Hank’s Place

Welcome to Hank’s Place – 

The elections are over, and God has triumphed. Many say it is the greatest comeback in political history. I say, “Thank you Heavenly Father, for seeing our distress and hearing our cries, and remembering the covenant the Pilgrims made with you in 1620 for this land.”

Now post election news is filled with evil voices of fear, doubt and unbelief. On the one hand — Trump and company will ruin the nation. On the other hand, that the swamp will fight every step of the way; that terrorist illegals by the score will ravage America and bring her low. That Iran, China, and Russia are preparing for war against a weakened America. And that’s just for starters!

I say, dear friends, FEAR NOT! The victory Jesus won for us at Calvary: REMEMBER it. He disarmed the devil, the one who had HAD the power of death. Hebrews 2:14.

Now the devil, through many mouthpieces, is prowling about like a roaring lion, 1 Peter 5:8. Fears and doubts – those are his weapons today. He is master of the media. He is master of questions that give rise to doubts in God. “Hath God said…” he said to Eve and it was downhill from then on.

Don’t give in to those fears, dear friend. Don’t entertain his doubting suggestions. Or wrestle with his unbelief.

“FEAR NOT, for I AM with you,” says the Lord.

There is a song from the ’70’s based on Deuteronomy 6:23 that goes, “He did not bring us out this far to take us back again; He brought us OUT to lead us IN to the Promised Land. Though there be giants in the land we will not be afraid; He brought us out to lead us in to the Promised Land.”

The enemy has a loud mouth. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus. Peter was walking on the water, living a miracle, but taking his eyes off of Jesus, seeing the wind, he began to sink beneath the waves. Hold fast to Jesus. Let’s walk in this miraculous divine election, with confidence in God, praising and thanking Him daily.

After all it’s OUR day, America’s day — to COME ALIVE!

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Here is a question for you: “What are you DOING – to EARN – God’s gifts of grace?” Ha! You’re probably saying, “Well Hank, don’t you know that no one can earn God’s gifts for they are bestowed by grace. He gives graciously because of who He is. His grace gifts cannot be worked for or earned or they wouldn’t be by grace.” Romans 5:15 and many others. I totally agree with you. A gift is not a gift if you have to earn it. His grace is a gift and obtained thru faith alone.

I told my dear wife I had a question for her, but before I could even ask her, she answered, saying, “Jesus has already provided for us – ALL THINGS necessary for LIFE and GODLINESS!” That’s 2 Peter 1:3. Like salvation, all things necessary for LIFE and GODLINESS are available to us through Jesus Christ. By grace. God’s grace. Our part is not to earn them, but to have faith in Jesus – and receive them.

So my friend, have faith in God — daily. Let’s not scramble around like a chicken without a head in difficult times, don’t fret, but rest in what Jesus has done for us. Let’s allow Him to lavish us with waves of grace. Let our requests be made known. Ask Him, the God of the impossible, for help, for all things are possible to Him. Let’s give thanks ahead of seeing it.

Ah, but perhaps you say you can’t do that because it was you who messed up. That the impossible situation is because you did something wrong, failed to consider something, didn’t read the fine print — whatever. That it is your fault and God is expecting you to pay for it and live with the consequences. Is that what you are thinking?

Or are you doing what many Christians do when they fail or don’t measure up, or come in out of the running, or miss the promotion — and that is to resolve to try harder. Work harder. Do better the next time. In other words, respond just like the world.

Well, let’s get a real grip on who we are – in Christ – WHOSE we are – in Christ. Let’s consider afresh the blood of Jesus!

Take another look at Calvary’s Cross – those failures, the sins, they are all there, yours and mine, and paid for by His blood. So reject that spirit of condemnation. We’re accepted in Christ Jesus. Reject that spirit of hopelessness and depression. Thank Jesus for making a way out of the mess. Apply faith – in God! That throne of judgment has become a throne of grace — let’s come confidently before that throne. Ask for wisdom, understanding, promotion. Whatever we need. God will act on upon our requests. Gracefully.

And we’ll COME ALIVE!

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VOTE! Please vote for the unborn. Vote for the Constitution. It’s the best there is. Vote for those believing God created us man and woman and knew what He was doing. Vote for the people believing merit, skill and ability should be rewarded! Vote!

The takeaway of today’s Hank’s Place is this: human beings behave according to who they believe they are, and your identity is that of God’s child. Believe you are a failure? Unworthy of blessings? An outlaw? A rebel? You’ll begin that way. A blessed, favored child of God? You’ll begin acting that way.

It’s no wonder the epistles point out who we’ve become. Born again. Transformed. New creations. Righteous. Sons and daughters of the Living God and much more. Paul expresses the resulting new living as ‘putting off the old way, putting on the new.’

Peter also understood this, and in first Peter he begins by telling us who we are, and then speaks of our new manner of living. We are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, he says, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION. Once we were of Adam’s family, but then we were chosen and given a new identity as a child of God.

Hear that? A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, a child of God.

We have been bought with a price; we belong to God. Our welfare is His concern. We are a treasured possession because God loves and treasures us, not because we kept the Law. Once we were nobodies, but now we are THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

Therefore, how do we live? In chapter 2 verse 11 Peter says, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

Beloved. It means dearly loved, esteemed, favorite and worthy of love. Well pleased, fond of, contented. This word captures God’s heart for us! Our heavenly Father is fond of us. We are His esteemed favorite in whom He is well pleased. He looks upon us with a feeling of deep contentment. We are His dearly loved children.

Peter ‘urges’ us. If this was old covenant, he would command us. But under the new covenant of grace, Peter urges, implores, and exhorts us to live like aliens and strangers to this world for we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom.

Avoid sin he says, not in order to BECOME holy, but because in our new identity we ARE holy. Let’s aline our behavior with our new identity!

The devil would love it if we would reclaim ownership of those old habits, but a better response is reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. Yep, let’s count ourselves dead to sin and sinful ways and alive to God.

My friend, soon you’ll find you are living the life of someone who has

VOTE! Please vote for the unborn. Vote for the Constitution. It’s the best there is. Vote for those believing God created us man and woman and knew what He was doing. Vote for the people believing merit, skill and ability should be rewarded! Vote!

The takeaway of today’s Hank’s Place is this: human beings behave according to who they believe they are, and your identity is that of God’s child. Believe you are a failure? Unworthy of blessings? An outlaw? A rebel? You’ll begin that way. A blessed, favored child of God? You’ll begin acting that way.

It’s no wonder the epistles point out who we’ve become. Born again. Transformed. New creations. Righteous. Sons and daughters of the Living God and much more. Paul expresses the resulting new living as ‘putting off the old way, putting on the new.’

Peter also understood this, and in first Peter he begins by telling us who we are, and then speaks of our new manner of living. We are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, he says, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION. Once we were of Adam’s family, but then we were chosen and given a new identity as a child of God.

Hear that? A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, a child of God.

We have been bought with a price; we belong to God. Our welfare is His concern. We are a treasured possession because God loves and treasures us, not because we kept the Law. Once we were nobodies, but now we are THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

Therefore, how do we live? In chapter 2 verse 11 Peter says, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

Beloved. It means dearly loved, esteemed, favorite and worthy of love. Well pleased, fond of, contented. This word captures God’s heart for us! Our heavenly Father is fond of us. We are His esteemed favorite in whom He is well pleased. He looks upon us with a feeling of deep contentment. We are His dearly loved children.

Peter ‘urges’ us. If this was old covenant, he would command us. But under the new covenant of grace, Peter urges, implores, and exhorts us to live like aliens and strangers to this world for we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom.

Avoid sin he says, not in order to BECOME holy, but because in our new identity we ARE holy. Let’s aline our behavior with our new identity!

The devil would love it if we would reclaim ownership of those old habits, but a better response is reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. Yep, let’s count ourselves dead to sin and sinful ways and alive to God.

My friend, soon you’ll find you are living the life of someone who has COME ALIVE!

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VOTE! I suggest you vote for the unborn, that they may have their chance at life. Did you know that a baby has its own blood; not its mother’s. And its DNA is from both parents, not just the women’s. So, that little baby is not the woman’s body, but another person. Vote for them!

Jesus in Luke 19 is enroute to Jerusalem for the Passover with great crowds of Jews following Him. He tells the story of a nobleman going to a distant country who first gives a mina to each of 10 slaves.  They were told to put the mina to work – not work themselves.

When the nobleman returns he asks what’s become of his mina. He doesn’t ask how successful they were. It’s their faithfulness that was rewarded.

It is the master’s mina from his work, yet the servants reap the benefit. For us, the mina represents the grace of God revealed to us through his Son. Jesus has “worked” and our part is to receive what He has paid for. It’s grace, for in the economy of grace, as 2 Peter 1:3, says, everything we need for life and godliness is freely supplied by Jesus.

The first two slaves were commended for their faithfulness. But one slave had a terrible misconception of the heart of God! He returned the mina, describing the master as fearsome, demanding, reaping where he did not sow. Are you like that, not knowing the love of God, believing you are measured by your performance here and fearful of judgment to come in heaven?

That’s wrong, my friend! It’s time to receive the love of God, It’s time to receive His amazing grace for all things. His grace, received, shared, sown will reproduce the supernatural life of God and release the favor of heaven.

How do we put His grace to work? I suggest by sharing the good things that God has given us. The grace-mina of God comes in limitless varieties. The spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians 12. Your God-given abilities, desires and the passions that are uniquely you. The expressions of your Father’s character that He has graced you with, uniquely, and through which He will bless others!

Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song, “The Great Adventure.” It begins with him waking up, determining to do better than before — then realizing the Bible told him he had been a prisoner, but God’s grace had set him free. With that, he saw a great frontier in front of him and voice saying, “Let’s go!”

Let’s go my friend, we’ve got a trail to blaze, through the wild blue yonder of God’s Amazing grace. It’s time to follow Jesus into the Glorious unknown. Faith-filled and far from long-faced religion.

It’s what you and I were created for. It is a life like no other. It is the life of someone – who has COME ALIVE!

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We have experienced two hurricanes in two weeks – I do not recommend you do this! By His grace we are well. I suggest Samaritan’s Purse or a local church if you wish to support relief efforts.

In 2nd Peter, Peter says he is writing to those who have RECEIVED a faith of the same kind as ours. Hear that? Faith is something we receive, not produce. It is a gift from God that comes from hearing about the love of God that has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ.

Also, it’s a faith the SAME as Peter’s. That’s the faith that receives the GIFT of Christ’s righteousness. Hallelujah! It is the righteousness God gave us because He loves us. We did nothing to earn it. Remember Peter’s denial of Jesus? His faith wavered, but he did not fall because Jesus was praying for him. We are not kept safe by our faithfulness to Christ but by His faithfulness to us!

This Good News continues! Verses 3 and 4 read: “Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by His divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing Him who has called us by name and invited us to come to Him through a glorious manifestation of His goodness. As a result of this, He has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises we can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.”

What? Partakers of the Divine Nature? This is one of the great mysteries of our faith, that God would share His nature with us. We were given birth by the Holy Spirit and are God’s true sons and daughters. Christ lives in us and transforms us into His very own likeness.

As such, the promises found in verses 5 thru 7 are OURS. Friend, claim these powerful promises as YOURS! The Passion Translation has a footnote that reads, “It is possible to view this passage like an unfolding of faith. “Out of your faith will emerge goodness, and out of goodness will emerge understanding (of God), and out of understanding (of God) will emerge inner strength (self-control), and out of inner strength will emerge patient endurance, and out of patient endurance will emerge godliness, and out of godliness will emerge mercy toward your brothers and sisters, and out of mercy will emerge love.””

Because we have the Divine Nature within, these promises, these virtues, are already planted deep within us. Peter says they make us fruitful in this life. Then he warns that if we forget we can become unfruitful and ineffective.

Forget what? He tells us. Forget we have been forgiven he says. Forget who and whose we are in Christ.

So today dear friend, dwell on these precious promises. They are ours for Christ is in us. REMEMBER, we are forgiven, REJECT any voice that says otherwise, and REJOICE in the grace of God.

You’ll ALIVE victoriously!

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Here at Hank’s Place I’ve been encouraging you week after week to have faith in God. Believe He is the God of abounding grace, mercies and faithfulness. The promise keeping God of Truth. The altogether Good God!

Now the devil, defeated at Calvary, still roams about seeking to destroy – us – through lies, deception, evil schemes, slander. Paul in Ephesians 6 says stand firm in the victory Jesus has given us.

Here’s an example. As a major election draws near, lies abound. Is it ‘women’s rights’ or is it the wholesale murder of babies? Is it diversity, equality and inclusion or is it a devilish deception with leaders flinging their fists in the eyes of God who created us man and woman? Vote according to the truth of God’s word my friend!

Back to Ephesians 6. “Stand” Paul says, using the analogy of a soldier’s armor to describe vital spiritual truths. We wrestle against very powerful spirit beings, and need to stay in the truth.

There is the belt of truth. God’s word is truth. Jesus is THE Truth. Stand in the truth. Allow the Spirit of Truth to guide you into all truth. Reject lies and deceptions.

Let righteousness cover your heart. At Calvary we were made righteous before God. In fact, we have Christ’s righteousness. We are righteous, upstanding, people of integrity before God. Reject the lies of the devil that tempt or accuse you or being morally corrupt.

Stand firm upon the gospel of peace. Remember, God is for us and with us and in us. We have peace with God through Jesus, and the world needs to hear it. Share it, don’t be shut up by demonic intimidation.

And let faith be your wrap-around shield, to extinguish the blazing arrows of the evil one! Faith is resting in the confident assurance that God is good and He longs to be good to you. Faith is trusting in your Father’s unfailing love. Trusting He will fulfill all His word and promises toward you. No matter what may be going on around you.

Let your thought life be protected by the power of salvation’s full deliverance. When Jesus saved you, you were saved, by His grace, for eternity. Spiritual warfare takes place in the battlefield of our minds. Don’t believe the enemy’s lies that you are not good enough, you have failed God and that He is displeased with you.

Take that razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken word of God. Jesus refuted the devil in the wilderness by speaking the word of God. We resist the enemy’s lies and destroy his strongholds by speaking God’s word.

Lastly pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Don’t pray religiously, repeating the same prayer over and over as if quantity counts. Just pray from your heart.

All of us are already wrestling with the enemy — as you use these powerful weapons you will COME ALIVE victoriously!

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Recently hurricane Helene has destroyed lives, cities, towns, infrastructure, at a level not seen in decades. Media has not covered the incredible magnitude of destruction, according to relatives there in North Carolina of our close friend. Please, ask the Lord what you can do to help in relief, recovery and restoration. Certainly pray. Give financially, materially, physically, as He directs. I would suggest Samaritan’s Purse and/or local churches for financial giving.

God did not send the hurricane. But the devil will accuse Him of judgment upon a wicked America. No. Not true. He is FOR America. At this time of shaking we could use a good word concerning victorious living — and we find it in the book of Ephesians.

The overall theme is our new life in Christ. Paul begins by revealing we are now already seated, by grace – in the heavenly places with Christ. Then he speaks of our walking – worthy, in love, in wisdom, as children of the Light. He concludes by telling us to stand firm – in spiritual warfare, resisting in the evil day. Seated. Walking. Standing.

Listen to chapter 6 verse 10. “FINALLY, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” “…be strong in the Lord” – our strength comes from the Lord, not ourselves. The verb “strong” literally means “empowered.” We are not spiritual athletes exercising spiritual disciplines like prayer, bible reading or study to make stronger spiritual muscles. It is NOT ABOUT US, our strength, but recognizing our reliance upon the Lord Jesus and HIS power, HIS strength, HIS might. Remember Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens – empowers – me.”

Then verse 11 reads, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

“Schemes of the devil?” What are those? Those schemes are large scale plans intended to distract us from Jesus. Life is all about Jesus. The devil does not care what it is we do, as long as we are believing the devil’s lies and relying upon our flesh, our own understanding, our strength, rather than the Lord’s.

Now, what have I been sharing about God in Hank’s Place? About yourself? To believe who He says He is. To believe what He has done for us. To believe His word concerning us. To believe His promises toward us. Now Paul repeats some of these vital words of truth to us, describing them as God’s armor for spiritual warfare.

Although the devil was defeated and disarmed at Calvary, he and his demon forces are still roaming about seeking to ruin humanity through schemes, deception and lies designed to fill us with doubt and unbelief.

So TODAY, have faith in God, and COME ALIVE by STANDING FIRM in the victory Christ has won for you!

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Because of God’s GREAT LOVE toward us even while we were yet sinners, He made us alive in Christ, and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places.

God in His great love is so incredibly generous towards us, holding nothing back, not even His own son. And Romans 8:32 adds, “how will He not also with Him graciously give us ALL THINGS?” Generous. God – is – generous.

Years ago I was saved in a Baptist church in Pennsylvania. A poor Baptist church. Looking back it’s silly, but many of the people believed they were poor because, well, God was stingy and kind of grumpy. It was a pervading spirit over that church.

They would read Philippians 4:19 “…my God will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” And church people would tell me, a new Christian, “God said He would meet our NEEDS and not our ‘wants’ – so Hank, you had better be sure that what you are asking God for is really a need and not just a selfish want.” And then there was Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you.” I was told, “Hank, don’t expect God to give you anything unless you start giving first. You have to be a sacrificial giver first.” I was a new Christian; I didn’t realize what they were saying was anchored in unbelief.

When I asked an elder in that church about John 14:13-14 and this stingy God he knew, he told me “God’s no sugar daddy! You can’t just ask Him for anything and expect to get it, Hank.”

The gospel truth is that our God is incredibly generous. He is super abundant in all things toward His children. He even blesses those who hate Him with good things! Oh, in John 14:13-14 Jesus says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

And 1 Timothy 6:17 says, God… richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
And Matthew 7:7-11 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you… For everyone who asks receives.…”

My point today dear friends is this: do not allow a poverty spirit, or unworthy spirit, or self-righteous spirit (you know, “I can do it myself”), keep you from receiving all that your generous God desires to give you – blessings beyond what you could ask or think. Now why would God do this? Just as God is generous, He will enrich us to be generous, so that thanks will rise to Him. God is generous and He wants us to know the joy He has in blessing others.

Today, Ask. Believe. Receive. Experience the joy in blessing others. You’ll COME ALIVE!

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“In Christ Jesus” is one of the apostle Paul’s favorite phrases. Remember, when we turned from our selfish, sinful, worldly ways and turned to God, calling upon the Lord to save us, He did just that! In fact, we were placed IN Christ Jesus and Jesus now dwells IN us, never to leave or forsake us. Hallelujah! Being IN Christ Jesus means there is grace upon grace directed towards us. Father God deeply loves us beyond all measure!

I thought I would list just a few of these graces, promises, facts, and favors of God. The scripture references are in the written description.

We are alive to God and have eternal life IN Christ Jesus.
The grace and kindness of God are found IN Christ Jesus.
His forgiveness is found IN Christ Jesus.
There is no condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus.
We are justified IN Christ.
Our salvation is IN Christ Jesus.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is IN Christ Jesus.
We have freedom and are sanctified IN Christ Jesus.
We are seated in heavenly places IN Christ Jesus.
The peace, faith and love of God are found IN Christ Jesus.
IN Christ we are brand new creatures.
We are complete IN Christ.
All the glory goes to God, for it is because of Him that we are IN Christ Jesus.

Dear friends, are not these truths incredibly powerful? To restate, being found IN Him, we are alive to God, possessing eternal life, forgiven, without condemnation, justified, saved, loved by God forever, free, sanctified, new creations, complete and seated with Him in the heavenliness.

Now, on this matter of being forgiven. It means God has removed our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west.” Psalms 103:12. This is a done deal by God. Not sure? Still confessing sins already confessed? Consider, on the night He rose from the dead, Jesus instructed His disciples to preach the remission of sins. That’s Luke 24:47. From then on, the apostles proclaimed the good news of unconditional forgiveness. Check out Acts 13:38-39 where it says we are freed from ALL things. Hebrews 9:12 states Christ’s sacrifice was perfect and has wrought an eternal redemption.

We are forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace and not on account of our acts of forgiveness. In Him we are completely and eternally saved.

Today, consider the FREEDOM He purchased for us, and — COME ALIVE!

References:
Romans 6:11, 23
1 Corinthians 1:4, Ephesians 2:7
Ephesians 4:32
Romans 8:1
Galatians 2:17
2 Timothy 2:10
Romans 8:39
1 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 2:4.
Ephesians 2:6
Philippians 4:7, 1 Timothy 1:14
2 Corinthians 5:17
Colossians 2:10
1 Corinthians 1:30

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