ExpressYourself4Him

Passage of the Day:

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. ¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. ¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. ¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is^[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise, Psalm 51:10-17.

Reflection:

Whenever you find yourself in bondage, held captive by an addiction or bad habit, this pattern can be demoralizing. I can recall periods of my faith journey in high school and college where I kept giving into the same sinful desire’s day after day, Romans 7:15-18. Like David’s prayer in the passage above, I was searching for answers in the form of a contrite heart. Hopeful that one day I might finally break free from my own fleshly desires.

Prayerful Action:

This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? ² Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word, Isaiah 66:1-2.

Restoring Your Heart:

King Solomon mentions that pride comes before a fall on four occasions in the book of Proverbs. If an arrogant or haughty spirit is an indicator of your future, a contrite spirit is a spiritual recipe for restoring your heart. The prophet Isaiah speaks to the words of Joshua as the more individuals meditate upon the Bible, Joshua 1:8, the fear of disobeying God will become heavy on your heart. If today’s blog finds you fighting a losing battle with your flesh, Galatians 5:16-17, plead with the Lord for a contrite heart.

Song of the Day:

If God can use a storm to eventually lead Jonah to follow God’s will for his life, praying for a contrite heart is definitely possible. As Christians pursue the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 12:1-2, it’s only a matter of time before you begin to get back on track with God.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them. He said: ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God, Matthew 5:1-8.

Reflection:

One of the common traits of a great teacher is their ability to help their students see the big picture. As Jesus begins a sermon on the side of a mountain, He paints a vivid picture of what your spiritual life can resemble. When a believer in Jesus starts to hunger and thirst for beatitudes, fruits of the Holy Spirit, blessings will follow. To individuals who seek to become pure in heart, you will begin to see the world as God sees it.

Prayerful Action:

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. ²² Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart, 1 Peter 1:21-22.

Restoring Your Heart:

According to the account of a first century doctor, the words you speak daily naturally flow out of your heart, Luke 6:43-45. Whenever venomous words come out of your mouth, this is a clear indication that something is wrong with your life. Whether this is the root of bitterness or envy rearing its ugly head, unwholesome language should bring about concern and conviction. When your heart is broken or bruised, ask the Lord for healing so that contrite actions will follow.

Song of the Day:

You can tell when someone is speaking from their heart. When words are encouraging, gentle and humble, this is a sign of a Christian who is on the right track to becoming pure in heart.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Praise the Lord.^[a] Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. ² Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. ³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre ⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe,⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. ⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, Psalm 150:1-6.

Reflection:

If Christians respond in church like the way they passionately cheer on their favorite college or professional sports team, praising God in America would be transformed. Unfortunately, by the time Sunday morning rolls around, people sing songs in church as if their team just got blown out and their hopes of winning a championship have come to a stretching halt. While some worship teams can ignite a crowd, most sing to themselves as the audience silently mumbles along. May the words of the Psalmist inspire you to re-evaluate the energy you put into worship so that the Holy Spirit will create in you a heart of worship.

Prayerful Action:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. ⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations, Psalm 100:4-5.

Restoring Your Heart:

As a teenager, I could get fired up and emotionally feed off a crowd of likeminded people. Yet, as an adult, I’ve settled down, rarely displaying the passion that I once possessed. Developing a heart of praise starts with a mindset fixated on Jesus, Hebrews 12:2. Like the parable of the Lost Sheep, Luke 15:1-7, Christians need to begin rejoicing on earth like angels rejoice in heaven. When human hearts start to focus on eternity, Colossians 3:1-4, a heart of praise is gradually conceived.

Song of the Day:

One of my favorite Praise albums of all time is Passion: Even So Come. Christy Nockels is one of the artists on this CD. When I listen to the attached song, My Anchor, my heart is drawn to praise the Lord. May you find inspiration to praise the Lord with your favorites worship songs.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.

Reflection:

One of my new responsibilities at work is approaching individuals who have recently made a big mistake or are simply struggling to perform in their department. As I interact with these associates, I try to share my own past failures and shortcomings. When I approach people with a heart of compassion, knowing that human nature has a way getting the best of us, these uncomfortable conversations tend to go better than I expect. This is the goal of the apostle Paul in today’s passage, reminding the Church at Corinth of God, the Father of Compassion.

Prayerful Action:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you, Ephesians 4:31-32.

Restoring Your Heart:

In the days of my youth, I possessed a bad temper, weekly freaking out on someone or going off about something that I despise. Despite becoming a Christian in the middle of my sophomore year of high school, I didn’t know how to be compassionate. Since my church over-emphasized the wrath of God in the Old Testament, compassion wasn’t something that I was introduced to until college. The apostle Paul is clear about how to develop a heart of compassion: forgiving others just as Jesus forgave you and all of your sins, 1 John 1:9.

Song of the Day:

Back in 2012, I got fired from my teaching job of ten years on New Year’s Day. The attached song ministered to me and helped got me through this difficult time in life. Whether today’s post finds you enjoying the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, may God give you the strength to move on, striving for a heart of compassion.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:6-8.

Reflection:

The concept of service was one of those things hard to grasp as a teenager. Growing up I was taught that you should strive to become rich and powerful so that you may one day be able to afford servants. It wasn’t until I went on my first service project in college that I began to see the power of giving. Whatever human desires and efforts that you may possess, Jesus was the ultimate servant to emulate. While we are all imperfect sinners, Jesus demonstrated a servant’s heart by laying down His own life to seek and to save that which was lost, Luke 19:10.

Prayerful Action:

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms, 1 Peter 4:9-10.

Restoring Your Heart:

However gifted and talented you are, there will always be someone else more blessed than you. Perhaps, this is a way of humbling yourself, so you don’t become full of pride. One of Jesus’ disciples calls first century Christians to serve others by using your special personality and or traits. The more you fan these into flame, 2 Timothy 1:6, apply your gifts in life, a servant’s heart will be conceived within you. As Reliant K once sang about in “Give Until There’s Nothing Left,” is a great motto for developing a servant’s heart.

Song of the Day:

Jesus sets the tone for giving in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This is a servant’s heart in action, Jesus’ secret ambition while on earth.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone, Colossians 4:2-6.

Reflection:

For some strange reason, when I’m at my current job, I tend to dwell on all the negative aspects. Meanwhile, when I reflect upon previous positions which I despised at the time, things were much better than I thought. Rather than pursue a heart of thanksgiving, I found myself thinking the grass was greener at other companies. The apostle Paul reminds the Church at Colosse of what’s really important, celebrating the mystery of Christ. Those believers who boldly proclaim the good news about Jesus Christ develop hearts full of thanksgiving.

Prayerful Action:

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:6-7.

Restoring Your Heart:

Thankfulness is a byproduct of experiencing the peace of God. Rather than become overwhelmed by stressful events that crash into your life like relentless ocean waves, the peace of God transcends your perspective about life. Subsequently, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, Matthew 6:33, will reach a point where you believe without a doubt that God will take care of your needs. May the peace of God guard your heart and mind this month and throughout 2024.

Song of the Day:

According to the apostle Paul, a heart of thanksgiving is like a special seasoning to add flavor and spice to the lives of people that you come in contact with in 2024. May the Holy Spirit use your heart of thanksgiving to impact your friends, family and peers.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears, 1 Corinthians 13:1-9.

Reflection:

Saint Valentine was a priest in the 3rd century who defied the restrictive marriage laws of Rome. Saint Valentine blessed couples who were forbidden to marry, suffering a martyr’s death by standing up for his personal and spiritual convictions. This is the real story of Valentine’s Day, a man of God who possessed a heart of love. While this national holiday emphasizes the eros, sensual form of love, don’t miss the opportunity to develop your own heart of love.

Prayerful Action:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love, 1 Corinthians 13:11-13.

Restoring Your Heart:

The apostle Paul begins this chapter on love with a subtle riddle. You may be the greatest athlete, possess the most impressive gift or were born with an amazing talent. Despite how earth shattering your abilities may be, without love, you’re nothing. This is built upon Jesus’ strategy at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:24-27. Unless your beliefs are demonstrated daily via acts of faith, everything you stand for is meaningless. Love naturally flows out of Christians, Galatians 5:22-23, who develop and possess a heart of love.

Song of the Day:

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends, John 15:10-13. Those who love are moved by the Holy Spirit to place others above themselves. This is a sign of a heart of love.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. ² Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. ³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. ⁴ to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. ⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. ⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. ⁷ who made the great lights—His love endures forever. ⁸ the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever ⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever, Psalm 136:1-9.

Reflection:

There is a growing movement for Christians to keep a gratitude journal. Similar to keeping a diary, gratitude journals are designed to reflect upon the positive aspects and things God is doing in your life. Thanks to recent Christian films, developing a heart of gratitude has been brought to the forefront. The apostle Paul writes about God’s invisible qualities in Romans 1:20. This is what the Psalmist illuminates in the passage above, verbalizing specific things that God has created for all to see.

Prayerful Action:

Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Restoring Your Heart:

The textbook definition for gratitude is the quality of being thankful; a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. This explanation hints to the Golden Rule: doing unto others, treating others, as you want to be treated. Anyone who strives toward achieving a heart of gratitude develops a readiness for appreciation and a desire to return God’s kindness to others.

Song of the Day:

The apostle Paul points to a blueprint for developing a heart of gratitude in Philippians 4:8-9. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God^[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. ⁷ Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. ⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister^[b] is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister^[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them, 1 John 2:3-11.

Reflection:

Speaking from experience of allowing darkness to enter my heart, God has used a series of dreams over the past forty years to alert me to dangers of the current path that I am on. While dreams can be bizarre, and others may not make any sense at all, there have been a few that woke me up in the middle of the night leaving me to ponder, “what the hell was that about?” Whether its thoughts of compromise, rebellion or temptation, my heart and mind race to find some sort of meaning. As human beings, tired and worn down, you may make poor decisions like deciding not to go to church, open the Bible or pray. This one step choice to take a break from God may lead to weeks, months and even years of living in darkness. Like trying to eat healthy and exercise daily, once you stop, it’s hard to make this part of your regular routine again.

Prayerful Action:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly^[a] with your God, Micah 6:8.

Restoring Your Heart:

Just prior to his farewell address as the spiritual leader of Israel, Moses simplifies want it means to humbly walk with God in the light in Deuteronomy 28:1-2. “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” From a New Testament perspective, habitually walking with God isn’t about checking off a box on a to do list. John is talking about having a personal relationship with Jesus. The closer you become to Jesus, the greater this spiritual light will become.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The attached song was played at my wedding with Leanne. As our mothers were lighting the unity candle, my good friend Phil sang All the Darkness. May the lyrics of this Steve Wiggins song inspire you today to walk in the light with Jesus.

by Jay Mankus