Mark Hankins Ministries

The Holy Spirit: Our Strengthener

I have found that the Holy Spirit has a reputation for working with some real losers and making them champions! Smith Wigglesworth, said that with the power of the Holy Spirit, he was a thousand times bigger on the inside than he was on the outside. He said, “The Holy Spirit has power over your intellect and power over your voice. He has the power to magnify Christ in a way you never could without his help.” The Holy Spirit will take what Christ has done for you and translate it into your personal victory (John 16:13-15 AMPC).

There is an effective prayer found in Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul prays that God, through the Holy Spirit’s power, “...would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” The Holy Spirit lives in you, the believer, and supplies strength to the things in your character that may be weak. His assignment is to take all Jesus has done for you and make it a reality in you.

Jesus said in John 16:7, “It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

The Greek word for Comforter is parakletos. It not only means consolation, sympathy in sorrow or distress, but it includes much more. William Barclay describes the work of the parakletos this way: “The function of the Holy Spirit is to fill a man with the spirit of power and courage; which would make him triumphantly cope with life. The narrowing of the word “comforter” has resulted in the undue narrowing of the work of the Holy Spirit. He is called in to render service; to help in a situation with which a man by himself cannot cope; He will keep a man on his feet when left to himself would collapse. The Holy Spirit enables him to pass the breaking point and not break.”

One powerful way the Holy Spirit strengthens and helps us is by making intercession for us. Romans 8:26,27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” P.C. Nelson explains the Greek meaning for that phrase is: “groanings that cannot be uttered in your articulate speech.” The Holy Spirit comes to our aid when we are at a loss as to what to say or how to pray. The Holy Spirit takes hold together with us when we pray.

Rick Renner gives this insight on the Greek meaning of the word “infirmities.” He explains that this is a crippling disease, mental oppression, a terminal condition, and reoccurring plague, which is incurable. It is as if a person has fallen into a pit with no way of escape. YOU MAY HAVE GIVEN UP, BUT HE NEVER DOES! This is when the Holy Spirit, who is your Helper, your First Responder, gets in the pit with you, makes intercession, and lifts you out of an incurable or hopelessly reoccurring situation.

One way to strengthen yourself spiritually is to build yourself up on your most holy faith by praying in the Spirit. The only way you can be defeated is if you are spiritually depleted. Jude 20 says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” The New English Bible uses the words, “fortify yourselves.” The Amplified Bible says, “make spiritual progress.” You are actually enriching your faith when you pray in the Spirit.

For example, the substance Uranium-235 (U-235) can be compared to the substance of your faith (Romans 12:3; Hebrews 11:1). U-235 is used to make nuclear power and once U-235 is enriched; it becomes extremely powerful. Just one pound of highly enriched U-235 can be used to power a nuclear submarine or aircraft carrier for 25 years and is equal to about a million gallons of gasoline. When you consider the fact that a pound of U-235 is smaller than a baseball and a million gallons of gasoline would fill a container as tall as a five-story building, you get an idea of the amount of energy available in just a little bit of enriched U-235!

U-235 which is enriched to 2-3% is used for civilian use such as electricity. However, weapons-grade U-235 must be enriched to over 90% for it to have explosive amounts of power. Just as U-235 can be enriched, your faith can be enriched as you pray in the Spirit. Just a little mustard seed size of enriched faith can move a mountain. It will cause you to rise out of the pit you have been in. With the help of the Holy Spirit, your Strengthener, you will gain a tremendous advantage and win an overwhelming victory!

This month we would like to offer you our book, The Holy Spirit is a Genius, and our 4 CD set, The Holy Spirit: My Best Friend for your offering of $20 or more. We believe these resources will give further light and revelation of the help and strength that come from the Holy Spirit.

FAITH TO FAITH AND GLORY TO GLORY

We are thankful to be celebrating 50 years of preaching and teaching the Word of God around the world this year. We are also excited that our new MHM Conference Center is over 75% completed and will help expand our reach even further in 2023. We are so thankful for our wonderful partners who pray for us, give, and are a constant encouragement to us as we take this message of faith to many nations. We declare this blessing to you, “You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus,” Philippians 4:19 (MSG).

In Christ,

Mark & Trina Hankins

November 2020 -  Pass the Breaking Point

CHARGED UP

While traveling through the airport, I looked high and low for a place to charge my cell phone. I noticed a group of people gathered around a station where you could plug in any model of phone for a quick energy charge.  Even though my phone had 100,000 different sources of information on it, none of them were useful if my phone ran out of power.  So, I pressed in to get my phone plugged in!

It is the same with a Christian.  We have limitless possibilities in Christ, but none work if our spirits are not charged up.  There is a gauge on cell phones that shows how much power the battery has.  Wouldn’t it be great if Christians had a power gauge on their foreheads?  When the power is low, faith, love and joy begin to get weak.  Cell phones usually need to be charged up daily.  God is the only self-energizing Being and we have to be charged continuously with the power that comes from Him.  I love Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.  This is a post-resurrection prayer every Christian should pray daily.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 Recognize the Power on the Inside

Most prayers we pray have to do with the things outside us, but this prayer in Ephesians 3 has to do with the inner man. “...even though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day,” 2 Corinthians 4:16.  When I was in San Diego, I noticed many buildings had cables running along the outside from the top to the bottom, corner to corner. When I asked why, I found out that these buildings had been built without proper reinforcements to preserve them from damage during an earthquake. They had gone back with the cables to strengthen these structures so they wouldn’t collapse.

The first thing Paul prays in Ephesians 3 is for our spirits to be strengthened.   There must be a reinforcing of the Holy Spirit to keep us from collapsing during difficult times. The Philips translation puts Ephesians 3:16 this way, “…and I pray then that out of the glorious richness of his resources he will enable you to know the strength of the Spirit’s inner reinforcement….”

 Passing the Breaking Point

The Greek word “Parakletos” is translated Comforter and gives a wonderful description one of the functions of the Holy Spirit.  His activity is to comfort (parakalein in the Greek).  It means to exhort or urge and the example given is a general who exhorts his troops who are about to go into battle.  He rallies and cheers them to fight, to accept the risk of battle.  He will give a speech to urge others on and put courage into the faint-hearted.  He is one who makes a very ordinary man cope gallantly with a perilous and dangerous situation. It is the kind of comfort and consolation in distress which keeps a man on his feet, when, left to himself, he would collapse. It is the comfort which enables a man or woman to pass the breaking point and not to break. (William Barclay)

There are four ways we can strengthen or charge our spirits.  (1) PRAY IN THE SPIRIT.  When we pray in the Spirit, we are speaking to God and are edified, built up, or charged (Jude 20; 1 Corinthians 14:2).  (2) FEED ON THE WORD.  Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Matthew 4:4; Romans 10:17).  (3) SPEAK THE WORD AND PRAISE GOD.  “Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have established strength,” “perfected praise.” (Psalm 8:2; Matt. 21:16; Jeremiah 1:12, Joshua 1:8; Revelation 12:11) (4) SUPERNATURAL RELATIONSHIPS.  God has designed the body of Christ with “joints” and “ligaments” knit together for the supply of nourishment (Colossians 2:19; Hebrews 10:24,25)

Because of supernatural relationships and partnerships in Jesus’ ministry and in the early church great things were accomplished. Likewise, we thank God for you, our partners! Because of your financial and prayer support, lives are daily transformed by the Word received through books, television, the internet, social media and our MHM app.  Check out our new products on the insert included in this letter!  Ground is about to be broken for the new MHM Conference Center, which will host conferences and prayer.  Many who have been blessed from the Word distributed by MHM are contributing, and construction will soon begin! Many are giving $1,000 or any amount to help meet our remaining goal of $400,000. “And those who are taught the Word must share all good things with their teacher; a sharing of wealth takes place between them.” Galatians 6:6 (TPT).  This is our promise from Philippians 4:19: “My God shall supply all YOUR needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 In Christ,

Mark and Trina