Staff -founder / president Melissa Pearce
-copy editor Laurie Hamby
-contributing writers Jamie Clawson Katie Cline Pastor Chuck Hamby Maureen Kurp Melissa Pearce Ronald Pearce Mary Beth Pecora
Get More Can’t get enough? Checkout more articles and happenings at: www.EnduringHopeMinistries.com
Join us on Facebook at: www.facbook.com/enduringhopeministries
Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/EHMhopeendures
Contact contact@enduringhopeministries.com
As I was preparing for this upcoming magazine issue, I believe the Lord wanted me to encourage each of you for the need to persevere.
For many of us, the winter season has been a very long, cold, and brutal with no end in sight (or so it seems). Yet, we forget that this is only a season. Winter will come to an end and spring will shine forth. This is the same for you and me. perseverance with God.
Many of us have been in a season of
For many, it has been a very long season, and we
wonder will we ever have a breakthrough.
I’m here to tell you – YES!
You will
get a breakthrough, but you need to persevere just a little while longer. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me (NKJVPhilippians 3:12).
We must continue to press on. We cannot allow our hearts to grow cold towards God, others, or the mission He has set before us. We must continue to operate out of love and compassion and not be fueled by desperation and fear. We must endure the brutality of the season but realize we serve a God who is in control of
this season within our lives. God doesn’t want us giving up or giving in. He wants us to fight, to push forward, and to endure no matter what. God wants our attitudes to reflect that of His Son, Jesus.
Jesus had an unstoppable spirit. He persevered until God’s mission was
complete. God wants us to have an unstoppable spirit until the mission He had ordained for our lives comes to completion. The only way a heart will be unstoppable is if the heart is rooted in the Father’s love.
Jesus did not only know about the Father’s
love, but also He was rooted in His love. -- Love is the fuel that will cause you to reach your destiny. I pray the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (2 Thessalonians 3:5) -You are able, because He is Able!
~In Him Melissa Pearce Founder/President Enduring Hope Ministries
M y Husband or M y K ids?
Fam ily or M inistry?
When God made the world, He did it with precision and order. He never gets His priorities out of balance. As His children, we have the opportunity to emulate our Father, and when we do our lives have balance and order as well. Though our society, the media, or even our extended family may tell us differently – God has established this order of priorities: God, Husband, Children, Ministry. God – He deserves first place in your life. I could quote a thousand scriptures here, but one will suffice – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) Husband – He is God’s gift to you. You are partners in life. Neglecting him is like neglecting your own body. “…and the two shall become one flesh.” (Matthew 19:5) Children – They are a reward from the Lord. You are to love them and train them in the way they should go. “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” (Psalm 78: 5-7) Ministry – Being a loving wife and mother are themselves positions in ministry. Other service is to come after devotion to family. “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy…” (Proverbs 31:20) If you find it difficult to prioritize your life in this way, try these SIMPLE Tips… 1. Set aside at least 5 or 10 minutes every day to read God’s Word and sit before Him. 2. Schedule a date night with your husband at least once a month. 3. Spend quality time with your children, but set limits. All the family’s activities don’t need to focus around their schedules. Figure out how many days a month you’re out of the house for ministry and prioritize properly with respect to God, your husband, and your kids.
~Jamie Clawson Administrator at Generation Hope jamie@enduringhopeministries.com
What is hope?
Webster defines hope as
and not fulfill?”
God wants us to place our
“ to trust, reliance and/or desire with
hope in Him.
expectation of fulfillment. ”
God is different from man.
Our hope is
We need to recognize God cannot go
generated from what and who we believe in.
against His character.
When we place our
How many times do we place emphasis on
hope in Him, we are trusting Him to bring
our own abilities or expectations in others,
about the end result.
and yet the desired fulfillment is never
place our expectation in the outcome, we
reached?
are setting ourselves up for deception.
However, when we
We
have to be careful not to assume what the God ’ s desire is for us to have our hope in
end result will be.
Him.
our hope in Him – and
In order to trust someone, we have
God wants us to place Him alone - and
to believe in the character of the person
not what we think He can deliver to us or for
and/or the actions that support his/her
us.
nature.
Numbers 23:19: “ God is not a
man, that he should lie, nor a son of man,
I believe many are entering into a new
that he should change his mind.
season with God where He is asking them
speak and then not act?
Does he
Does he promise
to place their hope and trust in Him even
more. It is a season of truly walking by faith
You see, every heart needs hope.
and not by sight.
what gives the soul, body and spirit, life –
For me personally, I
know this is what He is asking.
I ’ ll be
and God is the Author of life.
Hope is
He came so
honest with you; it has not been an easy
we could have life in the fullest, and part of
season.
attaining life is being filled with His joy and
Even though God has proven
Romans 15:13 states: May the
Himself faithful to me in the past, at times, I
peace.
struggle with where He is leading me.
I
God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
find I’m resisting Him versus resting in Him.
as you trust in him, so that you may
There are projects He is asking me to
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy
accomplish for Him, but at the same time, I
Spirit.
find myself having difficulty yielding to Him
with hope, but it ’ s not done through
and His ways.
circumstances.
flesh.
Why? Bottom line, it’s my
I ’ m fearful that “ I ” will fail.
I’m
God wants our hearts to overflow
The empowerment comes
from His Holy Spirit.
As we continue to
relying on my own ability to accomplish the
place our trust, reliance and expectation in
tasks instead of placing my hope in the One
God, He in turn fills our hearts with an
Who has called me to fulfill the works.
I
overflow of hope that is accompanied by
am operating out of my own strength and
His joy and peace. We must realize that our
energy.
Yet God reminds me in His
hope is not conjured up by anything we can
merciful way that all I have to do is turn to
do, but only by placing our expectation in
Him and He will be the One to strengthen
Him alone.
me.
Isaiah 40:30-31: Even youths grow
tired and weary, and young men stumble
If we are to obtain our hope from God, then
and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will
why do we so quickly lose our hope when
renew their strength.
we are faced with adversity? I believe it is
They will soar on
wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
because our focus has shifted.
weary, they will walk and not be faint.
allowed our attention to be upon the
When we place our hope in God, He will be
circumstances before us and not on Him
our strength.
Who is above every situation.
No matter how daunting the
We have
The end
task may be at hand, He will be our
result, our hope gets depleted and fear and
confidence and help us to succeed.
doubt start to rule within.
Yet, God reveals through His Word how to
their hope in Him, will never be put to
overcome the state of hopelessness, fear
shame.
and doubt and to revitalize our hearts with
that He will handle the situation that is at
hope again.
hand in our lives for our good and His glory.
The promise of His faithfulness is
Trust Him; He won’t fail you. The first part of the answer is found in Psalm 55:22: Cast your cares on the LORD
The second part of the equation is found is
and he will sustain you; he will never let the
Romans 5:5.
righteous fall.
Too often, what sucks the
hope does not disappoint us, because God
life and hope out of us is when we try to
has poured out his love into our hearts by
carry life’s burdens by our own means.
the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Romans 5:5 states “ And
It
will be in our realization of the love He has We have a role to play.
We have to cast
for us.
When we capitalize on the love
our cares upon the Lord.
We have to give
God has for us, our hearts will be sustained
Him everything that is burdening us down.
with His hope.
To cast your cares on the LORD means
disappointment, hopelessness fear, anxiety
that you are placing your faith and hope in
or doubt to deplete our hearts.
Him to handle the situation that you are
choose to rest in His love and the love He
facing.
You also recognize Who He is.
has for us, giving us life and hope to help us
He is the Almighty One, the Sufficient One,
fulfill all He had called us to do for Him and
and the One Who can handle every
His Kingdom.
situation that we face. Who will sustain us.
We will not allow
We will
He is the One
By realizing that He
David the Psalmist spoke it so beautifully
sustains us, we understand that our hope
when he stated, “ Find rest, O my soul, in
not only comes from Him but also is in Him
God alone; my hope comes from him ”
and not in our own abilities, gifts, talents or
(Psalm 62:5). Obtaining hope only comes
strengths.
when you turn to Him Who is Hope.
He is the One Who is going to
be our Source.
He will be the One to
move us from point A to point B.
In
conclusion, we see the promise of God ’ s faithfulness when we place our hope in Him. He will never let the righteous fall.
God’s
people, who seek Him, trust Him and put
In Him, Melissa Pearce Founder/President Enduring Hope Ministries Visit: www.EnduringHopeMinistries.com
March is the month noted for being “breezy.”
In my boyhood, the winters in
Missouri were often harsh, and we kept the house closed up with plastic over the windows and rags at the bottom of the door to keep the cold air out. When March came, we knew winter’s icy blast was drawing to a close. We knew the plastic would come off the windows, the rags would go and the early spring would find open windows and fresh air filling the house with its vitality. Our study of weather patterns is a little more sophisticated than in the first century.
Now we can measure the meteorological high pressure areas and the
low pressure areas and can predict what the wind direction and speed will be (at least some of the time). But all of our knowledge in the world doesn’t change the fact that a kite and a breeze can bring the kid out in all of us. There is something rejuvenating about a fresh spring breeze. How often, however, we go through the day ignoring these little preludes to spring. We fuss because they mess up our hair or they ruffle our clothes and interfere with our business. The
word
for
“wind” in Greek is the same word for “spirit.” How often we
go through
our day without regard
for the Spirit of God Who is calling us, wooing
us
into
a
more
dwelling of our soul and spirit and clear the clutter.
vital Breezes are powerful. They move big
relationship with Jesus. In John 14, sailing ships, they turn wind mills to Jesus calls Him, “the Spirit of truth.” pump water, grind corn, and even Do you remember Jesus’ response to make electricity.
They dry clothes…
Thomas? He said, “… I am the way, and the list goes on and on. Airplanes the truth, and the life….” fly because there is a wind blowing In John 16:5-15, Jesus gives a
over their wings.
discourse on what the Holy Spirit will There
is
a
science
about
do when He comes. One of His understanding the power and force of “offices” is to teach us about Jesus. moving air; it is called aerodynamics. They know each other intimately; the This knowledge helps us to harness Spirit will share the Father and the the power of the wind but not control Son with us. But we must be aware of it.
We
still
have
our
cyclones,
His blowing and moving in our every tornadoes, and hurricanes. living moment. This is not easy On the day of Pentecost those in the because we live in an active, busy, upper room heard the sound of a even hectic world that demands our rushing, mighty wind. The scriptures attention and concentration. This is say that it filled the house where they often
a
distraction;
the
urgent were sitting and they were all filled
detracts us from the important and with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). our lives get cluttered. We need to This began the miraculous birth of the open the windows of our mind, will, powerful church. The timid and fearful and emotions and pray for the Breeze disciples of almost two months ago of Heaven to blow through the were transformed.
Peter who had denied
“ It was in the void and chaos of creation that the Spirit of God moved....”
Jesus all. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, before a few strangers around a fire and forever. and
a
servant
girl
was
Have we become those
now timid disciples huddled in closed
proclaiming that the crucified Jesus rooms afraid that we may be found was alive and that they all were His out? If this is true, more than ever we followers. Are you kidding me?! What need the Wind of the Holy Spirit to happened to Peter? The answer is the “march” through and destroy the fear, Breath of God blew over him and he the doubt, and the timidity that has was forever changed. plagued His people. Those of us who are born of the Spirit It was in the void and chaos of are also powerful. We need to set our creation that the Spirit of God moved, hearts and minds toward the things of and look what happened: the Spirit as much as a pilot needs to Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God set the instruments and controls for created
the
heavens
and
the
taking off and landing an airplane. earth. 2The earth was formless and There are spiritual laws (like the law void, and darkness was over the of gravity in nature) that are always surface of the deep, and the Spirit of true. As we follow these laws, we will God was moving over the surface of begin seeing the same power the 3
the waters.
Then God said, “Let
early church saw. there
be
light”;
and
there
was
4
We have been told by some that the light.
God saw that the light was
days of miracles are past; they were good; and God separated the light for the beginning of the church. The from the darkness. 5
Bible says that God doesn’t change at God called the light day, and the
“ That Holy Spirit..was sent by Jesus to make you an overcomer.”
The story is told of a young
man
who
went to Wednesday evening Bible study.
darkness He called night. And there The study was on doing the will of was evening and there was morning, God. As he got in his car he silently one day. What would happen in your prayed, “Okay God, whatever you ask life if you were aware of the presence of the Spirit of God hovering over you? me to do, I’ll do it.”
With that, he
started his car and began traveling How would you change? What would home.As he was driving, he was be different? I hope there would be impressed to buy a gallon of milk. “I little difference, because you would don’t need milk,” he thought. Then he still be you. God is the One who remembered his promise to God, so designed you. The thief (a.k.a. the he stopped and bought a gallon of devil) has tried to kill you, steal milk. “I can use the milk anyway, in everything God has given to you, and case I am mistaken,” he thought. destroy everything you love. Jesus He continued driving and felt that has come to destroy the works of the same urge to turn left. “That isn’t the enemy. That Holy Spirit Who wants to way to my house,” he argued to hover over you was sent by Jesus to himself. This was a little harder than make you an overcomer. He has come buying a gallon of milk. He passed the to
make
you
mighty
and intersection and the feeling only got
“naturally-supernatural.”
You stronger. He had to turn around and
probably won’t “leap tall buildings in a make the proper turn. He continued single bound, or be “faster than a through a combination residential/ speeding bullet…” but you will have industrial area peace. When you pray you
will
and
felt
that
be pesky urge again...Pullover and stop.
aware
of
God’s answers.
It was late and the houses there were
asked gruffly. “Here, this is for you,”
mostly dark, except for one light on in
the young man said and quickly
one home. The urge continued, “Take
started to leave. Too late! A young
the milk to that house with the light
woman was carrying the crying baby,
on.”
speaking in Spanish…the man at the
All kinds of thoughts went
through his mind
door was saying something to her in
as he sat and argued with his
Spanish; it was pandemonium.
conscience.
“Well,”
he
finally The man who answered the door
reasoned, “If I’m going to be a fool, began explaining, “We had just paid I’d rather be one for Jesus than all of our bills and we didn’t have anyone else.” enough money for the baby’s milk.” At that time, the light went out. “Oh
The young mother interrupted him,
great!” he thought, “They’ve gone to
“We asked God to send an angel.
bed and now I’ll be disturbing them.
Are you an angel?” By this time, the
I’ll get shot as an intruder,” but the
young man who had been on his way
urge persisted. He went to the door
home from Bible study, was stunned
and knocked.
and amazed at what happened.
A muffled voice in
broken English came from the back of See what can happen when we allow the house, “Who’s there? What do God the Holy Spirit to hover over us you want? Don’t you know it’s late?” and blow His winds of redemption Then a baby started crying.
He through us?
Are your windows open
exclaimed, while waiting on the front for His breath to blow through your porch, “Oh, brother! Am I in trouble life? now!” ~Pastor Chuck Hamby Just then, the door burst open and a Cornerstone TeleVision man stood in his bare feet, jeans, and a t-shirt. “What do you want?” he
Are you convinced that as a believer you are more than a conqueror? Scripture says that we are not only a conqueror but MORE THAN a conqueror! As we begin, let’s define “conqueror. ”
The word means to subdue, to win, to
overcome by force… Have we conquered our own negative thoughts of who we are IN CHRIST? Have we settled deep within our hearts that, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8: 31). Dear ones, God is for YOU!
When Moses was commissioned by God at the
burning bush, as the one to be sent, God reassured him saying, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3: 12).
When God was encouraging the entire nation of Israel through the prophet Isaiah He said this: God.
“…Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right
hand” (Isaiah 41: 10). Are you fearful?
God is promising that He is with you—and not only with you—
but will “uphold” you with His hand! When God wanted the temple to be rebuilt, He spoke this through Haggai, the Prophet, the Messenger, saying this to the people: Lord” (Haggai 1: 13).
“I am with you; declares the
Just as we see the same thing being
In Isaiah 53: 12, speaking of Jesus, it
spoken to various people in the Bible,
says, “…For He bore the sin of many
the sakedness or danger or sword? ”
and
(Romans 8: 34-35).
transgressors.”
“Know that in all these things (in all the
Yes, Jesus, “ He is able to save
hardships, in all the fear, in all the
completely those who come to God
doubt, in all the disappointment…etc.)
through Him, because He always lives
WE
to intercede” (Hebrews 7: 25).
ARE
CONQUERORS loved us…”
MORE through
THAN Him
made
intercession
for
the
who For we have one… “Who speaks to the
(Romans 8: 37).
Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, Jesus is interceding for us!
The King The Righteous One” (1 John 2: 1).
of Glory is for us and praying things into existence for us.
He sees the
Even at those times when we feel we
past, the present and the future … our
need to defend ourselves, we must
future … our victories … and He forever
remember HE is our defense and He is
stands to make intercession on our
our defender.
behalf….
means being silent and letting him BE
Yes, sometimes that
our defense! Look at what I learned about His intercession.
When Job, in his
He moves and speaks on our behalf
suffering, was crying out to God, he
and is the one who turns things around
said this; “My advocate is on high; my
for us…He has the final word!
intercessor is my friend, as my eyes
the final Word!
pour out tears to God” (Job 16: 19-20).
our
mediator,
He is
He is our advocate, who
fights
and
intercedes for us. The word ‘ intercessor ’ in Hebrew is translated “mediator.”
Yes, my friends, if God is for us who
“ can be against us?
It’s time to answer
So know this:
YOU ARE not just one
that question declaring NO ONE or
who is a conqueror but MORE THAN a
NOTHING can come against us that
conqueror IN Christ Jesus!
will destroy us because He is our Are you convinced yet? defense!
He is our strength.
If not, let Him
He is convince you of that, for His Word does
our high tower.
He is our shelter…He not lie.
is our protector!
It is truth, and His truth shall
Nothing in life, that set us free … free of our unbelief of
we encounter, is powerful enough to whom we are IN HIM!
Seek to
take God away! encounter Him to be convinced… That’s why we MUST NOT ONLY know Being Convinced With You, Him, but encounter Him; for His Mary Beth Pecora encounter becomes our shield as we encounter the difficulties of life … of hurts … of pain and sorrow. encounter,
His
strong
His
encounter,
enables us to be convinced and persuaded to declare: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord ” (Romans 8: 38).
What if the guy I like isn’t a Christian?” - “What if my boyfriend knows Jesus but isn’t at the same level as me?” “My boyfriend and I both love God, so how do we keep our relationship pure?” Over the past several months, as Generation Hope has begun doing outreach, we have asked young women what areas of concern they would like to see addressed regarding our generation and the challenges they face. By far, the number one response was – BOYS! In this month’s article we will focus on the first question… “What if the guy I like isn’t a Christian?” My friends and I call this “missionary dating.” Your motives may seem justified: You like/love this person. You want him to know Christ, and you probably think you’re the best person to lead him to Jesus. It may seem logical he will change for you and get
onboard with Jesus, because he loves you. Yet the Bible says: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14, NIV). Maybe you think God is being too harsh. What’s the harm, anyway? Doesn’t He know how much you like this person? That you’re not going to change what you believe about God when your
“What if the guy I like isn’t a Christian?” boyfriend questions you? Friend, if you are so rooted and grounded in Christ that you cannot be swayed from what you believe, then you should believe what God says and stay away from a dangerous situation. If a relationship’s foundation is not in Christ, then it will be rooted in your emotions.
As your emotions and affections grow for this person, he will have more and more influence over your decisions and your beliefs. You may think this is untrue, but why else would God specifically warn us about this exact situation? He knows what’s best for you, and following Him wholeheartedly will lead you closer to Him and to the wonderful plan and purpose He has for you. This guy you like probably isn’t a “bad” person. I’m not telling you to judge him. I’m asking you to check your heart. Like any issue we face in our spiritual lives, it
comes down to the heart. The simple, yet hard truth of the matter is that anything that comes before God in your life is an idol. We may want to try to justify the relationship we want, or excuse away some answers from Scripture, but at the end of the day – and at the end of our lives – Jesus is the One Who will always be there. Your God is jealous for you! He is head-over-heels in love with you, and the love He gives requires complete allegiance. Ere your heart lies: 1.Who is the first person you think about when you wake up? 2. When a problem arises, who do you want to talk to about it? 3. Joe Boyfriend has a hockey game this Sunday. He wants you to miss church to come watch him play. Are you going to do it? What about next
Sunday? And the one after that? 4. “It’s just a frat party. I saw some of your other old youth group friends there last time. Don’t you want to be with me?” Are you going to the party? 5. He’s going to break up with you if you don’t sleep with him, or at least stop “breathing down his neck” about God. Who are you going to pick? It might not be a pretty scene that you find yourself in. But God’s a master at getting us out of the miry clay. Check your motives and fall before the One Who will never leave you! One last thing - Jesus said “without Me, you can do nothing.” We may know Christ as savior and be trying to live a Christian life…but following a bunch of rules becomes drudgery if you’re not following a Man instead of a religion. Let Him capture your heart before any guy does, and your solid foundation in Christ will never be shaken. Written By: ~Jamie Clawson Administrator at Generation Hope jamie@enduringhopeministries.com
“