Tag Archives: believe

Stories That Make You Go Hum…

Posted on October 7, 2015 by expressyourself4him

Sometimes you have to be in the right place and right time to believe a story that you hear.  When something doesn’t make sense logically, skeptics always arrive on the scene, trying to poke holes into your account.  Yet, history holds a plethora of unexplained events which even baffle government officials to this day.

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, Acts 5:19.

Arrested in plain sight, the apostles were taken to a public facility in Jerusalem.  The prison doors were locked, guards took their watch and loved ones went home sad, unsure of the future of their friends.  Nonetheless, like a scene out of a Hollywood, an invisible entity unlocked all their cells, allowing each to slide by the night watchmen and walked home unharmed.  This is one of those prison breaks that make you want to go hum…

On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to, Acts 5:24.

Like the resurrection of Jesus, who made several appearances in public 40 days after his death, this escape from prison befuddled religious leaders.  Just as Andy Dufresne disappeared like a fart in the wind near the end of Shawshank  Redemption, this biblical account emphasizes an essential truth about the Lord’s power.  Whether you are Mary, Joseph or someone seeking to emulate Jesus, with God all things are truly possible.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Don’t Go There

Posted on October 3, 2015 by expressyourself4him

During my childhood, it was common for neighbors to dare or double dare you to do something against your parents will.  Using the phrase, “what’s wrong, are you chicken,” the darer attempted to use peer pressure to push you beyond your limits.  Depending upon the ego of an individual, those unable to swallow their pride were shamed into doing the unthinkable.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? – Acts 5:3

Early in the first century, a couple tried to duplicate the generosity of a giving man called Barnabas.  Hoping to obtain the same fame and popularity, Ananias and Sapphira decided to exaggerate, lie and stretch the truth.  After donating money to the church from a piece of property that was sold, the actual amount was hidden, giving a fake appearance.  Revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, Peter responds, “I can’t believe you went there!”

Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” – Acts 5:4

Whether you are challenged, dared or tempted to do something, there are certain things that are off limits.  Lying to the Holy Spirit is one of these domains.  If politicians dropped dead each time they lied, there wouldn’t be enough to serve in office.  Nonetheless, this unusual story in the Bible is used as a teachable moment, a warning to the genuine, not to go there.  Since everything usually happens for a reason, may this event in history prevent you from blatantly sinning against God or the Holy Spirit.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Which is Right in God’s Eyes?

Posted on September 29, 2015 by expressyourself4him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc5s1ZKNmcc

Jesus was a master debater, always silencing those who tried to discredit his authority.  Whenever challenged by religious leaders, teachers of the law or wise individuals, Jesus used a common strategy to debunk his opponents.  One of the more famous encounters occurred after Jesus healed a demon possessed man.  His skeptics claimed that Jesus was secretly working for the devil, similar to a magician deceiving a crowd as an illusionist.

So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come, Mark 3:23-26.

To prevent further minds from believing in Jesus, Jewish officials tried to create a different memory of this popular leader.  Thus, one of the ancient Jewish writings discovered is known of the Talmud.  Authors of this historical book describe Jesus as the Great Magician.  Unable to logically explain the exorcisms, healings and miracles of Jesus, rabbis used earthly terms to de-emphasize his power.  Despite these efforts, people still believe in God’s power.

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions, Matthew 22:46.

As atheists continue to plant seeds of doubt at local college campus’ in the minds of students, is anyone asking what is right in God’s eyes?  Sure, movies like God is Not Dead and the War Room are making inroads, but it seems like Christians in America are fighting a losing battle.  Perhaps, its time to use the tactics of Jesus to convince a generation sitting on the fence.  Thus, whether you are debating absolutes, morality or worldviews, don’t forget to ask what is right in God’s eyes.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The Karma of the 2015 Solheim Cup

Posted on September 22, 2015 by expressyourself4him

Karma is a common term used Hinduism and Buddhism.  This worldview believes that the sum of one’s actions will determine the fate of each individual in the future.  Similar to the Bible’s Golden Rule, people should strive to do unto others as you what others to do unto you.  However, when someone is cruel, mean or ruthless, a bystander may say, “that’s bad karma.”

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets, Matthew 7:12.

This principle leads me to the final day of the 2015 Solheim Cup, a competition between America’s best LPGA golfers verse Europe’s best players.  Similar to the Ryder Cup, a match suspended due to darkness was marred by controversial sportsmanship displayed by Suzanne Peterson and Charlie Hull.  Walking to the next tee following Alison Lee’s miss to take a one up lead going to the final hole, their body language suggested the 18 inch putt was good.  Alison, a rookie on the team, accidentally picked up her ball.  According to match-play rules, this resulted in a loss of the hole even though it should have been tied.  Subsequently, the Americans lost this match, facing a 10-6 deficit with 12 single matches remaining.   Nonetheless, these actions set the stage for bad karma for the Europeans.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows, Galatians 6:7.

All Europe had to do was win four of the twelve matches to retain the cup.  Following in the footsteps of Ben Crenshaw’s 1999 comeback at Brookline Country Club, USA captain Julie Inkster motivated the squad to do the impossible.   Whether you believe in karma or not, Hull and Peterson both lost their match and although Europe got to 13 1/2 points, USA swept the final 5 matches to win 14.5-13.5.  In the end, God was watching from above, turning the tide with the Karma of the 2015 Solheim Cup.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Why Does This Surprise You?

Posted on September 21, 2015 by expressyourself4him

In this age of pessimism, few believe until they experience, see or taste success.  Sure, there will always be individuals with egos, pride or talk a good game, but backing up words is a different story.  Confidence is like night and dark, drastically altering the outcome of a day, performance and productivity.  Therefore, when a new star is born, why does this surprise so many people?

While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade, Acts 3:11.

High profile and professional coaches tend to be annoyed during press conferences after media members are astonished by one of their players accomplishments.  Not privy to all the workouts behind the scenes, athletes in the right system can excel over time.  Thus, whenever an average or middle of the road talent comes out of no where, skeptics automatically think, they must be cheating or taking performance enhancing drugs.  Though this may true for some, aren’t miracles still possible?

When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? – Acts 3:12

As an apprentice of Jesus for three years, Peter witnessed miracles every day.  Like an ad campaign, the masses flocked to this man wondering, “what will Jesus do next?”  Perhaps this might explain Peter’s reaction to his first public miracle following the Day of Pentecost.  Miffed, Peter turns to the crowd gathering at the Colonnade, “why does this surprise you?”  Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter tried to remind those in attendance that with God all things are possible.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you, John 15:7.

Reflecting back to his training as a disciple, Jesus urged his followers to stay connected with God.  Like a power supply, remaining plugged in enables believers to reach new heights.  Therefore, when God answers a prayer, supernaturally provides or does a miracle in your life, don’t be surprised.  Ultimately, greater is He who is in you and than the One who is in the world.  May this blog strengthen your faith and inspire you to trust in the power of the Lord.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Blessings, Giving and the Mystery of Multiplication

Posted on September 16, 2015 by expressyourself4him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0bG0SFJlU

According to John 20:30-31, Jesus performed numerous miracles daily.  An eye witness to thousands of these jaw dropping events, John suggests you would need an entire library devoted to this topic if this were necessary.  Nonetheless, only one of Jesus’ miracles is included within each of the four gospels, the feeding of the 5,000.  After further examination of this encounter, principles of blessings, giving and multiplication exist.

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written, John 21:25.

The context of the feeding of the 5,000 starts with an all day teaching session.  Consumed by the message on his heart, Jesus loses track of time.  Trying to intervene, the disciples suggest sending everyone home before it gets dark.  Turning the tables of his team, Jesus commands, “give them something to eat.”  Perplexed, the math didn’t add up: 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread for 5,000 men excluding woman and children.

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over, Matthew 14:20.

The author of Hebrews suggests blessings are accompanied by faith.  Without faith, the disciples would not have been able to approach the crowds with their baskets of food.  First, Jesus blessed the fish and bread like saying grace.  Most Hollywood interpretations portray a scene with Jesus’ blessing/prayer resulting in a pile of bread and fish.  A recent sermon I heard claims that this multiplication occurred after each disciple gave food to those who were hungry.  This perspective believes that as the disciples got down to their very last scrap of bread and fish, a miraculous multiplication took place.  Thus, when blessings are passed on to the less fortunate in faith, the power of multiplication can be unleashed.  Trust and obey.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Escaping the Realm of the Dead

Posted on September 14, 2015 by expressyourself4him

Life and death, living and dying; celebrating the life of a new born baby or coping with the pain of a funeral.  This is the dilemma of the path on which life takes each individual down.  In the end, one question remains, how can you escape the realm of the dead?

Because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay, Acts 2:27.

Over a two year period during my childhood, I began to experience a reoccurring nightmare.  Every evening I found myself falling from a cliff, gracefully skydiving until I realized I didn’t have a parachute.  Just before hitting the ground, I woke up, sweating and shaking.  I wasn’t sure why this pattern continued until I pondered the meaning of life.  “Where do we come from?  How did we magically arrive on earth?  It doesn’t make sense to be born to just die?  There must be something more, a place beyond the realm of the dead.”

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life, 1 John 5:13.

If anyone could shine light into this question, its John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Part of Jesus’ inner circle, John had several conversations not mentioned in the Bible.  In addition, Jesus took care of Mary the mother of Jesus until her death, likely uncovering incredible spiritual insights.  At the end of one of his letters, John reveals that you can know for sure about your eternal destination.  Therefore, if you want to escape the realm of death, follow the words of Romans 10:9-10 and you too can secure your reservation in heaven.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The Power of Positivity

Posted on September 8, 2015 by expressyourself4him

In episode four of Project Afterlife, the power of positivity is credited as one of the main reasons for Dean Braxton being brought back to life.  Afraid that negativity might cause family members or friends to lose faith, Dean’s wife Marilyn surrounds her dead husband with encouraging words and prayer.  This spiritual warrior mentality, never giving up, eventually led the man that she loved to be resurrected.

Jesus said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him, Matthew 9:24.

As a coach of nearly twenty years, I’ve witnesses teams collapse due to a spirit of doubt.  All it takes is one key individual to become consumed with pessimism to turn the tide of a game.  Following a bad inning in the field two seasons ago, I called my baseball team into the dugout.  The body language displayed signaled the game was over, yet it had just begun.  Looking into the eyes of these boys, I asked “do you believe we can win?”  After hearing several no’s, I threatened to forfeit the game.  Negative minds kept this team from tasting victory.

Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live, John 14:10.

Whether you’re in school, working or retired, no one is immune from negativity.  This mindset can be contagious, contracted by oppressive parents, bossy siblings or Debbie downers.  If you’re not careful, you might join their misery or be brought down, sucking the life out of a room.  To avoid going down this road, its essential to clothe yourself in the fruits of the spirit.  Even when environments can be suffocating, the Holy Spirit has the ability to pierce the darkness through the power of positivity.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Convincing Proof of the Resurrection

Posted on September 6, 2015 by expressyourself4him

What historians often forget is that Jesus interacted with hundreds of people over a forty day period following the resurrection.  Although Jesus allowed Thomas to see and touch the scars from his crucifixion, these encounters went beyond the twelve disciples.  Luke, a first century doctor records public speeches where Jesus also spoke to others about heaven.

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God, Acts 1:3.

While only a group of individuals witnessed Jesus’ ascension, evidence of Jesus’ resurrection was irrefutable.  However, this didn’t stop government and religious officials from trying to control this news from getting out, using a series of lies and bribes to prevent others from believing.  Despite this, countless apostles died for their faith throughout the first century.  Unfortunately, this plot has been successful over time, causing many to deny these facts.

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.  When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, Matthew 28:11-12.

Perhaps the author of Hebrews saw this coming, suggesting many were living in disgrace, Hebrews 6:6.  This trend has continued, slowly chipping away at modern spiritual foundations, cheapening God’s grace by leaning on Jesus like a crutch when times get tough.  After these storms, several go back to their old ways as if nothing ever happened.  What these individuals are lacking is a personal faith, an encounter to see, touch and believe.  In view of those who have fallen away, don’t overlook the convincing evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.

by Jay Mankus

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Who Will Roll the Stone Away?

Posted on August 29, 2015 by expressyourself4him

When facing a challenge, there are two ways to approach any dilemma, with an open or closed mind.  The optimistic see potential, envisioning that somehow or someway the job or task will be completed.  The skeptic will bring doubt to the table, often rejecting or questioning every possible solution that is brought up.  Thus, when an obstacle is blocking your way, the minds wonders, “how will roll the stone away?”

And they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” – Mark 16:3

On a Sunday morning during the first century, a few women headed for a tomb to anoint Jesus’ dead body with spices.  Caught up in all their preparations, none of these women stopped to think about how they were going to enter the tomb.  Guarded by Roman soldiers and protected by a boulder which weighed over a ton, the odds were against them.  However, in this unique case, God cancelled the funeral, arriving to an empty tomb.

For no word from God will ever fail, Luke 1:37.

Every miracle should empower people of faith to believe.  Yet, a disciple named Thomas doubted, another committed suicide and a prophet named Elijah wanted to die after receiving a death threat.  Stones are placed into the paths of our lives on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, most people like me complain, “God why are you allowing this or that to happen?  Or you up there?  Do you care about me anymore?”  These are all good questions, but the answer is easy,  In the Lord’s timing, the Holy Spirit will roll the stones in your life away.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →