Tag Archives: shout

Pump Up The Volume

For the meek, shy and soft spoken, its easy to allow others to walk all over you.  Although, the silent majority once ruled the roost, the brash, power hungry and rude have shouted down Americans toward their ideology and worldview.  Subsequently, atheists,  lawyers and politicians have redefined the rules, pumping up the volume of their talking points.

In the aftermath of this stampede, foundations have been cracked and principles weakened, leaving historians scratching their heads.  When England began to limit their citizens to worship God in one church, the Magna Carta was conceived, leading the way for colonists to set sail for a new land.  This excitement stoked a passion in the founders, pumping out the volume to remind people of the reason each crossed the Atlantic.

When Patrick Henry stood up to naysayers at the Virginia Convention in 1775, he spoke out of the overflow of his heart, crying out for freedom.  “Give me liberty or give me death,” swayed those who were on the fence, paving the way for  the Revolutionary War.  If the United States of America has any hopes of surviving, there needs to be a spiritual revival so that God’s blessing will not removed permanently.  As you cope with today’s grim reality, may the Holy Spirit inspire you to pump up the volume, Acts 4:29, to ignite a movement to win back our moral compass.

by Jay Mankus

 

Waiting for the Harvest

At the end of the growing season, the harvest is the day of reckoning, the process of collecting mature crops from fields.  Once complete, farmers will be able to calculate their bounty and compare it with previous seasons.  The harvest festival, the celebration of the end of the growing season, has evolved into a national holiday Americans call Thanksgiving.  Like a child waiting to unwrap their first present on Christmas morning, the harvest is an adult version of collecting the fruits of hard labor throughout the Spring and Summer.  However, the toughest part remains the waiting.

The Bible speaks to farmers throughout the New Testament, relaying analogies of farming to illustrate biblical truth.  Matthew 9:37-38 refers to the struggles of finding good help.  Either people are too busy or lazy to lend a helping hand, forcing more responsibility upon a few dedicated individuals.  Jesus relied on parables like Matthew 20:1-16 to urge citizens to get involved before the day of harvest is over.  While some can take more credit than others, the pay is the same for everyone.  As farming communities continue to search for reliable workers, Jesus is waiting on his followers to become participants in a spiritual harvest.

Yet, it took a music director from the Old Testament to reveal the secret to experiencing this type of harvest.  According to Psalm 67:3-5, spiritual harvests are conceived through the praise of mankind.  As individuals, families and nations begin to shout for joy, a foundation is established.  This sets the stage for Psalm 67:6, yielding a spiritual harvest like Moses’ promise to Israel in Deuteronomy 28:2.  Therefore, if you find yourself waiting for the harvest, let the praise of the Lord commence.

by Jay Mankus

 

Shout It Out

Tears for Fears once sang about releasing emotions in their song Shout.  “Shout, shout, let it all out;  These are the things I can do without, come on – I’m talking to you.”  Meanwhile, a laundry product called Shout claimed they could remove any spot on clothing by applying their special ingredients to make stains disappear.  While one brings back great memories and the other a mother’s dream, this blog is devoted to giving a shout out to words of the prophet Zechariah.

According to Zechariah 3:1, Satan is like a stain that just won’t come out, permanently damaging our spiritual clothes.  Left with filthy clothing, tainted by sin, these blemishes are a constant remainder of our imperfections, Zechariah 3:3.  Just when your mind comes to grips with this helpless state, an angel intervenes.  Shouting it out, this angel provides first class dry cleaning, replacing the old with a new outfit, Zechariah 3:4-5.

Serving as a spiritual laundry detergent, the Lord Almighty has a special day planned.  Revealed in Zechariah 3:9, God plans to remove all the sins of this land in a single day.  News like this is comparable to the excitement demonstrated by the prodigal son on the day he returned to his father, Luke 15:20.  Therefore, don’t act nonchalantly; rather stand up and shout it out, rejoicing about the forgiveness, grace and mercy poured out upon you and me to erase our dirty laundry.

by Jay Mankus