Tag Archives: mind

Prayers of Change

Posted on August 22, 2014 by expressyourself4him

For the  helpless, hurting and poor, change is something that can’t come soon enough.  These desperate souls are searching for the secret to getting God’s attention to alter their circumstances.  When waiting becomes excruciating, what should you say to obtain prayers of change?

In the days of the Old Testament, the heart and its spiritual condition directly influenced God’s response to mankind, Isaiah 1:15-18.  Meanwhile, the mind is a terrible thing to waste, especially when doubt blocks faith from taking root, Matthew 21:18-22.  If you don’t believe God can transform your situation, miracles will cease to exist.  Thus, what can I do to be heard?

History provides a benchmark, a series of success stories in life.  When you desire wisdom, pray to possess the knowledge of Solomon.  If discernment is what you need, ask for the insight of the sons of Issachar.  Is it faith that you lack, claim the double portion the Lord gave Elisha.  Do you struggle to love?  Lean on Jesus to fill this void.  Finally, if the favor of God seems distant, persist in prayer to experience the blessings of Joseph.  May the words of Matthew 7:7-12 inspire you to offer up prayers for change.

by Jay Mankus

 

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The Cure to Nightmares

Posted on August 21, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Gone are the days of the Boogie Man living beneath your bed.  Hollywood has devised more sidious figments of your imagination such as Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers and Hannibal Lecter.  All it takes is a scary movie, darkness and isolation to invite nightmares into your dreams.  This is where fear turns an ordinary evening into a terrifying experience.

When you add fuel to this fire by indulging in graphic images on television, the degree only intensifies.  Although dreams come and go, anyone who opens the door to demonic activity, Ephesians 4:26-27, will need a spiritual remedy to set their mind free from nightly horror.  Thoughts such as,” its just an R-rated movie, what harm could possibly come from this,” will likely dig a hole that can haunt souls for years.

According to the Psalmist, there is a cure for nightmares.  Sleepless nights will come to an end as you begin to dwell in the shelter of God’s wings, Psalm 91:1.  This isn’t a casual relationship, coming and going as you please.  Rather, Psalm 91:2-4 suggests a devout faith, trusting in the Lord, not your own strength to overcome obstacles, snares and trials in life.  As your commitment level breeds spiritual disciplines, God promises to protect you from Satan’s flaming arrows in the day and conscience from fear at night, Psalm 91:5.  Applying these principles lead to sweet dreams once again.

by Jay Mankus

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Is Anything Sacred Anymore?

Posted on August 15, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Dedicated, devoted and revered are words often associated with individuals who appear connected with God, demonstrating faith on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, as I look around, searching for a cause to believe in and get behind, few seem to contain a spirit of holiness.  In view of this, I wonder if anything is sacred anymore?

As one of the patriarchs of Israel, Moses had an open line of communication with God, retreating up to Mount Sinai, seeking advice, direction and guidance for the Jewish people.  During one of these face to face encounters, the Lord reminded Moses of an essential weekly discipline.  Leviticus 23:2 introduces a list of sacred assemblies appointed by God, the first taking place on the Sabbath, Saturday for Jews and Sunday for Christians.

This day of worship should not be celebrated alone.  Rather, resting from work for 24 hours should be replaced by congregations of like minded believers eager to honor a living God.  Although illness or vacation may result in missing a few services throughout the year, don’t allow guilt or regret to interfere with your praise.  When God’s children begin to live out the words  of Psalm 150, sacred assemblies can unite souls and God willing, usher in revival.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

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A Heart is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Posted on August 8, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Whether you’re young and healthy, worn and middle aged or old and decrepit, the heart serves as a thermostat.  Age is a state of mind as the heart regulates the moods of individuals.  If the wisest king in history suggested that a heart is the well spring of life, Proverbs 4:23, than the heart is a terrible thing to waste.

Eating right and exercising is just one aspect to maintaining a healthy heart.  Inside the human body, an invisible virus is lurking.  This cancer feeds on sin, spreading beyond the heart into minds and souls.  If left unaddressed, lukewarm spirits can enter the heart.  This disease influences actions, encouraging compromise, inconsistency and a life void of passion, Revelation 3:15-16.

In view of this potential disaster, guard your heart by taking your spiritual temperature daily, Matthew 6:19-24.  Meditate on God’s Word, the Bible, Joshua 1:8, so that your mind will be steered in the right direction, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  Finally, to discourage temptation from entering the equation, put to death any earthly nature that puts your heart in danger, Colossians 3:5-9.  By exercising your heart spiritually, fulfilling Matthew 22:37-40 can become a reality.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Uninspired

Posted on August 6, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Creative, innovative and stimulated, words synonymous with inspiration.  Normally, words flow for me, like water trickling over a majestic waterfall.  Yet, today is one of those days where silence reigns.  Although my mind is enduring writer’s block, my heart still dreams of a time writing pays the bills.  Uninspired, I press on to take hold of that which Christ has called me to do, Philippians 3:12-14.

In life, there are 5 basic stages of motivation: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance.  Achieving goals require discipline, inspiration and reflection.  If you fail to set aside time for the things that you love, don’t be surprised if you lose joy for living.  Its no wonder that misery loves company as the uninspired spend more time breaking dreams and dashing hopes than casting vision for others to follow.

If the stages of motivation aren’t nourished, boredom, depression and displeasure will move in.  One of the keys to life is establishing, maintaining and nurturing balance in one’s life.  If you miss a beat like me, you’ll find yourself uninspired, struggling to find a reason to get up in the morning.  Depending upon the mood this blog finds you in, don’t forget the promise of Galatians 6:9-10.  When a spirit of depression tries to invade your soul, fight back with prayer.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Deliver Us From Evil

Posted on August 5, 2014 by expressyourself4him

The fast pace of life can cause individuals to overlook the obvious.  In a rush to keep up with the bills, stress has blinded me from an important biblical truth.  According to Jesus, one of the things you should pray for on a daily basis is protection from evil, Matthew 6:13.  The outline what Christians refer to as the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father suggests evil is a by product of giving into temptation.  Perhaps this might explain the apostle Paul’s warning in Ephesians 4:26-27.

Whether you tend to follow directions, live on the fence or like to play the role of a rebel, evil is on the other side of the door called temptation.  Good intentions don’t mean a thing unless you walk with the king, 1 John 2:7.  Words are meaningless without action as many, me included, need a heart transplant to our feet from evil, Psalm 51:10-11.  If anyone thinks you can walk in the dark and just turn on the light whenever you want is fooling yourself.  Compromise will derail souls, convincing minds to believe in lies, 2 Corinthians 614.

If there as anything communities, families or schools can do to create a hedge of protection is to ask God to deliver us from evil.  However, this must be combined with the James 5:16 principle as confession lays a foundation for spiritual change.  God doesn’t honor lukewarm prayers.  Rather, by putting your heart, soul and mind into prayer, cry out to the Lord, believing your prayers will be answered, Matthew 21:21-22.  May the Holy Spirit fill you with perseverance to stay motivated to fight this unseen battle, Galatians 5:16-18.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Making Sense of Domestic Violence

Posted on August 3, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Unless you’ve been out of the country on vacation, most talk shows listeners and television viewers have gotten an earful from the Ray Rice saga.  After videos showed the Baltimore Ravens star running back beat up his girl friend during the NFL off-season, a recent 2 game suspension for Rice has been perceived too lenient in the public’s eyes, creating a back lash against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.  As Hall of Fame Induction weekend has arrived, the topic of domestic violence won’t go away.  Even Steven A. Smith wasn’t exempt from criticism, given this week off by ESPN after claiming woman shouldn’t provoke men.

Anyway, as ESPN, Fox Sports and local sports channels replay Ray Rice’s apology earlier this week, commentators are at a loss, unable to comprehend Rice’s actions.  Well, to be honest, if everyone’s actions we’re video taped like Jim Carrey in the Truman Show, there would be a lot of hand scratching going on.  Nonetheless, there is an important biblical lesson to learn from this unfortunate incident, often the mind and body do things without any logical or rational explanation.  The apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans 7:7-20 as he confesses to losing control despite being disciplined and spirit filled.

Whether you are a pastor, law abiding citizen or criminal, no one can escape the reality of Romans 7:15.  Beneath the surface, souls are losing an invisible battle, Galatians 5:16-18, enabling the flesh to take over.  Once in the driver’s seat, the ugliness of mankind rises to the forefront in the form of acts of the sinful nature.  If you add alcohol to this equation, the probability of violence escalates.  Colossians 3:1-17 gives a blue print for overcoming domestic violence or any other sinful behavior.  If you want answers, the truth can be found in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2.  Eliminating domestic violence from your life starts with a Christ-like attitude and ends with fruits of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.  May the transformation detailed in Ephesians 5:1 prevent you releasing your anger on or toward another individual.

by Jay Mankus

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When the Darkness is My Closest Friend, Psalm 88:18

Posted on August 2, 2014 by expressyourself4him

In Juneau, the capital of Alaska, the summer sun is about to say goodbye as another season is wrapping up.  Before you know it, winter will arrive, leaving parts of this state in the dark.  Although Juneau’s shortest day will see the sun for 6 hours and 22 minutes, Barrow, Alaska, located 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle, endures 67 days of darkness annually.  For those who call extreme geographic destinations  home, darkness will become their closest friend.

For those that live in the lower 48 states, darkness is not just a seasonal event, its a state of mind.  With an invisible enemy seeking to steal your joy for life, John 10:10, disappointment can lead some to call darkness home.  Like going to see the doctor, Jesus performs a light examination in Matthew 6:19-24.  Whenever human beings place earthly treasures in greater priority than the Lord, darkness enters the equation.  The question is, “how great is this darkness and has it gotten a hold of your soul?”

Psalm 88 is a chapter of the Bible dedicated to anyone who has tasted bad news, experienced disasters or dealt with years of tough luck.  The sons of Korah wear their emotions on their sleeves, crying out to God in their days of darkness.  When trials strike without warning, maintaining a positive outlook on life is difficult.  Therefore, if you feel like darkness has become you closest friend, practice the principles of prayer in Psalm 88.  Though I can’t guarantee anything, perhaps as you cry out to God the Son will break through any dark clouds hovering over your life.

by Jay Mankus

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Mind Stripping

Posted on July 9, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Strip mining involves excavating the surface of earth, rock and other material to uncover mineral reserves.  Although most commonly used to extract coal, some of the miners on the Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush reality show use strip mining to remove overburden.  Also known as open-cut mining, this process relies on explosives and heavy machinery to reach key pockets of minerals.

A wise king once developed a different kind of mining.  One of the secrets to Babylon’s successful empire in 600 BC was the introduction of mind stripping.  Instead of killing the citizens of newly conquered nations, King Nebuchadnezzar recruited members of royal families as well as the best and brightest young people, Daniel 1:3-5.  Like going back to school, these individuals were programmed to eat, think and embrace the Babylonian worldview.

For example, Daniel was given a new name to strip his mind from his Hebrew roots, Belteshazzer.  This name originated from Mesopotamian mythology, based upon Bel, a title applied to various gods in Babylon.  Essentially, King Nebuchadnezzar attempted to convince Daniel that Bel, his god would take care of him from here on out.  Tempted by knowledge, power and wealth, Daniel refused to allow his mind to be corrupted, Daniel 1:8-14.

Today, mind stripping continues, kept alive by the devil, 2 Corinthians 4:4.  However, this process is invisible, induced by subtle thoughts, whispers and images of greatness.  No one is immune to this internal battle, Galatians 5:16-18.  Regardless of the state this blog finds you in, may the power of the Holy Spirit come to your aid, Galatians 5:25, leading you like Daniel to say no to mind stripping.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Captivated or Captured?

Posted on July 2, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Growing up in the 1980’s, arcades, malls and skating rinks were places teenagers congregated for social interaction.  Subsequently, I developed a soft spot in my heart for video games, longing to master the pattern for Pac-Man, flip Space Invaders from 999,999 back to zero on my Atari and complete every stage of Dragon’s Lair, one of the first games in 3D.  Looking back, I wonder if I was merely captivated by this new form of entertainment or was I captured by the devil, 2 Corinthians 4:4?

Compromise doesn’t happen over night.  Rather, the father of lies places subtle thoughts into your mind, hoping you will bite, James 1:13-15.  For the first 14 years of my life, I was hooked, spending countless hours on my Atari seeking to enter the hall of fame for each game I owned, taking a picture with a polaroid camera of my score or time.  However, with each accomplishment, excitement soon passed, creating a void in my heart that video games did not fulfill.  Breaking this habit was difficult, needing assistance from a higher power.

By the middle of my sophomore year of high school, I was ready, captivated by a man in wheelchair, claiming to be a famous athlete.  After receiving over 1,000 full scholarships in 4 different sports, a water skiing accident left Skip Wilkins paralyzed from the waist down.  Despite his humbling disposition, there was something different about him.  Whatever Skip had inside of him, I wanted.  Thus, when an altar call was offered, I was one of the first to come down, captivated by a godly witness and now captured by a forgiving Savior, Romans 10:9-10.

by Jay Mankus

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