I saw golden threads coming down from heaven. Each was a mantle left unattached from those of the body of Christ who had gone to be with Him. A mantle is God’s covering of power and protection over the assignments He gives us. Some mantles are left, incomplete, when people go to be with Him. These may be loved ones or people we have known and greatly admired because of the ministries they had while on earth. The mantles they carried may well be the ones God is going to place on you. When Stephen was stoned, he forgave Saul and when he died that mantle he carried (both as a martyr mantle and a mantle of faith and boldness) was there for Paul to pick up and complete or hand on to the another. Elijah threw his mantle of prophet over Elisha. Elisha knew he was to receive the mantle but it didn’t mean that Elijah would die so he could receive it. Elisha would become a type of apprentice to Elijah until the fulness of time had come for Elijah to depart this world. The mantles we impart to others are our ceiling so that the recipient doesn’t start at the floor level where we started but instead starts at our ceiling. The recipients don’t have to go through all that their predecessor went through.
In the Body of Christ there are many mantles and gifts. Gifts are not mantles, as gifts are for the individual and will remain with them. Mantles are for the assignments individuals are given. God has given greater honour to the parts of the body that lack it so there be no division. When one part suffers, all suffers, when one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
The feet of the body are of great value to the Body of Christ and are being held in greater honour as the Body unites and takes back from the enemy the ground that was held and fiercely guarded. They carry a mantle which enables them to step out in great power and authority, soaring above the pain and always building resilience to move on and take back all that the body has lost.
Their shape is very unique, made broad to carry the weight of the Body and toes to balance it as the heel engages the ground and rolls forward, dispersing the weight through the toes. The assignment of the feet often goes unnoticed by the rest of the body. The feet are often dirty, bruised and cut because of the ground over which they carry the Body. They are the extremity of the body just as the hands are. The hands serve and will often serve the feet by bending low to wash and bathe them in oils of great expense and aroma. They will place shoes to protect. If they are the wrong fit they will cause great pain to the feet and the Body will experience the pain, for the body is one.
The assignment of the feet is a noble one for they take the complete weight of the Body, they obey directions without question and are always the first part of the body to take new ground. Such encounters mean they enter enemy territory with great courage to take back that which belongs to the King.
‘Without faith it is impossible to please Him…’ With faith feet walk on water! The Body is carried across the water never to return again to the boat.