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The Crossover Connection: The Pat Benatar of Christian Music

Posted on February 4, 2023 by expressyourself4him

After spending most of 2022 writing daily music blog posts entitled Sing A New Song, I’ll be transitioning to the Cross Over Connection in 2023. To celebrate the beginning of my 11th year as a blogger, I will be providing weekly blogs each Saturday of Christian artists who sound similar to classic secular artists. Rather than scratch the surface of 365 different musicians, I want to dig deeper by giving readers the greatest hits of one group to listen to for an entire week. While Pat Benatar appeared as the lead singer for Shadow Wings, there is a modern Christian group which combines biblical lyrics with Benatar’s style.

John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing shovel (fork) is in His hand to thoroughly clear and cleanse His [threshing] floor and to gather the wheat and store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished, Luke 3:16-17.

My goal isn’t to focus on well-known Christian artists. Instead, I want to honor bands and musicians who travel across the country without much fanfare to fulfill God’s will for their lives. The Crossover Connection for Week 1 is Fireflight: the Pat Benatar of Christian music. While visiting Joe’s Bar and Grill in New Ellington, South Carolina, the first singer on Karaoke Night selected “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.” The purpose of any crossover list is to distinguish which genres of music that you prefer. Like the words of Pat’s song, my opening shot for week 1 is Fireflight with hit songs like Core of My Addiction and For Those Who Wait.

by Jay Mankus

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Listening for God’s Audible Voice

Posted on February 4, 2023 by expressyourself4him

According to Jesus, listening and hearing are two separate things, Mark 4:9. One of Jesus’ common expressions is “he who has ears, let him hear.” Depending upon your attentive state, whoever is speaking may be boring or perk your curiosity. Based upon the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:24-27, listening inspires action. While atheists, liberals, and progressive Americans claim that God is dead; I believe listening for God’s audible voice is achievable, Galatians 5:25.

Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you, Genesis 12:1.

Like any relationship, levels of intimacy can change from one day to the next. While Moses writes down God’s first encounter with Abram in the passage above, what actually happened on this day likely contained more details. From a human point of view, Abram might have wondered if he was going crazy or the creator of the universe was really speaking to him? This initial encounter opened Abram’s mind to the possibility of listening for God’s audible voice.

And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice. 13 When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? – 1 Kings 19:11-13.

This is something the prophet Elijah also experienced in a powerful way. Based upon the passage above, there were a series of natural disasters which includes a tornado, earthquake and great fire. As this prophet was searching for answers to why these events were unleashed upon the earth, Elijah patiently listened for God’s audible voice. God didn’t send these down from heaven, they were simply part of nature on earth. As you take time to slow down by offering up prayers to God, listen for God’s audible voice, the Holy Spirit, so you can rebuke those who seek to blame God the next time bad things happen to good people.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 366: Only You Can Save

Posted on February 3, 2023 by expressyourself4him

After scanning all of my Sing A New Song posts over the past year, I realized that I repeated one artist and song, God Who Moves Mountains by Corey Voss. Due to this oversight, I am adding a pre-Leap Year edition, one more song before concluding this year long journey. The final song selection is Only You Can Save by Chris Sligh. This biblical truth is what one woman from Samaria discovered during a brief conversation at a well in the middle of a hot summer day.

Now numerous Samaritans from that town believed in and trusted in Him because of what the woman said when she declared and testified, He told me everything that I ever did. 40 So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days. 41 Then many more believed in and adhered to and relied on Him because of His personal message [what He Himself said], John 4:39-41.

The lyrics of Only You Can Save speak to the power of evangelize, sharing your faith with other people, regardless of how little time you have together on earth, 1 Peter 3:15-16. Chris begins this song reflecting upon a time when he forgot to share the love of Jesus while next to a man at a red light. Chris points to the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians 6:9-10, seizing every opportunity that God gives you to tell the world about Jesus. May the last song in this series inspire you to share your testimony with others in 2023.

by Jay Mankus

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Trust God to Figure Out the Details

Posted on February 3, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Whenever God calls you to do something, following this by faith will often require details beyond your comprehension. When I was single, I didn’t have to consider how obeying God’s call was going to impact my wife. Subsequently, I lived in six states in the first six months of 1993, following God’s prompting to leave Delaware to attend a youth ministry trade school, moving back to Ohio before teaching a semester at a boarding school in West Virginia. When a position in South Dakota fell through, another door opened at a church in Columbus, Indiana to finish this spiritual journey.

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. 3 And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves], Genesis 12:2-3.

This wasn’t the case for Abram who just moved to Haran with his wife Sarai. Just when they were about to settle down, God interrupts their plans. As I recently read the passage above, one thing must have perplexed Abram as God promised that he would become the father of a great nation. The one little detail that Moses doesn’t mention in God’s call is that Sarai is barren and has been unable to have any children. While the Bible is silent on this obvious barrier, at some point in his life, Abraham began to trust God to figure out the details.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths, Proverbs 3:5-6.

King Solomon writes about a similar concept, trying to teach his children about faith. Faith is something that Abraham didn’t pick up until God tested his allegiance in Genesis 22. After decades of waiting for a son who would start the family tree of Israel, God threw Abraham a curve ball. “You want me to sacrifice the child Sarah and I have been waiting to arrive for decades?” Some scholars believe that Abraham thought that God would raise Isacc from the dead which persuaded him to finally go through with it. This ia a perfect example of how trusting God with all your heart is believing God will figure out all of the details.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 365: Yours to Take

Posted on February 2, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Jesus didn’t force anyone to do anything in the first century. Rather, Jesus had high standards and expectations for anyone who followed him. Luke 9 provides a series of brief conversations of potential disciples Jesus passed over because He didn’t believe their commitment level was high enough. Jimmy Needham sings about this commitment in his song Yours to Take. As Jimmy matured in his faith, he came to the conclusion that it’s time to make Jesus the Lord of his life, Romans 10:9-11.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [[p]cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. 25 For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed [q]life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] [r]life [in the kingdom of God]? – Matthew 16:24-26

Jesus had 3 expectations for his twelve disciples: to deny yourself, take up the cross of Christ and follow Jesus. Like the disciples who willing followed this spiritual leader, modern Christians need to come to a similar point in their lives. Are you going to take the plunge by saying “I’m yours to take” or are you holding out for a better offer? May the lyrics of Yours to Take inspire you to make a deeper commitment to the Lord in 2023.

by Jay Mankus

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A Mighty Hunter Before the Lord

Posted on February 2, 2023 by expressyourself4him

History books speak to early civilizations as hunters and gatherers. While I have a green thumb from time to time with successful gardens, hunting is something I’ve never done. The closest thing I’ve done to hunting is catching fish in a net to stock the dammed creek in my back yard. Despite having relatives who are skilled deer hunters with bow and shotguns, I can barely hit the target at rifle ranges. Subsequently, it’s hard to relate to the man Moses refers to as a mighty hunter before the Lord.

Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first to be a mighty man on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord, Genesis 10:8-9.

Perhaps, Nimrod was the Clint Eastwood of his day, able to shoot any moving target at a moment’s notice. Maybe this athletic ability skipped me and was given to my oldest son James who earned the honor of expert marksman at summer camp while in high school. All those years of playing video games as a child paid off for him. Yet, what qualities did a mighty hunter before the Lord possess and what exactly does that look like?

The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [in Babylonia], Genesis. 10:10.

I suppose that whenever Nimrod went out hunting to provide food for his family, he never came home without something hanging over his shoulder. As someone with the gift of writing in the Spirit, Nimrod likely had a sixth sense for hunting, able to track down animals like an American Indian who lives off the land. Just as Enoch habitually walked with God, Nimrod followed the Spirit’s leading until catching the game he set out on was completed. This is all we know about Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 364: Fight Another Day

Posted on February 1, 2023 by expressyourself4him

As I come down the final stretch, the last two songs of my yearlong project to present 365 different songs from 365 different artists, I wanted to make sure I finished strong. This search led me to Addison Road’s song Fight Another Day. After listening to the lyrics for the first time, I was reminded of the passage below. The author of Hebrews suggests that some Christians will barely get into heaven. Perhaps a last second warning, staring death in the face, will result in finally trusting in Jesus, Romans 10:9-11.

For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward]. 27 [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God], Hebrews 10:26-27.

For other people, life is a daily grind that can suck the joy out of you. This may be the target audience for today’s song, encouraging to fight another day like the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians 6:9-10. Paul’s call is to not give up hope, but to press on so you’re ready for any future opportunities to share your faith with others also on the verge of quitting. May today’s song inspire you to fight another day, fueled by faith in the promises of the Bible.

by Jay Mankus

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Waiting on Clarity

Posted on February 1, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Clarity has many meanings depending upon the context it is used in. The one definition I found which applies to spiritual clarity is the quality of being easy to see or hear; as in sharpness of image or sound. Unfortunately, I’ve found the beginning of 2023 to be similar to how I ended 2022, cloudy, foggy with low visibility. Like a physical famine sweeping through a third world country, sometimes you have to wait on clarity until the storms of life subside.

Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. 21 Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand, Proverbs 19:20-21.

King Solomon adds a solid piece of advice in the passage above. Many are the plans in a man’s or woman’s heart, but the Lord’s purpose prevails in the end. Upon my move to South Carolina, I had an idea of how things were eventually going to play out. Every time I thought God was about to open a new chapter in my life, this door slammed shut in my face. After a series of humiliating circumstances, I find myself once again waiting on clarity for my next phase in life to be revealed.

He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; 31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired, Isaiah 40:29-31.

After complaining and moaning internally, I was reminded of the words from an Old Testament prophet. Isaiah uses a baby eagle learning to fly, leaving its nest for the first time. Like Tom Cruise’s classic line in Top Gun, “sometimes you crash and burn.” While I wait on clarity, I have to get up off the mat of disappointment to rise above how I feel. This is where faith is designed to take over, letting go of your life by letting Jesus take the reins, Romans 10:9-11. In God’s time, clarity will come.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 363: My Help Comes From the Lord

Posted on January 31, 2023 by expressyourself4him

In the early days of his life as the family’s shepherd, David had a simple life without many complications. However, following his victory over the giant Goliath, David was elevated, becoming a rising star in the eyes of the nation of Israel. Jews began to sing songs about David, becoming more popular than the current leader King Saul. As David’s life became more and more complex, he wrote the words below, coming to the conclusion that his help comes from the Lord.

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. 3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord, Psalm 40:1-3.

The Christian group which simply goes by the Musuem sings about this in their song My Help Comes from the Lord. Unfortunately, pride causes many Christians today to think that recent successes and victories was due in part from their own hard work and dedication. May the lyrics of My Help Comes From the Lord stir your heart and help you realize that behind-the-scenes angels and the Holy Spirit are providing all that you need in life, 2 Peter 1:3-4. Give God the glory in 2023.

by Jay Mankus

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How Vision Can Keep You Going in 2023

Posted on January 31, 2023 by expressyourself4him

One of the traits engrained within me from the Youth Ministry Trade School that I attended in the 1990’s is to be vision oriented. My first full time job following college did not use a time clock Instead, I filled out a weekly Plan of Action for my upcoming week. Every activity, event, and meeting on my weekly calendar had a specific purpose which I highlighted in my End of Week Report that I gave to my Senior Pastor. Maintaining vision produced spiritual results week after week.

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.

As I now try to figure out my place in South Carolina in 2023, vision is the only thing that keeps me from giving up hope on my future. During slow months at my current job, I have 3 days off a week which I fill with projects that I have planned out for the next two years. My immediate vision is completing a brick patio which will extend my front porch. My primary vision is completing the Improbable Escape, a true story which took place during World War II. God willing, this will be completed by May 1st so I can move on to a 3-tiered astroturf golf green with a nursey in the works for 2024.

 And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a [u]deserted place, and there He prayed. 36 And Simon [Peter] and those who were with him followed Him [[v]pursuing Him eagerly and hunting Him out], 37 And they found Him and said to Him, Everybody is looking for You. 38 And He said to them, Let us be going on into the neighboring country towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out, Mark 1:35-38.

While physical structures are enjoyable to complete, I also have a vision for my spiritual well-being. This includes joining a small group, a writer’s group and become an active member in the Aiken Community. The best way I know how to turn visions into reality is by emulating Jesus. If I can only discipline myself to develop a permanent time with God daily, this will keep me going like the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:6. May this blog inspire you to make vision a guide for your future as “if you fail to plan; you plan to fail.”

by Jay Mankus

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