Tag Archives: heart

What a Waste of Time

Posted on March 21, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Every weekend, depending upon your work schedule, most Americans have 48 hours to recover before starting a new week.  Sure, there are things you need to do around the house, check up on or complete before Monday morning arrives, but you have plenty of time.  Unfortunately, the older I get, the better I become at finding ways to waste time.  In fact, my time off is like a blur, a mist that appears for a while, then disappears just as quick.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, James 4:14.

Although I’m not distracted by cell phones or computers, once I plop down on my recliner time flies, often losing half a night in one sitting.  At least I’m not alone.  According to the Bible, time has always been a struggle.  I guess if you get too focused on the future, you lose sight of the here and now.  Yet, wanting to get some thing important done and have it actually happen are two different things.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom, Psalm 90:12.

One of the solutions to stop wasting time is provided by a Psalmist.  Seizing the moment or simply prioritizing your time is a good place to start.  By concentrating on the here and now, wisdom can be achieved.  Yet, prayer, fasting and reflection will lead individuals in the right direction.  As you wrestle with your own time management issues, may the Holy Spirit guide you to make the most of the free time that you possess.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Sweat and Blood

Posted on March 20, 2016 by expressyourself4him

The medical term for sweat and blood is hematidrosis.  Initial signs of this rare condition often develop from the forehead, underneath nails or begin as a nose bleed.  Meanwhile, the phrase blood, sweat and tears refers to pouring your heart and soul into a business, career or project.  When you invest a large portion of your life or time into something special, its like a woman giving birth, enduring labor pains until you see the end result, a child of God.

Jesus did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption, Hebrews 9:12.

While every venture in life is a noble cause, nothing compares to the sacrifice made by the Son of God.  Following Adam and Eve’s blunder, the serpent, symbolic of Satan, is notified about an individual who will crush his head.  Yet, this wasn’t possible until a series of event had to play out.  An the eve of the completion of God’s plan, overwhelming stress led Jesus’ sweat to become like blood.  Whether this was figuratively or literally occurred, it doesn’t matter.  The point is that an innocent man laid down his life, willing to die, once and for all to atone for the sins of the world.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends, John 15:13.

As another Palm Sunday approaches, don’t forget about the sweat of blood endured for you and for me.  While everyone has their own unique struggles to conquer sin in their life, the author of Hebrews has a simple suggestion.  In your battle against sin, you have not shed blood like Jesus.  Therefore, lean on God’s grace, throw off those things holding you back spiritually and thank the Lamb of God for giving everyone a second chance.  May the truth about the resurrection revive and rejuvenate your faith this Easter and continue throughout the year.

by Jay Mankus

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Ignorance

Posted on March 18, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Blindness, unawareness and vagueness are what I call kind synonyms for ignorance.  Harsher terms involve crudeness, disregard and incapacity.  Scholars often blame a lack of education, innocence or not being enlightened by social etiquette.  Whenever you go or whatever you do, you are destined to encounter some form of ignorance.

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart, Ephesians 4:18.

Before the decline of a biblical family in America, social skills were taught at home.  Character, discipline and hard work were displayed by parents, not just empty words.  If children ever got in trouble in school, parents handled behavior problems at home.  Unfortunately, a spirit of ignorance has enabled a younger generation to find an excuse for their actions or shift the blame, sometimes playing the race card.

But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance, Hebrews 9:7.

From a theological perspective, the ignorant can be classified as amoral.  The immoral are those who have been exposed to right and wrong, but chose not to follow what they were taught.  The moral obey the boundaries laid down by their belief system.  Meanwhile, the amoral are those individuals who have never been introduced to specific absolutes.  Thus, ignorance continues to exist today until conviction, usually from reading the Bible, opens our eyes to see the error of our ways.

by Jay Mankus

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Matters Related to God

Posted on March 14, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Since Adam failed to demonstrate leadership and Eve fell for the Devil’s trap, God’s perfect world vanished.  Thus, one of God’s first course of actions was to send a second Adam to restore that which was lost.  A temporary plan was put into practice, using a high priest to atone for the sins of Israel.  However, the Lord allowed time to pass before his resolution was unveiled.

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, Hebrews 5:1.

John the Baptist was chosen to serve as a messenger to communicate this matter.  One of the first objectives was to make a stark contracts between the God of the Old and New Testament.  The Lord was willing to offer His one and only son, not to condemn the world, but to save it.  Protected by angels and guided by the Holy Spirit, Jesus invested the last three years of his earthly life setting the stage for the modern church.  The only thing remaining was for the Father of life to stand by, allowing Jesus to become the perfect Lamb of God.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, John 3:17.

Unfortunately, today many Christians are distracted by deception philosophy and human traditions.  Making the complex simple, matters related to God can be summed up in three biblical principles.  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind.  Love you neighbor as yourself and pray for those who persecute you.  By doing this you will emulate the love of Christ and remind the world of a gracious and merciful God waiting to save those tangled by sin.

by Jay Mankus

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Cures for a Sinful Heart

Posted on March 10, 2016 by expressyourself4him

While in college, I heard a motivational speaker who made perfect sense.  One of the subjects he addressed was the impact sin has on individuals.  However, when addressing this topic you need to be sensitive.   People don’t want to be told that they are sinners who are on their way to hell.  Rather, people are longing for solutions, cures for a sinful heart.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness, Hebrews 3:13.

Since I attended this seminar, my perspective changed from an accuser to an encourager.  This method is a better approach, opening the door for future conversations or chances to witness to someone in their time of need.  Essentially, the average person is an expert at sin.  The hard part is waiting for the right setting, finding a common ground.  However, what separate the sick from the healthy are those who apply biblical principles by purging sin from their lives.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, Colossians 3:1-2.

Transformation begins when Christian change their mindset from worldly pleasures toward spiritual desires.  The apostle Paul discusses this battle within Romans 8.  Thus, as individuals begin to practice the words of Joshua 1:8, meditating on the Bible is like flipping a switch from darkness to light.  Although, this is much easier said than done, fellowship, prayer and worship can lay a foundation to insure cures for a sinful heart.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Going Down the Wrong Side of the Tracks

Posted on March 8, 2016 by expressyourself4him

Good and bad, right or wrong and acceptable verses evil, how can you tell the difference?  At one point in America, this wasn’t that difficult.  However, ever since liberal ideology took over public education, schools have slowly eliminated moral principles from classrooms.  Subsequently, its been like a run away caboose going down the wrong side of the tracks.

And Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person,” Mark 7:20-23.

Two Supreme Court Cases set this all in motion.  On June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court decided in Engel verse Vitale that a prayer approved by New York Board of Regents violated the first amendment.  A year later, Abington School District v. Schempp disallowed public Bible readings in classrooms for the same reason.  While groups like the ACLU celebrated these two decisions as a victory, the foundation of education was removed.

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men,” Acts 5:29.

When the words of Peter were rejected by the leaders of the United States of America, this opened the door for the political correct movement to be born.  Now alive and well, this invisible book is the new Bible, dictating what is appropriate and inappropriate.  The media is the judge, condemning the guilty through smear campaigns while shining the spot light on those who play ball, usually the Hollywood elite.  Until this trend is reversed, I fear that this train will continue to go down the wrong side of the tracks until a spiritual awakening leads people back where God wants us to be.

by Jay Mankus

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When Prayer Fails

Posted on March 4, 2016 by expressyourself4him

When things begin to unravel or fail apart, I’m the kind of person that wants to know why.  Thus, as I experience long periods of unanswered prayers, I begin to meditate, ponder and reflect on possible explanations.  What I discovered are three main reasons why some of my past prayers have failed.

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! – Isaiah 1:15

1. Confession without Contrition

There are times when individuals are sorry for sinful acts, but haven’t done anything to stop this from reoccurring.  In the days of the prophet Isaiah, some Jews began to offer sacrifices to the Lord without a contrite heart.  Thus, when people lifted up concerns to God before dealing with addictions, bad habits or wayward behavior, the Lord refused to listen.

However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you, Deuteronomy 28:15.

2. Walking in Disobedience

The longer I live, the more I find myself in some sort of spiritual funk.  Time has a way of altering priorities which usually leaves God low on your list.  According to Moses, getting God’s attention is fairly simple.  Obey the Lord and carefully follow all of the commands. Unfortunately, most forget about the all, picking and choosing the passages in the Bible that they like and disregarding those that are cumbersome.  Subsequently, many wander away like a prodigal, bringing curses instead of blessings from heaven.

But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins, Matthew 6:15.

3. An Unforgiving Heart

While faith is a crucial element to seeing prayers fulfilled, refusing to forgive is like the kiss of death.  The concept of Reaping and Sowing directly applies to your heart.  Therefore, if you can’t let go, get over and move on, the Lord will not forgive you.  So if days, weeks, months or years go by without seeing any fruits of prayer, perhaps one of these three areas is preventing God’s power from being unleashed.  Whether its acts of contrition, making a U-Turn back to Jesus or finding the grace to forgive, may you be on your way to unlocking the barriers keeping you from seeing heaven come down to earth in the form of answers to prayer.

by Jay Mankus

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Form Without Faith

Posted on February 25, 2016 by expressyourself4him

As a former athlete, there was nothing like game day, warming up in front of your opponents.  Depending upon the sport, there were certain matches that over before they began.  The team with the best form, technique and talent usually won.  Yet, form without faith is a losing recipe, costing several franchises in the past a championship.

Having a form of godliness but denying its power, 2 Timothy 3:5a.

There is a saying in profession sports that says the tape never lies.  This refers to players who have a tendency to take plays off, not giving 100 percent.  As a former coach, this wasn’t as easy to see.  Some players talk a good game, but crumbled under the pressure.  Meanwhile, some slacked off during practice, yet like Allen Iverson, when the lights came on, they rose to the challenge.  However, to endure for the long haul, form and faith must go hand and hand.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead, James 2:26.

As an adult, I can’t escape imperfection.  No mater how hard I try, some days my form is good, but my faith sucks.  Or in times of weakness, my faith is strong, but energy is lacking.  However, everyone must be careful of fulfilling 2 Timothy 3:5.  Godliness does not come from human effort, but in the spiritual transformation of a human heart.  Thus, when Christians begin to go through the motions of religion, they deny God’s power.  In view of this, don’t pretend everything is fine.  Rather, in humility, let the grace and mercy of God build you up so that your faith takes the form of spiritual fruit.

by Jay Mankus

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When Life Get’s in the Way of Your Plans

Posted on February 5, 2016 by expressyourself4him

The older you become, the more likely it is that one phone call will radically change your life.  Bad news has a way of stealing joy as well as altering any plans that you have previous made.  Just before Christmas, my wife’s mom was rushed to the hospital.  In the week’s that have followed, there have been ups and downs, resulting in a series of trips to Chicago to see her mother.  In the end, everyone will pass, but preparing for the inevitable is like riding a roller coaster in the dark.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps, Proverbs 16:9.

In moments like these, the wisdom of Solomon shines light on what’s truly important.  Sure, developing goals are helpful to create a five or ten year plan for prosperity.  Yet, beyond a man’s or woman’s heart, the Lord will throw an occasional curve ball to keep you off balance.  Subsequently, if your steps aren’t in alignment with God’s calling, a detour will likely be coming, drawing you back to where you need to be.  Whether that’s taking care of an ailing parent or pursuing a promotion to keep get your children through college, only time will time.  Yet, for now life is like a wheel of fortune, around and around it goes, where it stops nobody but God knows.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them, Ephesians 2:10.

So what do you do when life get’s in the way of your plans?  First, praying can serve as a vehicle for healing as well as a source of comfort.  Second, seek counsel from those who have already gone through a similar situation.  This provides prospective as well as the ability to avoid making the same mistakes as your predecessor.  Finally, cling to the promises of the Bible, memorizing these passages to instill in you hope that God is not finished using and working through you.  May the Holy Spirit guide your steps the next time life get’s in the way of your plans.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

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The Key to Helping the Weak

Posted on February 2, 2016 by expressyourself4him

If you are observant, you will likely cross paths with an exhausted, fragile or shaken soul.  Unfortunately, many symptoms of the weak are subtle.  This leads the driven, focused and self-centered to be oblivious, unfazed by the down trodden, hurting and wounded.  Unless you slow down, similar to the words of the Psalmist, you won’t notice or take the time to help the weak.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth,” Psalm 46:10.

A natural response to a bad day is to over-react, allowing a spirit of bitterness or worry to consume you.  Thus, when you are able to get over this disappointment, the sooner you can begin to turn your attention to the concerns of others.  In a letter to the church of Colosse, Paul encourages members to bear with each other; sharing the burdens of those hurting.   Though it may be difficult to forgive some individuals, its a start in the right direction to helping the weak.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others, Philippians 2:3-4.

Finally, the key to helping the weak is found in the art of giving.  Jesus claims it is better to give than receive.  While part of human nature will expect something in return, I’m learning the joy of giving without expectation.  It’s not easy, but the sooner people can get over the life’s not fair stage, your perspective can change.  May the Lord revitalize your hearts to become a student of giving.

by Jay Mankus

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