point of hope - issue #1 - january 2014
DESCRIPTION
P.O.H. is a publication of Enduring Hope Ministries. Equipping and empowering women with the Word of God.TRANSCRIPT
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
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
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…
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
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 likeness
1
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
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
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
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
“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