Greetings;
We are blessed to be a part of something that was a hidden mystery in the Old Covenant. God has always desired to have a partnership with humanity in revealing His glory in the earth. That glory is made known through an intimate relationship with God and man. As leaders in the body of Christ we must first and foremost seek the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and the power His grace that brings the fullness of His glory to the world. We are part of something ancient that has now become amazingly new! We are part of the good news of God’s wonderful love and transforming grace! As leaders, we must set an example of the life that God desires with mankind.
Ephesians 3:1-7 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
All human beings are part of the mystery of the gospel. It is not for any one natural race of people. It is for a race of people made of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. It is a supernatural testimony of heaven made known in the formerly natural seed of man. The mystery of the gospel is for all of humanity. What is the gospel?
We have been given really good news in Jesus. He is the door to the eternal reality of the blessings of heaven in our lives. Jesus was the Seed promised through the faith of Abraham and that Seed was the source of heaven to this world in which we live.
Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”
What was the gospel preached to Abraham? The word gospel means “good news”. I don’t believe that the word gospel does the good news given us by God true justice. I believe that it is often a religious word that allows the truth of God to be masked with unreal presentations of what the good news really is. The good news is not that a man died for sinners. The good news is that an eternal Adam gave His life so that all can find themselves in the family of blessing! The good news is that Jesus Christ reconciled men to God while they were yet sinners so the blessings of heaven could flood the worlds of men. The message of heaven is one of transforming the world. The good news preached to Abraham was that in blessings God would bless Him, in multiplying God would multiply him, His descendants would possess the gates of their enemies, and through his Seed all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 22:15-18).
Our heavenly destiny is to know that we are blessed in Christ and thus we believe God and are a blessing to the world. Our actions expand the blessings of heaven to the world we live in. We don’t merely add people to our own cause in life; we give greater value to others. We live to multiply and thus God multiplies our lives in the lives of others. Our imaginations are for the advancing life and authority of our children and our children’s children. Our influence is that of blessing to the families of the earth. This is the destiny of heaven in our lives! I believe that Paul understood these things when he wrote to the church of Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:8-12 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
The manifold wisdom of God is going to teach principalities and powers through the influence of God’s amazing grace in the earth. The testimony of the increasing influence of Christ in the world is causing the places inhabited by the enemy to be reclaimed for the God’s glory. The love of God is more powerful than any or all of the weapons of the enemy. Our boldness and access to the fellowship of Christ is revealing a great testimony of God’s grace in the generations of mankind. As it was in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2), the stature of Christ in His body is destroying the former strongholds of human selfishness inspired by principalities and powers in high places. The hearts and minds of people are being captured by the love of God in Christ and the places once held captive by an enemy are being revealed as free by the power of God’s intimate love and grace. Christ in us is the power that overcomes all strongholds of the enemy. Our hearts are now held by the love of God. As leaders we must set this example. Like the apostle Paul, we can endure all things because the resistance of the enemy only proves to reveal the power of God’s grace. God’s glory shall fill the earth!
Ephesians 1:13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Pastor Ted,
This is so true!
Like the apostle Paul, we can endure all things because the resistance of the enemy only proves to reveal the power of God’s grace. God’s glory shall fill the earth!
This is what Scott and I have been living through these past months. But it doesn’t matter because it is all for God’a glory. Everything we are choosing to do shows something of the Kingdom. It seeds the ground for future harvest. The presence. Protection and leading of Daddy God, Jesus my Lord and Holy Spirit continually inspires me to share them everywhere I go. And, on the days I do not feel it I do it anyways because they are so persistent and their promises endure forever, whether I feel it or not. I am never alone. I am continually watched over. I did not know this ” place” in their presence existed until a few months ago when our test began. As a child I knew I was not alone. When I received Jesus as Savior at 17 I said, Oh! It’s you! Though I realized it also included my angels of which there was more than two even then. So now, having my life ” rebirthed” at ALife has brought great joy and sorrow. But, we must have both to fully appreciate who we are and what we’ve been given. I honor you and choose you as part of my “forever” leadership, Pastor Ted. I am another sheep of the flock which chooses to bring Heaven to earth in a way that truly brings life!!! Thank you for your sacrifices for the glory of the Kingdom! May God richly bless you and your household!!!