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Bob Hoekstra
Robert Lee “Bob” Hoekstra (1940 - 2011). American pastor, Bible teacher, and ministry director born in Southern California. Converted in his early 20s, he graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology in 1973. Ordained in 1967, he pastored Calvary Bible Church in Dallas, Texas, for 14 years (1970s-1980s), then Calvary Chapel Irvine, California, for 11 years (1980s-1990s). In the early 1970s, he founded Living in Christ Ministries (LICM), a teaching outreach, and later directed the International Prison Ministry (IPM), started by his father, Chaplain Ray Hoekstra, in 1972, distributing Bibles to inmates across the U.S., Ukraine, and India. Hoekstra authored books like Day by Day by Grace and taught at Calvary Chapel Bible Colleges, focusing on grace, biblical counseling, and Christ’s sufficiency. Married to Dini in 1966, they had three children and 13 grandchildren. His radio program, Living in Christ, aired nationally, and his sermons, emphasizing spiritual growth over self-reliance, reached millions. Hoekstra’s words, “Grace is God freely providing all we need as we trust in His Son,” defined his ministry. His teachings, still shared online, influenced evangelical circles, particularly within Calvary Chapel
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Bob Hoekstra preaches on the importance of relying on the sufficiency of God in the midst of battles, using Moses as an example who pointed Israel to the Lord for battle. Despite facing inevitable battles in the Promised Land, Moses reminded the people not to be afraid or rely on worldly resources, but to trust in the Lord who fights for His people against their enemies to save them.
Moses Pointing to the Lord for Battle
Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. (Deuteronomy 20:3-4) Moses is another example of those who lived by grace in the Old Testament. He knew the necessity of relying upon the sufficiency of God, instead of upon the inadequate resources of man. One illustration of this is seen when he pointed Israel to the Lord for battle. When the children of Israel would enter into the Promised Land, innumerable battles would lie before them. These battles were inevitable, since godless nations had entrenched themselves in the land: "because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you" (Deuteronomy 9:5). Thus, the history of Israel documents one battle after another. Moses announced the truth that the people of the Lord need to hear as the battle draws near. "Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them." So often, when the warfare appears, the foe seems invincible. "When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you" (Deuteronomy 20:1). The natural temptation is to "faint . . . be afraid . . . tremble or be terrified." Another temptation is to try to match the enemy horse for horse and chariot for chariot. The scriptures warn of the futility of turning to worldly resources. "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 31:1). Moses knew that God's people need a reminder that the Lord wants to be our hope. When we must go into the battles of life, the Lord accompanies us. "For the LORD your God is He who goes with you." He is with us not only to comfort us, but also to battle on our behalf: "to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." The Lord can fight for His people in an unlimited variety of ways. He can change the hearts of those who oppose us. He can bring their plans to naught. He can trap them in their own evil plans. He can cause our enemies to turn and devour one another. He can effectively save us in any manner that He chooses. O Lord, my defender, I face many battles that leave me intimidated and fearful. My hope is often placed in my own worldly strategies or the help that man can offer. Lord, I look to You afresh to fight for me to rescue me any way You chose, for Your glory and honor, Amen.
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Robert Lee “Bob” Hoekstra (1940 - 2011). American pastor, Bible teacher, and ministry director born in Southern California. Converted in his early 20s, he graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology in 1973. Ordained in 1967, he pastored Calvary Bible Church in Dallas, Texas, for 14 years (1970s-1980s), then Calvary Chapel Irvine, California, for 11 years (1980s-1990s). In the early 1970s, he founded Living in Christ Ministries (LICM), a teaching outreach, and later directed the International Prison Ministry (IPM), started by his father, Chaplain Ray Hoekstra, in 1972, distributing Bibles to inmates across the U.S., Ukraine, and India. Hoekstra authored books like Day by Day by Grace and taught at Calvary Chapel Bible Colleges, focusing on grace, biblical counseling, and Christ’s sufficiency. Married to Dini in 1966, they had three children and 13 grandchildren. His radio program, Living in Christ, aired nationally, and his sermons, emphasizing spiritual growth over self-reliance, reached millions. Hoekstra’s words, “Grace is God freely providing all we need as we trust in His Son,” defined his ministry. His teachings, still shared online, influenced evangelical circles, particularly within Calvary Chapel