Tag Archives: people of faith

It Is Not I… But the Lord

Posted on September 7, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Whenever you receive a compliment in life, how do you respond? Do you steal the spotlight, yield to the individuals who helped shape you or give sole credit to the Lord? After spending 18 years as a servant and a few years in prison, Joseph makes it clear that his special gift of dream interpretation comes from the Lord.

 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream and interpret it. 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, It is not in me; God [not I] will give Pharaoh a [favorable] answer of peace, Genesis 41:15-16.

The idea for Wikipedia comes from a previous project known as Nupedia. This internet encyclopedia has evolved over the past 22 with users able to update the content. However, from a spiritual perspective, the Bible is the source for the history of God and the Lord’s impact on the earth. While revisionist historians seek to alter the past, the Bible remains unchanged today.

I indeed baptize you [c]in (with) water [d]because of repentance [that is, because of your [e]changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out, Matthew 3:11-12.

While individuals like Joseph and John the Baptist appear once in a generation, there have been some people of faith who have stood out in my lifetime. The one that comes to mind is former Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Frank Reich. At the press conference following the greatest comeback in NFL playoff history, Reich quotes the lyrics of In Christ Alone. The attached You Tube demonstrates how modern believers should defer, “it is not I, but the Lord.”

by Jay Mankus

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Don’t Be So Vague

Posted on March 27, 2021 by expressyourself4him

Carly Simon released You’re So Vain in November 1972. One year earlier, Simon won a Grammy for New Artist of the Year. Vain refers to having an excessively high opinion of one’s abilities, appearance, or worth. At age 70, Simon recently wrote memoirs entitled Boys in the Trees. This addresses the inspiration behind You’re So Vain, a song about a self-obsessed lover, based upon a mixture of three of the men in her life at that time, including actor Warren Beatty. Unfortunately, in today’s age of Cancel Culture and Political Correctness, vain has been replaced by vague.

Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is, Ephesians 5:17.

When honest opinions are expressed or shared on social media, anyone who is offended by these comments often trigger a fire storm. Back in the early 1970’s, preachers nationwide responded to the Sexual Revolution of the 1960’s with sermons filled with fire and brimstone. A half century later, individuals who left the church as teenagers are now part of the crowd condemning people of faith. If any Christian has the gall to state that marriage was designed as a lifelong commitment between a man or woman, a backlash will likely follow. Thus, many believers remain silent or keep their beliefs vague.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit, Ephesians 5:18.

In the middle of the first century, the apostle Paul sends a warning to members of the Church at Ephesus. Vague is compared with foolish and thoughtless acts. Like the words of a former disciple of Jesus, Revelation 3:16, if you find yourself somewhere in between, God will eventually spit you out. One verse later, Paul provides advice for overcoming vagueness. As Christians start to pray for and pursue the Holy Spirit, vague comments will be replaced by a heart of conviction. Therefore, the next time you are afraid to voice what you believe, let the Holy Spirit rid your life of another vague answer.

by Jay Mankus

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Partners in the Fellowship

Posted on February 7, 2021 by expressyourself4him

The book definition of partner is a person who takes part in an undertaking with another or others, especially in a business or company with shared risks and profits. These relationships are often described as associates, colleagues, or teammates. When partners become intimate, terms such as soul mate are more appropriate as these individuals become focused on a common goal.

So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham, Lamentations 4:10.

Meanwhile, a fellowship is formed when multiple people form a friendly association based upon a shared interest. This joint venture often results in the establishment of a church, a safe place where people of faith can come together to reinforce their biblical beliefs. This is the context of the passage above as Jeremiah refers to the Jewish faith, partners in the fellowship due to their spiritual forefather Abraham.

Two are better than one, because they have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor; 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie down together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against him who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

King Solomon illustrates the power of partners in the passage above. Solomon highlights the fact that there is power in numbers. Jehan Palsgrave was the first to record the expression “the more the merrier” in 1530. This mindset that the larger the number of participants, the greater the fun applies today in the context of a church. As one body with many parts, 1 Corinthians 12:1-7, with each possessing unique spiritual gifts, officially joining a church makes it possible to become partners in the Fellowship of Christ.

by Jay Mankus

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