Blog in Audio:
Greetings,
We must always live for and from the foundation of Christ in our lives. As leaders, we must lead from and for the purpose of Christ in all things. For this reason, we must hold fast to the foundation of Christ to be the temple of Christ for the glory of Jesus name.
Ezra 3:10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets…
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets. I believe to be clothed in their apparel is significant of being who we each are meant to be in Christ. Jesus came to give us back our original selves. Our original self was meant to be a testimony of the likeness and image of God and our original self can only be found in the character of Christ. It is by the character of Christ formed in us that we can lead as leaders. It is by the character of Christ formed in us that we can be the testimony of the unity of the body of Christ. As leaders, we must know who we are in Christ. We must lay hold of the prophetic sound of life, a sound of Christ’s redemption and formation in our lives. We must lead others into this reality also. That each one will know the prophetic sound of life in them and that each one will testify of the redemption of Christ for them and the formation of Christ in their lives.
Ezra 3:10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.
To be the temple of the Lord we must be joined to the Lord. Like the Levites, the nature of our names are joined to God. Without being joined to the Lord it is not possible for us to live in this world in our true identity. Our true identity comes by being joined to the Lord. As leaders we must set an example and inspire those we lead to be joined to the Lord. Like Asaph, to be the temple of God we must be gathered to God. As the name Asaph means to gather, the sound of God in our lives gathers others to God. There is a draw, there is a gathering to the call, the inheritance, and the purposes of God in everything. We are the temple of God’s manifest presence and as the cymbal is a symbolic instrument of angelic sending, activity, and the clashing of the heavenly dimension to earthly realities, angels are being put to work on behalf of our purpose in Christ. The house of God’s manifest presence is causing angels to ascend and to return with heavenly blessings into the earthly realities of our lives. The testimony of God’s presence in our lives also causes us to become a testimony of praise. That praise is the halal of the Lord. This is a word that means to stultify, to declare legally insane by natural standards. God’s supernatural power at work in and through our lives is bringing about supernatural realities. These things are the testimony of being the house of God’s presence in the earth. If we are leading things that can merely be done by human strength, we are not leading the testimony of Christ. We should lead and expect supernatural realities of God’s manifest presence to be made known in the lives of each one.
Ezra 3:11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
They sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” The sound of God in His habitation is a sound of being responsive to one another – it is in the foundation! When we each become a house of God’s manifest presence, we cannot help but respond to the presence of God in one another. We become our real selves for His glory. We become a house of manifold expressions that reveal His likeness and image. The sound of our lives is a sound that reveals that God is good. It is a sound that reveals that God is merciful. It is a sound that God is never ending in His goodness and never ending in His mercy. This is true towards ourselves and therefore it is true in the responsive sound of our lives towards one another. It is in the foundation of Christ. It is in the foundation of our lives and our testimony together. Upon this foundation, life will prevail and upon this foundation we will lead others into the liberty in Christ. It’s a sound of goodness. It’s a sound of mercy. It’s a sound of life!
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
If God has blessed you to bless us, we would greatly appreciate it. We have several tickets to purchase for ministry engagements in September, October, and November. Please pray with us that the provision of God will be loosed so we can do all God has called us to do in this season. If God gives you the means to help, please consider making a donation to House of Bread Ministry.
Thanks Again – Ted J. Hanson
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House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225
