ExpressYourself4Him

Passage of the Day:

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”-Matthew 14:25-31

Reflection:

In this age of participation awards, the professional world is more cutthroat than ever before. While I remember the pain of getting cut from the Boys Basketball team twice as a junior high athlete, the first 40 years of my life was filled with success. Nearly every job I interviewed for I received an offer and each sport I competed in resulted in numerous victories with a few championships. Yet, now as a middle-aged white male who can barely get a first interview, God is teaching me the difficult lesson of falling forward when your faith fails.

Prayerful Action:

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly^[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them,” Mark 11:22-23.

Working Out Your Salvation:

Besides Jesus, the New Testament records the actions, behaviors and life of Peter more than any other first century individual. While the apostle Paul writes numerous epistles, the focus of these letters is to challenge congregations to draw closer to Jesus. Perhaps, the reason Peter is mentioned so much is that Christians can identify with him. How cool would be to actually walk on water, even if it was just for a few seconds? Yet, the moment Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to focus on his surroundings, Peter’s faith failed. Therefore, the next time you fail miserably, make sure that you fall forward to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.

Song of the Day:

Today’s lyrics talk about individuals who are a slave to their past. May the lesson of Peter failing to walk on water and the message of Water into Wine give you the strength to fall forward the next time your faith fails.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. ⁹ Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. ¹⁰ A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. ¹² Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia, Daniel 10:7-13.

Reflection:

I was introduced to the concept of Spiritual Mapping by a couple I met while attending Red Lion’s Evangelical Free Church. Spiritual Mapping is the process of researching and identifying the spiritual needs and strongholds of a specific area, community or neighborhood based upon past history. To help me further understand this next level form of a spiritual discipline, the Beste’s gave me a book of case studies on Spiritual Mapping. One church in Chicago started having numerous bizarre accidents occurring inside their building as well as within the local community. After an exhausting examination of history using Spiritual Mapping, the pastor discovered that this area was part of a strong Satanic coven. Similar to the demonic prince in the above passage, this church began to reclaim this land back for the kingdom of God, using fasting and prayer as a hedge of protection against the demonic influences in this part of Chicago.

Prayerful Action:

“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land, ” Job 1:10.

Working Out Your Salvation:

One thing I have learned about Spiritual Mapping is that you have to avoid reading too much into a specific situation. For example, Acts 16:6 contains a similar situation that Daniel faced in today’s featured passage. However, rather than face a demonic stronghold, the apostle Paul was prevented by the Holy Spirit from sharing the Gospel in Asia. While only God knows the true reason, its likely that either the people in Asia weren’t ready for Jesus or the Holy Spirit planned for some other missionary to reach this area of the world. The best way to practice spiritual mapping today is to look into the history of a house, property or possession before purchasing it. This way you’re not opening up your life to demonic influences attached to a property, home or possession.

Song of the Day:

While the attached song is a dramatic example of Spiritual Mapping, there are plenty of paranormal shows that have episodes devoted to what happens when Christians enter a house, property or take hold of a possession attached to a curse, demonic influences or a spiritual stronghold too powerful for one believer to handle on their own. This is why you should begin to research and practice the discipline of spiritual mapping this summer and throughout the year.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.²² The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;²³ the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.²⁴ The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad, Psalm 118:19-24.

Reflection:

As the son of an immigrant, my family only celebrated important occasions. Besides going out to dinner for birthdays and job/school related accomplishments, my mother prepared meals 29-30 days a month. From a spiritual perspective, partaking in my first communion and completing the Confirmation process were celebrated by my parents. Unfortunately, I fail to celebrate God’s answers to prayers, the gift of another day on earth and blessings in disguised showered upon my life by God. Christian celebration shouldn’t be limited to Sundays at church. Rather, the spiritual discipline of celebration should be emphasized like gratitude journals, stopping daily to thank the Lord for the little things in this life.

Prayerful Action:

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, Psalm 150:6.

Working Out Your Salvation:

Sports fans have become excellent at celebrating each win of their favorite team. Fantasy sports, tailgating and watch parties make the celebrating experience memorable. I remember exactly who I was with the last time the Phillies won the World Series and the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Perhaps, working out your salvation this July includes investing the same time and energy into God that you pour into entertainment and sports. Ask the Lord to open your eyes so that you can begin to celebrate the minor miracles and small wonders that God is doing in your life.

Song of the Day:

As you start searching for things to celebrate, you’ll find God working behind the scenes. While you may not see progress in the time frame that you want things to occur, learn to celebrate the subtle transformations that the Holy Spirit is doing inside of you this summer.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him,” Matthew 6:5-8.

Reflection:

I didn’t understand the practice and power of solitude until attending a Wilderness Camp in 1993. In the middle of winter, west of Minneapolis, a dozen of future youth pastors had reached their final week of a grueling 7-week Youth Ministry Trade School. I was running on fumes at this moment in time, doing everything in my power to stay warm. Our final assignment was listening to God for 24 hours in solitude. I kept a notebook nearby, to quickly write down any whispers from the Holy Spirit. This time of reflection was life altering looking back on my past, savoring the present and pondering my future assignment. This is what can happen to you if you begin to practice the spiritual discipline of solitude.

Prayerful Action:

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed, Luke 5:15-16.

Working Out Your Salvation:

As a writer, solitude has its benefits and negative aspects. Staring at a blank screen can be painful suffering from writer’s block, thinking about all the fun that you’re missing out on. On the other hand, solitude helps me slow down, be still, listen to God and get in touch with my soul. According to a first century historian, the more popular Jesus became, the harder it was to find a quiet place to unwind and spend with His heavenly Father. Unfortunately, life has only gotten more complicated with modern technology. Before the summer fades into fall, make it your ambition to practice solitude by staying in touch with God.

Song of the Day:

Sometimes songs have dual purposes. While I recently used this song in a previous devotion, may the lyrics of Never Looking Back spark a desire within you to move forward spiritually by adding solitude to your daily agenda.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.²⁸ When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.²⁹ When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.³⁰ When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.³¹ May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—³² he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.³³ I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.³⁴ May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord, Psalm 104:27-34.

Reflection:

From a historical perspective, education has always been available to the wealthy. During the first century, letters written by the apostle Paul had to be read out loud as many of the members of these churches were illiterate. After the Pilgrams came to America, the New England Primer was compiled and published by Benjamin Harris. Rather than just learn the ABC’s of the English language, Bible verses for each letter were added so that children associated a verse from the Bible with each of the 26 letters. This is the origin of Bible memorization in America’s Colonies.

Prayerful Action:

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you, Psalm 119:11.

Working Out Your Salvation:

The apostle Paul alludes to the concept of spiritual recall in Romans 8:26-27. Also known as euphoric recall, this occurs when people remember specific memories with excessive fondness that can trigger a biochemical reaction in their bodies. From a Bible Memorization perspective, the more Christians strive to meditate upon and memorize verses from the Bible, the Holy Spirit will bring these truths to your mind in a time of need. The greater your ability to hide words of the Bible in your heart, the better your chances are to overcome temptation, 1 Corinthians 10:13. Therefore, the next time you find yourself in a trying situation, cry out to the Lord for a verse to rescue you from trouble.

Song of the Day:

If God’s love is truly relentless, imagine the power of combining Bible Memorization with faith. May today’s blog inspire you to hide God’s Word in your heart and maybe inspire you to join a local Navigator’s Small Group to hold you accountable for this spiritual discipline.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.¹³ With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. ¹⁶ I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word, Psalm 119:12-16.

Reflection:

Meditation is a spiritual discipline that has been either lost, misunderstood or neglected by most churches in America. Meanwhile, a recent study found that 1 out of 6 American adults have turned to yoga to fill their desire for meditation and peace. As a former church elder, I didn’t really know anything about Christian meditation until stumbling upon spontaneous worship montages during the Coronavirus pandemic. After listening to a collection of You Tube videos, I realized that this is a great way to reflect upon biblical lyrics based upon God’s promises in the Bible. While there are meditation exercises that you can partake in, I find that listening to worship montages helps refocus my mind upon eternal things, Colossians 3:1-4.

Prayerful Action:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up, Deuteronomy 6:5-7.

Working Out Your Salvation:

This past week I endured my second worst week at work in my 40 years of employment. Humbled to the point of tears at various moments, the only thing that kept me going was lyrics from Christian songs that God brought to my mind. As I continue to wrestle with where I am from a career perspective, meditating on the lyrics of worship songs have eased my pain. While Christian meditation may need to be expanded upon to help people as they face similar life crisis’s, may you find inspirational songs this summer to maintain your faith.

Song of the Day:

One of my dear friends from Delaware, Spencer Saints, shared how the Anchor Holds helped him through difficult times in his own life. May the lyrics of this Ray Boltz song touch your heart and uplift your soul as you learn to practice Christian meditation this summer.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^[e] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell, Matthew 5:27-30.

Reflection:

As Jesus spoke on the side of a mountain, multitudes of followers gathered closely together to hear what this first century teacher was about to say. Based upon Jesus’ opening statement, those in attendance were familiar with the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament. However, Jesus goes beyond a legalistic compliance to each commandment. Adultery isn’t just the sexual act. Jesus points out to sexual immorality begins in your heart as his younger brother expounds upon in James 1:13-15. Chastity is a pledge to God young people make to remain spiritually pure until their wedding day.

Prayerful Action:

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should learn to control your own body^[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4.

Working Out Your Salvation:

The earliest recorded mention of a chastity belt dates back to a 15th century German engineer. However, if you watch movies like the Patriot, set during the Revolutionary War, other methods are used to prevent engaged couples from having sex before being married. According to the apostle Paul, single Christians struggled to keep their bodies pure in the first century. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, chastity applies to the married as well. If you can commit adultery in your mind, then chastity is a spiritual discipline for the married and unmarried.

Song of the Day:

One of the keys to chastity is avoiding a second glance. Christians that don’t give lust and the devil a foothold, will be better equipped to stay true to their faith.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”^[b] (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”^[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”^[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame,” Romans 10:6-11.

Reflection:

Congregations across the country and throughout the world stress specific spiritual disciplines. As readers begin the second week of July, these next 7 days will cover spiritual disciplines that I found from a series of top 10 spiritual discipline lists. Confession was the top spiritual discipline on a number of these online sites I researched. During a seminary class entitled Revival and Revivalism, I learned that the second Great Awakening began when a young man was overcome by a spirit of conviction. This act of confession cut to the heart of those in attendance, spurring others to go up front and confess their sins as well. This is the power of genuine acts of confession.

Prayerful Action:

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy, Proverbs 28:13.

Working Out Your Salvation:

As educators in America continue to teach students victimology, taking personal responsibility for your own actions has become a thing of the past. Subsequently, setting the stage for a spirit of confession is foreign to many young people. Yet, to those who carve out time for God to read and study the Bible daily, the Holy Spirit will bring to the surface areas of your life that need improving. When this wave of confession touches your soul, don’t be afraid to open up by pouring out your heart. Just like previous spiritual awakenings, your act of confession will inspire others to follow in your footsteps.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The attached song was my go-to song in college when I was struggling spiritually. While the lyrics are very basic, the title Messed Up sends a message to others it’s okay to confess your shortcomings. Follow Jesus’ advice in Matthew 11:28-30 to unload your spiritual baggage at the feet of Jesus in the form of confession.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” ¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days, Daniel 1:8-14.

Reflection:

If you ever can’t sleep and find yourself enthralled by a new infomercial, you might find a book, diet or over the counter pill that boasts the ability to raise your own body’s pH level from acidic to more alkaline. One of the theories about natural cures for cancer over the past 25 years is that raising the pH in your own body improves your chances from getting cancer. When I was an elder at Red Lion, one of our church members went to a Natural Rehab Center in North Carolina. This Cancer Center alters an individual’s diet with fruits, vegetables and water. While my friend was fortunate to beat cancer, his roommate wasn’t able to overcome this deadly disease. Today’s passage follows a young man who refused to defile his body. Instead, this young Jewish boy established what churches refer to today as the Daniel Fast.

Prayerful Action:

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come, 1 Timothy 4:8.

Working Out Your Salvation:

By this date in the calendar, most New Year Resolutions about diet and exercise have either been abandoned or forgotten about. Life is full of cycles where Christians draw close to the Lord before falling away for a period of time. Although you may not be able to maintain healthy eating habits, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give up on elevating your faith by drawing closer to the Lord. Daniel did this by maintaining his strict Jewish diet by during Israel’s captivity in Babylon. Others stick to a rigorous workout schedule by running or lifting weights to stay in shape. Despite how you may feel, elevate your faith by keep improving your internal and physical environment.

Song of the Day:

If Major League Baseball celebrates hitters who go 3 for 10 for an entire season, don’t beat yourself up if your faith falters. Focus on the here and now, by highlighting the positive aspects in your life, Philippians 4:8-9. As Christians begin to remove the stumbling blocks hindering faith, you’ll raise the spiritual pH in your body so that God will allow you to change for the better.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved., Ephesians 2:1-5.

Reflection:

Sin is one of those topics which tend to shut down most conversations. While human beings are experts in this area due to cable television and the internet, few have the guts to open up and share about their own personal addictions. In a letter to the Church at Ephesus, the apostle Paul is drawing a contrast between a life prior to entering into a personal relationship with Christ and God’s expectations afterward. Paul’s call for individuals falling back into bad habits of their sinful past is to purge your live from these sinful behaviors.

Prayerful Action:

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, Romans 6:6-8.

Working Out Your Salvation:

Remember that salvation is received by grace through faith in Christ, Ephesians 2:8. However, from a spiritual discipline standpoint, there are boundaries that need to be set to avoid falling back into past sinful tendencies. Just as God set one boundary in the Garden of Eden, don’t place yourself into compromising and or tempting situations, James 1:14-15. The more Christians eliminate and remove the things in their homes and lives that separate them from spending time from God, the closer you’ll get to completing this purging.

Song of the Day:

The attached song does a play on words. Rather than walking away from Jesus, the lyrics of this Send the Beggar song calls Christians to take Jesus with you wherever you go in life. Instead of getting caught up in the legalism of purging sin from your life, focus on making an impact on the kingdom of God by replacing sin with the love of Jesus. This type of commitment will transform your life.

by Jay Mankus