Author: Hank

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Last message the topic was dying to self, or denying self, taking up one’s cross and following Jesus. I hope I made it clear that Jesus was not preaching self-denial. The idea that self-denial makes you a better, holier, more righteous person — is nonsense. All it does is leave you with anxieties and insecurities.

“Have I denied myself enough?” You can never know. So you’d better deny yourself some more, just to be safe. In Colossians 2:20-23 Paul lumped this in with what he called the elementary principles of this world. They look good, sound good to the natural mind but are useless and of no value against fleshly indulgence.

And, he reminds us of the good news that Jesus died so that we might be free from this sort of dead and useless religion; that in Christ we HAVE died to these things.

Jesus is the way. He is salvation. It’s through Him and the Cross. He is the only way to heaven and eternal life.

Paul reminds us several times that we, too, through His death, have also died to the things of this world, especially sin.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” – Galatians 2:20.
“You have died with Christ” – Col 2:20
“We have died with Christ” – Rom 6:8
“Therefore all died” – 2 Cor 5:14

However, the reason most Christians struggle to live the Christian life is they do not know they have died with Christ. And since they don’t know that they died with Christ, they are constantly trying to die. The truth is that when we were baptized or placed into Christ, we were also baptized into His death – Rom 6:3.

The person we used to be – dead in our sins and alienated from the life of God – no longer lives, but it is Christ lives in us.

We don’t die daily – once was sufficient – just as we don’t get born again every day. But every day we get to choose whether we walk after the flesh or the spirit.

“Walking after the flesh” doesn’t necessarily mean running around getting drunk and doing bad stuff. For the Christian, the flesh often takes on the subtler guise of good works, Christian duty, and self-improvement.

To deny ourself means “Trust Jesus instead of ourselves.” Don’t fall back to the inferior ways of the flesh that you once walked in, my friend, when you were an unbeliever. Instead, stand firm in the freedom of Christ.

The TRUSTING LIFE is an adventure and it’s good to daily remind ourselves that “God is for me. How can I fail?”
Today, let’s not crawl — but fly! Conscious of our loving Father’s acceptance and approval, let’s soar on eagles’ wings. And COME ALIVE!

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In Luke 9:23 Jesus was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

Owe, that sounds pretty un-graceful, doesn’t it? Discouraging? Well, Jesus was speaking to a people still under the Old Covenant with its demands in the flesh. At Calvary, thanks to Jesus giving up His life for us, the New Covenant came into being. From works to be performed, to promises (by God) to be believed. The difference is like night and day for us, my friend.

So, with New Covenant glasses, let’s look at this verse again. Can you hear Jesus admonishing us to say “no” to trusting in ourselves, admonishing us to remember we have died with Him, and have been crucified with Him? That’s Galatians 2:20. And admonishing us to daily place our trust in Him, following the leading of the Spirit? Daily the flesh, our flesh, will try to rise up or be tempted to rise up and take charge with its lusts, desires, or fears and anxieties. Or the lazies. So ‘daily’ is a good word when we think of placing our trust in Jesus; having faith toward God.

The Bible tells us Jesus’ cross in a very real sense became our cross, that’s Galatians 2:20 again, yet many of us Christians don’t realize it. Instead, we keep trying to die to self, not realizing we have already died with Christ and have risen with Him. Who says so? God says so!

As Paul Ellis of Escape to Reality says, “Contrary to what is sometimes taught, denying self does not mean denying your needs, appetites and desires. Abstaining from food, Facebook, or fun will not make anyone righteous and holy. The ancient message of self-denial is nothing more than asceticism dressed up in religious jargon. And that my friend, is a message that promotes self-righteousness and DIY religion.”

Say you hear a message that says you need to fast and pray to become spiritually mature. To hear God better. So you decide to fast and pray. Immediately you are no longer walking by the Spirit, no longer trusting in the finished work of the Cross. You are trusting in your own fasting and praying to make you mature, more sensitive to God. Where does the Lord fit in this picture? He doesn’t, and that’s the problem. It is dead religion, and it is a faithless way to live.

Today my dear friends, choose to see yourself crucified with Christ, risen with Him in Holy Spirit power and anointing, free from condemnation. Choose to walk by the Spirit — and COME ALIVE!

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[First, a shout out to Michael Edwards of Faithwriters.com for some of the material I’m sharing.] 

As you may be aware, many sincere Christians, perhaps yourself, labor under clouds of accusation and condemnation. Accusations of failure as a Christian in so many ways, condemnation that they have not done ‘enough’ and will never hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21.

Well, time to give thanks to Jesus! Jesus has paid for all of our sins on the cross. We were washed completely clean by the blood of Jesus. We were totally forgiven, made fully right with God by faith through grace alone. Not our efforts. It is GOD who has qualified us to share eternity with Him as His children. We can expect to hear the words, “Welcome home son, welcome home daughter” with no reference as a mere servant who does NOT have an inheritance in the master’s household. John 8:35. Remember, Jesus spoke those ‘faithful servant’ words to a people still under the Old Covenant.

By questioning, “Have I done enough,” we may enter into more works: praying longer, louder, more Bible study, more church, more good works — all in an attempt to find approval before God. Approval we already have through Jesus. Works in hope of gaining approval are — dead works. 

Once we were guilty — we are no longer guilty. Jesus’ blood has paid the ransom. Any work we do out of guilt is a dead work, no matter how ‘good’ it appears. 

Trying to be more holy? Stop. Those efforts are dead works — for we are already holy by the blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:10.

Trying to be more sanctified? Dead works, for we are already sanctified by the blood of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:11.

Trying to complete yourself, you are being completed? Dead works, for we are already complete in Christ. Colossians 2:10. Now we are renewing our minds to this truth. Romans 12:2.

Trying to be righteous, right with God through law-keeping and good works? Those efforts are dead works for we are already righteous in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Our old self was crucified with Him, freeing us from slavery to sin. Rom 6:6-7. Therefore, trying to perfect the old self when God sees it as crucified with Christ on the cross and dead, is a dead work. God is not looking at the sins of our dead flesh nor has God put our dead flesh in school so it can learn something for eternity. 

It’s time to believe God’s word concerning Christ. Satan is the one who wants us to doubt, strive in our flesh, and burn out. Believe God’s word today — enter His rest, and COME ALIVE!

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Redemption, the forgiveness of sins, became a reality some 2,000 years ago — through the blood of Jesus, shed on Calvary’s cross. Hebrews 9:13-14 tells us that under the Old Covenant the blood of goats and bulls, cleansed the flesh, that is, merely covered sins committed; then adds, how much MORE will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from DEAD WORKS to serve the living God!

So, what are dead works? For Hebrew Christians it was going back to the works required under the Old Covenant. What about us? Might we be committing dead works today? Let’s find out! First, a shout out to Michael Edwards of Faithwriters.com for some of the material I’m sharing. 

Dead works. Understand, Jesus has paid for all of our sins on the cross. We are washed completely clean by the blood of Jesus. We are totally forgiven and made fully right with God by faith through grace alone. Ephesians 2:8. GOD has qualified us to share eternity with Him as His children.

A dead work today, is any work that is done in an attempt to be right with or maintain our right standing with God. It is an attempt to clean what He has already cleansed. Thus, that work is useless. Jesus has completely washed us clean, and now we want to take a bath to get clean? Dead work!

Anything we do out of guilt or fear to appease God, trying to be right with Him, more holy, more saintly — is a DEAD WORK — because we are already right with God by the blood of Jesus Christ. We have an eternal salvation due to ever living blood of our Savior. Hebrews 10:10.

Dead works indicate a lack of understanding about God’s promises and our righteousness in Christ. Dead works are generated from worry, fear, doubt and guilt. Maybe you worry, “Have I done enough?” “Am I good enough?” “Is God angry with me?” These thoughts are the seeds from which dead works spring.

As lovers of Jesus we certainly have an innate desire to please Him in all we do. But is there anything you are doing for God, such as keeping the 10 Commandments, not sinning, helping at church, giving money, acting a certain way, reading the Bible every day, praying every day —  that you fear, if stopped, would make God angry with you or possibly forfeit your salvation? Oh my! You have made good things into dead works!

Today, consider Jesus and His blood, then let go of dead works — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Matthew 28 records that certain women had come to the tomb of Jesus in the early dawn, and a mighty angel was there, who said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

Rejoice today, for He has risen, just as He promised. And ALL His promises to us are all true and sure. Let us hold fast our hope in this wild world. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Titus 2. Titus adds this grace of God instructs us to deny ungodliness, to live sensibly, righteously and godly, and to look for the BLESSED HOPE and (re)appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us – to redeem and purify for Himself a people for His own possession.

Wow! What Jesus endured was for us – to redeem – to purify – to make us His own possession. We are no longer are own, we have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus — and WE BELONG TO HIM.

He will not fail us; He will not forsake us. And there is coming the glorious re-appearing of Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior who is our Blessed Hope! Our hope is “blessed” in that Jesus’ return will be an amazing, joyful experience for we believers in Christ.

The word hope here doesn’t communicate uncertainty you see, but rather the glad assurance that something WILL take place. Jesus is our hope, and no one can take that hope away. He will return. He said so. The angels said so – Acts 1:11. The epistles say so. We will be blessed beyond measure when we see Christ. The trials of this life will be over, and we will see that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.

Rejoice this Easter Sunday, dear friend. Christ Jesus has risen indeed. And Christ Jesus, our Blessed Hope, WILL return – just as He said. May this truth bring you great joy.

Look up, receive a fresh infilling of hope by His Spirit today of all days, and COME ALIVE!

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In Numbers 11 we find the people complaining about their situation. They had left Egypt, were on a journey that wasn’t peaches and cream. Have you ever complained about your situation? We all have at some time. They were stuck in the desert with that manna from heaven. Waiting for the cloud to move. Grumbling. One translation identifies the grumblers as ‘a mixed multitude,’ indicating not only Israelites but other former slaves as well as Egyptians who had gone with them. People with little knowledge of the Living God.

Moses heard them complaining. So did God. Complaining about the journey and the manna. Hey, that manna was tasty, some say much like fresh donuts but with energy for the entire day! God was with them. Shady cloud by day, warming fire by night. Their protection and direction. 

God’s anger blazed up at their complaints. Unhappy with Me? Want meat? God promised them meat to eat. For an entire month, saying, “You’re going to be so sick of meat that you’ll throw up at the mere mention of it. And here’s why: Because you have rejected God who is right here among you, whining to His face, ‘Oh, why did we ever have to leave Egypt?’” Verse 19. They were looking for reverse gear.

It’s an interesting chapter. Moses asks God where was all that meat going to come from, and God replies in verse 23, “So, do you think I can’t take care of you?” That My hand is so short it cannot reach you? You’ll see soon enough…. And they did!

Dear friend, I feel this is a word for our time, in these days of grace. Perhaps we feel like we are in a desert. Wandering. Pilgrims in search of something better. Wickedness seemingly in control worldwide, nationwide for sure. Perhaps we are downcast and even grumbling. “Where is God” we might be saying. Wishing for reverse gear.

This is not a time for grumbling, fear, or reverse gear. It IS a time, however, to fear NOT, to recall His promises toward us believers. A time to take courage, not from what we hear in media but from the eternal Word of God. 

Today is the day to lift our heads, for our redemption is one day closer. To lift our heads and rejoice in the God Who is faithful, gracious, merciful — Who has purposed GOOD for His people. He WILL preserve us and bring us through. YES!

I believe it is a time to celebrate His victory — in the world, the nation, our lives, BEFORE we see it in the natural. Why, it’s a day to break out into a victory dance, letting the Holy Spirit come upon us.

Yes, today is OUR DAY — to COME ALIVE!

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In the world we see wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, even pestilence – Mark 13:7-8, Matthew 24:6 right there on the Internet and the news – Jesus tells us not to be alarmed for these are only the beginnings of the birth pangs preceding His glorious return.

Yikes! Not alarmed? The devil has been working hard through these things to sow fear into everyone. The devil rules by fear. Jesus says, “Don’t be alarmed.” The Father holds us securely in the palm of His hand. Things that have to happen in the world don’t have to happen to His children, us, even as Israel was preserved in Egypt during the plagues.

The Bible shows God intervening on behalf of His people numerous time. Today, I firmly believe that God HAS HEARD our cries, our tears — taken account the evil being perpetrated upon the innocent world-wide, and is declaring justice to be served. Let us look with expectancy for the Holy Spirit to do amazing things – even this month!

With that in mind, remember, God loves the entire world, and has told us, to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:20.

The idea of a faith that should GO into all the world wasn’t a part of the Jewish thinking in Jesus’ day. It wasn’t part of pagan thinking, either. GOING with this Good News was a revolutionary idea in its time. For you and I personally to GO seems pretty revolutionary even this day, doesn’t it?

Well, the word “GO” has the sense in the original of “as you go” – not everyone goes to the ends of the earth, to unreached people groups, but ALL of US encounter unreached, hurting people in our daily lives. People filled with fears. People in need of some Good News.

Some Good News that God loves them, is concerned for them personally, and desires to help them.
Some Good News that He already sent a Savior to deliver them from sin, and performance, and evil.
Some Good News that in calling upon Jesus in genuine belief anyone can be saved from this evil age.

Think you cannot do that? Hey, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4:13. Think of this not so much as a command, but about helping the hurting, the needy. Maybe it’s a “God bless you.” Or a “God loves you and wants to help you. Can I pray with you about that ‘thing’ right now?”

Jesus is especially concerned about healing sick people. Luke 9 and 10. Maybe we can pray for a person to be healed. Or command a sickness or a demon to leave them in Jesus’ name. Jesus promised to work with us. Mark 16:20. So let’s take courage!

Let’s allow the Spirit of God to help us see others as He sees them. Amazing things are in store. Why, people will be COMING ALIVE!

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Don’t be hasty to judge your spiritual performance, dear friend. Lets take a look at John the Baptist. He had a calling. A vision. A purpose. According to Luke 1:17 he was the “forerunner of the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

A BIG BIG calling. Was he successful? Did he live up to it? Remember, a couple years into his ministry – BOOM – he is imprisoned by Herod — and beheaded. Doesn’t sound very successful. A couple years? If his calling was in the spirit and power of Elijah, where were the great miracles like Elijah? Any miracles? None. Not – one – miracle. 

While imprisoned it appears he was assailed by doubts. Second guessing. For he even sent his followers to Jesus, asking, “Are you the Expected One? Or do we look for another” Luke 7:19. Looks like even John the Baptist wondered if he blew his calling. But Jesus said of those born of women there was none greater. Luke 7:28. That’s pretty good affirmation of John’s success, right?

How about you and me? The devil and the flesh will constantly have us compare ourselves with others and their performance. At pastoral forums or ministerial gatherings it is not uncommon for pastors to humbly brag how many souls were saved, or people attending, or were water baptized, and such. Even pastors and priests feel performance challenges.

The devil will press each of us to measure ourselves by ourselves and others and we invariably come up short. Well, don’t buy into his measurements, my friend. 

A number of years ago my wife and I were on a mission trip in Europe, and stopped a few days in Ireland to encourage missionary friends and a small group of Christians. Outside of a few words of encouragement it seemed – a non event. 

We felt discouraged over that time, but a year later one young woman from that group came to the United States and saw us. And she spoke about how my wife had had a profound effect on her life; turned it all around she declared! She and her husband had gone and started a new church in Cork, praise the Lord!

Later the Holy Spirit revealed to Mary that that one person was the reason we were sent to Ireland. My friend, Jesus might send YOU to one person, or ONE place, for ONE time, even half-way around the world. To impact a life. Jesus is head of His body – LORD – He calls the shots. 

So, don’t second guess your spiritual activity – just listen and follow the Spirit. This life is meant to be an adventure in Christ Jesus — in the Holy Spirit. So stop measuring, start adventuring — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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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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