A Friend of God
Hello From Arizona;
Well, the sun is shining and I am headed home after three wonderful days with my Apache friends and family here in San Carlos. We had a great time in the presence of God and God is doing good things in a very needy place in the earth. Jesus is the one who broke the curse! I call God’s blessing upon the Apache Nation and believe that there is living water in the desert. That living water is going to bring fruitful fields for the glory of God.
I continued to preach a message on generations here. It is the message of the hour. God wants us all to have a 100-year plan. He wants us to believe for His kingdom to come and His will to be done for our children, our children’s children, and us. The good news of the Kingdom of God is truly GOOD NEWS!
I am inspired today to think of God as my friend. He is my friend and I am increasingly becoming a friend of God. May He grant me the grace in my heart to be His friend in character, nature, way, power, and authority. By His grace I know that I will be.
Yesterday was Father’s Day and I think of my own children. There is nothing greater in my life than being a son to God, a husband to my wife, a father to my children, and a grandfather to my granddaughter. These things are more important than all the things I do in life. These are who I am, not merely what I do. When I think of my own children I cannot think of a better testimony than to be a friend to each of them. They are my friends and I am theirs. I know that God sees us all this way as well. He is our friend and we are His. He loves that relationship.
A great testimony of God’s friendship is found in the testimony of Jesus and Peter. After the resurrection of Jesus Peter and some of the disciples decided to go fishing. Jesus had appeared to them, but they were not fully aware of His plan for their future. They were yet to be empowered and envisioned for the purpose of Christ’s kingdom. It seems that returning to their old lives was an option. Peter led the cause by initiating a fishing expedition. You can find the story in John, Chapter 21. In the story, they had been fishing all night when Jesus came along the shore. They had not caught a single fish in their venture and Jesus gave them a familiar instruction. He told them to cast the net on the right side of the boat and they would find some fish. When they did they quickly found their net full to almost bursting. They recognized then that the one who had spoken to them from the shoreline was Jesus. Peter, being stripped down to his undergarment, put on his outer garment and jumped into the sea. He probably felt a little undone at the presence of the Lord. He may have been carry some shame for denying Jesus at His crucifixion. When the disciples came ashore they drug the net filled to abundance with fish to the shore. Jesus had prepared a fire and some fish for their breakfast. He was doing all the things that friends do. It appears that in the story the fish that Jesus offered them were not those they had just caught, but rather fish that He had cooked in preparation for them to eat. His friendship with them was not based upon what they could offer, but upon who He was to them. He was their friend, even though not too many days early it seemed they had scattered from Him. Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, seemed to be the focus of Jesus in the situation. Jesus began to ask some questions of Peter. He asked Him if he loved Him more than the fish he had just caught. Did he love him more than the very thing he loved to do? Jesus used the Greek word “agapao” when asking Peter if he loved Him. This word is a “giving” word. It is a word for love that implies action and doing whatever it takes to prove a moral and giving love. Peter knew that he could not say he could “agapao” Jesus. He had denied Him three times. Peter responds by using a different Greek word for love. He uses the word “phileo”, which means that he was affectionate and emotionally loving to Jesus. His honesty invoked a surprising response from Jesus. Jesus told Peter to feed His little lambs. Jesus then again asked Peter if he loved Him. He used the Greek word “agapao” the second time as well. Peter responded by saying that he was affectionate and emotionally loving to Jesus (phileo). His honesty caused Jesus to express His trust of Peter even more. He told him to take care of His little lambs. Jesus then proceeded to ask Peter a third time if he loved Him. This time Jesus used the word “phileo”. “Peter do you ‘phileo’ Me?” Are you emotionally in love with me? Peter then began to cry and said, “Lord you know I ‘phileo’ You.” This time Jesus gave him the ultimate expression of trust. He told Him to feed His sheep. Jesus then prophesied of the day that Peter would prove a friendship with Jesus that would be of his ability to “agapeo” Him. Peter would one day give his life as a friend of Jesus. His weakness of betrayal would be fully healed by the love of His faithful friend.
Jn. 21:18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Over thirty years later Peter was found in Rome and was placed under the judgment of crucifixion by the Roman authorities. Peter could not dishonor nor deny His Lord. At his own request they crucified Peter upside down. He refused to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus, but requested that they hang him upside down. Peter was an unshakeable friend to Jesus. Jesus was his friend, now at the culmination of Peter’s life, Peter revealed he was a friend to Jesus. He could now “agapeo” Him with all of his heart.
I want to be a friend of God. God is my friend, and by His grace I am increasingly being made known as His friend. This is the power of God’s grace!
Blessings to Everyone,
Apostle Ted J. Hanson
Well, the sun is shining and I am headed home after three wonderful days with my Apache friends and family here in San Carlos. We had a great time in the presence of God and God is doing good things in a very needy place in the earth. Jesus is the one who broke the curse! I call God’s blessing upon the Apache Nation and believe that there is living water in the desert. That living water is going to bring fruitful fields for the glory of God.
I continued to preach a message on generations here. It is the message of the hour. God wants us all to have a 100-year plan. He wants us to believe for His kingdom to come and His will to be done for our children, our children’s children, and us. The good news of the Kingdom of God is truly GOOD NEWS!
I am inspired today to think of God as my friend. He is my friend and I am increasingly becoming a friend of God. May He grant me the grace in my heart to be His friend in character, nature, way, power, and authority. By His grace I know that I will be.
Yesterday was Father’s Day and I think of my own children. There is nothing greater in my life than being a son to God, a husband to my wife, a father to my children, and a grandfather to my granddaughter. These things are more important than all the things I do in life. These are who I am, not merely what I do. When I think of my own children I cannot think of a better testimony than to be a friend to each of them. They are my friends and I am theirs. I know that God sees us all this way as well. He is our friend and we are His. He loves that relationship.
A great testimony of God’s friendship is found in the testimony of Jesus and Peter. After the resurrection of Jesus Peter and some of the disciples decided to go fishing. Jesus had appeared to them, but they were not fully aware of His plan for their future. They were yet to be empowered and envisioned for the purpose of Christ’s kingdom. It seems that returning to their old lives was an option. Peter led the cause by initiating a fishing expedition. You can find the story in John, Chapter 21. In the story, they had been fishing all night when Jesus came along the shore. They had not caught a single fish in their venture and Jesus gave them a familiar instruction. He told them to cast the net on the right side of the boat and they would find some fish. When they did they quickly found their net full to almost bursting. They recognized then that the one who had spoken to them from the shoreline was Jesus. Peter, being stripped down to his undergarment, put on his outer garment and jumped into the sea. He probably felt a little undone at the presence of the Lord. He may have been carry some shame for denying Jesus at His crucifixion. When the disciples came ashore they drug the net filled to abundance with fish to the shore. Jesus had prepared a fire and some fish for their breakfast. He was doing all the things that friends do. It appears that in the story the fish that Jesus offered them were not those they had just caught, but rather fish that He had cooked in preparation for them to eat. His friendship with them was not based upon what they could offer, but upon who He was to them. He was their friend, even though not too many days early it seemed they had scattered from Him. Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, seemed to be the focus of Jesus in the situation. Jesus began to ask some questions of Peter. He asked Him if he loved Him more than the fish he had just caught. Did he love him more than the very thing he loved to do? Jesus used the Greek word “agapao” when asking Peter if he loved Him. This word is a “giving” word. It is a word for love that implies action and doing whatever it takes to prove a moral and giving love. Peter knew that he could not say he could “agapao” Jesus. He had denied Him three times. Peter responds by using a different Greek word for love. He uses the word “phileo”, which means that he was affectionate and emotionally loving to Jesus. His honesty invoked a surprising response from Jesus. Jesus told Peter to feed His little lambs. Jesus then again asked Peter if he loved Him. He used the Greek word “agapao” the second time as well. Peter responded by saying that he was affectionate and emotionally loving to Jesus (phileo). His honesty caused Jesus to express His trust of Peter even more. He told him to take care of His little lambs. Jesus then proceeded to ask Peter a third time if he loved Him. This time Jesus used the word “phileo”. “Peter do you ‘phileo’ Me?” Are you emotionally in love with me? Peter then began to cry and said, “Lord you know I ‘phileo’ You.” This time Jesus gave him the ultimate expression of trust. He told Him to feed His sheep. Jesus then prophesied of the day that Peter would prove a friendship with Jesus that would be of his ability to “agapeo” Him. Peter would one day give his life as a friend of Jesus. His weakness of betrayal would be fully healed by the love of His faithful friend.
Jn. 21:18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Over thirty years later Peter was found in Rome and was placed under the judgment of crucifixion by the Roman authorities. Peter could not dishonor nor deny His Lord. At his own request they crucified Peter upside down. He refused to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus, but requested that they hang him upside down. Peter was an unshakeable friend to Jesus. Jesus was his friend, now at the culmination of Peter’s life, Peter revealed he was a friend to Jesus. He could now “agapeo” Him with all of his heart.
I want to be a friend of God. God is my friend, and by His grace I am increasingly being made known as His friend. This is the power of God’s grace!
Blessings to Everyone,
Apostle Ted J. Hanson
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