Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
As leaders we set an example to those that we lead in receiving life from God, being and expression of that life to our world, and in partnering with God in the truth of who we are for the purpose and will of God in all things. We must all receive the life that only God can give. We must believe the words that God says about us. We live to be expressions of Him in a likeness and image of His character, nature, way, power, and authority. We also accept who we are in Him, and we willingly partner with Him and allow Him to empower us to fulfill His purpose in our lives for the glory of His name.
God gives life. That life is eternal life. It is not a life that ends, but a life that grows from glory to glory. It is the fruit of a relationship with God in our spirits. True righteousness is to depend upon God in all things to be alive and to be empowered to bear the fruit of life in all things and at all times. Eternal life is knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son through an intimate connection with Holy Spirit in our hearts. When we experience, and hold fast to, an internal connection to God in our hearts we know the righteousness of God by the Holy Spirit transforming our hearts and minds to be expressions of our heavenly Father’s love in a supernatural and powerful way.
When God gives us life, we become expressions of that life. We have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus the Christ. There is no gap between us and God. What is in heaven is meant to shine through us as light to our world as a heavenly empowered expression of God’s life. Because there is no gap between us and God, His words to us sanctify us to be expressions of Him to our world. We hear Him and we become like Him to be a testimony of His life and love. We must believe the words that He says about us to become revelations of Him in our world.
When we become expressions of Him, we must accept our responsibility to step forward and partner with Him in His purposes and will in life. We must see ourselves as the body of Christ and willingly embrace His headship to become expressions of His body in the power and authority of life.
In his letter to the church of Ephesus, the apostle Paul wrote of the mystery of Christ and His body, the church. He wrote concerning husbands and wives, but He was ultimately revealing a mystery of Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The great mystery of Christ and the church was seen as the wife to her husband and the husband to his wife. The wife is to receive the life that the husband gives to her. She is to believe the words that He says to her, and she should seek to come alongside of Him in all things for the will of God the Father in all things.
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus is the head. He is the ultimate husband. He gives life to us as His wife – His body. This is true both for the individual and for us together as corporate expressions of the church. As Jesus gives life to us, we submit to Him to receive that life. We are a dwelling place of His Spirit. He makes us come alive by His powerful love! We submit to Him to receive the sanctifying words that He speaks to us. He washes us and waters us with life-giving words. His words to us make us expressions of His life in the uniqueness of who each of us are. Jesus presents us to Himself. This means that He brings us alongside of Him in all things because He doesn’t see the spots, blemishes, or wrinkles of the flesh. He sees us as His wife. We are His co-partner to bring the authority of the Father’s life and will to our world.
Leaders lead in these things and they lead others to embrace them as well. Receive the life that Jesus gives! Believe the life-sanctifying words that He says to and about you. Accept the responsibility of being who you are to partner with Jesus as the body of Christ at all times! By this we will shine as God’s light to and in our world. We will be a river of life-giving water to the peoples and generations of our world.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:
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
