Tag Archives: belief in God

S.A.N.S. Episode 333: I Surrender All

Posted on December 31, 2022 by expressyourself4him

As someone who struggled to stay awake in church as a teenager, I probably missed several messages that God wanted me to hear. Then again, as Jesus often said to his followers, “let them who have ears hear,” Mark 4:9. It’s one thing to hear what a teacher says in class. Yet, to apply this advice by putting it into practice takes a combination of conviction, inspiration and motivation. This is the spiritual place that Clay Crosse reached when writing I Surrender All.

Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. 11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed, Romans 10:9-11.

My initial belief in God was based upon going to church and doing good deeds. This was reinforced within me during my confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church. Unfortunately, I wasn’t introduced to a personal relationship with God until high school through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. When I accepted Jesus into my heart as my Savior in December of 1984, I was still in control. I had to wait until a retreat in college where the Lordship of Christ was emphasized. Like today’s song, this is when l I was finally willing to surrender everything in my life to Jesus. A new year, 2023, provides an opportunity to do likewise.

by Jay Mankus

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There’s More to Belief

Posted on January 22, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Dr. James Kennedy founded Evangelism Explosion. Within this curriculum you will find the term mere intellectual assent. This refers to a basic belief in God similar to what the earthly brother of Jesus illustrates in the passage below. One of my favorite bands from college was a group called Surrender 18. This name matches their hit song as the lyrics reveal there are only 18 inches from your head to your heart. This distance is what separates the beliefs of an atheist from a Christian.

You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [a]make a man’s hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]! – James 2:19

Neil Diamond wrote the song “I’m a Believer” for his 1967 album Just for You. Yet, the Monkees version of this song became number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966 due to the popularity of their television show. The lyrics of Diamonds song is the opposite of faith, referring to physical attraction: Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind; I’m in love, I’m a believer. Anyone can believe in something you see, but it’s what you do with your belief that makes it special.

And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God’s will in thought and deed), and he was called God’s friend, James 2:23.

James uses Abraham’s belief as an example in the passage above. The book definition of belief is an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. Abraham’s response to God was multi-fascinated. When asked to sacrifice his one and only son from his wife Sarah, waiting decades to be born, Abraham adhered to, trusted in and relied on God. Bible scholars suggest that Abraham believed that God would somehow resurrect his son if he was faithful to God’s calling. This is genuine belief.

by Jay Mankus

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The Sermons of John Wise

Posted on November 28, 2014 by expressyourself4him

John Wise is one of those individuals who has been forgotten by history.  A reverend at the Congregational Church in Ipswich, Massachusetts, Wise blazed a trial which the founding fathers of America emulated.  Until yesterday, I never realized that the Declaration of Independence was based upon by a sermon series John Wise preached in 1687.  These messages were inspired by a tax levied by royal Governor Andros without the representation of a legislative body.  Wise was one of the first civil rights leader, going to jail for his opposition, a pioneer who used his pulpit to preach liberty and justice for all.

John Wise devoted his entire life to the ministry, serving from the time of his ordination to his death in 1725.  Prior to his passing, Wise completed his most famous work,   A Vindication of the Government of New England Churches in 1717.  This compilation became a blue print that was adopted in 1776 during the Continental Congress, known as the Declaration of Independence.  When reverend Wise spoke to his community, he didn’t see black, red or white skin.  Rather, Wise developed an expression saying, “there are only 2 kinds of races, those who believe in God and those who don’t!”  This is just a glimpse of the sermons of John Wise.  These inspired words are simply Supernatural as DC Talk once sang.

There is much to learn from this second generation Pilgrim leader.  First, a preacher should not be muzzled by the government.  Church should be a place of refuge where worshipers can experience heaven on earth before going back into the world like disciples for the next 6 days.  Second, the Bible is a blue print for life, liberty and the American way.   Allowing atheists to silence the spiritual foundation of this country is like spitting the reverend Wise in the face.  Finally, history is like a true National Treasure, full of mentors, stars and visionaries who have made America a great nation.  Go to a local library today to examine diamonds in the rough, lost over the course of time, by a media ashamed of God.  If you want to know more about John Wise, David Barton has written books about his impact on American History.

by Jay Mankus

 

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