Tag Archives: fasting

What’s Missing From this Picture?

Posted on July 14, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Regardless of how intelligent or talented you are, everyone goes through periods of slumps, where you are not as productive as usual.  The baseball player can’t get buy a hit.  The running back can’t seem to hold on to the ball anymore.  The jump shooter turns into a brick layer and the goalie treats each opponent like its Christmas.  Likewise, the doctor struggles to diagnose a cold, the engineer wrestles to find a quick solution and the teacher babbles away period after period.  When these circumstances find you, what’s the missing answer, ingredient or piece to your dilemma?

Deep within the pages of the Bible, I think I have unearthed a principle that might just be the missing link.  In Acts 16:22-24, Paul, Silas and Luke find themselves in an awkward predicament, imprisoned for freeing a slave girl.  Instead of arguing, bickering and complaining, somehow they are led to fulfill the words of Psalm 150.  Embracing their situation, Paul and Silas begin a worship service in prison.  This spirit of praise moves God to unleash a violent earthquake, likely 6.0 or higher on the Richter scale.  This natural disaster opens a door for ministry, setting the scene for a spiritual breakthrough.

From a personal perspective, I think I have become too worldly to experience a Pauline like miracle.  However, if I dedicated myself to fasting, prayer and worship, opportunities to share my faith would be plentiful.  Like losing weight, the only remaining question is, do you have the discipline and will power to change.  The apostle Paul went to extreme measures to insure a Christ-like behavior in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  Therefore, if a slump resides in your soul, struggling to find meaning and purpose in life, why not apply Psalm 150:6.  Maybe this is the only thing preventing you from getting over the hump.  May this be the last piece you are searching for.

by Jay Mankus

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Addicted

Posted on June 9, 2013 by expressyourself4him

When I taught high school for 10 years, there were many days when I forgot to eat or simply didn’t have time to.  Thus, when a friend from church convinced me to start fasting, the transition was easier than I thought.  During my final semester of teaching, my body became use to just one meal a day per week, with 4 meals on the weekend.  Although depression had something to do with this, I lost most of my cravings for food.

Eight-teen months later, I find the opposite to be true.  While depression is still a factor, my body has become addicted to certain foods.  During a 3 day fast I attempted earlier this week, my body went through severe withdrawal on day 1, leaving me miserable with a high fever.  Based upon books I have read, toxins within my body were reacting to their lack of food supply.  Instead of toughing it out, I broke my fast after 24 hours, disappointed by my weakness, Matthew 26:41.

Maybe this is why the apostle Paul goes to extreme measures in his letter to the church in Corinth.  According to 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, fasting requires the mindset of an athletic who goes into strict training.  Sometimes the only way to overcome bad habits, temptation and a weak flesh is through a teetotalism mentality.  When there is a will, there is a way to overcome addiction.  May your battle with the world’s obstacles lead you to lean on God’s compassion, forgiveness and mercy to press on, praying for victory over the giants in your life.

by Jay Mankus

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The Birthplace of God’s Assignment

Posted on June 4, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Clues to the origin of each assignment are sprinkled throughout the pages of the Bible.  Psalm 139:13-16 goes beneath the surface to display the fingerprints of God.  A prophet reveals a promise of hope and success for your future, Jeremiah 29:10-13.  Meanwhile, the apostle Paul refers to God as a Great Poet, preparing in advance works for followers of Jesus, Ephesians 2:10.

While this information is helpful, the actual birthplace of God’s assignment can be found in Romans 10:9-13.  However, maturity must take place before any can recognize his or her assignment, James 1:2-4.  Moments of doubt are to be expected, Matthew 19:25, only to be erased with God’s help, Luke 1:37.  Peter is a perfect example as John 21:18-19 illuminates the assignment given to him by Jesus.

This someone else is likely the presence or power of the Holy Spirit, serving as a counselor and mediator, 1 Timothy 2:5.  Ephesians 5:25 furthers this concept by comparing an assignment with a calling, leading and prompting by God.  The birthplace of Barnabas and Paul’s assignment was conceived through worship and fasting, Acts 13:2.  As long as you ask God for eyes to see open doors and ears to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit, your next assignment will not be missed.  The words of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 should provide the directions you will need as you await God’s next assignment!

by Jay Mankus

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Worship + Fasting = Spiritual Insight

Posted on June 1, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The question, “am I in the right place,” is something I often ponder.  At my wit’s end, I turned to the pages of the Bible to find answers to this dilemma.  To my amazement, the words of Acts 13:2-4, jumped off the pages today, putting an equation into my mind: Worship + Fasting = Spiritual Insight.

Worship isn’t a service you attend once a week on Saturday night or Sunday.  Nor is worship a portion of a church service where you sing hymns or modern worship songs.  Rather, worship is an acquired adoration of a living God, where an individual devotes time each day to honor and revere the creator of the heavens and the earth.  As this relationship kindles, lyrics of praise become etched upon their hearts, paying tribute to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Fasting is a spiritual practice neglected by many denominations in recent years.  My first encounter with fasting began in high school, by not eating red meat on Friday’s during the Catholic celebration of Lent, prior to Easter.  Authors like Jentezen Franklin have helped me grasp this concept through books like the Fasting Edge.  The notion of fasting can be traced back to Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:41.  By replacing food with prayer for a meal, day, week or month, your body can be strength by a willing Spirit.  Like any type of training, start small and work your way your goal of a day, few days or an entire week.

According to Acts 13:2, something supernatural transpired when worship and fasting were present in Paul and Barnabas’ life.  During a normal Sunday service, the Holy Spirit filled each with spiritual insight.  Prior to this day, their future was unclear.  However, in the midst of these joint acts of faith, God called each to the mission field.  Though cautious initially, the Holy Spirit guided their inaugural journey, leading them to Seleucia and Cyprus, Acts 13:4.  The apostle Paul didn’t just write about faith, Galatians 5:25, he lived it!

Like a teacher becoming a student, are you where God wants you to be or are you resisting a spirit of change?  Since everything else I have tried has failed up to this point, its time for me to try the equation Worship + Fasting.  As I commit to next 3 days to this exercise, I am praying that spiritual insight will follow.  The only thing standing in the way of a modern miracle is weak faith.  Therefore, trust the promises within 2 Peter 1:3-9 to pave the way for blessings and a fruitful life in Christ!

by Jay Mankus

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Looking for Jobs in All the Wrong Places

Posted on January 12, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Wanda Mallette was observing second grade students one day, recognizing different children were looking for attention through all the wrong methods.  Wanda joined her friend Patti Ryan, both active writers, who turned this notion into a song.   Upon completion, these girls sent their song as a demo to Nashville, Tennessee, eventually ending up in the lap of fellow song writer Bob Morrison.  After a few tweaks, Combine Music published this song, sung by Johnny Lee in Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta.  The revised lyrics of Looking for Love, summarize my job search over the last 12 months.

Last January, I initially told friends to keep their ears open if they heard or knew of any job openings.  Meanwhile, I had to update my resume for the first time in 10 years.  Sounding simple, I felt like a cave man trying to learn the most complex computer software system.  Applying online provided 2 interviews, one on Skype.  Driving around the area fetched 2 more possibilities with neither working out for a variety of reasons.  Securing a seasonal position with a family from church eased my pain, yet I was still unfulfilled.  I thought I had searched under every corner of life until today.

I received an email from a former co-worker this morning simply stating he was fasting and praying for me today.  Before I knew it, I received a response from a manager of Amazon about potential rehires sometime in March.  Moments later a flurry of ideas popped into my head, filled with great topics for future blogs.  If this wasn’t enough, I had a spiritual breakthrough reading Proverbs as a new concept for studying the Bible suddenly appeared as a voice inside my brain.  Coincidence, maybe?  A God instance; most likely!  Whatever the reason for these series of events, jobs would be like dandelions along side blades of grass each Spring and life as you know it would be like paradise if someone fasted and prayed for you daily!

by Jay Mankus

ps – This mysterious force can be directed linked to Spencer Saints.

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3 Against 1 or Three in One

Posted on January 11, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Where I come from, 3 against 1 isn’t a fair fight.  Yet, every morning, millions of Americans leave the safety of their own home to enter the war zone I call life.  Three invisible forces gang up on individuals daily, assaulting their minds, emotions and will.  Enemy #1 is your own flesh, Romans 8:5, implanting within you a spirit of curiosity, swaying your conscious to experiment with the unknown, Genesis 3:5-6.  Public Enemy #2 is this fallen world, 1 Peter 2:11, using a spirit of persuasion to conform your mind toward the excuse, “well, everybody else is doing it!”  Spiritual Enemy #3 is Lucifer, encouraging a spirit of disobedience within young people, Ephesians 2:2, fixing their hearts on earthly treasures, Matthew 6:21-24.

Watching The Sunset

On the other side of this spectrum, lies an invisible fortress built upon the Logos, the written word of God, prayer, fasting and worship.  The Father created this heavenly castle, sending His Son to inform the masses of its existence, John 14:1-4.  This kingdom does not use brute force, peer pressure or schemes to trick its occupants.  Rather, this paradise involves selflessness, servant-hood and sacrifice, Matthew 20:25-28.  The entrance fee is relatively inexpensive; one might say priceless, John 3:5-8.  Yet, this domain thrives on humility, love and obscurity.  There is only one star, one spotlight and one who is worthy to be praised, 1 Chronicles 16:25.

Heavens Door HeavensDoor.jpg photo

In the end, the choice is yours, to live for today, joining the 3 forces above or live for eternity?  God established free will so that people might choose love over evil and obedience over sin.  Like the line from A League of Their Own, when Gina Davis tells Tom Hanks, her manager, she’s quitting the team before the World Series.  Hanks replies, “If baseball was easy, everyone would play it.  The fact that baseball is hard; that’s what makes it a great game!”  According to Revelation 3:19-20, God created a special door for his kingdom.  The only handle of this door is located on our side.  Thus, God continues to knock on the door of your heart, yet only you can let Him in.  Today, the Spirit of Jesus has been left behind to guide you once you open this door, John 14:16-17.

by Jay Mankus

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Demolishing Strongholds

Posted on March 26, 2012 by expressyourself4him

In a war, opponents have a plan or strategy to defeat their enemy or opposition.  Opponents will narrow in on a weakness, an area which can be attacked, conquered and defeated before a battle, Luke 14:31-32.  Once confident, considering the cost and consequences, an enemy will act out their plan.

In life, everyone, whether they know it or not is fighting against an unseen enemy.  According to Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, our enemy the devil is on the prowl, looking to devour anyone in their moment of weakness, 1 Peter 5:8.  The apostle Paul takes this one step further in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, claiming the war everyone is fighting daily is the battle of our own mind.

Beginning in Exodus 20:5, the Bible introduces people to sins of the father, also known as generational sins.  Unless Christians begin to mediate on God’s word and reflect upon their life in prayer, they may not ever recognize the spiritual strongholds which presently exist in their lives.  These strongholds limit the productivity of Christians, often holding them captive or in bondage to a specific sin or sins.

Wherever you may be along life’s road, I urge you to begin taking your thoughts captive, making them obedient to Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5.  Hide God’s word in your heart so that you begin demolishing any stronghold that currently exists, Psalm 119:9-11.  Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, Romans 12:1-2.  Finally, if you are still living in fear, defeated by your current state of mind, remember Isaiah 58:1-6, by committing yourself to fasting and prayer.  Persevere until you are set free, demolishing any remaining spiritual stronghold.  Stand firm!

by Jay Mankus

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The Freedom Fast

Posted on March 3, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Above the words of Isaiah 58 in the New International Version are the words, “True fasting.”  In this chapter, God is revealing to Isaiah the difference between man’s idea of fasting and God’s vision for fasting.  Isaiah 58:6 illuminates this, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke.”

This is the freedom fast, where prayer yields bodies of believers to seek God’s power for justice to prevail worldwide and where denominations will put aside their theological differences to call on the Holy Spirit to breakdown the barriers that separate us from being one body in Christ.  As believers join this concert of prayer, we must call on angelic forces to tear down any existing spiritual strongholds that are holding back spiritual revival.  As we fast, we must have a heart like Nehemiah within Nehemiah 1, confessing our sins, humbling ourselves before the Lord and weeping for those who are in bondage to sin.  Ultimately, the goal of this fast to experience freedom that we have in Christ, to live life to the full, John 10:10.

Once Christians begin this journey together, please feel free to share your experience with us on this site.  The Fasting Edge is a great resource book to read prior or during your fast.  While its rare to see people tear their garments or put a sackcloth over their head like the Old Testament, God still uses desperate times to move believers to fast.

by Jay Mankus

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