Greetings,
Blog In Audio:
Today I am in Redding, California with my family that lives here. I am enjoying time with two of my special grandchildren and being blessed with the stretched-out tent pegs of my family tribe. I will be here through this week and through the next weekend.
Today I am addressing the fire of purpose and destiny in our lives. This a fire of an awe of God that empowers us to know His partnership with us and our partnership with Him in all things. It is a testimony of the Spirit of the fear of the Lord working in and through us to bring life to our world.
A testimony of this fire can be found in the final letter of seven letters in the book of Revelation written to the Church of Laodicea. The name Laodicea means “just people”. This is a term that speaks of the Pharisaic day when Jesus was upon the earth. His own people had become absent of the glory of God and thus Jesus pronounced them desolate (Mt. 23:37, 38). That generation was self-righteous and thought themselves to be just without the power of God. They had aligned themselves with the rulers of the world and were unable to exercise the life-giving rule of Christ.
In this letter Jesus is seen as the one who is “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God”. These are words that describe a covenant connection to God in a face-to-face partnership with Him in all things. It is the testimony of a lifestyle of true prayer – a constant reality of an intimate connection to God to fulfill His purpose and will in life.
The people of the Church of Laodicea were reprimanded for their lukewarm condition. They were neither cold as the world, nor were they hot as the living in Christ. They had adopted a form of godliness without the power or presence of God. It is interesting to note that the city of Laodicea was physically located between hot springs and cold springs. A drink of lukewarm water would be a known experience and the reaction of spewing it out would also be a real-life testimony.
Even the physical surroundings of the city of Laodicea prophetically exemplified the condition of the atrophy of religious Pharisaism. Exegetically this was the period of the ‘last days’ of the Old Covenant nation of Israel, which was concluded in A.D. 30 – 70. This was the generation that Jesus said would not pass until the prophetic words of His mouth were fulfilled (Mt. 16:28; 24:34; Mk. 9:1; 13:30; Lk. 9:27; 21:32). This was the generation that had confessed they had no king but Caesar, yet professed to be servants of the Most High God (Jn. 19:15). They were neither fit for God or Caesar. They were an exegetical testimony to all forms of godliness that lack God’s presence and power in the generations of the past and in all generations to come. Because of their lukewarm condition, Jesus said He would spew them out of His mouth. This is a Hebrew phrase that was part of the curse for breaking covenant with God (Lev. 18:24-28; Lk. 21:24). Israel was told that if they became like the nations of the world, the Promised Land would vomit them out.
The people of Laodicea had become conditioned by the world to no longer be seekers of God, but simply lovers of themselves. They thought themselves to be rich and in need of nothing, but God saw them to be “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”. This is the description of the Pharisaic Judaism of the first century (Lk. 18:9-14; Rev.18:7). A fallen condition was disqualifying them from ministry (Lev. 21:18-21; Deut. 29:4; Mt. 13:13-15; Mt. 16:3; 2 Cor. 4:3, 4; 1 Jn. 2:11).
They were counseled by the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord to “buy gold refined in the fire”. This was a signification of their need to become faithful to God (1 Pet. 1:5-7; 1 Cor. 3:12-15). They were instructed to put on “white garments”. They needed to pay the price of putting on wedding attire, or be replaced (Mt. 22:11-14; Gen. 3:21; Rev. 19:8). This would give them the testimony of eternal hope in Christ. They were instructed to put salve upon their eyes that they might see. That salve was not a salve of natural sight, but a salve symbolizing the receiving of the healing grace of God in Christ (Lk. 4:18; Acts 26:18; 1 Cor. 2:14, 15). They would see with eyes of love, as our heavenly Father sees the world through eyes of love. God wanted to deal with them as their Father. The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord would grant them the grace of honoring their Father in heaven. God had come to treat them as sons. He was ready to rebuke and chasten them that they might come to know the Father of spirits and live (Heb. 12:5-11; Mal. 4:1-6).
God wants us all to know the fire of partnership with Him in all things. Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. He is ready to abide in us and us in Him to fill our world with the testimony and purpose of His life. We are invited to come to the throne of Christ that we might see His kingdom come and His will being done in every situation of our path in life. This is the throne whereby Jesus rules, and will continue to rule, until His kingdom becomes a great mountain and fills the earth (Dan. 2:35, 45). All New Covenant Believers have the ability to manifest the glory of God (2 Cor. 3:2-18).
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
God wants us to know the fire of purpose and destiny in life. This is the fire of Christ abiding in us and us abiding in Him for His purpose and will in all things. This is that we might bring the life of God’s house to our house in this world.
Blessings,
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
