Tag Archives: Garden of Eden

The Truth Be Told

Posted on February 14, 2023 by expressyourself4him

As good and decent as some human beings appear on the outside, an internal struggle occurs daily. Human nature places a desire within hearts to be accepted, cool, and embraced by their peers. After graduating from high school, I was playing in my last competitive tournaments as a junior golfer. As I was walking up the 18th fairway about to conclude my round, I thought I was cool with a sly comment to my playing partners. The truth be told, I was merely a foolish immature Christian.

And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, I know that you are beautiful to behold. 12 So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say, I beg of you, that you are [c]my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you, Genesis 12:11-13.

From Abram’s perspective, God had just introduced Himself while living in Haran. The promise spoken in Genesis 12:1-3 seemed far-fetched for a man with a barren wife. Throw in the bad timing of a severe drought. which put Abram’s journey to this promised land on hold, doubt began to creep into Abram’s mind. Perhaps the same Devil who persuaded Eve to break God’s only rule in the Garden of Eden, planted the thought of lying into Abram’s head.

And the men of the place asked him about his wife, and he said, She is my sister; for he was afraid to say, She is my wife—[thinking], Lest the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she is attractive and is beautiful to look upon. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah his wife. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac and said, See here, she is certainly your wife! How did you [dare] say to me, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I thought, Lest I die on account of her, Genesis 26:11-13.

Any sinful decision has lasting consequences. As for Abram, this tiny white lie turned into a generational sin passed down to Isaac, and Jacob. One poor choice leads to a bad habit. If this bad habit isn’t addressed quickly, addictions are formed that bind souls for months, years and in worst case scenarios, a lifetime. While not human being is tempted by lying, everyone has their own kryptonite. The sooner you address this fatal flaw, the better your chances will be for finding a way out of temptation, 1 Corinthians 10:13.

by Jay Mankus

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Pleasant to the Sight

Posted on December 2, 2022 by expressyourself4him

The King James Version uses the word pleasant 57 times in the Bible. The context of this usage ranges from pleasant to the sight to delightful places on earth. Human nature tends to focus on the physical aspect of pleasant. According to Jesus’ earthly brother, anyone who fixates on physical features with a second glance opens the door for lust to enter your life, James 1:13-15. This is what happened to Eve in Genesis 3:6, turning what God meant for good into the rebellious act of sin.

And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired—good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil and blessing and calamity, Genesis 2:9.

Like any famous garden, there are certain centerpieces that attract visitors from across the country annually. According to Moses, the focal point of the Garden of Eden was the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Based upon the passage above, both were located in the center of Eden. The beauty of this garden inspired the name for this special place as the word Eden means delight when translated into English.

The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup; You hold and maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage, Psalm 16:5-6.

The apostle Paul explains the internal struggle that takes place within every human being, Galatians 5:16-18. While certain individuals and places have been blessed with attractive physical features, you have to make sure appreciation doesn’t turn into enticement. Jesus compares eyes to the lamp of human bodies, Matthew 6:22-23. If a lack of discipline causes your eyes to turn toward darkness, you’ll likely experience unwholesome lust, 1 John 2:16. May this blog urge you to center your attention on appreciation rather than lust.

by Jay Mankus

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Faithfulness Verses Forgetfulness

Posted on September 22, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Whenever I listen to music, there are certain expressions or lyrics that I overlook. Such is the case for the attached song which talks about God’s faithfulness and our forgetfulness as imperfect human beings. This Geoff Moore song reminded me of something the apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Rome. God shows his faithfulness in the passage below, willing to send Jesus to die for forgetful sinners.

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. 9 Therefore, since we are now justified ([f]acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ’s blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God, Romans 5:8-9.

Meanwhile, all Christians have had their own Garden of Eden moment. A time when you were clearly introduced to and knew what God expected of you. And yet, a clouded mind, tempted and caught off guard by a supernatural Devil caused you to do just the opposite of what God desires. The apostle Paul speaks to this point in Romans 7:15-18, baffling one of the godliest men to walk the face of the earth.

And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden, 3 Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. 4 But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity, Genesis 3:2-5.

Subsequently, every day there is an internal war that takes place, faithfulness verses forgetfulness. Paul not already considered himself one of the greatest sinners of all time in 1 Timothy 1:15 but explains this tug of war between our own sinful nature and Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:16-18. Therefore, if you want to avoid senior moments of spiritual forgetfulness, keep in step with God’s Spirit, Galatians 5:25.

by Jay Mankus

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Salvation is due to our God

Posted on July 26, 2022 by expressyourself4him

The word salvation began being used in the late 1100s and early 1200s. This comes from the Old Latin term salvātiōn. Salvātiō in Latin is the equivalent of salvatus, which is the past participle where English derives the meaning to save. According to a first century physician, the apostles of Jesus, some of whom were former disciples of Jesus, came to the conclusion that true salvation is only found in Jesus.

This [Jesus] is the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the Head of the corner [the Cornerstone]. 12 And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved, Acts 4:11-12.

Following the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God pressed the reset button in Genesis 12:1-3. Abram soon became known as Father Abraham, sowing the seeds for God’s chosen nation. Moses was selected by God to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into a promised land. Yet, God needed to set up a temporary solution to cope with the human flesh and sinful nature detailed in Leviticus.

In loud voice they cried, saying, [Our] salvation is due to our God, Who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [to Them we owe our deliverance]! – Revelation 7:10

A priesthood was developed to atone for the sins of mankind until a second Adam was sent in the form of God’s one and only son, John 3:16-17. The apostles recognized this individual as the Messiah formerly a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth. While Peter thought Jesus would become an earthly king, Jesus’ death on a cross and his subsequent resurrection was necessary to complete the spiritual process known as salvation thanks be to God.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 101: Innocent Lost

Posted on May 12, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Today’s featured song was part of a rotation of songs that I played every night while I was attending a youth ministry school in the winter of 1993. Since I needed to get up early every morning, I played a series of ballads to put me to sleep as quick as possible. These 7 weeks in Minnesota was one of the best times in my life which infused me with a spiritual confidence that I never had before.

But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate, Genesis 3:4-6.

Susan Ashton’s Innocence Lost isn’t a deeply spiritual song, but it’s one of those that everyone can relate to as a sinner. While you may have good intentions, if you’re not careful you too could be reliving Adam and Eve’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Just as this couple was filled with guilt and shame, Innocence Lost serves as a warning to avoid repeating the same mistakes of your past.

by Jay Mankus

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Oops I Have Done It Again

Posted on February 17, 2020 by expressyourself4him

In the earliest days on earth, God provided Adam and Eve with a vast amount of freedom. The passage below states Adam’s daily responsibility in the Garden of Eden. There wasn’t a long list of to do’s and dont’s. Rather, God limits the rules to one: do not eat from the tree of knowledge. With the boundary line between right and wrong clearly set, only one tree and it’s fruit was off limits. This couple didn’t have to guess what the right thing to do was nor could they claim to be amoral, not knowing right from wrong.

And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die, Genesis 2:15-17.

When Eve flirted with Lucifer, a serpent in disguise, a seed of doubt was conceived within her mind. The longer this conversation continued, enticement and lust for this forbidden fruit grew. Despite standing right there next to his wife, Adam was complicit, serving as a curious bystander. This joint act of disobedient forced God to introduce a new set of laws via the Torah to combat original sin. While God was willing to forgive this transgression, punishment is handed out for each guilty party in Genesis 3.

Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, From where did you come? Then Satan answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it. 8 And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who [reverently] fears God and abstains from and shuns evil [because it is wrong]?-Job 1:6-8

While Genesis is the first book of the Bible, Job is the oldest book. Comments made in chapters 40-41, suggest that Job was living in a land of dinosaurs. If this is true, that would mean Job lived prior to the flood detailed in Genesis 6:17. Job doesn’t refer to Satan as a snake. Rather, Lucifer is a fallen angel who has retained his supernatural powers. Like a spiritual lion seeking to pounce on weak minded individuals, this fact is not to be taken likely. If you disregard or ignore this information, you may find yourself ensnared by sin, stuck in pitiful addicted state. Instead of saying “oops I have done it again,” make sure repentance results in acts of contrition. May this blog inspire you to focus on spiritual transformation.

by Jay Mankus

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Why Did You Do It?

Posted on November 15, 2019 by expressyourself4him

A strange string of current events in my local newspaper has caused me to wonder, “why did you do it?” One couple turned their hotel room into a drug dealing center. Another adult male thought it was a good idea to fill his home with a number of bombs recently uncovered in connection with a local explosion. As I was writing this blog, I heard the news update that the latest school shooter just shot five classmates and himself on his birthday. If this teenage shooter dies, no one will know for sure, why did you do it?

Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden, Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, Genesis 3:1-4.

The only logical conclusion that makes sense to me is that all of these individuals were deceived by the Devil in some manner or form. While they didn’t have a face to face conversation like Eve in the Garden of Eden, some type of justification and rationalization process occurred within their minds before acting out. Whispers of evil and possibly a desire for 15 seconds of fame has overruled the human conscience. Thus, free will was exercised to do the opposite of what many were taught.

For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit, Romans 8:5.

The Bible’s rationale to explain sinful acts is the mental war between the human flesh and Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul devotes an entire chapter of the Bible to his own struggle to do that which is right. This battle is detailed in Romans 7, followed by the spiritual connection in Romans 8 as sinful minds are hostile to God. Thus, as souls straddle the fence between right and wrong, the longer you allow enticement to reside in your mind, the easier it become to pull the trigger, indulging in wrongful acts. May this latest incident turn the attention toward mental health and not just guns.

by Jay Mankus

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Replacing Chaos with Structure

Posted on October 5, 2019 by expressyourself4him

The first class that I taught as a Middle School Bible teacher at Red Lion was entitled Wise Up: the Book of Proverbs. While the textbook was waterer down more than I cared for, the premise of this book was spot on. God established boundaries in the Bible to protect individuals from harm while keeping evil out. Those who know, learn and practice these principles replace chaos with structure.

So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; Genesis 2:15-16.

In the days following Creation, the Garden of Eden served as an oasis in the desert. This hidden paradise was given to Adam with two simple expectations, cultivate and maintain this tropical paradise. The Lord gave Adam and Eve free reign of this garden, able to eat fruit from every tree except for one. God’s only restriction (rule), was do not eat of the tree of knowledge. Obeying this rule kept Eden free from chaos.

But [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly [h]die [because of your disobedience],” Genesis 2:17.

Moses does not detail how long it took for Lucifer to convince Eve to taste this forbidden fruit. However, ever since this decision known as Origin Sin persuaded this couple to disobey God, chaos has reigned on earth. Once Pandora’s Box has been opened, it’s impossible to alter the past. Yet, there is a way to restore order. The most logical step is to rplace chaos is by practicing godly principles from the Bible.

by Jay Mankus

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Grace Holds Me Now

Posted on February 21, 2019 by expressyourself4him

The byproduct of original sin, Adam and Eve’s decision to eat forbidden fruit, led to separation from God. When the only rule, do not eat of the tree of knowledge, in the Garden of Eden was broken, earth’s first family was banished, expelled from this tropical paradise. Subsequently, a works oriented system using a series of sacrifices was set up to atone for current and past sins. The Old Testament book of Leviticus introduces these offerings with detailed instructions on when and how this should be done.

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were completely astonished and bewildered, saying, “Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?” – Matthew 19:24-25

During the first century, a rich young ruler lived his life in according to the 10 commandments, Exodus 20:1-17. Despite his zealous application of these principles, something in this man’s heart didn’t seem right. Thus, this ruler seeks out godly counsel from Jesus, hoping to find comfort that he was on the right track. After a series of questions, Jesus asks this wealthy man to go and sell all of his possessions, then give the proceeds to the poor. While the rich young ruler lived a moral life, at some point he began to trust his own wealth instead of God. This request was just too hard to do, walking away from Jesus in tears.

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” Matthew 19:26.

Jesus hints at the concept of grace in the passage above. Grace refers to God’s riches at Christ’s expense. This unmerited favor of God toward man is made possible through Jesus’ life as the perfect lamb of God. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection made what was formerly impossible possible. Thus, individuals no longer need to live by the standards of the Old Testament. Rather, anyone who publicly believes in their heart and professes with their mouth that Jesus is Lord will be saved, Romans 10:9-10. Therefore, you don’t have to walk away disappointed like the rich young ruler. Faith in Jesus provides assurance that grace holds you now.

by Jay Mankus

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Time Flies When You Do What You Were Created to Do

Posted on February 2, 2017 by expressyourself4him

It’s hard to believe that this blog began 5 years ago today.  When I started, I didn’t know how long this new project would last.  As a former high school teacher, I initially wanted to keep my writing skills fresh in case another opportunity presented itself.  Yet, it was the theologian Augustine who inspired me to continue this journey.

And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it, Habakkuk 2:2.

The historian Jerome credits Augustine as the one who established anew the ancient faith.  Following his conversion to Christianity in 386, Augustine began to journal his thoughts.  While sitting on his back porch, Augustine began to relate the flowers he noticed to the Garden of Eden.  The more he learned, read and studied, the deeper Augustine’s thoughts became.  After reading the Confessions of Augustine, this book inspired me to detail my own thoughts within Express Yourself 4Him to record my own spiritual journey.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart, Hebrews 4:12.

Although I am not certain, I don’t think that any of the great theologians of the past thought they would so influential in the future.  My belief is that many of these writers just wanted to sort out who God was and what they really believed.  If you have ever attended seminary, some of these scholars wrote thousands of pages over the course of their lives.  Yet, time flies when you do what you were created to do.  Unless God tells me otherwise, I hope to continue to share with you the insights the Holy Spirit lays on my heart, mind and soul in this blog.

by Jay Mankus

 

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