Tag Archives: God

Stop Complaining, Write Down Your Requests and Pray!

Posted on February 12, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The prophet Habakkuk felt alone, as if God had abandoned him.  Upset by a lack of answers, Habakkuk cries out to God, not in prayer, but with complaints.  Not satisfied with God’s initial response in Habakkuk 1:5-11, he continues to vent his frustrations.  Feeling self righteous, Habakkuk completes his words in chapter 2, verse 1, as if God is to blame for his current circumstance.

God’s reply is classic.  Sometimes in life, we expect God to do everything, including read our minds.  Thus, Habakkuk 2:2-3 contains God’s call to action which applies to anyone who has ever prayed to God before.  If your prayer’s aren’t being answered, maybe the problem lies in your own indecision, not sure what you really what in life.  Therefore, stop complaining and start to write down everything you desire, Psalm 37:4.

As for me, I seek a sense of community, similar to what I experienced during the early days at Red Lion.  Second, I want to use my God given talents to counsel, educate and train individuals so that they will be successful in life.  Finally, I want to travel, interact with people from other parts of the country and enjoy each moment I spend outside.  I am not sure if this exact position exists, but I am beginning my quest today, believing prayer is the key to push aside any current barriers.  I encourage others to join me by stop complaining out loud, write down the desires of your heart and pray for God’s favor and will.  Enjoy the ride!

by Jay Mankus

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From a Mountain Top to the Valley of Despair

Posted on February 11, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Throughout the course of history, unusual events have occurred which defy the laws of gravity.  Skeptics argue that reality has been embellished, like a fishing story, changing each time it is told.  Meanwhile, just when it appears you understand the mind of God, a twist of fate leaves you dumbfounded, unable to comprehend why something happened.

On top of Mount Carmel, like a classic western movie, Elijah challenges King Ahab’s prophets to a duel.  However, guns are replaced by fire, with the winner burning up the hopes of the loser’s god.  According to 1 Kings 18:36-39, Elijah was victorious as the Lord God answered his prayer, sending fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice soaked in water.  Unfortunately, this mountain top experience was short lived.

When a king is publicly embarrassed, it usually doesn’t go well for the man that brought him disgrace.  Being a poor loser, King Ahab complains to his wife, the most wicked woman in the kingdom, 1 Kings 19:1.  Not ready to accept defeat, Queen Jezebel fires back with a death threat, vowing to send a hitman to kill Elijah, 1 Kings 19:2.  Forgetting the power of God, Elijah ran down the mountain into a valley of despair, wanting to die than face this trial, 1 Kings 19:3-4.

The average person lives in this valley, where heartbreak, pain and setbacks are a daily occurrence.  A spirit of depression hovers over this valley, like a stationary dark cloud, waiting for winds of change.  However, the forecast for change looks bleak, leaving a state of hopelessness in your heart.

Dr. Love sends a messenger with a recipe for healing in 1 Kings 19:5-9.  Thinking out of the box, God sends an angel to fulfill this subscription of sleep.  Although Solomon urges people to avoid slumber in Proverbs, sometimes the best thing for depression is rest.  Getting up twice to eat, the food draws Elijah back into a deep sleep.  Once revitalized, its time to go back up the mountain.

Whether you are presently on the mountain top, half way or in the valley, God’s voice is only a whisper away, 1 Kings 19:10-13.  However, we need to get our lives straightened out before you can have full reception, Isaiah 1:15.  If you follow the directions in Isaiah 1:16-17, there is a wonderful promise of hope.  Don’t delay in fulfilling; Come reason with God today so you can rise on wings like eagles to the peak, Isaiah 40:31.

by Jay Mankus

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Flush

Posted on February 9, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The word flush has numerous meanings depending upon its context.  For a poker player, a Royal Flush can’t be beat.  In the Men in Black movies, flush refers to an emergency escape route.  On the other hand, nutrients in water purify internal organs from chemicals, flushing impurities from the human body.  Meanwhile, if you aren’t feeling well, you might become flush in the face, reddening your complexion.  However, for me, there are certain days, weeks, months or years, I feel like flushing down the toilet!

As I endured another sleepless night, the image of the secondary definition for flush kept spinning through my mind.  I guess this is a sign of God wanting me to cleanse, dispose and purge all that is negative from my memory.  According to Proverbs 30:12, purity is not reached until filth is removed from your life.  In John 3:2-9, Jesus asks Nicodemus to flush everything he has been taught by man and replace it with a new concept.  This conversion, new birth and spiritual creation was too foreign for Nicodemus to grasp.  Thus, he stopped talking, becoming a listener, trying to absorb this new teaching, like Bounty Towels, the quicker picker upper.

 

Unfortunately, there might be decisions, experiences and images that you can’t seem to flush completely down the toilet.  Plungers may help with some issues, yet others may require a call to Roto Rooter to spiritually clear the plumbing within your temple.  The author of Hebrews probably addresses this better than anyone I have ever heard.  “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood,”Hebrews 12:4.  Therefore, hang in there, Galatians 6:9, keep fighting, 1 Timothy 6:12 and flush sin from your life, Romans 13:13-14.

by Jay Mankus

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Don’t Fool Yourself

Posted on February 7, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Hebrews 4:12 refers to the Bible as containing living and active words.  This unique characteristic sets the Bible apart from all other books ever written.  Ranked as one of the top selling books annually, the Bible has become the greatest seller of all time.  However, when you open this book to read it, don’t fool yourself like a narcissist by thinking you are better than you actually are.

When I opened Proverbs 26 today, God gave me a revelation, new insight to what King Solomon is trying to communicate to readers.  Solomon devotes this particular chapter to qualities of a fool.  Like a Litness Test to assess your degree of foolishness, chapter 26 contains over 20 traits of a fool.  Though you may rate yourself low, similar to a golfer who is under par, Romans 3:23 suggest everyone possesses at least one of these foolish attributes.

The apostle Paul gives new meaning to the term fool in the New Testament.  In his epistle to the educated citizens of Corinth, Paul makes being a fool not so bad.  According to 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16, wisdom does not come from schooling, which encourages students to trust in themselves.  Rather, wisdom is obtained through the power of the Holy Spirit, leading one to put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.  While the world will continue to emphasize intelligence, becoming a fool for Christ will have the last laugh.  Therefore, don’t be a fool by following Jesus, – 1 Corinthians 1:27-31.

by Jay Mankus

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What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Posted on February 6, 2013 by expressyourself4him

A week ago, I was standing at a podium, preaching the message God had placed on my heart for a local congregation.  For one of the first times in a year, I was exactly where God wanted me to be.  However, after the accolades, encouraging words and thanks faded, the Holy Spirit put a new thought on my mind.  Christianity is not about one experience; its about the journey which leads you to heaven.  Therefore, don’t think you have arrived!  Rather, ask yourself, what how you done for God lately?

Beginning in Matthew 24, Matthew devotes 2 chapters to Jesus’ teaching on End Times Theology.  Jesus concludes his lesson with a series of parables, stories that illustrate a biblical truth.  The final one is entitled, The Sheep and the Goats, based upon the Old Testament principle of clean and unclean animals, Matthew 25:31-46.  As I reflect upon the words of verses 41-43, I am guilty as charged.  I pass by homeless people weekly, turning my head, ashamed that I don’t have any spare money to give.  Meanwhile, I am surrounded by sick people in my neighborhood, yet the busyness of life has prevented me from fulfilling this passage.  Jesus’ words pierce my heart, haunting me by my lack of action to the least of these.

Instead of following the Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-36 blueprint, many churches have deviated from this model.  While the elderly, ex-cons, homeless and ill have been pushed aside, many churches are pouring their money into extravagant facilities.  This latest version of Christianity is cleaner, leaner and in some cases, meaner, failing to provide for the needy.  Although the easy answer is to automatically believe you are a sheep, watch out that pride doesn’t leave you like a goat, on the outside looking in.  As judgment day approaches, Matthew 10:32-42, prepare yourself for life’s final exam now.  With just one question to study for, Jesus’ words will echo throughout this room, “What have you done for Me lately?”

by Jay Mankus

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Living Under A Curse?

Posted on February 4, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Cursed Picture? "The Crying Boy"

Since I first began attending church as a toddler, I was led to believe that I could earn my way into heaven based upon my own works.  As I grew older, attending a different youth group in high school, I become exposed to other theological positions.  As an adult, serving as active member and participant of a church, I have searched the Bible to affirm what I ultimately believe today.  However, this morning while listening to a few sermons on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, I discovered that I might be living under a curse.

According to scripture, curses can occur through words, after experiencing emotional trauma, by making wrongs judgments or vows and acts of disobedience.  When a person one says, “you’ll never do this or you won’t succeed,” a word curse is initiated according to Ephesians 4:29-30 and James 3:9.  Meanwhile, Deuteronomy 28:20-22 suggests accidents, disease or illness can be attributed and linked to curses.  Ecclesiastes 5:6 and Deuteronomy 28:5 each claim poor decisions result in curses.  Finally, Jesus himself reveals that unless you forgive others, God will not forgive you, Matthew 6:14-15.

After contemplating pastor Ron Phillips’ message, the Holy Spirit opened my heart to the possibility my unemployment is curse related.  First, its been difficult to completely let go of all the pain I endured while living in the Red Lion soap opera.  Although, I thought I had forgiven all parties involved, God convicted me of some bitterness I am still holding onto within my heart.  Second, when failure becomes the norm in your life, its difficult to purge your mind of negativity and pessimistic thinking.  Lastly, no matter where you are in your faith journey, there is always room for improvement: areas of compromise, complacency and sinful tendencies.

Whatever your own current situation consists of, I know God wants to break any curse or pattern of failure which exists.  Thus, God longs to create a hedge of protection around you, your family, church and nation.  These hedges consists of 5 major components: prayer, leadership, unity, angels and revival.  Breaking and renouncing any curse always begins and ends with prayer, claiming God’s promises.  Prayer also energizers church leaders as well as gives people the motivation to be the head of their house.  Building upon prayer and leadership, unity is the fulfillment of both these elements.  Angelic protection increases when belief in God’s power in verbalized in prayer.  When a vision of ushering in heaven on earth is grasped by a community, revival often breaks out.  While watching the Super Bowl is nice, I long to see a spiritual super bowl, where curses are broken, saints rejoice and Christians experience victory daily!

by Jay Mankus

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Flirting with the World

Posted on January 29, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The term flirt is an intransitive verb which means to behave in a playful or alluring manner.  At the high school and college level, flirting is a method used to ascertain whether or not another individual shares any interest in you.  Like a scientific experiment, probing, tickling or winking either stimulates a mutual connection with another person or results in a cold rejection.  Unfortunately, flirting with the world is like playing with fire, often leaving deep scars from where your soul got burned.

Eve introduced the world to flirting in Genesis 3.  Flirting begins in Eve’s mind, questioning the boundaries God had set in Genesis 2:16-17.  As Eve’s thoughts began to wander, her eyes enter the fray, lusting over the beauty of the fruit on the Tree of Knowledge.  Cain had a similar problem in Genesis 4:6-7 as God tries to intervene to prevent free will from being exercised in the form of murder.  According to Jesus in Matthew 5:21-22, the jealousy within Cain’s heart, led to immense hatred, ultimately planting the seed to kill.  When you flirt with the ways of the world, death and destruction often follow, Deuteronomy 30:17-18.

In his book entitled Flirting with the World, John White reaches a scary conclusion about the impact flirting is having on the church.  According to White, “the sexual behavior of Christians has reached the point of being indistinguishable from that of non-Christians”.  In an attempt to blend in, trying not to offend others, the salt of faith has lost its flavor and the light of Jesus is experiencing nation wide power outages, Matthew 5:13-16.  As godly role models continue to fall from grace, an “everybody’s doing it” mindset has led saints toward a pit of despair, James 1:13-15.  Intervention, public confession and accountability is essential to break free from the bondage to sin, James 5:16.  Therefore, if you think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, think twice before you actually flirt with the world.

by Jay Mankus

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I Can’t Do Anything

Posted on January 26, 2013 by expressyourself4him

After rededicating my life to God during the second semester of my freshmen year of college, everything gradually fell back into place for me.  Every position I applied for except for one I received, in some cases having to decline offers.  From 1988-2010, life seemed easy, like I could do anything I put my mind to.  When the school I was teaching for began to struggle financially and eventually was sold during the school year, I actually thought I would make a smooth transition to another career.  Unfortunately, almost one year later, I was dead wrong!

When you are blessed with many talents, sometimes you get over confident or don’t work as hard as you are use to like first round draft picks in professional sports.  Then again, technology has drastically changed from the days of Cad, MS-Dos and Word Perfect when I graduated from the University of Delaware.  Anyway, I have gone from thinking I could do anything to a fear I can’t do anything right.  Solomon was right when he said, “humility comes before honor,” Proverbs 16:33b.  I just hope the humility part of my life has come to an end or is about to conclude.

As for now, its back to the drawing board.  Instead of having a touch of gold, my cover letters and resumes have turned into fools gold.  Despite these setbacks, I am laying in prayers of friends and relying on the words of Scripture to slowly restore my self-confidence.  However, I am no longer naive about my current state.  Alone, I can’t do anything but try, cry and try again,  In the long run, Proverbs 16:9 will determine where I land or where I fall.  Bethany Hamilton was right in Soul Surfer, quoting Philippians 4:13 numerous times.  With Christ I can do something, exactly what my next career is, only God knows.

I’ll let Bernie Taupin close this one out with his song sung by Elton John, “I’m Still Standing.”

You could never know what it’s like
Your blood like winter freezes just like ice
And there’s a cold lonely light that shines from you
You’ll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use
And did you think this fool could never win
Well look at me, I’m coming back again
I got a taste of love in a simple way
And if you need to know while I’m still standing you just fade away
Don’t you know I’m still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
I’m still standing after all this time

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Loose Lips Sink Ships

Posted on January 24, 2013 by expressyourself4him

In the 1900’s, American families for the most part shared a common parenting trait.  Either mom, dad or both parents reminded children weekly of the motto, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t open your mouth.”  While variations of this expression existed, the heart of the matter involves the biblical principle inside of Ephesians 4:29.  Just of loose lips sink ships, unwholesome words directed at another individual grieves the Holy Spirit according to Ephesians 4:30.

As a parent of 3 children, each 3 years apart, siblings rivalries are alive in my household whether I like it or not.  Sarcasm, teasing and untimely words are a daily threat to tear down self esteem, self confidence and a spiritual connection with God.  Therefore, it is essential for parents to remind their children of passages like Proverbs 14:3.  When a child or student can associate or tie their words directly to a specific punishment, wisdom might be found before its too late or before their own ship sinks.

Jesus’ own brother James, highlights the power of words in his letter to Christian’s scattered throughout the world following Nero’s persecution in the 60’s AD.  James 3:3-6 magnifies the force of a word, comparing the tongue with fire.  Like Smokey the Bear in his public service announcements airing as commercials, “only you can prevent verbal forest fires!”  As Facebook, Twitter and other outlets of social media continue to explode, make sure you practice self-discipline before you press send.  If not, you could be the next Manti Te’O.  Therefore, tighten the reigns of your own tongue before loose lips result in another titanic disaster.

by Jay Mankus

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Let It Flow

Posted on January 23, 2013 by expressyourself4him

As I was attempting to have my morning quiet time with God, I felt rushed.  Instead of naturally engaging God in prayer, listening to words of the Bible and seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit, my intentions became skewed.  Unfortunately, treating God like a daily check list has become the norm in recent weeks.  The emotional connection I long for has been hijacked by a selfish soul desperately wanting to get in the way, Galatians 5:16-18.

This struggle is nothing new as I wrestled with a similar issue during my 10 years as a teacher.  If I am expected to stay on task and fulfill the requirements of my Bible curriculum, when do I make room for God?  What do I cut out, shorten or eliminate if I want to entertain the presence of the Holy Spirit in my classroom?  While my superior’s goals and objectives were met, the connection with God’s power and the spiritual realm gradually lost reception, Galatians 1:10.

Like public schools in America seeking better results, if leaders truly want to see change, you must make room for Jesus.  Political correctness is not the answer nor are years of trying to appease everyone’s feelings.  Rather, if believers want to see a genuine example of Joel 2:28-30 fulfilled today, a switch in priorities is a must.  Americans need to learn to take a back seat to Jesus, allow the Lord to take the wheel and set your GPS to the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25.  Once God is fully in control, let it flow!

by Jay Mankus

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