Staff -founder / president Melissa Pearce
-copy editor Laurie Hamby
-contributing writers Anna Marie Caulkins Jamie Clawson Katie Cline Pastor Chuck Hamby Maureen Kurp Melissa Pearce Ronald Pearce Mary Beth Pecora
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As we prepare for the New Year, I am overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation for what God is about to do. I am thrilled to announce to you - Point of HOPE E-Magazine, a monthly Enduring Hope Ministries publication that will challenge us to grow and develop in the truth, grace and love of God. Our 2014 year-long focus at EHM will be devoted to growth and development. honored and humbled that God has called us to be a voice for Him.
We are
As I was preparing for direction for next year, the Lord spoke these two words to me - “Love Revolution.” Our mission over the course of the year is to expound on those two words. I believe the Lord is bringing forth a deeper revelation of Himself and of His love to a lost, broken and hurting world. God further revealed His heart to me. He spoke these points: “Love is the foundational key in unlocking a heart to survive. Love is the fundamental key to revolutionize a heart from captivity to freedom. Love is the key to grow. Love is the key to develop. Love is the key to change. Love is the key to mature in Me. Love is key to believe I am able to be all one believes Me to be.” I stand in awe of the Mighty God we serve. He longs for His people to know truth. We have been commissioned by Him to move forward, and nothing is holding us back! We are moving forward with our eyes steadfast upon Him, the Author of our Faith. Point of HOPE is dedicated to revealing His heart. Join us for the journey and watch God do amazing things! Melissa Pearce Founder/President Enduring Hope Ministries
Yes, in our lifetime we have a beginning
and an
end – physically, in life and death – emotionally, as we encounter different seasons in our life.
in the same!
That was complete unity, complete
union…
Seasons In Genesis, (The Book of Beginnings) 2:7-9 it says this:
come that are good; seasons come that are delayed, “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the and we find ourselves asking for that longing to be ground and breathed into his nostrils the ‘breath of life’, fulfilled! and the man became a living being.
Now the Lord
God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and So where do we go when a good season has ended? there he put the man He had formed.
And the Lord
Who do we call on when a tough season is beginning? God made all kinds of trees grow out of the How do we respond and position ourselves spiritually ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good in the different seasons of our life? for food. Do we call on the Author of Life, God?
In the middle of the garden were the‘ Tree
Is He of Life, ” and the tree of the knowledge of good and
positioned in the center of our lives, in good and bad evil.” seasons?
Is He the source that we receive strength So we see that when God ‘put
and hope from?
Are we the man ’
it was man ’ s
rooted and grounded in Him and His promises?
What I am learning is that there
is
so
much
symbolically seen in the Tree of Life that God had planted!
The
very
position of that tree God planted in the center – symbolic of Him being our
So many are displaced in life…Searching and longing to be fulfilled…So many are striving and trying to earn a position that is of importance…
placement … man ’ s position, so to speak!
God always
wanted to be the dwelling place of man … as he was formed.
Then man was
‘ placed ’
among good fruit … so that man could “Taste and see that the Lord is good…”
For God
had declared that man would source
and
being
an be fruitful and multiply!
established blessing, and being a source of fruitfulness in our lives – physically, emotionally and spiritually. In the very position of “middle,” I hear the Lord saying, “I am positioning life in the middle of you…You shall be Is God the center of our lives?
Does He remain in positioned in life…I shall be the center…Life in Me, the
that position even through adversity? Lord, in you, bringing forth life eternal … Eat from the For when God created man in the garden, He placed tree of good fruit for you shall produce – and planted man with Him.
fruit.
You see, God always Position yourself to be sustained by Me, your
intended man to be with Himself from the beginning. Creator…” Adam walked with God in the garden.
They were in
perfect relationship before the fall.
God always
Are we continuing to position ourselves in Him? truly the center of all we are and what we do? wanted to be with man, to be within man…they are one
Is He Do we
include Him on every decision? life?
Is He the Lord of our
Do we give Him his rightful place?
For as we are rooted and grounded in Him…He shall continually water us, sustain us and produce from within us…
So many are displaced in life…Searching and longing to be fulfilled…So many are striving and trying to earn
For before man was created it was the“…Streams that
a position that is of importance…
came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground …” Genesis 2: 6…THE FOUNDATION
Can I encourage you in this?
The ONLY position that has been laid …
He is the fountain that continually
you need in life that will bring you complete wholeness flows … He is the River in our life that continually and that will produce from you good fruit to others is washes and cleanses us…and produces from within… the ‘ position of being sustained by God, our Creator, through a relationship with Jesus, the Son of God…’
Let the root of Him produce, as we are “…Rooted and established in Him, (In LOVE)…which produces power
No more striving!
No more longing to measure up! and fills us to the measure of HIS fullness…
No more comparing yourself to others!
Just give God
(Jesus) His rightful place and He does the rest. brings fulfillment!
He
So if you need to fill measured … and need to be
He brings the fruit through the Holy
established … be rooted IN HIM … His Spirit is given
Spirit.
without measure!
You have heard the phrase:
‘The
sky is the limit ’ … which we all know cannot be Just position yourself and yield to Him!
Let go and let measured!
God!
(Selah) Let’s give Him His rightful place in our lives and in our
It sounds so simple.
Yes, it really is, but man has minds…For our minds have deceived us thinking that
complicated it.
We try to measure up and fill every He cannot … but He promises:
“ He IS ABLE to do
empty place of self-worth with other things … even immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, busyness … We try to fill in the gap of empty according to His power that is at work within us…SO promises…when all we need to do is let the “Author of THAT ALL GLORY goes to Him … throughout all Life” Who created the ‘Tree of Life’…be the ‘Circle of generations, for ever and ever” (Ephesians 3: 20-21). Life’ in us, here on the earth! So if you are longing for a ‘position’ to be recognized, So as we reposition ourselves in Him, let’s go back to know that this is the highest position possible…and it the beginning.
Let’s understand that He is the “Tree can’t even be measured!
of Life,” He is the “Fountain of Life,” who is the “River of Life.” This represents the Trinity – the Father, the
Written By:
Son and the Holy Spirit…all in one!
Mary Beth Pecora
New Years come with resolutions That sometimes end in revolutions, That battle which rages deep within our souls. The good things we had planned to do Never get done; that much is true. We try so hard but fail to reach our goals. The bad things we had tried to shun Are the things we did. “O son-of-a-gun!” What can we do to ever be free and whole? The answer is found in Romans seven. A man named Paul, on his way to heaven, Found the answer in the One Who saved his soul. It seems two laws are working in us; One makes good, the other a fuss. What, O what can take this thing away? Trusting in Christ to cleanse us from sin, Let His peace rule and reign within. Live His life as your life every day. The first thing you know as your days go by, You’ll be lifting your grateful eyes to the sky, Thanking your Father above for His peace and love. That peace is not just a gift for you; It’s supposed to be shared in everything you do, To give credit and honor to our wonderful Father above. It’s not just a New Year we have today; It’s a whole new Life, a much better way, To have “Happy New Year!” and a wonderful life every day!
The New Year begins with dogged determination and nagging trepidation. The determination comes from “failure-frustration,” of the “ghost of New Years Past,” in the form of resolutions that died before the month was out. The trepidation comes from our awareness of how easily we can compromise our new resolutions. The Apostle Paul had similar issues in Romans 7:19-25. This great “Lion of God” struggled with the things he did not want to do, and failed to do the things he wanted to do. Sounds like New Year’s Resolutions to me, eh? Most of these resolutions are made because of our knowledge of our weaknesses. Year after year the same thing happens to most of us. We resolve and fail; then we have a crisis of self-esteem, and we wonder why we put ourselves through “soul searching” and bondage again. Because the New Year is an ideal time to reflect and make assessments of our lives, these attempts at improving ourselves is a good idea. But maybe we should try consulting with God. He has the plans, you know – the ones to “prosper us and not to harm us…” Why don’t we find out what He would like to change? Instead of our cosmetic changes like: lose 30 pounds, have a “make-over,” or something else that is external, why don’t we say to our Heavenly Father, “What would you like to change in me? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Church (chapter 2:12 - 13), So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Because He is working in us not only to want (like Paul), but to actually do His good pleasure, we have amazing power to bring about the changes He desires. Let’s look at some of these AMAZING POWERS. CREATIVE POWER: Many people will say, “I’m not creative, I can’t do anything creative…” The truth is, we take for granted our own creativity. We mistakenly think that because we can do something with a degree of ease and excellence, that anyone can do the same. Those who play an instrument without music cannot understand why a gifted musician, who “sight-reads” like a “champ,” cannot do the same. The gifted musician is in awe of the one who can improvise a song without music. God has made us in His image and His likeness1 with the ability to be creative. We create every day. We
1
Genesis 1:26
create with our words, with our attitudes and with our facial expressions. With all of these features, we create our world… then we have to live in it. If I approach someone with a scowl on my face, they are likely to not to talk to me. If I smile and say hello, they will smile back and a world of acceptance is created. I choose the world I live in by what I say, what I do, and how I react to others. Your creative gift is unique to you. No one else has your gift or can use your creative gift the way you do. Find your creative gift and enjoy using it for your own joy and for the joy of the Lord at work in you. Remember Philippians 2:13? …for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. That unique creative gift is a sign of God’s confidence in you and a hint for His plan for your life. THE POWER OF CHOICE: My life, my choice. Our life choices are ours alone to make. No one can choose for you or me. We may blame others for our choices, but it was, finally, our decision on what to choose. Decisions are not just for deciding actions; we decide about attitudes and even feelings. Happiness is a choice. We cannot always choose circumstances, but we can choose how we will face them. I can choose to be happy or sad. Happiness does not depend on our situations. (The saddest person I ever met was also the wealthiest.) Happiness is a choice that is the result of other choices. Circumstances have the ability to make my choices easier or harder, but they cannot make my decision for me. Happiness comes from living “intentionally!” Too many days are spent in aimless drudgery. We have forgotten we are on assignment by our Heavenly Father… We have often prayed, “…Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth…” HELLO!! We are still on earth… That drudgery is “kingdom work.” Kingdom work requires excellence. Love is a choice. John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” God did not command us to fly. That would be impossible (without an airplane). So
loving one another is possible. Love is not an emotion but a decision. Love can be described: Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…[1 Corinthians 13:4-8a] THE POWER OF FAITH: In Mark’s Gospel, chapter nine, we read this: --And he asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can!’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” All things are possible! I love the story of the first of Jesus’ miracles. In the account of the wedding at Cana, the wine is depleted, and Jesus is asked by His mother to do something. Mary’s last recorded words are, “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.” He took the large water pots (6) of about 20 – 30 gallons each and had them filled with water. He then tells the steward to go serve it to the governor of the feast. Did it require faith to believe that the water turned to wine? Or did it require faith to take the water to the governor of the feast? Because they obeyed the Master, the feast continued with the best wine of the evening. This year may challenge you to risk trusting the Lord. There is where the faith is shown – not in our belief, but in our obedience. It is our obedience to Jesus Christ that will cause this year to be extraordinary. That obedience is the bedrock on which we have a happy and prosperous New Year. Written by: Pastor Chuck Hamby
What is the key to unlocking a woman ’ s
God’s love is not only unconditional, but also
heart to fulfill her destiny?
limitless.
perhaps even money?
Is it people or
Or is it position?
Each of these items can appear to advance one closer to her calling.
for us.
There is no end to the love He has
I love the passage in Romans 5:8, for
it truly depicts the heart of God.
However, what Over the past year, I have been on this
ultimately unlocks a lady ’ s heart to fulfill her journey with God to further understand the destiny is rooted in one word: love. desires of His heart – specifically His love. However, it’s not just any ordinary love. the agape love of God.
It is
I wanted to further understand how God loves.
God is love (1 John
How does God want me to see Him through
4:8) and He desires to touch a heart with all of
His love?
Him.
myself through His love?
His love is unconditional, meaning He
does not base His love for us on what we do,
How does God want me to see And how does
God want me to love others with His love?
but He receives us and loves us as we are, with an everlasting love.
Romans 5:8: But
As I continued to sit before Him, one thing
God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
became very evident to me.
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
captivated by His love would lose all barriers
A heart
of fear, insecurity, hopelessness, and doubt. A heart captivated by His love was the key to unlocking the bars over one’s heart, allowing one to walk about in the fulfillment and freedom He so desires to give.
As my journey continued, God spoke two words into my spirit:
“Love Revolution. ”
I
knew what He spoke to me was more than my mind could comprehend. pressing into Him.
Yet, I kept
God is on a mission. He
wants to revolutionize the way we see Him.
Many of us have acquired false ideologies and theologies of Him based upon our experiences and/or wrongful teachings.
He
is on a quest to see His people captivated by His love.
He wants each to know truth about
Who He is and who we are in Him.
A heart means to know, to understand, as well as a
that perceives God a certain way will not only reference to sexual expressions.
This same
view Him in that light, but it will also word “know” is used in Genesis 4:1 when it determine how one interacts with Him. states: Now Adam knew His wife, Eve. God is not looking for a superficial relationship, nor is God created us to be relational with Him. He looking for a relationship based on works. This is His delight - we are His delight.
He God wants a deep intimate relationship with
wants an intimate relationship with us. In you and me.
This level of intimacy would be
Isaiah 43:10: You are my witness, declares described as the closeness shared between a the Lord, and my servant whom I have husband and wife.
When one is intimate
chosen, so that you may know and believe with another, he/she is real, honest, and me and understand that I am he.
Before me expressive with that person.
no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
In this passage, God is very explicit of God wants to remove the fallacies of how we
the type of relationship He is seeking with His think He views us or how we view Him. creation.
The word “know” in the Hebrew
How
often do we think God is taking a tally of our
brokenness.
wrong-doings?
wholeness so we can fulfill our destiny in Him.
Or how many times do we
He wants us to obtain His
think God is angry or even disappointed with us?
Or perhaps, we think we must earn
As the New Year begins, join me in this quest:
God ’ s love through our works and abilities.
Understand what “Love Revolution” means to
Each of these is a fallacy that He desires to
you.
remove from us.
heart and to bring forth all He desires for you.
He wants to revolutionize
our hearts with His love.
Allow God to minister truth to your
One thing I know for sure; God is on a mission
to
transform
your
heart
from
God is looking for us to be fully captivated by
darkness to light. He wants to revolutionize
Him.
your heart to be solely captivated by Him and
He desires for every area within our
hearts to be seized by Him.
He longs to
His love.
remove the fallacies and replace them with
In Him,
His truth about Who He is and who we are in
Melissa Pearce
Him.
Founder/President
He desires to bring forth healing to our
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). As we, on the Enduring Hope Ministries’ team move forward into 2014, we are excited about the new year and all the new things that the Lord will bring to His people. We serve a God that loves new beginnings! As in Genesis 1:1, He can create something magnificent out of nothing. He created the moon, the sun and the stars…the rolling meadows, the beautiful oceans and the majestic mountains! What a marvelous new beginning to our world! What an amazing Creator God! You may have experienced great heartache, loss, or illness in the past year. You may still be in that place or just numb from all that occurred in your life recently, and the prospect of a “happy new year” seems almost impossible to conceive. But the same God who created the heavens and earth in the beginning…. can bring about a new beginning for you as well. I encourage you to raise your level of expectation as you embark on this upcoming new year. Out of nothing, God can bring restoration, healing and hope! Let the words of Isaiah 43:19 resound in your heart: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Precious one, the Lord wants you to enjoy an abundant life now (John 10:10). Yes, disappointments and difficulties may have plagued you, and you are not sure if anything can possibly change! Let 2014 be the year when you make a decision to move forward and seek the Lord with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. In His presence, you will find everything you need. Let Him ignite your heart with His love so that you may remain unmoved by circumstances and difficulties. There is no better time than the beginning of a new year to start fresh. The God who created the heavens and the earth in the beginning of creation is calling you to a “new beginning” in Him! We on the EHM/Generation Hope team look forward to seeing you rise up and be all that God has created you to be! We invite you to journey with us in this new year and to experience Jesus in a new way. We hope and pray that 2014 is your best year yet! Keep in touch with us and let us know about all the NEW and exciting things He is doing in your life. He makes ALL things NEW!!! Happy New Year!!! Maureen Kurp Director of Generation Hope