Greetings,
It was another week of internet connections across the nations. Intentional connections are inspiring the church to be strong! I hope you are well and that you have taken measures to intentionally connect with others in a time of social distancing.
We are living in a time when God wants us to become expressions of our true identity, testimony, and purpose in Christ. As little children, overcoming sons and daughters, and fathers and mothers who live to give life to others, we are meant to live our lives in a testimony of God’s mercy and grace in all things. For this to happen, we must know God resting in our lives. How do we know God is resting in our lives? We have to see Him every day. He is pleased with us and we must know that the blood of Jesus Christ reconciled us to Him and nothing can separate us from His great love. To see Him, we must expect to see Him! Do we expect to see Him today, or are we expecting what the world expects? Remember, our vision is one of faith! It comes by our connection with God in our hearts. When we know
He is not merely a God, but a loving Father we can know Him in the power of His love. When we see Him, we become changed by His presence. The more we see Him in our lives, the more we become like Him in our world. The fruit of His presence is love, joy, peace, gentleness, self-control, goodness, faithfulness, patience, and kindness (Gal. 5:22, 23). This is the testimony of Him in our lives. This is the testimony of the eyes of our hearts being righteous, good, and true.
Ephesians 5:8-10 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
These verses in the New King James Version reveals that the fruit of the Spirit is in whatever is good, righteous, or true. Other versions state this as the fruit of light, that the fruit of light is goodness, righteousness, and truth. In either case, the evidence is seen in the fruit, not pretend doing. Sometimes the lines between good and evil, righteous and unrighteous, true and false get blurred. A good indicator that we are walking in the path of life is the evidence of the fruit of life. We cannot do fruit, fruit is something that happens when we live in the place where fruit grows. Fruit is something that gives life-energy to someone else and releases seeds for a future generation of life. Fruit is not a self-gratifying thing; it is a life-giving thing to others beyond your own life.
The fruit of the Spirit will manifest when the true Light is in our hearts. When we walk with the Light, we will become the testimony of that Light. When these things don’t manifest there is something that is not good, not righteous, or not true in our lives. It might even sound scripturally true, but if the fruit of the Spirit is not there it is not the right Spirit. The cure to being free from any darkness in our lives is to simply embrace fellowship with Light. That Light is the Light of Christ in us. This is the hope of glory in all things. The light transforms the darkness in us to light when we walk in the light. This is an issue of transparency, vulnerability, and a willingness to change. There is no condemnation for our darkness. There is simply a cure. That cure is to embrace the light.
Ephesians 5:11-13 …and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
In times like these, we must shine as people who embrace the true light. We must live our lives awake to God and awake to the things that bring life to others.
Ephesians 5:14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Living is about being awake to God and awake for the sake of others. We are the light of God in Christ and Christ within our hearts is the light of our souls. It is time that we shine for the sake of the world. This is the testimony of God resting in our lives and the fruit of having a right focus in life.
Blessings,
Ted J. Hanson
Thank you to all who have been able to contribute to our mission. Your support is helping us reach the nations and the generations with a message and impartation of New Covenant Life and Grace.
Please continue to pray for us and contribute when you can.
Thanks Again – 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
