Author Archives: expressyourself4him

Living Hope

Posted on August 25, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Peter uses the expression living hope to describe the resurrection of Jesus in 1 Peter 1:3.  Unfortunately, the devil distracts most saints from this fact, causing many Christians to live a defeated life.  John 21:15-19 unfolds this living hope, going from the big mouth who denied Jesus to a restored follower of Christ.

In sports, the great teams find a way to win, even when they are not at their best.  Mediocre teams are the polar opposite, finding ways to lose due to a Murphy’s Law mindset, what’s going to go wrong next or he we go again.  Its for this very reason, I believe Peter includes 2 Peter 1:3.  Unless you tap into the power of the Holy Spirit, you won’t experience the living hope as Peter did.

For those of you who are baseball fans, many are asking, what happened to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012?  People can use excuses like injuries, not living up to your talent or pitching, but the answer is simple, they lost their mental edge, their living hope.  Even professionals are not exempt from this, fighting the same battle as Christians in their minds, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

If you are feeling hopeless this morning, unplugged from the power of the Holy Spirit, spend a few minutes reading 1 Corinthians 15, especially verses 51-58.  When people begin to take hold of the spiritual truths in this passage, you can go from hopeless to hopeful.  Jesus has already won the war, yet don’t let Satan steal your hope, John 10:10.  Take hold of this living hope today by mediating on Lamentations 3:21-23, take your thoughts captive and begin to experience the power of the resurrection!

by Jay Mankus

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Relentless Determination

Posted on August 24, 2012 by expressyourself4him

In the movie Shawshank Redemption Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, an accountant falsely accused of killing his wife.  After fighting for survival while on laundry duty in prison, the warden begins to show favor toward Andy, moving him to Library duty.  Eventually, Andy is put in charge of the library, getting permission to write the state for funds.  For 3 years, Andy shows relentless determination, not stopping until he receives his goal, money and donated material to update the library.

The Lord convicted me today that I often give up before I reach my goal or desired destination.  Sometimes people read too much into closed doors, failure or lost opportunities.  Trying something once, twice or a few times and abandoning it isn’t honoring to God, especially if you are going in a direction you are passionate about.  As C.S. Lewis declares in Mere Christianity, success is the process of arriving, not actually arriving.

As I continue to search for my place in the world, a song by Michael W. Smith, I need to dig down deep.  Like a 3rd stringer trying to make an NFL team, the person who demonstrates relentless determination often opens the coaches eyes and sometimes wins a spot on the team.  Desperation can bring out the best in someone, especially if they are fighting for their livelihood.  If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!  Faith in a cause leads to relentless determination, James 2:18.

by Jay Mankus

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A Kick in the Rear

Posted on August 23, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Jesus once told Peter, “get behind me Satan!” according to Matthew 16:23.  John wrote a letter which suggested that God was going to spit out the Laodicean church, Revelation 3:15-16.  Finally, Paul told Barnabas to hit the road after refusing to part ways with John Mark who recently abandoned them during their mission trip in Acts 13:13.  Regardless of who you are, everyone needs a good kick in the rear every once in a while.

Yesterday, through 2 different conversations, I felt as if God was using these individuals to give me a kick in the butt.  In Ephesians 4:26, the apostle Paul urges people not to allow their anger to lead them into sin.  Anger in itself is not a sin, simply an emotion which may lead us to lose control.  The angry I experienced yesterday has served as motivation to prove one person wrong and inspire me to complete my journey of finding a new promised land, a full time position.

As a friend told me today, “you can’t out think God,” is a reminder that God is in control, not me.  I can try to intervene by fasting and praying, yet in the end only God knows what is going to happen.  Therefore, if you have received a kick in the rear today, maybe its God trying to get your attention so God can lead you toward His will, not yours!

by Jay Mankus

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8 Years Old

Posted on August 22, 2012 by expressyourself4him

On August 20th, 2004, I was finishing my last day of my summer job, hardscaping.  Since I was the only full time employee, my boss wanted us to complete our patio, sidewalk and lighted walkway.  As the sun set, he pulled his truck up onto the grass to give us the light we needed to put the final layer of edging in place.  Just then, my wife called to tell my she was feeling labor pains, so I rushed home, dodging a few deer along the way to take her to the hospital.

This was a special night for our family, but it was also a new era for the Philadelphia Eagles.  Terrell Owens, on his first play of the preseason, caught a long bomb for a touchdown from Donovan McNabb.  Yes, the Eagles were on their way to another Super Bowl loss and I was on my way to experiencing the birth of our third and final child.  Yet, there was a snag; my only daughter inside of my wife was in the breach position and the doctor was not able to turn the child around.  Therefore, the hospital scheduled a c-section for the following day, August 21st.

Yesterday, my baby girl, Lydia Grace, turned 8.  To celebrate, we took her to Hershey Park, where she went on her first roller coaster at age 6.  Since she has grown, she is now a Hershey’s Bar, able to ride on 6 of the 12 coasters at the park.  So on her day, I took her around, sharing a memorable day that hopefully she won’t forget.

In the movie RV,Robin Williams plays a dad who has lost touch with his family.  In the first scene, his little girls in the apple of his eye.  Yet’ when she grows up, they forget about the special times they have shared together.  As a father, I pray that my daughter and I don’t forget days like yesterday or neglect the time we have together while on earth.  Since life is the greatest gift on earth, make the most of every second you have with those whom you love, Ephesians 5:15-16!

by Jay Mankus

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Living the Ultimate Gift

Posted on August 21, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Over the past month, I have replaced several fence posts at work.  Due to several severe storms in July, 3 different uprooted trees have destroyed several sections of fence posts where I work.  As I spent several hours this afternoon replacing these fence posts, I began to feel as if I was living the movie The Ultimate Gift.

Produced in 2006, Jason Stevens played by Drew Fuller, is a brat, spoiled by riches which surrounded him as a child.  After the death of his grandfather Red, a series of challenges as part of the will left for Jason takes him on an adventure that slowly changes his life.  Jason’s first gift is work, something he never had to do as an adult due to the excess of money given to him.  Not sure what to expect, Jason leaves for Texas to work on a farm, putting up miles of fence post by himself.

Jason doesn’t begin to take this first challenge serious until he begins to realize that once he is finished, he will receive his inheritance.  Although he doesn’t receive it right away, each challenge is a step toward maturity.  As God has humbled me over the past 8 months, I feel as if with each fence post I repair, God is teaching me a new lesson.  Though my inheritance will be in heaven, my journey is far from over, leaning on the Lord for understanding along the way, Proverbs 3:5-6.

by Jay Mankus

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12 Days Left

Posted on August 20, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Sometimes you have to take a risk, to put things out there, trusting God will provide.  Back in 2007, Jimmy Rollins told the National League East that the Phillies were the team to beat.  Although they went 14 years without making the playoffs, Jimmy had a gut feeling so he spoke up.  The result was the Phillies won 5 straight league championships and 1 World Series Championship.

Back in July, I had a similar gut feeling to Jimmy Rollins.  I felt that I would have a new full time position by August.  Well, if you slept through the summer, there are only 12 days left in August.  According to 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, we should test everything.  When I contemplate my situation, its not out of the ordinary for God to provide a specific thing for people in need.  Therefore, I believe some way and some how, God is going to provide a position in the next 2 weeks.

Maybe I will be proven wrong or maybe my words will be validated like Jimmy Rollins.  Only time will time as the Lord’s will unfolds.  As for now, all I can do is live out 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, make the most of the opportunities God provides and be available.  The rest is in the Lord’s hand!

by Jay Mankus

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Telling Your Story

Posted on August 19, 2012 by expressyourself4him

In the book of 2 Kings chapter 7, there is a unique story.  This chapter focuses on 4 lepers who are facing a dual threat: starving to death or dying at the hands of the Arameans.  According to 2 Kings 7:3-5, these man contemplate their future, eventually coming to a consensus, agreeing to surrender to the Arameans.

As they walk in faith toward the Aramean camp, there are surprised by their findings, a vacant camp full of food, drink, wealth and clothing.  Initially, these 4 men indulge themselves, going from tent to tent.  However, in 2 Kings 7:9, these 4 men are convicted by their hoarding of this great find.  Instead, they feel compelled to tell their story, reporting to this good news back to the royal palace, 2 Kings 7:10.

When I heard this message on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, I immediately felt the Holy Spirit leading me to tell my story of faith.  For the first 13 years of my life, I tried to find substitutes for God, pouring my heart and my soul into sports, relationships and sinful desires.  Despite initial feelings of pleasure, nothing I tried could fill the void in my heart.  Therefore, I surrendered my life to Jesus, Romans 10:9-10, during a Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s event during my sophomore year of high school.  Although my journey hasn’t always been smooth, I have complete assurance through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 1 John 5:13.

Don’t wait until its too late!  Give your heart to Jesus today.  Your eternal destination is in the balance.  Read the book of 1 John to help you begin you walk of faith like the 4 lepers!

by Jay Mankus

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WMHR: A Lifelong Vision

Posted on August 17, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Over this past week, the Lord has revealed several visions to me.  I had a vision about turning a 12 acre site into a retreat center, another vision about creating the ideal work environment for a school campus and a reminder of an old vision about establishing a cutting edge Christian radio station.  I am not sure what God wants me to do with these visions, but I need to begin to take small steps to see where the Holy Spirit may lead me in the future.

In the movie Facing the Giants, there is a scene early on where the football coach thinks he is going to be fired.  However, the very next day he has an encounter with an older gentlemen who had been praying for each student by placing his hand on their lockers.  Anyway, this man walks into the coach’s office with a message directly from God.  Thinking his wife put him up to it, he follows this man into the hallway, where he tells a parable.  The point of the parable was to examine whether or not you are going to trust God to send rain for the spiritual seeds you are sowing.  I guess I find myself in an identical situation, but this is real life not a movie.

WMHR are call letters for Must Hear Radio, a name the Lord gave to me back in the early 90’s.  If the secular music industry is a billion dollar a year business, why can’t Christians use a similar model to succeed without the politics which exist in the Christian music industry.  I wrote a business plan nearly 20 years ago, yet I never had the funding or backing with people who shared the same vision.  As for now its just a dream, pictures in my mind of what could be reality, but I didn’t win Wednesday night’s Powerball.  Anyway, God is good and in the end, He is Jehovah-Jireh, providing a ram for Abraham and a full time job soon for me.

by Jay Mankus

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Confessions from a Bartender

Posted on August 17, 2012 by expressyourself4him

As I was contemplating what to write today, the Lord drew me to a name from the past.  While living in Chicago, I spent nearly a year and a half as an assistant golf professional at Four Winds Golf Club,  Since I worked long shifts in the summer, I often ate in the clubhouse.  Although I usually didn’t have much time to talk during my lunch or dinner break, I couldn’t help getting to know the head bartender.

Personality is a trait which is overlooked by employers, yet for bartenders, this is a key ingredient for success.  Richard had one of the best personalities that I have ever met with an innate ability to tell stories like a comedian, nailing the punchline every time.  Though his friends called him Dick, don’t laugh, he was one of the best bartenders I have ever met and the only one I have ever known, but who’s counting.  As we became friends, Dick even caddied for me in a professional tournament in Morris, Illinois, a 2 hour drive from Chicago.

Dick’s greatest attribute was his honesty.  Sometimes I felt like a priest at a confessional, listening to a long list of mistakes he had made in life.  In fact, during the end of my first full season, Dick was one of the fall guys in a golf outing gone bad.  Even though he had no decision in the clientele who participated in the public relations nightmare, Dick took the fall, getting fired so someone else didn’t.  I miss the honesty, sincerity and openness I saw in Dick.

Unfortunately, in our current age of cut throat politics, honesty is used against candidates by their opponents in the form of campaign ads.  Meanwhile, lies are reported and repeated so regularly that the truth is flushed down the toilet.  Though are founding fathers weren’t saints and said disturbing things, many of them would be rolling over in their graves if they saw the garbage on television which exists today.  Where is the voice?  Where is the messenger?  Where is the bartender like Dick, who spoke the truth in love.  God is waiting for an Ezekiel like call to come forward before its too late, Ezekiel 22:30, are you the one willing to bridge the gap?

by Jay Mankus

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Beneath The Scars

Posted on August 16, 2012 by expressyourself4him

While most people have kept up with technology, downloading songs from I Tunes, I still believe in purchasing CD’s.  Yes, those round things that you put in that device you have to plug in and turn on before you can actually hear music.  Any way, as I was listening to 12 Stones, one of the new albums I bought for my birthday, I was led into a spirit of worship.

Their album Beneath The Scars touched my heart, sending me into an amazing state of praise.  The song That Changes Everything highlights the meaning behind the name of this 12 Stones album.  When you consider the suffering Christ endured, Hebrews 12:4, for you and for me, its a game changer!  Beneath the scars mentioned in Matthew 27:27-40, we have a Savior who conquered sin and death, 1 Corinthians 15:52-57.

If you dig deeper, shifting from Christ to your own life, we all have scars.  Some from surgery’s, others from birth defects as well as those emotional scars undetected by the human eye.  Yet, they are there, in everyone whether you like it or not.  In a way, we are all like jars of clay, 2 Corinthians 4:1-12.  Despite our imperfections, our weaknesses and any pain we are still holding on to, there is healing Beneath The Scars, 2 Corinthians 4:13-15!

by Jay Mankus

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