Hank’s Place

Welcome to Hank’s Place  – 

The death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is life changing for all who believe. Sins forgiven. Sin’s penalty paid. Relationship restored. Last Sunday I shared the mystery of God: Christ in us, all because of Jesus and Calvary. There is more! Believers have been co-crucified with Him. 

What? Here’s Galatians 2:20 from the Passion Translation: “My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives.” Co-crucified. Co-crucified with Jesus! Continuing, “And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives His life through me.” My friend, we live in union as one! Paul adds, “My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God” – did you hear that? “Our new creation lives are empowered by Jesus’ faith expressed towards us! Jesus, who gave Himself for us, is dispensing His life — into ours!”

His life is creative! His life is fulfilling! Paul told the Ephesians that because they were joined to Jesus, the Anointed One, they had become His poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny He had given each of them. 

Maturing, according to Paul in Romans 6, is growing into awareness of this union we have with GOD. Listen to these snippets from Romans 6: We have died to sin once and for all, as a dead man passes away from this life. No longer do we live under sin’s rule! We were immersed into union with Jesus, the Anointed One. Yes, we were immersed into union with His death. We were co-buried with Him, so that when the Father’s glory raised Christ from the dead, we were also raised with Him. We have been co-resurrected with Him and empowered to walk in the freshness of new life. 

Our former self-life identity, is now and forever deprived of its power. For we were co-crucified with Jesus to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin’s power. 

We do not have to beg God for victory over sin — for we have already died to sin. Friend, let’s believe this good news rather than seek to “crucify ourselves.” A dead person is incapable of sinning. So let us reckon ourselves as dead and unresponsive to sin’s appeal while living daily for God’s pleasure in union with Jesus, the Anointed One.

We have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection, our former identity has forever been deprived of its power, and we are joined with Christ and alive to God.

Thanks to Jesus, we are new creations — we have COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place  – 

Rejoice and be glad for Jesus has risen from the dead, ascended to the right hand of God the Father and has opened wide heaven’s gates for all who have placed their trust in Him, hallelujah!

Because of what happened that first Resurrection morning, what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 applies to us! It reads, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” Eternal LIFE is ours!

He says that the time is coming when “Death is swallowed up in victory.” The sting of death was sin but thanks be to God, who has given us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Powerful as this is, there’s even more Good News for us today — and that is – that the mystery of God has been revealed. A mystery in the bible is a plan or purpose of God – unknown to the natural mind but which may be revealed to us by His Spirit.

The mystery I’m referring to is found in Colossians 1:27. And that mystery is Christ in you, the hope, the promise of glory with Christ. This extraordinary grace gift, thundering down upon us like an endless waterfall, is humanity’s great hope and God’s answer to ALL our problems.

No man-made religion or worldly philosophy offers anything approaching the glorious treasure that is revealed in the gospel. “God is for us and with us and in us.”

Let me repeat, God is for us. God is with us. And, God is IN us! I’ll tell you, it is beyond my comprehension that God desires to be in spiritual union with us!

This mystery, our spiritual union with the Lord, is mentioned many times in scripture. For example, consider “Christ in you” – Colossians 1:27, “in Christ” – Colossians 1:28, and “with Christ” – Colossians 3:1. This union with the Lord is both intimate and unbreakable. And through this union we experience the abundant life that flows from the fullness of His love.

Today dear Christian, rejoice in Christ’s resurrection, experience that abundant life from your union with the Lord — and COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place  – 

Today is Palm Sunday. Some time ago Jesus entered Jerusalem to the adulations of the people. They were onboard to RECEIVE Him as king and promised Messiah. They shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David!” They were thinking of an earthly kingdom – God had something better in mind. They cut palm branches and placed them on His path to the Temple. I live in Florida where palm trees and their branches are everywhere. They are quite sturdy.

In a few days a catastrophe would occur. As though Darkness had become king. Jesus would be betrayed, beaten, crucified, killed and buried. Disaster for Jesus and His followers. But that’s not how it played out. My friend, just because things are one way now doesn’t mean they are going to stay that way. There is always opportunity for the “But God…” and His bushel of promises coming true in our lives!

Jesus was going to Jerusalem – to the Cross – to bring in a New Covenant. A covenant where the grace of God would abound. Though abounding, this Grace found in the New Covenant will do no one any good unless it is believed and received in the heart.

Under the old covenant, the emphasis was do, do, do, but in the new it is done, done, done. In the old, people were encouraged to make promises to God. In the new we proclaim God’s promises to us. The new covenant is not about what we will do or give to God. It’s about what God has done and given to us. And for that we RECEIVE.

In the old the focus was our doing, our keeping the laws, and our sacrifices. But in the new, our focus is on BELIEVING and RECEIVING. Beginning with RECEIVING Christ Jesus as Lord – Colossians 2:6.

Here are some examples, with a shout out to Dr Paul Ellis for compiling:
We receive the word of God Mark 4:16,
We receive the love of God 1 John 4:19,
We receive grace of God Romans 5:17,
We receive faith from God 2 Peter 1:1,
We receive salvation from God Romans 6:23,
We receive the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38,
We receive our righteousness from God Romans 5:17,
We receive peace from John 14:27,
We receive wisdom from God James 1:5,
We receive the crown of life James 1:12,
We receive the reward of our inheritance Colossians 3:24, and
We receive rest from God Matthew 11:28–29.

My dear friend, have you received from the abundance of God’s grace?

This Palm Sunday, believe in Christ Jesus, RECEIVE Him as Lord, and continue to receive all His precious promises — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place  – 

Last message we were speaking about Jesus being the Truth wrapped in the Tender Mercies of God. Some say God, if He exists, is unknowable. Others that He is remote and distant from our lives. Others that He is an unhappy being, unhappy with our continual failures to measure up to His standards. Such ignorance of the truth!

Let’s go over to John 1:1. “In the beginning was the word” – the logos – the Living Expression of God Himself. The Old Testament conveys God’s powerful self-expression in creation and revelation. 

But in the New Testament we have this new unique view of God given to us by John, the presence of God Himself in the flesh. The Greek here is “logos” which might lead you to think of it as a written word. But logos is more accurately understood as a form of self-revealing, a “message.” 

Jesus Christ is the eternal Message, and the Living Expression of God made visible. He is the divine self-expression of ALL that God is, contains, and reveals in incarnated flesh. Just as we express ourselves in words, God has perfectly expressed Himself in Christ. 

Jesus is God’s story.

And as verse 14 states, “… the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Verse 16 – He gives us grace heaped upon more grace!
Verse 17 – Moses gave us the Law, but Jesus, the Anointed One, unveils truth wrapped in tender mercy.”

God reveals Himself in Jesus, full of tender mercies.

Jesus reveals the true Truth, wrapped up in Tender Mercy. In lovingkindness. In all goodness and grace. Jesus, the embodiment of God, the Truth, is irresistibly sweet and delightful. As Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” The Passion Translation says it this way: “Drink deeply of the pleasures of this God. Experience for yourself the joyous mercies He gives to all who turn to hide themselves in Him.”

My friend, drink deeply of Jesus today. Let Him cascade upon you the boundless riches of the Father’s mercies and grace. You’ll COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place  – 

The Gospel of John is so passionate! Listen to this from John 1:14, 16 to 18 – And so the Living Expression became a man and lived among us! We gazed upon his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father overflowing with tender mercy and truth!

And from the overflow of His fullness we received grace heaped upon more grace!
Moses gave us the Law, but Jesus, the Anointed One, unveils truth wrapped in tender mercy. No one ever before gazed upon the full splendor of God except His uniquely beloved Son, Who is cherished by the Father and held close to His heart.
Now that He has come to us, He has unfolded the full explanation of who God truly is!

Isn’t that lovely? That’s from the Passion Translation and surely speaks of God’s love, mercies, and tenderness toward us.

When John writes, “lived among us,” we understand this is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14. Jesus Christ – our Immanuel, “God with us.” He is among us in that He was in human form, and now as Colossians 1:27 says He is also within each of us who have received Him. He now dwells within us, and we are in unity with Him. This is too much for me – God IN us?! With us? Among us? No wonder Pauls calls this the mystery of the Gospel!

In verse 14 The Aramaic word, ‘taybootha,’ means “loving kindness or goodness.” The Greek word is ‘charis,’ which can also be translated, “grace, favor, sweetness, pleasure or delight.” This Passion Translation has combined all those concepts in the words ‘tender mercy.’ My friend, Jesus Christ, overflowing with tender mercy and truth, is full of everything that our hearts crave.

Verse 16 can be translated from the Aramaic as “out of His fullness we are fulfilled.” Every believer receives from the fullness or completeness of Christ a divine personal completeness. We are given from Him whatever we require for the perfection or completeness of our character and for the fulfillment of our life’s purpose. How about rejoicing over that bit of Good News dear friend! It’s similar to what is written  in Hebrews:  “Jesus is both the Author and the Finisher our faith.”

Today, let’s receive from Him whatever it is that we require in this life and rejoice as He leads us into a fuller knowledge of God. As we follow Jesus: we’ll — COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — 

Today I’d like to share some awesomeness of God with you. It’s found in Philippians chapter 3.

In verses 7 and 8 Paul says all of the accomplishments he once took credit for, he has forsaken, regarding them as NOTHING compared to the delight of Experiencing, Experiencing, Jesus Christ as his Lord! Truly knowing Jesus resulted in letting go of everything from his past and throwing all his boasting onto the garbage heap.

Everything else in life is like a pile of manure to him now, he says, all so that he could be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ, embracing Him as Lord in all of His greatness.

What the world calls “precious,” Paul calls “trash.” Having encountered the right-side up kingdom of God, he rejected the crooked, counterfeit values of this fallen world. And this is an ongoing act of rejection, for the latter part of verse 8 can be translated, “I count as liabilities all those things that get in the way of knowing Christ.” The verb “count” here is in the present tense, meaning Paul is continuing to count anything getting the way of knowing Jesus as a liability – every single day.

In verse 10 Pauls says he constantly longs to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of His resurrection – working in him. The value of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord is worth more than all things, and Paul wants nothing to get in his way in this!

Many people know about Christ, but knowing Christ Jesus as Lord means trusting Him, leaning on Him, and abiding in Him. It means to know His mind, to sense and be guided by His Spirit, and hear His voice, to receive His love, to feel His presence —My friend, isn’t this the highest point of human existence?

Imagine, deeply KNOWING Christ— walking in fellowship with our Creator, reveling in His love, sharing His life with others – what JOY! It’s what Paul was striving for and the life WE can enjoy here and now.

How do we come to know Christ more, you ask? Spend some time in the gospels and epistles for they reveal the good news about Jesus our Savior. Let’s remind ourselves daily of how good God is and how Jesus reigns as Lord over whatever situation we are facing.

Ask Jesus that you might know Him better. And I would suggest praying often that prayer Paul prayed for the Ephesians, found in Ephesians 3:14 thru 21.

Make it your own prayer to God — you’ll COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place —

Last message I shared a word of caution by the apostle Paul — about not letting anyone judge our level of Christianity — because salvation comes from God. In Christ, we are already saints, already holy, already beloved, and already complete – and all this because of Jesus’ matchless sacrifice at Calvary.

Now we are growing into who we already are, even as a child grows into an adult. We can hasten the process by putting off the behavior of the old man and putting on the behavior of the new creation person, that born-again person. Ephesians 4:22-24.

In Philippians 2:12 Paul shows another facet of this ALREADY ARE state of being by urging the Philippians to “…work out their salvation with fear and trembling.” It may sound scary, but the good news is that working out our salvation means to “work out in our lives the REALITY of our salvation.” It does not mean “work FOR salvation,” because salvation is a gift from God. It’s Ephesians 2:8 that says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God.”

What God has worked in, we need to work out. We do that by ALLOWING the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. We appropriate by faith the good things that are ours in Christ. I am confident this is the correct interpretation because of what Paul says in the next verse: “God is at work in you.”

Salvation is more than the forgiveness of sins. Salvation includes healing, deliverance, and wholeness. If you are not experiencing these blessings in your life yet, I suggest it may be time to WORK OUT your salvation – and you do that by FAITH.

Part of this is by resting in Jesus (that takes faith) and allowing Him to reveal Himself in you and through you. You don’t need to fast and pray for 40 days to discern the will of God. Just lean upon the Lord.

Part of it is stepping out in faith, in words and/or deeds. Faith can be scary. Risky. What if I fall on my face? What if God doesn’t come through? Fails to show up? Faith does not come naturally and is often accompanied by fear and trembling.

How do you think Abraham felt as he was about to plunge the knife into Isaac? What about Daniel in the lions’ den? Or Rahab when she welcomed the spies of Israel into her home?

Today, let’s work out our salvation, with the fear and trembling associated with TRUSTING in GOD and not ourselves: we’ll — COME ALIVE!

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In Colossians 2:18a it says, “Let no one keep DEFRAUDING you of your prize….”

Other translations say, “Let no one DISQUALIFY you from your prize” or “Let no one CHEAT you out of your reward.”

This sounds like an important warning, but what Paul is saying? What is the prize? And how can we be disqualified?

First, take a deep breath – RELAX – remember that since God qualifies us, Colossians 1:12, no one can disqualify us. We are saved, and kept by Jesus. No one can snatch us from His hand.

Second, in the original text, there is no word for “prize” or “reward.” The verb Paul uses, katabrabeuō, pardon my Greek, means “to judge against.” In other words don’t let anyone act like an umpire or judge deciding against you. He repeats this in Colossians 2:16 to emphasize this point.

So what’s Paul saying? Don’t let anyone tell you that you are a sinner because you don’t share their religious views. Don’t let anyone suggest you are a poor excuse for a Christian because you don’t do what they do or want you to do. Don’t let anyone insist you must earn God’s love or complete the good work He is doing in you. In Christ, we are already saints – Colossians 1:2, holy – Colossians 1:22, beloved – Colossians 2:10, and complete – Colossians 3:12.

Today there are many voices out there seeking to have us follow them. Voices such as social media influencers, big mouths, conspiracy theorists, self-appointed experts, all trying to steer us away from simple faith in Jesus.

Paul is saying don’t follow those who do not themselves possess a simply faith in Jesus. I recently read about a race, people running, where the lead runner took a wrong turn. About twenty other runners followed him up onto a busy highway. Thankfully, nobody got hurt, but none of those runners finished on the podium. What a way to lose out!

How about you? Are you stressed, anxious – going nowhere these days? Maybe you have gone off course with the Gospel by following a narrative contrary to the gospel of grace.

Your salvation is not in danger, but like those confused runners, you are not on God’s path of love, joy, peace and acceptance in the Beloved.

Paul gives us a simply remedy: Colossians 3:1 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Reject voices stressing self-discipline, self-denial, or self-improvement. Live from the reality of “Christ in us.”

Fix your eyes on Jesus. Trust your Father to lead and guide you through the trials and challenges of life.

Do that. YOU’LL — COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — 

Last week I spoke about people not asking God for help largely out of a confidence in their own capabilities. And having a friendship with the world and relying on worldly wisdom, rather than God’s amazing grace.

I have been there, as a Christian. Here’s an example. Years ago Mary and I were leading a Young Adults group. There was a widow in the church with a lovely but very overgrown back yard, full of weeds, vines, sticker bushes. We volunteered the group for a Saturday morning massive cleanup. We were helping God out. After all Scripture said pure and undefiled religion was helping widows and orphans.

Yep, helping God out. I believe we began with a prayer and then jumped into action. As young people it was vigorous action. Mine certainly was, with a big electric hedge trimmer. I was whipping through those thick vines and bushes like no tomorrow! I was strong. I was able. I could do it and be an example for the others!

Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “You are going to cut yourself.” Talk about God’s grace! But rather than listen, rather than stop, I replied, “No I am not (after all, “I know what I am doing!”). The Spirit said, “No, but you are.”

Before I could ponder those words or stop my actions, I swung that hedge trimmer through vines so thick they ripped the trimmer out of my hands, but not before it slashed one of my fingers. Had I not been wearing heavy gloves it likely would have severed the finger!

The blood was pumping out of that finger. Whoa! Had an artery been cut? A muscle? A tendon? Fellow young adult Rick Rudnick came to my side. He reminded me he had a supernatural gift of healing, and immediately placed his hand upon my blood spurting finger and called upon Jesus. Instantly, and I mean instantly, the bleeding stopped! When he took his hand away the deep laceration looked more like a cut on its way to healing. A few days later all that remained was a scar in the shape of an Ichthus, the ancient Jesus fish symbol Christians used to identify one another.

I learned several lessons that day! Like listening and responding to God quickly! That putting my worldly abilities ahead of trust in Him can lead to bad outcomes. And that God’s grace and mercies are not dependent on our performance.

God, merciful God, gave grace — I did not lose my finger. What a lesson. I share it in hope you will place you confidence fully upon Jesus and sever any friendship with the world.

As you do, dear friend, YOU’LL — COME ALIVE!

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Welcome to Hank’s Place — 

Where I’ve been reading the book of James! James is an unusual book because, unlike the other epistles, it was written to the 12 tribes dispersed abroad, not gentile Christians. James 1:1. Some of those Jews were Messianic but many were still in need of Jesus. James knew he had two very different audiences for his letter — no wonder this book sounds so different!

My point for today comes from the 4th chapter. James begins describing worldly behavior. Must be for those unbelievers, right? But then he says, “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.” Hmmm. Is he correcting believers?

Why are they not asking? They don’t ask because they are too proud. They say, “I’ve got this.” But they don’t. “I can do this.” But they can’t. “I don’t need God.” Yes, they do. Or if they do ask, it is only for selfish reasons so they do not receive.

Now verse 4: “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world MAKES HIMSELF an enemy of God!”

Is he reaching out to Jews or believers? Or both? The passage goes on to speak of the greater grace God gives. Grace not for the proud, grace for the humble. To get this grace we submit to God and resist the devil who is tempting us to be friends with this world.

A friend of the world doesn’t have to be a murderous Cretan. Could be a Christian! It is someone who makes life choices from a worldly point of view instead of walking by faith. Relying upon human effort and knowledge instead of resting in God’s grace.

As I pondered this I realized I’ve been there. Thinking God could really use me because I had certain talents and abilities and knowledge. Imagine, wanting to help God out with what I’d learned from the world. Then running ahead without checking in with God.

My friend, that’s a form of misinformed pride. Leaving God out of our ‘helping God out’ thinking. It’s not that we have to fall on our faces and pray until we hear from heaven about every decision, but it IS about asking for wisdom. And understanding. And heaven’s knowledge. And having a listening ear for His replies. That’s what James is referring to in verse 6, “But He gives a greater grace.”

If you have already made a mess, it’s not too late. Don’t reach for the fig leaves of, “I can fix this” thinking. Acknowledge your mistakes, and humbly ask God for grace.

His grace is extravagant. His grace causes us — COME ALIVE!

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