The Father Speaks...

I love the way the Father will speak through circumstances and people to let His children know what is on His heart.

The past few days have been a reiteration of 'get closer to me'.

Today, I was in a bible study where a person received a prophetic word from an individual (not during the session but at their home) who told them to 'get it right'. The person didn't know what they meant
by 'get it right' since they are not in any obvious sin, but it gradually began to be enlightened to them that the Lord was telling him to clean up how he talks and to not be derailed (this time) by fear of man.
In this bible study we also talking about what the the teacher calls '3rd level anointing'. It's the anointing that brings you into the Holy of Holies and empowers you to serve (minister to) God's people.

In the bible study/prayer meeting I went to tonight, the Pastor spoke about how 'authority trumps power.' The authority that Jesus gives us through the Holy Spirit is more powerful the the powers of government, principalities and powers or anything we could 'work up' on our own. We have to position ourselves, however, if we want to have access to this power. Draw nigh to God. Let nothing interfer with getting close to Him. This was also discussed in the bible study I went to earlier in the day.

On the blog, LivingWalk, the blog owner talked about how we can get 'offeneded' in Christ - even John the Baptist was potentially 'offened' by the circumstances that his proclamation of Christ produced for him. (I had just been reading and thinking on this 'offendedness' a couple of days before this. I was also taken to the verses that talk about the seed falling on shallow ground that lets the 'sun(son)' of  persecution wither it and it becomes unfruitful.)

Washing Feet

I was discussing with my children today the connection I see between Jesus' washing of the disciples feet and the need to walk in our 'priestly' function and 'wash' one another's feet by forgiving them.

I pointed out to them how Jesus said that a person doesn't need their whole body washed; that has already been done by the washing of the water of the Word that has brought them into the forgiveness of the Father through their belief in Jesus's words.

The daily offences that we commit against the Father and against one another are our 'dirty feet' that need to be cleansed.

We need to keep short accounts with one another, pray with and for one another, and if any have committed sins, they will be forgiven and their sickness healed. (James 5:16)    

Example of Micah 6:8

In our reading in Nehemia today, Nehemia exemplifies what God requires of man. We were reading (Living Bible) about how Nehemia was angry with the leaders of Judah for charging interest and mortgages to God's people who were already struggling. The people were even having to sell their children into slavery just so they could have money to get food. He said how he and his officials were not taking any salaries and were doing all they could to help God's people but the leaders were not and should be ashamed. The leaders, to their credit, heard Nehemia's rebuke and gave back to the people their land and possessions. "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"  Isa 58:6 KJV.

This scripture in Isaiah has particular importance for me at this time as we are leaving a family fast behind and now starting a corporate fast with the people we assemble with. In order to 'do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God'(Micah 6:8) we need to have a heart for desiring that justice is done to the oppressed and that those who are in bondage are set free. It is not wonder that the cry of my heart during this last year and into a bit of the first part of this year was 'I want to set the captive free'. God's heart is to see the captive free and the oppressed treated justly so of course His Spirit would put those types of inclinations in our heart.