felt compelled to buy of piece of property known by locals as the Cave of Machpelah.

Listen to us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in any tomb or grave of ours that you choose; none of us will withhold from you his tomb or hinder you from burying your dead. 7 And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 And he said to them, If you are willing to grant my dead a burial out of my sight, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar for me, 9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns—it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me here in your presence as a burial place to which I may hold fast among you, Genesis 23:6-9.

Ephron, the original owner of this land, was going to give the Cave of Machpelah as a gift to Abraham. However, not wanting to feel obligated in the future, Abraham is moved by God to make a fair offer based upon the market value of this property. After a little back and forth with people of this land of Hitties serving as witnesses of this agreement, the sale was completed and Sarah to laid to rest.

So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre [Hebron]—the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and in all its borders round about—was made over 18 As a possession to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at his city gate. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of [b]Machpelah to the east of Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave in it were conveyed to Abraham for a permanent burial place by the sons of Heth, Genesis 23:17-20.

My wife’s family has their own special place in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Over the past five years, Leanne has said goodbye first to her father in 2017 and her mother last summer. If you were driving on the country road known as J, you’d probably pass it without seeing Union Cemetery due to the dense trees. Nonetheless, everyone must face the reality first spoken by Job, “from dust we were created and to dust we will return.” The next time you say goodbye to a loved one, don’t forget the Cave of Machpelah which started this tradition.

by Jay Mankus

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What Faith and Poker Have in Common

Posted on April 19, 2023 by expressyourself4him

When you spend nearly a decade of your life working nights, you have to improvise to find a way to do the hobbies that you enjoy. During my career in youth ministry, playing cards was one of the easiest ways to get to know other students. After leaving the ministry, I received a computer game with nearly a hundred different card games. About this same time, ESPN began airing the World Series of Poker annually. Watching these broadcasts helps a novice like me develop strategies from the best card players in the world.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there; then he laid the wood in order and [c]bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took hold of the knife to slay his son. 11 But the [d]Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! He answered, Here I am. 12 And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son, Genesis 22:9-12.

From a spiritual standpoint, if you want to expand your faith in God beyond Easter Sunday, reading and studying the Bible increases faith, Romans 10:17. While looking back at the life of Abraham, I discovered what faith and Poker have in common. When you’re about to run out of chips in Poker, desperation and a good hand forces players to go All In. Meanwhile, after years of wavering by trusting in his own instincts, God placed Abraham into a situation forcing him to make a decision. Abraham’s actions in the passage reveals he too went All In.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths, Proverbs 3:5-6.

Carrie Underwood’s song Jesus Take the Wheel contains a similar message. Rather than continue to drive and go where you want in life, Carrie alludes to the Lordship of Christ. When you surrender complete control by handing over a steering wheel to Jesus, you too are going All In by trusting God with your future. King Solomon highlights this concept in the passage above. When Christians reach a state of spiritual maturity, you are trusting God, going All In, playing the cards that the Lord gives you in life. Winning occurs when Jesus is Lord of all of your life.

by Jay Mankus

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Waiting Until the Time God Sets

Posted on April 18, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Despite how impatient human beings can be, waiting is part of God’s process. If everyone got what they wanted and when they wanted it in life, there would be no intrigue or mystery. Meanwhile, history is like a series of cycles that often repeats itself, especially when mankind doesn’t learn from the mistakes of the past. As individuals set out to achieve desired goals, success often does not come until the time God determines.

The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for her as He had promised. 2 For Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time God had told him, Genesis 21:1-2.

Whenever this topic comes up in a conversation, I always remember when I waited to become a PGA teaching professional. The initial step begins by passing a Player’s Ability Test, shooting a set score for 36 holes in one day based upon the difficulty of the course. During my first attempt, I hit the ball great, played the hardest hole one under par, but missed by 2 shots because I played the easiest hole three over par with 7 putts. If I just two and three putted this short par 3, I would have become what I wanted, not God’s will for my life.

 I have seen the painful labor and exertion and miserable business which God has given to the sons of men with which to exercise and busy themselves. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end, Ecclesiastes 3:10-11.

Abraham and Sarah experienced their own soap opera on the way to having their first child together. Despite trying for more than a decade, Sarah’s womb remained barren. The older each became, the more unlikely Sarah’s dream of having her own child would become a reality. Nonetheless, the circumstances became so overwhelming, that only God’s power and His time could have conceived Isaac. This is just one of many examples of waiting until the time God sets for His promise and will to be fulfilled.

by Jay Mankus

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When Prayer Opens Your Eyes

Posted on April 17, 2023 by expressyourself4him

The earthly brother of Jesus begins his first letter to first century Christians with two harsh realities in life, James 1:2-4 and James 1:13-15. The first is a reminder that trials are placed in your life to promote spiritual growth. Unfortunately, addictions, bad habits, and unwholesome cravings can blind you from what’s really going inside of you, Galatians 5:16. Subsequently, God can use prayer to open our eyes to solutions to life’s problems.

And God heard the voice of the youth, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the youth where he is. 18 Arise, raise up the youth and support him with your hand, for I intend to make him a great nation. 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the [empty] bottle with water and caused the youth to drink, Genesis 21:17-19.

When you’re having a bad day or become depressed, you become vulnerable to self-fulfilled prophecies. These occur when you speak negative thoughts into existence. In the passage above, Hagar and Ishmael are asked to leave Abraham’s house. Subsequently, Hagar came to the conclusion that it was only a matter of time before her son would die. Hagar places Ishmael under a shrub, walking away so she doesn’t witness her son’s death.

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. 17 Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual], James 5:16-18.

However, when you cry out to the Lord with a desperate spirit, sometimes prayer opens your eyes. This can also occur when you confess your shortcomings to God. Like an addict going to an accountability group, publicly acknowledging your errors and mistakes is the first step to recovery. This opens the door for healing to begin. While there are consequences for every sin, prayer enables you to see the big picture. May Hagar’s experience help open your eyes to God’s hand in your life.

by Jay Mankus

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Go Yonder and Worship

Posted on April 16, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Every generation has their own way of expressing themselves. Meanwhile, each high school clique contains their own vocabulary, a secret language which is often unrecognized by other students. Whether this is the lingo of jocks, cheerleaders or valley girls, these expressions don’t mean much unless you identify with a specific group. In Old Testament terms, go yonder and worship appears to refer to going off to follow God’s calling.

On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 And Abraham said to his servants, Settle down and stay here with the donkey, and I and the young man will go yonder and worship and [a]come again to you, Genesis 22:4-5.

After waiting several decades to receive God’s promise of becoming the father of a great nation, there’s a slight chance in plans. God wants Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah at an appointed place that God will choose. Rather than explain God’s decision to Sarah his wife, Abraham gets up well before sunrise to leave for this destination under the cover of darkness. Upon arriving, Abraham tells his two servants, “stay here as my son and I go yonder and worship.”

And Isaac said to Abraham, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. [Isaac] said, See, here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice? 8 Abraham said, My son, [b]God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering. So the two went on together, Genesis 22:7-8.

As Abraham quietly climbed and scaled Mount Moriah, Isaac’s curiosity gets the best of him. Unaware of what is about to happen, Abraham came to the conclusion that God would somehow provide an offering, Matthew 6:33.-34. Without ever meeting Jesus, Abraham trusted fully in God for the first time in his life. Proverbs 3:5-6. Perhaps, when modern Christians are struggling to figure out what to do for the rest of their lives, go yonder and worship the Lord and you’ll be led to exactly where God wants you, Romans 12:1-2.

by Jay Mankus

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The Crossover Connection Week 11: The Christian REM

Posted on April 15, 2023 by expressyourself4him

A friend from Cleveland, Ohio introduced me to Adam Again. When you listen to their most popular album, Dig, it’s clear that R.E.M. influenced their music. While the attached album doesn’t contain a song like It’s The End of the World as We Know It, Adam Again builds upon this concept in their song River on Fire. This true story about the Cuyahoga River catching on fire occurred June 22, 1969.

A stream of fire came forth from before Him; a thousand thousands ministered to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand rose up and stood before Him; the Judge was seated [the court was in session] and the books were opened. 11 I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. I watched until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 And as for the rest of the beasts, their power of dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged [for the duration of their lives was fixed] for a season and a time, Daniel 7:10-12.

If you appreciate the distinct and unique sound of R.E.M., you won’t be disappointed by Adam Again’ music. My favorite Adam Again song is Dig which shines insight on the origin of their name. The lyrics refer to a lazy lie just like the one the Serpent convinced Adam and Eve to believe about God holding them back in Genesis 3:4-6. Adam Again is justifying wrong actions like Adam’s excuse for not obeying God’s only rule in the Garden of Eden. I hope that you’ll grow to love Adam Again as you listen to their music this week.

by Jay Mankus

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God Hears Your Voice

Posted on April 15, 2023 by expressyourself4him

When I first began my faith journey on December 4th, 1983, my prayer life can be best described as babbling out loud to God. Whenever anyone lives for themselves for the first 14 years of their lives, it takes time to learn how to live according to a new set of rules. Subsequently, praying to an invisible God felt like I was talking to myself. It wasn’t until college as I matured spiritually when I believed and sensed that God heard my cries for help.

When the water in the bottle was all gone, Hagar caused the youth to lie down under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about a bowshot, for she said, Let me not see the death of the lad. And as she sat down opposite him, [d]he lifted up his voice and wept and she raised her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the youth, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the youth where he is, Genesis 21:15-17.

Unfortunately, human nature and concepts like rugged individualism leads many people to trust in their own abilities. God is usually placed on the back burner until desperation results in calling out to the Lord as a last resort. This is the context of the passage above as Hagar comes to the conclusion that her baby boy is going to die. Homeless, dehydrated and left to fend for themselves in the middle of a desert, Hagar weeps in prayer.

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles. 18 The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent, Psalm 34:16-18.

Hagar’s answered prayer reminds me of God’s promise in the passage above. As for the righteous part from the Psalmist, Isaiah 1:15-20 uses snow in connection with confession. Those who fully repent of their mistakes to God are forgiven like the righteous. Therefore, whenever anyone pours out their heart in prayer like Hagar, can be assured that God does hear your voice.

by Jay Mankus

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Integrity of Heart and Innocent Hands

Posted on April 14, 2023 by expressyourself4him

At some point as a child, you were blamed for something that you did not do. As a boy sitting at a junior high lunch table, the person who just unleashed a silent, but deadly fart, blamed me as everyone gagged. Before I could defend myself, holding my nose, no one believed me. While this is minor compared to what others are falsely accused of weekly, it never feels good to have your integrity attacked.

Did not the man tell me, She is my sister? And she herself said, He is my brother. In integrity of heart and innocency of hands I have done this, Genesis 20:5.

According to Genesis 20:17-18, King Abimelech’s wife and harem each had their wombs closed up, unable to have children for an extended period of time. This rare illness was brought upon Abimelech’s entire family because he took Sarah to become part of his harem. The passage above details Abimelech’s dream, where he pleads with God, claiming his innocence.

He who walks uprightly walks securely, but he who takes a crooked way shall be found out and punished. 10 He who winks with the eye [craftily and with malice] causes sorrow; the foolish of lips will fall headlong but [a]he who boldly reproves makes peace, Proverbs 10:9-10.

Following the conclusion of this dream, Abimelech confronted Abraham to figure out why he wasn’t completely truthful. Abraham thought he would be killed if he was honest about being married to Sarah. Unfortunately, Abimelech and his family was punished for his action based upon the idea Abraham was simply Sarah’s sister. Whether this blog finds you falsely accused or guilty as charged, James 5:16 provides a blueprint for confession so that integrity and innocence is restored.

by Jay Mankus

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A Clear Distinction of the Blessed and Cursed

Posted on April 13, 2023 by expressyourself4him

One of my favorite books, Restoring the Foundations, contains a series of case studies. One-chapter references two families which lived in the United States in the 18th century. The blessed family is filled with amazing accomplishments and distinguished careers for a couple of generations. The cursed family was plagued by addiction, bad habits, crime and premature death. While some may say this is merely a coincidence, I believe this to be a clear distinction of the blessed and cursed based upon Moses words in Deuteronomy 28.

Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham and restored to him Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever it pleases you. 16 And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given this brother of yours a thousand pieces of silver; see, it is to compensate you [for all that has occurred] and to vindicate your honor before all who are with you; before all men you are cleared and compensated. 17 So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children, 18 For the Lord had closed fast the wombs of all in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, Genesis 20:14-18.

In today’s featured passage, Abraham misled King Abimelech, saying Sarah was his sister. While this is technically true, Abraham was afraid if he told the truth, they were married that Abimelech might kill him and take Sarah to be his wife. Despite Abraham’s lack of faith in God, Proverbs 3:5-6, King Abimelech blessed Abraham and Sarah with a series of gifts. This is hard to comprehend, rewarded for not being transparent. Nonetheless, the king’s kind gesture is a clear sign of God’s hand over Abraham’s life.

And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 The elder said to the younger, Our father is aging, and there is not a man on earth to live with us in the customary way. 32 Come, let us make our father drunk with wine, and we will lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring (our race) through our father. 33 And they made their father drunk with wine that night, and the older went in and lay with her father; and he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she arose, Genesis 19:30-33.

The same can’t be said about Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Despite living near each other for a decade with each growing in prosperity, Lot ran into a stretch of bad luck. Prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot is taken as a prisoner of war. After returning to his home, two angels warn Lot of God’s pending judgment, forcing him to abandon all of his possessions. Future son in laws laugh in Lot’s face, leaving them both to die. During their abrupt departure, Lot’s wife is killed, leaving him alone with his two daughters. The remaining passage magnifies the distinction between the blessings of Abraham and curses of Lot.

by Jay Mankus

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A Case Study of Women Rushing to Have Their Own Child

Posted on April 12, 2023 by expressyourself4him

As a former high school teacher and youth pastor, I’ve observed the beginning and end of many relationships. Some of these couples ended up getting married and are still together today. Some ended abrupted with others resulting in the birth of a child out of wedlock. Whenever I talk with others about this topic, I am reminded of the classic Kenny Marks song “the Party’s Over.”

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.

While studying the Book of Genesis to begin to 2023, a pattern began to develop with women rushing to have their own child without thinking about the consequences. As a desperate barren woman, Sarah thought it was a good idea to give his husband, Abraham, a second wife. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, the father of the Arab nations, an enemy that Israel is still dealing with today.

And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 The elder said to the younger, Our father is aging, and there is not a man on earth to live with us in the customary way. 32 Come, let us make our father drunk with wine, and we will lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring (our race) through our father. 33 And they made their father drunk with wine that night, and the older went in and lay with her father; and he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she arose. 34 Then the next day the firstborn said to the younger, See here, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drunk with wine tonight also, and then you go in and lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring (our race) through our father, Genesis 19:30-34.

Meanwhile, if the Jerry Springer Show existed back in the days of the Old Testament, Lot’s two daughters would have definitely been asked to appear. Jerry begins with a simple question, “what were you thinking when you had sex with your old man?” This leads to intimate details, bickering over who was better in bed. As bouncers break up this cat fight, Lot’s daughters gave birth to the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites, pagan countries who fought with Israel in the Old Testament. Today’s passages serve as a case study of women rushing to have their own child, not an ideal outcome, past or present.

by Jay Mankus

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