Tag Archives: KIng Solomon

Missing Ingredients in Modern Marriages

Posted on January 21, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Back in the 1970’s, divorce was rare, something that happened only as a result of extreme circumstances.  In fact, to the best of my recollection, the Roman Catholic Church threatened couples with excommunication if this option ever crossed their mind.  The King James Version of the Bible does not use the term reputation as our culture does today.  Instead, King Solomon encouraged people make a good name for themselves, Proverbs 22:1, to develop a good repute in their community.

In a typical wedding ceremony, there is a portion devoted to vows.  Some creative couples write their own, others follow the traditions of their denomination and most simply repeat vows first spoken by a pastor or priest.  Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 warn individuals to take their vows serious, especially ones which include “for better or for worse.”  Yet, mere words don’t hold a marriage together.  Rather, one of the missing ingredients in modern marriages is a will to love once feelings fade.

With this in mind, one of the commands Solomon gave his son is detailed in Proverbs 3:3.  Let love and faithfulness never leave you is a joint command, not to be separated.  In the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13 is one of most popular passages read out loud during marriage ceremonies.  The original translation uses the term charity in place of love.  Thus, Solomon is introducing a concept to demonstrate charity faithfully.

The last portion of Proverbs 3:3 explains how one must carry out this command.  The term bind means to knit together, joining two pieces into one.  When a person fastens love and faithfulness to their neck, its always in their peripheral vision.  However, this still isn’t enough to save marriage.  Therefore, Solomon adds one further instruction to insure love and faithfulness endures.  If you enter, engrave or mark something mentally to remain in your heart, a will to love is born.  Follow the words of Proverbs 3:5-6 to complete these essential ingredients for a life long relationship.

by Jay Mankus

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Living Like A Dog

Posted on January 10, 2013 by expressyourself4him

King Solomon was one of the first people to compare human beings with dogs.  In Proverbs 26:11, he uses a vivid image to prove his point; “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats their folly.”  A fool is one who is bamboozled, duped and hoodwinked over and over, not learning from previous mistakes.  Like the Israelites mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, their failures are documented as a reminder not to live like a dog.

Like a dog who is never fully potty trained, the author of Hebrews suggest some Christians don’t mature as they should in Hebrews 5:11-6:3.  Depending upon your upbringing, some people are born into un-churched homes, growing up without ever going or entering church on Christmas Day and or Easter Sunday.  Others attend a church who either does not know how to disciple others or glances over essential details young Christians do not know how to apply.  Thus, new believers often become like my 11 year old Beagle named Autumn, still dumpster diving into trash cans, regularly going to the bathroom in the house and not sure how to act and play like a normal trained dog.

When the apostle Paul first visited the Island of Crete, he was astonished by their lack of manners, people skills and social interaction with others.  Cut off to the civilized world, most of the citizens of Crete were barbaric.  Thus, Paul had to address the most basic skill in his letter, teaching their church to do what is right, Titus 3:1-11.  Paul also lays out the expectations and standards that leaders should uphold, Titus 1:6-9.  Essentially, everyone from time to time, needs to go back to obedience school, touching up on the basics of Christianity written in the Bible.  If you practice what Jesus taught in  the 4 gospels, you will put the dog days of summer behind you!

by Jay Mankus

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Beyond the Clouds and Darkness

Posted on December 29, 2012 by expressyourself4him

During the extended hours of darkness each winter, depression can arise in the form of seasonal affective disorder, better known as SAD.  When the sun is suppose to shine, grey clouds sprinkled with an occasional flurry often dim the light of day until evening turns the sky black.  Beyond these clouds and darkness, a promise is revealed within Luke 1:78-79.

In the silence of his vocal cords, Zechariah was given 9 months to consider the wonders of the Almighty God.  Amidst this foggy period, a childless father and barren wife struggle with the reality that their joint prayers has gone unanswered by God.  A stationary front hovers over their cries, dashing any hopes of seeing a lifelong dream come true.  Just when age seemed to make this impossible, the Son broke through their darkness.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Lamentations 3.  Jeremiah writes about the hardship he endured in the first 20 verses of chapter 3.  As bad as I thought my 2012 went, Jeremiah’s year appears to take the cake so to speak.  Yet, like the promise of God’s tender mercy in Luke 1:78-79, there is hope beyond the clouds and darkness according to Lamentations 3:21-24.

One of the biggest mistakes Christian’s make is when they tell a hurting person they know exactly how this person is feeling or understand what they are going through.  Each individual handles trials and tribulations differently.  Thus, instead of opening up our big mouths, the best response is a silent hug, with open ears of support.  In the shadow of death or fear of isolation, God’s tender mercy is just a prayer away.  Once the clouds of darkness dissipate, God will guide your feet onto the path of peace.  As Solomon once said, “God will make everything beautiful in His time,” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

by Jay Mankus

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Victim or Victory?

Posted on September 25, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Victimization has been present since life began in Genesis 1.  King Solomon confirms this by his statement in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “There is nothing new under the sun.”  Blaming circumstances for failures or mistakes instead of taking personal responsibility for your actions has been a way of life since Genesis 3 when life began in the Garden of Eden.

Eve was the first to rationalize her lack of obedience by saying the devil made her do it, Genesis 3:13.  Meanwhile, Adam had the gall to blame God for his failure to follow God’s only law, “the woman you put here corrupted me”, Genesis 3:12.  Unfortunately, this pattern continues today as people deflect attention to a scapegoat or group of people, passing the buck and blame like modern politicians.  Has society embraced the role of playing the victim or are there a few people remaining who have the perseverance to be victorious in life?

In 2 Corinthians 12:7, the apostle Paul reveals a secret scar from his life.  According to Romans 7,  this spiritual wart appears to be similar to an addiction, bad habit or an area of Paul’s life that he lost control of, Romans 7:15.  Instead of being content with being a victim of his own flesh, Paul fights through this condition like an athlete training for a race, 1 Corinthians 9:27.  Victory is not found in an actual contest, but through a spiritual state of mind, Romans 7:24-25.  Therefore, if you are like Paul, needing to be set free from a harmful craving of your flesh, look up to Jesus who has the power to rescue you from your situation, 2 Peter 1:3-4, giving you everything you need in life in the form of the Holy Spirit!

by Jay Mankus

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