Author: Hank

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Scripture firmly declares we are righteous new creations through Jesus’ work at Calvary. Our sins HAVE been removed; and in fact ALL sins past, present, and future have been paid for in full at Calvary.

Hebrews 8 states that under the New Covenant, God has written His laws upon our minds and hearts, giving us a knowledge of the Lord and His will, and giving us a desire to do His will, from our heart. And regarding any sinful actions on our part, God under the New Covenant says “I will be merciful toward their wrongdoings, and their sins I will no longer remember.” Hebrews 8:12.

This is God’s word, yet there is a lot of preaching and teaching out there that misses God’s amazing grace. Maybe you have heard that God keeps track of your sins. That if you sin you have broken fellowship with God and He will remain far away from you until you confess it and ask forgiveness. Maybe you have heard that God punishes or reprimands you with hardship or sickness. None of this is true!

In life we are growing into our new identity. We are working out who we really are. There is the worldly to put off and the godly to put on. Philippians 2:12; Ephesians 3 & 4.

We all stumble from time to time. We all make mistakes while growing. Even sin, not as a practice, but as an instance. When that happens, we may bear the consequences. The fruit of our actions and not God teaching us a lesson. Should you happen to sin dear friend, you have God’s word, “I will be merciful to their wrongdoing.”

So what happens at that time? God heals and restores us. He redeems us from the messes we have made; His grace abounds toward us, always, for NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. He does not apply the rod of correction or scourge us with sickness. Instead he reminds us who we are, His beloved children.

He does not punish us! All sin and its punishment was already placed upon His son Jesus, remember? Isaiah 53:5. Nothing we do – no matter how stupid or destructive – can separate us from God. Hebrews 13:5. We do not maintain our salvation. Jesus does, for He is our High Priest who intercedes continually for us. Hebrews 7:25.

So did you slip up and sin recently?
Does God remember that sin? No! Hebrews 10:17.
Does the Holy Spirit convict us of sin? No! In fact John 16:10 says he convicts us of our righteousness.
Does God withdraw from us until we confess our sins? No! Hebrews 13:5 again.

My Christian friend, have you been living under a condemnation cloud because of a sin that you stumbled into? Well throw it off! Thank Jesus for bearing all your sins. Come running into the Father’s presence to receive the mercy and grace you need at this time. You’ll COME  ALIVE!

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This world offers no end of things to do, steps to take, for us to try to get closer to God or experience God or be touched of God. Whatever. I’ve heard of bringing back past moves of God. What? The emergence of Revival hubs. Apostolic centers. Houses of prayer. Kingdom centers. Glory hubs. Wells of Revival. Healing rooms. One book author said, “Father is placing men and women in small towns and big cities to dig deep wells of revival and refreshing.”

Hmmm. I can’t speak to that, but I know there is only one thing that pleases the Father, and that is, yep: FAITH in God. Faith in His son as our Savior. Faith in His promises as true for all of us for all time. Not believing in any old thing, but having faith in God.

In Hebrews 3 and 4, we find the Israelites did not enter God’s rest because of unbelief. They died in the wilderness. Death by unbelief. Then the author exhorts us, saying God has set a certain time, a certain day: TODAY, to have faith in Him and enter His rest.

Hebrews 4:10 reads, “As we enter into God’s faith-rest life, we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates his finished works and rests in them.” Cease from our own works. He cautions us not to fall short by following the same pattern of doubt and unbelief as Israel did.

Most “centers” require you to go through their training, most of which is quite lengthy and expensive, before they qualify you in their program. Digging wells at your own expense. Have you been digging wells? Working hard, getting exhausted? Yet God still seems so distant? Trying to earn a healing? Trying to be worthy of a God experience? To be qualified in the eyes of men? You say you DO BELIEVE but you are not getting healed, experiencing miracles, prophetic gifts? Time to stop digging and enter his faith-rest!

What did the Canaanite woman do? She ASKED Jesus and her daughter was healed. What did the blind man do? He ASKED Jesus, and was healed.
The multitudes? They ASKED for themselves, family members, servants, and received.

Jesus in John 14:14 said, “If you ASK Me anything in My name, I will do it.” In John 16:23 He said, “…if you ASK the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” There is no substitute for first having faith in God and then asking God.

Have faith in God, dear friend. Ask Him for what is needed, and receive. It is that simple. Ask today, keep on asking, and COME ALIVE!

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A single word can change everything. “Not guilty” in a courtroom – changes everything. “Fair” on the playing field – changes everything. A woman’s “Yes” to a marriage proposal – changes everything. Yet, there has never been a single-word spoken that has impacted history more than what Jesus said in John 19:30.

It reads, “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

Found only in the Gospel of John, the Greek word translated “it is finished” is ‘tetelestai,’ an accounting term that means “paid in full.” Jesus was declaring the debt owed to His Father, the debt owed by mankind—the debt of sin, was paid in full. Jesus had made peace between God and man. The 300+ prophecies found in the Old Testament were fulfilled. Judgment of sin completed. Forgiveness completed. And His resurrection proved He was successful.

There’s more. ‘Tetelestai’ is in the perfect tense. That speaks of an action which has been completed in the past with results continuing into the present. It is saying “This happened and IT IS STILL IN EFFECT today.”

There’s still more! The Passion Translation includes the Aramaic: “When he had sipped the sour wine, he said, “It is finished, MY BRIDE!””

We can look at His last words, that all sin has been atoned for, God’s wrath satisfied, righteousness available, peace with God, and so forth — AND realize that BEYOND Jesus saying all the suffering on the Cross was done and over with, that He had an even GREATER thought in mind, as expressed in the Aramaic: His BRIDE. All this suffering was for – His BRIDE. His BRIDE.

What remains is for His Bride, that’s all who believe in Jesus, to make ourselves ready. Revelation 19:7. How? I suggest it is by putting on those robes of righteousness He has provided us, and RECEIVING ALL He has done for us! The Holy Spirit will help us, dear friend.

You see, the preparation of the Bride is a co-operation between the Holy Spirit, and the Bride. We find that in the Book of Esther where she prepared herself with the help of 7 maidens, a picture of completeness, the number 7, AND, the 7-fold spirit of God!

Do you doubt Jesus was thinking of His BRIDE at that time? Check out Hebrews 12:2 “who for JOY set before Him, (the JOY of a perfect, completely beautiful BRIDE) endured the cross, despising the shame….” Jesus saw His Bride, righteous, dressed in white, adorned and ready for Him beyond the cross. It was worth it all: eternal JOY, with His Bride, with us.

See His eyes – eyes of love – for you. How can you not reach out to Him right now? Yes, reach out — receive all He has to give you today, and COME ALIVE!

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Those serious about Yoga and other religions, strive to become one with – Their surroundings. Nature. Even the vast reaches beyond earth. The universe.

There’s that joke about the Buddhist monk who goes up to a hot dog vendor and says, “Make me one with everything.” The hot dog vendor hands over the hot dog and bun with all the trimmings, and the Buddhist hands over a twenty. The vendor pockets it. The Buddhist asks “Where’s my change?” and the vendor replies “change must come from within.”

Jokes aside, all other religions speak of YOU changing YOU, and at best feeling a oneness with nature.

What about Christianity? Well, what have I been sharing recently? That Jesus went to the Cross, bearing our sins and same and taking our punishment, that we would become one with Him, and in Him, and the same with God the Father, and that they would come and live within US!

It’s in the Bible! For example:
1 Corinthians 1:30 in the Good News Bible says he has brought you into UNION with Christ Jesus.
John 15:5 records Jesus saying, “I am the Vine, you are the branches” That’s UNION.
John 14:20 records Jesus saying, “I am in the Father, you are in me, I am in you.” That’s UNION with God.
John 14:23 records Jesus saying, “We will make our home in you.” Union. And Jesus did it, hallelujah!

Yes, Jesus has made it possible for us to become united with the CREATOR of the universe! And it is not our struggle, our efforts; this is a God thing. It’s what Jesus prayed, and Jesus’ prayers have never failed.

He prayed this? Look over His prayer in John 17:
“I pray for them all to be joined together as one even as you and I, Father, are joined together as one.”
“I pray for them to become one with us so that the world will recognize that you sent me.”
“For the very glory you have given to me I have given them so that they will be joined together as one and experience the same unity that we enjoy.”
“You (Father) live fully in me and now I live fully in them so that they will experience perfect unity.”

This is massive my friend. Are you experiencing even a little fraction of Jesus’ prayers and these Scriptures? Or is God far away to you?

A couple being married become one according to God’s word. They can believe it and live no longer as two individuals but as one. Or, they can live separate lives, two people living under the same roof, not as one but two, missing out on the fullness of marriage. Same with our being in union with God. It is a reality, so let’s not be unbelieving about it.

Dear friend, embrace the TRUTH today — You’ll COME ALIVE!

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There’s a 13th century proverb most everyone has heard. Benjamin Franklin wrote it this way,
“For the want of a nail the shoe (horseshoe) was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

One seemingly minor thing, can make all the difference in life!

This point was brought home to me recently as I was watching a tennis match on TV. The set score was 4 games to 3, and in the game being played the fellow with the 4 served to his opponent who could not return it. That would have won the game and made the set score 5 to 3. However, a spectator had cried “OUT” at the moment of the serve. The point had to be replayed. The opponent fellow won the point and then the game, making the set score 4 up. Had it been 5 games to 3, the next game would have won the match for the fellow who had been leading, but the match eventually went to a tie-break and the fellow with the 3 games originally won. One spectator, shouting out a one word, cost one point in one game of one set and it changed the outcome of the match.

What will be the outcome of our match? Our life here on earth? Will it be heaven or hell? Since the days of Adam we’ve been sinful wretches, bound up in sin, creatures of wrath. Unable to free ourselves, make ourselves right with God and earn our place in heaven. By grace, God predetermined that He would accomplish salvation for us. He would pay the price to eradicate our sins. He would do all that was necessary to make us His own sons and daughters. He would even go so far as to place us IN HIM!

So how do we avail ourselves of this wonderful salvation? What is that ‘one thing’?

Paul in Acts 16 told the Philippian jailer. “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household”
In Romans 10 he stated everyone who believes in Him, Jesus Christ, shall never be put to shame.
Jesus Himself told the disciples in Mark 11 to have faith in God. He challenged them about their faith in Him after rescuing them from the violent storm on the sea of Galilee in Mark 4.
The writer of Hebrews spends all of chapter 11 focused on those who found favor with God because of their faith in God.

That one word, JESUS, spoken in faith – as Savior, as Lord. If you haven’t already, do so now.

You’ll COME ALIVE!

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In chapter 1 of John’s gospel, John records the first followers of Jesus. It seems they were disciples of John the Baptist. They were with the Baptist, when Jesus was passing by. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he prophesied, “Look! There’s God’s sacrificial Lamb!” Two of his disciples heard him. One is identified as Andrew, and the other was likely the John who wrote this gospel. Andrew and John immediately left the Baptist and began to follow a short distance behind Jesus.

Now this gets interesting. Jesus saw they were following him and asked, “What do you want?” They responded, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” That seems such an odd response, doesn’t it? Jesus’ question makes sense; likely you have asked the same question at times. One commentator suggests Jesus asked the question to find out whether they were motivated by idle curiosity or by a real desire to know him.

Verse 39: “Jesus answered, “Come and discover for yourselves.” So they went with Him and saw where He was staying, and since it was late in the afternoon, they spent the rest of the day with Jesus.”

This is the first recorded saying of Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus invited John and Andrew to be a part of His life. It is a good question for all of us followers of Jesus to ask ourselves: “What do I want in following Jesus?”

Do we want something only for ourselves? Do we want a ministry? A miracle? Money? Answers to prayer?

Or do we simply want to be with him? Their answer, “Where are you staying?” shows that they were seeking only Him. The word used for ‘staying’ is the same word that’s translated ‘abide’ in John 15, where Jesus describes Himself as the vine and we are the branches. It refers to life-union. To be joined to Jesus, the living vine, is to truly be ALIVE!

Jesus wants everyone to come and discover where He “abides.” He abides in life-union with his Father. He told the nasty Pharisees to believe in Him or believe in the miracles He did so that they quote, “may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” John 10:38.

What a marvelous expression of one facet of the grace of God! Jesus, from the beginning, inviting those who would follow Him to become intimately joined with Him in life-union, and joined in life-union with the Father!

Look! There’s Jesus now! Let’s follow Him, abide in Him — and COME ALIVE!

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John chapter 5 begins with a remarkable healing at the pool of Bethesda. In Aramaic the pool is called ‘The House of Loving Kindness.’ It was surrounded by 5 covered porches where the sick, lame and blind lay, hoping to be first into the pool after an Angel of the Lord stirred the waters. The covered porches are symbolic of the covering of the Law.

Under this religious covering, those afflicted couldn’t be healed unless they first did the work of stepping into the pool. Quickly. Before anyone else. Pretty hopeless situation.

Then Jesus comes by, putting none of the law’s requirements upon those there, or us, for healing, but only to believe in the one who is greater than angels. Hebrews 1:4.

He found the lame man who had been sick for thirty-eight years, coincidently the length of time Israel had wandered in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 2:14.

Jesus said to him, “Do you truly long to be well?” At least most translations say something like that. But, it could also be translated, “Are you convinced that you are already made whole?”

My bible footnote says the Greek phrase ‘genesthai’ – pardon my Greek – is actually not a future tense, but an aorist middle infinitive that indicates something already accomplished. YIKES! WHAT was Jesus asking the man?

Jesus was asking the crippled man if he was ready to abandon how he saw himself and now receive the faith for his healing. The man makes an excuse, but Jesus must have seen something within the man for He says, “Stand up! Pick up your sleeping mat and you will walk!” He did, and he did! Oh, and it seems Jesus worked this miracle on the Sabbath. 

The Jewish leaders complained that Jesus was breaking the Sabbath, but He was actually setting the Sabbath free from man’s traditions and religious bondages, hallelujah!

A short time later, Jesus found the no longer lame man at the temple and said to him, “Look at you now! You’re healed! Walk away from your sin so that nothing worse will happen to you.” Whoa — doesn’t that indicate that Jesus offered healing to someone who had been sinning? FAITH in Jesus brings results even when circumstances would appear to dictate otherwise.

How about you dear friend, are you ailing? Sick? Have a serious disease? And demons are accusing you of sinning? 

I invite you to hear today Jesus’ words, “Are you convinced that you are already made whole?” Well, hear them now, for healing came to us at Calvary. Indeed, 1 Peter 2:24 declares we have been healed by His wounds.

Believe these bible truths today — and COME ALIVE – and receive your healing now!

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Today is Easter Sunday, marking Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. He is risen indeed, hallelujah! Let all the world rejoice!

This is so vitally important, because as Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:14 says, “if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins.” And those who have died in Christ have simply — perished.

In His death and resurrection our sins have been washed away, and His righteousness imparted to us. But there is more…!

WE have died with Him. WE have been born again (“risen to life”) by that same resurrection power of God! Paul spends Romans chapter 6 explaining this spiritual fact, instructing us to reckon ourselves dead to sin, the sin that once enslaved us and crushed life out of us — and count ourselves as alive to God forever!!! From this time forward we are finally and eternally able NOT to sin. When sin comes knocking at the door, we can say “Go away!”

We have been made spiritually alive. Ephesians 2:5. Paul now writes that because we died with Christ in that way, we will also live with Him. We continue to live in the flesh, of course, but our lives are now directed by our faith in Christ.

Too few of us are aware of this liberation. We are free from sin’s bondage and free from the social dogmas of today regarding self-image, personal ambitions, and financial security. We are free!

Paul mentions Jesus’ motive for giving Himself for us: LOVE. Christ died for us because He loves us. Unlike the unyielding system of the law, Christ is a person motivated by His love and concern for us. And because of this there is more…!

As Paul declares in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Notice Paul reveals Christ lives IN him. In all believers. In Colossians 1, beginning with verse 25, he explains there is a divine mystery, “that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Yes, more than being set free from guilt and our sins removed, salvation has come that we would share in and possess the glory of Christ Jesus. Christ IN us; and we IN Christ.

Living IN the Holy One, who is making and keeping us holy, and eternally alive! Being IN Christ is not some theoretical, hypothetical, conjectural, intangible, philosophical, abstract supposition. It is our reality!

Friend, dwell on this reality this Resurrection Day — and COME  ALIVE!

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Today is Palm Sunday, marking Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. It would be His final Passover for He was about to become our Passover Lamb, our willing sacrifice that would make us believers spotless sons and daughters of Almighty God.

Fulfilling prophecy every step of the way, Matthew 21 records Jesus riding a colt amidst a large procession approaching Jerusalem. The crowds were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people went wild with excitement. Some asked, “Who is this man?” And the crowds shouted back, “This is Jesus! He’s the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee!” Jesus was atop the popularity charts!

But then Jesus went directly into the temple area, drove away all the merchants who were buying and selling their goods. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the stands of those selling sacred doves. Upsetting the status quo, He declared, “My dwelling place will be known as a house of prayer, but you have made it into a hangout for thieves!”

Then He healed the blind and the crippled, and all who came to Him. Children surrounded Him and shouted, “Blessings and praises to the Son of David!”

What an awesome time! I hope we can all see reruns of this when we get to heaven! Jesus was challenged incessantly by the chief priests and religious leaders. They despised His praises. They questioned His authority. They fumed over His parables pointing out their wickedness and prophesying the stone which the builders rejected would become the chief cornerstone. He warned those men, saying in Matthew 23, that “Great sorrow awaits you religious scholars and you Pharisees—such frauds and pretenders!” That’s God-courage and boldness! Only Jesus knew what was soon coming in a few days.

Jesus also foretold the end of the age, following “the good news of heaven’s kingdom being proclaimed all over the world, providing every nation with a demonstration of the reality of God.” Passion Translation. And after assuring us of His return, He admonishes us to live life as if His appearing could be the next moment. In other words, live godly each day.

Can we live life godly? YES, for thankfully 2 Peter 1:3 assures us that “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” You and I have what it takes!

And what do we do when living godly? That’s summed up quite well in 1 Peter 4:7-11, namely, be given to prayer, be devoted to our fellow believers, be compassionate to the stranger and foreigner, use spiritual gifts to serve one another, and give God glory in all things!

So live godly today — and COME ALIVE!

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Jesus had words for the Laodiceans. They are found in Revelation 3. Lukewarm they were. Jesus said, “Be Hot — or Cold.” Hot representing the New Covenant, cold — the Old. Living in Him, by the Spirit, or keeping the rules, at least trying to. That would be good because the Law was given as our tutor to lead us to Christ. It reveals our need for a Savior for it exposes to us our sinful condition apart from Christ. Romans 3:20, and 7:7.

God did not give us grace so that we might fulfill the law. To think grace enables us to keep the 10 Commandments is mixed-up thinking. Like the Laodiceans. Don’t be a Laodicean. Law and grace do not mix. The Law deals in death: “You are a sinner!” it screams. Grace deals in life: “You are saved by grace through faith!”

We can only be declared righteous “by FAITH apart from works of the law.” Romans 3:28. That faith must rest in God’s Savior, Jesus Christ: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

The Old Covenant was only a shadow of the good things to come. And Hebrews 9:10 and 11 tells us the Old had a built-in expiration date – when Christ arose in victory.

However, many preachers preach a mixture of old and new. I did as a young preacher. I couldn’t believe the Good News was that Good! Pray for them to receive revelation as to Christ’s total sufficiency! But don’t receive the mixture. Mixture waters down the power of the Law, and weakens faith in Christ Jesus. Mixture presents the gospel as what Jesus Christ did, PLUS some effort on our part.

What sort of effort? Anything, even very good things in themselves, but that are described as necessary for Christian growth, delivered in such a way that leaves you puzzled, thinking “Have I done enough?” “Should I do more?” “Can I do better?” “Am I pleasing God?” “I feel I’m a miserable and inferior Christian.” “Is Jesus disappointed in me?” “Am I on the shelf?” “Am I being disobedient?” You get the picture.

Let me share something: Paul’s words in Colossians 1:26-29 —

“There is a divine mystery—a secret surprise that has been concealed from the world for generations, but now it’s being revealed, unfolded and manifested for every holy believer to experience. Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery, of Christ embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it! Christ is our message!

Dear friend, may your ‘mix’ be 100% Grace, Faith, Holy Spirit, leaning upon JESUS CHRIST WITHIN YOU, and not self-effort. It’s the way to fully COME ALIVE!

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