Author: Hank

Welcome to Hank’s Place in 2022

Last message we spoke about  “NOT Letting” religious people judge us, shut us out, reject us. And why? Paul in Colossians 2 revealed that we have been filled with Jesus when we were born again, buried with Him to the lure of this world and sin, raised up with Him by the power of God, and made alive in Him. Therefore we can choose to WALK in Him every day, involving Jesus in all things in our lives. Let the religious folk do their religious stuff; as for you and I, let’s just walk in Jesus, daily!

And, what are some things we should “LET” happen? Let’s see what Paul told us in the 3rd chapter of Colossians.

He begins by repeating those incredible truths found in the previous chapter:
Verse :1 – we HAVE BEEN raised up with Christ, to the right hand of God
Verse :3 – We HAVE died and our lives ARE HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD

And because of this, Paul inform us in verses :5 through :14 that WE HAVE PUT OFF that worldly stuff we once walked in and WE HAVE PUT ON the good Godly new self, but adds it is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator!

Hmmm. Is it done, or is it a process? This reminds me of Hebrews 10:10 and 14 which declares “… we HAVE BEEN sanctified…,” but also indicating it is a process, for it says, “(we) …who ARE BEING sanctified.”

So it’s both my friend – both. Example. Take the prisoner who has spent their entire life caged up, and now being released, and able to experience freedom and liberty for the first time. He is FREE the moment it was decreed, but he was still in prison. Then he experiences the initial reality of freedom when walking out of those prison walls — but then his mind is still in need of renewal, of discovering what it truly means to be free and at liberty. He could live like he once did in prison, but that’s no longer what he is: he is a free man. Time to walk in that freedom.

Now we come to the LETS. Paul in verse :15 says, – LET the peace of God rule in our hearts. It came when the Prince of Peace entered our hearts; but like the prisoner set free, we are learning to LET IT RULE; dispelling the world’s anxieties.

Verse :16 – LET the word of Christ dwell in you richly. A hunger for God’s word, the desire to know more of Him, came with the new birth. So read the bible. Listen to it spoken. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Your inner man wants to live in God’s word, so let it; LET IT DWELL there.

It’s time to live like the new man we really are, letting God’s peace and God’s word dwell in our hearts. And you know what? We’ll will COME ALIVE!

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Today’s word is “Let.” Let. The simple definition: “to not forbid or to allow.” Pretty straightforward, you do not forbid something, you allow it to happen. Or maybe you ‘not let,’ not allow, it to happen.

Today “let’s” look at some “not lets” in Colossians 2. Paul begins by relating some very impressive things concerning US who BELIEVE IN JESUS.

In verses :2 and :3 – Paul expresses his desire that we reach ALL the riches of full assurance (when we are fully assured of something it’s a wealthy place indeed, he says). Here it is a full assurance of understanding and knowledge of God’s mystery. Ah-ha! Really understanding. Really knowing God’s mystery is a rich treasure. And what is that mystery? It is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

There is so much more to Jesus Christ than simply thinking of Him as our Savior, ‘up there’ somewhere. Treasures of wisdom and knowledge to be grasped. Many sermons speak of what we have to do, should do, now that we are Christians — better is the revealing to us all that Jesus has done, and our position in Him, and what now comes to us freely — by His grace. The true treasures!

Verse :6 – we have received Jesus, Paul says, so WALK in Him. We have Him, let’s walk in Him, not keeping Him tucked away somewhere but involved in every aspect of our lives. Walk in Him.

Verse :10 – we have been FILLED in Him, Paul says. Filled with Jesus. Glory!

Verse :12 – we have been BURIED with Him — RAISED up with Him. Next verse, MADE ALIVE with Him. We are IN Jesus, and have died to this world, died to self, raised up with Him in resurrection power, and made ALIVE with Him.

THEREFORE…. Because of these truths, the REAL reality, we:

Verses :16 and 18 – should NOT LET anyone pass judgment upon us, NOT LET anyone disqualify us when it comes to worship of God. We don’t do empty religious rituals anymore; they are not needed; we come before the throne of God through Jesus and His blood. Hebrews 4:12. Glory to Jesus.

Congressman Davy Crockett, being pressured to bend to politics, said, “Gentlemen, you can go to hell, but I’m going to Texas!” He stood firm in righteousness. Willie Nelson, when pressured by Nashville to write their kind of country music, turned them down and went to Texas, initiating Texas Country Music! I have been rejected several times by churches and organizations because I would not buy into their visions of greatness (their greatness). Jesus is my King. How about you? And I went to Texas too!

Friend, we are accepted in the beloved and that’s that. Don’t let others pile rejection on you, dear child of the Living God. Do not fear them — but COME ALIVE!

Hey —we are not done with “Let” just yet! Come back next time for the conclusion!

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At the time of this production, events remain tumultuous in Ukraine. Also, more and more shady doings surrounding the 2020 election are coming out. Several YouTube prophets are forecasting rough waters ahead, and action by our Almighty God against evil do-ers who have refused to His many offers to repent. By the way, you might check out the CBN, the Christians Broadcasting Network, for reports of miraculous interventions by God on behalf of the Ukrainian people.

So what should WE do in tumultuous times, dear friends? Is it a time to pull what money we have out of savings, 401k’s, IRA’s? Liquidate investments and head for the hills? Well, it is if Fear is your master.

But wait, Fear is not your master is it? God, Almighty God, in His grace, lives in we believers, and we are guided by the Holy Spirit according to Scripture? You have been praying, I am sure. And God has been listening, and responding, I am sure; just as YOU have been listening to the voice of the Spirit and responding. 

So have some faith in God! What you have heard from God, how He has directed you — that’s the course to hold fast to. Stay the course His has shown you, and fear not! There may be some wild times ahead, but WE FEAR NOT! Fear not!

Listen to the truth from Psalms 46 in The Message Bible:

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake,

Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but Earth does anything He says.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

God says to YOU, “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at Me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

So FEAR NOT, dear child of the Living God, dear child of the light. Fear not — but COME ALIVE!

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At the time of this message, Russia has been invading Ukraine. Obviously we must pray! Bind the devil! Bind the forces of darkness in Jesus’ name! Command the angel armies to go forth in battle – we can, in Jesus’ name. Jesus has told us in John 14:13-14 to use His name; the early disciples found demons obeyed in His name, Luke 10:17. No different today.

Ukraine is the apple of His eye. As posted in Derek Prince Ministries, Ukraine has the highest percentage of evangelical Christians in the former USSR and in continental Europe today and the largest concentration of evangelical churches in Eastern Europe. Russia is in deep trouble for their aggression upon this nation which has responded to Jesus more than any other in Europe.

Through a miraculous series of events, I was able to travel to Ukraine in March of ’93 when travel was just opening up behind the Iron Curtain. I taught in a Bible School. There were hundreds and hundreds of students of all ages who had come after discovering that there is a God. He’s Real. Alive! Making believers His children. Filling them with His Holy Spirit. Performing miracles and empowering them to do exploits in His name. 

In a couple of church services I preached and gave an altar call for those who wanted Jesus to do more in their lives. Entire churches came forward each time! I cried to Jesus for help and suddenly the Holy Spirit took over. Wherever I stretched out my hands people would fall over as the Holy Spirit enveloped them. Touched them. Helped them. Healed them. Delivered them. Maybe a thousand people. Touched by God that day in just those services.

These are the ones Russia is daring to touch today. They don’t realize they are fighting against God and His anointed ones!

Dear friend, lift your head today. Your hands. Shout out confident prayers of victory against the enemy and for His people in Ukraine to triumph. 

Out of this, many many — will COME ALIVE!

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All the OLD Testament prophets cried, “Repent FROM your sins, wicked ways, or God will smite you.” That was the OLD order. Then when Jesus came on the scene, He instituted a NEW order.

Jesus comes on the scene and cries Repent “TO” – Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” BIG BIG difference, turning TO the Kingdom of God. The focus – is God’s awesome Kingdom, not the miserable wretch that we were.
Hebrews tells us that the Old has become obsolete and has passed away. Hebrews 8:13, Instead of performance before blessings, God gives us promises – promises we cannot fulfill.

We do however, receive them — by FAITH. ONLY by faith. And that’s pretty awesome.

Here’s another tidbit for you: Hebrews begins by saying in times past God used the prophets to speak to us, but NOW God has spoken to us in His Son. Let’s keep looking to Jesus as our model both for ministry; and for OUR righteous living in this life.

Then, in Hebrews 1:3 it says, “…After making purification for sins, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High.” In eternity Jesus made purification for ALL sins – ALL SINS – and SAT DOWN – indicating there was no more work needing to be done regarding sin. Unlike in the Old Covenant where there was no seat for the high priest in the Holy of Holies for his work was never done. The sin problem infecting you and me and all humanity, has been taken care of at the Cross – we believe in Jesus – we receive Him as our savior – and our sin has been removed, and we are changed, hallelujah!

And now get this treasure, in Ephesians 2:4-8 Paul writes, God, Who is rich in mercy, has caused us to become ALIVE with Jesus, and together with Jesus has raised us up and SEATED US in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Not only did Jesus sit down, WE have been made to SIT DOWN with Him – our ‘works’ of trying to please God, are finished as well, thanks to God’s immeasurable GRACE toward us.

Dear friend, SIT DOWN, stop striving to please God, stop wearing yourself out trying to pray more, read more, serve more, do more more more so God would be pleased with you. SIT DOWN, for you pleased Him eternally when you believed in His Son. Now, let His kindness envelop you!
Yes, cease striving — but sit down — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Let’s talk about God and His Word. All the words God has spoken to mankind are for our benefit. He believes them. He tells the truth; He cannot lie. HE has given us promises. Gives us wisdom, understanding, knowledge. How about those promises. Are they coming to pass in your life? Being fulfilled? Do you even know what some of them are?

Ah, that’s a key, dear friend. Find some – in the bible. Then, choose to BELIEVE them, after all, the Almighty God, who cannot lie has spoken them. Then YOU speak them out. In faith. It’s YOUR FAITH that, I could say, that ACTIVATES His promises toward YOU. Like Joshua. Like Caleb.

Heb 3:12-13 in the Passion translation exhorts we believers, “So search your hearts every day, my brothers and sisters, and make sure that none of you has evil or unbelief hiding within you. For it will lead you astray, and make you UNRESPONSIVE to the living God. This is the time to encourage each other to never be stubborn or hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. For we are mingled with the Messiah, or, we are sewn together with the Messiah, if we will continue unshaken in this confident assurance from the beginning until the end.

It’s not that we fall out of Christ, but His power toward us is limited by our unbelief. Like being given a ticket to today’s Super Bowl. We hold it in our hand, but don’t believe that it’s for real. It IS for real, it HAS BEEN GIVEN, it’s valid, like all the promises of God that are “Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus,” but it will do us no good if we do nothing with it.

So, as Heb 3:6 says, let us continue courageously, to hold firmly to our bold confidence and our victorious hope! For unbelief, verse :13, will lead us astray – render us unresponsive to the Living God. We cease listening to His voice; we become the living dead!

Hear His voice – really LISTEN and HEAR dear friend. In the desert following the Red Sea crossing, they heard His voice, with UNBELIEF, NOT FAITH. They heard, and disregarded the voice of GOD. Hardening their hearts against Him, they went their OWN way! Verse :19 says “They wrapped their hearts in unbelief.”

And aside from Joshua and Caleb, they perished in the wilderness, something that was never God’s intention, never His will.

TODAY, if you should hear His voice, and just ask Him if you are not sure – LISTEN – don’t disregard – LISTEN — and BELIEVE. If you hear promises, believe them. Speak them aloud. Cling to them, for they are His Word – to you. If you hear instructions, wisdom, guidance, BELIEVE, do that ‘due diligence’ to follow up on what you hear.

Many times that ‘due diligence’ will be along the lines of not being anxious, not being fearful, but RESTING in Him.
So listen, believe, you ARE a Joshua, you ARE a Caleb — so COME ALIVE!

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Last message I passed along a word of admonishment from the book of Jude: that we build up our faith — Jude explains by praying in the spirit – that’s a topic for another day – and to keep ourselves in the love of God. That’s for today. I want to share with you from Hank and Mary’s experiences in keeping ourselves in the love of God.

Mary: I fell out of the love of God when I didn’t go to Jesus and tell Him how I felt when someone stabbed me in the back, ridiculed me, ignored me, rejected me. In pretending everything was ok, with those hurts buried in my heart, I was shutting myself off from God’s love.

Unlike David in the Psalms where he told God exactly how he felt and expressed his emotions when his enemies were triumphing over him, I was not allowing myself – to be real – God wants us to be real with Him. I was not being honest. I was pretending to be a victorious Christian woman.

If we tell Him how we feel and ask for the way out – you know what I found? Jesus WILL show us the way out!

Hank: I’ve had many bad/sad/disappointing experiences both in the church, in the secular workplace – and most everywhere. Just like you. There was a common thread: the spirit of rejection. Being rejected in some way, and pressuring me to believe God was rejecting me too. I would feel judged as lacking, simply not good enough. And even if I did really well, there were the driving words to not only keep it up but do better next time. There was such pressure to depart from living in the love of God, and get on a performance bandwagon of trying to please God.

I would overcome only when going to Jesus, quietly usually, and baring my heart. Or loudly, almost angry, well, angry – shouting – or crying. But being REAL with Him and how I felt inside.

My friend, TELL JESUS something — even if in the pain of the moment you can only whisper, JESUS – then whisper JESUS – He’ll come running to you and lift you up. He’s faithful. Really.

Mary: What has helped me many times, and this may be personal to me because I love Handel’s Messiah, was listening to the song from Isaiah 53. It’s about 12 minutes long and begins, “He was despised and rejected” – He was – JESUS WAS — so all of us could be accepted in the Beloved….
That we — could COME ALIVE!

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Last week I shared Escape2Reality’s GRACE-full description of New Covenant living. The revelation that the Bible is not a “rule book” by which we find approval before God. Instead, by simply LOVING our wives, Jesus, the brethren, we find we are keeping ‘the rules’ – without effort.

Now, in John 13:34 Jesus said, “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” “A new commandment.” The Greek word used here implies freshness, the opposite of outworn. Doesn’t mean recent or different. It isn’t that this commandment was just invented, but it is presented in a new, fresh way. Old: seen as impossible rules – New: simply love.

Well, not simply, because Jesus said “as I have loved you,” and we cannot love others as He has loved us: impossible in our strength – we need supernatural help, and that is the love of God in us. 1 John 4:19, “We love, because He first loved us.” So then, there is this amazing love of God that is ours to experience and to share with others.

There’s an old 70’s song by Kurt Kaiser, “Oh How He Loves You and Me.” One line says, “He gave His Son, what more could He give.” Don’t you see His love for you? Don’t fear rejection, my friend; open up and RECEIVE His marvelous love – only then can we love as He loved us. But we might MISS IT!
Jude admonishes in verse 20, to build ourselves up in our most holy faith and keep ourselves in the love of God. Faith – in God, and keeping ourselves in His love. How could we mess that up? Well, it’s pretty easy in a world filled with devils!

If we fall prey to doubt, fears of rejection, judgment by God, well, we could stop receiving His love. And it is His perfect love that drives out fear, 1 John 4:18. Easy to do when devilish lies come blasting at us. If we listen, faith evaporates; we stop keeping ourselves in His love, and life becomes tough sledding.
Something like living on the dark side of the moon. The sun is always out there, always shining, but we are never in a position to receive its light or warmth. Like the Prodigal Son of Luke 15, who was always loved by the father, but for a time he did not benefit from that love.

So, keep in faith. Keep yourself in the love of God. You know what? Soon you’ll be loving like Jesus, and those you touch — will COME ALIVE!

NEXT TIME I’ll share Hank and Mary’s experiences with keeping ourselves in the love of God. Don’t miss it!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place in 2022 — Marriage Rules — CLASSICS

Dear friend, I want you to understand that Jesus loves us, and wants us to receive His love, which will enable us to keep His commandment – found in Jn 15:15, that we love one another as He has loved us.

Consider this illustration, found in “The Gospel in 20 Questions” by Dr. Paul Ellis. Suppose it’s your wedding day, and right after the ceremony the minister gives you a book “The Marriage Rule Book” and says, “Read this, for inside is the secret to a happy marriage.”

Well, you want a happy marriage. You open the book and inside you discover all sorts of rules for a happy marriage. Be honest. Be kind. Always tell the truth. Keep your promises. Listen well. Be on time. Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ Freely forgive. Don’t covet your neighbor’s wife. It sounds like GOLD! It’s got all the answers to a happy marriage. 

You determine to do them all. But there are more rules. Rules for special days, for church activity, for celebrations, for seasons; what to wear, rules on property rights, on intimacy, on family planning, and hundreds more! “Wow!” you may think, “I had no idea marriage was going to be so hard; I’m not sure I can do all this.”

You skip hundreds more rules and come to the last page of the book. There you find these words, “If you love your spouse, disregard this book: YOU DON’T NEED IT. You will keep all the rules effortlessly.”

But there are so many Christians who will NOT do this. They keep looking to the book ‘just in case.’ They get weary. They get condemned. Their legalism kills their marriage. There is no ‘just in case.’ There is NO situation where rules can replace TRUE LOVE!

So friend, DO NOT treat the Bible like a book of rules for how to be married to Jesus. DO NOT be fooled into thinking you will have a happy marriage to Jesus if you DO everything the Bible says. It is NOT a rule book; NOT an instruction book to obey.

TRUE LOVE does not work that way. If you love Jesus, you do not need a rule book. If you don’t love Jesus, a rule book is not going to help, because love comes from the heart, not out of a book.

L O V E — and you will Come Alive!

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When asked what makes Christianity unique among world religions, CS Lewis replied, “That’s easy: it’s GRACE.” Grace puts the “good” into the Good News!

Dr. Paul Ellis of New Zealand, in his Escape 2 Reality blog on FaceBook, just posted an article about grace – it’s worth sharing, which I am doing here! By the way, I highly recommend you subscribe to Escape 2 Reality.

Grace isn’t a doctrine. Grace is not a bunch of rules. Grace is God blessing you for no other reason than He loves you. Grace is a Person living His life through you. In a word, grace is Jesus. 

Grace is the goodwill, lovingkindness, and favor of God freely given to us. Grace supernaturally empowers us to be who He made us to be.

The Biblical noun for grace (charis) means favor or kindness, and is related to a word (chairo) which means to rejoice, be cheerful and well off. The grace of God leaves us cheerful and rejoicing. It leaves us better than it found us.

Grace is what the unconditional love of God looks like from our side. Grace is the love of God reaching down and gathering us in His arms.

Grace is God blessing us with Himself for no other reason than it pleases Him to do so.

Grace is the confident assurance that with God on our side, we can’t lose. Grace is His strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

Grace is freedom from sin, guilt, and condemnation. Grace is freedom from the need to prove ourself. Grace is divine permission to be who God made us to be.

Grace is heaven’s cure for the world’s woes. Grace is the power of God that turns sinners into saints, haters into lovers, and orphans into sons.

Grace is realizing we have been adopted, are a dearly-loved child, the apple of our Father’s eye, and a co-heir with Christ Himself.

Grace is God honoring us with His presence. Grace is the adventure of life shared with Christ.

“Well, Hank,” you might say, “it sounds like life is all about Jesus and not about us?” Yes!

This year, I invite you live in the grace of God more than ever — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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