Category: Hank’s Place

Welcome to Hank’s Place

Let’s close out 2018 with an admonition from Colossians: beware of teaching that devalues Christ and Calvary, and fails to appreciate the new identity every believer has IN HIM.

Christ is supreme. We believers are IN UNITY with Him – which means sharing in HIS power and authority. Believe it, for it is true. Now press on to maturity, resist sin, pursue holiness in Christ.

Col 1:22 says Jesus has made us holy, blameless, beyond reproach, but vs 23 adds: IF you continue in the faith. Peace. This is not conditional salvation or favor; the actual Greek is clear that no doubt is expressed, no conditions. We are joined to the Lord. We are already holy and perfect as He is. Paul is simply saying you will not see it unless you believe it! It is true – but you will not walk in it except by faith.

The unholy mess of our lives – has been hidden in Christ. The HOLY ONE. We have been made holy and perfect forever. Think about it – and give a shout out to JESUS!

It’s also repeated in Heb 10:10, 14. By the will of GOD we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ – once for all; and by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. That last phrase simply means we are learning to live as Christians, as who we really are.

Col 2:9-10 says we have been brought to fullness in Him. Don’t buy into messages that put an emphasis upon your lack and what you have to do in order for God to bless you. You are already a New Creation In Him and He is in You – and all by His doing. So stop struggling to get what you already have been given!

How do you continue in the faith? By realizing the truth: IN Christ we lack for nothing. IN Christ we have received every spiritual blessing. IN Christ we are full, complete, including being holy and righteous.

I hear someone saying, “But Hank, you don’t know what I’ve done!” Dear friend, I say, “You don’t know what Jesus has already done for you!” 

So as 2019 begins, continue in the faith – you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Are you troubled by the merchandizing, the manipulation, the greed and excess of the Christmas season? Don’t be! Here is a little history.

Pope Julius I in 320 designated Dec 25th as a holy day – to counteract the excesses of the Saturnalia celebrations in Europe dating from pre-Jesus times.  The edict – didn’t work. People enjoyed their revelry and celebrations, choosing to repent afterwards. 

Now fast forward to Puritan England in the 1600’s with Oliver Cromwell. He came into power by promising to eliminate Christmas celebrations, and he did! Afterward, King Charles II’s party came into power by promising to make Christmas as wicked as before. And they did!

Get this: most genuine Christians of the time loathed Christmas, considering it an instrument of the devil for sin. When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620, they outlawed Christmas. There were no church celebrations, businesses were ordered open and anyone caught celebrating was subject to arrest and fines. And that’s the way it was in America – for over 200 years. In fact Congress continued to meet on Christmas Day up to 1856. 

However, over time outrageous Christmas revelry began to re-emerged in America. 

THEN – in 1822 “T’was the Night Before Christmas” was written by Clement Clark Moore and for the first time Christmas was seen in America as a joyous holiday for children. Christmas as a joyous family affair appeared on the scene – with gusto.

THEN – in 1834 Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” and Christmas in England was never the same. The crushing dehumanizing industrial revolution had to give place and time to consider the wonder of the birth and life of a Savior. Jesus was making an appearance of sorts back into Christmas in England, then America!

There’s more, but gradually over the rest of the century, joy, family, giving, and worship replaced pagan debauchery, lewdness, revelry and drunkenness in both countries.

What about gifts, you ask? Glad you asked! The tradition of gift giving, at first a simple and modest gesture, exploded in America following “The Night Before Christmas.” Merchants, sensing great opportunity, placed Santa everywhere and people quickly adjusted their celebrations to include him. And spending. A lot of spending.

“Put Christ back into Christmas?” Historically – in America – that’s not very accurate. He was not officially in those Christmas’s of early America, and A Christmas Carol was quickly overstepped by ol’ Santa Claus and extravagant gifting.

But don’t YOU to be depressed my friend! YOU make the difference – why not make your own celebration of Christmas as true believers have done for ages? Put Jesus into YOUR Christmas. Hey! Don’t you see Him in the wreath, the evergreens, the candles, the tree?

BEST OF ALL share JESUS with others – JESUS – the Greatest Gift of all! 
You can – and as you do, many will hear – and they will COME ALIVE!

                          M e r r y   C h r i s t m a s  from Hank’s Place !

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A friend of mine once worked in a ward for Alzheimer’s patients. They said the doors were locked to keep the patients from wandering out of the facility. The button code to open the doors was printed in big letters over the doors so visitors could easily get out. But the Alzheimer’s patients stayed in because they never looked up!

There’s a medical reason for that, having to do with visual and cognitive portions of the brain that are affected by the disease, and the patients felt more secure and stable looking down to see where their feet were going.

Check the news, world, national or local. Politics. Government. Immigration. Increasing attacks against Christians, Christianity, Christmas. Get immersed in it – and hope flees. Soon our head hangs down, low, lower, even lower as we contemplate the entire world going down the drain and us with it!

Wait! We have Almighty God above as our Father! Stability? Security? You betcha! Christian, LOOK UP!

Especially in this Advent season—LOOK UP for our God is the God of all hope! Remember, the eye of the Lord is on those who … hope in his steadfast love. Ps 33:18.

Rejoice in hope of the glory of God… for it’s a hope that does not put us to shame – because of God’s love poured into our hearts. Ro 5:2&5. Let’s be as the Psalmist in Ps 42 & 43 and speak, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” LOOK UP!

Hope in God and forget not His works. Ps 78:7. Remember Abraham, for in hope against hope he believed he would become the father of many nations, because of God’s promise to him. Ro 4:18.

Let’s LOOK UP and hold fast to the hope set before US, for it is impossible for God to lie. Heb 6:18.

And now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope, and COME ALIVE!

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We have been looking for identifying marks of a real Christian – not just externals like “Do they go to church?” The Antiochian believers were the first to be called Christians: little anointed ones. We can surmise their conversation and behavior focused upon THE Anointed One – Jesus!

And in Jerusalem those early Christians were hungry to learn all they could about Jesus, were in fellowship, prayer, shared communion, gathered in homes, and had awesomely generous spirits. Acts 2.

What else? 1 Cor 12. Those baby Christians at Corinth manifested the GRACE gifts of God – The Charismata – they were Charismatic! We’ll go there another time, for Paul, in the next chapter, reveals that the greatest – is love.

Which brings us to 1st John. It’s about God and love. They cannot be separated, because God IS love. Anyone claiming to live in God’s light yet hating a brother or sister is still in the dark, writes John. He adds, loving the world, wanting your own way, has nothing to do with the Father. But wanting God’s way is indicative of the Anointed One at home within you. You desire – to ‘do’ – His desires!

No one living deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin, John says, for God’s seed is within them. But the one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God, nor the one who won’t love the brethren. A simple test. 1 Jn 3:10.

He adds that even as Christ gave His life for us, we no longer live just for ourselves but for our brothers and sisters. John explains that first we were loved, and now WE LOVE. Loving God includes loving people. 1 Jn 4:21.

MOST Christians don’t understand the GRACE of God. Don’t know they are fully accepted in the beloved, in Jesus, by the Father. Rather than freely receive the love of God, and from that, loving others; they are worn out, feeling like failures, trying to measure up to some performance standard. And trying to love others without having first received the amazing love of God. 

If that’s YOU my friend, STOP. SIT. Throw off that garment of performance. RECEIVE the love of God. Soon you’ll be loving others and people will remark — you are different! What’s happened? You have COME ALIVE!

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Last message we learned that when Barnabas checked out those believers at Antioch (where they were first called Christians) – that he came and SAW the GRACE of God. And he was glad – and encouraged them to keep on believing in Jesus, moving forward in Jesus, not back to Judiasm.

Those Antiochians were filled with joy concerning Jesus the ANOINTED ONE in them. Everything about them radiated JESUS – and the heathens around them, being revolted by the light, by the anointing, sneeringly called them Christians. 

What else distinguished those early Christians? Glad you asked. Was it church service, missionary work, boldly confronting Jews and heathen in the marketplace? We can find an answer in Acts 2:42-47. 

The passage says they devoted themselves – to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship. What would the apostles have taught? Likely everything they knew about Jesus from living with him and everything He taught and told them. Those believers wanted MORE and MORE of Jesus! And fellowship! Sharing with each other the joy of their salvation, and sharing Jesus. And communion and prayers – remembering the body of the Lord broken for us, and His blood shed, all for us. And praying. Lots. In the temple. In their homes. Having glad and generous hearts. Selling off their goods to share with others in need. Praising God continually.

Yep they sound just like you today, right? What? That’s not your life? Overwhelmed by the love and the grace of God? Hungering for more of JESUS everyday? Every moment? Gathering with like minded brothers and sisters, to share in communion and meet the needs of the needy?

Yes, sadly the cares of this world can made the gift of eternal life and the Living God who gives it, rather dim. And the pressures of church life with its DO DO DO demands is wearying even to think about.

But there is an easy solution, dear saint – turn to Jesus. Get quiet at His feet. Talk to Jesus. Ask of Him. Listen. Listen some more. Ask to know the love of God. Though you may be weary and worn out, the Holy Spirit, in a matter of moments, can cause you, cause all of us – by His touch – to COME ALIVE!

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After the stoning of Steven, the early church experienced persecution. Acts 8. Christians were driven out of Jerusalem. A number of them passed through Antioch, a large city of about a half million people in southern Turkey. They shared the Good News only with Jews. But then the Hellenist believers came through, preaching the Lord Jesus to the Hellenists in Antioch. Hellenists were Greek speaking Jews who lived somewhat according to Greek ways. The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to check things out.

Do you know what he found? Acts 11:23 says ‘…he came and saw the grace of God.’ He was glad, and exhorted them to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose. He was telling them to KEEP ON BELIEVING. Don’t go back.

Believers were first called Christians at Antioch. Meaning, “Little Anointed One.” For the first time, believers in Jesus had an identity of their own apart from Judaism.

So what characteristics do you suppose marked an early Christians? Well, let’s start with the name Christian. That was a derogatory name given believers by the Greeks and Romans! Why?

Perhaps they were telling everyone that Jesus, THE Anointed One, saved them and cleaned them up and was living IN THEM. That they were joined together with Jesus, THE Anointed One. They were living lives centered upon – the Christ – THE Anointed One.

Jesus was on their lips. Something like followers of sports teams today. True example. I asked my lovely wife Mary about the Green Bay Packers (point to Hat). I got a 12 minute dissertation concerning their performance this year! Followed by another 10 minutes of comparison with the Pittsburgh Penguins of hockey. A 4 word question with a 22 minute reply!

So let’s say the joy of Jesus had filled these Antiochians and everyone was hearing about THE Anointed One, JESUS! Oh, and if you ask Mary about Jesus, be prepared to stay awhile!

I’ll be sharing other passages with you in the next Hank’s Place. In the meantime, dear believer, don’t be ashamed of your faith in Jesus. Let the anointing of the Anointed One flow through you unhindered. Let him flow – to help you – help others – COME ALIVE!

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Have you got what it takes to continue in the faith? And if not, will you lose your salvation, that mansion in heaven or other heavenly rewards? Dangerously lifting Col 1:22-23 out of their context, it can sure seem that way as:

“he (Jesus) has now reconciled (you) in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,  if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.…” Boy that started off great but became terrifying!

Not only that, but in Acts 13:43 Paul and Barnabas spoke with the people of Pisidian Antioch, urging them to continue in the grace of God.

They also traveled through Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. Acts 14:22.

In the Old Covenant, ‘continuing’ was the difference between life and death! It was ‘continue or be cursed!’ Fear can be quite a motivator, but even fear wasn’t enough to keep Israel on the straight and narrow, was it?

Is Paul applying threats to us? Not at all! Remember, Jesus became curse FOR US that we would become totally righteous before God, forever. 2 Cor 5:21. Paul is urging us to keep on trusting Jesus with our lives in the same way we did as when we began.

He says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught….” Col 2:7.

The Colossians were in danger of walking after the flesh. Not in terms of drunkenness, lusts, murders and envies, but in moving away from their true identity as heirs of God, sons, gained through unmerited favor alone, and trying to earn it, trying to keep it – through the things they did. Trying to do things to get God to bless them, when in Jesus they were already totally blessed. 

Just reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God – that’s how you continue in the faith. Jesus at Calvary made us righteous and holy and pure, totally so, and forever so. And that’s how we are in God’s eyes my friend. But you will not see it unless you believe it! And you can not walk in this truth – except by faith!

You are already complete in Him. Believe this truth today — walk in it — and COME ALIVE!

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Here at Hank’s Place we have received of His generous bounty – grace upon grace. Jn 1:16.

For example, let’s look at Jn 16:33: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Tribulation? Are you alive? Then you will experience difficulties, ordeals, trials, adversity, hardships, sorrows, trauma, afflictions, setbacks, sadnesses, woes, griefs, pains, agonizing times! 

Not due to our mistakes but because we are citizens of this world. Ouch! But — Jesus has overcome the world. And because we are IN Him and He is IN us, it means our new nature is that of an Overcomer. That’s Good News indeed!

John tells us, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 Jn 4:4.

Overcoming is not about us and our strength and our endurance but depending and leaning upon Jesus. Jesus is the ONLY way we overcome.

How do we depend and lean upon Jesus? 1 Jn 5:4-5 tells us: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith!” Our faith is in Jesus THE Overcomer – in us. ACT LIKE IT IS TRUE – because it is!

To get through the trials of life exercise that faith. Don’t fear, for faith is a gift from God, Eph 2:8. You have enough faith to overcome. That’s awesome!

As Ro 8:37 declares, “But in all these things, these tribulations, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” You ARE more than a conquerer, through Jesus. Circumstances may say you are not. But circumstances – LIE.

Don’t try to make it on your own. Expressions like “try harder” and “never give up” will not give you overwhelming conquering victory if they lead you to trust in your own strength, and not His. “Try harder?” How about “Trust harder!”

Again, circumstances LIE. God says you ARE more than a conquerer. And someone who is more than a conqueror has — COME ALIVE!

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We are still in 1 John. I have been assuring you that chapter 1 with its conditional forgiveness verses 8-9, “IF we confess our sins, THEN He is faithful to forgive us…” was directed toward the agnostics in their midst. Saying the physical world was bad, corrupt, but the spirit was pure, sinless, and could not be corrupted by bodily actions, they encouraged sinning!

John declares they are deceived. They had better admit their sin and repent. He goes on to stress that those who really know God genuinely walk like He walked. They confess Jesus. They believe upon Jesus. They love one another. 1 Jn 2:3-6.

1 Jn 4:8 declares God is love. He continually gives Himself to others and seeks their benefit. We love because of His great love toward us. And we continually give ourselves to Him and seek His benefit, that is, seek to do the things that please Him. Because we love Him!

John makes the point that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. No one truly born of God makes a practice of sinning. 1 Jn 3:9.  It’s being in love, deeply in love, with someone. You want to know them—more. Not just about them, like maybe in a book. But BE with them. WALK with them. TALK with them. DO what they are doing. BE FULLY INVOLVED with their lives. All day long. Every moment. And never getting tired of it. Sweet sweet Jesus. Lily of the Valley, our bright morning star. Our Rose of Sharon. Never tiring of wonderful Jesus!

So, 1 John is not about obedience and commandments as something God says we must do to get forgiven or blessings or favor from Him. John says as we come to know Him we shall LOVE Him. We’ll find ourselves delighting in Him and keeping His commandments. This is the grace of God and it is totally marvelous!

So walk in love dear believer, like Jesus did and does in you. And COME ALIVE!

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And welcome back to 1 John. Last time we found chapter 1 was directed to agnostics, NOT Christians. Agnostics denied Jesus had come in the flesh. So John declares he’s touched Him! Agnostics said material things like the body were bad, but the spirit was pure, and because the bodily actions could not affect the spirit, folks could sin away the day without concern. John gets to the point: such people needed to admit they have sin, confess it and have Jesus forgive and cleanse them.

1 John can be confusing. John has written in circular style. He speaks a thought, doesn’t develop it, goes on to other thoughts, then comes back with more nuggets of awesomeness concerning the first thought! So take your time in reading this marvelous letter!

Beginning with chapter 2 John uses the word ‘children’ 13 times. NOW he is writing to you and me! What’s he got to say? Well, for one, we have an Advocate with God! We need one because we are not yet fully mature; we may miss it here or there. IF we should sin, our Advocate is right there, before the Father, with His precious blood: that sin is already covered; all our sins are covered. For-ever! Thank JESUS!

Another thing: true children keep His commandments. What are Jesus’ commandments? We believe in Jesus’ name. We love one another. That’s it. That’s 1 John 3:22-23. These are not burdensome John tells us, because in our hearts we want to believe, we want to love one another, for we have God’s nature within us.

There are 3 basic themes in 1 John. True doctrine (not agnosticism), obedient living, and fervent devotion. A Christian, according to John, knows and loves God. Being made alive by the Spirit, and receiving the Spirit, a Christian comes to know God – and knowing God “naturally” results in transformed behavior, which John describes in terms of loving God, obeying God, and loving one another.

Obeying God is following the Spirit – “the anointing” as John calls it.
Today, live in LOVE for God is LOVE – and COME ALIVE!

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