Tag Archives: Greek

Prosthesis

The Greek language has a special way of revealing God’s promises for the future.  The term prosthesis comes from the Greek word prothesis meaning purpose.  In English, a prosthesis is an artificial body part intended to restore lost usefulness.  In life, whether you lose a limb, friend or talent, behind the scenes God is at work to replace that which was lost.

For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost, Luke 19:10.

The apostle Paul refers to the Lord as the poiema.  Although the English translation is workmanship, the Greek actually means end product.  While individuals endure, face and suffer many loses in life, this is not the end of the story.  God is not done with you yet, using these setbacks as an opportunity to display His power in times of weakness.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them, Ephesians 2:10.

Essentially, God is the author of life, we are the characters used in this play.  The word poet is derived from poiema.  Thus, God is the poet and we are the poems that are being written.  Unfortunately, Satan plays the part of critics, trying to convince individuals that they are worthless, no good and should not waste their time waiting for God to complete his work in you.  Therefore, many go through life, falling apart physically, mentality or spiritually.  In these days of despair, may we lean on the great prosthesis to hold us together until the end.

by Jay Mankus

The Declaration of Rhemas

The word graffiti is derived from the Greek word grafe which means writings.  In the biblical context, grafe refers to the written word of God.  As you read words of the Bible, the Logos is the message within these writings.  Finally, the revelation of the Logos is called a rhema, when a believer makes a public declaration of a written truth.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart, Hebrews 4:12.

When you add these  3 concepts to the only offensive piece of the armor of God, the Sword of the Spirit comes alive.  The Bible serves as a two way player, defending lies made by enemies of the faith and piercing the hearts of those living in denial.  As individuals listen to solid teaching, the words of the Bible come to life, serving as a spiritual weapon.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Ephesians 6:17.

In the first century, Jewish leaders and Roman officials attempted to silence first century Christians.  Peter and John were taken into custody, warned to stop talking about Jesus.  However, the bolder these apostles became, Acts 4:29, the greater the church grew.  Therefore, let the declaration of the rhemas commence so that the sword of the spirit will transform the souls of mankind.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

 

 

Banned from the Bible?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SLHWFpSlq4

The origin of the term history derives from the Greek word ἱστορία.  Translated into English, ἱστορία refers to an inquiry where an individual acquires knowledge through an investigation.  According to the writers of the History Channel’s latest project, Banned from the Bible, content was excluded from the original 66 books known as the Holy Bible.  However, when I read their argument online, I realized this network is trying to reinvent history rather than genuinely research it.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:16.

At the end of the first century AD, Anno Domini, Latin for in the year of our Lord, a controversial mentality began.  A predecessor to humanism, Gnosticism sought to pursue a hidden or secret knowledge which spread to church leaders.  From the third to the fifth century, Gnostic thinking influenced works such as The Life of Adam and Eve, The Book of Enoch, The Book of Jubilees, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary and The Apocalypse of Peter.  In response to this threat, rabbinic Jewish leaders meet at the Council of Jamnia in 93 followed by bishops and Roman Empire Constantine at the Council of Nicea in 325 to form a consensus on the God inspired books of the Bible.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law, Deuteronomy 29:29.

Like any professional editing process, high standards must be kept and maintained to prevent any heresy from becoming published.  Thus, liberals will cry foul whenever pieces that discredit Jesus aren’t accepted or embraced.  In their minds, if Jesus isn’t God, they can act, do or say whatever they want.  Banned from the Bible?  Yes, not for the reasons mentioned in progressive publications.  Rather, history confirms from the Easter letter of Athanasius in 367 that only 66 books made the final cut, 39 from Old Testament and 27 New Testament books.  These are the facts, not opinion, why the Gnostic letters mentioned above have been omitted from the inherent Word of God.

by Jay Mankus

 

Pumping Iron: A Spiritual Guide to Working Out

The addition of Hans and Franz to State Farm’s Discount Double Check slogan has infused life into this ad campaign.  Known for their saying on SNL, “I want to pump you up,” Hans and Franz played by Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealson have become icons in today’s pop culture.  However, long before these two were ever born, another writer crafted a spiritual blueprint for pumping iron.

Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. – Psalm 119:98

The warm up to working out spiritually begins with the commands inside of the Bible.  When you read, reflect and mediate on God’s principles, you are exercising your mind.  Subsequently, over time, through a daily workout routine, you can become wiser than your enemies if you commit to spending time in God’s gym, the Word.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. – Psalm 119:99

Following this warm up, an extensive study using commentaries, historical references and examining the meaning of Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic phrases is like pumping iron.  Not like something that happens overnight, this discipline takes time to develop.  However, if you are faithful, spiritual muscles will blossom in the form of insight, becoming equal to and perhaps surpassing your teachers in life.

I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. – Psalm 119:100.

Finally, the cool down requires practicing what you learn daily, Matthew 7:24.  Unless you apply God’s Word, spiritual muscles will disappear into a fat and lazy soul.  Therefore, if you want to become the Hans and Franz of the Bible, obey the Lord’s precepts and in God’s timing, you will have more understanding than the elders.  God is waiting to pump you up; the only question is, are you willing to make the Lord a priority to see the results you desire, Matthew 6:33-34?

by Jay Mankus

How Bright is Your Star?

Sirius, Canopus and Rigil Kentaurus are the 3 brightest stars as seen from earth.  Sirius, the brightest of all the stars in the midnight sky comes from the Greek word scorching.  The further you get from civilization, the more visible the smaller stars become.  From a worldly perspective, are you overlooked like a tiny star, do you blend in like a medium one or does the aura you give off shine bright?

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite

One of my favorite Christmas carols is Do You Hear What I Hear?  The lyrics of this classic uses hearing and seeing to discern what happened on the night of Jesus’ birth.  If you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, the senses God gave you are often neglected, missing the miracles right in front of you.  Therefore, if you want to make a difference in life, stop, drop what you’re doing and take a look around every now and then to help brighten the lives of others.

However, all human beings experience periods of darkness, times when your desire to press on fades.  As your fire dims, the lights of others may be the only source of hope you see.  If the light of Christians around you is absent, stars can burn out permanently.  How bright is your star currently?  Well, for the sake of Christmas, may the Holy Spirit rekindle the flame inside your soul so that silent nights will remain bright.

by Jay Mankus

Forgotten Commandments

History has a habit of uncovering relics from the past.  Caves hid the Dead Sea Scrolls until 1946 when 981 texts written in Aramaic, Greek and Hebrews were discovered over a 10 year period.  However, there are always things in plain sight which get overlooked, neglected by those too busy to slow down.

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

As I opened Leviticus 19 today, I stumbled upon an expanded version of the 10 commandments.  Although some of the passages are subtle reminders, God conveys to Moses the whys to keeping decrees and laws.  These biblical nuggets offer common sense, direction and a foundation for faith.  Nonetheless, unless you accept and practice these precepts, you will be vulnerable to straying off course.

There are several reasons why commandments are forgotten.  First, the Bible offends those comfortable with how they are living, reluctant to change.  Second, people don’t like to be told that they are wrong, especially if there are eternal consequences.  Third, since truth has become relative, everyone has their own take on right and wrong.  In the end, Leviticus 19 serves as a wake up call, to alert those sleep walking through life.  May the words of Scripture breathe life into sleepy, tired and weary souls.

by Jay Mankus

Vanishing Point

In a world fueled by controversy, negativity and pessimism, its easy to lose sight of the positive.  Affirmations, encouragement and uplifting words often vanish from memories, erased by daily criticism that wound hearts.  This isn’t the only thing to recede, disappearing like the tide going out to sea.

Despite this harsh reality, there is one truth that never vanishes.  According to Psalm 139:13-16, you were knit together in your mother’s womb.  In fact, Jesus takes this one step further, reminding Nicodemus of God’s perfect plan.  According to John 3:16, the expression “so loved” in the Greek refers to from vanishing point to vanishing point.  In other words, before you were born and until your death, God’s love extends throughout time.

When idividuals become aware of this aspect of God’s nature, revival can begin.  Unfortunately, an invisible enemy has blinded the minds of unbelievers, 2 Corinthians 4:4.  All the while, believers are under a difficult kind of attack, pulled in different directions by the world, Galatians 5:16-18.  If this wasn’t enough, the devil is busy stealing, killing and destroying souls.  As the sun sets on another day, don’t allow your thoughts to forget the promises within God’s word, Joshua 1:8, from vanishing point to vanishing point.

by Jay Mankus

Phil-a-delphia

This city’s name is derived from one of 3 Greek names for love.  Agape refers to God’s unconditional love illustrated by a father in the parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32.  Meanwhile, eros is symbolic of a sensual love, similar to King David’s feelings for Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11.  However, phila means to love someone like a brother or sister.  Thus, the nickname of Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love.

For the past 4 days, the sports fans of Philadelphia has demonstrated this love for the game of golf and their historic gem, Merion Golf Club.  While not everyone has been pleasant with a few heckling Sergio Garcia, a majority of the 25,000 in attendance daily are redefining the image of this great city.  As the 113th United States Open Golf Championship concludes today on Father’s Day, the only question remaining is will Phil be fulfilled today by winning his first Open title.

In recent years, Phil Mickelson has been ridiculed by the press for his aggressive play in this tournament,  Five times a runner up, maybe fate waited until he reached Phil-a-delphia before winning this event which has slipped out of his hands too many heartaches to recount.  Unfortunately, like the 2004 Superbowl, with the Philadelphia Eagles up at the half, Phil faded today, playing the final 8 holes 3 over par.  Wounded again, Phil will likely recover like Rocky and Philly sports fans, holding out hope to one day be a world champion!  Until the next major, kept your head up Phil, for the city of brotherly love is behind you!

by Jay Mankus

Supersize Your Faith

In the 2004 documentary film Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock wanted to know how eating 3 meals a day at McDonald’s for 30 consecutive days would impact his body.  Thus, from February 1st thru March 2nd, Morgan ate every item on the menu at least once.  The 32 year old gained nearly 25 pounds in one month, consuming 5,000 calories on average per day.  As a result, McDonald’s no longer has a Supersize Value Meal and state governments are creating legislation to eliminate soft drinks larger than 16 ounces.  While local officials are trying to attack my 7Eleven Big Gulp, I would rather supersize my faith than my body.

In the Greek, there are 2 words used to describe time: kronis and kairos.  Kronis refers to when someone asks or wants to know the exact time.  Kairos means a specific place; a special moment in time.  Mark 1:15-16 contains a quote from Jesus, “The time has come, he said.  The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  The context of the term repent is like making a u-turn away from sin, back toward God.  Jesus wants people to change their diets so you make reach the future God has for you, Jeremiah 29:11.  In view of this, I want to propose the Supersize Your Faith Challenge.

Beginning March 1st, 2013 thru March 30th, 2013, I invite you to take a leap of faith.  I am urging all who are interested to try 3 spiritual disciplines for 30 days.  The first is reading 3 chapters of the Bible per day, 90 total.  To remember what you read, keep a notebook of any Insight you receive, Question you have and Actions you can take daily.  I will post any question you may have and try to answer it or seek another scholar to satisfy your request.

Second, I want everyone who participates to create a separate prayer journal for the month of March.  I am asking everyone to spend 30 minutes per day total, writing down prayers and praying.  To stay on task, start with any Petition you want to ask God for, then move on to Repenting any sin of action or inaction, followed by words of Adoration, thanking God for completely forgiving you and end with Your own concerns.  This usually consists of personal, family, school, work, neighborhood and church requests.  Feel free to add whatever the Holy Spirit puts on your heart.

Finally, the last piece of this challenge involves getting plugged into a local church.  Depending upon the size and scope of a church, you may want to join a weekly Accountability, Bible Study, Prayer or Sunday School Group.  Besides the obvious, attending church, reach out to people who look lost, aren’t connected or appear to be having a bad day.  Like Philip in Acts 8, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes during the 30 days of March to become the hands, feet and body of Christ!  The time is now, kairos, to consider accepting the Supersize Challenge!

by Jay Mankus

Please notify me if you are willing to embrace this adventure.