Tag Archives: souls

40 Days of Proof

Deep inside the heart of a child, there lies a doubting Thomas, a desire which leads you to see or touch something before you believe.  This curious nature varies within each soul, with some demanding more proof while others are able to trust once an initial experience calms their fears.  Skeptics tend to need more evidence, questioning if their encounter was real or a mirage.

In the matter of Jesus of Nazareth, there were 40 days of proof following his crucifixion which transformed 11 men from wimps into martyrs.  According to Acts 1:1-3, Jesus met privately with his disciples, spent time in public and visited woman of faith.  However, if you listen to the media, read their books or attend seminars sponsored by cohorts, these 40 days are a fairy tale.  Like the Romans guards of Jesus’ day, people continue to do everything in their power to cover up Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, Matthew 28:11-15.

Atheists and agnostics do make a few valid arguments, like why did the gospels take over 20 years to be written if Jesus did rise from the dead?  To answer this, you need to understand the background of the gospel of Mark.  When the eyewitnesses were alive, people who saw Jesus die and rise from the dead, there wasn’t a sense of urgency to record this information.  When many of these witnesses began to grow old and die, Christians in Rome were fearful people might forget all that had happened.  Thus, John Mark, a disciple of Paul, was hired to write down key events, a reference point for those who did not hear, see or touch Jesus.  May this blog eliminate any doubt Thomas spirit, serving as proof that Jesus truly was as Pilate wrote in John 19:19, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews!”

by Jay Mankus

Potty Mouth

If you are honest with yourself, we have all had a regretful moment in reflecting, “I can’t believe I just said that!”  At times in life, often unexpected, the strangest things come out of our mouths.  This is likely the context of Psalm 59:12, when mere words become like venom, filling ears with poison and contaminating the souls of children.

There was a time, not so long ago when communities helped police themselves.  Adult figures served as guardians, instilling character within neighborhoods.  If a child ever publicly cursed, displayed disrespect or harmed another kid, parents would immediate intervene, forcing this individual to apologize and vow never to do this act again.

Today, the fear of confrontation, law suits and a gradual decay within society has led to an epidemic of sins of the mouth.  Whether you are at your local mall, walking through a park or catching a quote family show on television, put downs, 4 letter words and F-bombs have become common place.  Garbage in, garbage out has impacted children under the age of 10, spewing out what they hear, without any regard to listening ears.

The Bible’s diagnosis of this problem places the blame on the human heart, Jeremiah 17:9.  According to Jesus, the heart serves as a storage center, absorbing up good and bad things, Luke 6:45.  Vocabulary is simply a byproduct of what your heart has accumulated.  Therefore, if you want to stop these sins before they roll off your tongue, guard your heart for it is the well spring of life, Proverbs 4:23.  Replace these sins of the mouth with the peace of Christ, Colossians 3:15-17.

by Jay Mankus

Poisoned Minds

Poisons are often odorless, unseen and invade internal organs.  According to Webster, poisons vary from toxic substances, negative influences or elements that corrupt and undermine somebody or something.  According to Romans 8:5-8, the human mind has been poisoned by a sinful nature, contaminating bodies by spoiling souls and tainting one’s thought life.

The other night I was talking with a co-worker as we were working on a project together.  As this man shared details from his past, he pointed out a character flaw of another person.  Prior to our conversation, I didn’t have any preconceived notions about this individual.  However, during my next encounter with the person my co-worker  judged, I began to clearly see this same weakness.  Thus, I allowed my mind to became poisoned, spoiled by someone’s opinion, inhibiting my own ability to think for myself.

If you are looking to make sense of the 2012 Presidential Election results, its actually pretty simple.  President Obama spent nearly 1 billion dollars on ads geared toward attacking the credibility of Mitt Romney.  Based upon the data received by pollsters, these claims, although misleading based upon the context, were effective in convincing 51% of Americans.  If you tell a lie over and over again, eventually people will accept it as a fact or the gospel.

Unfortunately, when you seek to win at all cost, minds become poisoned along the way, leading people to believe whatever they hear or see.  Whether you are discouraged or excited about the outcome of this election, don’t forget the real battle taking place inside your mind.  God has provided believers with the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9, to stop this poison from spreading and the word of God, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, as an antibody to purify our minds from the disease called sin.  Take your thoughts captive now or you will be taken captive by what other people believe, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

by Jay Mankus