Tag Archives: sin

When Jesus Got Ticked Off

Posted on March 16, 2013 by expressyourself4him

There is a misnomer held by many circles which suggests anger is a sin. While someone’s tone of voice may reflect a degree of anger, the words an individual choose to verbalize ultimately reveal what is in their heart, Luke 6:45. According to Ephesians 4:26, anger is a natural emotion people experience. How you respond when you’re angry determines whether or not you sin. Thus, when you read a book, it’s hard to detect if someone is mad, if that is their normal demeanor or they are upset.

When I read Mark 12:1-11 the other day I got the sense Jesus was ticked off by the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders. The day before this encounter, Jesus cleared the temple of rift raft, over turning the tables of those who tried to turn the temple into a flea market. Although I am not claiming Jesus sinned, I do believe the religious leaders had become a thorn in Jesus’ flesh, frustrated by their pig headed mindset. Therefore, following their lack of cooperation in Mark 11:27-33, Jesus shares the parable of the Tenants to vent his anger.

When the truth hurts, people respond in various ways. Some may publicly confess their error immediately. Others may walk away humbled, contemplating how to handle their embarrassment. In the case of the religious leaders, they were furious, realizing this unflattering parable was about them. If Romans 8:28 is true, God allowed his Son to get ticked off, pushing the religious leaders beyond their limits so that the Father’s will would be done fulfilled through the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus, Matthew 26:39-42.

A rhema, a word from the Lord received by Jay Mankus

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Unleashing the Power of Prayer

Posted on March 13, 2013 by expressyourself4him

During a 3 year stretch, Jesus performed miracles every day, with his 12 disciples likely eyewitnesses of these amazing feats, John 21:25. Jesus calmed storms, walked on water, restored sight to the blind, gave voices to the mute and enabled the crippled or paralyzed to walk. However, there are 4 passages in the gospel which reveal why modern Christians aren’t successful in their prayer life. Mark 11:20-25 holds a powerful truth that needs to be unlocked.

In Mark 11:22, Jesus is disappointed by Peter’s reaction a verse earlier. Jesus appears to have expected a greater faith by now, one that demonstrates unquestioning power. However, a spirit of doubt is limiting the disciples ability to receive instantaneous answers to prayer, Mark 11:23. Back in Mark 5:36-41, Jesus takes drastic measures, removing everyone out of a house except Peter, James, John and a dead girl. Once doubt is eliminated from their presence, the little girl is risen from the dead. After the road block of doubt has been bypassed, another element also stifles prayer.

According to Jesus, unconfessed sin or any grudge that is held, prevents a prayer from being carried out, Mark 11:25. On several occasions, Jesus told the person who approached him, your sins are forgiven prior to the actually healing, Mark 2:5. In the case of the adulterous woman, Jesus commands her to leave her life of sin, John 8:11. The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer contains a similar conditional clause. Unless you forgive others of their sins first, God will not forgive you of your own sins, Matthew 6:14-15. Therefore, if your prayer life is unproductive, 3 things must be addressed before the power of prayer can be unleashed.

1. Remove any presence of doubt from your heart, soul and mind.

2. Publicly confess any issue, mistake or sin you are currently struggling with.

3. Ask God to reveal any grudges you are holding on to as well as anyone you have not fully forgiven.

When you add faith to this simple equation, Matthew 21:21-22, God will unlock the power of prayer in your life.

by Jay Mankus

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Shout It Out

Posted on March 12, 2013 by expressyourself4him

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

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If God Used Logic…We’d All Be Dead!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Throughout the course of history, a series of cycles retrieve, add to and reinvent old theories about the Bible. Gnostics build upon the teachings of Simon Magus in Acts 8:9-19 with modern theories like the Jesus Seminars and Da Vinci Code. Meanwhile, books like the Secret take biblical principles out of their proper context by blending these truths with metaphysics and self-help methodology. Despite what so called experts may claim, the Bible continues to be an annual best selling book about the creation of earth, the fall of man and restoration of life through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. If you read and study this book you will soon discover, if God used logic, we’d all be dead!

If you were God, how would you respond when your only rule, Genesis 2:16-17, is quickly broken by your second created being, the first child born on this planet becomes a murderer, Genesis 4, and a few generations later, the only person worth saving is Noah. Meanwhile, the flood is immediately forgotten by the people of Babel in Genesis 11, your only leader, Abraham, is a habitual liar, Genesis 20:1-2, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were given over to shameful lusts, Romans 1:26-27. Like a frustrated parent whose children never listen to them, if God used logic, the earth would have been destroyed once and for all in Genesis 19:29.

Fortunately, for all of mankind, God is love, 1 Corinthians 13. Logically, God should have given up on us years ago, but He loved us so much that God gave us His one and only son, John 3:16-17. Despite the wages of sin, Jesus paved a new way toward heaven in Romans 6:23. Jesus left a final reminder of God’s love with his best friend on earth, John. According to 1 John 3:16-20′ true love today is found today by living out the love of Jesus. Like the classic country song by Crossway, “Thank God I’m not Jesus!” Come alive by following the apostle Paul advice in Galatians 2:20.

by Jay Mankus

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Mere Images

Posted on February 28, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The expression “you are what you eat” is nothing new. Nor is practice what you preach. However, the prophet Hosea brought me something fresh and poignant this morning. According to Hosea 9:10, you become a mere image of that which you worship.

If you study time management theories, you will stumble across the Pyramid Theory, which attempts to break each day into 24 one hour time slots. Since the average individual sleeps roughly 8 hours a day, every person has 16 hours to invest their time. If work consumes another 8-10 hours per day, people may only have 6 hours for their own personal use. Thus, how you treat these precious hours will reveal your character, interests and priorities.

Israel had wasted their free time indulging in self gratifying practices during the days of Hosea. This decision caused most of the Jews to become like grapes rotting in the desert heat. As a result, their hearts shifted toward corruption, radically transforming their lives. Instead of dedicating their bodies to the God of Abraham, most desecrated their flesh to shameful idols. Looking into a mirror, their witness became just as vile as the images they worshiped.

Today, golden calves have been replaced by the internet, television and twitter. While Jesus calls people to go into the world to tell others what God has done for you, Mark 5:19, the real question is, are you living in this world or of the world? When people look into your day planner, where are you investing your time? Do people see Jesus living in you or in something else center stage? May the month of March serve as a transition, a restoration project to erase sin from your life by allowing Abba Father, to mold and shape you into the precious image of Jesus his son, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6.

by Jay Mankus

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Disconnected

Posted on February 25, 2013 by expressyourself4him

For a 5 day stretch from February 11th through February 15th, my cell phone became disconnected. After applying for 5 jobs over 2 days, anyone who tried to contact my number was placed into a cyber black hole. According to a telecommunications agent, when you switch from one cell phone carrier to another, your number goes into a virtual portal for usually 24 hours. As soon as a previous carrier releases your old number, you can begin your new service contract. Unfortunately, my number remained locked for nearly a week, crippling any hopes of receiving one of these new positions.

Cell phones, emails, Facebook and texting have become popular avenues to maintain daily contact with key individuals. When these optional aren’t available, people like me panic, especially when one phone call or email is the difference between a new job and unemployment. Yet, it could be worse. You can also become disconnected from God. Prayer becomes a few moments of talking to yourself, reading the Bible like trying to decipher a confusing new language and going to church develops into a meaningless ritual, hallow of any true intimacy with God.

The Bible is filled with examples of people and nations who were unplugged from God. Moses once worked 18 hour days in Exodus 18:13, Achan’s sin hid God’s blessing from Israel in Joshua 7 and God became tired of Israel’s evil deeds in Isaiah 1:15-17. Despite these temporary outages, God is only a confession away from reconnecting your service. Therefore, follow the directions in James 5:13-16 and you can get back online today. Faith is just a phone call away!

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged black hole, cell phones, confessing your sins, connect, disconnect, email, facebook, faith, getting reconnected with God, God, intimacy, jobs, Prayer, Reading the Bible, service contract, sin, texting, unemployment. Bookmark the permalink.

The Mind Magician

Posted on February 16, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Unless you are an anomaly, everyone has done at least one thing in life that you regret. Most people have committed numerous things which have been stored up within their conscience. The mind magician uses guilt to trigger shame in your soul, serving as a dark cloud, looming over your thought life. Meanwhile, the dead works known as past sins can haunt individuals, replaying in their minds with similar consequences.

Performing the same card trick over and over, Satan forces millions of people to relive sins they’ve already been forgiven of by God. Tiny voices create doubt by suggesting, ” a real Christian would never do such a sin!” Still upset by Jesus’ miraculous third quarter come back, Satan’s fate is sealed. Nonetheless, the Great Deceiver is willing to throw the kitchen sink at your brain, hoping to take as many souls as possible with him.

The Great High Priest has a spiritual potion in Hebrews 9:14 to cleanse your conscience from dead works. The apostle Paul has left further instructions to snap you out of any spell, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, cast by the mind magician. Unfortunately, many are bewitched today, like the Galatians in chapter 3, verses 1-5. Therefore, put on the helmet of salvation, 1 Thessalonians 5:8, as one of the last lines of defense. Devote yourself to prayer, Colossians 4:2, submit to God, James 4:7 and the mind magician will be forced to flee.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Bible, brain, cleanse, conscience, Great High Priest, guilt, helmet of Salvation, Jesus, life, magician, mind, Prayer, priests, regret, satan, shame, sin, soul, Submit to God, Taking your thoughts captive, thought life. Bookmark the permalink.

Supersize Your Faith

Posted on February 14, 2013 by expressyourself4him

In the 2004 documentary film Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock wanted to know how eating 3 meals a day at McDonald’s for 30 consecutive days would impact his body. Thus, from February 1st thru March 2nd, Morgan ate every item on the menu at least once. The 32 year old gained nearly 25 pounds in one month, consuming 5,000 calories on average per day. As a result, McDonald’s no longer has a Supersize Value Meal and state governments are creating legislation to eliminate soft drinks larger than 16 ounces. While local officials are trying to attack my 7Eleven Big Gulp, I would rather supersize my faith than my body.

In the Greek, there are 2 words used to describe time: kronis and kairos. Kronis refers to when someone asks or wants to know the exact time. Kairos means a specific place; a special moment in time. Mark 1:15-16 contains a quote from Jesus, “The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” The context of the term repent is like making a u-turn away from sin, back toward God. Jesus wants people to change their diets so you make reach the future God has for you, Jeremiah 29:11. In view of this, I want to propose the Supersize Your Faith Challenge.

Beginning March 1st, 2013 thru March 30th, 2013, I invite you to take a leap of faith. I am urging all who are interested to try 3 spiritual disciplines for 30 days. The first is reading 3 chapters of the Bible per day, 90 total. To remember what you read, keep a notebook of any Insight you receive, Question you have and Actions you can take daily. I will post any question you may have and try to answer it or seek another scholar to satisfy your request.

Second, I want everyone who participates to create a separate prayer journal for the month of March. I am asking everyone to spend 30 minutes per day total, writing down prayers and praying. To stay on task, start with any Petition you want to ask God for, then move on to Repenting any sin of action or inaction, followed by words of Adoration, thanking God for completely forgiving you and end with Your own concerns. This usually consists of personal, family, school, work, neighborhood and church requests. Feel free to add whatever the Holy Spirit puts on your heart.

Finally, the last piece of this challenge involves getting plugged into a local church. Depending upon the size and scope of a church, you may want to join a weekly Accountability, Bible Study, Prayer or Sunday School Group. Besides the obvious, attending church, reach out to people who look lost, aren’t connected or appear to be having a bad day. Like Philip in Acts 8, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes during the 30 days of March to become the hands, feet and body of Christ! The time is now, kairos, to consider accepting the Supersize Challenge!

by Jay Mankus

Please notify me if you are willing to embrace this adventure.

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged 7Eleven, Actions, Big Gulps, challenge, church, community, diets, faith, gaining weight, getting involved, God, Greek, Holy Spirit, insights, Jesus, journaling, losing weight, McDonalds, petitions, Prayer, questions of faith, Reading the Bible, repent, sin, Super Value Meals, Supersize Me the Movie, time. Bookmark the permalink.

Flush

Posted on February 9, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The word flush has numerous meanings depending upon its context. For a poker player, a Royal Flush can’t be beat. In the Men in Black movies, flush refers to an emergency escape route. On the other hand, nutrients in water purify internal organs from chemicals, flushing impurities from the human body. Meanwhile, if you aren’t feeling well, you might become flush in the face, reddening your complexion. However, for me, there are certain days, weeks, months or years, I feel like flushing down the toilet!

As I endured another sleepless night, the image of the secondary definition for flush kept spinning through my mind. I guess this is a sign of God wanting me to cleanse, dispose and purge all that is negative from my memory. According to Proverbs 30:12, purity is not reached until filth is removed from your life. In John 3:2-9, Jesus asks Nicodemus to flush everything he has been taught by man and replace it with a new concept. This conversion, new birth and spiritual creation was too foreign for Nicodemus to grasp. Thus, he stopped talking, becoming a listener, trying to absorb this new teaching, like Bounty Towels, the quicker picker upper.

► 0:54► 0:54

Unfortunately, there might be decisions, experiences and images that you can’t seem to flush completely down the toilet. Plungers may help with some issues, yet others may require a call to Roto Rooter to spiritually clear the plumbing within your temple. The author of Hebrews probably addresses this better than anyone I have ever heard. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood,”Hebrews 12:4. Therefore, hang in there, Galatians 6:9, keep fighting, 1 Timothy 6:12 and flush sin from your life, Romans 13:13-14.

by Jay Mankus

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Take My Hand

Posted on February 3, 2013 by expressyourself4him

As a youngster, I recall wrestling with other kids from my neighborhood in Delaware. These matches continued until someone said uncle, often resulting in complaining, cursing or cries for help afterward. The losers remained on the ground for several minutes, needing a hand to get back on their feet.

Today, Christians across America are fighting a similar battle with sin. Unfortunately, instead of finding a helping hand, their friend has joined them, caught in the grasp of addictive habits. These spiritual headlocks are leaving believers choking, wheezing and nearly unconscious. Knocked to the mat, taken down and pinned by their sinful nature, Galatians 5:17, lost and weary souls are running out of time.

Jesus steps in as the chief official of this match in Matthew 11:28-30. Calling time up, Jesus lends his hands to the fallen. With a promise of rest, Jesus isn’t forcing anyone to get up. Yet, this offer is an open invitation, “if you are willing, take my hand?”

To be continued…

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged addiction, America, Delaware, fighting a losing battle, head locks, healing, Jesus, needing help, neighborhood, offer, official, pinned, rest, sin, sinful nature, take downs, weary souls, wrestling. Bookmark the permalink.

ExpressYourself4Him

Tag Archives: sin

When Jesus Got Ticked Off

Unleashing the Power of Prayer

Shout It Out

If God Used Logic…We’d All Be Dead!

Mere Images

Disconnected

The Mind Magician

Supersize Your Faith

Flush

Take My Hand

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