Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
Today I am on a few day hunt in the woods. I am enjoying my time among the trees with my Father and friend, God. I hope you had a blessed week and that you will have an encounter with God this week as you invite His presence into your life.
When we have a relationship with God in our hearts, He teaches us to love one another. A revelation of His love for us empowers us to love one another. It is not some external command, but a growing desire from within. We are a dwelling place of God by His Spirit and Christ in us is the hope of glory. That glory is to become like Him in His character, nature, way, power, and authority. He is a giver of life and as His sons and daughters we become givers of life to one another. The apostle Paul wrote to a church facing suffering and persecution with words of encouragement for them that also encourage us in the world that we live in. When the world around us shakes, we are to shine like stars in the night. We are testimonies of God’s love and life to our world.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
Our confidence is in the love of God. We know we are loved; therefore, we are not easily shaken in a shaking world. The spirit of the world will oppose us, but we must live our lives as examples of sons and daughters of God who know His love. In this, we lead a quiet life. This doesn’t mean that we live without adventure. It has more to do with our attitudes than our actions. This is a life that is not easily shaken. We may find ourselves is a loud and reactive world, but we live with faith towards God in all things and thus we are not agitated in our hearts or minds towards the world. We trust God and we are a testimony of His grace in and to our world. Our lives are not impassioned by bitterness.
We are not to make judgments of others, but to mind our own business in all things. We make it our aim to be productive members of our world. We don’t depend upon others to meet our needs. We eagerly and willingly do our share, and we are faithful in our own responsibilities in life. We work with our own hands and know that God will meet all of our needs because He is a loving Father who always rewards His children. We set an example to those in the world around us as givers of life and love in all things. Our lives testify of the goodness of God.
Nothing in our lives can end in death, because we have eternal life. That eternal life is a knowing of God our Father and knowing Jesus His Son through an indwelling presence of Holy Spirit in our lives (Jn. 17:3). For a believer in Christ to die is to fall asleep to this world, but to rise up in a greater glory of eternal life of knowing God our Father and Jesus His Son. Holy Spirit in our lives in this world is Holy Spirit raising us up to a greater life in that which is to come. When a believer dies, our world loses their voice, but their voice continues on as an eternal witness beyond this life. To the world they are asleep, but to be absent from the body of flesh is to be present with the Lord in glory. What should our focus be concerning those who have fallen asleep?
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
To fall asleep to this world is not to fall asleep to eternity. Our purpose in Christ continues on in that which is to come. The believers in Christ who sleep to this world are alive in Christ in a dimension beyond what we can naturally see. They are part of a cloud of witness that eagerly waits to meet us in our transition to a greater glory.
2 Corinthians 5:6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Our lives in Christ are a testimony of eternal glory. We must not be shaken by a shaking world. We are in this world, but we are not of this world. We must shine in our world as people of faith, hope, and love. These things are found in Christ, and these things cannot be shaken.
Blessings,
Ted J. Hanson
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House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
