Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
Leaders lead others in a lifestyle of hearing God. Hearing God is about knowing Him. It’s about knowing a living reality of an intimate relationship with Him. Living from a revelation of God’s love should be a growing reality in our lives. That revelation of love should inspire a growing measure of faith towards God in our lives. That faith is a testimony of hearing God in our hearts. Faith towards God should inspire sacrifices of love on our part. A testimony of God’s word and Spirit in our lives should empower a heavenly testimony in our lives that others can see.
In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we find these things as a fruit of hearing God. Anyone who has an ear to hear is to hear that they might bear the fruit of God’s life to others in their world. The first letter of Revelation chapter 2 is to the church of Ephesus. As the meaning of its name implies, Ephesus is the desirable place, the place of paradise. Paradise is a place of intimacy with God in Christ. It is the ability to know how much God loves us. It is a place of knowing that God walks with us in life. It is not about what is good and what is evil, it is about knowing the love of God. Our hate for evil or our desire to do good things cannot exceed our ability to know the love of God. Our first love is to know how much God loves us and to say to Him, “here I am.”
The first reason to hear God is to know the life that comes by being loved by Him. It is to have a relationship with Him and know Him – this is eternal life. Leaders must set an example to others in this overcoming testimony.
Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”‘
The second letter of Revelation chapter 2 is to the church of Smyrna. Smyrna means, myrrh. Myrrh is a burial oil. Christ died once for all; thus all have died in Christ, but because of the overcoming power of His love we can also live in Him. It is only in Christ that we can truly live, and that life is eternal life. It is life beyond death and life that overcomes death in all things. It is not just life that comes from being loved by God, it is a life that testifies of our love for God. It is a place of hearing the voice of life in our hearts that empowers us to do works that speak of that life in all things. Our actions in life are empowered by faith that works through love. Perfect love has cast out all fear and thus the life we live is empowered by the overcoming love of God. No death can destroy us.
A second reason to hear God is to overcome the fear of death in all things. Love does whatever is necessary to show that love and thus it will physically manifest that love in the actions of our lives. Leaders must set an example to others in this overcoming testimony of sacrificial love that is free from all fear of death.
Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”‘
The third letter of Revelation chapter 2 is to the church of Pergamos. Pergamos means the place of height or elevation. It is a place of becoming the testimony of God’s heavenly power and fruit in life. It is the place of heavenly realities in the lives of men. It is the place of the circumcision of the heart where heaven becomes a part of our testimony in life. It is the reality of the gifts of God’s word and Spirit at work in us.
A third reason to hear God Is to know the inward transformation of God’s word in our hearts and His outward testimony in our lives. These are the fruit of responding to God’s gifts of His Word and Spirit in and through us. It is the evidence of a personal experience with Holy Spirit in and upon our lives to overcome the powers bitterness and carnal desires. It is an enlightenment of Holy Spirit inside of our hearts and an overflowing testimony of Holy Spirit in our lives. Leaders must set an example to others in this overcoming testimony.
Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”‘
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
