Tag Archives: the days of Judges

Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe

The term vibe can be best described as ambiance, aura, character and spirit that oozes out of your soul.  Others refer to this quality as charisma, a trait that a pied piper demonstrates.  People who exhibit a strong personality tend to develop a following.  Whether this occurs within your community, on social media or at your place of employment, these groups may resemble a tribe as in the days of the Old Testament.

So Moses and Aaron took these men who were designated by name, 18 and assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they registered by ancestry in their families (clans), by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19 just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai, Numbers 1:17-19.

During the Exodus out of Egypt, the Israelites traveled in 12 groups.  These groups were named after the 12 sons of Israel.  Moses refers to these descendants as Tribes.  In the early days on earth, the order of your birth often dictated your ability to be successful in life.  Unfortunately, during the days of Judges, individuals began to do what was right in their own eyes.  Instead of keeping the ten commandments, worldly judges gave off bad vibes.  Thus, many tribes gradually became spiritually bankrupt.

What good has it done me if, [merely] from a human point of view, I fought with wild animals at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink [enjoying ourselves now], for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived:“Bad company corrupts good morals,” 1 Corinthians 15:32-33.

In a letter to the church of Corinth, the apostle Paul warns Christians about negative influences in life.  Within a culture steered by philosophy, it wasn’t hard to justify and rationalize certain types of behavior.  In the passage above, Paul is blunt, warning people about getting close to those who demonstrate sketchy character.  Like the sowing principle, the vibe you give off to certain groups of people.  Therefore, don’t be mislead by bad company.  Rather, let your light shine throughout your community, Matthew 5:16, so that others will be drawn to Christ.

by Jay Mankus

When the World Passes You By

I can’t speak for anyone else, yet I tend to believe that the older you become the greater the likelihood of being passed by.  The generation before me grew up with type writers, record players and the radio.  Although some of the new gadgets are enticing, the stubborn cling to their past.   Before long technological advances can leave even the educated lost in the dark.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1

While getting lost last weekend, I realized how dependent individuals have become on GPS.  In a car full of hungry stomachs, the old school, maps, were bickering against the voice on a cell phone.  Neither seemed to be reliable as a 10 minute car ride turned into a 45 minute argument.  Perhaps the more one trusts in apps, technology and websites, the weaker the human mind becomes.

I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their ancestors did.” – Judges 2:22

From a spiritual perspective, sometimes the newest teachings are merely recycled lies from the past.  The New Age Movement began in the Garden of Eden inspired by Lucifer.  Humanism was conceived during the days of Judges when people did what they thought was right in their own eyes.  Finally, the idea that there are many paths to heaven was confronted by Jesus during the first century, John 14:6.  Thus, if you feel like the world is passing you by, lean on God’s Word, the Bible to find your way home, Psalm 119:105.

by Jay Mankus