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Until I Walk Where I Belong

Hypocrisy is the contrivance of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, while concealing real character or inclinations, especially with respect to religious and moral beliefs. Whenever individuals begin to say one thing publically, but your every day actions tell a different story, a hypocrite is on the verge of being conceived. Unfortunately, at this moment in time, I find myself in the sad state of indulging in hypocrisy. This trend will continue until I begin to walk where I belong, exchanging darkness for the light.


A fellowship is formed when a group of people who share a common interest come together to reinforce this activity, belief or conviction . During his 3 year earthly ministry, Jesus used the analogy of light and darkness to express those who embrace God from others who have strayed from Old Testament principles. The disciple who Jesus loved builds upon this concept in the passage above highlighting that hypocrites are walking in darkness, not in the light of Christ.

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed, Romans 13:11.

One of the ways first century Christians inspired change was to develop a mindset that Jesus’ second coming is imminent. The apostle Paul eludes to this in a letter to the Church at Rome. When bad habits begin to become a life style, the fear of God is needed to awaken souls like mine from their spiritual slumber. Thus, until I start walking in the light, where I belong, examples of hypocrisy will continue to send a mixed message to others. Therefore, it’s time to leave my deeds of darkness by abiding in God’s light.

by Jay Mankus


A Reason to Reconsider

Imitation is a response by an observer or observers who replicate another’s behavior. This can be viewed as a form a flattery when the originator sees others coping a dance move, expression or unique style. One of the nicknames Jesus received during the first century was the Great Magician. Jealous of Jesus’ great healing powers, religious leaders began to refer to Jesus as an illusionist, performing miracles in the name of Satan, Matthew 12:24. Despite these claims, Jesus’ ministry inspired others to become faith healers without having a personal relationship with God.


During a trip to Ephesus, Luke details a family of brothers who became Jewish exorcists. This isn’t a scene out of the Exorcism of Emily Rose, a 2005 film. Rather, the sons of Sceva traveled to homes filled with desperate individuals hoping to be set free from demonic oppression and possession. Apparently, this was a viable occupation, making enough money and successful enough to rid souls from imps. Yet, when this crew confronted a legion of demons, all 7 got their butts kicked, barely escaping, fleeing in fear.

This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and exalted. 18 Many of those who had become believers were coming, confessing and disclosing their [former sinful] practices. 19 And many of those who had practiced magical arts collected their books and [throwing book after book on the pile] began burning them in front of everyone. They calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver, Acts 19:17-19.

Like the top grossing horror films of all time, fear gripped everyone who interviewed these brothers or witnessed this assault. According to Luke, the thought of imitating the Christian faith stopped, resulting in a spiritual awakening that spread to practicing witches. Contrite hearts began to purge their lives from anything that attempted to imitate God’s power. Subsequently, magical books worth 50,000 pieces of silver were burned. The fear of God from what happened to the 7 sons of Sceva served as a reason to reconsider previous practices by embracing Jesus as Lord and Savior.

by Jay Mankus

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