Tag Archives: The Bible

I Can’t Believe It’s Real!

When I visit my parents over Christmas, my viewing habits usually change, watching a show that one of my sisters, mom or dad enjoys.  On an evening several years ago, my older sister and I began watching an A&E marathon of Cold Case Files.  Though intrigued by the technology, nothing in the first few episodes grabbed my attention.  As I was about to call it a night, a quote from a detective from California blew my mind;  stating emphatically, “yeah, demonic forces are behind many of the serial rapist and killers in our state!”

The context of this statement was in reference to a confession made by a serial rapist and murderer who had recently been detained by police.  According to this man, when he was 13, he was seduced by a demon in a dream.  After many reoccurring dreams, he began to follow a voice in his head to first rape females; then over time kill women after raping them.  Instead of saying the devil made him do it, he said, “a succubus made me do!”  In the awkwardness of the moment, my sister and I looked at each other thinking, I can’t believe that’s real!  At the conclusion of this case, I ran down stairs, entering my parents’ computer room to prove this non-sense wrong.  What I found, changed my perspective on the spiritual realm.

Like the latest State Farm Commercial, you have to be careful about the sites and sources you reference and research on the internet.  Places like Wikipedia, Urban Dictionary and Occult websites can cloud your judgment as well as fill your minds with unwholesome images.  The Meriam-Webster dictionary gives the most accurate account revealing Incubus as male demons who tempt woman into having sex when they sleep and Succubus as female demons who tempt men when they sleep.  However, I wanted to go deeper than a definition to see if there were any case studies or real life encounters that appeared credible.  In my initial search, I discovered 3 with historical documentation.  My findings suggest what some law enforcement officers already believe; there is a direct correlation between demonic forces and violent crimes like rape and murder.

Over my 29 years as a Christian, its clear there are several topics considered taboo for churches to address from the pulpit.  According to Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family Ministries, roughly 25 % of all pastors in America, struggle with some form of pornography.  If one of these men or women tried to speak out by confessing their sin, most if not all would have their positions terminated.  Thus, sexual issues like Incubus and Succubus are never mentioned, swept under the rug with all the other controversial issues.  I’m not a biblical scholar nor do I claim to be one, yet it appears Incubus and Succubus fall under the category of spiritual forces of evil mentioned in Ephesians 6:12.  My objective for this piece is not too promote panic each time you go to bed.  Rather, I want each person to be armed with the power of God’s Word, the Bible, so that you will successfully take your thoughts captive as you sleep, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  Remember the promise of 1 John 4:4, “Greater is He who is in you than is he who is in the world!”

by Jay Mankus

Polar Opposites

When you travel the country like I did during the 1990’s, you become exposed to various cultures, expressions and traditions.  As I pursued my dreams by following my heart, God led me to nearly one hundred different churches that I attended here and there.  One met in a house, another in a barn, some met in gymnasiums and schools and the most impressive had its own little city.  However, what I soon discovered, their biblical messages were polar opposites.

On one extreme, I heard remnants from the Fire and Brimstone sermons of the 1970’s.  These churches still believed that all dancing and music was from the devil.  Pastor’s preached about burning any idol from your past, severing relationships with all non-Christians and do everything humanly possible to escape the gates of hell.  This view of the Bible eliminates personality and the ability an outgoing person can have on reaching out to lost souls like the apostle Paul in the book of Acts.  Meanwhile, this perspective emphasizes the Old Testament nature of God’s judgment by diminishing the love of Jesus in the New Testament.  In a sense, this is just one side of the story.

On the other side of the aisle, I was introduced to the prosperity gospel.  This theological position merely stresses the positives of God, neglecting any reference to failure, setback or trial.  I quickly found that this rosey picture of life professed by pastors from their pulpits did not exist in my world.  When I gave money in the offering plate, I didn’t receive back one hundred or one thousand fold like a few television evangelist promised.  In addition, their altar call message, “just come to Jesus and everything will go well for you” was hallow.  It’s no wonder that when Ghandi was alive he once said, “I like your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians.”

Unfortunately, these 2 polar opposites miss the mark of properly explaining the message of the gospel.  This good news or good tidings, depending upon your translation of the Bible, can be condensed by a few verses like Romans 5:8.  The baby Jesus fulfilled His purpose by dying for sinners.  John 3:16 provides the answer to how people should respond to Jesus’ sacrifice.  Finally, Galatians 5:6 narrows down life to own thing, “faith expressing itself through the love of Jesus.”  As you travel down the bumpy road called life, test everything you hear in church with the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 so that you can stay along the Equator, in the center of God’s will!

by Jay Mankus

Mind Over Matter

Over the last few decades, the Name It and Claim It movement has gained traction, permeating into mainstream Christianity.  This theological position combines the bible with metaphysics, using faith as a force to speak the truth within an individual’s mind into existence.  Unfortunately, this view fails to address obstacles such as generational sins and sins of the father, Exodus 20:4-5, ungodly beliefs like John 8:31-38, soul spirit hurts in Matthew 11:25-30 and demonic influences, Ephesians 6:12.  In addition, some of these churches now encourage members not to seek a doctor when sick, claiming if they had genuine faith, they would be healed.

I tend to lean toward what I call a Read it and Believe it view of Christianity.  In other words, as you read and study the Bible, you begin to learn God’s precious promises.  As you examine how the Israelites and first century church leaders claimed these promises, you can apply these same principles into your own prayer life.  During trying moments, you might want to use prayers of King David or Jesus himself as an outline for prayer.  Faith in this context is in the word of God, not your own mind.  Belief is exercised through the power of the Holy Spirit as described in 2 Peter 1:3-4.  According to this passage, God has given us everything we need for life in the form of the Holy Spirit.  In my mind, this is a more realistic and accurate view of a biblical life.

During my tenure as a high school Bible teacher, I slowly began to see how weak individual minds were.  Not in an intellectual sense, but in their belief, confidence and power of God to change their current situation.  Many of my students had given up hope that their circumstances could ever improve.  Divorce, heartbreak and trials poisoned their minds with doubt, leading many to dwell on matters beyond their control.  This mindset can develop into a defeatism mentality, creating Christians who never successfully take their minds captive, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  This is likely why the name it and claim movement has become attractive to so many Christians today.

To my knowledge, there are only 2 clear examples of mind over matter in scripture.  The first is used by the apostle Paul in the context of an athlete training for the Corinthian Games, similar to the modern day Olympics.  Runners must force their minds to overcome the pain they are experiencing so that one can push their body beyond a normal limit, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.  Practice and training prepares a runner for the various competitions in life.  Meanwhile, the disciple Peter is referring to having a certain mindset, one like Jesus in 1 Peter 4:1.  This use of the mind relates to the thought process which helps you endure your current state, enabling you to reach the goal or end result you desire and seek to obtain.  This mindset is accessible when Christ is Lord over all areas of your life.  Therefore, as 2012 draws to a close, my prayer for 2013 is that people begin to scratch the surface of the love and power of God, Ephesians 3:14-21.

by Jay Mankus

The Axis of Evil

As I tuned in periodically to inquire about the motive behind the December 14th school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, I heard a common denominator on cable news networks.  Whether it was a pastor, politician, priest or psychologist, each so called expert or guest panelist mentioned the presence of evil as the cause or reason.  During his State of the Union Address on January 29th, 2002, President George W. Bush used the expression “axis of evil” to describe the forces and powers that contribute to the existence of terrorism in our world.  The Bible breaks down this axis of evil into 3 distinct areas which is vital to fully understand how a 20 year old could commit such a heinous crime.

According to Dr. Ed Murphy, an associate professor of Bible and Missions at San Jose Christian College in California, there are 2 kinds of evil that exist on earth: natural and moral.  Natural evil results from natural elements of the universe like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.  Moral evil occurs when man or woman exercise their freewill, resulting in crime, drunk driving deaths, road rage and behaviors mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21.  However, evil exists on 3 levels: within our own sinful nature, the temptations and darkness of the world and in the spiritual realm through demons and evil spirits.

The prophet Jeremiah first spoke about the first level of evil in the Old Testament within Jeremiah 17:9.  Since the origin of sin in the garden, Genesis 3, hearts have been poisoned due to the curse, as everyone born since has been born into a sin nature.  Thus, Adam Lanza’s heart  was vulnerable to deceit.  In fact, Jesus equates murder with hatred in Matthew 5:21-22, making it conceivable for Adam to fall prey to jealousy and hatred like Cain in Genesis 4.

The second level of evil consists of all the distractions which pull you away from God.  While visiting Athens, Greece, the apostle Paul was greatly distressed by the idols which blinded people from knowing the one true God in Acts17:16-23.  Unfortunately, the era of Happy Days is long gone as most Americans have turned away from following God with their whole heart.  Instead of the church influencing the culture, this post-modern society is weakening many believers, resulting in a luke warm Christianity.  It’s likely, no one demonstrated the love of Christ to Adam while he was alive which led him to fall in love with the ways of the world, 1 John 2:15-17.

Finally, the parable of the Sower suggests that the Devil or demons can snatch away the seed of the gospel sown into an individual’s heart, Matthew 13:18-19.  The apostle Paul believes that the god of this age, Satan, Ephesians 2:2, has blinded the minds of unbelievers, preventing know from knowing God, 2 Corinthians 4:4.  Furthermore, Ephesians 4:27 opens up the possibility of allowing the devil to have a foothold in your life.  If this is true, then Adam could have been ensnared into a real life James 1:13-15 situation.  Once these evil thoughts entered his mind, he reached a point of no return.

I don’t claim to know what happened.  Only God knows the answers to this tragic event.  However, I just wanted to illuminate a possibility, using scripture as a road map to show others how the sinful nature influences the heart, which yearns for the world and can come under the influence or possession of unseen forces, leading someone to do the illogical described in Romans 7:14-20.  May this event serve as a spiritual wake-up call, like 9/11/01 did for many, to lead people back on the straight and narrow path, Matthew 7:13-14.  Continue to pray for the Newtown community as they wrestle with God, trying to come to grips with what just happened.  In this time of darkness, remember the promise of Romans 8:38-39.

by Jay Mankus

A student who is continuing to learn about the spiritual realm.

15 Minutes of Fame


Due to the events which transpired today in Newtown, Connecticut, I have postponed Friday’s scheduled post for a day to share my insights on another tragedy in American schools.  As cable news networks cancel their regularly scheduled programs to run with this story around the clock, I will try to avoid creating a media frenzy.  Meanwhile, politicians in Washington D.C. are in ambulance chase mode once again, trying to ban guns, blaming the weapon not the shooter, jumping to conclusions before the facts of this school shooting become public.  In my humble opinion, this is another example of a copy cat killing, inspired by the attention the Portland Mall shooting drew, attempting to gain 15 minutes of fame before their death.

I wish the cable news networks would begin to follow the example of live sports productions.  In sports, when a drunk, streaker or someone trying to seek attention jumps onto the field or court, broadcasters have now decided to avoid showing this individual.  I am not saying to avoid this crime of violence, only to handle stories like these with kid gloves and not like the O.J. Simpson freeway pursuit back in the 1990’s.  Essentially, cable news networks are exploiting the students, their families and the town of Newtown to increase their viewership.  Unfortunately, positive news does not earn ratings so networks continue to press the envelope by highlighting crimes, death and violence each evening on the local news.

When experts begin appearing on television throughout this next week, revealing their spin on why school shooters occur, maybe they should consider the following reasons.  If there is so much hatred in our world, why not read a different Bible verse each day over the public address system, urging students to love one another.  If there is bitterness, division or fights within schools, why not get together to pray for a spirit of unity.  Instead of blaming others, why not hold students accountability, making each sign a contract to be responsible for upholding the rules within their school.  As a former teacher, if you expect much from your students, often they will rise to the occasion.  However, when individuals don’t have any goals, objective or standards, little results will follow.

Finally, I believe there are more factors involved than just a gun.  First, will the media consider the influences of music which breeds hatred and violence toward public officials like the police?  Second, will psychologists recognize the impact shoot-em up video games like Black Ops, Halo and Modern Warfare has had on diminishing the value of life?  Third, will experts tie violence to a lack of religion or religious beliefs?  The sad thing about today’s events is that 20 people as of now, have had their life cut short.  May God send his angels upon these families, to this school and community to minister to them in their time of need, Matthew 4:11.

by Jay Mankus

The Running Experience

 

From the fall of 1983 through the spring of 1993, I logged several thousand miles training for the cross country season, competing in dual meets, running in large invitationals and staying in shape through road races.  My initial experience began as a I ran from cars I threw snow balls at, fleeing the scene of houses I just toilet papered and sprinting from the authorities trying to access road signs for our high school display case.  In elementary school, Physical Fitness Week introduced me to the 50 yard dash, the 3rd fastest in my grade at Harlan Elementary, in inner city Wilmington.  During my 2 years at Hanby Junior High, gym classes forced students to run a timed mile and 2 mile once a year on our school’s track.  By the end of 8th grade, I ran a 6:20 mile and just broke 13 minutes for 2 miles.

However, there is so much more to the running experience than meets the eye.  First, running is a way you can channel your energy.  Like Bo Jackson in the ESPN 30 for 30 Presentation entitled, “You Don’t Know Bo, each of us used sports as a vessel to express ourselves to overcome stuttering.  In college, I would frequently take study breaks by running 3 miles to clear my mind from all the stress and worries of life.  Afterward, I was awake, fresh and ready to tarry on until my work was complete.

Running is also a spiritual encounter, a time you can use listening to God.  While running with a Sony Walkman in one hand, God’s voice always seemed clearer when I ran consistently for a decade.  Maybe this is why the apostle Paul uses so many metaphors in correlation with running in the Bible.  Hebrews 12:1-3 illustrates why people should run and 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 details how we should run.  Some of the most intimate times I have ever had with God have been running alone at night, getting in touch with myself and communing with the Holy Spirit.

Finally, running teaches you the values of dedication, hard work and perseverance, 1 Timothy 4:8.  Running isn’t easy nor is it a natural desire for most people.  Although, once you stick with it for a few years, you cross a threshold which actually brings joy to your life each time you run.  I stopped running for good in 1996, when stray dogs from our neighbor constantly chased me for miles.  Since I had nothing to aim or shoot for, a lack of cartilage in both my knees made my decision easy.  Today, I am semi-retired from running, only training with my 2 boys during the summer to prepare them for their cross country season.  Yet, I still practice Paul’s mental challenge in 1 Corinthians 9:27 as I continue my running experience with Christ.

by Jay Mankus

Personal Records

4:52 mile at Brandywine Creek State Park

10:20 2 mile also at Brandywine during the same cross country race

16:30 3 mile in the foothills north of Baltimore Maryland

16:53 5K (3.1 miles) at Delcastle Recreation Center

29:52 5 miles at Bellevue State Park as a 10th grader before my ankle surgery

A Mother’s Prayer


Several years ago I attended the funeral of one of my former students.  She was popular, athletic, yet quiet so I never knew what if any impact I had on her life as a Bible teacher.  Unfortunately, when you have 30 students in a class, its hard to get to know individuals well and follow the set curriculum.

Anyway, there was a public viewing before the ceremony, full of former classmates, current students and teachers.  The line zig-zagged back and forth several times before you reached the chapel area.  This room was filled with instrumental music, tears and sighs.  I almost gave up after standing in line for 2 hours, but I am thankful I remained.

As I approached her mother, I reminded her who I was, especially with the masses who already paid their last respects to her daughter.  When I reached to embrace her with a hug to keep the line going, she whispered the following words into my ear.  “I pray that the words from the Bible you shared with her class were etched upon her heart!”

While I stood in line selfishly thinking about myself, this woman of God was ministering to each person who greeted her family.  Not sure of her daughter’s eternal future, this woman held fast to the teaching Nikki received from me.  I was blown away by this responsibility which I often took for granted.  From that day on, until my last day teaching, I was radically transformed by a mother’s prayer.

by Jay Mankus