Tag Archives: television

It’s Not What You Think

Posted on December 29, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Television has a way of skewing a human being’s perspective of God. Due to famous movies like The Ten Commandments and The Passion of the Christ, there is a belief that God uses acts and great miracles to speak to his followers. According to Moses, this simply isn’t true. Rather, the Lord is a relational God concerned about fulfilling the covenants made to the forefathers of faith.

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty [El-Shaddai], but by My [a]name the Lord [Yahweh—the redemptive name of God] I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles]. 4 I have also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their temporary residence in which they were strangers, Exodus 6:3-4.

Rather than carry on ungodly beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation about God, it’s time to get your story straight. The Lord On High is a relational God, longing to walk with his followers like the days of the Garden of Eden. God doesn’t seek to scare people into belief. Although the Lord is jealous, God is similar to human beings who want to spend time with you.

Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die. 8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us, Romans 5:7-8.

While the wrath of God does exist in the Old Testament, the apostle Paul points out God’s love in the passage above. One chapter later, Paul refers to the wages of sin leading to death in Romans 6:23. The good news of this is that it’s followed by the gift of God is eternal life. Therefore, as Christmas Day fades from your memories, tell others that God’s love is the reason for this season.

by Jay Mankus

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Longing for Something Made to Last

Posted on April 21, 2023 by expressyourself4him

If you’re impatient like me, I get bored easily when I watch television. The last television series I regularly watched was 24, more than a decade ago. Although I may get lost from time to time when marathons of Bones, Castle or Joan of Arcadia come on, I prefer thinking rather than watching. While Joan of Arcadia is one of the few series that satisfied my spiritual hunger, I still long for something made to last.

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship, Romans 12:1.

The apostle Paul touches on this topic in today’s featured passage. If you’re searching for something made to last, pursuing a spiritual act of worship is a great place to start. Paul uses a similar analogy in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, adding freewill to make Christians examine their degree of dedication to the Lord. Whenever you chose to follow God’s Spirit, Galatians 5:25, you’re well on the way to pleasing the Lord.

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you], Romans 12:2.

However, if you want to leave a spiritual legacy on earth, discovering God’s will for your life is the place to start. In a letter to a teenage pastor, Paul urges believers to put their spiritual gift and talents into action, 2 Timothy 1:6. A list can be found of these gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-13. If you want to be all you can be in life, reaching your full potential, long for something made to last by pursuing God’s will for your life on earth.

by Jay Mankus

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Politically Divided

Posted on August 30, 2022 by expressyourself4him

In this age of statistics, athletes, coaches, and political leaders have so many numbers to analyze and crunch daily. While I am used to hearing stats on television, I recently heard a shocking statistic from the pulpit last Sunday. Due to political division within the Christian churches in the United States, 38 percent of pastors considered leaving the ministry in 2021. Perhaps two years of dealing with the Coronavirus have pushed preachers to their breaking point.

But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments. 11 For it has been made clear to me, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions and wrangling and factions among you, 1 Corinthians 1:10-11.

Division is the action of separating something into parts or the process of being separated. Whenever a large group of people come together to meet, there will always be political factions who agree on issues. As a former elder, these sects often begin innocently within Sunday School classes. Depending on the particular leader and their desire for power, a spirit of unity can be maintained by the mature or used a weapon of evil to create dissension.

 If I am detained, you may know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and stay (the prop and support) of the Truth. 16 And great and important and weighty, we confess, is the hidden truth (the mystic secret) of godliness. He [[b]God] was made visible in human flesh, justified and vindicated in the [Holy] Spirit, was seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, [and] taken up in glory, 1 Timothy 3:15-16.

The context of the passage above is guidelines given to a teenage pastor for selecting biblical leaders within his church. If you lower your standards for somewhere that you may like, you open the door for future division. Paul makes a great point by saying “if a man can’t control his own household, how can they lead a church.” While some may refer to this as old fashioned, this is the living Word of God, Hebrews 4:12. May this blog help you improve the unity within your own church.

by Jay Mankus

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Let Marriage be Held in Honor

Posted on December 29, 2021 by expressyourself4him

In my earliest years as a child living in New Jersey, divorce wasn’t even part of my vocabulary. After moving to Delaware, I was introduced to this term when one of my friends mom got divorced twice. During my teenage years, it was still uncommon to enter a home where parents were divorced. Yet, as I entered high school, more and more adults began to give up on failing marriages.

Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous, Hebrews 13:4.

Perhaps this trend was encouraged by popular shows like Mash which regularly showed members of the Army cheating on their spouses. Distance and loneliness was seen as an acceptable reason for breaking marriage vows. At some point in the 1980’s, affairs, flings and one night stands aired weekly on major network television. Once cable arrived, temptation and sexual fantasies trampled this once sacred vow.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. 22 He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord, Proverbs 18:21-22.

This Bible may be considered an old fashion book with values that no longer applies to modern day life. Yet, King Solomon makes an interesting observation in the passage above. The words you speak, the people you hang around and the beliefs that are formed will shape your destiny. These self fulfilled prophecies will either produce healthy or failed marriages. May this blog persuade you to hold marriage as an honorable and sacred tradition.

by Jay Mankus

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The Reward

Posted on December 9, 2021 by expressyourself4him

Rewards are given in recognition of one’s achievement, effort or service. When I was a child, television visually portrayed reward as a treasure chest filled with gold coins at the end of a rainbow. As a former competitive athlete, I longed to reach the medal stand, settling for a bronze in the Delaware State High School Swimming Championships. Yet, with each new calendar year, records are erased as everyone starts fresh with a clean slate.

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out], Hebrews 11:6.

The Bible eludes to an eternal reward. The author of Hebrews takes this one step further, pointing to the Rewarder. The context of this passage is the Hall of Faith, spiritual heroes who left their legacy and mark during their lifetime. Faith is the invisible force which separates an average Christian from a generational leader. Regardless of how hopeless a situation may be, fixing your eyes on the cross of Christ during the marathon called life is crucial to receiving God’s reward.

Blessed (happy, [c]to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him, James 1:12.

The earthly brother of Jesus provides another perspective of this reward. James lays out the requirements that are necessary to receive the crown of life. The apostle Paul confirms how you get started on this journey, Romans 10:9-11. Yet, to get from the start to the finish line, you’ll need “the Eye of the Tiger.” James 1:2-4 details the qualities that you must develop and possess along the way. Like training for the Olympics, discipline will carry you all the way home, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

by Jay Mankus

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I Get It or Do I?

Posted on January 12, 2018 by expressyourself4him

Each year television offers a plethora of programing that debates who is the best.  Categories include athletes, politicians and specific occupations.  One of the measuring sticks often applied is education.  Anyone who attends an ivy league school is automatically given high marks.  Well, unless of course your name is George W. Bush or Donald J. Trump.  This method of judging subtract points for possessing the wrong political affiliation or unpopular worldviews.  In other words, if you are conservative, you must not be that intelligent.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began, 1 Corinthians 2:6-7.

As I recount the words of the apostle Paul within 1 Corinthians 2, I understand the mindset behind this earthly logic.  There is an elitism that exists among the ruling party and upper class.  Thus, standards are developed by leaders of each age, encouraged, promoted and supported by journalists and members of the media.  Whenever anyone strays from these bench mark ideas, educators attempt shame people into adherence.  This plan is being executed daily at colleges and universities throughout the country.

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.  The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 1 Corinthians 2:14-15.

If you don’t believe me, you might want to check up on the assignments your children are being asked to do for homework as well as the topical papers that play a big part in the overall grades for this class.  Whether it’s embracing progressive ideas, global warming or white privilege, anyone who rejects these teachings are automatically labeled as bigots, racists and sexists.  I’m not sure the exact issues the apostle Paul was fervently debating in the first century, but I get what the Bible says about being foolishness in the eyes of the world.  Only through the power of the Holy Spirit does someone see life clearly.  Those who rely too much on human logic end up becoming blind to truth.  I think I get or do I?  What do you think?

by Jay Mankus

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Sorry

Posted on February 28, 2017 by expressyourself4him

Every year terms are added to the dictionary to keep up with an ever changing vocabulary.  Meanwhile, other words are modified as cultural slang redefines ordinary phrases.  One such word is sorry which ironically means deplorable, an insult to Trump supporters.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9.

Growing up, sorry was something that the Fonz couldn’t say, often stuttering before completing a sentence.  Sure, its been decades since Happy Days was a prime time hit series, but watching television tends to distinguish one generation from the next.  Subsequently, sorry has lost its original intent.

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin, Psalm 32:5.

To confess any wrong doing tends to diffuse a tense situation.  Yet, this generation allows pride to get in the way, afraid of the consequences of coming clean.  Thus, instead of saying, “I’m sorry,” the blame game Adam began in the Garden of Eden continues.  Like a never ending game of Jumanji, true remorse has been abandoned.  May this blog inspire individuals to embrace a spirit of reconciliation and practice saying, “I’m sorry.”

by Jay Mankus

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A Convenient Absence of the Truth

Posted on July 8, 2016 by expressyourself4him

During a recent sleepless night, I stumbled upon a rerun of a 30 for 30 on ESPN.  Trying to find something to fall asleep to, an episode on the Hillsborough soccer stadium tragedy did just the opposite.  This riveting documentary made me begin to wonder what other events from history have been sanitized by a convenient absence of the truth.

When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, Matthew 28:12.

On April 15th, 1989, soccer fans began to flood a standing room only section of the Hillsborough stadium.  As space to stand started to disappear, a mass panic ensued causing people to press toward a fence shielding fans from players on the field.  This chaos was complicated by a lack of reaction by stadium officials leading to the deaths of 96 people.

Telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep,’ Matthew 28:13.

In the hours and days that followed, authorities using the media as a pawn began to assign blame.  Like modern day talking points, alcohol, drunk fans and crude behavior served as window dressing to hide the actual facts of this disaster.  Justice took over 20 years to arrive when original police statements and those altered by government officials were posted side by side on the internet.  This is just another example of corruption inspired by a convenient absence of the truth.

If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble,” Matthew 28:14.

This strategy is nothing new as even Jesus dealt with a similar scheme to redefine his own resurrection.  As Jewish and Roman officials tried to squash Jesus’ growing popularity and message, a plan was devised to change public opinion.  There was only one problem with this decision, Jesus spent 40 days in public after rising from the dead.  According to Luke, Jesus was seen by over 500 eyewitnesses serving as a first century Drudge Report.

So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day, Matthew 28:15.

Today, if you click on the internet, turn on the television or tune into talk radio, don’t blindly believe the first thing that you hear or see.  Rather, remember that a few elite media members control the daily narrative presented to the airways in America.  Essentially, what you see isn’t always what is actually happening.  Therefore, as a new election season approaches full of ads steeped in embellishment, do your own homework before you reach a final conclusion.  If you don’t, you might be the next victim, deceived by a convenient absence of the truth.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Put it Down and Turn if Off

Posted on May 29, 2016 by expressyourself4him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2C1s5ZW8dc

As I was about to pray this morning, I began to remember several things I needed to do.  This and that and oh by the way became one distraction after another.  Before I went any further I heard a whisper that grabbed my attention, “put it down and turn it off.”

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed, Mark 1:35.

Maybe I am the only one who struggles with this, but if I don’t start the day off by reading the Bible and prayer, my schedule usually fills up quickly.  Thus, the moment I start a project around the house or turn on the television, time with the Lord becomes a distant memory.

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come,” Mark 1:38.

Perhaps, this may explain the events of Mark 1.  Jesus recognized the distractions awaiting individuals each day.  To avoid getting sidetracked, following the crowd or failing to go where God wants you to be, a quiet time is a great way to become plugged into the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the next time you feel the urge to put God on hold, put what you’re doing down, turn off the television or your phone and be still before the Almighty God.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

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What Happens Here Stains Eternity

Posted on May 7, 2016 by expressyourself4him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdMo0rOt2Kk

A couple of times a year I put on a brand new shirt or sweatshirt for the first time, proudly seeing how it looks in the mirror.  Unfortunately, a careless bite later often produces a stain.  The only thing worse is putting a new outfit in the dryer without catching this blemish.  Once dried, there’s nothing you can do except donate or throw this piece of clothing out.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, 1 Peter 5:8.

If you watch a lot of television, you are probably beginning to see commercial blitzes for travel destinations.  This is the time of year that cities and states are trying to sway you to plan a summer vacation or visit during a long weekend.  Perhaps, I’ve never given it much thought before, but Las Vegas’ calling card, “what happens here stays here,” got under my skin recently.  In the spiritual realm, what happens here stains eternity.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings, 1 Peter 5:9.

In this day and age, no one is immune from embarrassing moments.  Friends may even bring up painful remainders of the past to keep you humble.  Yet, even Peter who denied Jesus in public three times learned from his previous mistakes.  Although what happens here on earth stains eternity, this portion of Peter’s letter highlights the importance of faith.  Thus, the next time you’re tempted to do something your heart or soul is telling you is wrong, resist this urge.  Rather, be alert and keep in step with the Spirit of God.

by Jay Mankus  

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