Tag Archives: faith

An Absentee Christian

Posted on November 19, 2016 by expressyourself4him

This state usually begins with a logical excuse.  Perhaps, you’re traveling, on vacation or under the weather so you decide to skip church.  Like any other form of compromise, the second time is always easier, sleeping in after a long week at work.  If this pattern continues, it won’t be long until you become an absentee Christian.

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out, Romans 7:18.

In election years, the phrase absentee voters is a common term.  This applies to students going out of state to attend college or someone who spends weeks on the road for business trips.  If you plan ahead, anyone can request an absentee ballot which you can fill out and mail to insure your vote counts.  Unfortunately, absentee Christians tend to be wayward souls who don’t have a church home, have lost faith or are caught somewhere in between.

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.

When I awoke this morning, I can’t deny the truth any longer, I have become an absentee Christian.  Sure, I could use my recent surgery and night work schedule as an excuse, but God isn’t pleased with my lack of obedience.  All I can do is follow the example set by Jesus’ earthly brother, to publicly confess my sins so that healing will come quickly.  As for now, I’m a humbled absentee Christian trying to get back where the Lord wants me to be.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Faith Like Fly Paper

Posted on November 15, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Modern technology often exposes archaic early designs of inventions.  Such is the case of fly paper, created to limit the nuisance of flies each summer.  This sticky substance was coated with a sweet fragrance to attract curious pests.  When intruders make initial contact, most can not escape, stuck until breathing their last breathe.

That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God, 1 Corinthians 2:5.

For those individuals who chose to live life on their own, there are other pests who will invade your life.  Each incoming obstacle can wear you down mentally, sometime sucking the joy out of life.  Thus, its essential to develop faith, trusting in an invisible God to free you from burdens that stick to people like fly paper.

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone, James 2:24.

While faith is an inward belief, faith without works is dead.  Action motivated by conviction is a sign of livelihood.  Unfortunately, many talk a good game, but do not back it up, sending a mixed message.  Anyone who follows this pattern is like a fly stuck on paper clinging to life.  Therefore, don’t trust in the world’s wisdom, but rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to free you from the fly traps in this life.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Intolerant?

Posted on November 12, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Over the past eight years, anyone holding conservative or traditional beliefs have been successfully defined and labeled as intolerant.  The mainstream media has convinced progressive minds that a Trump presidency will fundamentally harm minorities.  In the last few days before election day, messages of fear were spread to ensure a desired outcome.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, Romans 12:12.

However, after Donald Trump was announced as president elect on Wednesday morning, the tables have been turned.  Those once judging others of not willing to accept or allow opposing views are now throwing tantra tantrums.  College students have opted out of exams, high school students have been offered counseling and protesters are trashing neighborhoods in anger.  Perhaps, the accusers have now become intolerant?

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, Deuteronomy 31:6.

Whenever individuals place their trust in temporary ideas created by human beings set themselves up for failure.  Life is hard enough as it is, but those who want to remain in control will not find peace until they let go.  In times of uncertainty, faith can kick in if you cry out to the Lord in prayer.  Despite what people may label you, seek the Lord for insight so that when the final outcome doesn’t go your way fruits of righteousness will shine through.

by Jay Mankus

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The Will to Move On

Posted on November 1, 2016 by expressyourself4him

When I was sixteen, a doctor told me I would never run again.  After tearing all the tendons in my left ankle, the bone twisted 90 degrees in the wrong direction.  The best case scenario given to me prior to my operation was that I would walk with a limp after placing a screw to hold this bone in place.  Despite the obstacles I faced, the prayers of the saints gave me the faith to move on.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; Mark 16:17.

By the time I reached my 21st birthday, stuttering was the next trial standing in my way of expressing myself verbally.  Attacks would come out of no where, causing me to lose my breath and confidence to speak.  One evening, a college roommate named Mike had a vision as I walked into our apartment.  Hanging out with a few believers from church, a circle engulfed me as these men began to lay hands on me.  The prayers proclaimed pleaded with God to free me permanently from stuttering.  Subsequently, God gave me the will to persevere.

“While you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus,” Acts 4:30.

My latest dilemma may be my greatest to date, a bout with glaucoma.  Once again, the odds are not on my side nor is science in my favor.  Yet, I serve a God who has raised the dead, cured the sick and given sight to the blind.  The mystery of the unknown will be tough to handle.  Nonetheless, I trust in a living God who has performed miracles in the past.  Therefore, I stand in awe, leaning on God’s grace who provides the will to move on.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Illuminating Prayer

Posted on October 31, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Whenever I am about to lose hope in the power of prayer, I am reminded of a testimony I heard in college.  My friend Pam told me of her mother’s journey from Mormonism to faith in Christ.  When her children became teenagers, a spirit of rebellion entered a sibling leading him into the occult.  What came next can only be described as illuminating prayer.

Pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

As a parent, there comes a time when children no longer listen.  Perhaps tired of being nagged, young people tend to tune out adults at some point in life.  When the no longer listening phase begins, its easy for a dad or mom to over-react.  This natural reaction makes the communication gap worse, expanding the wedge between parent and child.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours, Mark 11:24.

While Pam’s mom likely possessed an urge to confront her son, the Holy Spirit had a different plan.  As if following the advice of a friend, Pam’s mother began to prayer over her son’s room each day after he left for school.  This pattern occurred for a week or so, bathing her son’s room in prayer.  Without any communication, dark posters were taken down and thrown away.  By the end of the month, Pam’s mother led her son to faith in Christ.  Although, there is more to the story, this is a glimpse of illuminating prayer.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Jehovah Rapha

Posted on October 24, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Israel spent 400 years in Egypt as slaves, enduring harsher conditions the longer they stayed.  When the timing was right, God chose Moses, a man with a severe speech impediment to represent Israel before Pharaoh.  Initially, Moses rejected God’s calling, as the Lord sends along his brother Aaron to address Egypt’s leader.  Although its not mentioned, Moses slowly takes control of these daily meetings with Pharaoh.  The absence of stammering suggests God healed Moses of his stuttering.

He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you,” Exodus 15:26.

Through Moses’ personal experience, set from from stuttering, the term Jehovah Rapha was coined.  This name for God means the Lord who heals.  After being eyewitnesses of the Passover, Israel saw the hand of God at work, passing over their doors to kill first born Egyptians.  The passage above serves as a reminder to work just happened as well as a call to action to carefully follow God’s commands while waiting to receive God’s promised land.

God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, Psalm 147:3.

Today, healing is one of those prayers and wants the sick desperately seek.  Yet, for those who have prayed for healing and sit helplessly waiting around to watch loved ones die, its hard to keep the faith.  While Jehovah Rapha is still actively at work, some never see the fruit of time on their knees.  Despite a lack of results, believers can not forget the words of Moses in Exodus 15:26.  Healing doesn’t always come instantaneously.  Rather, wounds take time to close.  When you back is against the door, cry out to Jehovah Rapha to mend your heart and soul.

by Jay Mankus

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Draw Near

Posted on October 23, 2016 by expressyourself4him

In the Old Testament, God’s presence is limited to a few select individuals.  After Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden at the end of Genesis 3, intimacy with God was severed.  Thus, God revealed himself to the forefathers of Israel, prophets and some leaders to guide and direct their paths.  However, due to continued disobedience throughout several centuries, God decides go silent for 400 years serving as a transition for the New Testament.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded, James 4:8.

Before Jesus arrived on to the scene, priests were used as a mediator between God and mankind.  To atone for sin, priests performed animals sacrifices with the shedding of blood to cleanse individuals, families and cities from their transgressions.  Without practicing this biblical principle, forgiveness is not obtained.  Therefore, drawing near to God can not occur unless repentance and contrition has been completed.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water, Hebrews 10:22.

The new covenant introduced to his disciples during the Last Supper, Jesus eliminated the need for the Old Testament practice mentioned above.  Described as the Lamb of God, a perfect sacrifice without blemish, Jesus laid down his own life so that in Him, we too might have life.  While worshiping God at a building, home or a temple is still a vital aspect of faith, you can draw near to God anywhere and anytime.  As you draw near, God’s grace is a free gift available to all approach the Lord with a sincere heart, eager to forgive sinners as far as the East is from the West.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Confession, Faith and Healing

Posted on October 21, 2016 by expressyourself4him

When you are young, health is something that can be taken for granted.  This blessing is often forgotten until storms, trials or unexpected events arrive.  Thus, when my eye doctor recently told me I was losing vision in my right eye, I wasn’t sure what to think.  After a week of contemplation, prayer and reflection, my future lies in confession, faith and healing.

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.

The first 4 books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, also known as the Gospels detail close to 40 specific miracles performed by Jesus.  Although the audience and context of each author differs, there is a similar theme found before Jesus’ healing is complete.  Several cases involve an affliction, condition or disease that is related to some type of curse which requires confession.  Other individuals came to a point in life they began to accept their physical state, giving up hope of ever finding a cure.  These people were questioned by Jesus, seeing if desire and faith within would be reborn.

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” –  John 5:5-6

When you find yourself in need of healing, there are 2 questions you must dwell upon.  First, have you sinned against God, someone else or your own body?  Second, is there any area of your life where you’ve resigned, lost hope or believe you won’t succeed.  Depending upon the conviction you receive from the Holy Spirit, you may need to publicly confess your transgressions, ask God for the faith of Elisha or do both.  In the end, you will find that after confession and faith, healing will follow.  It might not always be the outcome you desire but as Job once said, ” the Lord gives and the Lord takes away,”

by Jay Mankus

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Turn It Up

Posted on October 19, 2016 by expressyourself4him

In a contest, the best players and teams have a tendency to coast at points during the regular season.  Falling into this trap often leads to disappointing loses and major upsets.  At some point you have to respond, by raising your level of competition.  If you are dedicated, gifted and talented, when you turn it up success usually follows.

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay, Habakkuk 2:3.

According to one of the Old Testament prophets, vision requires patience, resolve and timing.  If you are impatient, you may quit before seeing and tasting the fruits of your labor.  Therefore, when others are on the verge of giving up on a shared dream, remain steadfast by turning up the intensity.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up, Galatians 6:9.

Perhaps the apostle Paul is referencing Habakkuk in the verse above.  The notion of delayed gratification is a foreign to this generation.  In life you can’t just put a prayer request on a credit card, then wait for it the mail to be delivered.  Although some prayers do get answered instantaneously and or quickly, this is not the norm.  Rather, in times of doubt, turn up your faith, waiting for a spiritual harvest to arrive.

by Jay Mankus

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The Missing Piece to a Puzzle

Posted on October 18, 2016 by expressyourself4him

As a child, my parents chose Thompson Lake, Maine as the spot for our family vacation.  Every August for a decade, my father took any where from one to three weeks off to reconnect with family.  Before this trip, my mom or dad picked up a large jigsaw puzzle, usually between 5000 and 10000 pieces.  These puzzles became a family tradition to complete on cold and rainy days or uneventful evenings.  Without a television to distract us, corners were completed first, then the hard part began.  Filling in grass, mountains, the sky or water was an endless pursuit of trial and error, trying to see if nearly identical pieces would fit.  When this tough stretch was completed, anticipation grew as pieces were put in place fast and furious.  Unfortunately, there were a couple of puzzles that any came with 4999 and 9999, missing the final piece to the puzzle.  Despite a fervent search of the floor, nothing was uncovered, leaving a bitter taste of disappointment.

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” – Luke 15:8

The idea that puzzles intertwines with life has some traction.  Sometimes individuals find themselves faced with a difficult decision, a dilemma or struggling to grasp why something they want has not been granted.  The reason behind earthly trials isn’t usually known at the time you go through it, yet time has a way of revealing answers to unsolved mysteries.  During these periods of uncertainty, I often feel like a missing piece to a puzzle.  The only problem is every time I think I’ve found exactly where I think I fit in life, I discover that my gifts, skill set or talents don’t match, unable to complete the puzzle.  At this point, there is a temptation to betray your true identity by asking others, “who do you want me to become?”

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines, 1 Corinthians 12:11.

The apostle Paul refers to a church as a body with many parts.  Similar to a jigsaw puzzle, it takes time to figure who you should connect with and what role best suits your personality.  If you take 1 Corinthians 12 literally, local churches are like unfinished jigsaw puzzles waiting for the right individual to come and serve.  Unfortunately, a growing mindset of what’s in it for me is preventing couples or families from taking a leap of faith.  Anyone burned by past negative experiences are gun shy, afraid of reliving the pain of broken relationships.  In the end, each person possesses unique gifts or talents no one else can offer.  Yet, free will is designed to allow you to get involved when your ready.  Therefore, if this blog finds you struggling to fit in, may the Holy Spirit lead you to complete another church, puzzle or soul.

by Jay Mankus

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