Author: Hank

Welcome to Hank’s Place — 

The other day in a quiet moment, my mind began drifting to thoughts of God. I was seeing in a sense the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and I became aware of their boundless, infinite love for all of their creation.

It seemed I could feel something of God’s heart, and His yearning to lift us up and have us become like Him, that we might gaze into His eyes and He into ours and share — in one another. Like what a husband who truly loves his wife may do and the wife with her husband. No barriers, no obstacles, no limitations, no focus on faults or issues of life: there simply aren’t any in the relationship!

But how could this happen with creatures having free will and bound to fall short of His glory? Well, as you know, the Son came to earth, dwelling in bodily form, Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:19 says the fullness of the godhead dwelt in Him. The Son took the punishment for everyone’s sins and transgressions, for all time – Isaiah 53:6. 

Because God is a just God, our sin, rebellion, and transgressions required this punishment, and Jesus took that punishment upon Himself, even for people who refused to repent and receive their forgiveness, that all be without excuse.

But we, who have turned to Him, having made Jesus our Savior and Lord, are transformed into new creations. God actually comes to take up residency within us. He fills us – with Himself. That’s according to Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:19.

We new creations are sealed by the Holy Spirit; a down payment of what we are headed toward, of what we will fully be. It is 1 John 3:1-2 that says, “See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we ARE children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

What I’m saying is that God has set in motion His plan that we should be united with Him eternally. It sounds preposterous, God united with His created beings, but remember Ephesians 5:31 and 2, where Paul writes, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.”

My friend, in some marvelous unfathomable way, Jesus chose to be united with His bride, the Church, you and me – and everyone who is born again. It is an eternal union, for it is God who has done the joining together.

This is beyond amazing! Meditate on it – you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics (Epilogue)

I’ve just concluded the series “The Cross Changes Everything.” Hopefully it has been a life-changing series for you!

The last episode touched on the challenges the Galatians faced. Law, rules, obedience to the Judaizers — versus Grace. Many of US today are experiencing the same struggle the Galatians encountered. We were doing fine until those Law adhering Christians showed up from somewhere. They were telling us, like the Galatians, that faith in Jesus was only the start of a new life and keeping the Laws of the Old Covenant, or the Church, or their group, was more necessary now than ever.

But how WRONG they were! Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of ALL things, including our relationship with God. Revelation 22:13.

Paul wrote them, “You foolish Galatians….” You saw Christ crucified for you. Then you received the Spirit of the Living God — how? By works of the Law; or by HEARING WITH FAITH? Paul’s argument is exactly the same for you and me. Having begun, being born again, by the SPIRIT of God, are we now being perfected by the rules we keep? Through our fleshly efforts? The check boxes we tick off? Does God provide us with His Spirit by OUR own efforts? Does God perform miracles in our midst by OUR adherence to the Law? Or ANY church laws — or by HEARING WITH FAITH?

If you think blessings come your way because of your prayer life, think again. If you think you are missing out on blessings because of your lack of a prayer life, think again. It’s HEARING WITH FAITH. Check out Galatians 3:2, Galatians 3:4, Galatians 3:9, and Galatians 3:14. HEARING WITH FAITH my dear friend. Abraham heard God. Abraham believed God when He promised Him heirs, and it was counted as righteousness to him.

The promise has come to us as well, LIFE that is found only in Christ Jesus! Hallelujah! If you think healing comes your way through your positive confessions, think again. HEARING WITH FAITH. If you think prosperity comes your way through tithing, think again: HEARING WITH FAITH.

Our prayer life, sacrificial giving, our faith confessions, whatever our activities may be, do not earn us blessings. What matters is faith in Him.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us ALL things?” Romans 8:32. All of God’s gifts come to us freely by His grace. A God who gave us His greatest treasure – His Son – will withhold nothing from us. By faith. 

Hear the word concerning Jesus. Hear all that He is. Savior. Healer. Deliverer. Protector. Life Giver. And more.

HEAR that word. Receive that Good Word today by FAITH — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

Paul in Colossians 1:27 tells us of a rich and glorious mystery, Christ, the Anointed One, God Himself, was LIVING IN the Colossian believers. How can that be? They were Gentiles, and ignorant of the Mosaic Covenant and all that people must do to be acceptable to God. As Gentiles they had no covenant with God. No Ten Commandments. No rites, rituals and observations. So what did they DO to EARN the right to have God Himself living IN them, making them complete in Him, and blessing them with every spiritual blessing?

The simple answer: THEY DID NOTHING. OBEYED NOTHING. They BELIEVED the Good News, that GOD had accomplished salvation, and offers it freely to everyone. Forgiveness of sins. Justification. Righteousness. Eternal life. Thanks to the BLOOD of the CROSS, people without a clue to the ways of the Living God found this Living God—LIVING IN THEM!

A few miles to the east of Colossae, the Galatians found themselves in a touchy situation. Some law-abiding Jewish believers had come by to try to get them to obey all the Jewish Laws in order to be ‘proper’ Christians. ‘Authentic’ Christians.

Paul corrected them. That’s found in Galatians chapter 3. Verses 2 and 3: “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Verse 5: “…does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

Then Paul reminds them, and us, that Abraham BELIEVED GOD, and God counted him RIGHTEOUS. He quotes from  the Old Testament, reminding them we can’t obey just some of the law, but we must obey ALL the rules or we put ourselves under a curse! He boldly declares that the Righteous live by faith and that focusing on keeping the rules is NOT of Faith.

If you have been trying to be a good, obedient, rule keeping Christian, one that God can be proud of, well, your thinking is Old Covenant. Your striving has been in vain.

We were made to live by the Spirit. DON’T GO BACK to observing rules, even perfect rules like the Ten Commandments. Don’t look back. Stay on this side of the CROSS — keep looking to Jesus, and live by the Spirit. That’s how we COME ALIVE and STAY ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

In Moses’ day, people were afraid of God, and rightly so! In Exodus 19:8 they asked Moses to bring down instructions for living from God’s mountain, and it says that all that God says, they promised to do. The 10 Commandments were among all the rules. All required strict adherence, through the power of the flesh. But flesh is weak, so although the commandments appeared to be rules to keep, they were in fact a mirror – to point out our shortcomings. And they were perfect at it.

Fast forward to Jesus’ day, a perfect time, for it was the fullness of time. For over a 1,000 years the Jewish leaders had opportunity to learn that mankind cannot obey God’s rules – that we needed a Savior. By this time Israel should have or certainly could have, been ready to receive Jesus as that Savior.

But the Pharisees and teachers of the Law placed their traditions and interpretations AHEAD of God’s Laws. They emptied the Law of its power to condemn. The Law’s perfect purpose was thwarted: sin was not being named as sin. Like clever lawyers the leaders found ways to excuse sin and promote self-righteousness.

Today we often hear a mixed message of Law and Grace. Law – just listen for the “if’s” – “if you do this, then God will do…” or, “you need to do this before God will do…” And the message is mixed with GRACE. When we hear what God has done, especially concerning Calvary, we are hearing grace. Acts 20:24 says the Gospel is the Good News of His GRACE. 

We may hear that God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us keep the 10 Commandments. This is incorrect! Galatians 3:12 says, “But the Law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”” The Law is a “to do” list. It is NOT of faith, but it is faith that pleases God. It is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:27. And, “…without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6.

Here’s our point: the Holy Spirit is NOT GOING TO HELP US KEEP A SET OF RULES, for rules are NOT of Faith. It is having faith in GOD that pleases God.

There are a lot of voices out there, a lot of confusion when Law and Grace are mixed. I pray you not be confused my dear friend. Simply walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit. Hearken to the Spirit. Find true LIFE and FREEDOM by simple faith in the Living God. Cease striving – enter His rest. It’s your day — to COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

We have been pointing out that the Cross has changed….everything. And it is all for the GOOD!

Let’s have a reminder of the time period the Gospels relate. Where is the Cross in the Gospels? Near the end of each one, right? That means all of what you read in the Gospels, until the very end, are events that happened UNDER THE LAW. Jesus was born, lived, and died under the LAW.

When Jesus spoke, it was to people who were under the LAW. Keep in mind that the Gospel is the Good News of the GRACE of God that would come to us AFTER Jesus did His marvelous work at Calvary.

Let’s look at an example. In Mt 6:14-15 Jesus says, “…if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Read that and you see God’s forgiveness of you is conditional on your forgiveness of others. When Jesus spoke those words, BEFORE the Cross, it was totally TRUE.

But we are living AFTER the Cross! Let’s read Colossians 2:13, written AFTER the Cross. Paul writes, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” Friend, we were forgiven while we were lost and dead in our sins. Here is Colossians 3:13, “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

So what do we believe? Do we have to forgive first in order to be forgiven, or are we already forgiven? Before the Cross, HAD to forgive FIRST. AFTER the Cross, we forgive — in overwhelming thankfulness at knowing we ourselves have APLREADY been forgiven. Before the Cross, forgiveness was something God would DO—but ONLY IF we did our part first. After the Cross, forgiveness is something God GIVES. It’s a gift by God’s grace—and something we receive. 

The Gospel is the Good News. It declares what GOD has done for us, and not what we must do to satisfy God!

Dear friend: we ARE already forgiven. Of every sin, every transgression, every missing of the mark. Let’s give a shout out to Jesus! Tell that cloud condemnation you may be under to hit the road. RECEIVE that gift of forgiveness. RECEIVE His gift of righteousness. Then, out of gratitude and joy, forgive others—you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

We have been pointing out that the Cross has changed….everything. The Cross tells us Jesus loves us more than His own life! It tells us that if God is for us, nothing can stand against us, not even our own failures and sin!

The blood of the Lamb of God has purchased our forgiveness. Sin no longer has a claim on us, hallelujah! Because it is Almighty Father who has qualified us, our sins cannot disqualify us. The only way a person can lose out is if they fail to believe the Good News!

Before the Cross we were slaves to sin, there was no escape. Try to do good, or purpose to do bad – it made no difference: we remained slaves to sin. But AFTER the Cross we have a choice: stay in the prison or run free. The prison doors have been opened! We can live according to the old Law of sin and death, or live according the Law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus! Romans 8:2. Which would you prefer?

If your spiritual life is based on conditions, you are not living in the freedom Christ purchased for you. Let me help you. If you find yourself saying, “I’ll be blessed IF I do such and such,” or, “I missed a blessing because I missed my morning prayer time,” or “I missed sending in my church contribution and now the devourer is going to eat me up!” Well, that tells me you have yet to make the right choice, to LIVE FREE in Jesus! It’s time to STOP IT.

God qualifies us and clothes us with His robes of righteousness. It’s all through Jesus Christ. But if we ignore what Jesus has done, we wind up remaining under the Law.

God did not redeem us because He was looking for a servant. He already has myriads of angels. He redeemed us so He could show us His matchless grace. Think about this: God gave up His son for us. So how are we going to pay Him back? Through unfailing obedience? The Old Testament shows us no one can! Instead of thinking that way, let’s allow our lives be a shining testimony of the generosity of our gracious Father.

Some people say, God will bless you if you do your part. Our part is to BELIEVE what God has done for us, and has chosen to bless us abundantly as we simply believe and enter His rest. 

Today, let’s believe it. Now get those happy feet a dancing, and COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

We have been pointing out that the Cross has changed….everything. The Old Testament is there to create a hunger for a Savior! Now, with Jesus as our Savior, we live in His saving grace, and not the letter of the Law. By His grace, through faith, we can enter His refreshing rest!

We faced condemnation and judgment before the Cross; now, this side of Calvary, we have NO condemnation, but justification. Instead of unworthiness we have – righteousness. Instead of a distant and unapproachable God we have a freely accessible throne of Grace. 

We can receive mercy and grace in time of need, not be fearful of having our requests denied because we failed to measure up. But we must have faith in God, and that His word is true, because if our mind is stuck in performance based religious thinking, we’ll come short of this wonderful grace of God! Don’t live your life as if this was pre-Calvary dear friend!

Consider: the Old Covenant demanded righteousness based upon our performance: it demanded righteousness from sinful men. Deuteronomy 6:25 reads, “It will be righteousness for us IF WE ARE CAREFUL to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us.” But AFTER the Cross we find Romans 1:17 “For in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith (God’s faith and YOURS); as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Or how about Romans 5:17, speaking of “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the GIFT of righteousness, (they) will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Before the Cross, God’s presence came and went, causing people to hunger for His Spirit. Psalm 51:11 reads, “Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Don’t you pray that way! After the Cross God makes His home with us and promises to never leave us. John 14:23. And Hebrews 13:5 reminds us that the Lord has declared, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”

The Gospels give account of Jesus and His ministry. It can be confusing when you read them, because Jesus spoke THE LAW to the self-righteous pharisees and lawyers. AND, Jesus spoke MERCY and GRACE to those who humbly came to Him. Are you a pharisee? No! Of course not! So pay attention in the Gospels to who is speaking to who. People under law or under grace?

Receive His grace today; soak in His grace; dance in His grace, — and COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

We have been pointing out that the Cross has changed….everything. Read the Bible that comes before the Cross and chances are you will be reading about a covenant that never applied to you. It’s there to create a hunger for the God of mercy and grace, and teach us we cannot obey God even if we think we can.

Before the Cross it was important to keep a record of sins. Just read Leviticus 4 & 5 for sins and sacrifices for those sins. Talk about discouragement! But AFTER the Cross what can be more plain than Hebrews 8:12, where God says, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more?”

Before the Cross God gave us the 10 Commandments that begin with, “Thou shalt….” Read it in Exodus 20. But AFTER the Cross God says, “I will.” In Hebrews 8:8-12, God speaks His of being merciful to us, His forgetting our sins, His writing His laws in our minds and hearts and He giving us a knowledge of Himself. In the New, it’s all about Him and what He’s done for us, my friends!

In the Old Covenant, God’s favor hinged on our faithfulness. But in the New, His favor comes to us on account of Christ’s faithfulness. We could be faithful one moment and deny Him the next. Just ask Peter! Walking with Jesus day in day out for over 3 years. Seeing countless miracles, signs, wonders. Hearing the voice from heaven declare Jesus is the Son of God. Staunchly declaring he would never deny Him – yet he does exactly that a few hours later. So much better to rely on Jesus Christ’s faithfulness, for He is eternally faithful!

When reading the Bible, I urge you to learn to distinguish between the old law covenant, which condemns sinners, and the new covenant of grace, which makes sinners righteous. In the Old, Christ was a shadow, in the New He is our reality!

The word GRACE can be terrifying to those schooled in performance based religion. But RELAX— for another word for grace is J E S U S. Walk today my friend in the New Covenant. Walk with Jesus in the covenant of Grace, and you will COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

In this series we are pointing out that the Cross has changed everything in the relationship between God and man. Read the part of the Bible that come before the Cross and chances are you will be reading about a covenant that never applied to you—and no longer applies to the Israelites.

So why is this obsolete material in the Bible? Because it helps us appreciate who Jesus is and what He has done. The Law is the SHADOW, but Jesus is the REALITY. The Law is a warm-up to get us ready for Jesus—but Jesus alone is the star of the show. The Law is the prosecuting attorney. The Law condemns us as guilty, but Jesus is the great advocate who sets us free. 1 John 2:1.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:11 that the trials of the Israelites were written for our instruction. One judgment after another for disobeying the Law. We read of their failures to obey, their rebellion, and we understand: NO ONE can obey God’s Laws. The flesh always wins out in the end. All of us DESPERATELY need a Savior! And our Savior JESUS has come!

Here is an example of how the Cross has changed everything. Before the cross Adam’s sin meant condemnation for everyone. Romans 5:18 says “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men….” But on the cross our sins were carried away, and there is now NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus—that’s Romans 8:1. 

Before the Cross God was distant and unapproachable. Exodus 19:12 reads, “You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.’”

But at the Cross, according to Matthew 27:51 “…the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” This was Almighty God bursting out of the Holy of Holies to dwell with and within His people – that’s you and me, my friend!

Yes, for Ephesians 2:13 states, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” And not only that, but we who have been brought near can now boldly approach the throne of GRACE. That’s Hebrews 4:16. That’s right, after the Cross the throne of JUDGMENT has become a throne of GRACE—eternally!

Dear friend, it is past time to get rid of any condemning, works-based, flesh reliant, religious thinking and behavior — and COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — Updated Classics

At the Cross, Jesus dealt with our sins – all of them, past, present and future. Those of all mankind actually. He hung on that Cross while the wrath of God was poured out in punishment for those sins. Jesus took it all, out of love for us, and then yielded up His life — for us. Don’t think for a moment that God does not love you!

In exchange, He gave all who believe in Him, His righteousness. It’s a free gift —but is a gift that can only be received by faith. Jesus also made us heirs of God, sons, with a full inheritance. This is beyond human comprehension.

Now, here is the issue: so many people, including many pastors, seminary professors, TV and Internet voices, miss – the Cross. They mention the Cross, but fail to grasp that EVERYTHING concerning our relationship to God — has changed. They bring Old Covenant LAW, which was NOT written for us who live this side of Calvary, right on into their preaching and teaching. Law and grace mixed together.

Hmmm. They don’t mix my friend. It is a mixture that keeps us from moving forward in who we are in Christ Jesus and keeps us weak, downcast, condemned!

Listen. BEFORE the Cross we were blessed IF we obeyed and cursed if we didn’t. But AFTER the Cross we are blessed because Christ obeyed, and through Him we have been redeemed from the curse of the law.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28, BEFORE the Cross, reads, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, IF you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, IF you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.”

Now listen to Paul, writing AFTER the Cross in Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Where are the commandments? Where are the threats? They are not there. We are blessed because of Jesus work at Calvary.

And how about: Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree””

Give Jesus praise today: believe in Him and you are blessed. We receive blessings through the grace of God; we DO NOT earn them through works or obedience to a written law.

If you think you have to tick off the obedience boxes, or the servant boxes or the love boxes you will be under the law in no time and be missing out on God’s grace, “fallen from grace” as Galatians 5:4 says.

So, give up trying to earn God’s blessings. Get rid of those check boxes. Rejoice in Jesus and His work at Calvary, — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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