Tag Archives: helpless

Life’s Ransom

Posted on April 18, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Director Ron Howard used a 1954 episode of The United States Steel Hour from the series Fearful Decision to produce the 1996 film Ransom starring Mel Gibson and Rene Russo.  Author Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom also influenced Howard’s portrayal of police procedure in this movie.  When a millionaire’s son is kidnapped, the ransom is set for $2 million for his safe return.

The Bible refers to another ransom in Psalm 49:7-9.  However, this amount is like the entertaining Master Card commercials, priceless.  Whether you’re rich or poor, white or blue collar, no payment is sufficient enough to receive eternal life.  Helpless, life a parent held hostage, Jesus intervenes, going to the bank called Calvary, Matthew 20:28.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4coHVchwlg

The apostle Paul describes life’s ransom in Romans 6:23.  The wages, payment due for the errors, mistakes and sin you’ve committed in life is death, separated from God.  Despite your dire condition, Jesus decided to pay the ransom for your life on Good Friday, 30 AD, Romans 5:8.  Thus, the gift of God is in the mail, waiting for you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 10:9-10.  May the power of the Easter message come alive in your soul, resurrecting faith, hope and love, 1 Corinthians 13:13.

by Jay Mankus

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My Pain is Christ’s Gain

Posted on March 16, 2014 by expressyourself4him

I am not the first to ask why God allows bad things to happen.  Nor will I be the last to demand a response.  However, after one month of complaining, groaning and frustration, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to me yesterday, “my pain is Christ’s gain.”

As a former professional athlete, I’ve always been able to rely on my God given talents, to work harder than the next person, regularly experiencing success.  Yet, when your ability to breathe, lift more than 5 pounds and walk is taken away, you become helpless.  Thus, I was placed into a situation where I was vulnerable, forced to depend on Christ’s strength, 2 Corinthians 12:9, to ease my pain.

T-Shirt companies have created similar themes in the past, using God’s Gym instead of Gold’s Gym.  On the back, Jesus is doing a push up with the weight of the world, the cross on his back.  Nonetheless, a conversation on my first day back at work revealed the true reason for my accident.  One of my co-workers was encouraged by posts updating my progress.  Subsequently, without my fall, I wouldn’t have had the material to cover these topics.  Thus, in the end, God allowed my injury, 2 broken ribs, a lacerated liver and internal bleeding to occur so that my pain was Christ’s gain for eternity.

by Jay Mankus

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Finding Solace in Sorrow

Posted on March 6, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Although inconsistent at times, I’ve tried to be a positive person in my spheres of influence, set on changing the mindsets of defeated souls.  In high school, one of my ministries was seeking out the depressed and down to bring a glimpse of happiness, laughter and joy to their sad faces.  However, now I find the shoe on the other foot as sorrow has moved in, keeping me company during the entire month of February.

Like a prized heavy weight slug fest from the Rocky series, my body has become a punching bag for Apollo Creed, scrambling for the ropes to hang on.  Repeated blows to the heart have erased any remnants of confidence, making room for sorrow to feel at home.  Since I lost control of my health weeks ago, I am finding solace in this helpless condition.  Stripping away my impurities, desolation has forced me to seek a higher power to be rescued from disappointment.

Sorrow has lead me into the furnace, testing my faith beyond what I expected, 1 Peter 1:6-7.  Stretching me like Plastic Man, I have a new appreciation for misfortune, viewing it as an opportunity to display a heavenly perspective, James 1:2-4.  After this hurricane, I will be a better man, able to see the sun on the other side of the storm.  With no easy way out, I am content to find solace in sorrow until the Lord calls me home.

by Jay Mankus

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Put Me Back Together

Posted on February 26, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Whether you want to admit it or not, everyone has 3 things in common with Humpty Dumpty.  First, at some point in time, you’ll find yourself living on the edge, trying to hang on or stay in control.  Second, you will experience a great fall, either physically, spiritually or both.  Finally, you’ll discover what it means to be helpless, needing someone else to put you back together.

In Psalm 31:12, King David compares himself to a piece of broken pottery, shattered into pieces.  The apostle Paul found himself in a similar predicament, using a jar of clay to illustrate the emotions he endured, 2 Corinthians 4:7-9.   C.S. Lewis referred to life as a car in Mere Christianity, trying to run on something other than petroleum, eventually breaking down since individuals didn’t follow the directions left behind by God.  Before you get well, you must acknowledge that you can’t do it on your own, in need of a Savior to stitch you back together, John 3:16-17.

Behind childhood fairy tales like Humpty Dumpty lie painful truths.  Solomon highlights this in Ecclesiastes 4:10 as friends are designed to pick us up when we fall.  Without somebody to turn to, pity reigns on these poor souls.  Therefore, if you’re hanging by a thread, lying in pain and waiting to be helped up, cry out to Jesus and He will put you back together, Luke 23:42-43.

by Jay Mankus

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When You’ve Got Nothing Left to Give

Posted on February 23, 2014 by expressyourself4him

In the film National Treasure, Nicolas Cage plays Benjamin Gates, a treasure hunter with a tarnished reputation.  Despite trying to warn authorities, no one takes his threat serious, that the Declaration of Independence is in danger.  In life, there are times when you reach a similar fate, when you’ve done everything you can think of, with nothing else to give.

The apostle Paul refers to these moments in life as periods of humility, 2 Corinthians 12:7-8.  When you’re successful most of the time, individuals have a tendency to steal the spotlight from God by saying, “look at me!”  Whether you’re watching the Olympics, professional sports and a high school game, the victor receives the spoils.  However, behind the cameras, the losers are forced to face the fact they’re got good enough, with nothing left to give except reflecting on what went wrong.

Today, I find myself at the bottom of the barrel, leaning on the words of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.  As much as I want to be magically healed and return to work now, I am stuck with an aging imperfect body which need times to be restored.  Thus, I have nothing else to give except time.  In my weakness, Christ needs to be strong, to carry me through the frustration of being helpless.  When you’ve got nothing left to give, lean on God’s power to lift you up each time you fall!

by Jay Mankus

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On the Other Side of the Street

Posted on February 11, 2014 by expressyourself4him

One of the cliches I heard way too often growing up was, “if the shoe fits wear it.”  I’m still not exactly sure where this phrase originated or what it’s intended purpose served, yet I have learned to distinguish my strengths from my weaknesses over time.  When it comes to death, dying, injuries and wheelchairs, I’m at a loss, leaving me uncomfortable and unqualified to handle these environments.

Perhaps, this may explain why God forced me to visit the other side of the street last week.  When you reach a certain age, suffer a debilitating  injury or endure an accident, these individuals all share something in common, they are helpless.  As you enter this arena, self sufficiency is no longer an option with souls needing another person to help them up, take their hand and nurture them back to health.  Normally a quick healer, this is mostly foreign to me except for a few broken bones here and a surgery there.

In biblical times, there were no nursing homes or retirement centers to spend your final years on earth.  Your destiny was determined by your family, their generosity and wealth necessary to provide affordable care.  As the modern family dissolves into some type of dysfunctional reality television show, its no wonder that the amount of beggars and homeless continue to increase, showing up at most busy intersections where I live.  Abandoned by their families, friends and employers, these desperate people are like prodigal sons and daughters waiting for their father to welcome them back home.  Until this day, those living on the other side of the street which need prayers, support and a helping hand to get them back on the road to recovery.

by Jay Mankus

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The Fraility of the Human Heart

Posted on February 10, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Since Thursday afternoon at 5pm, my life has been a whirlwind of emotions.  After a successful second interview at Amazon on Wednesday, I sensed a promotion in the near future, trying to stayed reserved until I hear the news.   A little more than 24 hours later, my focus switched toward a battle to live, unable to stand or breath on my own.   One second I felt like I was having a heart attack, the next a CAT Scan revealed a pocket of blood around my lungs and liver.

For the past 3 days, I have had a tube sucking the blood out of these 2 areas trying to prevent infection.  Until this improves, I am in limbo, getting stronger, but still waiting on my internal bleeding to stop.  Unfortunately, my body is not healing as quick as it use to in the days of my youth.  Thus, life has been put on hold temporarily, in God’s hand and in His time as I wrestle with the Fraility of the human heart.

God has taught me a subtle lesson these past few days, He’s in control no matter what I try to do.   Though I usually try to speculate about the future, I am helpless, trusting in God’s grace to get me through this ordeal.  Sooner or later, my odds of improvement increase, yet the Lord knows the next steps that I will take.  As for now, time is the enemy, placing me behind where I want to be as the reality of life’s fraility has come crashing through the front door of my heart.

by Jay Mankus

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911

Posted on January 29, 2014 by expressyourself4him

There are moments in life when God reminds you, “you’re not as young as you use to be!”  On Monday, an Evil Knievel like accident tubing brought me to my knees, lying in pain and waiting for an ambulance to take me to the hospital.  In a flash, the ability to walk vanished  as I was placed a stretcher with a neck brace, helpless as this reality set in.

More embarrassed than anything, I had 5 hours to contemplate how this injury might impact my life.  Paralyzed by fear, I began to quote verses from the Bible as each came to my mind.  Although still in pain, a sense of peace calmed my nerves, causing a spirit of optimism to enter my soul.  While seconds slowly ticked away, I began to feel my back every couple of minutes to determine a diagnosis.

By the 4 hour mark of waiting in a hallway, the doctor in me narrowed my injury to my ribs, kidney and or spleen.  Anxiously hoping for an x-ray, I was set free from my back and neck brace as the drugs kicked in, erasing most of the pain.  However, I was still a hurdle away from being released and given a clean bill of health.  Despite falling 3 feet, crashing into a table and shattering it to pieces, I came home late Monday night with a welt on my right side.  Within this 911 emergency, only the power of God can take credit for a miraculous recovery from this stupid incident.

by Jay Mankus

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A Prayer for the Bullied

Posted on January 15, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Regardless of how big, strong or tall you are, one day you will face your match, being the David against a Goliath bully.  In the Back to the Future movie series, George Mcfly faced a life long battle with Biff, never having the courage to stand his ground until he came face to his with his own son Marty.  Going back to his father’s high school years, Marty played by Michael J. Fox, tries to break his father of this submissive trait.  Finally, George becomes enraged by Biff’s mistreatment of Jennifer Parker, filling his fist with supernatural strength, knocking out this bully with one powerful left hand hook to the face.

Unfortunately, this Hollywood ending is not reality for the countless of Americans daily facing bullies at their school, in the neighborhood or at their place of occupation.  Although bullies are conceived during childhood, they don’t magically disappear when you become an adult.  Power, pride and selfish greed inspires an older, less obvious and wiser type of bully.  Seeking and seizing control of others, individuals usually use their status, title and ego to boss around people low on the totem pole.  Subsequently, year and year goes by without upper management ever noticing or seeing this harsh behavior.

Based upon the words of Psalm 10, David appears to have been bullied prior to his rise to power as King of Israel.  His words describe how anyone who has faced bullying feels: helpless, weak and alone.  The youngest in his family, this scrawny boy was a mere shepherd, an insignificant member of his household.  During these days alone, an outcast in the fields, David began to communicate with God through prayer.  Psalm 10 depicts a long period of unanswered prayers from verse 1-13.  However, in the end, God answered David with a prayer for the bullied, “You hear O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more!” – Psalm 10:16-17

by Jay Mankus

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A Woman’s Intuition

Posted on March 18, 2013 by expressyourself4him

From the beginning of time on earth, there has always been a great mystery between men and women.  Dr. John Gray’s teaching series Men are From Mars; Women are from Venus tries to unravel these differences for couples.  However, there are certain things that will never been understood by the opposite sex.  Thus, woman will continue voicing their concerns, wanting to be heard while men tend to fix and solve problems, usually remaining oblivious to a woman’s true feelings.

Recently, God has been teaching me about a woman’s intuition.  Although, hesitant at first, my wife Leanne often has an inkling, instinct and sixth sense that tends to come to fruition.  Her perception is similar to that displayed by Pontus Pilate’s wife in Matthew 27:19.  Though God designed husband’s to be the head of their home, over his wife according to Ephesians 5:22-24, woman were created with this special feeling deep within their soul.  Unfortunately, like a typical man, warnings go unheard as Pilate gave into the cries of the riotous crowd, neglecting his wife’s sixth sense, being warned in a dream, Matthew 27:20.

A Canaanite woman also possessed this quality, a hunch that she followed by faith in Matthew 15:21-28.  Despite her status, being a Gentile, born outside of the nation of Israel, God instilled in her a strong motherly instinct.  When a child is in danger, helpless or ill, an adrenaline rush often kicks in energizing woman.  In the case of her inflicted daughter,  this outsider refused to take no for an answer, begging and pleading with Jesus.  Rewarded by her perseverance, a woman’s intuition brought her to the right place at the right time to the only One who could answer her prayer.  Listen and learn!

by Jay Mankus

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