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The Author and the Giver of Peace

Posted on January 5, 2022 by expressyourself4him

One Old Testament prophet gave the future Messiah a nickname. According to Isaiah 9:6, Jesus will become the Prince of Peace. The author of Hebrews takes this concept one step further claiming that Jesus is also the author of peace. All of you have do is recall the words of Jesus while hanging on a cross for a crime he didn’t commit. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, Luke 23:34.”

Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), Hebrews 13:20.

The author of Hebrews refers to Jesus as a Great High Priest. The reason for this title serves as symbolism as a perfect lamb sacrificed for the sins of mankind. One of Jesus’ own disciples refers to a new Christian as part of a royal priesthood thanks to the shedding of Jesus’ blood and resurrection 3 days later, 1 Peter 2:9. Meanwhile, the apostle Paul points to Jesus’ willingness to lay down his life for sinners, Romans 5:8.

Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it), Hebrews 13:21.

This is the spiritual pedigree that elevates Jesus up as the author and giver of peace. The only question is why aren’t followers of Jesus today displaying and offering peace to others? Have we forgotten our calling to love our neighbors as ourselves? Or have the worries of this world bruised and battered our souls? Wherever are you in life, may this blog inspire you to pass on the peace of Christ in 2022.

by Jay Mankus

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Trust the Process of Faith

Posted on January 4, 2022 by expressyourself4him

My high school youth group used active learning exercises to illustrate biblical truths. The one I remember the most is where someone was asked to stand up on a platform. Instead of jumping into a crowd of teenagers, the volunteer is asked to turn around and close their eyes. On the count of 3, this person would fall backwards as two additional volunteers lock arms to catch the person falling.

Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it), Hebrews 13:21.

If you have ever struggled with trust, this is a good exercise to participate in. You are forced to place your trust in two strangers that you can’t see since your eyes are closed. The author of Hebrews urges readers to be strengthened in their faith. If you trust that God is working in your life, each day provides a series of obstacles and trials to complete the process of spiritual maturation.

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. 4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing, James 1:2-4.

The earthly brother of Jesus adds joy to trusting the process of faith. Like an athlete who thrives in the midst of competition, Christians should embrace opportunities for spiritual growth spurts. Whether you are forced to endure hardship, persecution or undergo temptation, consider any of these situations a pure joy. By trusting the process of faith, maturity will continue as you grow and draw closer to Jesus in 2022.

by Jay Mankus

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Keep Praying for Complete Honesty in all Things

Posted on January 3, 2022 by expressyourself4him

One of Aesop’s Fables written in 550 Before Christ tells the story of Mercury and the Woodcutter. When the woodcutter tells the truth about not losing a golden axe, he is rewarded by Mercury. This fable is the origin of honesty is the best policy. While honesty is mentioned 52 times in the Bible, human nature has a way of tempting people to exaggerate the truth.

Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good (clear) conscience, that we want to walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honorably and in complete honesty in all things. 19 And I beg of you [to pray for us] the more earnestly, in order that I may be restored to you the sooner, Hebrews 13:18-19.

The author of Hebrews ends his letter with a series of calls to action. One of the best things you can do is pray for a clear conscience. When a conscience is troubled, you will be convicted to confess what you have done wrong. The earthly brother of Jesus provides similar advice in James 5:16. According to James, verbally confessing your sins will lead to healing and restoration.

The wise in heart will accept and obey commandments, but the foolish of lips will fall headlong. 9 He who walks uprightly walks securely, but he who takes a crooked way shall be found out and punished, Proverbs 10:8-9.

King Solomon provides his own wisdom on this topic. Honest people have hearts that accept and obey God’s commandments. Yet, fools don’t take this seriously and end up doing whatever they want. When people do what’s right in their own eyes, the truth becomes clouded as justifications are made to excuse their behavior. In the end, praying for complete honesty in all things is the best way to break bad habits so that you can start to walk in an upright manner in 2022.

by Jay Mankus

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Fasting for the Future

Posted on January 2, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Every January 1st churches across the country begin each new year with a series of fasts. Some of these are designed for health reasons like the Daniel Fast to eat fruits and vegetables, Daniel 1:1-21. Meanwhile, others will participate in media fasts as a way to disconnect from the ways of this world by reconnecting with God, Colossians 3:1-9. Finally, the remaining fasts are geared toward the future by forgoing food for a set period of time as a form of preparation like Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11.

Yet they seek, inquire for, and require Me daily and delight [externally] to know My ways, as [if they were in reality] a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God [in visible ways]. 3 Why have we fasted, they say, and You do not see it? Why have we afflicted ourselves, and You take no knowledge [of it]? Behold [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins], you find profit in your business, and [instead of stopping all work, as the law implies you and your workmen should do] you extort from your hired servants a full amount of labor, Isaiah 58:2-3.

Yet, one Old Testament prophet provides a disclaimer about fasting. One of the first warnings is the self- affliction that fasting may have on your body. The apostle Paul highlights this internal struggle in Galatians 5:16-17 as your sinful nature will clash with the Holy Spirit. Over the course of my life I’ve met several Christians who refuse to fast anymore as it makes them miserable. When people become extremely hunger, it’s not uncommon for these individuals to get easily angered and annoyed.

[The facts are that] you fast only for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord? [Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke? 7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house—when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard, Isaiah 58:4-8.

If you still want to go through with a January fast despite this warning, make sure you set realistic goals. Even if your church isn’t doing one, there are plenty of calendars, outlines and schedules that you can follow. In addition, try to have some sort of prayer list to concentrate on each day or week so when the urge to break your fast comes, praying will distract you from your hunger pains. Finally, if you do decide to fast, keep in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25 who tends to alter and add a new direction for your future.

by Jay Mankus

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Keep it Simple in 2022

Posted on January 1, 2022 by expressyourself4him

The acronym Keep It Simple Stupid, aka KISS was coined by Kelly Johnson who was a lead engineer at Lockheed Skunk Works at the time. Yet, this phrase also became a design principle noted by the U.S. Navy in 1960.  This naval principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated. As a new year begins, why not apply the same strategy to life in 2022.

Do not forget or neglect to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy [of the church [k]as embodiment and proof of fellowship], for such sacrifices are pleasing to God, Hebrews 13:16.

Based upon the passage above, first century Christians began to make following Jesus much more complicated. Several religious sects like the Judaizers began to add additional stipulations to becoming saved. Subsequently, some Jewish Christians became so obsessed with following the traditions of the Old Testament that they forgot the golden rule which is to love yourself neighbors as yourself, Mark 12:31.

Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. 3 Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace, Ephesians 4:2-3.

No matter how hard you try, everyone fails to love at some point in their lives. Based upon the words of Matthew 16:24-27, even Jesus’ disciples needed to be reminded to keep it simple. Rule number one is to deny yourself by becoming a servant of God in 2022. The second rule is based upon taking up the burdens of others like Jesus did for you and me. Finally, follow Jesus in 2022 by keep in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25, our spiritual advisor and guide for life, 2 Peter 1:3-4.

by Jay Mankus

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No Signs of Life

Posted on December 31, 2021 by expressyourself4him

Today’s title is found in the lyrics of a band based in Columbus, Ohio. Send the Beggar’s second album Closer to Complete features a song entitled The Knot. The message is based upon a Christian who blends into their surroundings, afraid to make a public confession of a faith in Jesus. The lyrics include an autopsy performed by an angel, carefully examining this person’s heart. Inside the name Jesus Christ is pulled out, causing confusion which prompts a question: “why was this never shown?”

Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions, Romans 6:11-12.

One of the things I struggled with as a new Christian was mixing feelings with faith. My life was like an emotional roller coaster lifting everyone up around me while on my highs. This was quickly replaced by depression as I sucked the joy out of every room that I entered. To be honest, there have been periods where I exhibited no signs of life as a Christian. Like James 1:13-15, my faith was dead inside.

Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and [a]faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and [b]faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God’s favor and mercy], Romans 6:13-14.

Apparently, first century Christians in Rome also experienced spiritual dry spells. Depending upon how you lived in the past, breaking any addiction or bad habit can take years. Similar to an internal tug of war, Galatians 5:16-18, ridding your life of sinful desires isn’t easy. King David describes this conviction and pain in Psalm 55:1-4. Whenever you find yourself spiritually dead or dying, on the verge of walking away from your faith, pour out your heart to God in prayer. May confession bring you back to life spiritually in 2022.

by Jay Mankus

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Offer Up a Sacrifice of Praise in 2022

Posted on December 30, 2021 by expressyourself4him

The apostle Paul builds upon what he learned from Jewish religious leaders in Romans 12:1-2. Rather than offer up a living animal up to God to atone for sin, Paul urges followers of Jesus to offer up their bodies as a living sacrifice. This post resurrection calling is a way to please God. Yet, this spiritual exercise yields insight such as what God’s will is for your life.

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name, Hebrews 13:15.

Until you receive clarity about your purpose and future callings, the author of Hebrews provides similar advice in the passage above. Marie Barnett experienced this while writing the words to the song This is the Air We Breathe. Barnett recalls how these words spontaneously came out during a Sunday evening service at the Mission Viejo Vineyard in Southern California.

I am as a wonder and surprise to many, but You are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth shall be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day. 9 Cast me not off nor send me away in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent and my powers fail, Psalm 71:7-9.

The book of Psalms is filled with commands to praise the Lord. One Psalmist declares that human beings were designed to praise God. Perhaps, this is the key to discovering God’s will for your life in 2022. The more you pour out your soul with praise to the Great I Am, mysteries about your future will be unveiled like Marie Barnett’s testimony. Therefore, offer up a sacrifice of praise in 2022 as you’ll never know where worship will lead you until you weekly celebrate the only living God.

by Jay Mankus

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Let Marriage be Held in Honor

Posted on December 29, 2021 by expressyourself4him

In my earliest years as a child living in New Jersey, divorce wasn’t even part of my vocabulary. After moving to Delaware, I was introduced to this term when one of my friends mom got divorced twice. During my teenage years, it was still uncommon to enter a home where parents were divorced. Yet, as I entered high school, more and more adults began to give up on failing marriages.

Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous, Hebrews 13:4.

Perhaps this trend was encouraged by popular shows like Mash which regularly showed members of the Army cheating on their spouses. Distance and loneliness was seen as an acceptable reason for breaking marriage vows. At some point in the 1980’s, affairs, flings and one night stands aired weekly on major network television. Once cable arrived, temptation and sexual fantasies trampled this once sacred vow.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. 22 He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord, Proverbs 18:21-22.

This Bible may be considered an old fashion book with values that no longer applies to modern day life. Yet, King Solomon makes an interesting observation in the passage above. The words you speak, the people you hang around and the beliefs that are formed will shape your destiny. These self fulfilled prophecies will either produce healthy or failed marriages. May this blog persuade you to hold marriage as an honorable and sacred tradition.

by Jay Mankus

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Clear the Board

Posted on December 28, 2021 by expressyourself4him

One of my favorite parts of teaching was using a white board. I tried to find as many colors as possible to write down crucial points that I wanted my students to remember. Prior to creating Power Point presentations for all of my lessons, the board contained everything I wanted my students to know for upcoming quizzes and tests. At the end of every class, I cleared the board as students cried out “wait!”

He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us, Psalm 103:10-12.

God had another thing in mind when talking about clearing the board. The beginning of the Old Testament speaks of a God of wrath and punishment for those who disobey. Yet, the Psalmist in the passage above provides a picture of forgiveness. Instead of keeping of list of who have been naughty and who has been nice this year, God clears the board of any wrong you’ve ever committed or done. These transgressions are erased as far as the east is from the west for infinity.

For if you forgive people their trespasses [their [g]reckless and willful sins, [h]leaving them, letting them go, and [i]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [j]reckless and willful sins, [k]leaving them, letting them go, and [l]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses, Matthew 6:14-15.

During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides more of a personal approach to clearing the board. While the Psalmist shares something that sounds too good to be true, Jesus introduces the conditions placed upon forgiveness. If you’re willing to clear the board by forgiving those who have done wrong to you, God will forgive you. However, if you can’t forgive and forget, you won’t be forgiven by God. Therefore, the next time you feel like holding a grudge, let go of any past pain by clearing the board.

by Jay Mankus

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Sharing the Comforts of Home

Posted on December 27, 2021 by expressyourself4him

In the past 20 years, my parents have been blessed to have two dream homes. The first was in Ohio where my father was promoted to a leadership position at his company’s corporate headquarters. Upon retiring, my folks were able to build one from scratch across from the Indian River Bay. Over the past 20 years, my parents have shared the comforts of home with my family and their grandchildren.

Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it, Hebrews 13:2.

The author of Hebrews refers to a similar form of hospitality. Since first century churches didn’t have a physical building like today, members would open their homes as a weekly gathering place. Apparently, shy and quiet individuals began to feel left out, not welcomed like the more outgoing. This shortcoming is pointed out in the passage above with a call to share the comforts of your home with believers.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement), 4 Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

The apostle Paul alludes to another element of hospitality. As people endure troubling times, everyone reacts a little differently. Some withdraw due to depression, others become sarcastic and people like me become comfortably numb. When reaching out to hurting people, you don’t have to beat out what’s inside. Rather, share the comforts of home and when the timing is right, the hurting will bear their souls to you when they are ready. Until then, keep consoling and encouraging anyone who is crushed in spirit.

by Jay Mankus

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