Tag Archives: parables

Read the Fine Print

Posted on October 5, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Its amazing how dishonest commercials have become in this age of disclaimers.  By the time you try to listen to and or read the warning at the bottom of your television screen, another ad appears.  In a rush to strike it big, reward stock owners or pay for future projects, imperfections abound when you read the fine print.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu1KduYyR_I

Meanwhile, walking billboards are just as guilty.  Whenever you hear words like “I’ve never done that, my pastor’s never sinned or you struggle with that,” wait a couple days or weeks and sin will flow like rain.  Christians that sound too good to be true aren’t doing anyone any good.  Rather, the closer you are to God, the more humble you become.  Yet, the opposite is true as the further you stray from the Lord, the better you feel initially until pride sets people up for a fall.

If you want to read the fine print, just open up one of the 4 gospels in the Bible.  Although Jesus spoke in parables to drive home a point, he doesn’t beat around the bush.  Jesus set high expectations for his disciples, causing many to walk away, unable to meet his standards, Luke 9:57-63.  Despite our own inabilities to achieve holiness, John 3:16-17 provides a highlighted reminder of God’s eternal plan.  Don’t let bad examples keep you from the truth.  Rather, read the fine print for yourself to reserve a room in eternity, 1 John 5:13.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

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To Infinite and Beyond

Posted on July 17, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Buzz Lightyear was introduced into pop culture in 1995, the star in Disney’s Animation Toy Story.  Like every great figure, Buzz’s catch phrase “to infinity and beyond,” endeared Americans to this small yet larger than life character.  The Toy Story series of films has grossed 1.9 billion dollars worldwide, giving a green meaning to infinite and beyond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npDICY0SQ-I

If Jesus arrived on the scene for the first time today, He might reference Buzz Lightyear  in a modern day parable.  With an emphasis toward low information voters, Jesus has a record of meeting people where they are, attracted by pop culture.  Subsequently, Jesus might begin with Hollywood to gain the attention and interest of listeners.  However, like a flip of the switch, Jesus weaves biblical truth into every story, pointing lost sheep toward eternity.

The One whom Jesus loved was privileged to private access, greater than even Peter.  Beyond his own gospel, this disciple added 3 additional letters filled with elements of his conversations with the Lord.  Perhaps the most revealing is found in 1 John 5:13.  If you hope to experience infinite and beyond, this passage provides the assurance you need.  When you add Romans 10:9-10 to this equation, you can boldly proclaim like Buzz Lightyear, heaven is a prayer away from of a world where infinite is beyond human comprehension.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

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Waiting for the Harvest

Posted on May 25, 2014 by expressyourself4him

At the end of the growing season, the harvest is the day of reckoning, the process of collecting mature crops from fields.  Once complete, farmers will be able to calculate their bounty and compare it with previous seasons.  The harvest festival, the celebration of the end of the growing season, has evolved into a national holiday Americans call Thanksgiving.  Like a child waiting to unwrap their first present on Christmas morning, the harvest is an adult version of collecting the fruits of hard labor throughout the Spring and Summer.  However, the toughest part remains the waiting.

The Bible speaks to farmers throughout the New Testament, relaying analogies of farming to illustrate biblical truth.  Matthew 9:37-38 refers to the struggles of finding good help.  Either people are too busy or lazy to lend a helping hand, forcing more responsibility upon a few dedicated individuals.  Jesus relied on parables like Matthew 20:1-16 to urge citizens to get involved before the day of harvest is over.  While some can take more credit than others, the pay is the same for everyone.  As farming communities continue to search for reliable workers, Jesus is waiting on his followers to become participants in a spiritual harvest.

Yet, it took a music director from the Old Testament to reveal the secret to experiencing this type of harvest.  According to Psalm 67:3-5, spiritual harvests are conceived through the praise of mankind.  As individuals, families and nations begin to shout for joy, a foundation is established.  This sets the stage for Psalm 67:6, yielding a spiritual harvest like Moses’ promise to Israel in Deuteronomy 28:2.  Therefore, if you find yourself waiting for the harvest, let the praise of the Lord commence.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Where Did My Flow Go?

Posted on March 7, 2014 by expressyourself4him

The first round of March Madness, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship begins March 18th in Dayton, Ohio.  While most sports rely on talent to win titles, momentum is a crucial element for teams to advance and move on to the next round.  However, once a school experiences a losing streak, especially late in the season, its hard to find the flow that led to their initial success.

In life, each day contains a series of twists and turns, taking you to the top of Mount Everest at one moment, before an avalanche of circumstances buries your flow in a pile of humility.  Subsequently, your passion for getting up vanishes, causing you to get stuck in a puddle of apathy.  Like Popeye without his spinach, tasks become endless chores sucking any joy remaining in your soul.  Searching for answers, people will ponder, “where did my flow go?”

The master of parables, short stories with nuggets of truth, Jesus had a way with words, helping the lost discover the flow they were looking for in life.  Whether you were a Pharisee like Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman looking for love in all the wrong places or a prostitute on the verge of being stoned to death, Jesus provided clues in the Bible to obtain a flow which would last a lifetime, John 10:10.  If you’re not satisfied with your current living conditions, John 3:16-17, John 4:13-14 and John 8:11-12 contains a road map for life to locate the permanent flow you desire.

by Jay Mankus

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What Did He Know that Others Didn’t?

Posted on January 23, 2014 by expressyourself4him

According to Webster, confidence is a feeling or belief that someone is good, possessing the ability to succeed.  Although this may be confused with cockiness, success is a state of mind, ushering individuals toward pleasant places.  Apparently hidden within the words of Psalm 16 are clues to the meaning of life, left behind by a man who possessed a heart of gold.  However, its worth pursuing, what did David know that other kings of Israel never grasped?

Some how David understood the teachings of Jesus without ever meeting him.  If you don’t believe me, take for instance the words of Psalm 16:2 and John 15:4.  While Jesus is using a parable about a vine, gardener and branches, David came to this conclusion on his own.  Meanwhile, the concept of Psalm 16:11 and John 10:10 are nearly identical minus the portion about the thief called the devil.  Sure, David was a shepherd prior to becoming king and Jesus was a shepherd for lost people, Luke 19:10, but who communicated these spiritual truths to David.

Despite his complaining, disappointment and frustration from seeing the wicked prosper, God used prophets, the words of the Old Testament and a still small voice, known today as the Holy Spirit to bring David to a place of spiritual maturity.  The king recognized failures often occurred when he relied on his strength and wisdom.  Furthermore, David had reached an age where he began to see answered prayers, blessings and miracles from time spent on his knees.  Thus, the path of life, his purpose for being born and taste of the abundant life filled this king with a blessed assurance.  May you come to a place like David where God is real and his promises are fulfilled!

by Jay Mankus

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What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Posted on February 6, 2013 by expressyourself4him

A week ago, I was standing at a podium, preaching the message God had placed on my heart for a local congregation.  For one of the first times in a year, I was exactly where God wanted me to be.  However, after the accolades, encouraging words and thanks faded, the Holy Spirit put a new thought on my mind.  Christianity is not about one experience; its about the journey which leads you to heaven.  Therefore, don’t think you have arrived!  Rather, ask yourself, what how you done for God lately?

Beginning in Matthew 24, Matthew devotes 2 chapters to Jesus’ teaching on End Times Theology.  Jesus concludes his lesson with a series of parables, stories that illustrate a biblical truth.  The final one is entitled, The Sheep and the Goats, based upon the Old Testament principle of clean and unclean animals, Matthew 25:31-46.  As I reflect upon the words of verses 41-43, I am guilty as charged.  I pass by homeless people weekly, turning my head, ashamed that I don’t have any spare money to give.  Meanwhile, I am surrounded by sick people in my neighborhood, yet the busyness of life has prevented me from fulfilling this passage.  Jesus’ words pierce my heart, haunting me by my lack of action to the least of these.

Instead of following the Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-36 blueprint, many churches have deviated from this model.  While the elderly, ex-cons, homeless and ill have been pushed aside, many churches are pouring their money into extravagant facilities.  This latest version of Christianity is cleaner, leaner and in some cases, meaner, failing to provide for the needy.  Although the easy answer is to automatically believe you are a sheep, watch out that pride doesn’t leave you like a goat, on the outside looking in.  As judgment day approaches, Matthew 10:32-42, prepare yourself for life’s final exam now.  With just one question to study for, Jesus’ words will echo throughout this room, “What have you done for Me lately?”

by Jay Mankus

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Inside the Heart of God

Posted on November 26, 2012 by expressyourself4him


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

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The Parable of the Disobedient Doggy

Posted on March 15, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Once upon a time, there was a beagle who left home at an early age.  Thinking she could figure things out on her own, this dog began to develop poor habits as a puppy.  Before she came to her senses, Autumn spent 7 years living on the streets, begging for food, knocking over trash cans and scavenging through whatever her nose desired.

Adopted by a loving family, Autumn didn’t know how to respond.  Despite 2 years of training, Autumn could not break her bad habits, using the bathroom wherever and whenever she felt like it.  Despite using every trick in the book to change her unnatural addictions, her parents lost hope in Autumn, believing she would never change.

As I think about the damage our dog has done to our home, sometimes I wonder if God sees us in the same light.  Every day we seem to take one step forward, then three steps back, unable to break free from our sinful desires.  Solomon had a similar perspective during his life, “as a dog returns to its own vomit, so a fool repeats his own folly, Proverbs 26:11.  Like David, entangled in sin, we need to cry out to God, Psalm 51:10-12, to sets us free from a disobedient heart.  Let him or her who has ears, hear!

by Jay Mankus

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