ted4leaders

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Greetings,

The foundation of our faith is a personal, intimate relationship with God in our hearts. We first believe that He is and then we come to know who He is. God’s way is faith because God is Spirit and He wants a personal relationship with each of us in our hearts. We cannot know God through a cognitive knowledge. We know Him through an intimate knowledge in our hearts. Faith comes from God and is manifest in our hearts towards God. It is seen in the actions of our lives.

The way of slaves is to live in fear of a master, but the way of sons and daughters of God is that of faith. We respond in total surrender to the One who loves us. Faith inspires us to see God as our Father and ourselves as His family in all things. To grow in faith we must indulge in God’s presence, respond to His promises, and partner with Him in His purpose in all things.

The nature of faith is love and life and the evidence of that nature is seen in life-giving testimonies that declare our love for God. That love will also be seen as a love for one another. Love is the true nature of faith. It is giving in nature and not self-seeking or self-gratifying in its way.

Hearing God in our hearts will change our world. This was the testimony of men and women in the past who were moved by God’s voice within their hearts. A person of faith is someone who responds to the voice of God in their hearts and the evidence is seen in outward changes in their lives. It even brings change to their world—to their time in this world.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

The word for worlds in this verse is the GSRN 165, αἰών aiōn; an age. The worlds that were framed in Hebrews chapter 11 were not the worlds that God created. They were the worlds of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and many other men and women of God. Their futures were resisted by the natural realities of their lives, but they were empowered to overcome all things by hearing and responding to God’s voice. Their present and their futures were framed by hearing God in their hearts.

The law was not a substitute for faith. The law only revealed our need for faith. Obedience to the law is obedience to a principle, but obedience to faith is a response to the voice of love. That voice is the voice of God within us.

God is at work in our hearts through His internal, eternal kingdom of life and peace in Christ. We were born to be loved by Him and when we receive a revelation of His love for us, we cannot help but love Him and all that He loves. We are being transformed from the kingdoms of self to the kingdom of our Lord and Christ by His anointing within our hearts. It’s a testimony of His great love for us.

Although the kingdom of God is an internal kingdom, it affects all that we do in life. If Christ is in our hearts, our lives should be filled with expressions, works, and endeavors that give life to others. The kingdom of God within us is expressed through acts of love for God and for His children.

The internal influence of the kingdom of God is made real through a partnership of faith, hope, and love. Love is the foundation, hope is the inspiration, and faith is the facilitation of the internal kingdom of life through external expressions of that life. God loves us as we are, but His love empowers us to change to become as He is. As we become as He is, we are inspired to give life to the world. We become empowered to live for the Father’s will and for the future generations of His family in the earth. This is the fruit of Christ within our hearts. As leaders we are called to lead people to walk in the path of faith.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of: www.ted4leaders.com www.ted4you.com or www.houseofbreadministry.org. Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to: House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225 To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year. Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

What is faith? Faith happens when we hear God in our hearts (Rom. 10:17). Faith is not towards a promise or some tangible thing. True faith is a supernatural response towards God when we hear His voice in our hearts. God doesn’t speak to our souls. He speaks to our spirit and then our spirit responds with the substance of faith to speak to our souls. We are inspired from within with thoughts, reasonings, imaginations, emotions, and desires that testify of our belief in God who spoke to our hearts. We believe in Him, therefore we respond to His voice. We don’t just believe that He is. We believe in who He is. We believe Him! We believe Him when He speaks; therefore, we respond to His voice with the actions of our lives. Faith is a spiritual substance, and it testifies of the Spirit of Wisdom working within us. It will motivate us to move forward in our relationship with God in life.

As leaders in the body of Christ, we must set an example, inspire, and lead those in our sphere of influence to a lifestyle of being obedient to the faith. This is not obedience to a belief system; it is an obedient response to the personal voice of God within our hearts. Faith toward God, as the Being who loves us and has our best interests in mind, will be evident through actions on our part that create a path to the future in all things. Faith works through love; therefore, where there is no revelation of love, there can be no faith. Since faith works through love, faith is towards a person, not merely a promise (Gal. 5:6).

Faith is a testimony of true wisdom. That wisdom is the wisdom of God and not the wisdom of men. It’s not a wisdom based upon experiences in our lives, but wisdom inspired by God’s voice to our hearts. If experience plays into it, it’s an experience of relationship. It’s an experience of growing love. It’s a wisdom of changing character, nature, way, power, and authority. It’s a wisdom that has many unknown realities in its reception and thus it requires a constant trust and intimate connection with God in our hearts. Because of this, it’s a wisdom that is constantly willing to yield. It’s a wisdom that inspires a continual teachability within. It’s a wisdom that empowers us to change, grow, and mature in our relationship with God. It empowers our love for God and that love is demonstrated with continued acts of faith. It’s a wisdom of the tree of life and not a wisdom of the knowledge of good and evil.

God’s way is faith because God’s way is relationship—Spirit to spirit. Faith is the evidence of hearing God speak to our hearts. It results in actions on our part, but those actions are inspired by a revelation of God’s love for us. As leaders, we don’t lead people for works of ministry or service. We lead people to demonstrate works inspired by faith. We know that God loves us and thus we hear Him in our hearts. We respond with actions of love towards Him and towards who and what He loves. It’s by the power of God’s grace that we are granted a right relationship with God in faith. We hear Him and we respond to His voice of love with the actions of our lives. The life that we live we live by faith towards Him in all things. It’s a testimony of grace and the power of God at work in our lives. It’s not a discipline of the flesh or a mere obedience to a ‘what to do’ code.

Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

God is at work in our hearts through His internal, eternal kingdom of life and peace in Christ. We are born to be loved by Him and when we receive a revelation of His love for us, we cannot help but love Him and all that He loves. We are being transformed from the kingdoms of self to the kingdom of our Lord and Christ by His anointing within our hearts.

Faith without works is dead. The evidence of faith is seen in the outward actions of our lives. Those actions are not efforts to attain to faith. The are the fruit of faith from within. Faith is a matter of the heart, and true works are works that are motivated by the heart. They are works that are motivated by God’s love for us and our love for Him. Faith is the testimony of being loved by God and loving Him. In this, we love others not just with the words of our lips but the actions of our lives.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:

www.ted4leaders.com

www.ted4you.com or

www.houseofbreadministry.org.

Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:

House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225

To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.

Our Ministry Information Is:
House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

The kingdoms of the world are administrated by the knowledge of good and the knowledge of evil. They are governed by information, upon which they make judgments about what is good or evil. They define that knowledge by what they perceive to be good or evil in their own eyes. Without an internal nature of a life-giver, mankind becomes focused on judgments that either kill themselves or others. The informing knowledge of good is not enough to create a nature that is good within us. An informing knowledge of evil is not enough to restrain us from doing evil. A government of the knowledge of good and evil is a government of judgment that always leads to death.

The law of God was the perfect knowledge of good and evil, but the law cannot change our hearts and minds. Even when we are presented with the law of God our perception of that law is through a mindset of information. It’s not through the mindset of a life-giving Father who is good in all things. The law on earth is only a copy of a changed heart and mind that is found in heaven. Heaven is not just a place we are going to one day. God wants us to discover the mystery of heaven in us.

As leaders, we are not called to lead the body of Christ to know the knowledge of good and evil. We are not merely teachers of God’s law. We demonstrate a love for God that inspires those we lead to love Him also. We are called to lead others to know God, but we cannot teach anyone to know God. We can demonstrate what knowing God looks like through the testimonies of our own lives.

The most important thing in any and every Christ centered community is Christ! Christ in the room is not enough to bring about lasting life transformations. Only Christ in each one can transform someone to grow as a son or daughter in Christ. We must lead people by putting Christ at the center of all that we are and do. When we do this, we create atmospheres that invite the presence, the promises, and the purpose of God.

These things are found when we seek God. When we seek God, we find Him. When we find Him, we experience His presence in our lives. His presence transforms us. He is more than willing to reveal Himself to all who seek Him. When we experience God’s presence in our lives we grow in receiving His promises. His promises reveal a testimony of changed lives in Him. We become partakers of His divine nature.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

The kingdoms of the world are kingdoms of death, but the kingdom of God is a kingdom of eternal life. The Kingdom of God is not an informing kingdom. It’s a transforming kingdom. It’s a kingdom that transforms our hearts and minds from within. It has the power to change our character, nature, way, power, and authority. We are changed when God writes His name on our hearts and minds from within. His name is the character, nature, way, power and authority of a life-giving Father.

As leaders, our main focus is not in providing information. It’s in sharing truth in a way that opens up human hearts to know the One who is truth. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of love, and it produces the fruit of love in the hearts and minds of all who find it. Love is our victory in all things. This is not love based upon our own perceptions, but love inspired by God in our hearts.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:

www.ted4leaders.com

www.ted4you.com or

www.houseofbreadministry.org.

Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:

House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225

To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.

Our Ministry Information Is:
House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

As leaders, we set an example for others in finding the right focus in life. Our focus should be to seek the kingdom of God in all things. We are not focused on meeting our own needs or fulfilling our personal desires. God is our Father, and it is His pleasure to meet our needs and fulfill our desires, but His ways are better than ours. We can be confident that as we live for His kingdom and His will, He will abundantly care for us.

Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

God cares for the birds, and He cares for the flowers of the field. The birds don’t gather into barns, but people, made in the likeness and image of their heavenly Father, were born to bring life to their worlds through the barns and vats of their lives. Their barns are a testimony of their life to the world as the living bread of Christ. Their vats are a testimony of the life of the Spirit they bring to others. Sons and daughters of God are to be expressions of God in both natural and supernatural ways.

The character, nature, way, power, and authority of God should increasingly manifest in our lives. When we seek God’s kingdom first, we can fulfill our purpose in this world as sons and daughters of God who give life to others.

How do we seek the kingdom of God in all things? Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within us (Lk. 17:20, 21). The kingdom of God within us affects the outward expressions of our natural kingdoms to become testimonies for God’s glory. Our internal connection to God and His kingdom reveals true righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit within our hearts (Rom. 14:17). An increasing revelation of these will empower our identity, testimony, and purpose in life.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

God’s path in life is the path of our true identity. Only God can give us our true identity. Who we are reveals who God is in a way that is uniquely our identity in Him. This can only happen when we trust Him, yield our understanding to His, and acknowledge Him in our ways in life.

Our testimony in life is one that reveals the goodness of God through the health of our flesh and the strength of our bones. The health of our flesh is not dependent upon us being physically healthy. It is in our ability to have a life-giving attitude in all things. The strength of our bones is seen in our ability to be strong in our spirits in all things.

Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Our purpose in life can only be discovered and fulfilled when we honor the Lord with all that we possess. We honor Him with our attitudes, actions, accomplishments, and even the physical things that we possess in life. We give Him the firstfruits of all that He gives us. In doing so, our barns will be filled with plenty, and our vats will overflow with new wine. These are the fruits of all that we are and do, which bring life to our world. This fruit is both natural and spiritual, and it brings the blessings of God to our world.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:

www.ted4leaders.com

www.ted4you.com or

www.houseofbreadministry.org.

Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:

House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225

To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.

Our Ministry Information Is:
House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

Leaders set an example for others in trusting God. To trust God is to trust His love. He cares for us and nothing can ever separate us from His love. The kingdom of God is the reality of Christ within us. His kingdom is a kingdom that inspires the love of God to reign in our hearts.

When Holy Spirit is one with our spirits, our spirits inspire our souls from within. Our souls are the inner core of our lives that inspires the outer actions of our lives to be life-giving to our world. We are not to seek the will and way of the kingdoms of the world. We are to seek the kingdom of God. This is the internal kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).

To seek God’s kingdom, we must not lean on our own understanding. I often thank God for the simple expression of praying in the Spirit, since the foolishness of the Spirit helps to simplify the complexity of my own natural thoughts. God the Holy Spirit inspires me to lean upon His understanding above my own.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

Our trust in the Lord is foundational to our seeking God’s kingdom and will. God wants us to trust Him with all of our hearts, but that measure grows as we grow in maturity in Christ. Leaders set an example in trusting God to inspire others to trust Him in their lives. Our trust of God grows as our experience with God grows.

We are not to be wise in our own eyes, but dependent upon God for the steps of His wisdom in life. An awe of Him will empower us to depart from all evil, and the testimony of our lives will reveal God’s goodness to our world.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The inspiration of our hearts will determine the motivation of the actions of our lives. The inspiration of our hearts cannot be found in the kingdoms of the world. God’s wisdom and understanding will change the actions of our lives. Our conduct reveals the wisdom and understanding of our hearts.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

To demonstrate meekness of wisdom is not to be weak in our actions. It is to always be life-giving. Life-giving actions are inspired by faith. Faith is a supernatural substance that happens within us when we hear God in our hearts. God’s voice to our hearts must be the inspiration for the thoughts of our minds. The kingdom of God in our hearts motivates the actions of our lives.

The kingdoms of the world are kingdoms that express the ways of the world. The ways of the world are self-seeking. Without the inspiration of God, who is a giver of life, mankind seeks to take life from external sources to find their identity, testimony, and purpose in life. Without the motivation of the internal kingdom of God, the kingdoms of the world manifest confusion and evil things. Their actions are a testimony of reactions to the circumstances around them. Their attitude is one of bitter envy and self-seeking; thus, they boast and lie against the truth.

James 3:14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

External wisdom views things from a natural-minded perspective. Ways that seem right to us inspire our senses to react instinctively. Our personal desires and emotions can overwhelm our thinking and reasoning in self-defensive ways. When our wisdom is motivated by external influences, our souls become vulnerable to external spirits. This is called deception. Leaders set an example for others by being inspired by the life-giving Spirit of God from within.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:

www.ted4leaders.com

www.ted4you.com or

www.houseofbreadministry.org.

Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:

House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225

To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.

Our Ministry Information Is:
House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog in Audio:

Greetings,

As leaders, we are called to embrace the seasons of God and to lead others into the new pathways set before us. I believe we are facing another new season in the church. It is easy to be distracted by the things of the world, the events of the world, and the present events of the day. We are to be people of light and to lead others into the light.

This is a prophecy given by me on January 23, 2026, at Alife Church in Bellingham, Washington.

I’m flowing like a river. I’m flowing like a river. I’m flowing like a river, creating new pathways. I’m flowing like a river. I’m flowing like a river. I’m taking you to places you would never dare go. I’m taking you the distance, to see a new horizon. There’s a greater expectation, that you’ve never seen before.

I’m cutting a new pathway, taking you on a journey. You can trust Me, trust Me, trust Me, trust Me. I’m taking you to a great horizon. Oh!! I’m taking you to a brand-new land. Increasing your mind to understand, greater testimonies of My love for you. I’m flowing like a river. Oh!! Don’t be distracted by what I cut through, I’m taking you, I’m taking you through. I’m taking you through, I’m taking you through. I’m flowing like a river.

For the Spirit of God says, I’m taking you to a place of greater grace. I’m taking you to the place to see what you could not see before; what you could not believe for before. And on that place, in that place, in your heart, you will see there’s a germination of a seed, growing something brand new. I’m taking you on a journey, an adventure with Me, not just to know My love for blessing; but My love for destiny. I’m taking you on a journey. I’m taking you to a farther place. To see the power of My amazing grace. I’m working on your behalf. I’m flowing like a river. I’m flowing like a river. Oh!

Deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper, you must trust in Me. Oh deeper, deeper, deeper, oh, you can cling to Me. It’s not by the power of your strength. It’s by the power of My love. I’m taking you farther than you believed you could go before. It’s a brand-new journey, a journey of purpose. A journey of destiny. A journey beyond what you’ve known before. A journey of greater liberty. I’m flowing like a river.

God’s river is the flow of His Spirit that leads us into the seasons of His purpose and will in the earth. My prayer is that we will be willing to be moved by the Spirit into all that God has for us in this new year. We must be willing to let go of what was, to receive what God is doing and giving today.

Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

If we are to trust God, we must be willing to let go of things that we trusted in yesterday. The new pathway that God is cutting will, no doubt, include letting go of some of the things that we thought were the way of security. We must be willing to let go of any preconceived expectations and let God do what He desires to do. It is for a greater liberty and a greater purpose. That purpose is the purpose of God! It will bring the fruit of life that is needed for this present season. The testimonies of our lives will bring healing to the nations.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of: www.ted4leaders.com www.ted4you.com or www.houseofbreadministry.org. Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to: House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225 To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year. Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

What does it mean to stand still? I have often heard believer’s state those words in the context of not doing anything and simply trusting God in a situation. Is that what it means to stand still?

One example is found in the story of Moses and the children of Israel as they were up against the banks of the Red Sea and the Egyptian Pharoah, and his army were coming down upon them.

Exodus 14:13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

These verses are often quoted as the word of God to stand still; however, in this case God didn’t say to stand still. These were the words of Moses. God told Moses to lift up his rod and move forward.

Exodus 14:15 And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”

The statement of Moses is a truly stated statement in Scripture, but it isn’t a statement of truth. We only discover the truth when we read the following verses. Moses’ words revealed his trust in God, but God’s words to Moses revealed His trust in Moses, for He was with him. When we see these two statements together, it gives a greater statement of truth. God wants us to understand that our relationship with Him is a partnership of life that brings life to our world through Him working in our lives.

There’s another story in Scripture where God did say to stand still. It is the story where King Jehosaphat and the people of Judah were facing the opposition of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.

2 Chronicles 20:14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”

The word of the Lord wasn’t to do nothing; it was to do what God said to do and stand still. They went down and faced their enemy. They worshipped God before them and God moved mightily on their behalf and their enemies turned upon one another and there was a great victory. Their standing still included facing their enemy, lifting their hands in worship to God before them, and plundering the spoil after God’s miracle victory. There was action, not action of self-defense or weapons of the flesh. The action was to move forward in the trust of God, not in the strength of their own abilities.

To stand still is not to do nothing. It’s to do only what God says and to not be shaken in our present circumstance.  As leaders, we must set an example and lead others to know how to stand still. Our attitude is always one of moving forward. It is not one of doing nothing. It is an obedience to all that God says and an expectancy of His testimony in all things.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of: www.ted4leaders.com www.ted4you.com or www.houseofbreadministry.org. Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to: House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225 To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year. Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

As leaders, we serve the body of Christ in becoming a dwelling place of God by His Spirit. The dwelling place of God is not a church building, a religious structure, or any form of ministry. The dwelling place of God is the Spirit of God dwelling in the hearts of sons and daughters of God, who are drawn together by the fellowship of Holy Spirit in the testimony of the Father’s love. Leaders are appointed to plant, to water, to build, and to serve in ways that empower the body of Christ to be built of and for eternal things.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

We are not called to build with materials that reflect our self-interests. We are called to build upon the eternal foundation of Christ with the attributes of eternal things. Straw is a material that can make a bed or meet a personal need for comfort in some way. As leaders, we cannot live for mere personal comfort, and we must challenge those we lead to live their lives beyond the meeting of their personal needs. Those who do not know God live for these things, and they are not fulfilling the true destiny of humanity in the likeness and image of God. I believe that things of hay are things of personal success. People in the world live their lives for some kind of success. That success could be a success of money, education, adventure, good works for human pride, and many other things that could be used to measure whether someone is successful or not. As leaders, we cannot live to merely produce some type of success in our lives. This includes some form of success in ministry. We must also challenge those we lead to live beyond the mere measure of success in life. I believe that wood is a human material with generational capabilities in some natural way. This could include a generational legacy of some human effort. It could include a business, a ministry, or any natural expression that carries beyond our lives on the earth. As leaders, we cannot merely lead for some measure of human legacy, and we must challenge those we lead to live beyond this measure as well.

God doesn’t merely want to meet our needs; He wants us to be people who are blessings to the world we live in. He doesn’t merely want us to be successful; He wants us to be significant. He wants us to give greater value to those beyond our lives. God doesn’t want us to live limited lives that focus on some human legacy; He wants us to live for the purpose of the Father’s glory. The materials of straw, hay, or wood all burn in the flames of true destiny.

God wants us to build with things of gold, silver, and precious stones. I believe these are eternal things. I believe the eternal things give us our identity, our testimony, and our purpose in life. What are the eternal things?

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Gold is a testimony of our faith, and faith comes by hearing God in our hearts. Faith is like gold—it is tested by fire only to be proven genuine. We hear the One who loves us, and His voice inspires us to believe and even see what we could not before. As leaders, we lead people to be people of faith, to respond to the eternal voice of the One who loves them. This is the source of our true identity.

1 Peter 1:7 … that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Silver speaks of things that are redemptive in purpose and inheritance. I believe that silver is a testimony of hope. We are part of the inheritance of God in Christ; this is the testimony of our lives, in this world and in all that is to come.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Precious stones are those things that testify to God’s eternal love. Each of us reveals a different facet of our Father’s love in our purpose. God’s purpose is not structure, ministry, or some great legacy in this world. God’s purpose is love, and each of us reveals our Father’s love to our world in unique and eternal ways.

Let us build upon the eternal foundation of Jesus Christ with faith, hope, and love. Of these, love will be the eternal glory that will be seen in heaven and on earth.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of: www.ted4leaders.com www.ted4you.com or www.houseofbreadministry.org. Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to: House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225 To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year. Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

As leaders, we don’t teach people to hear God’s voice; we teach people to recognize God’s voice and respond to Him when He speaks. God doesn’t just give us instructions to obey—He gives us desires that direct our steps in life. This is the fruit of a personal connection that comes from trusting Him in all things. Eternal life is the testimony of a relationship with God. Eternal life is not some day in the future—eternal life is today! Eternal life is knowing God our Father and knowing Jesus, God’s Son (John 17:3). This is the fruit of daily fellowship with Holy Spirit in our lives.

Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

When we live in an intimate relationship with God, He gives us desires. Those desires become the desires of our hearts. God wants us to be led by His Spirit. When we pursue a connection in our hearts to Him, Holy Spirit gives us His desires, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and an awe of God that directs the steps of our lives into the path of God’s purposes. We don’t hear God merely to know what to do; we hear God to know Him.

Luke 6:47 “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

In this story, both builders heard God, but only one heard and responded to His voice. Only one pursued an intimate relationship with God. Only one knew the importance of a connection with the Rock. Hearing God is easy, but so is hearing many other voices. God’s voice is the voice of the Rock—His voice is the voice of eternal life that leads to life in every aspect of our lives.

As I have considered the Rock of Christ, some attributes have impressed my spirit. What are the attributes of the Rock? As I reflect on this, the following attributes come to mind: steadfast, anchored, trustworthy, enduring, immovable, dependable, treasure house, hidden truth, faithful, solid, strong, unshakeable, foundational, generational, refuge, shelter, stronghold (of love), and eternal salvation. These attributes can really be summed up as a testimony of being joined to God in His unshakeable love. He is love, and He cannot be shaken in His love for us. His voice in our lives is the voice of love—not the voice of mere affectionate love, but the voice of sacrificial love. His love is a giving love, and it transforms our lives to be sacrificial in our love for Him and others.

Responding to hearing God is what joins us to the Rock of Christ. It’s a relationship—a dance with the Spirit of God, with Holy Spirit as the lead partner in our lives. This is the true strength of our foundation and will lead to increasing life in both our earthly and heavenly journeys. Our response to God’s voice in our lives empowers us to find Him in an ever-increasing intimacy. Hearing God’s voice and responding to Him empowers us to grow in knowing His wonderful love.

Hearing God is not merely about knowing what to do, and our response to God in our lives is not merely about the things we do. It is about the substance of our lives. Hearing God is a matter of knowing God. Knowing God is more important than knowing what to do, because knowing God is what transforms our lives to become as He is—in character, nature, way, power, and authority.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of: www.ted4leaders.com www.ted4you.com or www.houseofbreadministry.org. Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to: House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225 To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year. Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728

Blog In Audio:

Greetings,

The ministry of leadership is not about the accuracy of words or supernatural gifting. Being a leader is not merely about leadership skills or even the anointing of ministry. It’s about the accuracy of character. I’m not just referring to our personal character; I’m referring to the character we reveal to and in others. That character is the character of Christ. More accurately, it is about revealing the person of Jesus and seeing the hearts of those a leader leads connect to God in Christ. Even as the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus, the ministry of leadership should also be a testimony of Jesus.

Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

A true prophet is not someone who just gives accurate words. A true prophet reveals the right person. That person is Jesus. A true prophet speaks the words of God by the Spirit of God’s powerful love, and it connects people to God. A New Covenant prophet doesn’t give words of information; they activate the words of God in the hearts of those they minister to. In this, each one hears God in their hearts and not in the heads.

A New Covenant leader carries these same qualities in leadership. A New Covenant leader is not a leader that guides or leads others by the skill of leadership. They lead in a way that those they lead respond to Holy Spirit in the same way that they as a leaders do.

What makes someone a false prophet? Perhaps the same thing can make someone a false leaders. What makes someone a true prophet? Perhaps the same thing can make someone a true leader.

During the children of Israel’s journey in the wilderness, the Moabite King Balak hired a prophet named Balaam to curse the children of Israel. The prophet Balaam was not a false prophet because he spoke inaccurate words. It was because he had false motives. Balaam was willing to prophecy words against the children of Israel for personal gain. He spoke true words. He declared that God was not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Num. 23:19). He spoke words in regard to the one-day birth of Jesus as the King of kings.

Numbers 24:17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.”

Numbers 24:7 He shall pour water from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. “His king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 “God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows. 9 ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?’ “Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.”

If we measured Balaam by the accuracy of his words we would call him a true prophet. His error was not his words; it was his willingness to use His gift for personal gain. He didn’t seek to connect others to the will of God. He spoke several very accurate words, but he fell to a deception of teaching Balak to tempt the Israelites to bring foreign gods into their midst through relationships with the daughters of Moab.

New Covenant leadership is not about connecting others to leaders or even ministries. Leadership is not about accurate teachings.  It is about connecting people to God in Christ. It is about connecting them to God their Father. Jesus told Peter that the keys of the kingdom are given to those who hear the voice of the Father, not the voice of leadership. Leaders are to be expressions of the Father’s will, and they must lead in a way that those they lead grow in a personal relationship with God in all things. Just as the spirt of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of leadership should testify of Jesus.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Donations can be made at the link on the home site of: www.ted4leaders.com www.ted4you.com or www.houseofbreadministry.org. Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to: House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225 To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year. Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728