The King of Bling

Posted on March 8, 2014 by expressyourself4him

The term bling is synonymous with the hip hop culture, who coined this slang phrase by the expensive jewelry wore by stars  in music videos.  Rappers loaded with bling often flash gold bracelets, necklaces and rings as a sign of their celebrity status.  Although entertainers  come and go, most would be surprised by the true King of Bling.

According to Exodus 39:8-21, it appears that God is the architect of bling.  Dressing to impress, the Lord designed an immaculate wardrobe for his priests, adorned with gold and precious gems, verses 10-14.  Priests were the first individuals to garnish braided chains of pure gold, verse 15, like the ropes of gold displayed on television today.  Unfortunately, this aspect of God’s character is neglected, forgotten by most except for those who take the time to read the Old Testament.

While the bling on earth is impressive, heaven holds a storehouse of riches.  Jesus conveys a message of hope to his disciples in John 14:2, suggesting their are many rooms in heaven waiting for his followers.  Although names are not specified, the apostle Paul promised crowns that will last forever, 1 Corinthians 9:25.  Therefore, if you can’t afford bling in this present life, don’t be dismayed.  Wait on the King of Bling, Jesus, to adorn you with eternal jewelry.

by Jay Mankus

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Where Did My Flow Go?

Posted on March 7, 2014 by expressyourself4him

The first round of March Madness, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship begins March 18th in Dayton, Ohio.  While most sports rely on talent to win titles, momentum is a crucial element for teams to advance and move on to the next round.  However, once a school experiences a losing streak, especially late in the season, its hard to find the flow that led to their initial success.

In life, each day contains a series of twists and turns, taking you to the top of Mount Everest at one moment, before an avalanche of circumstances buries your flow in a pile of humility.  Subsequently, your passion for getting up vanishes, causing you to get stuck in a puddle of apathy.  Like Popeye without his spinach, tasks become endless chores sucking any joy remaining in your soul.  Searching for answers, people will ponder, “where did my flow go?”

The master of parables, short stories with nuggets of truth, Jesus had a way with words, helping the lost discover the flow they were looking for in life.  Whether you were a Pharisee like Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman looking for love in all the wrong places or a prostitute on the verge of being stoned to death, Jesus provided clues in the Bible to obtain a flow which would last a lifetime, John 10:10.  If you’re not satisfied with your current living conditions, John 3:16-17, John 4:13-14 and John 8:11-12 contains a road map for life to locate the permanent flow you desire.

by Jay Mankus

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Lesson’s From God’s Classroom

Posted on March 6, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Synonyms for perspective include angle, outlook and position.  As a former teacher, I tend to approach information as a student trying to make sense of each topic that I read and study.  This morning I stumbled upon an interesting Psalm David wrote while pretending to be insane.  Despite being successful in his efforts, the Holy Spirit speaks to David like a lesson from God’s classroom, Psalm 34:11-14.

Apparently, the Lord is convicting David of his fear of Abimelech and subsequent trust in himself.  God uses his misjudgment as a teachable moment, encouraging children to listen how one can and should be able to fear the Lord.  Getting the classes attention by painting a vivid picture of success, God asks his students, “how many of you desire to see many great days in your future?”  Gaining my interest, the main lesson is found in Psalm 34:13-14.

1. Keep your tongue from evil.

2. Prevent your lips from speaking lies.

3. Turn from the evil desires in this world.

4. Do good to everyone you encounter.

5. Seek peace and pursue any broken relationship that you may have.

The author of Hebrews includes 2 hints to bring this lesson from the classroom into daily living.  First, faith in an invisible God is crucial to applying the words of Psalm 34:13-14.  One must possess hope and certainty of a living God, Hebrews 11:1.  Finally, genuine faith believes God rewards those who earnest seek the Lord, Hebrews 11:6.  Therefore, when you’re struggling to see the fruits of your labor by fearing God, remember this lesson from God’s classroom.

by Jay Mankus

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Finding Solace in Sorrow

Posted on March 6, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Although inconsistent at times, I’ve tried to be a positive person in my spheres of influence, set on changing the mindsets of defeated souls.  In high school, one of my ministries was seeking out the depressed and down to bring a glimpse of happiness, laughter and joy to their sad faces.  However, now I find the shoe on the other foot as sorrow has moved in, keeping me company during the entire month of February.

Like a prized heavy weight slug fest from the Rocky series, my body has become a punching bag for Apollo Creed, scrambling for the ropes to hang on.  Repeated blows to the heart have erased any remnants of confidence, making room for sorrow to feel at home.  Since I lost control of my health weeks ago, I am finding solace in this helpless condition.  Stripping away my impurities, desolation has forced me to seek a higher power to be rescued from disappointment.

Sorrow has lead me into the furnace, testing my faith beyond what I expected, 1 Peter 1:6-7.  Stretching me like Plastic Man, I have a new appreciation for misfortune, viewing it as an opportunity to display a heavenly perspective, James 1:2-4.  After this hurricane, I will be a better man, able to see the sun on the other side of the storm.  With no easy way out, I am content to find solace in sorrow until the Lord calls me home.

by Jay Mankus

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The Final Out

Posted on March 5, 2014 by expressyourself4him

As Spring Training games began last week in Arizona and Florida, it won’t be long before sports enthusiasts celebrate Opening Day baseball in the Major Leagues.  While winter continues to interrupt spring sports, those trapped inside are getting anxious for dryer and greener pastures.  Nicknamed America’s favorite pastime, baseball seasons coincide with the start of warmer weather and conclude as fall descends upon this country.  Before the final out is recorded, individuals will experience the smell of freshly cut grass, longer hours of daylight and blooming flowers that brighten up neighborhood landscapes.

I’ve spent more than 1/3 of my life playing and or coaching ball.  In the days of my youth, I never fully enjoyed this game.  Perfection, success and winning stifled my ability to appreciate 9 years of playing baseball.  However, when I got a second chance through 7 years of highly competitive softball, I savored every moment on the field.  I treated each at bat and play as if it was my last, flying, diving and sprinting around the bases.  Although I still haven’t achieved the promise in John 10:10, I discovered the abundant life on a softball field, considering each obstacle a pure joy, James 1:2-4.

My last game on a baseball and softball diamond were nearly identical, reaching the championship.  Despite playing a different position, a pop fly came my way, giving me an opportunity to secure the final out.  I blew my first chance, getting lazy as the ball glanced off the edge of my glove.  A comfortable margin postponed the inevitable victory, ending my baseball career on a good note.  However, the second time I seized the moment, using 2 hands, squeezing my glove and embracing my teammates as God had chosen me to record the final out.

by Jay Mankus

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Restrained From Giving

Posted on March 4, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Recent history suggests that immediately following the next devastating earthquake, massive hurricane or destructive tornado, a request for immediate aid will be communicated using the media.  Commercials, hotlines and organizations will use death tolls, images of desolation and pictures of orphans left behind to stir the hearts of Americans to give.  While the money collected does help some, corruption, mishandling of these funds and scam artists prevent these needs from becoming 100 % satisfied.  Thus, a lack of trust has restrained many from giving to these noble causes.

In the Old Testament, Israel appears selfish after enduring 400 years of slavery in Egypt.  Despite receiving manna from heaven and quail, their hearts lacked gratitude, always wanting more.  Subsequently, their faith wavered, eventually creating a golden calf to worship once a rumor that Moses had died spread throughout their camp.  Perhaps, God’s punishment and the deaths of 3,000 countrymen finally got their attention.  Between Exodus 33 and 35, a transformed took place within the hearts of God’s chosen people, from restraint to generosity.

When Moses expressed God’s plan for the Tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant, Courtyard and all the resources necessary for construction of each sacred item, entire families were moved by the Spirit of the Lord.  According to Exodus 36:3, a free will offering was received every morning during the building process.  Instead of giving once, the spirit of giving flowed day after day, inspired by the big picture, seeing God’s plans completed.  The workers received so many supplies that Moses had to announce an order to stop giving, Exodus 36:5-6.  If only this Spirit could be recaptured today, the poor, needy and helpless would be eliminated, restraining giving until the next crisis.

by Jay Mankus

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While God May Be Found

Posted on March 3, 2014 by expressyourself4him

If you listen to the national media, forgiveness is dependent upon your political affiliation, with democrats, liberals and socialists often receiving a pass for their transgressions.  As long as you align yourself with the right people, are willing to play the game and refrain from politically incorrect topics, your mistakes will be glanced over.  However, if you speak your mind, hold to conservative principles and believe in biblical teachings, your worldview doesn’t fit the new America being established today.

Despite what history unveils, revisionists are erasing the footsteps of God in America.  Somewhere underneath the rug, the truth is being held captive, replaced by a more accepting and tolerant culture.  Colleges, institutions and schools once founded to introduce the Bible to inquiring minds have been highjacked by post-modernists and progressives blazing a new trail for education.  If this trend continues, there’s a chance God will remove himself from this nation, abandoning it like citizens who have fled from the way, John 14:6.

In the midst of his greatest rebellion, Israel’s king says something profound following his affair with Bathsheba.  “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; Psalm 32:6.”  If David continued down the road of lust, sexual immorality and murder, his time to repent would have expired.  Something in his soul warned him, instilling a sense of urgency to confess his sin.  Perhaps, the time for Americans is nearing an end, with God close to removing his blessing from this land.  With this in mind, seek God while He may be found to secure a seat in heaven, 1 John 5:13.

by Jay Mankus

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Not The Ending I Envisioned

Posted on March 2, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Gary Sinise played Lieutenant Dan, a Vietnam squadron leader who holds a grudge against Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, feeling that his destiny was stolen by Gump’s heroic efforts.   Lieutenant Dan believed he was meant to die with his army on the battle field.  Thus, he confronts Forrest, turns to alcohol to drown his sorrow, spending the rest of his life bound to a wheelchair, at least in his mind.

Meanwhile, all Forrest wanted was to be Jenny’s girl, his only friend growing up.  Wherever Forrest was, he thought of Jenny, writing letter after letter, hoping for a storybook ending.  Unfortunately, Forrest received these letters back, returned unopened.  After momma died, Forrest turned to running to clear his mind, tracking thousands of miles across the country.  Despite getting his girl, she dies of H.I.V. before they can grow old together.

Whether you are reading a book, watching a movie or living an act from your life, often the scene doesn’t conclude as you wish.  Instead, the curse of Genesis 3:16-19 provides an alternate ending such as death, paralysis or suicide.  Today, I feel like Lieutenant Dan in the shrimp boat during Hurricane Camille.  However, I’m not telling God “is that all you’ve got?”  Rather, I’ve surrendered, whispering “I can’t take anymore disappointment!”

Psalm 33:10-11 provides the answer to those befuddled by the direction their life has turned.  The Lord foils the plans of nation and thwarts the purposes of people.  I have become a causality of this truth, unable to comprehend the logic of God’s ways.  Yet, somewhere in the pages the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 exists.  Getting to this scene and waiting is the hardest part.  May God’s unfailing love rest on you as you trust the Lord to complete the work that He has begun in you, Philippians 1:6.

by Jay Mankus

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Stop Pouting and Start Leading

Posted on March 1, 2014 by expressyourself4him

When someone is hurt, ill or sad, its easy to become distracted, absorbed by the painful reality of life.  One of the common reactions is to pout, a visible form of depression by expressing disappointment through your body language.  This pitiful state blinds individuals from those who need you the most, often resulting in isolation and withdraw.  Once you reach this point, its hard to snap out of this mindset.

Since my tubing accident, I guess you can say I lost or wasted the entire month of February.  I feel like I have been bewitched by the sorrow of my circumstances, similar to the church of Galatia who lost sight of faith, Galatians 3:1-5.  In my mental absence, my wife has tried to hold our family together as best as she could.  However, now its time for me to stop pouting and start leading.

“Compromise is the language of the devil,” according to one of Eric Liddell’s mentors in Chariot’s of Fire.  As a parent, if you allow your children to wear you down, compromise will become a way of life.  As my eyes have awoken from my spiritual slumber, its essential for me to lead my kids toward the less traveled road, Matthew 7:13-14.  However, words are meaningless unless I display the way.  Therefore, I need to experience a Chrysalis like the butterfly, 2 Corinthians 5:17, who enters as an inch worm and exits transformed on wings like eagles, Isaiah 40:31.  If people stop pouting and start leading, this generation can be saved one life at a time.

by Jay Mankus

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The Grind of Life

Posted on February 28, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Inside a coffee grinder, beans are crushed, pounded and smashed into submission until the process is complete.  Sometimes circumstances in life performs a similar act on individuals, grinding and pressing people until their energy is sapped.  Drained, exhausted and spent, my joy for living has been misplaced by a sea of despair.

Perhaps anguish is the guilty party, sucking souls of contentment, fun and thanksgiving.  Despite being known as a man after God’s own heart, 1 Samuel 16:7, David wasn’t exempt from this emotional state.  Psalm 31:10 expresses the toll the grind of life takes on the human body.

Lately, my faith has been void of joy, left behind during my healthier days when work was something I took for granted.  If you take James 2:26 literally, you can’t have one without the other.  Thus, joy is a byproduct of faith, a fruit inspired by the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.  Like the Samaritan woman, I need to go to the well of living water, John 4:10, so that the grind of life doesn’t crumble my faith.  If you’re thirsty for something more in life, absorb the words of Jesus in John 4:13-14.

by Jay Mankus

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