Mark Hankins Ministries

February 2019 - Positive Expectation

My soul, wait thou only on God; for my expectation is from Him.  Psalms 62:5

While watching a college football game, I saw the team break from the huddle and line up for the next play. Everything looked normal until I noticed the quarterback had misjudged his position and was lined up behind the guard instead of the center.  When he called the play, nothing happened!  I had to laugh; he looked up, saw his mistake and made one step to the side.  This time, the center released the ball into his hands after the call and the play was executed.  Sometimes we need to make some adjustments in our expectation, like that quarterback, so that we can receive answers to prayer and see great things accomplished for God.

4 KINDS OF EXPECTATION

In Psalms 42:5, David spoke to his soul, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?  Hope thou in God.”  Hope is an expectation of good and is a necessary and valuable ingredient in faith. There are four kinds of expectation: negative, misguided, neutral and positive.

When it comes to negative expectation I’m reminded of the guy who was sleeping and someone put limburger cheese under his nose while he slept.  When he woke up, he went from room to room trying to find where the stink was coming from.  Finally, he went outside, took a deep breath and smelled that same odor and said, “The whole world stinks!”  It is a general attitude of negativity. 

Some people never decide to act upon the Word of God or make any changes in their lives.  This is called neutral expectation; their expectation never gets out of neutral.  “Someday” never comes and they are stuck in the same place year after year. 

An example of misguided expectation is when Naaman expected Elisha to wave his hand over him and his leprosy to disappear.  Instead, he had to humble himself to dip seven times in the muddy river. Like Naaman, who was offended at the prophet’s instructions, we must make adjustments, swallow our pride and obey the Word of the Lord in order to get a miracle.

Positive expectation is demonstrated by the woman in Mark 5, who suffered for twelve years with an issue of blood.  When she heard of Jesus, SHE PUT HER EXPECTATION AND HOPE ONLY IN JESUS.  She pressed through the crowd and touched his clothes.  She kept saying, “If I may but touch his clothes, I shall be made whole.”   Her positive expectation allowed her to lay hold of the healing power of Jesus.

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, “Who touched my clothes?”  But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.  And he said unto her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be made whole of thy plague.

Mark 5:27-34

HOW TO RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM GOD

         Positive expectation contains four elements this woman demonstrated:  First, she said if she could touch Jesus, she would be healed. Next, she acted: she pressed through the crowd and touched Jesus.  Then, she received and felt the power of God make her well.  Finally, she told it.  Jesus told Bro. Hagin that if anyone, anywhere did these four things, he or she could always receive, not only healing, but anything from God.

Have faith in God.  (Mark 11:22)

Take hold on God’s faithfulness. (Century)

These powerful words of Jesus in Mark 11:22 are the answer to every problem.  They silence complaining and blaming others or circumstances.  When you lay hold on God’s faithfulness, He takes hold on you.  One day, I was crossing a busy road with my little grandson, Dylan.  As we walked together, he was holding my hand tightly, but my grip on his hand was actually much stronger than his grip on mine. God’s grip on you is bigger than your grip on Him.

This hope, this positive expectation, is an anchor for your soul that reaches into the presence behind the veil even in the middle of the worst storm of life (Hebrews 6:19).  David said, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved,” (Psalms 62:5-6).  If necessary, make some adjustments in your expectation.  When your expectation is on God you will begin to experience God’s presence, help and provision.

GREAT EXPECTATION FOR 2019

2019 is a year of great expectation for MHM and our partners!  We believe to see the fulfillment of THE NEW!  We decree a year of breakthrough into a new spiritual dimension and abundance for you, our partners.    This month we want to offer you two CD sets: The Power of Positive Expectation, Hope: The Anchor for Your Soul, and the book, The Spirit of Faith.  Our God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

In Christ,
Mark and Trina

August 2018 - Faith: Our Response

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. - Romans 5:2

Grace is God’s grip on you. Faith is your grip on God. God’s grip on you is greater than your grip on Him. The Apostle Paul said, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus,” Philippians 3:12. One translation says, “I have not yet gotten ahold of what has gotten ahold of me.”

The reason faith is so important is because our faith gives us access to God’s grace. When my kids were little and we would walk across a busy street, I would tell them to hold my hand. While they were holding my hand, I was holding theirs, but my grip on them was much stronger than their grip on me. They thought they were holding my hand, but in reality, I was holding theirs.

Romans 5:17 says, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”  God’s abundant grace is what He has done for us in Christ. Faith is our response and acting on that abundant grace.  One translation of Romans 5:17 says, “God’s work in Christ far exceeds any damage done to us by Adam’s fall.”

As we can see in Romans 5:17-21, what God has done in Christ is greater than what satan has done in Adam. Grace shows us who we are in Christ. We see ourselves through the blood of Jesus and through the power of redemption in Christ. By faith we access that grace and hold fast to our confession of who we are in Christ.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.  - Ephesians 2:8

Again, we see the relationship between grace and faith. All of God’s grace is accessed by faith. The Lord said to me, “You can steal information, but you cannot steal revelation.” God Himself opens revelation to each believer and that is why we pray the prayer in Ephesians 1:17-23. God’s kingdom system has never been “hacked.” We use the word hacked because the greatest businesses in the world make extra efforts to keep their computer systems and information from being broken into by cyber criminals. But no matter how secure the world tries to make its system of information, there is always someone who can break into it.

God’s kingdom system, unlike the world’s, has never been and will never be hacked. If you got in, you were granted access. The moment you are granted access, there is a “download” of God’s goodness, God’s mercy, God’s grace, God’s provision, and God’s wisdom. One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 3:12 which states, “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” In Christ we are granted access into God’s kingdom system.

This is a NEW day for you to walk into an entirely NEW place of understanding and experiencing all God has planned for you!  You don’t want to miss this Faith package which includes the book, Faith Opens the Door to the Supernatural and THREE CD SETS – The Good Fight of Faith, Dare to Believe, and Whosoever Shall Have Whatsoever for your offering of $30 or more. 

We want to release our faith for you, our partner, to enter “The New” God has for you. It is a place of an overflow of revelation of Christ and His blessing in your life.  As we pull together financially and prayerfully, let’s believe for a harvest and overflow of souls, increase in book distribution, media, and for mighty doors opened to the gospel like never before! This is God’s Word to you: “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work,” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NET).

In Christ,
Mark and Trina