Our Father has children who are born out of a prophetic knowledge and promise. In fact, this is the very foundation of who we are in our Father. In Romans 8:28-31, Paul is teaching that God foreknew those whom He called to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. The Father prophesied us from that place in His foreknowledge. In Romans 9:6-8, Paul again talks about the difference between those who are born of the flesh, and those who are born from the prophetic promise of God, and who continue in that prophetic promise. He calls those born of the prophetic promise "children" and "seed". We have to understand our origins, in order to understand how we are to continue, and what is expected of us from here.
John 1:13 describes those who are the children of God as being born not out of the will of flesh and blood, but born out of the will of God. In Isaiah 43:1, 7, and 45:4, the LORD is speaking about a people called (called out with a loud voice, appointed, summoned) by name, and more importantly, called by His name, even before those people knew who God was. This is the "seed". Father called them forth prophetically. These are those who are called "Israel". As Paul taught in Romans 9, not everyone who calls themselves "Israel" are truly "Israel", but those born of and from the prophetic promise. Those not just born of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the flesh, but those of each subsequent generation called by God prophetically, and continuing to walk in that prophetic destiny and purpose. These are the children; these are the "seed".
"And if you are Christs's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Gal. 3:29
Those who have a knowledge of being children or seed of the Father, and His Kingdom, have a special challenge before them. Psalm 105 describes one of those who is a seed called by the Father-Joseph. He was called and appointed by the prophetic word of God. That same prophetic word and destiny tested Joseph, until that prophetic word or promise was fulfilled (Psalm105:19). What does this mean to us today, to us who have an understanding what it means to be the seed, called by the prophetic promise of God?
It means that the same prophetic word of promise will test us, as it tested Joseph. Before we see its fulfillment in its fullness, we will have seen many testings. The types of testings will be varied, but the ending of it produces the refining and maturity to which we have been called. The testing provides us not only with the head knowledge of the Father, but the experiential knowledge of Him that comes from walking through the testing of His prophetic promise. In Isa. 43:2, our Father assures us:
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flams scorch you."
The testing of the prophetic promise will also implant within us the "testimony" that is needed to minister to others, and teach others, in the time of their testing.
The challenge ahead of us is to not lose hope, to not lose faith, to not let go, or turn back from the very prophetic promise that called us by name, by HIS name, to begin with.
Our Father has seed from His prophetic promise.
"Have You Been Tried in the Fire?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbi3hG9ZZLY
"A Child of God"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r3JAV2r208
There is an account in scripture in Mark 14:1-10, that takes place just before Jesus is taken for crucifixion. Jesus has been ministering publicly for about three years at this point, with a widespread reputation for miracles, teaching, even raising the dead. It is the time of the Passover Feast. This feast is one of the most solemn and awesome of the feasts. This feast commemorates the great, yet, terrible night when the LORD God miraculously protected the Israelites from the destruction of the Angel of Death that was dispatched to bring death to all of the first born of Egypt. This was the last plague loosed upon Egypt in order to break the bondage of God's people. Lamb's blood was painted on the doorposts and lintels of the homes of the Israelites, so when the Angel of Death came, he would pass over those homes, and not bring the judgment of death to that household. The Israelites left Egypt that very night.
In the account in Mark 14, however, the hearts and minds of the religious leaders of the time were not upon the coming Passover and all of its preparations. Instead, their thoughts were of taking Jesus, and putting Him to death by any means necessary-even if it meant using deceit and trickery (Mk. 14:1). Though they were making their plans, they felt those plans should be held until after Passover, so there would not be an uproar among the people. This was the mind of the religious elite.
Also in this passage, there is a man named Simon. He is described as a leper. Leprosy was a disease that caused the sufferer to be quarantined from society. The person was considered to be unclean, and the disease was incurable by natural means. The priests had been appointed by God to cleanse the disease, but evidently, at this time, there were those who had not been cleansed from it. Luke 7:36 also tells us that the man, Simon, was also a Pharisee, who were taught to believe in miracles, and even resurrection from the dead. This man invited Jesus to his house for supper. Jesus accepted the invitation. There were probably not many who would eat with a leper. Simon had an opportunity for healing and deliverance in his home that day. But something happened that caused Simon to miss His opportunity with Jesus. During the meal, a woman of sinful reputation came into Simon's house and began to humbly minister to Jesus using a costly anointing oil. Jesus accepted her ministry. This was a problem for Simon. He knew the woman's past and decided that Jesus could not possibly be sent from God, if He did not know who this woman was, and allowed her to touch Him. A man who had desperate need, and was an untouchable himself, decided Jesus was not the person Simon thought He should be. However, Jesus points out to Simon, that Simon's rejection had come long before the woman entered his house. Jesus points out that Simon had not treated Jesus with even the common politeness one would show a guest: greeting with a kiss, and providing the washing of the feet. He pointed out to Simon that this woman labeled a sinner, had washed His feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair. She then anointed His feet with the costly oil. She knew who her Master was, and Simon had not accepted Jesus as Master, or Lord.
This passage also describes others at the table, and their thoughts. Luke 7 tells us that they questioned how Jesus had the authority to forgive this woman's sins. Mark 14 tells us that this group resented the fact that such costly oil was used by this woman on Jesus's feet. They called it "a waste" in Mt. 26:8 version of this event. Why didn't she sell the oil and give the money to the poor? That would be the righteous thing to do, in their opinion. The Mt. 26 account tells us that the ones with these thoughts were Jesus's own disciples. One of the disciples, Judas, even decided at this point that he would inquire how he could turn Jesus over to the religious authorities. He was looking for a reason to do so, and this event gave him the justification he wanted.
The headship, or Lordship of Jesus was just as difficult for His disciples to accept, as it was for Simon the Leper, or the religious authorities of the time. Isn't this surprising? They were eye witnesses to all that Jesus had done, but were still offended by His headship or authority over them.
I think that is very much the case today, as well. Even we, His disciples, sometimes look for the opportunity, the justification, to reject His headship in order to keep our own. We look for the opportunity to reject the headship of the appointed shepherds over our lives for the same reasons. God has said in scripture that this rejection is not really against our spiritual fathers and shepherds, but against Him. Jesus said those who rejected Him, were really rejecting His Father, Who sent Him.
This is one of the great challenges that we who think of ourselves as disciples face in our spiritual walk. Who do we say Jesus is, and do our actions support this truth that we believe? Do we really accept the headship of Jesus, and of the Father, or will circumstances reveal what we really think regarding this?
Will others, more humble than ourselves, expose by their worshipful love for Jesus, the feelings that are really in our hearts and minds? When their example is held up to us, will we have feelings of shame and regret for our own hardened hearts, and prideful spirits? It's tough to face and deal with, but we should never stop looking at this, examining our own hearts.
Our Father is Headship.
"Lord, I Need You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9e0nxHP-w
