Category: Hank’s Place

Welcome to Hank’s Place

I’ve been sharing about the Gospel. You know, it’s THE GOOD NEWS! Just how good? How about this. Suppose you have a huge mortgage and are not making the payments. And you have 2 car loans and you are behind in both. Plus medical bills, college loans, and your credit cards are max’d out. And you have been laid off work. You are in bad shape!

So you go to the bank in hopes of gaining a little time on your payments. The bank manager sits you down – this doesn’t look good. But he says, “The most amazing thing happened. Earlier today a stranger came into the bank, and he paid your mortgage in full, plus the penalties. And paid off your car loans. And your college loans. And your credit cards.” Glad you were sitting down because you would have fallen over!

“And that’s not all,” the bank manager says. “That same fellow put 100 million dollars into your bank account and said he’d be back from time to time so you would never run low.” Run low on 100 million dollars? Friend, that’s a Great Salvation in the financial realm!

In the spiritual realm our situation was much much worse; we each had a debt would could not begin to pay! A sin debt, and it was killing us. But Jesus came and paid it all in full! Now get this, Ro 8:32 says “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

What could be better than 100 million spiritual dollars? How about God’s promise to give us all things—starting with Himself. Yes, that’s right! You heard me. First He had to change us into new creations where the old has passed away—old, like sin and failure and defeat. And made us into new creations that could relate to Him.

Then, as Col 1:27 says, Jesus Christ came to live IN us, each of us, to walk through life, to enjoy life with us – eternally! That’s a Great Salvation! And it’s ours!
Dear friend – this – is the true Gospel – believe it – receive it – and COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place

I’ve been sharing about the Gospel, the True Gospel, you know, the one with great joy just like the angel said. The one with a Great Salvation because a Great Savior, God Himself, Jesus Christ, who is at the center of things. Everything!

The True Gospel is the one that leads us to the all sufficiency of Christ Jesus. It is the one that reveals the beauty of Jesus and our dependency upon Him. Is that the gospel you have learned my friend? Or does yours leave you to your own willpower and resources to measure up to God’s requirements? Well, that’s Old Covenant friend – it’s time to move on!

Remember: the True Gospel is all about Jesus and what He has done – for us. Other messages that spin the focus on you and YOUR performance are not genuine. Grace, and Gospel is the Good News of God’s grace toward us, will point us to the CROSS where our sins were dealt with – once and for all. We are no longer sinners held captive to sin. We are new creations, free in Christ, and learning to walk.

Again, the True Gospel will point us to Jesus and the Cross. We do not work for forgiveness. It was paid for and freely offered at Calvary. Are you a believer in Jesus and what He did there? Then you already have forgiveness – remember, Jesus paid for EVERY sin at Calvary. Not most, but ALL. You ARE forgiven. There is no longer any memory of sin. Heb 8:12

Ro 5:17 says we have been given the GIFT of His righteousness – we have been placed in full right standing before God. Forever. How good is that righteousness? 2 Cor 5:21 says it is “the righteousness of GOD in Him” that we’ve been given. That’s total and forever approval, my friend!

Think about that – you will soon be jumping in joy and hugging your heavenly Father without fear as the revelation sinks in. So, stop trying to pay for what God has freely given. Open up your Bible – read about the true Gospel – and COME ALIVE!

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I love in Heb 2:3 how the author refers to “so great a salvation.” The author is shouting, “Don’t miss this salvation, folks!” The LORD was the first to fully declare it, he says, and then God Himself testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit.” God does NOT want us to overlook this Great Salvation, either. It’s Good News!

Can you imagine those scenes in Bible times? The GOOD NEWS being declared: God loves you; He has sent us a Savior: Jesus, who has taken our sins to Calvary; turn from idols to Jesus today. And BOOM, there are these miracles and signs and wonders everywhere, so people would not miss this GREAT SALVATION.

So how’s your gospel? Counterfeits of the True Gospel may sound appealing, but they don’t actually work; they do not set us free. Instead of lasting peace they bring burdens of DOUBT, DEBT, DUTY, DEPRESSION. There is no Great Salvation in them!

Gal 3:3 says when we got saved, it was by the Spirit. Then Paul goes on to ask, having started that way, are we now trying to make ourselves complete by our own efforts? Are you working at staying saved by your strength or are you learning what it means TO BE SAVED? It’s a Great Salvation, folks!

Does your gospel cause you to focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith? Or does it make you self-conscious? “I have to pray, I have to fast, I have give.” Are you worn out over good works, missions sacrifices, and sowing into the Kingdom?

Don’t misunderstand me; it is not that these things are bad – but – if your thinking is that God’s favor depends on your performances in those areas, you have been believing a lie! You are trying to pay for what God has freely given!

And that’s a counterfeit gospel. You cannot pay for God’s Great Salvation – but you CAN receive it! This Great Salvation— eternal life, intimacy with God Himself, came at unimaginable expense, an expense that Jesus has paid in full – so that we – could COME ALIVE!

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The true Gospel? It’s REALLY REALLY Good News!

Before I became a Christian, I thought God was displeased with me. Maybe even angry. I’d heard about Jonathan Edward’s sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an ANGRY God.” Hmmm, that message, while it brought results in 1741 as part of the Great Awakening, gave me a picture of God as someone I certainly did not want to meet, for I already knew by the time I was a teenager that I was a sinner. The future was scary to me. Maybe I could ignore God and God would ignore me? You can see that I did not know the Good News. 

Maybe you are in need of some GOOD NEWS today—well here’s some: 1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the appeasement)  for our sins.” Before you and I were born, my friend, God took care of all our sins before we could commit them. That’s GOOD NEWS! 

Here’s another one, that explodes my mind when I try to comprehend it: 1 John 3:1 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” Imagine, not slaves, servants, robots, but His own children – able to call God our FATHER, to call upon Him at any time for help, for encouragement, for, for, ANYTHING! That’s GOOD NEWS!

And 1 Cor 13, known as the LOVE chapter. It reveals God’s nature, for God IS love. Consider these words: “God is patient, God is kind; …God does not act unbecomingly (in other words, He does not put you down); God is not provoked, God does not take into account a wrong suffered.” Have you trespassed against God? He does not take into account that wrong suffered; for Jesus has already accounted for it, dear friend. That’s who God is, and it’s mighty GOOD NEWS. 

Believe upon Jesus, Acts 16:31, call out to Him, Ro 10:8-10, you will be saved—and become His child. That’s all that it takes from us: believe, call out, be saved, become HIS OWN! And you know what? You will – COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place – 72 the Gospel (part c) 

Recently I’ve been asking the question: do you know the true Gospel? It’s not a trick question, it’s just that so many people don’t really know what the Good News is.

So far we have learned that God loved the world, loved us while we were still sinners, and that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die in our place, taking our sins and the punishment they deserved. Then, in proof that the plan was successful, Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and took His place at the right hand of the Father; His work of accomplishing our salvation—was FINISHED.

Do you believe this Gospel? God willing to die for us rather than live without us–whoa! God, who loves us unconditionally–double down amazing! This is the true nature of God – that’s why I’m calling it the true Gospel.

There’s more to the Gospel, much much more. Jeremiah says, and it is repeated in Heb 8:10, that He has written His laws upon our hearts: we no longer have a heart of rebellion toward God, we WANT to do His will from our hearts! He has changed our hearts, and that’s Good News! And He has written His laws upon our minds: we can know, thanks to the Holy Spirit, what the will of God is.

We have DIED with Him to the Law and to sin and its power. Ro 6:2, 11. We have been placed into UNION with God Jn 14:20; Col 2:6. No wonder Jesus could say He would be with us always. Mt 28:20.

We have been forgiven for all time. Acts 5:31 We are His eternally, friends! Not conditionally accepted based on our behavior, but forever accepted. We are never in the dog house, my friend!

Got a storm in life? That’s not the time to doubt your relationship with God. Don’t think that God is punishing you. Storms do come in life. To everyone. But be secure. JESUS is ALWAYS THE ANSWER and He’s our Good News! And He intercedes for us eternally. Heb 7:25. So stop worrying, my friend, and COME ALIVE!

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As I have said, it’s a fact that most people do not know the true Gospel. Including many theologians! Last time we found that JOY is a key sign of someone knowing the Gospel, for the angel at Jesus’ birth declared the Gospel was great JOY for ALL people: their Savior was born. Lu 2:9-11.

Then we read: Ro 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” THAT’S GOOD NEWS! It’s the GOSPEL. 

And consider John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He GAVE. The Gospel is LOVE backed up with a gift: JESUS.

Are you stuck in performance based religion? You know, doing all you’ve been told to do – but God’s promised blessings of forgiveness, acceptance, provision, peace, joy, always seem out of reach? Well, get off that hamster wheel of performance, and believe the true Gospel!

Paul gives us another element of the true Gospel. It’s found in 1 Cor 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance [this is the CORE of the GOSPEL Paul is saying] what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Without the resurrection you do not have the GOSPEL! 

Paul repeats in Ro 1:4 “Jesus was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Without the resurrection, some may doubt Jesus succeeded in taking our sins.
Without the resurrection, some may doubt Jesus succeeded in taking the punishment for our sins.

Out of LOVE, Jesus Christ DID take our sins, and the punishment due us, and gave us right standing before God the Father (we are righteous my friend). The resurrection is the proof that He succeeded and heaven’s gates are open wide to welcome us. It is DONE, my friend.

So, today, in faith, believe and receive the Gospel. Say, “Lord, look at all that YOU have done for us!” and— COME ALIVE!

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Did you know that most people are unsure of who God is and what He thinks of them? In other words, they do not know the Gospel is.

YOU can know the Bible from cover to cover and still not know the Gospel! Imagine: theologians knowing ancient Hebrew and Greek and bible history, but missing the Gospel. It is positively possible!

Do YOU know what the Gospel is? Remember that angel at the time of Jesus’ birth? He said, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY which will be for ALL the people; for today in the city of David there has been born FOR YOU a SAVIOR, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:9-11.

Good News, or ‘the GOSPEL,’ for EVERYONE: a Savior, born FOR US. News of GREAT JOY.

JOY then, is the KEY EVIDENCE that you know the true Gospel. Got JOY? Do you feel like a fraud on Sundays with a plastic smile in church? Smiling on the outside, but inside a pit of depression, anxiety, fear, condemnation? If so, I submit to you that you have not really heard the GOSPEL.

Are the 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John “the Gospel?” NO. They are eye witness accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus. Totally awesome. The Gospel can be found in each of them but they include much more than ‘the Gospel.’ And people can get confused at just what is the Gospel within them.

The words of Jesus — are they the Gospel? Not necessarily. He lived before the Cross. He lived under the LAW and preached LAW to those who lived under it. Grace abounded around Him, but His words may or may not have been ‘the Gospel’ depending. Think of His words to the hypocritical Pharisees and lawyers.

“You must turn from sin” is not the Gospel. It is what Moses and John the Baptist preached.

Nor is just believing real hard about something the Gospel – ‘Just have faith, man,’ is not the Gospel. These both focus on you and your capability. Not the Gospel! The Gospel is about a Savior—the angel just told us!

How about: Ro 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The CROSS shows us He loved us while we were yet sinners. THAT’s GOOD NEWS! That’s a GOSPEL message.

There’s more to the Gospel, but that’s for next time. Today, I urge you, BELIEVE this much of the GOOD NEWS: God loves us – enough to die FOR us. Yes, it’s true. Believe it, let JOY explode in your heart, and — COME ALIVE!

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It’s Resurrection Sunday — Easter, and welcome to Hank’s Place

Does Jesus REALLY care for me? Does He have feelings toward you? Lot’s of people wonder – “Do I really matter to Jesus?”

Lets go back to that first Resurrection morning – earlier, those women from Galilee had witnessed Jesus’ death on the Cross. His own mother, Mary Mag, Mary mother of James and Joseph, mother of the sons of Zebedee, Salome, Joanna.

They came to the tomb – early! With spices. No one expected Jesus to be alive. But there were those angels: “Why do you seek the living among the dead – He’s not here. He has risen like He said. Go tell His disciples that He is going ahead of them to Galilee.”

Mary Magdalene remains in the garden while the other women head off. Overcome with grief. And Jesus appears to her. Get the picture. The Lord of all Creation. Likely leading captivity captive. And Jesus still has to complete the Plan of Salvation: bring His blood to THE mercy seat in Heaven, the real one.

But He STOPS. He hits the ‘pause’ button on The Plan of Salvation. Why? To stop and comfort a women. Women were not highly regarded in those days, and this one had a past. But she was a woman grieving over His death. BECAUSE HE CARED FOR HER, HER FEELINGS, HER LIFE, my friend, and HE STOPPED. It’s THE SAME FOR YOU AND ME!

Maybe the angels in heaven were wondering about the delay, what’s holding up KING JESUS? Matthew says Jesus appeared to the women, but John clarifies it was Mary Magdalene. And Jesus tells her to go and tell My BROTHERS to go to Galilee. He will meet with them there. Where it all began. Where He called them 1 by 1. Tying the beginning and the end of Jesus earthly ministry together! Replacing sorrow with JOY.

There’s more! Two disciples were on the Emmaus Road headed out of town – Jesus has some fun with them and they come scooting back to Jerusalem.
Did Jesus get up to the True Mercy Seat of heaven and come back – or what? I don’t know. BUT I do know once those two got with the rest of the disciples in Jerusalem, JESUS DIDN’T WAIT for them all to get to Galilee. He has got to share His JOY with His BROTHERS – right away! Can you see it? BECAUSE HE CARES for them. THEIR FEELINGS MATTER! And He wants to turn their sorrow into JOY. And He does!

So there is Jesus, appearing to the women, the women who were with Him at ‘the END’ got notified of the NEW BEGINNING – ahead of anyone else!
There’s Jesus, appearing to the men who were with Him at the beginning – and He pauses THE OFFICIAL BUSINESS of heaven if you will, of RESURRECTION SUNDAY, to comfort those in grief and to CELEBRATE with His family! BECAUSE HE CARES!

So friend, YOU MATTER! How you feel – matters! What concerns you – matters to Jesus. We have just heard it. So, rejoice this Resurrection Day – knowing Jesus cares for YOU. And that you have — COME ALIVE!

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The other day I was speaking with a computer chip designer, a brilliant man of Indian ethnicity. He had come to my door, and noticed a banner my wife had placed there: on the banner was a lamb with the words, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.” The fellow asked if we had dogs – he had confused the lamb image with that of a dog.

“No,” I responded, and told how the lamb and the words concerned Jesus our Savior, the Son of God who saves us from our sins. He said that was very interesting; he had not heard that before. He listened attentively as I briefly gave him the Gospel. 

Can you believe this? In America? A middle aged well educated person who had never heard the Gospel? It’s all around us, folks. People not having ears to hear, and with the god of this world having blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, well, there you go: another life without eternal life! 2 Cor 4:4

He was familiar with reincarnation and trying to get better in this life or the next until you finally attain, you finally make it. But the idea of GRACE, the free gift of GOD of eternal life with Him, in Him, and He in us – with no sin, no unrighteousness, no darkness — was a completely foreign concept to him.

I can understand the ignorance, when there are so many today calling good “evil,” and calling evil “good,” but don’t worry about that, my friend. I urge you to be ready, in season and out, to give testimony, to give witness of the Lord Jesus, to share the Gospel as God gives you opportunity. 2 Cor 3:6 reminds us we are adequate in the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel with others.

And, you are not responsible for the other person’s salvation. What a relief! Share those words of life, for you can be confident that the Holy Spirit is working with those words, and with YOU! Relax.

Preach the Gospel, which is the GRACE of God given to all who call upon Him. It is a STUMBLING BLOCK for some, for there is no place for our own efforts or achievements in God’s plan of salvation: it is all JESUS from start to finish!
You didn’t earn your salvation. You can’t lose your salvation. But you can give the Good News of salvation in Jesus away — it will prevail.

Yes, my friend, let us be bold, let others hear, so they can — COME ALIVE!

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The Gospel means Good News. Crafted by God. God is GOOD, and His news is ALL Good News — not mostly Good News with some Bad News thrown in. There is no price tag found in God’s free gift of salvation — unless you are hearing a counterfeit gospel.

Does the God of the gospel you hear remember a wrong suffered? Does your forgiveness come at a price you pay? That’s not God’s true love found in 1 Cor 13. It is not the genuine Gospel.

Some preachers thunder from the pulpit: “Beware of greasy grace and those who preach it! We have got to have rules to obey. Guard rails on the roadway of life to keep us on course.” “Greasy grace is nothing more than a license to sin,” they bellow.

Going back to the rules is – wrong. Don’t you remember, friend?
• the Law is not of faith – Gal 3:12. No faith in it. Following the rules is not of faith.
• the Law inflames sin. Rather than HELP you be godly, it promotes ungodliness!
• the Law was designed to lead us to Christ – Gal 3:24. A tutor. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor – Gal 3:25.

Don’t go back to rule keeping. ”Follow all the rules, all our rules, and you’ll be blessed of God” is a counterfeit gospel! It’s rubbish! “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Gal 5:1.

Adding rules to the Gospel means you have fallen from GRACE — you attempt to be justified by the law. It’s a counterfeit gospel, and you have become estranged from Christ.

The Counterfeit Gospel is the one with the RULES IN IT. Jesus gave us the Gospel of Grace! Walk by faith. Walk in the Spirit – don’t worry, just do it!

Adding rules to the Gospel means you are saying Jesus Christ did NOT DO ENOUGH at Calvary, and there remains “your part” to perform. Rather than experiencing the joy of the Lord, you live in a shadowland where you have never done enough.

Friend, if this has been you, has been your life, it’s time to stand in the liberty, in the GRACE given you in Christ Jesus – firmly, and  — COME ALIVE!

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