Tag Archives: the ten commandments

When Tomorrow Ends Up Being Next Year or Later

Posted on June 6, 2023 by expressyourself4him

There is an ungodly belief that has been widely adopted by many churches which has been embraced by members of their congregation. Using verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 1:6, there’s a consensus that God has a plan for your life and will bring to completion what the Lord began in your life. While this statement is true, the timeframe Christians are told when God’s will be fulfilled isn’t accurate. Ideally, when you cry out to the Lord for a specific request in prayer, receiving an answer tomorrow would be great. This has occurred in my life, but what do you do when tomorrow ends up being next year or later?

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. 14 Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air], James 4:13-14.

Human nature puts a desire for instant gratification within people. The Bible refers to this as the flesh, a sinful nature that is hostile toward God, Romans 8:5-8. When an only child or spoiled brat doesn’t get their way, tantrums often follow. While everyone matures at a different rate of time, some adults don’t grow out of this behavior. When the promise of tomorrow ends up becoming next week, next month or sometime next year, anxiousness may turn into fits of rage if things don’t go your way.

All the commandments which I command you this day you shall be watchful to do, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not become old upon you nor did your feet swell these forty years, Deuteronomy 8:1-4.

The book of Deuteronomy is a recapitulation of the Ten Commandments and much of the Mosaic Law. If human beings possess a sinful nature, they are also forgetful. Subsequently, God called Moses to write this book to remind the Israelites of God’s law. The selected passage above highlights Israel’s journey from Egypt to God’s promised land. This trip should have taken about a month by foot, but disobedience and grumbling turned arriving tomorrow into forty years later. When God puts the next phase of your life on hold, follow Solomon’s advice in Proverbs 3:5-6 to fight through the battle between time and following God’s will for your life.

by Jay Mankus

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More Than Just Deception

Posted on February 15, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Lying is a form of trickery. When an individual is afraid of how someone will respond to something you did or said, words are crafted in such a manner to minimize the truth. This is the decision Abram made on his own when a famine postponed his journey to God’s promised land. Rather than walk in faith with the belief that God will do exactly what He said in Haran, Abram was fearful that a man married to a beautiful wife would be killed and his wife taken by Pharaoh.

And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, I know that you are beautiful to behold. 12 So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say, I beg of you, that you are [c]my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you. 14 And when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh’s house [harem], Genesis 12:11-15.

The passage above is the opposite of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Eve listened to the tempter, convinced Adam that eating from the Tree of Knowledge would be beneficial and gave her husband a bite of the fig in her hand. Meanwhile, this new couple approached Egypt, Abram was the schemer who sold Sarai on the idea that “just say you’re my sister, no one will ever know but us.” Abram’s decision was more than just deception, the choice to lie was a reflection of his lack of faith in God.

You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. 4 You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, Exodus 20:3-5.

Moses is the author of the first five books of the Old Testament. Moses isn’t afraid to mince words in the passage above. While Moses is writing the Ten Commandments for the nation of Israel to follow, God’s character is unveiled. Human beings who place anyone or anything above the Lord as their top priority open the door for generational sins to be passed down to your children. Subsequently, Abram’s lying was adopted by Isaac and Jacob. Therefore, the next time you find yourself stretching the truth, may the consequence of generational sins convict you to stop this deception before it’s embraced by your future descendants.

by Jay Mankus

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Breaking Generational Sins Before It’s Too Late

Posted on December 19, 2022 by expressyourself4him

The first mention of generational sins in the Bible is found in Exodus 20:5. As God unveils the Ten Commandments to the Nation of Israel, Moses is urged to inform individuals of the sins of the father. This includes any addiction, bad habits, careless choices, unwholesome desires or any act of disobedience that is in direct conflict with God’s commands, decrees and precepts. Following Moses’ disclaimer about generational sins, the ten commandments are centered around loving God and loving your neighbor.

And Cain said to his brother, [b]Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper? 10 And [the Lord] said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s [shed] blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth [in perpetual exile, a degraded outcast], Genesis 4:8-12.

After the act of original sin, a joint venture by Adam and Eve, who was right there with her while taking a bite from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge in Genesis 3:6, the second sin in the Bible is mentioned in the passage above. Just as Eve made a decision to break God’s only boundary in the Garden of Eden, Cain made up his mind to eliminate his competition and the source of his envy/jealousy. Cain’s act of murder was passed down to his children and grandchildren, up to four generations.

Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say; for I have slain a man [merely] for wounding me, and a young man [only] for striking and bruising me. 24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech [will be avenged] seventy-sevenfold, Genesis 4:23-24.

Although I’ve read the book of Genesis on numerous occasions, I failed to see the confession made by Lamech to his two wives. Following some sort of altercation and dispute, Lamech admits to killing a young man who physically assaulted him. Lamech reflects upon what God said about Cain and his earthly punishment. When I heard Lamech’s confession, this is clearly a sign from God to break any generational sins in your family before it’s too late. Follow the apostle Paul’s advice in Galatians 5:16-25 to break this sinful pattern so you don;t follow in your father’s wayward footsteps.

by Jay Mankus

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Never Prioritize Rules over Goodness and Grace

Posted on November 6, 2021 by expressyourself4him

Legalism is preoccupation with form at the expense of substance. Biblical legalism appears to have had a theological origin in the seventeenth century, when Edward Fisher used it to designate “one who bringeth the Law into the case of Justification.” This comes from The Marrow of Modern Divinity which was published in 1645. While biblical laws distinguish right and wrong, never prioritize rules over goodness and grace. The passage below illustrates this point.

And [the Pharisees] kept watching Jesus [closely] to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they might get a charge to bring against Him [[b]formally]. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, Get up [and stand here] in the midst. 4 And He said to them, Is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to take it? But they kept silence, Mark 3:2-4.

Jesus is at a local synagogue with other Jews celebrating the Sabbath. Perhaps, there were rumors that Jesus didn’t follow all of the religious interpretations of what it meant to keep the 4th Commandment. The Pharisees present on this Saturday were so consumed by religious traditions, that the substance of their worship was greatly hindered. Meanwhile, as Jesus approached a man with a shriveled hand, compassion and grace filled His heart. This is why Jesus responds with a question about the Sabbath.

So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them to give him a gift. 4 And Peter directed his gaze intently at him, and so did John, and said, Look at us! 5 And [the man] paid attention to them, expecting that he was going to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the [a]use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! 7 Then he took hold of the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady, Acts 3:3-7.

Two disciples find themselves in a similar situation following Jesus’ ascension into heaven. A beggar who was an invalid was hoping the sight of his condition would result in pity and some spare change. Peter and John didn’t care about what any religious leaders in the temple thought. Rather, Peter seizes this opportunity to perform a miracle. Another way of viewing legalism is Jesus’ response in Matthew 22:34-39. The Ten Commandments serve as a guide to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. This is the Golden Rule where goodness and grace trump the legalistic adherence to a set of rules.

by Jay Mankus

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The Adapted Truth

Posted on August 31, 2021 by expressyourself4him

Adaptation is the biological mechanism by which organisms adjust to new environments or changes in their current environment. This evolutionary theory was discussed by scientists prior to the 1800’s, but it was Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace who developed the theory of natural selection. As time presses on and what human beings once thought was right has been altered, an adapted truth is necessary to combine the past with the present.

Hold fast and follow the pattern of wholesome and sound teaching which you have heard from me, in [all] the faith and love which are [for us] in Christ Jesus, 2 Timothy 1:13.

As a child, I assumed I was a Christian. Growing up in a Romans Catholic Church, I was taught if I followed the Ten Commandments and practiced the Holy Sacraments, I would go to heaven. After attending a Methodist Youth Group in high school, I was encouraged to study the Bible. The more that I read I began to realize Christianity is a relationship, not a religious practice. This new adapted truth forced me to evolve spiritually.

Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth] which has been entrusted [to you], by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us, 2 Timothy 1:14.

Whether new nuggets of faith are unveiled, Romans 10:17, or you’re exposed to a new teaching that helps connect all the dots, you have to be open to change. During visits to Thessalonica and Berea in Acts 17, the apostle Paul began to recognize the shrewd from the silly. When you test everything you hear with God’s Word, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, you may be forced to a new adapted truth so that what you believe aligns with the Bible.

by Jay Mankus

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When Right is Wrong, Wrong is Right and Everything Else Turns to Gray

Posted on July 29, 2020 by expressyourself4him

Since public Bible readings and prayer was banned from public education during the 1960’s, it was only a matter of time before right and wrong would come under attack. Beginning in 1980, a group of Kentucky parents targeted the Ten Commandments.  These parents argued that the posting of copies of the Ten Commandments in each public school classroom violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. In the ensuing case Stone vs. Graham, the court ruled 5-2 in the parents’ favor declaring, “the Ten Commandments had no secular legislative purpose” and were “plainly religious in nature.”

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! – Isaiah 5:20

This is a far cry from what America’s founding fathers believed. While serving as the second president of the United States, John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (October 11, 1798). The freedom that our founding fathers aspired to achieve was a freedom in the context of moral standards based upon biblical principles. Yet, after all aspects of God was neutered from public education, atheists began to attack public displays of faith. Whether it’s nativity scenes, statues of the Ten Commandments or monuments in the shape of crosses, reminders of right and wrong have vanished from public squares throughout America.

So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin, James 4:17.

Gray areas refer to ill-defined situations, fields not readily conforming to a category or to an existing set of rules. One of the purposes of the Bible is to define boundaries designed to keep God near while shielding yourself from evil. Unfortunately, as right and wrong is no longer clearly defined for young people, absolutes have turned into expanding gray areas. Meanwhile, opinions expressed on talk shows are being elevated to the status of facts. Despite this growing trend, Jesus’ earthly brother clarifies the status of right and wrong. While the amoral do exist, if you know what’s right and don’t do it, sins of omission are equivalent to sins of action. Therefore, if you’re not sure which way to turn, open the Bible and find out for yourself, Romans 10:17.

by Jay Mankus

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Losing Sight of God

Posted on July 15, 2020 by expressyourself4him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlTYgVi-PFE

While special horses are trained to become thoroughbreds, horses can’t see everything in it’s peripheral vision. To avoid horses from becoming distracted or scared, blinders are used to keep the horse focused on what is in front of it. Controlling a horse at 40 miles per hour requires a rare combination of strength and lightness for a jockey. Those jockeys who do the best at keeping their horse focused on the finish line, tend to accumulate more victories.

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1.

Unfortunately, I share similar traits with horses, often veering off course. I tend to become so consumed and fixated on what I am doing that I lose track of time. The clearer you are about your vision in life, the greater the impact you will have in the world. Vision is the ability to think about or plan your future with imagination, insight and wisdom. Whenever I stray from my dreams and goals, my vision grows dim.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children, Hosea 4:6.

An Old Testament prophet blames a lack of knowledge for those who fail to reach their full potential. At the time that Hosea pens this letter, Israel began to do what was right in their own eyes. Instead of following the ten commandments, many were blinded by worldly beliefs and principles. A similar trend is taking place today as progressive ideas have been embraced by many churches. Thus, losing sight of God becomes an unpleasant reality. If you’re ready to regain focus on God, do so with perseverance, fixated on the cross of Jesus.

by Jay Mankus

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A Nation of False Witnesses

Posted on May 30, 2019 by expressyourself4him

I was first introduced to the ten commandments through CCD, the Catholic version of Sunday School.  These ten standards were drilled into my mind as God’s expectations for human beings to follow.  As a young boy, I didn’t understand love or know how these principles would shape my life.  Yet, this portion of the Bible serves as the cornerstone for being civilized.  Anyone who adheres to the final six commandments follows the golden rule, treating others as you want to be treated.

12 “Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the Lord your God gives you.

13 “You shall not commit murder (unjustified, deliberate homicide).

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal [secretly, openly, fraudulently, or through carelessness].

16 “You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person), Exodus 20:12-16.

After attending seminary for two years, my understanding of the ten commandments grew.  Jesus’ response to a first century religious leader below highlights two distinct sections.  The first four commandments are focused on loving God.  The final six commandments emphasize loving your neighbor.  Within his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis refers to Cardinal and Theological virtues.  Anyone can follow the final six commandments if you are determined to do so.  However, loving God requires the Holy Spirit which is only available to those who enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Romans 10:9-10.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ 40 The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments,” Matthew 22:36-40.

As I listen to cable news, talk shows and people throughout the course of my day, there is a growing crisis.  Either Americans don’t know the ten commandments, don’t care about these Old Testament commands or the searing of consciences has reached epidemic levels?  There are various mantras, narratives and talking points that are spewed daily.  If you change the channel or turn the page of a newspaper, these messages bombard human minds day after day.  When a different opinion or point of view is offered, attacks are made in the form of lies.  Maybe I am alone, but it appears that the United States is becoming a nation of false witnesses as both sides can’t be right  Perhaps, the ten commandments is the only thing that may reverse this trend by convicting souls to love God and love others.

by Jay Mankus

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The Fundamental Basis for Law

Posted on December 23, 2018 by expressyourself4him

Prominent founding fathers argued that the United States Constitution should not be ratified as it failed to protect the basic principles of human liberty.  This led James Madison to propose amendments to the constitution.  These amendments known as the Bill of Rights were inspired by George Mason’s 1776 Virginia Declarations of Rights, the 1689 English Bill of Rights, works during the Age of Enlightenment pertaining to natural rights and the Magna Carta, 1215.  Ironically, the Magna Carta would inspire American colonists a few hundred years later to declare independence from Great Britain.  Roughly one-third of the provisions in the United States’ Bill of Rights draw from the Magna Carta, particularly from its 39th clause.

“The fundamental basis of this Nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount.  The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings that we get from Exodus and St, Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul, ” President Harry S. Truman, 1950.

The 33rd president of the United States goes one step further, claiming that the foundation upon which the United States has based its laws comes directly out of the Bible.  As a World War I veteran and the Vice President to FDR, Truman who took office following Roosevelt’s death.  Under Truman’s leadership, World War II ended following the use of two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Less than a month after dropping these bombs, Japan surrendered.  Sometimes you have to use drastic measures to end worldly conflicts.  While Truman is still criticized today for this controversial decision, few will remember this president for his quote listed above.  Although modern historians glance over, ignore and suppress biblical influences on the founding of America, the Bill of Rights borrows from civil law within the ten commandments.

“Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the Lord your God gives you.13 “You shall not commit murder (unjustified, deliberate homicide).14 “You shall not commit adultery.15 “You shall not steal [secretly, openly, fraudulently, or through carelessness].16 “You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).17 “You shall not covet [that is, selfishly desire and attempt to acquire] your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor,” Exodus 20:12-17.

The ten commandments contain two separate categories, loving God and loving your neighbor, Matthew 22:36-39.  The first four provide instructions on how individuals can honor and please the Lord.  The final six focus on civil laws or as Jesus details in Matthew 22, loving your neighbor as yourself.  This is the foundation of the Golden Rule, “treating other people as you want to be treated.”  In this day and age, educators, lawyers and politicians often try to make the simple complex.  Yet, Jesus simplifies the fundamental basis for law so that even a young child can understand.  Every day God offers free will, giving people the option to love or hate, forgive or hold grudges, overlook offenses or magnify sin.  The choice is yours, but I pray that the Holy Spirit inspires you during this Christmas season to develop an overwhelming desire to love God and those you come in contact with daily.

by Jay Mankus

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America is Only as Strong as Her Moral and Spiritual Forces

Posted on December 18, 2018 by expressyourself4him

During a 1952 sermon, the reverend Billy Graham provided a prophetic message about the United States of America.  Using the passage of 2 Chronicles 7 to serve as his context, Graham compared the Israelites in the Old Testament with America.  When families, individuals or nations experience the misfortune of hardship, your degree of character will be revealed.  Thus, during times of disaster, drought or death, America is only as strong as her moral and spiritual forces.

If I shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence and plague among My people, 2 Chronicles 7:13.

Ten years following this statement, the Supreme Court removed prayer from public education using the separation of church and state as it’s rationale.  One year later, public Bible readings over the morning announcements was also banned from public education.  Using each of these cases as predetermining factors, other states followed these rulings to weaken moral and spiritual forces in America.  By 1980, atheists, liberals and progressives waged war against the ten commandments, having these civil and ethical standards also removed from public schools.

And My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land, 2 Chronicles 7:14.

When you turn on cable news, follow social media sites and or listen to talk radio, current events are a by product of these past judicial decisions.  Instead of focusing on doom and gloom as society edges closer to the verge of lawlessness, the best course of action is to humble yourself before the Lord.  As you do, confess and pray for positive results, that revival will sweep across this land.  Billy Graham devoted 58 years of his life, from 1947-2005, traveling the globe to conduct 417 Bible Crusades in 185 countries.  This wasn’t done for selfish ambition or self promotion.  Rather, Billy Graham understood that America and the world is only as strong as her moral and spiritual forces.

by Jay Mankus

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