SUFFERING & THEN BEING RESURRECTED UNTO NEW LIFE by Stephen Hanson

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53

Suffering is a part of life; it is something that all of us encounter, and it is inescapable. Oftentimes, the trials and circumstances of life come unannounced, and leave us with no warning or preparation. For truly, how can one prepare for an illness or a disease that might leave someone paralyzed or disabled in some way? And yet, as many know, these times in our lives, cause us much grief and sorrow. But we have someone who has traveled down these same roads before, and He is with us and even “in us” throughout these times.

We all have and know about the promises of God, and without them we would have no hope in his life. None of us want to go through trials or to face hardships, but God always seems to have a reason for these things. We all know about the saying, 'You reap what you sow,' but bad things also happen to people who follow after God.

I hear stories about people who trust in God with all their hearts, and they are obedient to him in so many ways. And yet these very same people have spouses or sons and daughters, who have overwhelming diseases and catastrophes in their lives. I hear the stories of how they have prayed for healing, have had hands laid upon them, and have been anointed with oil. They believed, they prayed earnestly for recovery and yet, the person is still afflicted. You say, perhaps their faith wasn’t strong enough. Perhaps there was some sin that prevented the healing from happening. Perhaps God in his infinite wisdom has let the malady stay there…Perhaps the thorn in the flesh has a reason for its existence.

And yet we are told in scripture that if we suffer with Him, then surely, we will be raised up with Him. And this doesn’t necessarily mean “just” awaiting our salvation and eternal home with Him. But as the waves of the ocean continue to bring the tides of hardships and trials our way towards the shoreline, we can be assured that in time, these same waves will subside. In due time we will reap, if we do not lose heart. And in due time, those periods of deep trials and suffering will come to an end, and then as they are lifted, our hearts are also lifted, as we see His hand changing the circumstances around us, and giving us His peace and rest.

12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 2 Tim. 2:12

Are we to believe that this life that we now live in Christ is always to be paved with ease and to be free of pain? Are we to believe that we can simply just “speak those away in the name of Jesus?” Those who speak of such things, have an unbalanced view of the Bible, and actually, of the Christian life. Indeed, we do and should, speak those things that are not as though they were, for our faith resides in what we do not see. But again, if we are to be a true disciple and follower of Christ, then we must identify with Him, and the identifying is not “just” about living a life free of pain and trouble.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Are we not to learn our lesson from the ancient patriarch Job who lost everything, but even in his deepest suffering, still was able to praise God? We know that in the end his former possessions had been taken away from him, and in the end he received them back doubly. His flesh was healed, but his suffering was intense, and was something that perhaps only few of us, will ever encounter.

We all know about the suffering of Christ and all of the floggings and pain he endured, particularly as he faced the death on the cross for us. We are also told that as we are heirs with God that we will also share in his sufferings.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17

The purposes of suffering are so that we might be molded into his image and become more like Him through the things that we suffer. But even in the midst of these trials, there is always the hope that not only will they yield the fruit of his righteousness, but that they will come to an end, and that there would be periods of time when we might rest from these trials and tribulations. Whereas before, the car breaks down, our relationships are strained, and there’s a leak in the roof. This time, a family member may be in the hospital, school has just started, and a son or daughter has decided that they aren’t willing to go to school anymore. These are normal problems that most of us face. However, there are other types of trials and persecutions that can last for even years. These are the types of things that Job faced. These are the types of things that many of the prophets of old faced, and now, we do as well.

Suffering must run its course. It is inescapable just like how the mighty river cuts through the cliffs and finds a new channel in its course. It is relentless. It doesn’t give up easily, but somehow, if we just hang on, it will subside and the tides will roll back, and we’ll be able to view the landscape before us with a new vision.

Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

THIS NATION WILL BE BROUGHT TO IS KNEES by Stephen Hanson

3/13/16

18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Luke 13:34

"This nation will be brought to its knees. For the darkness will come. It will cover the land. For your days are numbered, oh land that was once called the land of the free and the home of the brave.

You have entered into a time where you cannot turn back. The glory has left the land. For your riots and civil unrest will continue. Woe to those who call violence good, and march to the boldness of the one who has dominated your TV screens for months.

Pride goeth before a fall. The peacock will fall on that day. The splendor and his arrogance will bring about his ruin.

You have been led down a road and listened to a message from a piper who has played a tune that has led many of you astray.

The violence in the streets will continue. The only way to make America great is to get on your knees.

You were once a divided nation many years ago. You were divided from north to south then.

But now your divisions will spread from east to west, from rich and poor, from the strong and the weak, from the old to the young. Churches will be split right down the middle. And those who speak from the pulpits will have a message all their own.

But now your divisions will spread from east to west, from rich and poor, from the strong and the weak, from the old to the young. Churches will be split right down the middle.And those who speak from the pulpits will have a message all their own. there is so much violence and hatred? The cause is not just.

But if you would return to me then I could heal that which is broken. But how many times have I asked you to do this? You say that you would return to me and yet your hearts are taken to another.

Oh, that I would have gathered you up in my arms. Oh, that I would have comforted you. Oh, that I would have made your borders like silver and sapphire. But the jewel has lost its luster. "

Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

KNOW THE AUDIENCE YOU ARE SPEAKING TO by Stephen Hanson

1. Decree
an official order issued by a legal authority.
synonyms: ; order, edict, command, commandment, mandate, proclamation, dictum, fiat;
law, bylaw, statute, act;

Yesterday I saw a short message that said essentially that all your words of prophecy will hit the mark this month. These words were spoken through someone who addressed themselves as an “apostle.”

“PROPHETIC RELEASE!!!! The Prophet of God comes to show you where to shoot your arrow. This year shoot your arrow in the direction the Prophet tells you because I prophesy and decree that 2016 you will not miss your mark. You will hit the bulls-eye. Get ready for the divine release.”

Immediately I sensed something eschew in my spirit because I know that not “everyone” who speaks a word of prophecy hits the mark. Some of those arrows will fall to the ground for various reasons, and yet others will hit the bull’s eye. Why is that you may ask? It’s because of the spirit of the person who is prophesying. Some may have mixed the words of God with their own. Some others may be speaking for monetary gain, and still others may be living in outright sin.

So when someone “decrees” that ALL who speak for the Lord during a particular month, season, or whatever, is something that I am not in agreement with. Some teachers and ministers, use the word “decree” very loosely. The word certainly comes with authority for those who would speak it, but again, it is oftentimes spoken loosely and without understanding.

Who is the audience for that this decree would be given? Is it simply thrown over an entire group of people like a blanket, assuming that ALL under that blanket, will then follow the instructions given in that decree? Is it spoken for an entire church or congregation, being unaware of those who are living in sin, or are not at a level of maturity to allow the seeds of that word to become effective?
A more appropriate phrase might be to speak to only those the Lord would anoint to speak to. Be careful of the phrases that we use dear people. Remember that “My people suffer for lack of knowledge.”

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6

Just because something that is spoken “sounds good,” doesn’t mean that it is necessarily true. “Not all that glitters is gold.”

The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass. Then again I would ask, are the words that we are speaking through a decree, according to the counsel of His will, or are they simply spoken through a phrase that we are speaking under presumption?

There are phrases and scriptures that one would recognize as a decree:

Rev 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Numbers 23:19 - God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Psalms 2:7 - I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Know your audience when you are prophesying, decrees, speaking, proclaiming, and preaching to. Don’t simply lump everyone together and assume that your message is intended for everyone.


Amen,
Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET, NOT A BEACON by Stephen Hanson

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

When King David wrote this psalm, he was showing the importance of God’s light and direction for us as a people. For without God’s direction for us, we are a lost people, ever groping in the darkness. We are then as blind men, who would eventually end up in the ditch, rather than following the path that He has set ahead for us.

But in saying that His word is a lamp unto our feet, doesn’t mean that God is providing a huge beacon that would shine ahead for us to see every step of the way. It is rather a step-by-step process, as we walk ahead with the light that He provides for us daily.
A lamp shines only so far as the light within it will be able to shine. It illuminates the one who is holding it, thus enabling him to see, even in the dark. We are told that God’s light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to understand it.

5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:5

If we were able to see everything ahead of us, we could end up relying upon our own sources of direction and light. We aren’t allowed to see everything that lies ahead of us, and that is a good thing. We aren’t given a crystal ball that would illuminate all of our travels ahead. Even those who use a GPS find out eventually, that the directions that they are given are either outdated or wrong at times. If this is true with driving a car or a truck, how much more important is our spiritual journey in this life.

When the world around us grows darker and darker, we can be assured that the light of God’s word and His personal revelation given to us, will enable His children to see through the roadblocks and obstacles that are ahead. The greatest achievements in technology or science won’t be sufficient. All of the new age philosophies or gurus will fall short of giving us the answers that we need.

Perhaps some of us have driven through weather that makes it very difficult to see ahead. I remember several times having to inch our car ahead as the fog around us, descended and prevented me from seeing. It was very difficult, and one could imagine something jumping in front of us in the form of a deer, or some other type of animal. Our headlights were on dim, and eventually the clouds lifted, and the road ahead became more visible. Our spiritual life can become very cloudy at times, and we need to adjust our spiritual headlights to see ahead. Eventually, the clouds will lift, and the horizon ahead will become more visible, thus enabling us to see the vistas of God’s promises ahead.

“THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH,
UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” Matt. 4:16



Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

THE EYE IS THE LAMP OF THE BODY by Stephen Hanson

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!  Matthew 6:22-24

With our natural eyes we see the world around us, and we can behold things of beauty and things that are ugly, each in their own way.  Of course beauty and ugliness is a subjective thing. What some consider as something that is beautiful, another one may not consider it. Viewing artwork is a perfect example of this.

However, it is also true that people who have lost their natural sight, have other heightened senses, such as their hearing, and intuition. I knew a man that had lost his natural sight years ago, and he was very proficient with caning chairs. He felt the material with his hands, and they guided him in the process of creating something very wonderful and practical, for everyday use. He spoke very fluently, and was very personable. And yet, without our eyes, we are blind men, groping through the darkness all around us.

And many, who may well have excellent eye sight, may have considerable inferior spiritual sight. The prophet Isaiah spoke of them saying,

¹⁸ They know not, neither do they consider: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. Isaiah 44

⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Isaiah 6

And yet, it is true that those that behold our eyes see the person behind them.  Our eyes reflect our souls, and a vast world is seen in them, either being good, or evil.   Some can easily tell when a person is lying to them, simply by looking at their eyes, and noticing either truth or deceit in them.

Our eyes are literally a channel to viewing a person’s personality or character. If you look into a person’s eyes, you can tell if they are angry, sad, happy, or fearful.  But as one looks closer, you can tell more about the deeper things about the person. 

Eyes are literally a window into people’s souls. People are endowed with various colors of eyes.  Their iris may be brown, blue, green, hazel, or a mixture of each.  And now, some wear special lenses to alter the natural color of their own eyes, thus producing a synthetic substitute for the original hue.  But no manner of changing the color of one’s eyes can alter their inner nature.

Some people may have similar eye color to each other, but the lines and dots on the iris are as unique as a fingerprint. There are certain patterns that are contained within the iris of a person, and some scientists are now discovering specific personality traits embedded there.

If there is light within our eyes, how great that light may be; and yet, if there is darkness, that hue can take over, and obscure the light.

Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

GOD’S TIME TABLE by Stephen Hanson

⁸ But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8

  

We as people see the world from our own vantage point and time.  From the early morning hours, to the afternoon, and continued into the late evening, man has always documented his various activities.  Man is aware of the seasons, and this has helped him greatly, to know when to plant, and when to harvest.  His farming and cultivation has been uniquely tied to the seasons, and the sun.

But we are always in a hurry to get to this concert or that activity. We stress and fume because of traffic, or obstacles, that might cause us to be late. And of course, our jobs start and end at a certain time each day. Weddings and funerals are set to begin at a specified time and place. Without having our schedules marked for certain times and places, would cause great chaos, and we wouldn’t know when something began, nor when it ended.

We turn our clocks back in the fall, and we spring forward every year. We mark our calendars for certain holidays, birthdays, and other days of remembrance. We also have definite days for specific biblical feasts that are to be remembered that have been set down for observance.

And yet our time that we live upon this earth is but a short measure to God. For while we have been living out our existence, even for eighty years or more, he was still watching our life pass before him. We are but a mist, a cloud, that passes before his eyes. And yet this is not to diminish his great love for us, but merely to illustrate how our finite existence compares with his everlasting character.

God’s time table is much different than ours.  He dwells outside of time, and he sees the beginning and the end all at once. All throughout man’s history, and documented biblical accounts, God has seen how a man or a woman would deliver a nation, leave a country, or prophesy to many. He saw their potential before they had just begun. He saw their finished work, in spite of all the obstacles and weaknesses that they would face.

Our concept of time is limited to our finite minds. It is quite a quandary to consider that God has no beginning for he was here along with the Son and the Spirit, before all things. For he was here before anything ever was, and he will be here from everlasting unto everlasting. Time is not measured with him as it is with us. Man compartmentalizes his life’s moments and deeds. He uses a yardstick and the minutes and seconds on a clock---but the Father’s time table is other-dimensional. The hands on his dial move ever so slowly, as he would want all to come to him. And yet the “time” will come when the hourglass will finally empty, and we will have to make a decision.

Our earth and everything in it, will eventually be done away with. For at that time, the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. At that time, when new heavens and a new earth are created, then we will live forever in God’s other-dimensional period of time. And yet, it won’t be a period of time, but it will rather be for all eternity.  And then perhaps we will begin to understand that time has no meaning.  For he who was here before the beginning will continue unto everlasting.

Then we will know as we are known, for we will see him face-face.

The Lord would say,

“For…is not time in my hands, says the Lord?  I have watched and I have seen Abraham and Isaac. I was

here to see Moses deliver the children of Israel from Egypt.

I remember when each of my children were born. I know of all those who have come before you. I set kings into office,

and yet many fell into corruption. I have watched empires come and go. I have seen the destruction of Nineveh.

I was here when the great flood covered the earth; and I was here when the earth was repopulated again.

I watched as my Son was born of a virgin, and I watched as he cried in Gethsemane. I watched as he died on a

cross and rose again.

And yet, all of these things that have transpired are but a droplet of the time that I have lived. And I know of

everything that will transpire in your own lives. I know when you sleep and when you awaken. And I know

when you will live your last days upon this earth. “

¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. I Cor. 13:12

Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

tseyigai@yahoo.com

THE LAND WILL OPEN UP IN THAT DAY

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and

through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest

through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame

kindle upon thee.” Isaiah 43:2

The great day of the Lord is near,near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,the mighty man cries aloud there.
A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.

(Zephaniah 1:14-16 )

"What are the things that you are looking for in this hour, my people?

What great answers would you seek? For many words are coming forth in

this hour. They point to this and they point to that.

And yet the world continues to spin as it has for thousands of years.

But at the slightest touch of my hand, I could cause it to wobble and to

go off its path.

What would you do in the event of that happening?  Would you run and

hide?  Would you go safely underground?

Would it be a sunny day or a dark one, would say the Lord? Would you

sit there all alone in your room praying to me?

I tell you, that day will come. I tell you that the earth and everything in

it will change on that day.

What will happen to your beautiful churches and cathedrals on that day?

I tell you that they will crack asunder.

And a great gulf will open up in this land, says the Lord. Some will

attempt to hold on to the land, trying to hold in desperation.

But a bridge will be laid out for those who would travel across.  The

depths of the earth will be seen below, and fire and a flood will

consume some of them.

For they trusted not in me on that day. But my mighty angels will

blow a sound on that day. The sound will be heard throughout the land.

And those that put their faith and trust in me, will be delivered and

will find dry land. "

Stephen Hanson

tseyigai@yahoo.com

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

3655 El Morro Rd. #120

Colo. Spgs, CO. 80910

WHAT FOOD WOULD SATISFY YOU, I WOULD ASK? by Stephen Hanson

All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. Isaiah 53: 6

(God offers us a banqueting table to partake of, and yet many look elsewhere to feed their spirits with the goods of this world.
Eventually, those that look elsewhere, will discover that what they have eaten becomes like
poison to their bodies. His pastures are green, and all the other ones, may
look green and luscious, but they actually are barren and lifeless.)

"Where are my own in this hour? My people, many of you have forsaken me.
For you go here and there, sampling the food from different pastures.
Is my garden no longer a delight for you? What food would satisfy you, I
would ask?

For you have abandoned the temple of my son. You have gone after and have eaten the forsaken food.
My food would have satisfied you if you have eaten it.

But no, you would rather have partaken of the world's goods. You have joined yourselves to
the harlot.

Do you not know that friendship with the world means enmity with Me?
You have mixed a drink that will poison you eventually.

But I offer you a banqueting table, but the time will eventually run out.
The table that you now sit at, may seem to satisfy you now, but it will
become a bitter cup. "


Stephen Hanson
www.stephenhansonprophet.com
tseyigai@yahoo.com
3655 El Morro. Rd.
#120
Colo. Spgs, CO. 80910

THE CURTAINS HAVE BEEN PULLED BACK by Stephen Hanson

17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Luke 8

“I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I,The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. Isaiah 45

"This year will be the culmination of many things for my people. For those things that once hindered them in the past, will now be removed from them.
Those things that have kept you back, those things that have been a road block, will now be done away with.

For you are coming into your own, says the Lord. You are being given back what the locust has stolen.
You have waited and waited, and you have gone on for years waiting. But now, those things that were just seen dimly, will now be seen in the open.

Some doors will open and others will close. For there is a changing of the guard. Now you will see through the door and what lies beyond.
For those things hidden in secret will now be revealed to you. They were cloudy before, but now, a clarity will be seen like never before.

The curtains have been pulled back. Come into the holy of holies my child. For this is the deepest part of my sanctuary. Come past all the trappings that you see there; and come up to that place where I alone dwell.
My sanctuary will stand with all that is going on in the world around you. All will fall on that day. But my place reserved for my servants will stand."


Selah`
Stephen Hanson
www.stephenhansonprophet.com

SPEAK AS THE MOUNTAINS DRIP WITH TRUTH by Stephen Hanson

²⁹ Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in

pieces?  Jeremiah 23

"For as many that are called, they are also chosen from me, says the Lord. They are chosen to

speak for me; to speak as the mountains drip with truth. To speak as the waters rise and fall.

These are those that I called from the foundation of the world. But some shrink back in fear,

and don't fulfill their calling fully.

But, I will choose another. For my word must be spoken, says the Lord.  It must go out with

a resounding sound into all the earth.

For those words will triumph against the enemy.  Those words will break the chains of those

hidden in darkness.

And they will produce a fire that is ignited. It cannot be held within your breast.  Those words

will go around the globe. They will give direction and hope to many.   They will signal my coming,

and they will prepare you for the days ahead."

Stephen Hanson
www.stephenhansonprophet.com

WHERE HAVE ALL THE TRUE MESSENGERS GONE? by Stephen Hanson

¹⁹ Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail. I Samuel 3

"Where have all the true messengers gone, would say the Lord?  Where are

the Moses' and where are the Jeremiahs'?  

For have their words been silenced?  Have their mouths been muzzled?  For surely I would

speak in this hour. Surely, my words would not return to me void.

There are many that presume to speak for me. These are those that wag their tongues and

speak words from their own spirits. But my true messengers speak a word in and out of

season.

For would you 'soft-peddle' the truth?   Would you speak only what others would 'want' you to

say?   For many have itching ears in this hour.  The hour is late and they aren't even aware of it.

But when the mountains fall into the sea, and the rivers overflow, will you be ready?   Or would

you rather have heard the soft words from others?  

Don't muzzle those who speak the truth.  Don't silence their words, for they are mine alone.

For all that speak for me may be ridiculed and forsaken, but they are mine, says the Lord."

Stephen Hanson

Stephen Hanson
www.stephenhansonprophet.com

A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH WILL COME by Stephen Hanson

21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev. 21

"The world as you know it, spins around on its orbit. And yet it is not just a celestial globe. For I endowed life among the spheres. I flung the stars into existence. When I formed man out of the dust, it was not just a thoughtless thing I did.

I endowed him with a spirit and a mind and a body. For he now grapples with the truth of his existence.
But I have touched its orbit, and the time will come when it will wobble and turn.

It will go into a new rotation. For its orbit is coming to an end at some point.
I created it and I hollowed it out by my hands.The stars and their celestial paths, are set by my hands. I created their paths long ago. There is music in the spheres, some would say. And yet that music has been interrupted by man's sins.

A new heaven and a new earth will come, and the kingdom of my Son will reign forever.
Will you grapple with your existence and come to me, would say the Lord? I gave you a mind to think and a heart to believe.
I hollowed out a place inside there. For eternity is set there. "


Stephen Hanson
www.stephenhansonprophet.com

IN THE BEGINNING by Stephen Hanson

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1

In the beginning was the word, and the word was God. That word created everything that we see and touch and experience. The word created everything that we "don't see and touch and experience."  There isn't anything anywhere that didn't come into existence through the spoken word of God.

It is a creative force, this word that was spoken. It IS a creative word still. And yet we have the spoken word within us. There is no darkness in God.  Actually darkness is merely the absence of light. In him was the light of man, and the light still permeates throughout all creation.  But man has defiled the light. It has become fragmented and subdued into various illusions of the true light. We are told that the enemy comes as a messenger of light; he parades as one that would show forth light, but it is a counterfeit of what is true.

We talk about "In the beginning," and yet God was always here before the beginning. The only beginning is what we now see around us.  It's a very difficult concept to grasp, and yet we must know that it is true, for God himself was not created.  But then the stars and everything we see around us were flung into existence by this spoken word.

And yet when God spoke he didn't need to use the tools and materials of the things that we now see around us. There wasn't first dirt, and air, and fire, and water. Those very things were spoken into existence.  As an artist, I have a canvas and paints and brushes to use at my disposal.  Fortunately I don't have to create them because they are already here at my disposal to use. Of course at one point, men made brushes and wove the material that is now used for a canvas and ground the pigments that we now see in tubes of paint. But those men and women didn't need to create the earthen materials from the earth. They were already there.  In other words, God created out of "nothing," and man must create out of "what he now sees."

The creative force of the spoken word is a mysterious thing. The words that we speak can bring healing and they can also bring destruction. The old adage that says, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me," is actually not true. Words are powerful and they can give us encouragement in this life, or they can bring rottenness to our bones.  A young child that always hears hurtful words spoken to him or her, will grow up thinking that he is not able to do certain things in life, or that he just isn't a good person. And yet those who have been given words of life will flourish and grow into men and women who are well-adjusted and have a sense of purpose and destiny in their lives.

It's hard to take back any reckless words that we have spoken to others.  Sometimes it's better not to say anything at all, rather than saying something that we may regret later.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Proverbs 10:19

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com

I WAS THERE WHEN YOU SOUGHT TO FIND ME by Stephen Hanson

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” ¹² even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you. Psalm 139

"In the stillness of the day would my people hear my voice?  Would they recognize it when I spoke to them?   For surely, I do speak in this hour. Do you hear all the sounds around you?  You recognize them, because you expect to hear them.  But my voice is not of this world. It comes from outside the realms of this world.

Many have sought to find me throughout the ages. They sought to find me in the forests and the woodlands. They sought to find me down lonely streets of the cities. They sought to find me in the deserts. Many sages and men of wisdom found me in the quiet of their own dwellings. They thought to find me in their books of wisdom. They turned the pages and found wisdom and they found truth. But it was just an idea, a concept. But I was always there to be found. I walked with you down those lonely streets. I was there when you sat alone on that pew. I was there when you sought to find me in the forest. When you went to the desert places, I was there waiting for you to find me.

But you thought that I was there to be found in a certain place. And what you failed to see was that I was always there with you.  Yes I was there when the ocean waves lapped against the shore. Yes I was there when you spoke to your young child. I was there when you nursed him as a child. I was there when you held your young ones in your arms. I was there at the deathbed of your mother and father. I am here amidst the violence in the streets. I am here when the innocent die every day. I am here when the cold winter winds blow. I am here when your spouse leaves you and forsakes you. I am here at birth and I am here at death.

And when the cities fall, and the wilderness places are your home, I will be there to speak with you. And when you gaze up at the stars, know that I reside there beyond them."

Stephen Hanson





www.stephenhansonprophet.com