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Seizing This Season

Posted on January 4, 2023 by expressyourself4him

I was introduced to the concept of seizing a season through the 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon Footloose. When a pastor’s son in Utah was killed coming back from a dance, the small town that Ren McCormack moved to banned playing all secular music in public. When prom season arrived for seniors, Ren went to the local town council to change this law. While speaking to a room full of anxious students, Ren proclaimed, “this is our time.” Five years later, Robin Williams clarified seizing this season in the film Dead Poets Society, Carpe Diem, seize the day.

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, 3 A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, Ecclesiastes 3:1-4.

Following the great flood recorded in the Bible, God promised to never interrupt the four annual seasons on earth for the remainder of its existence, Genesis 8:22. While reflecting upon every circumstance and situation that happens within a calendar year, King Solomon declares that there is a season and time for everything. However, in wake of the freak injury resulting in a cardiac arrest to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday Night Football this week, seize today as tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, James 4:14.

Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward, Philippians 3:12-14.

The apostle Paul provides what it takes to seize this first season of 2023 in the passage above. The mindset that Paul details includes three key character traits. First, you need to remain hungry for achieving more in life by avoid becoming complacent. Second, you need to forget what has happened in your past by focusing on what’s God’s will for your life in the future. Finally, when you keep your eyes on heaven’s prize, fulfilling the great commission in Acts 1:8, you will seize every new day that God gives you this season to shine the light of Jesus on a dark and dying and dying world.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 164: Heart of the Journey

Posted on July 14, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Today’s song is from an artist who is a hidden gem. Michele Wagner grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and received her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Ohio State University in 1983. When I first heard Heart of the Journey on a local Christian radio station in college, I was moved by the lyrics. According to Michele, trusting in God’s plan for her life is the heart of the journey.

 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome, Jeremiah 29:11.

The author of Hebrews 12:1 compares life to running a marathon. Rather than ending after 26.2 miles, a spiritual journey does not conclude until you have breathed your last breath. As you live each new day like it’s your last, turn to Jesus daily. When your journey takes a slight detour, keep in step with the Holt Spirit, Galatians 5:25, so you don’t get lost along the way.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 120: To the Sky

Posted on May 31, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Pete Stewart is one of those Christian artists who has done whatever it takes to fulfill his dream of being a musician. Stewart started out as the lead singer of The Accident Experiment and guitarist for Tait. In more recent years, Pete has become the lead singer of Grammatrain as well as a songwriter and producer. The lyrics of To the Sky speak to a desire to seize the day so you can do what God is calling today.

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money.14 Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]. 15 You ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing], James 4:13-15.

To the Sky reminds me of words written by Jesus’ earthly brother. James reached a point in his life where God helped him see how short life on earth can be. Since tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, it’s important to look to the sky to figure out what exactly is God’s will for your life, Romans 12:1-2. May To the Sky serve as a reminder to lift each new day up to the Lord in prayer so you will begin to seize the moments God provides.

by Jay Mankus

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From Time to Time

Posted on May 22, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Starting a few years ago, I decided to use a different translation of the Bible each time I study the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation. My most recent study involves the Classic Amplified Bible. This version opened my eyes to the words of one of Jesus’ former disciples. John took great joy whenever a Christian visited with the goal of sharing their faith. Unfortunately, this only occurred from time to time.

In fact, I greatly rejoiced when [some of] the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke [so highly] of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth [the whole Gospel presents], 3 John 1:3.

When something in your life isn’t important or a priority, you only experience this from time to time. From John’s perspective, he watched Jesus present the Gospel every day for three years. Jesus didn’t wait to share God’s love until the disciples reached their appointed destination for the night. Rather, Jesus seized every moment, walking, talking and loving along the way, stopping to perform miracles daily.

I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living their lives in the Truth. 5 Beloved, it is a fine and faithful work that you are doing when you give any service to the [Christian] brethren, and [especially when they are] strangers, 3 John 1:4-5.

John explains in the passage above why Christians should live out God’s Word daily by sharing their faith. When God uses you to comfort or encourage someone in the form of a divine appointment, the joy you experience from this encounter is amazing. Perhaps, this is the what the abundant joy that Jesus promised in John 10:10 feels like. Rather than casually share your faith from time to time, search for daily opportunities to pass on God’s love.

by Jay Mankus

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Seize, Hold Fast to and Retain Hope

Posted on November 22, 2021 by expressyourself4him

Famous poet Robert Frost published the poem Carpe Diem in 1938. Carpe diem is a Latin aphorism taken from book 1 of the Roman poet Horace’s work Odes. When translated into English, Carpe Diem refers to “seize the day”. To seize involves to make the most of this present time and give little thought to the future. This is the sense of urgency the author of Hebrews is attempting to communicate.

So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the [c]hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word, Hebrews 10:23.

Holding fast means to tightly secure something that is deemed important and valuable. This process focuses on continuing to believe in and adhere to an idea or principle. In the passage above, hope is the glue meant to cement the faith of modern day Christians. Like a cherished teddy bear that a small child clings to each night in bed, hope is what you wrap your arms around in times of need.

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. 2 For by [faith—[b]trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report, Hebrews 11:1-2.

In football games, defensive players attempt to force, intercept, punch and remove the ball from the individual who has it. To retain possession, running backs, receivers and quarterbacks do everything in their power to avoid turning the football over. This is the message Hebrews is trying to convey by seizing, holding fast to and retaining hope. As life continues to fly by, may faith and hope be secured despite what the forces of this world may do to try to change your mind, Ephesians 6:12.

by Jay Mankus

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Prophetic Intimations

Posted on August 2, 2021 by expressyourself4him

An intimation is the action of making something known, especially in an indirect way. To the visual learner, speaking in parables by using analogies that spoke to a first century audience was effective. Instead of dumbing down his message like a teacher telling everyone the answers, Jesus uses prophetic intimations to make people think. One of the stereotypes assigned to Christians is naive, blindly following an invisible God. Yet, this is far from the truth.

This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare, 1 Timothy 1:18.

Free will offers everyone the chance to spend their time as they wish. Going to church, reading your Bible or praying isn’t forced by a spiritual drill sergeant. Rather, attending church, going to a Bible Study or worshiping God should be something that Christians want to do. When I was a young Catholic searching to make sense of God, I was eager to find out the truth. The more I read the Bible, Old Testament prophecies began to align, opening my eyes to the Savior of the world.

And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and those [preeminently] sinful? 12 But when Jesus heard it, He replied, Those who are strong and well (healthy) have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy [that is, [i]readiness to help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims. For I came not to call and invite [to repentance] the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin), Matthew 9:11-13.

During a first century conversation, Jesus target audience comes into focus. The healthy don’t need to doctor, able to survive on their own. However, the sick and sinners all reach a point of desperation. Subsequently, Jesus recruited and trained 12 disciples to become spiritually self-sufficient. The goal was after Jesus fulfilled God’s master plan, these men could carry on his ministry after his ascension into heaven. As Christians strive to live the abundant life, John 10:10, you should want to draw closer and closer to God with each passing day. Seize the time that God gives you on earth.

by Jay Mankus

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A Conscious Decision

Posted on March 7, 2020 by expressyourself4him

As an adult, there will be many memorable moments in your life. When things are going good, you may be having such a great time that you forget your responsibility as a parent. While coaching and teaching at Red Lion, I neglected my family, spending countless hours each week grading papers, preparing lesson plans and overseeing my golf team. In my free time, I played on a church softball team every Friday night. About 10 years ago, I was so consumed with my own life that I had become an absent father.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it, Proverbs 22:6.

One night I was able to watch James play in a Little League baseball game. His team lost 2-1, but James hit an inside the park home run. The only other time James got up he doubled, but go stranded on base as the game ended. I was surprised to see James batting 10th. Sure, every parent believes that their child is better they actually are, but batting at the bottom of the lineup didn’t make sense. After a conversation with a neighbor, I discovered James used the coaches son’s bat without asking. Thus, James was punished by his coach. This petty act led me to make a conscious decision to become more involved in the lives of my children. The following year I became one of James’ coach, the first of 7 straight years coaching or managing a team for Greater Newark Baseball.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, Ephesians 6:4.

Like I have mentioned in previous blogs, I do everything to the extreme. I’m either all in or mentally unattached. This conscious decision has made me spend most of my free time in the last decade attending activities, competitions and sporting events. Although I don’t have the friendships that I once did outside my home, I am seizing every moment left that I have with Daniel and Lydia before they graduate high school. I definitely don’t have the energy that I once did, but I am doing my best to be an active and supportive father. Looking back, maybe I could have done things differently, but I don’t regret my conscious decision to make my children and family a major priority.

by Jay Mankus

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Time Matters

Posted on February 1, 2020 by expressyourself4him

There are moments in life that are overshadowed by accidents, hardship or other unforeseen events. Just when you find yourself on the verge of a breakthrough, something beyond your control breaks your momentum. Unfortunately, most people never regain this mojo, quickly disappearing. As time goes by, priorities often change due to new responsibilities. Thus, as the days of your youth fly by, now in my rear view mirror, time matters.

Remember [earnestly] also your Creator [that you are not your own, but His property now] in the days of your youth, before the evil days come or the years draw near when you will say [of physical pleasures], I have no enjoyment in them—2 Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened [sight is impaired], and the clouds [of depression] return after the rain [of tears]; Ecclesiastes 12:1-2.

The most quoted chapter, Ecclesiastes 3, points to the concept that there is a season and time for every matter and purpose. In the 1984 film Footloose, Kevin Bacon plays a high school senior, Ren who fights city hall to restore dancing so that a class prom can be held. Ren’s girlfriend Ariel played by Lori Singer, gives him a series of Bible verses as the pastor’s daughter. The force that drives Bacon’s character is the belief that “this is our time.”

In the day when the keepers of the house [the hands and the arms] tremble, and the strong men [the feet and the knees] bow themselves, and the grinders [the molar teeth] cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows [the eyes] are darkened; 4 When the doors [the lips] are shut in the streets and the sound of the grinding [of the teeth] is low, and one rises up at the voice of a bird and the crowing of a cock, and all the daughters of music [the voice and the ear] are brought low; Ecclesiastes 12:3-4.

In the passage above, King Solomon uses a series of symbols to illustrate how time flies by on earth. The days of your youth end in a flash, like a twinkling of your eyes. Perhaps this explains the origin of carpe diem, found in book 1 of the Roman poet Horace’s work Odes. While this Latin phrase literally means “pluck the day,” Horace’s goal was to seize the moment before time slips away. Since time matters, make sure you seize each day the Lord gives you on earth, making the most of the opportunity to live.

by Jay Mankus

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When the House of Your Dreams Fades Away

Posted on January 10, 2020 by expressyourself4him

If you are not careful, you can allow life to get away from you. Distractions, the gruel of work and unguided years have caused me to lose track of time. It seems like only a few years ago that my three kids all attended the same school where I taught. At this moment in time, everything seemed so clear as I was on the way to building the house of my dreams.

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear, Ecclesiastes 5:7.

Nearly a decade later, our house is nearly empty, two years away from having all of my children in college. After hearing Casting Crowns’ song House of Their Dreams the other night, conviction filled my soul. The words of these lyrics ring true as I find my family trapped in our own worlds despite living under the same roof. Recognizing this is one thing, but coming all together as a Christ devoted family requires an act of God.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Joel 2:28.”

Sure, prayer and fasting will help, but I can’t expect my family to change until God changes me first. Instead of asking, correcting and urging others to take action, I need to closely evaluate and examine my own life first. During the youth ministry trade school that I attended following college, I learned that the enthusiasm of a leader never exceeds that of its audience. Therefore, if I want to restore the house of my dreams, I need to pray “Lord change me first!”

by Jay Mankus

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God is not Slow…You are Just Holding Him Up

Posted on December 13, 2019 by expressyourself4him

I am one of those individuals who is always in a hurry, eager to find the most efficient and quickest route to where I need to go. I don’t do slow well, especially when I’m stuck in rush hour traffic. Rather, I follow the motto from Top Gun, “I feel the need; the need for speed!” While I don’t promote reckless driving, I hate wasting time, especially when it comes to making the most of each day.

And you shall eat it thus: [as fully prepared for a journey] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment [proving their helplessness]. I am the Lord., Exodus 12:11-12.

When God revealed his plan for Israel’s exodus out of Egypt to Moses, the Lord uses the term haste. Haste refers to excessive speed, urgency of movement or action. Basically, God is telling Israel to hurry up, “it’s time to go into the land that I promised you.” Although Israel did flee Egypt, this sense of urgency didn’t last long. A trip that should have taken 35 days, just over one month, ended up lasting for forty years.

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1.

Immediately following the chapter known as the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11, the author warns individuals about getting tripped up. While God desires to pour out blessings upon your life each month, backsliding, detours and getting lost often results in years without producing spiritual fruit. Before you can reach your full speed and potential in life, you have to get untangled from any web of sin currently slowing you down. As you break free, may you begin to see that God is not slow, you’re just holding Him up.

by Jay Mankus

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