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P.O.H. is a publication of Enduring Hope Ministries. Equipping and empowering women with the Word of God.

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Page 1: Point Of Hope - Issue #1 - January 2014
Page 2: Point Of Hope - Issue #1 - January 2014

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

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

[email protected]

Page 3: Point Of Hope - Issue #1 - January 2014
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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. We are

honored and humbled that God has called us to be a voice for Him.

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

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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. Seasons

come that are good; seasons come that are delayed,

and we find ourselves asking for that longing to be

fulfilled!

So where do we go when a good season has ended?

Who do we call on when a tough season is beginning?

How do we respond and position ourselves spiritually

in the different seasons of our life?

Do we call on the Author of Life, God? Is He

positioned in the center of our lives, in good and bad

seasons? Is He the source that we receive strength

and hope from? Are we

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

source and being an

established blessing, and being a source of fruitfulness

in our lives – physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Is God the center of our lives? Does He remain in

that position even through adversity?

For when God created man in the garden, He placed

and planted man with Him. You see, God always

intended man to be with Himself from the beginning.

Adam walked with God in the garden. They were in

perfect relationship before the fall. God always

wanted to be with man, to be within man…they are one

in the same! That was complete unity, complete

union…

In Genesis, (The Book of Beginnings) 2:7-9 it says this:

“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the

ground and breathed into his nostrils the ‘breath of life’,

and the man became a living being. Now the Lord

God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and

there he put the man He had formed. And the Lord

God made all kinds of trees grow out of the

ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good

for food. In the middle of the garden were the‘ Tree

of Life, ” and the tree of the knowledge of good and

evil.”

So we see that when God ‘put

the man ’ it was man ’ s

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

be fruitful and multiply!

In the very position of “middle,” I hear the Lord saying,

“I am positioning life in the middle of you…You shall be

positioned in life…I shall be the center…Life in Me, the

Lord, in you, bringing forth life eternal… Eat from the

tree of good fruit for you shall produce – fruit.

Position yourself to be sustained by Me, your

Creator…”

Are we continuing to position ourselves in Him? Is He

truly the center of all we are and what we do? Do we

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…

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include Him on every decision? Is He the Lord of our

life? Do we give Him his rightful place?

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…

Can I encourage you in this? The ONLY position that

you need in life that will bring you complete wholeness

and that will produce from you good fruit to others is

the ‘position of being sustained by God, our Creator,

through a relationship with Jesus, the Son of God…’

No more striving! No more longing to measure up!

No more comparing yourself to others! Just give God

(Jesus) His rightful place and He does the rest. He

brings fulfillment! He brings the fruit through the Holy

Spirit.

Just position yourself and yield to Him! Let go and let

God! (Selah)

It sounds so simple. Yes, it really is, but man has

complicated it. We try to measure up and fill every

empty place of self-worth with other things … even

busyness … We try to fill in the gap of empty

promises…when all we need to do is let the “Author of

Life” Who created the ‘Tree of Life’…be the ‘Circle of

Life’ in us, here on the earth!

So as we reposition ourselves in Him, let’s go back to

the beginning. Let’s understand that He is the “Tree

of Life,” He is the “Fountain of Life,” who is the “River

of Life.” This represents the Trinity – the Father, the

Son and the Holy Spirit…all in one!

For as we are rooted and grounded in Him…He shall

continually water us, sustain us and produce from

within us…

For before man was created it was the“…Streams that

came up from the earth and watered the whole surface

of the ground…” Genesis 2: 6…THE FOUNDATION

has been laid … He is the fountain that continually

flows … He is the River in our life that continually

washes and cleanses us…and produces from within…

Let the root of Him produce, as we are “…Rooted and

established in Him, (In LOVE)…which produces power

and fills us to the measure of HIS fullness…

So if you need to fill measured … and need to be

established … be rooted IN HIM … His Spirit is given

without measure! You have heard the phrase: ‘The

sky is the limit ’ … which we all know cannot be

measured!

Let’s give Him His rightful place in our lives and in our

minds…For our minds have deceived us thinking that

He cannot … but He promises: “ He IS ABLE to do

immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine,

according to His power that is at work within us…SO

THAT ALL GLORY goes to Him … throughout all

generations, for ever and ever” (Ephesians 3: 20-21).

So if you are longing for a ‘position’ to be recognized,

know that this is the highest position possible…and it

can’t even be measured!

Written By:

Mary Beth Pecora

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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!

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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 likeness

1

with the ability to be creative. We create every day. We

1

Genesis 1:26

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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

Page 12: Point Of Hope - Issue #1 - January 2014

hat is the key to unlocking a woman ’ s

heart to fulfill her destiny? Is it people or

perhaps even money? Or is it position?

Each of these items can appear to advance

one closer to her calling. However, what

ultimately unlocks a lady ’s heart to fulfill her

destiny is rooted in one word: love.

However, it’s not just any ordinary love. It is

the agape love of God. God is love (1 John

4:8) and He desires to touch a heart with all of

Him. His love is unconditional, meaning He

does not base His love for us on what we do,

but He receives us and loves us as we are,

with an everlasting love. Romans 5:8: But

God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s love is not only unconditional, but also

limitless. There is no end to the love He has

for us. I love the passage in Romans 5:8, for

it truly depicts the heart of God.

Over the past year, I have been on this

journey with God to further understand the

desires of His heart – specifically His love.

I wanted to further understand how God loves.

How does God want me to see Him through

His love? How does God want me to see

myself through His love? And how does

God want me to love others with His love?

As I continued to sit before Him, one thing

became very evident to me. A heart

captivated by His love would lose all barriers

W

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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. Yet, I kept

pressing into Him. 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

that perceives God a certain way will not only

view Him in that light, but it will also

determine how one interacts with Him.

God created us to be relational with Him.

This is His delight - we are His delight. He

wants an intimate relationship with us. In

Isaiah 43:10: You are my witness, declares

the Lord, and my servant whom I have

chosen, so that you may know and believe

me and understand that I am he. Before me

no god was formed, nor will there be one after

me. In this passage, God is very explicit of

the type of relationship He is seeking with His

creation. The word “know” in the Hebrew

means to know, to understand, as well as a

reference to sexual expressions. This same

word “know” is used in Genesis 4:1 when it

states: Now Adam knew His wife, Eve. God is

not looking for a superficial relationship, nor is

He looking for a relationship based on works.

God wants a deep intimate relationship with

you and me. This level of intimacy would be

described as the closeness shared between a

husband and wife. When one is intimate

with another, he/she is real, honest, and

expressive with that person.

God wants to remove the fallacies of how we

think He views us or how we view Him. How

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often do we think God is taking a tally of our

wrong-doings? Or how many times do we

think God is angry or even disappointed with

us? Or perhaps, we think we must earn

God ’ s love through our works and abilities.

Each of these is a fallacy that He desires to

remove from us. He wants to revolutionize

our hearts with His love.

God is looking for us to be fully captivated by

Him. He desires for every area within our

hearts to be seized by Him. He longs to

remove the fallacies and replace them with

His truth about Who He is and who we are in

Him. He desires to bring forth healing to our

brokenness. He wants us to obtain His

wholeness so we can fulfill our destiny in Him.

As the New Year begins, join me in this quest:

Understand what “Love Revolution” means to

you. Allow God to minister truth to your

heart and to bring forth all He desires for you.

One thing I know for sure; God is on a

mission to transform your heart from

darkness to light. He wants to revolutionize

your heart to be solely captivated by Him and

His love.

In Him,

Melissa Pearce

Founder/President

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“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

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