Author Archives: expressyourself4him

Passage of the Day:

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong, 2 Corinthians 12:6-10.

Reflection:

As I was in church last week, the youth group praise team was singing How He Loves. As I was singing one of the stanzas, I was moved by the phrase “afflictions eclipsed by glory.” After the worship time ended, I began to contemplate, what does this really mean? As I started to journal Sunday afternoon, the Holy Spirit led me to the words of the apostle Paul in today’s featured passage. Just as maturity is made complete through trials, James 1:2-4, coping with afflictions to our bodies, minds and soul will lead Christians to temperance like the apostle Paul.

Prayerful Action:

I can do all this through him who gives me strength, Philippians 4:13.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

Staying positive when you experience times of afflictions can be difficult. Whether you’re recovering from an accident, illness or tragedy, you may find yourself struggling with a thorn in your flesh or soul. While human nature may tempt you to embrace misery, avoid any bickering or complaining, Philippians 2:14. Therefore, as your faith is refined by fire, 1 Peter 1:6-7, start setting clear boundaries to live by so that the Holy Spirit will lead you, Galatians 5:25, to go the right distance and no further.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Every Christian has their own kryptonite, a weakness that the Devil is aware of, 1 Peter 5:8. Until Christians begin setting clear boundaries in their lives, beginning with dating and relationships, you won’t know when to say when. This is where temperance is conceived with the goal of keeping in step with the Holy Spirit daily.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ² for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;³ for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; ⁴ for giving prudence to those who are simple,  knowledge and discretion to the young—⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.^{[b] 7} The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools^[c] despise wisdom and instruction.⁸ Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. ⁹ They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. ¹⁰ My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them, Proverbs 1:1-10.

Reflection:

I was introduced to the term temperance by C.S. Lewis. This Cardinal Virtue available to anyone who seeks this spiritual discipline is expounded upon within the book Mere Christianity. Prior to reading this classic, I thought temperance was referring to your temper. Yet, the spiritual definition is going the right difference and no further. While King Solomon is known as one of the wisest individuals to walk the face of the earth, this doesn’t mean that Solomon was immune to making poor decisions. Likely thinking about poor choices, he made in his past, Solomon writes the first chapter of Proverbs to a specific son. As I reread today’s featured passage it appears that Solomon is urging readers to go the right distance and no further.

Prayerful Action:

Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

Perception is the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through your senses. Life experiences like the ones which inspired the book of Proverbs, Solomon seeks to persuade his son from making similar errors, mistakes and transgressions. While writing to the Church of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul provides a series of steps to help Christians go the right distance and no further. Don’t just believe whatever you hear, read or see. Rather, test this information with the Bible like the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12. Although this doesn’t guarantee that you’ll do the right thing all the time, testing what you hear should keep you on the straight and narrow, Matthew 7:13-14.

Passage of the Day:

The lyrics to Feel the Nails transformed my life in college during a retreat my junior year. The next time you go the wrong distance and fail, may this song turn into a prayer to bring you back to God’s grace and mercy.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. ⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. ⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near,’ Luke 10:1-11.

Reflection:

One of the things I learned in college was that Jesus had more than just 12 disciples. After the main disciples were gathered, Jesus goes through a screening process in Luke 9:57-62. Those that met Jesus’ criteria were appointed to become minor disciples, serving Jesus in teams of two. As I recently read today’s featured passage, this is similar to the faith journeys of modern-day Christians. While most don’t serve Jesus in pairs, home groups provide a ministry for Christians outside the church. This is where you have the opportunity to invite friends and neighbors like the other 72 disciples. This sets the stage for a journey of a lifetime.

Prayerful Action:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:15.

Working Out Your Salvation:

As someone who spent 8 years working nights, you have to fight to stay awake in church when my body was normally sound asleep. This also coincided with Covid-19 causing all services where I lived to stop meeting and eventually do worship online. Once congregations were legally allowed to resume corporate worship, I decided to attend a local Saturday night service. While this wasn’t ideal, this was part of my faith journey until I was able to return to working days and be off every Sunday. Everyone has a different story like a flow chart with peaks and valleys. Spiritually speaking, you want to have a gradual ascent toward Jesus, growing closer and closer with each passing day. Yet, this isn’t reality as faith is often rudely interrupted by extreme circumstances and trying trials. How you handle these events will shape your testimony. Working out your salvation comes into play when you feel like quitting, walking away from your faith like some of my friends. Nonetheless, your life is filled with blank pages yet to be written by God, Philippians 1:6. This is what I call the Journey of a Lifetime.

Song of the Day:

I initially had in mind to use the Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman when the title of today’s blog came to me. However, at church today, the closing song was My Testimony. As I thought about the lyrics I was singing, I felt My Testimony fits better with today’s devotion. May the attached song speak to your heart as you partake in a faith journey of a lifetime.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent, Luke 15:1-7.

Reflection:

While society tends to evolve to become more progressive, accepting that which was once forbidden, you’ll still cross paths with Pharisees today. These modern-day Pharisees may not be religious leaders, but they will judge you, often following the mantra “do as I say, not as I do.” During a mission trip in North Carolina, I brought a ratty pair of sneakers to work in and a new pair of scandals. Rather than whisper behind my back, several adults verbally crucified me in person for wearing scandals in church. This experience caught me off guard, leaving a bitter taste it my mouth. Subsequently, it took me several years to find my way back home to a church that I believed in and trusted.

Prayerful Action:

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,” Matthew 9:12-13.

Working Out Your Salvation:

Jesus had to often remind first century Pharisees that it was sinners who needed help, not the righteous. This is why Jesus spent so much time with His disciples and the spiritually lost. As you strive to emulate Jesus’ practices this summer, remember the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15. Rather than letting yourself become unequally yoked, make sure you have and maintain balance in your life. The Psalmist illustrates how the people you hang around daily influences your behavior, Psalm 1:1-2. This is why Jesus arose early every morning to spend time with God to prepare for those He came in contact with daily, Mark 1:35-39. The next time you find yourself like a lost sheep, look to Jesus to find your way home.

Song of the Day:

Age of Faith puts a new spin on the Prodigal Son parable in today’s song. Don’t listen to the Father of all lies, John 8:44, who will fill your mind with guilt and shame. Rather, recall the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 to find your way back home.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen, 1 Peter 4:7-11.

Reflection:

There was a belief in the first century that Jesus was going to return before all the apostles and disciples would die. Perhaps, this is what empowered Peter to become transformed into a spiritual giant willing to lay his own life down for his faith in Jesus. Yet, with this in mind, Peter realized that each follower of Jesus needed to search for God’s endowment of their own life. Peter shares that once this unique gift is unveiled, this must be demonstrated in the spirit of Christ Jesus.

Prayerful Action:

Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest, Exodus 28:3.

Working Out Your Salvation:

One of the translations from Hebrew to English in the above passage replaces wisdom with endowment. An endowment is endowing something or someone with a specific asset, gift or talent. When God gave Moses the responsibility to create special garments for Israel’s priests, he searched the land to find skillful seamstresses. If you are unsure what God has endowed you with, work out your salvation by searching for this specific talent. Once this is uncovered, present this endowment in a manner that would honor Jesus.

Song of the Day:

God’s endowment to me is Writing in the Spirit. Although this endowment took me over 30 years to be unveiled, Express Yourself 4Him wouldn’t exist if this talent was never discovered. Therefore, as this summer starts to come to an end, cry out to the Lord to reveal the endowment God has bestowed upon you.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.¹² Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,¹³ keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;¹⁶ but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles, Psalm 34:11-17.

Reflection:

Today’s passage comes from a time in David’s life when he pretended to be insane. From a modern perspective, David’s actions would be considered extremely inconsiderate. Yet, from a human nature point of view, sometimes I have been on the edge of losing it. I’ve blown up, losing my cool by spewing the pain inside of my heart toward an unsuspecting victim. As David starts to come to his senses, he realizes that it is God who quickly comes to your aid after being spiritually burned or scarred by someone or something in life.

Prayerful Action:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit, Psalm 34:18.

Working Out Your Salvation:

The apostle Paul warned members of the Church at Ephesus to “don’t give the Devil a foothold,” Ephesians 4:26-27. When Christians do open the door for the Devil, the end result often is spiritual pain which can scar your soul. The quicker you shut this open door to prevent further damage and harm from the Devil, the sooner your faith will be restored. Instead of falling into a woe is me attitude, remember of promise of God to draw near the brokenhearted and uplift the spiritually crushed.

Song of the Day:

While 2024 has been a difficult year for me personally, I can’t lose hope. Subsequently, lyrics from songs like God of Possible help me believe that the Lord has the power to quickly restore me when my faith fails.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls, 1 Peter 1:3-9.

Reflection:

When I first became a Christian in 1984, I didn’t understand the concept of having your faith refined by fire. Unfortunately, I’ve met Christian leaders early on who gave me the impression that if I placed my trust in Jesus, everything in my life would fall into place. This unrealistic expectation made the first few years of my faith journey a bumpy ride. Today, some television evangelists continue to proclaim a unbiblical message which fails to address the role that trials play in fireproofing a Christian’s faith.

Prayerful Action:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything, James 1:2-4.

Working Out Your Salvation:

The life lesson that I’ve learned from my own trials in 2024 is that there is a back story for every individual. Accidents, circumstances and failures influence how people behave daily. Therefore, rather than overreact to how someone treats you harshly, reach out to find out what triggered this response. The more you begin to demonstrate the compassion, grace and love of Jesus, your faith will be refined by these fiery situations that you encounter this summer.

Song of the Day:

The attached song is one of many Christian songs that helped me understand that trials play a vital role in shaping your faith. As you experience and go through these difficult times in your life, your faith will be strengthened with the ultimate goal of developing a fireproof faith.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. ²⁸ Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. ³⁰ I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine,” Ezekiel 36:24-30.

Reflection:

The Book of Ezekiel was written during Israel’s Babylonian captivity sometime between 593 and 565 B.C. Therefore, when you read the words of today’s featured passage, Ezekiel is providing a glimpse into God’s future for the nation of Israel. While the present was extremely painful living in exile, Ezekiel’s prayer is that you will be given a new heart and spirit. Whenever you find yourself struggling to get through a specific day, week or month, maintaining any type of joy or passion is tough. As you fight through these trials with all you’re might, pursue a passionate heart so you are able to see the pain inside of others in your spheres of influence.

Prayerful Action:

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me, Psalm 51:10-12.

Working Out Your Salvation:

As a former coach, I am reminded of Jesus’ words in the Garden of Gethsemane: “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” You can go to church, attend a weekly Bible Study and pray every day, but willing your body to do and say the right thing isn’t easy. Meanwhile, if the mouth speaks out of the overflow of your heart, Luke 6:45, pursuing a passionate heart takes time. In fact, you may have to work harder than athletes preparing for a new season. This is where having an accountability partner or a friend you can confide in will help you along the way. If you believe God has prepared in advance special plans for your life, Philippians 1:6, keep drawing closer to the Lord until you bear spiritual fruit.

Song of the Day:

Sometime developing a passionate heart for God begins with worship. As you listen to the lyrics of How He Loves, may you conceive a passion to pursue the Lord in all of your life.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. ³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet, Acts 4:32-37.

Reflection:

At the end of his second chapter, Luke shares the blueprint for a successful first century church, Acts 2:42-47. Two chapters later, in today’s featured passage, Luke paints a vivid picture of a spiritual climate where consistent Christ-Like actions are lived out daily. On the surface, there was a sense that every member of this church were adopted into your family like your own flesh and blood. This mindset conceived a spirit of giving and selflessness. There was no need for a church offering every Sunday at church as individuals were naturally helping others outside of a corporate worship setting. This is the love of Jesus in action.

Prayerful Action:

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, Luke 6:38.

Working Out Your Salvation:

As an emotional individual, I tend to ride spiritual highs until they fade away. Subsequently, I tend to let my circumstances dictate the consistency of my faith. This is an area that I definitely need to work on this summer. The context of today’s prayerful action is that Jesus is speaking about judging others. If you give people, the benefit of doubt, grace will be extended to you as well. Therefore, as you work out your salvation this July by striving to become more consistent, treat others as you want to be treated.

Song of the Day:

Today’s song is one of my favorite ballads from college. The lyrics of the Bruce Carroll’s song challenges listeners to become consistent in their Christ-like actions. May you keep in step by the Holy Spirit by seeing and meeting the needs of those around you.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. ²¹ Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. ²² Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. ²³ Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good,” 1 Kings 18:20-24.

Reflection:

In hockey, lacrosse and soccer, penalties can result in one team playing a man down during a power play or the rest of the game if a red card is issued. During this year’s COPA Soccer Tournament, the United States played the last 81 minutes of their match with one less player, eventually losing 2-1. When things begin to fall apart in any contest, coaches and players can panic as time on the clock ticks away. As for Elijah, he was outnumbered 450 to 1, yet God gave him an idea that he believed would work. Participating in a spiritual duel, Elijah remained cool and confident, believing that God could and would bring fire down from heaven.

Prayerful Action:

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again,” 1 Kings 18L36-37.

Working Out Your Salvation:

Whenever I have been blessed by a spiritual mountaintop experience like Elijah, I feel like I can do anything. Unfortunately, human nature tends to allow individuals to become overconfident. One chapter after successfully calling fire down from heaven, Elijah wanted to die, surprised by Jezebel’s death threat, 1 Kings 19:3-4. Just as C.S. Lewis reminds Christians in Mere Christianity, success is the process of arriving, not actual arriving. Christian maturity comes from the journey of faith throughout one’s life. While it’s easy to panic when you’re in a no-win situation, trust in the Lord and He will make your paths straight, Proverbs 3:5-6.

Song of the Day:

The image of Elijah entering into a spiritual duel with 450 prophets of Baal brought the attached song to my mind. May the lyrics of Holy War inspire you to trust in God’s power rather than the mountain of doubt standing in your way on earth.

by Jay Mankus