Grace Changes My World

Greetings,

I had a great time yesterday at Everyone’s Church in Mt. Vernon, Wa. The presence of God was there, the people were there, and God graced an great message on being little ‘i ams’ in the big I Am of Christ.

Jesus came as God’s gift to change the world. His means of changing the world was with a handful of men that God had given Him. He came to reveal the Father to those men and to send them to the world even as God had sent Him to the world.

John 17: 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus had not yet died for the sins of men, but He had finished the work that the Father gave Him to do. He came to reveal the Father to those God had given Him.

John 17:6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

Jesus did not pray for the world. He only prayed for those that God had given Him. His world was a few men that had lived with Him and eaten at His table. He was going to send them to the world in the same way that the Father had sent Him.

John 17:9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

Just as the disciples were sent, we have been sent to the world. We have been sent to some in the world to reveal the Father and His love to those that God had given Him. Who are those that are ours in this world? Do we know our task in this life?

John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

I don’t live in the whole planet. I live in my world. I need to change my world. My world is formless. My world is void. My world is dark, but I have good news for my world and those that live in it. I live in my world. What is out of order is going to be placed in order by Christ in me. By Christ and me and by me as an expression of Christ with Jesus as my head. I am Eve. I am the Proverbs 31 woman. I am the bride of Christ. I am the one that Jesus looks at and says. oh babe! I am the one that Jesus looks at and says, honey you are comparable to me. Come along side of me in this. Let’s rule and reign together. Like Provers 31 says about this woman, I deal in the real estate of the earth on behalf of my husband. I go into the world even though I find my citizenship of heaven. I go into the world as the wife of Jesus and I buy the field that is in my path. Jesus says, O honey! I like it. That is a good idea. We have the money. What do you think honey?

Jesus, we could do this with it!

Woo! Honey, I like how you think. I was thinking we could bring life into it. It looks so empty. I think we should fill it up. Come on! You bear my name. You have My name! I sit in the gate and I have sent you even as I was sent by my Father!

I know you sit in the gate sir. I am good at receiving what you are giving so I can give to others also. I am good at believing what you say about me, so I can say good things about others too. I am good at coming along side of you in everything, so I can bring everyone alongside of me in everything in my world.

This is the masculine and feminine nature of God. I am not so stuck in the macho nature of my culture that I cannot be a woman, nor am I so stuck in my culture that I can’t be a man. We are all members of the bride of Christ. The body of Christ. It is by grace that we demonstrate we are the body of Christ, His governing body for the sake of those He has given us. We are the place He rests His head. We are the place where God lives. We make decisions on earth as it is in heaven and the world we live in changes. Grace is not so we will be a new creation someday. Grace is what empowers us to live as new creations in this world for the sake of those God has given to us. Mercy allowed us to be born again. We are new creations, but now God’s grace empowers us to live as new creations for the sake of our world.

Blessings,

Ted J. Hanson