Greetings,
I had a great time at Everyone’s Church yesterday in Mt. Vernon, Washington. Thank you Pastor Brice and the family of God at Everyone’s Church. I appreciate your hunger and your willingness to receive all that God has. I pray that God blesses this year in His winds of change!
In the book of Revelation there are seven overcoming promises to seven churches that represent the church that was at the time of the revelation, was in the history of time before, and would be in the generations to come. This is a New Covenant truth. When we receive a revelation of Jesus Christ we receive the ability to see Him in the place that is, that was, and will be in our lives. In the seven letters written in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, the ultimate goal is to hear God for seven reasons. Today I am going to write concerning the first three. The first three letters of Revelation Chapter 2 give three reasons for hearing God that are foundational to the other reasons to hear God in our lives.
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 God. It is to have a relationship with Him and know Him – this is eternal life. It is not a matter of hearing whether He loves us or not, it is a matter of hearing that He really does!
Revelation2:7 “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.” ’
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, 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 and thus it will physically manifest that love in the actions of our lives.
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.” ’
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 our lives.
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.” ’
The first reason to hear God is to know the life that comes by being loved by God. It is to have a relationship with Him and know Him – this is eternal life. Revelation2:7
A second reason to hear God is to overcome the fear of death in all things. Love does whatever is necessary and thus it will physically manifest that love in the actions of our lives. Revelation 2:10, 11
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 our lives. They are testimonies of His love! Revelation 2:17
Blessings,
Ted J. Hanson
Lots of things are happening this year for many places in the world. Please consider partnering with me in prayer and financial support.
We accomplished many things in 2017 with New Covenant life and Grace in the nations. We have many goals for 2018 and we are believing for God’s kingdom’s influence in many life-giving ways. Two new courses have been recorded in Portuguese and I will be taking them to Angola in the next couple of months.
If you wold like to support us financially you can do so by donating at the above right link or mail your donation to House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, Wa. 98225.
God Bless
