Tag Archives: the book Restoring the Foundations

When Your Conscience and Faith Go Hand in Hand

Posted on October 28, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Depending upon your education, how you were raised, and your spiritual upbringing, the concept of conscience and faith will vary. After being introduced to the book Restoring the Foundations through a Sunday School class, my perspective has changed. Due to ungodly beliefs, personal opinions that deviate from the Bible, that are picked up over the course of your life, these flawed mindsets block you from being the person who God wants you to become, Romans 12:1-2.

And the king assigned for them a daily portion of his own rich and dainty food and of the wine which he drank. They were to be so educated and so nourished for three years that at the end of that time they might stand before the king. 6 Among these were of the children of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar [the king’s attendant], Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. 8 But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by [eating his portion of] the king’s rich and dainty food or by [drinking] the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself, Daniel 1:5-8.

Based upon the beginning of this book, Daniel was blessed with intellectual and physical features. Meanwhile, Daniel’s parents introduced the teachings of Moses to him at an early age, Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Subsequently, when the Babylonians begin to force customs which are in direct conflict to the Old Testament, Daniel’s conscience and faith go hand in hand as if to sound a spiritual alarm inside his heart.

 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). 17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do, Galatians 5:16-17.

The apostle Paul explains this sensation as an internal war between the Holy Spirit and sinful nature. This human flaw described in Romans 3:9-12 has caused every individual to fall short of God’s glory. Nonetheless, when Christians begins to keep in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25, your conscience serves as a flashlight to point you in the right direction. May today’s blog inspire you to hold your ground by uniting faith with your God given conscience to follow the narrow path, Matthew 7:13-14, in a world of darkness.

by Jay Mankus

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When Souls are Crushed Beyond Repair

Posted on October 11, 2023 by expressyourself4him

As a teenager growing up in Delaware, divorce was a rare word. Out of all of my high school friends, I only knew of a few individuals who had experienced their parents’ relationship fall apart. Yet, as a teacher in a Christian school, it seemed like every week there was a couple who had decided to quit on their marriage. From time to time, students would approach me, bawling their eyes out, afraid of their future at our school and where they would live. I’ve seen with my own eyes souls crushed beyond repair.

And our father said, Go again and buy us a little food. 26 But we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face except our youngest brother is with us. 27 And your servant my father said to us, You know that [Rachel] my wife bore me two sons: 28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since. 29 And if you take this son also from me, and harm or accident should befall him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow and evil to Sheol (the place of the dead), Genesis 44:25-29.

Whenever a parent has witnessed their own child suffer harm, this can be heart breaking, especially for a mother. However, in the passage above, Moses writes about a father who had one of his sons die. This one event led Jacob to become extremely protective, not wanting to allow Benjamin to leave his sight. Apparently, Jacob appears to possess a soul that was crushed beyond repair as he was more concerned with Benjamin’s wellbeing than starving to death.

Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life and his soul knit with the lad’s soul, 31 When he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die; and your servants will be responsible for his death and will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became security for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever, Genesis 44:30-32.

The book Restoring the Foundations by Becky and Chester Kylstra introduced me to the term Soul/Spirit hurts. Soul/Spirit hurts are wounds to the soul, emotional hurts that individuals have yet to take time to deal with in their lives. As I read the words of Moses, Jacob had not yet overcome the pain of Joseph’s death. As a son of Korah writes Psalm 46:10, it’s a remainder that Christians need to slow down to heal broken hearts and or crushed spirits. May today’s blog help readers allow you to begin this healing process.

by Jay Mankus

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Thinking Rather Than Trusting in God

Posted on May 20, 2023 by expressyourself4him

In this age of social enlightenment, educators are redefining truth. This mentality has opened the door for progressive ideology and opinions to be elevated to fact status. Instead of trusting the Good Book, the Bible, many Christians have followed in the footsteps of Abraham and Isaac. When each were challenged by severe famines, each chose to think creatively rather than place their complete trust in God.

And the men of the place asked him about his wife, and he said, She is my sister; for he was afraid to say, She is my wife—[thinking], Lest the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she is attractive and is beautiful to look upon. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah his wife. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac and said, See here, she is certainly your wife! How did you [dare] say to me, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I thought, Lest I die on account of her. 10 And Abimelech said, What is this you have done to us? One of the men might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt and sin upon us, Genesis 26:7-10.

As someone who lost a losing battle with stuttering for the first two decades of my life, I became good at thinking about conversations and imagining various scenarios. Unfortunately, deep down, I developed the ungodly belief that I would never be able to truly express the feelings in my heart and the thoughts in my mind. Thanks to books like Restoring the Foundations by Chester and Becky Kylstra, I slowly began to trust God.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil, Proverbs 3:5-7.

Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the first verses in the Bible that I memorized. However, being able to recall a passage word for word from the Bible isn’t the same as putting it into practice. Matthew 7:24-27 is one of the most powerful messages recorded in the Bible. Thinking is more of theory whereas trust is an act of faith. To those who are able let go and take God at His Word, promises in the Bible, you’ll grow out thinking and move on to putting Jesus’ words into practice.

by Jay Mankus

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