ExpressYourself4Him

Passage of the Day:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them, James 4:13-16.

Reflection:

Today’s passage addresses the concept of being amoral. The book definition of amoral is lacking a moral sense; unconcerned with whether something is right or wrong. From a spiritually sense, amoral is simply not knowing the Bible’s stance on a particular action, behavior or deed. As the earthly brother of Jesus addresses Christians in the first century about how fragile life can be, James urges his listeners not to overlook sins of omission. While James’ Jewish parents taught him what not to do, Christians are called to stand up for what is right in the absence of others. This is a call to be proactive in your faith, not just on what not to do, but how you should live in the absence of goodness.

Prayerful Action:

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God, Ephesians 5:1-2.

Fueling Your Faith This Spiritual Season:

When I was attending Elementary School in New Jersey, my teacher claimed that there was a camera in our classroom. If this teacher didn’t personally observe a behavior that was missed, she said that she would go back and watch the film to catch the guilty individual. After tripping a girl walking back to her seat, this threat worked as I was overwhelmed by guilt, publicly confessing my transgression. Rather than walking around each day like a religious zealot focusing on what not to do, Christians should set their hearts and minds on emulating God’s example so that sins of inaction cease.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

God will give you at least one opportunity to share your faith with someone in church, at school or work daily. Rather than let this chance to shine slip by, seize this moment so that your faith matures to a point where sins of omission aren’t overlooked. When your faith becomes the core of your addiction for Jesus, acts of faith will prevail.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. ² Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. ³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ⁶ Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷ In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us, Titus 2:1-8.

Reflection:

Sound faith is found in individuals who cling to biblical Christian doctrine based upon the apostles teaching. This is demonstrated when faith is expressed through the love of Jesus. As the apostle Paul writes a letter to a leader of the Church in Crete, he understands the cultural obstacles that Titus is up against. From a modern perspective, this would be like being the pastor of the church located on the Las Vegas strip. There are people losing control daily, falling prey to the acts of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21. Subsequently, when a person in Crete put their faith in Jesus, there were plenty of sinful desires that a new convert needed to purge from their lives. This spiritual transformation was likely a slow process due to the wild lives of a typical Cretan. Developing a sound faith takes time, the process of arriving where God wants you.

Prayerful Action:

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it, Romans 7:18-20.

Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:

Romans 7 is the apostle Paul’s confession of his own struggle with the sinful nature after converting to Christianity on the Road to Damascus, Acts 9:1-19. In a letter to the Church at Corinth, Paul speaks about a thorn in his flesh, either a physical ailment or spiritual war raging inside of Paul’s soul, 2 Corinthians 12:6-7. Therefore, if today’s devotion finds you far from living a sound faith, God will make everything beautiful in His time, Ecclesiastes 3:11. As you follow the advice in Colossians 3:1-8 to take off your past desires by putting on Jesus, a time will come when you’ll start to live out a sound faith.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

From time to time, I let certain parts of my life slide. The longer I let bad habits reign in my life, the harder it becomes to break free from my past. May today’s song inspire you to start purging the things in your life pulling you away from God so that you can get back on track to develop a sound faith.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, 2 Timothy 4:1-7.

Reflection:

As a former high school coach, I tried to prepare my students for situations that they would likely encounter at some point in the heat of battle. If an athlete is honest about their performance, there is likely at least one area or thing that they could practice, elevating their God given talents. As a teenage pastor, Timothy likely dealt with older believers and Christians that looked down upon him due to his age. Despite the various spiritual barriers and obstacles Timothy endured, fighting the good fight of faith. This requires keeping your head in the game of life, whether you’re getting blown out or don’t have your A game. This is Paul’s call to all people of faith.

Prayerful Action:

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses, 1 Timothy 6:11-12.

Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:

My church small group is currently participating in a Navigators Bible Study. The expectations and goal of this course is reaching a point where you’re reading the Bible every day. Just as an athlete needs to practice in the offseason to improve, the Christian faith shouldn’t take a day off. Faith and sports each require self-discipline, making time daily to work out physically and spiritual, 1 Timothy 4:8. As you learn to keep your head in all situations and endure hardship, listen to and keep in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:16, so that in time you’ll fight the good fight of faith.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

I learned more about coaching baseball during the season when my team only won a handful of games. After each loss, I pointed out the barriers that stood in the way of experiencing victory. As a Christian, may you learn from yesterday’s failure so that you’ll press on in faith to fight another day.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. ¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life, 1 Timothy 1:12-16.

Reflection:

Since I’ve been blessed by the numerous Christian communities that I have been a part of over the past 40 years, sometimes I respond, “been there done that.” Whether this comes across as arrogance or over confidence, most Christians prefer a more honest and genuine faith. As I read the words of today’s featured passage of the apostle Paul, writing to a teenager pastor named Timothy, this humble tone makes me regret past comments. While Paul could have puffed up his resume with the number of churches he planted, and souls led to Christ, he considers himself the greatest sinner of all. This kind of opening statement emulates the honest faith that Christians should strive to obtain.

Prayerful Action:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, James 5:16.

Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:

As a former stutterer, I received plenty of sympathy from Christians in college. Yet, if you want to make an instant connection with someone, be willing to admit your shortcomings in life. When you become vulnerable, this opens the door for permanent meaningful lasting relationships to form. The apostle Paul could have easily spoke down to lesser Christians in the first century, but the Holy Spirit impressed upon him to follow God’s example, Ephesians 5:1-2. As a current Learning Ambassador with Amazon, the more I tell new hires previous mistakes that I made, the more approachable I become to them in the future. You shouldn’t have to tell people about your faith, this should be clearly demonstrated through your daily actions.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The apostle Paul reached a spiritual state that most Christians never experience in life. Perhaps, Paul came to a point in his life where all he wanted to fulfill God’s will for his daily life. May today’s devotion and song inspire you to live an honest faith, real about our failures and shortcomings, Romans 3:9-12.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[b] to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings^[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word., 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17.

Reflection:

One of the first games I was introduced to as child was Steal the Bacon. Students would sit facing another team on the other side of the gym floor. Each player had a mirror on the other team, sitting Indian style with their back touching the wall. Since most class sizes were limited to 24 students, players would be given a number between 1 and 12. Students would count beginning on the left side, one through twelve. The moment your number was called, you would pop up, run toward the ball, flag or scarf in the middle of the gym, grabbing it before your mirror, then running back to your teammates before getting tagged. While your teacher randomly called numbers, there is a purpose and reason for each person called by God. During his second letter to the Church at Thessalonica, the apostle Paul refers to a Christian’s obligation to God. As new believers enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, you begin to learn God’s expectations and standards for your life. This is where I discovered my obligation to faith.

Prayerful Action:

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father,” Romans 8:14-15.

Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:

Finding a new life in Christ begins by rejecting natural inclinations that you’ve followed your entire life. As you learn to discern, listen to and keep in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25, you’ll be introduced to a Christian’s obligation to faith. Like a parent raising a child, God left behind the Holy Spirit for His children to follow, John 16:23. The apostle Paul refers to faith as hearing the message about Jesus, Romans 10:17. The more you read, study and meditate upon God’s Word, your faith increases. As your faith grows, so will your obligation to live according to God’s Spirit.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Today’s song serves as a reminder that all Christians lose their way in live, forgetting their obligation to live for God. May the lyrics of Two Pennies inspire and revive your soul to take your obligation to faith seriously.

by Jay Mankus