Generational Thoughts
Greetings,
I am writing to you today from Portugal. I just finished a series of Celebration Services with Andrew Shearman and Bob Nichols. The meetings were a part of an annual Celebration of the Abundant Life churches in Portugal. It was a great time with Pastor Joao Cardoso, the founder of the ministries. There was an awesome presence of God and wonderful things happened. The worship was ‘electric’ and filled with prophetic power throughout the weekend. I spent an hour on the floor one night with Andrew Shearman and Joao Cardoso. The power of God blasted us after I released my brief message for the night in prophetic psalmody. It was wonderful!
Today I am in my hotel and reflecting on some thoughts that are stirring for the future. I am again drawn to thoughts of generational realities. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel. He is the God of Paul, Timothy, faithful men, and others also. God’s promise to Abram was a covenant promise. God’s promises are for tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations. My prayer today is that God makes us a family of increasing grace. I believe that our true destiny is to pass on inheritance that becomes increased inheritance until it becomes a legacy and even a spiritual dynasty of influence. Jesus said that He is the Vine and we are the branches. A fruit tree springs forth with branches and in the fourth year the fruit can be eaten upon those branches. True fathers and mothers produce children that are also fathers and mothers. When the Church embraces a generational mentality she will change the world. We must all make disciples, not merely seek to influence the world with temporary power demonstrations. We are the family of God and that family needs to expand. It must be a family with the character, nature, way, power, and authority of Christ. The name of God must be established in our legacy. To do this we must live differently than the world. We cannot be lovers of self or seekers of mountain top experiences. We must be committed to establish a family in the earth. We must see ourselves as branches on the tree. That tree is the Tree of Life and it is destined to influence the world we live in.
When Abram began his journey of faith he came to the land of Shechem and went to the terebinth tree of Moreh. The name Shechem means part or portion. The name Moreh means stretching (Gen. 12:6). I believe that God wanted Abram to know that his portion in life was to be stretched for the future generations. Trees are symbolic of generations. I believe there is a prophetic symbolism here that reveals we must know that our portion as the family of the faith of Abraham is to be stretched for the future generations. This involves “finding a tree”. We must find a generational belief.
Abram continued his journey to a place where we dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre in Hebron (Gen. 13:18). The name “Mamre” means bitterness. The name Hebron means friendship. Abram came to this place after walking through the land (Gen. 13:17). I believe that God wants us to dwell in friendship and allow the bitter places of our lives to be removed. We must choose friendship over bitterness. Love is more important than judgments. This is a key to our walk of destiny. This is a part of the quality needed in the family tree. This is not a matter of “finding a tree”, but rather the quality of “dwelling by one”. We must exhibit actions for a generational testimony of life.
Abram’s journey with God caused his name to be transformed from being the father of a nation (Abram) to becoming a father of many nations by name (Abraham). Abraham had experienced his life-changing encounter with the Melchizedek King. He had received the covenant sign of circumcision in his flesh and now he had another encounter with God will “sitting in the tent door” by the terebinth trees of Mamre (Gen. 18:1-4). It was will sitting at the place of these trees that God revealed his plan for destroying Sodom and Gomorah and Abraham negotiated with God in thoughts of salvation for the sake of a few righteous. I believe that Abraham’s thoughts had become thoughts of salvation for the future generations. His generational belief caused him to walk a generational journey and now he was thinking with thoughts that even allowed him to act as God’s friend. He was thinking like God. The generational inheritance was becoming a generational legacy. He was not afraid of the bitterness in the world around him (Mamre). He was depending upon the grace of the world in his mind.
After Isaac was born Abraham dug a well and planted a tamarisk tree (Gen. 21:30, 33). He called the well Beersheba, meaning the well of the oath. Abram found a tree at the place of stretching, dwelt by a tree at the place of friendship and bitterness, sat in his tent by a tree as the friend of God, and now he was able to plant a tree and dig a well for the generations that would follow. May this be our legacy!
Blessings to you all,
Apostle Ted J. Hanson
I am writing to you today from Portugal. I just finished a series of Celebration Services with Andrew Shearman and Bob Nichols. The meetings were a part of an annual Celebration of the Abundant Life churches in Portugal. It was a great time with Pastor Joao Cardoso, the founder of the ministries. There was an awesome presence of God and wonderful things happened. The worship was ‘electric’ and filled with prophetic power throughout the weekend. I spent an hour on the floor one night with Andrew Shearman and Joao Cardoso. The power of God blasted us after I released my brief message for the night in prophetic psalmody. It was wonderful!
Today I am in my hotel and reflecting on some thoughts that are stirring for the future. I am again drawn to thoughts of generational realities. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel. He is the God of Paul, Timothy, faithful men, and others also. God’s promise to Abram was a covenant promise. God’s promises are for tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations. My prayer today is that God makes us a family of increasing grace. I believe that our true destiny is to pass on inheritance that becomes increased inheritance until it becomes a legacy and even a spiritual dynasty of influence. Jesus said that He is the Vine and we are the branches. A fruit tree springs forth with branches and in the fourth year the fruit can be eaten upon those branches. True fathers and mothers produce children that are also fathers and mothers. When the Church embraces a generational mentality she will change the world. We must all make disciples, not merely seek to influence the world with temporary power demonstrations. We are the family of God and that family needs to expand. It must be a family with the character, nature, way, power, and authority of Christ. The name of God must be established in our legacy. To do this we must live differently than the world. We cannot be lovers of self or seekers of mountain top experiences. We must be committed to establish a family in the earth. We must see ourselves as branches on the tree. That tree is the Tree of Life and it is destined to influence the world we live in.
When Abram began his journey of faith he came to the land of Shechem and went to the terebinth tree of Moreh. The name Shechem means part or portion. The name Moreh means stretching (Gen. 12:6). I believe that God wanted Abram to know that his portion in life was to be stretched for the future generations. Trees are symbolic of generations. I believe there is a prophetic symbolism here that reveals we must know that our portion as the family of the faith of Abraham is to be stretched for the future generations. This involves “finding a tree”. We must find a generational belief.
Abram continued his journey to a place where we dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre in Hebron (Gen. 13:18). The name “Mamre” means bitterness. The name Hebron means friendship. Abram came to this place after walking through the land (Gen. 13:17). I believe that God wants us to dwell in friendship and allow the bitter places of our lives to be removed. We must choose friendship over bitterness. Love is more important than judgments. This is a key to our walk of destiny. This is a part of the quality needed in the family tree. This is not a matter of “finding a tree”, but rather the quality of “dwelling by one”. We must exhibit actions for a generational testimony of life.
Abram’s journey with God caused his name to be transformed from being the father of a nation (Abram) to becoming a father of many nations by name (Abraham). Abraham had experienced his life-changing encounter with the Melchizedek King. He had received the covenant sign of circumcision in his flesh and now he had another encounter with God will “sitting in the tent door” by the terebinth trees of Mamre (Gen. 18:1-4). It was will sitting at the place of these trees that God revealed his plan for destroying Sodom and Gomorah and Abraham negotiated with God in thoughts of salvation for the sake of a few righteous. I believe that Abraham’s thoughts had become thoughts of salvation for the future generations. His generational belief caused him to walk a generational journey and now he was thinking with thoughts that even allowed him to act as God’s friend. He was thinking like God. The generational inheritance was becoming a generational legacy. He was not afraid of the bitterness in the world around him (Mamre). He was depending upon the grace of the world in his mind.
After Isaac was born Abraham dug a well and planted a tamarisk tree (Gen. 21:30, 33). He called the well Beersheba, meaning the well of the oath. Abram found a tree at the place of stretching, dwelt by a tree at the place of friendship and bitterness, sat in his tent by a tree as the friend of God, and now he was able to plant a tree and dig a well for the generations that would follow. May this be our legacy!
Blessings to you all,
Apostle Ted J. Hanson
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