Tag Archives: success

Elijah’s Blueprint

Posted on May 3, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Engineer’s rely on designs, diagrams and models to implement plans on construction projects. Multi-level business schemes use similar blueprints to influence individuals to buy into their concept. When someone follows the directions step by step, there is an inherit expectation of riches, success or both. As for Elijah the prophet, he looked into the past, believing God could repeat a similar feat in his life time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd1hOlMLJpk

According to Leviticus 9:24, as soon as Aaron followed the directions given to him from Moses via God, the Lord sent fire from heaven consuming the offering on the altar. Sound familiar? Perhaps, this is Elijah’s blueprint, the place where he read and believed God would repeat this historic act. I often wondered where his confidence came from and this passage suggests Elijah prepared his sacrifice just as Aaron and his sons followed Moses’ commands.

Understanding the past, makes the miracle in 1 Kings 18:38 that much more believable today. If you carefully follow and obey God’s commands, blessings will follow, Deuteronomy 28:1-2. Its as if Elijah, followed a playbook in 1 Kings 18:30-37, grasping Jesus’ promise in Matthew 21:21-22, fully expecting God to repeat this previous miracle after his prayer. Sometime between Elijah’s Blueprint and Jesus’ promise, modern believers will find a living, loving God ready to unveil the next miracle on earth.

Has God done any miracles in your life?

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged a living God, believe, blueprints, China, confidence, construction projects, designs, diagrams, Elijah, engineers, expectation, expecting God to act, faith, fire from heaven, following directions, following God's commands, France, God, God's promises, history, hope, implement plans, inherit, Jesus, joy, love, miracles, models, Prayer, riches, sacrifice, success, the altar. Bookmark the permalink.

A Team Without Players

Posted on April 16, 2014 by expressyourself4him

The competitor inside of me yearns to win, doing what it takes to bring a team into the winners circle. Yet, what do you do when you find yourself a part of a team without any players? Sure, you might have some individuals who can make a play or two, but you can’t expect each teammate to be perfect when they don’t possess essential skills to succeed. This is where I find myself this baseball season.

Like a high school student who can’t add, read or write, some where along the way young people get neglected, promoted and pushed ahead without meeting appropriate standards. Currently, the NBA is seeing a similar dilemma as phenoms are great one on one players, but most don’t know how to move, set picks or space the floor when they don’t have the ball. Whether this is rooted in a lack of discipline, poor coaching or selfishness, every sport is in jeopardy of becoming a team without players.

Patience is a vital attribute while you wait to experience victory for the first time all season. Teachable pupils is also important to keep morale from slipping toward doubt, constantly correcting errors, mistakes and poor habits as they occur. The best thing you can do is live out Colossians 3:17, maintaining a positive attitude like a beacon of hope for sad faces. Until you taste the joy of victory, keep your head up as you make strides to develop players for the future.

What advice do you have for coaches who have inherited a team without players?

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged a positive attitude, add, Baseball, being teachable, China, coaching, compete, competitors, correcting errors, developing players, discipline, doubt, France, hope, Jesus, joy, make a play, mistakes, NBA, patience, peace, poor habits, read, sad faces, selfishness, success, teaching skills, the winners circle, Victory, win, winning, write. Bookmark the permalink.

My Pain is Christ’s Gain

Posted on March 16, 2014 by expressyourself4him

I am not the first to ask why God allows bad things to happen. Nor will I be the last to demand a response. However, after one month of complaining, groaning and frustration, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to me yesterday, “my pain is Christ’s gain.”

As a former professional athlete, I’ve always been able to rely on my God given talents, to work harder than the next person, regularly experiencing success. Yet, when your ability to breathe, lift more than 5 pounds and walk is taken away, you become helpless. Thus, I was placed into a situation where I was vulnerable, forced to depend on Christ’s strength, 2 Corinthians 12:9, to ease my pain.

T-Shirt companies have created similar themes in the past, using God’s Gym instead of Gold’s Gym. On the back, Jesus is doing a push up with the weight of the world, the cross on his back. Nonetheless, a conversation on my first day back at work revealed the true reason for my accident. One of my co-workers was encouraged by posts updating my progress. Subsequently, without my fall, I wouldn’t have had the material to cover these topics. Thus, in the end, God allowed my injury, 2 broken ribs, a lacerated liver and internal bleeding to occur so that my pain was Christ’s gain for eternity.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged complaining, coping with accidents, coping with pain, demanding proof, encourage, frustration, God's Gym, Gold's Gym, groaning, helpless, Holy Spirit, relying on God, seeing the big picture, success, vulnerable, weakness, why God allows bad things to happen, working hard. Bookmark the permalink.

Missing the Mark

Posted on March 14, 2014 by expressyourself4him

During my first year attending Boy Scout Camp, I was introduced to the rifle range. Although I had uncles who were hunters, I was never exposed to shooting a weapon until high school. Since I was right handed, I assumed that the same would be true for hitting the target. Unfortunately, I failed miserably, missing the mark with every shot. After 2 identical results, the instructor informed me that I was left handed, identifying a dominant left eye. This was the piece of information I needed to finally start hitting the target on a consistent basis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIk9ijHprVs

In life, another way of expressing missing the mark is to say you have sinned. Whenever someone makes a mistake, you essentially fail to meet your goal or objective. These errors can be explained by a careless, clumsy or freakish occurrence. Sometimes people don’t follow the instructions while others were never trained or told how to do a certain task. When this happens, citizens need instructors to enter their lives to provide the guidance required to begin hitting the mark, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiotLbf9F4g

Instead of having a bulls’ eye with point totals for each circle, the target I am referring to is located on a less traveled road, Matthew 7:14. Once you reach this area, the rules change as described by Jesus, Matthew 16:24-27.

Mark 1: Deny yourself, becoming a servant to others, Matthew 20:27-28.

Mark 2: Keep your eyes on the cross, the symbol of Jesus’ victory over death, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

Mark 3: Follow God where the Holy Spirit leads you, John 21:18.

Once you’re able to narrow in and begin to focus on this spiritual target, success will follow. Though you will not obtain a perfect score, the fruits of your labor will appear, Galatians 5:22. Don’t be discouraged like I was when I first started this journey. Rather, develop the right mindset to persevere for the long haul, 1 Timothy 6:11-12. Despite how many times you fail, keep practicing until the Instructor calls you home.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Boy Scouts, careless, clumsy, consistent, cross, errors, following God, following instructions, fruits of the Spirit, guidance, hitting the target, hunting, Jesus, less traveled road, meeting your goals, mindset, missing the mark, mistakes, overcoming failure, persevere, practice, rifle range, serving others, sin, success, The Holy Spirit, Victory. Bookmark the permalink.

Delaying God’s Promises

Posted on March 10, 2014 by expressyourself4him

As I turned on the television this morning, I felt like God was talking directly to me. Dr. Tony Evans was reminding his congregation that neutrality does not exist in the spiritual realm. You’re either drawing closer to God, gathering up treasures for heaven or you’re falling away, disappointed by the lack of promises you’ve received if any. Instead of blaming God for unfulfilled promises, disobedience, rebellion or unbelief essentially delays one from experiencing these blessings on earth.

According to Matthew 12:30, Jesus can’t be any clearer about his expectations for his followers. “If you’re not with me, gathering people toward the kingdom of God, you’re against me!” Though it sounds good today, you can’t pick and choose which commandments you follow and which you ignore and or neglect. During my month long ordeal with my lung, liver and ribs, I began to slip away from God, frustrated by the hand I have been dealt the last few years. However, my response has delayed God’s timing, waiting for obedience from me before I was accompanied by blessings, Deuteronomy 28:2.

I guess the easy thing to do is blame God for your lack of progress, success or wealth in life. Nonetheless, David says it best in Psalm 37:3; “trusting in the Lord and striving for holiness comes first.” Until this occurs, peace and safe pastures are on hold. Therefore, don’t delay God’s promises any further by idleness. Rather, delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart, Psalm 37:4.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged accompanied, blessings, coping with disappointment, coping with ordeals, desires of the heart, disobedience, Dr. Tony Evans, drawing closer to God, expectations, follow, frustrated, give, God's timing, heart, heaven, idleness, ignore, kingdom of God, lack of progress, life, listening to God's voice, making sense of God, neglect, neutrality, obedience, peace, pick and choose, promises, rebellion, striving for holiness, success, the spiritual realm, trusting in the Lord, unbelief, unfulfilled promises, waiting. Bookmark the permalink.

Where Did My Flow Go?

Posted on March 7, 2014 by expressyourself4him

The first round of March Madness, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship begins March 18th in Dayton, Ohio. While most sports rely on talent to win titles, momentum is a crucial element for teams to advance and move on to the next round. However, once a school experiences a losing streak, especially late in the season, its hard to find the flow that led to their initial success.

In life, each day contains a series of twists and turns, taking you to the top of Mount Everest at one moment, before an avalanche of circumstances buries your flow in a pile of humility. Subsequently, your passion for getting up vanishes, causing you to get stuck in a puddle of apathy. Like Popeye without his spinach, tasks become endless chores sucking any joy remaining in your soul. Searching for answers, people will ponder, “where did my flow go?”

The master of parables, short stories with nuggets of truth, Jesus had a way with words, helping the lost discover the flow they were looking for in life. Whether you were a Pharisee like Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman looking for love in all the wrong places or a prostitute on the verge of being stoned to death, Jesus provided clues in the Bible to obtain a flow which would last a lifetime, John 10:10. If you’re not satisfied with your current living conditions, John 3:16-17, John 4:13-14 and John 8:11-12 contains a road map for life to locate the permanent flow you desire.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged 1st and 2nd rounds, 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, advance and move on, apathy, clues to the meaning of life, Dayton, flow, humility, joy, love, March Madness, momentum, Mount Everest, Ohio, overcoming losing streaks, parables, passion, ponder, Popeye, soul, success, truth. Bookmark the permalink.

Lesson’s From God’s Classroom

Posted on March 6, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Synonyms for perspective include angle, outlook and position. As a former teacher, I tend to approach information as a student trying to make sense of each topic that I read and study. This morning I stumbled upon an interesting Psalm David wrote while pretending to be insane. Despite being successful in his efforts, the Holy Spirit speaks to David like a lesson from God’s classroom, Psalm 34:11-14.

Apparently, the Lord is convicting David of his fear of Abimelech and subsequent trust in himself. God uses his misjudgment as a teachable moment, encouraging children to listen how one can and should be able to fear the Lord. Getting the classes attention by painting a vivid picture of success, God asks his students, “how many of you desire to see many great days in your future?” Gaining my interest, the main lesson is found in Psalm 34:13-14.

1. Keep your tongue from evil.

2. Prevent your lips from speaking lies.

3. Turn from the evil desires in this world.

4. Do good to everyone you encounter.

5. Seek peace and pursue any broken relationship that you may have.

The author of Hebrews includes 2 hints to bring this lesson from the classroom into daily living. First, faith in an invisible God is crucial to applying the words of Psalm 34:13-14. One must possess hope and certainty of a living God, Hebrews 11:1. Finally, genuine faith believes God rewards those who earnest seek the Lord, Hebrews 11:6. Therefore, when you’re struggling to see the fruits of your labor by fearing God, remember this lesson from God’s classroom.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged absorbing information, angle, applying knowledge, being teachable, broken relationships, convict, doing good, encourage, evil, faith, fear, fearing God, future, Holy Spirit, interesting facts, lies, outlook, peace, perspective, prosperity, success. Bookmark the permalink.

The Final Out

Posted on March 5, 2014 by expressyourself4him

As Spring Training games began last week in Arizona and Florida, it won’t be long before sports enthusiasts celebrate Opening Day baseball in the Major Leagues. While winter continues to interrupt spring sports, those trapped inside are getting anxious for dryer and greener pastures. Nicknamed America’s favorite pastime, baseball seasons coincide with the start of warmer weather and conclude as fall descends upon this country. Before the final out is recorded, individuals will experience the smell of freshly cut grass, longer hours of daylight and blooming flowers that brighten up neighborhood landscapes.

I’ve spent more than 1/3 of my life playing and or coaching ball. In the days of my youth, I never fully enjoyed this game. Perfection, success and winning stifled my ability to appreciate 9 years of playing baseball. However, when I got a second chance through 7 years of highly competitive softball, I savored every moment on the field. I treated each at bat and play as if it was my last, flying, diving and sprinting around the bases. Although I still haven’t achieved the promise in John 10:10, I discovered the abundant life on a softball field, considering each obstacle a pure joy, James 1:2-4.

My last game on a baseball and softball diamond were nearly identical, reaching the championship. Despite playing a different position, a pop fly came my way, giving me an opportunity to secure the final out. I blew my first chance, getting lazy as the ball glanced off the edge of my glove. A comfortable margin postponed the inevitable victory, ending my baseball career on a good note. However, the second time I seized the moment, using 2 hands, squeezing my glove and embracing my teammates as God had chosen me to record the final out.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged America's favorite pastime, anxious, Arizona, coaching, diving, Florida, flying, Major League Baseball, MLB, Opening Day Baseball, perfection, playing baseball, savor every moment, seize the moment, sports, Spring Training, sprinting, success, the abundant life, warmer weather, winning. Bookmark the permalink.

What Did He Know that Others Didn’t?

Posted on January 23, 2014 by expressyourself4him

According to Webster, confidence is a feeling or belief that someone is good, possessing the ability to succeed. Although this may be confused with cockiness, success is a state of mind, ushering individuals toward pleasant places. Apparently hidden within the words of Psalm 16 are clues to the meaning of life, left behind by a man who possessed a heart of gold. However, its worth pursuing, what did David know that other kings of Israel never grasped?

Some how David understood the teachings of Jesus without ever meeting him. If you don’t believe me, take for instance the words of Psalm 16:2 and John 15:4. While Jesus is using a parable about a vine, gardener and branches, David came to this conclusion on his own. Meanwhile, the concept of Psalm 16:11 and John 10:10 are nearly identical minus the portion about the thief called the devil. Sure, David was a shepherd prior to becoming king and Jesus was a shepherd for lost people, Luke 19:10, but who communicated these spiritual truths to David.

Despite his complaining, disappointment and frustration from seeing the wicked prosper, God used prophets, the words of the Old Testament and a still small voice, known today as the Holy Spirit to bring David to a place of spiritual maturity. The king recognized failures often occurred when he relied on his strength and wisdom. Furthermore, David had reached an age where he began to see answered prayers, blessings and miracles from time spent on his knees. Thus, the path of life, his purpose for being born and taste of the abundant life filled this king with a blessed assurance. May you come to a place like David where God is real and his promises are fulfilled!

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged assurance, being lost, belief, believe, blessings, confidence, cpoing with disappointment, Holy Spirit, King David, mind, more than a feeling, overcoming frustration, parables, purpose, shepherd, state of mind, success, teachings of Jesus, the abundant life, the devil, the meaning of life, the secret to life, Webster's dictionary, wisdom. Bookmark the permalink.

A Life Perspective of Matthew 6:33

Posted on January 20, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Looking back at the core principles my parents taught me, I learned 3 things lived out by my father: discipline, hard work and honoring the Sabbath. As a son of an immigrant, my dad persevered as he learned English, eventually becoming a Ivy League student before entering the military. His service to this country in the Army reinforced these attributes while his Roman Catholic background instilled in him a wholehearted effort to attend church wherever he was and whatever else he was doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW5NJMAqTY4

Although the jealous may give circumstance or luck the credit, its clear that his successful career in sales, nice house at the beach and extended health is directly related to Matthew 6:33. When an individual begins to seek God first by worshiping the Lord Sunday, starting each day in prayer or studying the Bible, these acts get God’s attention. If these selfless acts continue with the right motives, the promise of daily bread and other blessings follow. Sure, maybe my dad didn’t earn as much as he desired or reached the position of his dreams, but I see the fruits of his labor today.

While far from being perfect, I am trying to pass the baton to my own children so that they too may live a life of discipline, hard work and keeping God’s day holy. Though the hypocrite in me may steer my kids off course from time to time, I can’t help but cling to Jesus promise within Matthew 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteous and all these things (life, food, drink, clothes and health) will be given to you as well.” Before 2014 speeds up too fast that you can’t catch up, take some time to slow down, Psalm 46:10, so that the hope of Matthew 6:33 may find you and your family.

by Jay Mankus

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged blessings, chasing your dreams, church, clinging to God's promises, core principles, discipline, dreams, hard work, health, honoring the Sabbath, hope, jealousy, Jesus, luck, motives, perfection, persevere, Prayer, Roman Catholic, selfless acts, serving in the military, slowing down, studying the Bible, success, taking school serious, the Army, wholeheart. Bookmark the permalink.

ExpressYourself4Him

Tag Archives: success

Elijah’s Blueprint

A Team Without Players

My Pain is Christ’s Gain

Missing the Mark

Delaying God’s Promises

Where Did My Flow Go?

Lesson’s From God’s Classroom

The Final Out

What Did He Know that Others Didn’t?

A Life Perspective of Matthew 6:33

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