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Tag Archives: Lee Strobel

Law and Order or Chaos?

As a student at the University of Delaware, I became intrigued with Sociology and Psychology. From time to time, individuals would asked to partake in experiments based upon a hypothesis. My most memorable occurred over a week as I was asked to wear certain clothes to class. The first day was pajamas, the second a full suit and the third normal attire. When I dressed down, no one noticed or said anything to me. However, when I dressed up, I received several glances and was treated with more respect by my peers and professors.

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually, Genesis 6:5.

Over the past five years. politician’s have participated in their own modern-day experiment. If you follow statistics like successful companies cling to metrics, there’s a clear distinction between states that embrace and support law and other and those who want to reinvent America’s justice system. As district attorneys in liberal states fail to prosecute anyone who breaks the law, crime is incentivized. For example, if you reside in California and take less than $900 from a store without paying for it, you go undisciplined.

You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood. And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him; For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes, Hebrews 12:4-6.

In the chapter of the Bible known as the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11, the author writes about the importance of discipline. Like an athlete who strives to improve daily, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, discipline serves as a means to highlight areas in life where you need to improve. During a sermon series at Willow Creek Community Creek, Lee Strobel examined the life of Dennis Rodman who was a member of the Chicago Bulls at this time. Strobel discovered that Rodman was never disciplined as a child. This shaped the person who he became. While progressives may not want to admit their error in judgment, most Americans prefer law and order over chaos.

by Jay Mankus

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Right, Wrong or Evil?

Nearly twenty years ago, I taught a World Religion Course. One of the terms this class covered was Relativism. At this time in America’s history, following the events of September 11th, 2001, right, wrong, and evil was able to defined without being Cancelled or offending someone in the Woke Community. However, now the age of relativism has arrived, altering our language and vocabulary.

If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord, Romans 12:18-19.

One of the best sermons I ever heard on this topic was by Lee Strobel. Strobel was doing a sermon series at Willow Creek on What would God say to. This particular message was about the life of Dennis Rodman was who playing for the Chicago Bulls at the time. Lee spoke about the first time Dennis was disciplined in life, as a sophomore in college by the father of his host family. Dennis stole something from the farm and was spanked to teach him right from wrong, defining evil for the first time in his life.

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. 21 Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good, Romans 12:20-21.

In today’s politically charged world, discipline is considered racist according to CRT, critical race theory. Rather than use the words of Hebrews 12:5-7 to define earthly boundaries, a generation of children raised in public schools aren’t being taught the difference between right, wrong or evil. Like a politician caught doing the exact opposite of the policy they forced their voters to follow, excuses are made to exempt them. May God send a spirit of revival worldwide so that right, wrong and evil is clearly understood.

by Jay Mankus

Crazy or Enlightened by God?

From 2003 to 2005, Amber Rose Tamblyn starred in the CBS drama series Joan of Arcadia. Amber played Joan Girardi, a sophomore in high school struggling to fit in. The pilot episode introduces Joan while dreaming where she first hears God’s voice as a whisper in the night. The next day God appears to Joan as a human being based upon Joan Osborne’s song “What If God Was One of Us?” This initial meeting sets the format for a typical episode where Joan sees and speaks with God, usually appearing as a different person each time. During this conversation, Joan receives an assignment and performs this task is a round about manner.

Then a fresh division of opinion arose among the Jews because of His saying these things. 20 And many of them said, Jesus has a demon and He is mad (insane—He raves, He rambles). Why do you listen to Him? – John 10:19-20

These encounters make Joan uneasy, unsure if she’s crazy, dreaming or enlightened by God? When Joan regularly leaves her friends to talk to strangers who are God, family and friends begin to get the sense that Joan isn’t all their mentality. In the final episode of season 1, Joan contracts Lyme Disease. After collapsing on the last day of school, doctors believe Joan’s encounters with God were merely hallucinations. Over the summer, Joan is sent to a mental hospital where she meets Judith, as a close friendship develops in season 2. Like many teenagers, when asked to share her special connection with God, Joan changes the topic, never expressing her faith. When you get a chance to share your faith, don’t let these opportunities slip by.

Others argued, These are not the thoughts and the language of one possessed. Can a demon-possessed person open blind eyes? – John 10:20

Telling others that you have a special relationship with God is risky in today’s current climate. Yet, when God put a message upon Jesus’ heart, He regularly shared biblical life lessons. These analogies, parables, and stories threatened many Jewish leaders. Jesus’ teaching caused some to believe that He was either demon possessed or insane. These comments inspired a chapter in C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity. Lewis asks an opened ended question: “is Jesus a liar, lunatic or Lord?” This question challenged former investigative journalist Lee Strobel who like Lewis was an atheist. Yet, Strobel’s journey ended in a similar manner, writing The Case for Christ. No one wants to be made fun of or teased, but Jesus calls enlightened individuals to speak up, Matthew 10:32-33. Those who stand up for God will be counted but those who deny God will be rejected.

by Jay Mankus

Within the Grasp of the Human Mind

Modern scientists tend to gravitate toward atheism, trusting only that which they can prove via science.  Others follow a similar path to C.S. Lewis, abandoning a childhood faith, encouraged by higher education professors who do not believe that God exists.  A more recent example is Lee Strobel, a former reporter for the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald, eager to prove that Christianity is a fraud.  Strobel’s testimony can be found in the book and now movie The Case for Christ.  Regardless of what so called experts, the media and scholars proclaim, the answer to the meaning of life is within the grasp of the human mind.

“Those laws (of nature) are within the grasp of the human mind; God wanted us to recognize them by creating us after his own image so that we could share in his own thoughts,” Johannes Kepler in 1599.

During a trip to the new Museum of the Bible in Washington DC, I found this to be true.  On the second floor, Level 2, this exhibit is entitled the Impact of the Bible.  Like a living history book, there are hundreds of quotes from Colonists, Pilgrims, founding fathers, former presidents and past leaders of the United States.  Yet, other displays extend beyond our borders, documenting famous individuals in their fields throughout the world.  Two of the most intriguing comments come from a former astronomer and mathematician listed above and below.  Without mentioning scripture, each man appears to be referencing the invisible qualities of God, Romans 1:20.

“If the sacred scribes had had any intention of teaching people certain arrangements and motions of the heavenly bodies… then in my opinion they would not have spoken of these matters so sparingly, Galileo Galilei in a 1615 letter to the Grand Duchess of Christiana.

During his own letter to the church of Rome, the apostle Paul suggests that no should claim, “I didn’t know?”  Rather, the creation of the world reveals God’s invisible attributes.  A sunrise, the sun setting over an ocean and a rainbow following a storm are clear signs of a mastermind.  C.S. Lewis devotes the first section of Mere Christianity eluding to the Law of Human Nature.  While Lewis does highlight objections to this law, his words support what Galileo and Kepler have written.  If only human beings slowed down this Christmas season and stopped what they are doing for a moment, Psalm 46:10, the answers to the meaning of life are within the grasp of the human mind.  This revelation is just a prayer away.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

Are You Sure About That?

Whether its an April Fool’s joke or a student trying to pull a prank on one of their teacher’s, its important to double and triple check your information before informing others.  Like the internet picture of a 90 foot snake 2 years ago, those who believed this story were quickly disappointed.  Maybe this is why so many in our culture struggle to accept the testimonies about Jesus in the Bible.  Hoping not to be deceived, a typical reply is, “are you sure about it?”

After reading books such as The Bible as History, The Case for Christ and the entire Bible, I’m more confident than ever about this evidence.  Yeah, stories of a burning bush, talking donkey and light that spoke aren’t every day occurrences.  Throw in a guy walking on water, calming storms and raising the dead, skepticism sets in, unable to rationalize the impossible.  However, as archeologists uncover chariots on the bottom of the Red Sea, find a giant boat in the middle of the  mountains in Turkey and artifacts that proved Jesus lived during the first century, maybe this isn’t as far fetched as once thought.

One thing is certain, people are going to believe what they want to believe.  Each religion will emphasize, interpret and slant information in their favor.  Meanwhile, each church, mosque and temple will de-emphasize certain facts to lean others toward their particular worldview.  In the end, I can’t force anyone to believe what I do.  All I can do is present angles, details and elements that might one day lead someone to say, “I am sure about that!”

by Jay Mankus

Inside the Heart of God


As a child, I had a flawed view of God.  May be it was because I was raised in a strict Roman Catholic home or due to the fact I was afraid of being struck with a yard stick by nuns when I couldn’t recite the Our Father or Hail Mary?  Either way, these experiences led me to develop an Old Testament perspective of God, one of judgment and wrath.  Like C.S. Lewis’ opening paragraph of Book 3 in Mere Christianity, I felt as if God was waiting to punish me each time I sinned.  This sense that God was going to strike me with lightning every time I made a bad decision blinded me from seeing inside the heart of God.

Thankfully, God allowed me to study under some of the greatest Bible teachers in the country to help dissolve these false assumptions.  Pastors like Alistar Begg of Truth for Life in Ohio, Bill Hybels and Lee Strobel at Willow Creek in Chicago and Tommy Nelson of Denton Bible Church at several college retreats laid a solid foundation which I have been able to build upon since getting married.  On Friday night, while listening to Christian music for 3 hours, God gave me a brief glimpse into the heart of God.

Since I have a tendency to get impatient with people, especially non-believers, God reminded me of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  Jesus spent 3 years serving others, reaching out to the needy and re-educating the disciples to prepare them for life after his ascension.  The only people Jesus ever got angry at were religious leaders, teachers of the law, his own disciples at times, those who didn’t welcome his own disciples in Matthew 10 and anyone who tried to turn the House of God into a den of robbers.  Jesus knew that most people are blinded by Satan in their minds, 2 Corinthians 4:4, unable to grasp the gospel like the parable of the weeds, Matthew 13:24-30.

When you begin to discern the spiritual elements behind a person’s actions, Ephesians 6:12, you are able to overlook their sin to love and pray for people.  Knowing the heart of God is one thing, carrying out God’s love is entirely different.  This is why the apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.  If you have tried to love, then you know how hard it is to do, day in and day out.  However, if you follow the blue print in Colossians 3:12-17, you just might be able to display the heart of God to those people you cross paths with daily.  The next time you become impatient like me, remember Jesus’ perspective in Luke 19:42 by having compassion on sinners like a shepherd reaching out to his lost sheep!

by Jay Mankus

A Distorted History

I remember listening to my Sociology professor in college refer to the Bible as a series of fairy tales and folklore during the weekly lectures I was expected to attend.  However, as I read our main textbook for class I began to see how this Sociology book used the historical timelines the Bible provided.  Either my professor was right and the Bible gives scholars a projected estimate of history?  Or my professor was wrong, trying to cover up the historical accuracy of the Word of God recorded by Old Testament authors?

Searching to uncover the truth, I spent several years on my own reading and researching books.  The remainder of this blog includes a distorted history of the earth, not taught in our schools.  The creation recount in Genesis 1 supports the historical findings of Pangaea, a one continent earth.  Genesis 2:5-6 supports the Environmental Protection Agency’s findings of world wide water aquifers underneath the earth’s surface.  Genesis 7:11 reveals the origins of how and why Pangaea has been torn apart into 7 new continents thanks to tectonic plates, lowering half of the earth into the seas and raising the other portion to create mountain ranges like the Himalayas.

In fact, when the springs of the earth burst forth in Genesis 7:11, this volcanic eruption allowed the springs underneath the surface to rise into the air like a series of Old Faithful geysers.  This explosion made room for the flood waters which followed in Genesis 7:12 to eventually recede into these vacated areas allowing the earth’s soil to perk.  This was necessary or else most of the earth’s land would be filled with swamps.  If almost every civilizations writes about a massive flood; its likely the Bible is telling the truth.

Unfortunately, many other biblical findings have been left out of the media, probably on purpose.  Egyptian chariot’s have been discovered on the bottom of the Red Sea by a Christian archeologist.  A large image of an ark like figure has been seen on top of a mountain range in Turkey.  Skeleton remains from a woman 8,000 years ago, appear to suggest the curse of Eve in Genesis 3:16 is a continual shrinking with each generation of woman’s hips.  In addition, most snakes when picked up reveal holes, where feet once existed.  I could go on, but the pieces of historical evidence supporting the Bible is endless.  Book likes The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and The Bible as History are great resources that I suggest.  Don’t believe me, test everything and you will find the truth, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.

by Jay Mankus

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