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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 5

May 6, '12 12:59 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break:

THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM

Part 5

This is a bit tardy, but allow me to express my thanks to the more than one thousand people who sent me individual birthday greetings for my 70th birthday! Have to say that I was more than a little astonished to receive so many cards, letters and e-notes. It more than doubled the largest number of birthday wishes I've received in any prior years. All I can say is, WOW!!! Anyway, once again, Thank You!

This past weekend was one of the most rewarding experiences in intimate worship that I've seen in more than a decade. Asked to lead worship for a Full Gospel Businessmen's retreat, Rich Warren (close friend, brother, fellow-musician and bassist) joined me in leading somewhere between 120 and 150 men into the presence of the Lord. It would not be overstating things to say that there were more than a few moments when we experienced the Glory of the Lord tangibly.

When you hear more than a hundred men singing at the top of their voice, "Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power be unto the Lamb forever and ever" ..... well, words fail me!! Like I shared with a few folks with whom we fellowship regularly, your goose bumps get goose pimples! (Grin)

There were more than a few occasions when a holy hush settled over everyone and we just basked in the immediate presence of the Lord. One brother told me that he visibly saw angels with us as we worshiped.

As we have done for more than 20 years, the overwhelming majority of the worship and praise music was spontaneous. We had no list of songs to work from, no sheet music in front of any of the musicians, and -- except for Rich and me -- none of them had ever worked with us before; and none of them had ever been involved in a completely spontaneous setting like this before.

Last fall, Rich and I were invited to share this kind of worship at a Seattle high school. Afterwards the band director requested us to stay on and speak with the band class and simply share with them what we were doing, how we got there, and how these young budding musicians could begin moving in this realm themselves. We spent better than an hour sharing with the class. Three of those students came to the retreat and brought their instruments to join in with us. You'd have thought they'd been playing with us for years! Those young men had been working together in the months since we'd shared with them and were ready to flow in the Spirit with us.

Craig Manley brought his (and his church's) drums and percussion, and he joined us for the first time -- again, flowing with us in the Spirit and (as he experienced) doing things in rhythm and percussion he'd never done before.

Finally, another young man from Spain joined us on the keyboard. A trained classical pianist with a stellar reputation as a musician, this was a totally new experience for Jorge. It was a bit reminiscent of our days back in the early 90's when Marcia Treend brought her cello into the mix. Marcia had been principal cellist with the Detroit and Spokane Symphonies with a long career as a classical musician. It was a struggle for her to adapt to a totally spontaneous mode without any sheet music in front of her, playing only what she heard in her spirit. That same thing applied to Jorge, and it was marvelous to watch him adapt in less than three days and flow with us!

It really is a work of the Holy Spirit to bring such a group of musicians together and orchestrate a flow of worship with all of them in such a way that you would think they'd worked together for years! But it is in exactly that kind of unstructured atmosphere with folks who have one mind and one spirit to minister to the Lord that the Holy Spirit can create the most extravagant flow, exhibiting the Glory of the Lord in such a profound manner!

Once again, all I can say is, WOW !!! What a way to live!

Instead of just ending this Coffee Break in my usual manner with a note from one of the prophetic individuals I've come to know and appreciate, it seemed appropriate to begin this one with a word from Arthur (Art) Katz, a Messianic Jewish brother whose ministry I was introduced to some 40 years ago.

“‘The time is surely coming,’” says the Lord God, ‘that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord’” (Amos 8:11-12).

"The thought strikes me that the famine is not so much for the lack of speaking as the lack of hearing. I have had the increasing impression that God’s people do not know how to hear the word of God. Or, unlike the Thessalonian converts from paganism, they do not believe that the word they are hearing is indeed God’s word.

Therefore, the word is received casually if not indifferently as the word of man, that is to say, without effect. Perhaps we have been filling up on verbal “junk food” and have dulled our appetites for “real food” by the profusion of much speaking of our own that leaves us sated if not bloated, and therefore we suffer malnutrition in the midst of seeming plenty. Certainly we lack the evidence of growth and change that the word of God should accomplish, and we seem fixed in our immaturity and shallowness.

Perhaps we need to consider that the act of hearing is as much an act of grace as that of speaking itself. Surely God's Word requires an attentiveness and retention for which the world has not schooled us. The sobering caution, "When you hear My voice, harden not your hearts" implies that God's Word will not allow our indifference. If there is not a hearing, then there will certainly be a hardening!"

This is an excellent admonition for God's people today. Art's comment that "we have been filling up on verbal "junk food" and have dulled our appetites for "real food" hits the nail on the head. That "verbal junk food" is partly a product -- as Art notes -- of much speaking, as well as the "mixture of truth with poison" to which I referred as we wrapped up the last Coffee Break.

Oftentimes, attempts by ministers to apply the formulas learned in Bible College or seminary to deal with critical situations in the lives of people they're supposed to be responsible for results in tragedy or even greater chaos. When the formulas fail, and the lives of those people who depend on him crash, condemnation sets in. Because the "minister" has put his dependence on formulas and doctrines which are now ingrained into the very core of his existence -- in the name of putting that dependence in the Lord -- the "minister" now feels that the Lord has failed him. Despair sets in, depression reigns, and questions arise by the multitude. What's the problem?

The "minister" never heard from the Lord. Much of his upbringing and preparation for "ministry" was predicated on "profane, empty babblings which only serve to advance ungodliness." Much of his upbringing and training was based in "performance."

This results in judgment and criticism of the people who fail in their efforts to apply the formulas he is teaching. Condemnation and despair set in for those who cannot make their "faith" work according to the formulaic methodology they are taught and, all too often, they decide to give up trying because "they are not spiritual enough."

This is not relationship with the Lord! This is legalism and performance! Those who have suffered these guilt pangs need to dump them as coming from Satan, and not from the Lord! (I share these things from the perspective of having spent most of my life "in the ministry" [to use the common cliché] and having seen many of my brethren suffer in this manner.)

Referring back once again to the last Coffee Break (and the retranslation of II Timothy 2:15 from the Greek text) there is another side to this concept of "study" which affects all of us -- and particularly, those of us who have over the years received visions or experienced something where the Lord has revealed a truth with a specific application to us.

Like so many of my brethren, I experienced much in the way of revelation from the Lord in my early youth. Although I was extremely blessed by the character and dimension of the experiences which the Lord gave to me, I grew up in classical Pentecostal circles with all of the attendant church structure. The things which the Lord spoke within my spirit in those early days were of such a nature that I could not find a way to make them fit within my understanding. When I attempted to share them with men and women in leadership within the denomination, the most common response was, "Well, that's wonderful, son! Some day the Lord will use you as a pastor, or a missionary, or even an evangelist, and you'll win lots of souls for Christ."

In my spirit, I knew this was a wrong interpretation and application of what the Lord was saying, but there was absolutely nothing within the church structure which would permit me to function as the Lord had revealed Himself to me. By the same token, I had no example of that which had penetrated my being by the Holy Spirit among any leaders whom I knew (or knew of), nor among my peers. In my thirst for revelation knowledge, I read -- voraciously! I couldn't stand books on doctrine, and I detested the great majority of the so-called religious books which were available, so I read the Bible -- from cover to cover -- again, and again, and again. By the time I got ready to attend Bible college, I had been through the Bible, from cover to cover, at least 25 times, had memorized hundreds of verses, some entire books of the Bible, and many chapters verbatim from the KJV.

The primary thing Bible college did for me was to program me to fit those things which the Lord had revealed to me in my early youth into the framework of the church system or structure. I became "a pastor." For much of the first 25 years of pastoral ministry, I struggled to fit the mold. At least three times, different pastors -- brethren with whom I was closely associated, labored with and deeply respected -- came to me and said, "Regner, I'm not sure what you are, but you certainly are not a pastor!"

The more they said it, the more frustrated I became, and the greater the internal drive to fit the stereotypical model. It was not until the summer of 1974 that I received a direct word from the Lord which clarified the situation, and delivered me from the necessity of fitting the structural and religious mold. I have from time to time continued on in a kind of pastoral ministry but I've now just pastored as a part of what God called me to. I've been able to minister freely without the structural requirement or the pressure of fulfilling someone else's expectations of what "a pastor" is supposed to be.

Enter the next phase of deliverance. (This was only the first of several stages of deliverance from "religion.") In 1975, the Lord began the revelation to me of the vision which most of you have heard related as "The House of Praise." Without relating all of the detail, suffice it to say that this vision began with a perspective of David, the tabernacle he set up, and the praisers and worshipers he appointed, and employed on a 24-hour-per-day basis to minister to the Lord. Being still stuck in the "structure" of the church, I related everything the Lord was showing me to church structure, and tried to make it fit within that structure. As a result, I saw "The House of Praise" as a modern-day version of the ministry David instituted, with singers and musicians on a payroll, ministering to the Lord in a building, or structure, which would be called "The House of Praise."

For fifteen years I was stuck with this "vision." It was not that the vision was flawed, or that the revelation came out of eating chocolate-covered jalapeno peppers before going to bed one night. The problem was that I interpreted what the Lord showed me within the framework of my religious understanding, even going so far as to place advertisements in the Anchorage Daily News for musicians and singers who were "oriented towards praise" music, and then interviewing the respondents in an effort to "put this thing together." From where the Lord has brought us today, this comes across as sincere stupidity. (I was genuinely sincere -- and stupid!) We laugh every time we talk about it.

Some months after Earle, Marcia, Della and I began to gather together daily for worship, the real truth of the revelation hit me like a ton of bricks. Where our worship began with a few minutes each day, as the daily gathering continued throughout the months, we found that we were ministering to the Lord -- in the corporate sense -- for anywhere from an hour to three or four hours.

When we would break up and head to our respective homes at the end of the day, the worship continued in our beings on nonstop basis. It became so strong that we would awaken in the middle of the night singing in the spirit. When we arose in the morning, worship was going through our spirits. During the workday, in the midst of performing normal work duties which would seemingly have nothing whatever to do with spiritual things, worship would be flowing uninterrupted through our spirits to the Lord.

What David accomplished, and had to pay singers and musicians to accomplish after the flesh, the Lord accomplished in us after the Spirit. We didn't have 128 singers and musicians like David did -- it just started with the four of us -- and we couldn't be gathered together 24 hours per day like those singers and musicians did in shifts, but worship was going forth, nonetheless -- in our spirits -- 24 hours per day. We were the House of Praise! We had become a House of Worship.

This is the very thing which the Lord is addressing in us, NOW. Most of us have received visions of things to come; and most of us have, in some way, become involved in activities related to these visions in an honest effort to carry out what we believe the Lord has spoken to us.

Has the Lord spoken to us? YES! Has He given us a vision of His purposes for these end-times? YES! Have we tried to fulfill that which the Lord has given us according to our understanding? With all of our hearts! Is that understanding flawed by religious doctrines and years of indoctrination within the church structure? Without question! Have we missed the mark? Sure we have!

Does that mean that we've completely set aside the idea of a physical location for a 24-hour ministry of praise and worship similar to the Tabernacle of David? NO!

You see, sometimes it is necessary for Holy Spirit to rid us of preconceived notions and religious programming before He can move us forward with the vision He has imparted. We must first be free of religion and religious concepts if we are to respond and act according to the Lord's plans and purpose. We must first become that to which we are being called. We must first become the visual of that which Holy Spirit has shown us before we can go any further!

Let's get one thing straight! The call of the Bridegroom is to intimacy with Him! The call of the Bridegroom is to and for a people who will fulfill Him, His heart's desires and His destiny for each of us within His Kingdom. This is a call for an overcoming people -- not a people who are content with who they are in Christ Jesus, and not a people who are content with "business as usual."

Those "business as usual" Christians (and I use that word rather loosely) may actually make it to Heaven by the stupendous grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, just by virtue of their acceptance and acknowledgement of His shed blood on the Cross, but they will NEVER be invited into the Bridal Chamber.

Finally -- and most of all -- the call of the Bridegroom is to and for a people who will literally and demonstrably BECOME HIS BRIDE, His Counterpart, His Other Self!

Are we clear? Good! Next week we'll move this discussion along as we talk about Practical Discipleship.

"God is waiting for those to arise who will lay down their own lives and agendas to become the intercessors He must have. He's waiting for preachers to arise who are willing to stand against any amount of scorn, ridicule, or persecution to declare God's truth, righteousness, and justice without compromise. He is willing. Are we? The Lord lit the fire on the altars of His tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem. He then commanded the priests to keep these fires going. Likewise, only God can start an authentic revival, but only man can end it by not keeping the fire going. For this to be done, there must be an underlying hunger for God and willingness on the part of His people to sacrifice their own purposes to give themselves for His purposes." (Prophetic Word from Rick Joyner)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

709 South 7^th Street
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
(509) 515-0133

All Coffee Break articles are copyright by Regner A. Capener, but authorization for reprinting, reposting, copying or re-use, in whole or in part, is granted – provided proper attribution and this notice are included intact. Older Coffee Break archives are now available at http://regnersrangers.multiply.com/journal/ and are being slowly added at http://www.AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. Coffee Break articles are normally published weekly.

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Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 4

Apr 23, '12 3:51 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break:

THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM

Part 4

If ever there has been a day for the manifestation of the Bride of Christ -- the Sons of God, THIS IS IT!

In the last Coffee Break I told you about Della's return from Alaska. However, I did not tell you about an extraordinary event that took place with her and our longtime friend, Dorie Wassilie.

It was roughly ten days ago when Della and Dorie decided to take a drive from Anchorage to Seward -- a distance (one-way) of roughly 110 miles -- for no other purpose than to simply enjoy God's spectacular handiwork. If you've never been to Alaska, it easily has some of the most gorgeous scenery you've ever seen in your life, and the drive to Seward takes you past some major glaciers.

On the return trip (and it was getting late in the afternoon) the sun was getting lower and lower in the sky, and at one point was somewhat obscured from their vision because of the mountains. As they came around a particular bend in the highway, they had a very clear view of the sun in front of them. What I should say is that they had a very clear view of TWO SUNS in the sky. No, I don't mean a shadow or a sun dog; we're talking about two very distinct suns of at least equal brightness spread about 10 degrees apart in the sky!

If you've ever seen Star Trek or Stargate episodes where the main characters in the series have visited planets with two suns, or even the concluding scenes in the movie 2010: A Space Odyssey (the follow-up to 2001), then you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's how clear it was in front of them. What made it all the more interesting was the fact that there was a ring around the second sun (a sun dog) -- not the main sun! They pulled off the road and got out to watch it. They had to watch for five or more minutes before the second sun began to diminish in brightness and they realized that the sun dog surrounded it instead of the main sun.

Della called me immediately to tell me what was happening, and I asked her if she had a camera with her to photograph the event. She had forgotten our camera, but Dorie had hers and snapped some pictures (unfortunately, AFTER the second sun was diminishing in size and brightness).

Consider something that Jesus said: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." (Luke 21:25-26)

Then there's Joel's prophecy (the same one that Peter quoted on the Day of Pentecost): "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." (Joel 2:28-32)

Now, put that double-sun event in the light of these prophecies, and we have a wake-up call from the Lord! And let's not forget that at the time of Creation, (Genesis 1:14) God said that He was placing the sun, the moon and the stars in the skies as His "signs." When we see a doubling of the sun, and a display that puts two distinct suns of equal brightness ten degrees apart (and by the way, to the best of my knowledge, this is an exceedingly rare event!), Holy Spirit is communicating something of great prophetic significance to us.

What is the significance?

Beyond the fact that we all know this portends and prophesies the return of Jesus Christ, let's get to the last statement in this prophecy since it spells out exactly what we've been talking about with the calling of the Bridegroom to the Bride.

First, let me share one other pertinent scripture which uses a unique description of Jesus in a way that no other prophecy uses: (Malachi 4:2-3) "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts."

Notice that Malachi refers to the Lord as the "Sun of Righteousness" -- NOT the Son of Righteousness. Why does he phrase it like that? Because Malachi has seen a prophetic picture of the Sons of God arising in this hour after the same pattern that Joel described. Some of you may think that I'm really taking this out of context so let me remind you first of all how Malachi ends his prophecy, and then take you back to the specific wording that Joel uses.

Here we go: "And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."

The rising of the "Sun of Righteousness" is manifested IN the people of God -- and more specifically, IN THE BRIDE, that same people Paul describes in Romans 8:19 as the SONS OF GOD! Still think I've left the planet or that I'm out in La-La Land? Then consider Joel's last statement in his prophecy.

"For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call."

Who? Where?

In Mount Zion. In Jerusalem. In the remnant whom the Lord shall call. If that doesn't make sense to you, or you are still seeing these words and phrases as a description of the literal city of Jerusalem (and in fact they are!) the prophets began to use these descriptions -- Mount Zion, and Jerusalem -- to prophetically describe, first of all, the larger body of God's people (Jerusalem), and then that distinct and called-out people -- the Bride -- (Mount Zion) who represented those who understood and sought after the heart and the heart's desire of our Bridegroom.

Of course, Jerusalem and Mount Zion were representative of God's people, Israel, and because His covenant was a covenant that lasts "through all generations" (the Hebrew phraseology makes it much clearer: the eternity of eternities), it certainly applied to the Jews, and more specifically, to those Jews who recognized, acknowledged and worshiped Jesus Christ! But these prophets of old had a much larger vision which included the Vine (Jesus) and the branches (non-Jewish Christians) grafted into the Vine -- or, as Paul describes in Romans 11, we as Christians being grafted into the olive tree (the symbol of Israel) as God's chosen and called-out people.

So what are we saying here? In Jerusalem and in Mount Zion SHALL BE DELIVERANCE! Hello? Are you seeing it? Deliverance, Salvation, Healing -- it is all available to the world today in the Sons (Suns) of God as they are arising in the midst of this darkening world.

One more prophetic word and I'll get on (I hope) with where I originally planned to go in this Coffee Break.

What was it that Isaiah prophesied? "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

Now, WHO is arising? The people of God! That chosen, called-out and set-apart people we corporately refer to as "The Bride of Christ" -- or as the Song of Solomon phrases it, "My Sister, My Spouse" (KJV), and more accurately translated from this Hebrew metaphor, "My Counterpart, My Other Self!" And, folks, this is a people arising and shining during a darkening age, an age in which "gross darkness shall cover the earth."

THAT, Family of God, is precisely what the call of the Bridegroom is designed to do: to call to attention, to commission, and to send forth in the earth a people upon whom the Glory of the Lord has arisen. Now do you see the significance of the double-sun event? Do you see, do you hear the call of the Bridegroom? Do you see His signs in the heavens? Then, my friends, you are beginning to grasp what Holy Spirit is doing and saying in the earth today.

Whewww!!! That explanation took a whole lot longer than I expected -- and honestly, Holy Spirit just began to download things into my spirit as I wrote. You're getting it fresh as I'm receiving it!

That said, perhaps you are seeing the immediacy that comes with a rhema Word. Let me pick up with where I left off in our last discussion as we talk about the revealed (in us) Word vs. academic study of the written Word.

I have shared in these Coffee Breaks in time past the travesty of the KJV translation of II Timothy 2:15 in which the word "Study" has been translated from the Greek "spoudason" in contradistinction to the real message of Holy Spirit. That message is to "Be instantly responsive!" What a huge difference in meaning! What a huge difference that one single word represents to those of us who are pressing in for the intimate presence of the Lord.

A verse of Scripture which we have all heard hundreds, if not thousands of times, is found in II Timothy 2:15. The KJV renders it, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." This is an absolutely tragic translation. Although the NASB and NIV both render it more accurately, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth," the KJV rendition, "Study," has been a mainstay of many messages and doctrinal presentations.

Reading this passage in the original Greek text one day, I discovered that it has some very immediate and potent applications in the call of the Bridegroom to the Bride.

The verse begins with the Greek word, "spoudason." While the NASB rendering, "Be diligent," is an acceptable translation, this word has some deeper meanings. It is eminently more accurate to translate it, "Be instantly responsive..." Where the Greek word, "dokimon," is rendered "approved" in most of the translations, this word has a unique background, and a special application for this particular passage.

In the same vein, the word, "parasteesai," translated: "to present," was first used by the Septuagint translators within the context of "making oneself available for the purpose of being questioned," as well as "making oneself available" metaphorically "for fellowship and intimacy."

It therefore becomes a powerful message from the Holy Spirit when we translate it thus: "Be instantly responsive to the Lord, making yourself available to Him in the midst of the crucible, a tried and tested laborer, who has no fear of being examined -- one who, by virtue of God's testing and the time spent in the crucible with Him, knows the proven word of truth."

The "proven word of truth" in this instance can be identified as a "rhema" word from the Lord which has been walked out and put to the test in our lives. It is an experiential word! It is an incontestable word no man can combat with any doctrinal argument or theory.

Verses 16 and 17 of the same chapter reinforce this. Without taking the time, here, to break down each of the pertinent Greek words or phrases, it can be rendered, "Stand aloof from, and avoid the untested, untried "word" which comes forth from those who would propagate speculation and create their own doctrines. These profane speculations and so-called "words" are empty babblings which only serve to advance ungodliness; and those who spread these doctrines will only yield a gangrene pasture -- a source of poison to those who ingest their "word"......"

The unbalanced emphasis on "Study" which has been ingrained into the fabric of church structure has led to a large majority of the doctrines which skillfully bring division among God's people. The push to "study" has led to the creation of seminaries and Bible colleges, with the subsequent "ordination" of those who complete the "approved" courses of study. Those who graduate are supposedly ready for "ministry," ready to step out and speak in the name of the Lord, ready to administer guidance and correction to those who are growing in the Lord.

Please don't throw rocks at me for saying this! I'm not quibbling with the need to study or (better, yet) immerse oneself in the Word. David wrote and sang, "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11) In this case where we see "word" it is the Hebrew parallel to "rhema." Thus, the "Word" that David was hiding in his heart was the spoken Word that he heard in his spirit. It was directly spoken into him by Holy Spirit. David had no written "Word" to "study."

Unfortunately, Bible colleges and seminaries tend to produce formulas and doctrines. When the formulas fail, and the lives of those people who depend on the pastor or church leader crash, condemnation sets in. Because the "minister" has put his or her dependence on formulas and doctrines which are ingrained into the very core of his existence -- in the name of putting that dependence in the Lord -- the "minister" now feels that the Lord has failed him. Despair sets in, depression reigns, and questions arise by the multitude. What's the problem?

The "minister" never heard from the Lord. Much of his upbringing and preparation for "ministry" was predicated on "profane, empty babblings which only serve to advance ungodliness."

I'll never forget the day that I asked the pastor of a large church how the Lord called him into the ministry. He looked rather blank at me, stammered and stuttered around momentarily, and then said, "It just seemed like a good occupation for me to go to, and the pay looked pretty good, so I went to seminary." When I tried to explain the call of the Bridegroom, and the absolute knowing that happens in one's spirit when you hear that call, it was apparent that I was speaking a language he did not understand at all.

Sadly, those who sit under these teachers receive a mix of truth with poison. Taken to its logical extension, it results in "Christians" who have a name that they are alive, when in fact they are dead. It is nothing less than the spectacular grace and mercy of God that many have survived this era in the life of the Body of Christ to come to a place of recognizing the reality of a love relationship with the Lord, and have responded -- even within the limited framework of their understanding. Fortunately, the Lord is greater -- much greater -- than the church, the structure, and the doctrines of men; and He leads those on who follow by faith.

That's where we'll go next time.

"We are called to be heirs of God in Christ. There is no higher calling in all of creation. Everything happening in our lives is intended to prepare us for this high calling by working in us Christ's nature. Christ is the answer to every human problem, and He is the answer to every problem we're now facing. It is not just that He has the answers, but He is the answer. If we are living in the knowledge that the One we serve is over all rule and authority and dominion, how can we fear? Every challenge is an opportunity to grow in faith, so a key to the victorious life is to not waste our trials. (Prophetic Word from Rick Joyner)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 3

Apr 16, '12 8:44 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break:

THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM

Part 3

Blessings upon you this first day of the rest of your life!

This may sound like a really strange way to say things, but FINALLY! I'm whole again. Now, don't start laughing at me. Della has been in Alaska for most of the last three weeks, visiting and sharing with our daughter, Danielle, and her family, and our son, Joshua, and his family, getting to see our latest granddaughter, Trinity Elizabeth, for the first time (this one is #24), and continuing to lay the groundwork for our return to Alaska.

When you have been joined by the Lord to your counterpart, absence for any length of time from one another is not something easily tolerated. You feel incomplete without your counterpart present, lacking, inadequate. Of course, with today's technology, one can still stay in touch (and, brother, do we ever!) by telephone, by computer, etc. But it's just not the same!

You'll remember how I started off the previous Coffee Break, sharing the event in which James Merwin made the statement that "I'd rather be dead than live for 10 seconds without the presence of the Lord." THAT'S INTIMACY!! What we have with the Lord in that place of intimacy is life itself. Paul said that he was, " willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord!"

That's probably a great description for the relationship the Lord has given to Della and me. What the Holy Spirit has given to us in our earthly relationship throughout the decades has been a tiny microcosm of the same bonding that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our bond with Jesus Christ is a bond of intimacy, a bond of love, a bond of absolute trust and confidence. By the same token, He has given to Della and me that same kind of bond in this natural realm -- a bond which is a picture for those who see us and know us of what we have in Christ.

That said, let me pick up where I left off in the previous discussion, and draw upon this picture of intimacy and the developmental process designed to get us there with the Lord Jesus Christ. We were talking about Ekklesia as the preparation of the Bride of Christ.

Ekklesia is not an event. It is not something one can attend, in the sense of attending a church. It is not something one can decide to join at his or her choosing. One does not make an intellectual decision based on circumstances to be joined in an intimate relationship to the Lord. It is a life to which one is called by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The call goes forth by the Holy Spirit. Individuals hear -- not a message of "get saved so you can go to heaven" -- but that Jesus paid the ultimate redemption cost to purchase for Himself a people who would be groomed, fitted, and prepared to be His counterpart, His "other self," His Bride! Having heard the call from the Bridegroom to "come away with Me" deep within their spirits, they respond to the preparation processes that now begin.

(Once again I emphasize the fact that in the same way that we see developmental stages of growth between birth and maturity, we MUST experience and respond to the processes laid out for us by the Paraklete at the Bridegroom's direction. This is not for us: this is for Him! We were and are created for His pleasure -- not the other way around. And that's not to say that we won't experience pleasure in this relationship -- we will!!!)

Ekklesia is the gathering together, the forum in which this preparation process is directed by Holy Spirit under the leadership of those in whom He has already made much preparation and given a vision of His objectives. It is designed as that same microcosm I just described of bonding and joining in the realm of the Spirit. The objective purpose of Holy Spirit is for us to be so bonded together -- first, with the Lord; and secondly, with each other -- that the world can look on and KNOW that we walk and live naturally supernatural and supernaturally natural as sons and daughters of God!

I do not say these things in order to manipulate individuals into joining us, nor is it some clever way to suggest that people should come under subjection or submission to some special set of doctrines we might hold to. As has been clearly stated, this is not something that people can join! At the same time, Ekklesia is not some kind of exclusive club with a set of requirements to keep "undesirables" out.

Perhaps this can best be explained out of John 1:12-13 through an illustration which the Lord gave to Della recently. Rendered from the Greek text, it reads like this: "But as many as believed in, and responded to Him, to them He gave the authority and ability to become -- and be transformed into -- begotten children of God, specifically to those who entrust their future existence and well-being by faith in His name, rank, position, character, personality and being; who were begotten, not of flesh and blood, nor because human flesh determined it by its own decision, nor because the mind and intellect of man seized upon it and willed it into existence, but by God as a sovereign act of His will and determination." (my translation)

It becomes clear, therefore, that:

(1) Ekklesia begins with the Lord, through and by His Spirit calling and choosing us;

(2) it requires a response of obedience predicated on believing His word and the voice of His Spirit;

(3) our character and nature begin a process of transformation so that we, as spiritual beings, can be joined to Him;

(4) no act of our flesh is involved in the process;

(5) we are begotten by the Spirit in a genetic sense of the word;

(6) neither strong personality, nor an intellectual decision to become "one" with Him play the slightest part in any transformation which takes place in our life;

(7) we cannot "will" ourselves to become a part of the Bride, nor can we "choose" by arbitrary decision to participate in anything which the Lord is doing in His people;

(8) everything which occurs as a part of the developmental processes initiated by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection, does so because the Father first spoke it, willed it so, and called those who are undergoing the processes.

For those who see the foregoing as an impossible situation, and find themselves at the height of frustration because they feel that they are being by-passed by others in a spiritual sense; that others are hearing and responding, but they are not; there is a simple answer. It is no more complicated than saying to the Lord, "Whatever it takes for you to accomplish your will and heart's desire in me, do it, Lord! Enable me to hear your voice so I can respond!"

This is the very essence of all He asks. To respond to His direction and calling! Change begins to occur within our lives thereafter because of what we are rapidly coming to refer to as His "processing." Processing is nothing more or less than the dealings of Holy Spirit, His identifying those areas of our lives which need to be conformed to the nature and character of Jesus Christ, and His beckoning for us to respond.

When Jesus Christ, by a sovereign act of His will, brings individuals into the Ekklesia He has built among us, there generally are, or have been doctrinal disagreements. The Lord, however, has a unique way of dissolving those disagreements, or at least setting them on a back burner. What He has done, instead, is to bring us into a "unity of the Spirit."

This is a principal priority! Once that unity of the Spirit is established, He then can deal with the "unity of the faith." Those who make "the unity of the faith" their priority usually do not stick around (and have not) since this so-called "unity" is generally based on some pet doctrine or set of doctrines to which they choose to cling.

Those, likewise, who do not allow the establishing of worship and intimate love between them and the Lord do not remain. If there is a common denominator in all that the Lord has been speaking to us, that common denominator is worship. That does not mean that we have found some magic formula to bring us into the presence of the Lord. It simply means that people who resolve for themselves that the Bridegroom's desires are THE highest priority find that He places within them an overwhelming yearning for His intimate presence.

Worship may be expressed in different modes whether musically, verbally or by some act or action on our part. Worship always has a prophetic component to it. Though accompanied by music, the spoken word, or some actions on our part, it ALWAYS takes place in, by, and through spirit communication -- and that transcends the intellect. Without the joining that happens in the realm of the Spirit, what we've often referred to in time past as "worship" is really nothing more than some form of praise, prayer, or testimony.

Because many of us have been involved in some of the previous great moves of God, there are certain bondages that each of us must be free from -- most of which are very "religious" in nature. It has been frequently said that "those who are a part of one particular move of God usually resist the next move of God, and in fact, persecute those of the next move."

The resistance and persecution generally come from the fact that each successive "move" brings God's people -- and specifically, the Bride -- closer to perfect union with the Lord Jesus Christ. It almost seems paradoxical that anyone would resist this; yet, when we consider that each successive "move" also exposes more and more things which have been hidden within our spirits, it becomes quite clear.

These are flaws, or spots which cannot continue to coexist if there is to be union with Jesus Christ. These are parts of our character which are under the motivation or control of evil spirits who find their authority and operation being challenged, and their hiding places exposed. Exposure and subsequent deliverance mean greater freedom for the individual in his or her relationship with the Lord.

At the same time, these wicked spirits want to keep us bound within the religious structure we have known in times past, and blinded in such a way that we can only accept the "truths" thus far revealed. Hence, these "religious" spirits oppose and resist any new move of the Holy Spirit which would bring them into the light, or expose their hiding places; and, consequently, motivate contention and strife within the individuals who are bound by them towards those who do yield to that "new" word which the Holy Spirit is bringing.

For this reason, the Lord has specifically directed Della and me to frequently lift up all those who are coming into, or responding to, that which Holy Spirit is calling His people to in this day and hour: an intimate love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The significance of this "call" to intimacy is obvious. This will bring a union between the Bride and Bridegroom. Hence, we have been directed on many occasions to undertake specific fasting.

We have also been directed to fast on behalf of those who, for physical or emotional reasons, are unable to fast during times or periods when Holy Spirit calls for a corporate fast. For many of them, the Lord will bring them to a place where they can fast, and will experience little, if any, physical difficulty or side effects during the time they are directed to fast.

Toward the end of one of Della's times of fasting, the Lord showed something to her regarding one of the principal reasons why so many people struggle to receive "new" revelation from Holy Spirit, and come into an understanding of what the Lord desires of them. Della was directed back to Genesis 3 to review what we have all been taught as "the original sin."

We have all been taught, and have understood, that the original sin was "disobedience" when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. What the Lord showed Della was that the original sin occurred before they ever ate, and that this sin is at the heart of the problem within the corporate church structure.

The original sin took place progressively, and the progression goes like this:

(1) The Serpent (Satan) began the temptation by bringing

them back to the original word which God had spoken

to them with the question, "Hath God said?" (see Genesis 3:1)

(2) In raising the question, he caused them to question the

integrity of God and challenge the word of the Lord to them.

(see Genesis 3:2-4)

(3) Once the question of God's intent had been raised

in their minds, God's motive was challenged. The idea

was planted that He was trying to prevent them from

becoming like Him. Were they to become like Him, His

authority would be challenged. They would become "wise,"

being able to discern what was "good" and make their own

judgment regarding "good," as well as determining "evil," and

make their own decisions with regard to "evil." Hence, they

would be "as God." (see Genesis 3:5)

(4) The "original sin," therefore, occurred in their questioning

of God's word to them, and judging His motive in

commanding them not to eat of this one particular tree. The

"original sin" occurred when they elected to make their own

independent decision, choosing to believe Satan's version of

"wisdom," and choosing "knowledge" over a relationship of love

and trust between them and the very God who had so carefully

and lovingly created them. (see Genesis 3:6)

(5) The "original sin" came when they agreed with Satan

in direct violation of the word which the Lord had clearly

spoken to them. Had God said? Absolutely!

(6) The disobedience which followed (vs. 6) was only the "fruit"

of the original sin, and compounded the original sin by violating

a spoken commandment, given in love as a warning from the

Lord God, who knew that such action would bring an end to

their "cool-of-the-day" intimate fellowship.

God's people have been re-enacting this sin ever since that day, and it is at the core of the corporate church structure. We are taught repeatedly and continuously, through various doctrines of the "church" to pass judgment on the word of the Lord which comes to us. We are educated to the concept of getting as much "knowledge" about the Lord, and the things of God, as possible; trained to make our own decisions and determinations of what we will respond to, and made to feel perfectly justified in not responding to certain "words" from the Lord.

Education, knowledge, and "wisdom" are made to become GOD. The lie of this, and the deceit of the Enemy, comes in the exchanging of receiving the "Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ" (see Ephesians 1:17) for "getting" wisdom, knowledge and understanding (i.e., "education") by "study" -- in other words: "man's way," as opposed to "God's way". It is the very thing which has separated us from an intimate love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have shared in these Coffee Breaks in time past the travesty of the KJV translation of II Timothy 2:15 in which the word "Study" has been translated from the Greek "spoudason" in contradistinction to the real message of Holy Spirit. That message (and we'll get into it more in our next Coffee Break) is to "Be instantly responsive!" What a huge difference in meaning! What a huge difference that one single word represents to those of us who are pressing in for the intimate presence of the Lord.

We'll explore that difference in depth in our next Coffee Break.

"We are called to be heirs of God in Christ. There is no higher calling in all of creation. Everything happening in our lives is intended to prepare us for this high calling by working in us Christ's nature. Christ is the answer to every human problem, and He is the answer to every problem we're now facing. It is not just that He has the answers, but He is the answer. If we are living in the knowledge that the One we serve is over all rule and authority and dominion, how can we fear? Every challenge is an opportunity to grow in faith, so a key to the victorious life is to not waste our trials. (Prophetic Word from Rick Joyner)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 2

Apr 8, '12 12:08 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break

THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM

Part 2

Felicitations!

It was in the spring of 1963. I was at First Assembly in San Jose, California. James Merwin was the senior pastor. Occasionally, when he preached he would come out with some one-liners, some zingers that made you turn your head and sit up straight.

This particular Sunday morning he made a statement just like that! "I would rather not even be here -- I'd rather be dead than to live for 10 seconds without the presence of the Lord!"

Now there's a wakeup for you! I fully comprehend that statement, and I absolutely agree! And honestly, looking back over my life, I can't think of a single moment when I haven't known the intimate presence of the Lord. There is a peace, a confidence and an assurance that defies natural reasoning. Actually, come to think of it, when you walk in that place of confidence in God, folks tend to think of you as arrogant; and that's because the world in general -- and unfortunately, many professing Christians -- have been deceived by the Enemy into thinking that the intimate presence of the Lord as a way of life is unattainable for them.

I was sharing with one of my sons the other day. I said to him, "Just because you say you're "saved", just because you've been baptized in water, baptized in the Holy Spirit, you speak in tongues, you operate in the gifts of the Spirit, lay hands on the sick and do all kinds of miracles, that's not the same as having an intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ."

In case you think I've lost it, or perhaps wandered off the reservation, let me draw a picture for you.

Once you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, once you've been baptized in water and then baptized in the Holy Spirit, you've really only just been "born again!" The Greeks have a series of words (and we see these words used in the Greek text of the New Testament) which describe our growth process from the new birth to a place of spiritual maturity -- that place where you've grown up spiritually and know what it is to have Father's heart.

I shared these five words in a recent series of Coffee Breaks, but for the sake of this discussion, let me briefly recap. Brephos is a word which describes the process of development in the womb as a child prepares to come to birth; and the first eight days immediately following birth up to circumcision. Nepios describes a babe-in-arms between the time of circumcision and being weaned from the breast (or the bottle).

Paidion is a child who has been weaned from the milk, but has not yet reached the age of reason (Bar-Mitzvah for boys -- age 12, and Bat-Mitzvah for girls -- age 13)). From this point forward children are referred to as teknon(s). Now the young person (still referred to sometimes as a "child"), having reached the age of reason, begins to undergo very strict training and preparation so that he/she is thoroughly metamorphosed into the thoughts, the ways, the practices, the business dealings, and the very heart of the Father.

The apostle Paul describes this period of time for Jesus as having "learned through the things that He suffered." It is intense. It is corrective. It is administrative. But it is also revelatory. This is that time when a person comes to understand, agree with, and flow with Father's desires. Father and son (or Father and daughter) develop a place of intimate and intuitive understanding with each other so that when a point of complete maturity is reached (generally around age 30), Father can release the son to act on His behalf, run His business, speak for Him and conduct any negotiations for Him as though Father were there in person.

When that day is reached (and that day is Father's prerogative -- it is not fixed in stone) a ceremony takes place in which Father announces, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Father takes the ring off his hand which bears the seal of his authority and places it on the finger of His son. A baptism takes place in which the "child" goes down into the water, is raised out of the water with the "child" now dead and gone, and a fully mature adult (the Greek word for this is "Huios") on display for the world to see.

This is where we have been being called to. This is the call of the Bridegroom -- the Lord Jesus Christ -- to us, His Bride-to-be!

We cannot simply stop with being "born again." That's not what it is all about. We cannot stop with water baptism or Holy Spirit baptism. That's not even "early childhood development" yet! All that has happened is that we've just been given the necessary equipping to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. There's so much more to receive and to become in Christ Jesus! The call of the Bridegroom to everyone of us is to grow up in Him -- to become JUST LIKE HIM!

One of the tragedies of the western church world is the contamination of the Gospel with the "let's get everyone 'saved'" mentality. Getting "saved" [translation: getting one's "fire insurance"] has become the ultimate, the pinnacle of what we've all been called to. Being delivered from a future in Hell and having Heaven as our future dwelling is certainly important, but that's NOT what Jesus died on the Cross to accomplish. To leave us at the Cross with nothing more than a "born again" experience shortchanges us and cheats Lord Jesus Christ out of the very thing He gave His life to have.

His objective was a people who would be like Him, a people who would reflect His Glory, a people who would so demonstrate and manifest His love that the world would be drawn to Him simply by seeing who and what we have become as a result of our intimate relationship with Him! His objective was to have a Bride who would be His co-equal counterpart, His "Other Self."

The whole idea of "counterpart" is having that part of one's existence which is unfulfilled and incomplete made complete! I keep coming back to what I experienced when the Lord gave Della to me. Until we had each other, there was a constant void in us that was unfulfilled. To draw from the Hebrew metaphor, "I am black" (seen in the Song of Solomon, and also in Jeremiah's prophecies), there was a constant "search" in each of us for that one whom God had created that would be exactly what would fulfill and complete every aspect of our existence. Once the Lord had joined us to each other the void was filled and the "search" disappeared from our minds, our thoughts, and our spirits.

So how do we get to that place of intimacy with Lord Jesus Christ? How do we arrive at a place in our walk with Him where we live and breathe His presence?

We talked about this in Part 1 of this discussion. Because God is a spirit and "they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth," (John 4:24) our relationship with Him is founded in the spirit. Created in His image, we are first and foremost spirit beings. "Spirit" is the eternal part of our existence. It is that part of us that links us directly into the spirit realm and the means by which we can communicate on an intimate level with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Music is a realm created by the Lord specifically as a vehicle for spirit-to-spirit communication. The Psalms were sung and penned (mostly) by David to communicate the glories and the wonders of the Lord. Incorporated in the Psalms are praise, worship, prayer, intercession, prophetic decrees and declarations, and spiritual warfare. The Psalms were given to us partly as a means to introduce us to the realm of spirit-to-spirit communication. They were also given to introduce us to the concept of spiritual intimacy.

When David sang, he became totally lost in the realm of the Spirit. Not only did he bring the decrees of Heaven from eternity into the earthly, time-space realm, he bonded with the Lord in an intimate dimension in a way no person in history had been able to do before. Love flowed out of his being in the midst of his music. A pathway -- a channel, if you will -- was activated between he and the Lord by means of Holy Spirit.

The more he lived in that channel, the more the heavens were opened up to him; and the more God showed him of His plan and purpose for Israel -- and men and women in general -- and the deeper his relationship with the Lord grew. So loving and intimate did that relationship become that God began to refer to David as "a man after God's own heart." David pursued that relationship with every breath of his existence.

Sitting on a hillside one day with his harp, he sang, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" (Psalm 42:1-2)

That panting, that craving, that thirsting for the presence of the Lord God came as a direct product of the call of the Bridegroom. It was a drawing in him that consumed him more and more and more. Despite the grief that he went through during all the years he sat on the throne of Israel, that call never left his being. It became the anchor of his existence.

So much did the praise and the worship -- and more specifically, the realm of musical expression of the praise and worship -- become his very life's breath that he invented the musical instruments that the families of praisers and worshipers (the families of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun) played as they praised, worshiped, prayed, interceded, declared and decreed prophetically.

In the first part of this discussion last week, I was talking about some of the experiences that we had at Trail's End in Idaho during the nearly-six years we gathered together with folks from the northwest and Canada. The Lord spoke to Della one day as we were gathered for worship and said that He was -- through His Bride -- taking back the music of the past, the present, and the future. It seemed a bit unusual, until we realized that the music unfolding in our midst spanned the gamut of musical expression: from classical to jazz -- and everything in between.

We have heard Eastern music, Spanish music, Jewish and Mediterranean music, Slavic music, Russian music, Oriental music, ancient 12th - 14th century English music, music of the baroque era, music of the Elizabethan era, turn-of-the-century American music, music which harks back to the Roaring Twenties, music of the Big-Band era, Swing, Jazz, contemporary -- you name it! The single extraordinary aspect of this is that it all came in the midst of this new expression of corporate worship. It would be safe to say that it transcended anything any of us have previously experienced.

During one particular gathering at the ranch at Trails' End, because of the busyness of sharing together, and the other activities unfolding, we did not sit down until very late one evening to begin our corporate worship -- like 11:30 PM! As always, the worship was completely spontaneous -- the music fresh and unrehearsed. Something like six or seven new pieces of music emerged -- some very classical in style and content, some as progressive jazz, and even one which was very Brazilian with a bossa nova rhythm. A Canadian sister, Beryl, sat there marveling at this progression, and shared afterward that she had asked the Lord where this would all end, or if there was an end. The Lord's response to her was that "there is no end to the music in Heaven," and that as we continued in His presence, there would be no end to the music which came forth.

In the midst of these experiences, one thing which Holy Spirit began to emphasize within us was that much of we have known and referred to in times past as "the Church" is not His heart. Since the whole concept of "church" as we have known it (we refer here to the concept of gathering within the structured hierarchical system) is predicated on principles which the Lord absolutely abhorred and hated, He has been continuing the process of revelation in showing us what His heart's desire really is!

Before you jump ship on me, let me explain.

Without getting into a long, historical review of how the concept of "church" came into being -- as opposed to what is referred to in the original Greek as "Ekklesia" -- let me simply state that "church" -- from its historical perspective -- along with its present-day structure, make-up, and doctrinal dogma, did not begin to exist until 225-226 A.D. in the time of the Roman emperor, Alexander Severus (the first "church" was only a remodeling of a former temple). It was not until after the "Edict of Toleration" issued by the emperor Constantine in 313 A.D. that churches actually began to be built, and even then the mode of gathering differed greatly from what we know today.

In referring to churches, here, let me make it clear that this is a reference to "structure" in the sense of hierarchical systems where there is a distinct line of separation between the "ministers," or clergy, and the "laity", or common people. You understand, of course, that they are referred to as "common" in the sense that they supposedly had no call from the Lord to fulfill. "Structure" also refers to democratic systems (in which the "ministers" and "elders," etc., are elected by a vote of the people. Both of these systems and their structures came out of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, who were Judaizers (Both Pharisee and Sadducee).

Neither of these systems represent the heart of Father, nor the desire of Jesus Christ in the preparation and completion of His Bride. That's not to say that the Lord hasn't used them throughout the centuries: He has! It's safe to say that the overwhelming majority of folks who will read this (and I'm included) have grown up in one or both of these types of church structure. The catch is that the Lord has called us (and continues to call people) out of the old structure and into Ekklesia in order that He can grow us up into Him.

It is also important to note that the word, "church," is derived from the Greek, kirios, which means "the lord's place" (in the sense of a castle or fortress -- a place from which absolute authority is demanded). Kirios never appears anywhere in scripture, and the whole concept of this word is the very antithesis of Jesus' expressed desire for "servants" in His people.

From the standpoint of the Bridegroom, however, "Ekklesia" -- in contradistinction to "church" -- represents the calling together -- first and foremost -- of those who have responded to the call of the Bridegroom, Yeshua ha Mashiach (the Lord Jesus Christ) to become His Bride. Secondly, it represents the gathering together of those who are being prepared by the "Paraklete," (Holy Spirit) groomed, fitted, and equipped to be a Bride whom the Lord can present to Father and say, "This is my Beloved in whom I am well-pleased!"

"Ekklesia" can be described as the preparing of the Bride by the Paraklete, Holy Spirit. It is the gathering of those called by the Bridegroom to be His Bride, and the preparation by the Paraklete. The term, "paraklete," which is the Greek word occurring in the original text, is most often translated in our English versions as "comforter" or "helper," and sometimes "advocate." In a variant form, it is translated, "exhort," "intreat," "pray," or "beseech" (request). These terms convey only fragments of the true picture of the Paraklete, who has the full authority of the King to accomplish that which He has been assigned -- and who comes to prepare, train, equip, and endow with all the gifts and graces necessary.

There are some spectacular pictures of just who and what a paraklete is and does scattered throughout the Word. In our next Coffee Break, I'll draw some of those pictures for you.

More to follow in our next Coffee Break.

"This a moment that I am drawing the line, and earthly orders are coming from the heavenly realms. Tune your ears to hear the instructions of Heaven, for you are living in a strategic moment when you will see kingdoms that have not been able to come down, come down. New strategies are coming down, and it is a strategy that will pierce the deepest darkness that could not be pierced in the past. Listen to the sounds of Heaven, for in the sounds of Heaven, you will hear your next step!" (Prophetic Word from Chuck Pierce)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 1

Mar 28, '12 6:46 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break:

THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM

Part 1

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord and Bridegroom, Jesus Christ!

With all that the Lord has been doing in our midst, and all the changes that have been and are occurring, it seemed appropriate to cover the significant things He has been speaking, as well as some of the things we have been experiencing.

First and foremost, the Holy Spirit has been sounding a clarion call to the Bride. That call has been to intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ -- our Bridegroom. This call is different from anything heard in previous generations, or moves of the Holy Spirit.

Where, in previous generations, the call has primarily been heard within the "Church, or corporate "Body of Christ" for a people who would grow up in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, this call has been for a people who will come away from the "Church" -- away from everything they have known in the past: their doctrines, their understanding of the Lord, their "ministries," their gifts, their talents -- everything -- and lay them down. This is a call to an intimate, personal love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. His desire is for a Bride whose only priority is Him! Just Him!

Allow me for a moment to sound like a radical. Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom, is not calling us to prayer! Not intercession! Not Bible study! Not preaching or teaching! Not the singing of Praise! Not listening to good teaching CD's, or praise CD's! Not being involved in church activities! Not doing things for the Lord in order to please Him! Not preparing for "end times," or worrying about the "rapture!" Not concentrating on what needs to be done in order to prepare for His coming! Not praying for the sick, ministering deliverance, or laying hands on people!

It sounds almost heretical, doesn't it? These are all the things we have known and done in the past. It is not that there is anything wrong with prayer, intercession, Bible study, preaching, teaching, praise, etc. In fact, these things are a natural part of our existence as believers. All of these things are areas to which the Lord has previously called and directed our attention. It is, simply, that the Holy Spirit is drawing attention to the fact that these things have become priorities which have supplanted the priority which is the deepest desire of our Bridegroom's heart. The Holy Spirit is instructing us to come and spend time with the Bridegroom, and set aside all of these things -- and everything else He addresses -- as the important, priority activities.

Let me clarify these remarks lest the Enemy twist things out of context for some. Each of these areas of activity have been important parts of our foundation in the Lord, and coming to know about Him. They are essential introductions in getting to know Him. Referring to one of the last Coffee Breaks, this is all a part of that period of growth in our growing-up in God we know as "teknon." When we say that the Holy Spirit is calling and instructing the people of God to lay these things down, it is not -- and I repeat, not! -- that they do not continue to be a part of our lives.

What happens is that our emphasis and focus changes. They are no longer the central thrust of our lives. Of course we still pray and intercede as the Spirit of the Lord directs. Reading the Bible and meditating on that which is quickened by the Lord still remains an ingredient of our daily lives. Teaching......well, what do you call this Coffee Break?

Praise as a disciplined part of our daily life is a natural byproduct of our whole relationship with the Lord. It was repeatedly commanded by David -- under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- as a daily activity, and he certainly demonstrated it with his assignment of the families of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun to the daily ministry of praise and worship unto the Lord.

Yet, we are instructed not to stand still -- to be content doing the same things we have always done. We are being called onward. We are being called into His presence. We are being called to intimacy with Him.

Most prayer is inherently one-way communication. It incorporates supplication, intercession, pleadings and simple requests. Prayer -- or that which we think of as prayer, anyway -- is something which puts us in the role of the supplicant. The Lord Jesus Christ is looking for a whole lot more out of His Bride than "supplicants." While prayer begets answers, it does not beget the kind of intimacy that the Lord is after.

(I know this is going to get me in trouble with a lot of folks who will think I've wandered off the reservation and gotten myself into heresy. Bear with me, people! Bear with me. When I refer to "prayer" in this context, I'm only speaking of "prayer" within the traditional use of the word, NOT in the true scriptural context!)

Bible reading and meditation serve a wonderful purpose in that we can learn pattern principles of the heart's desire of the Bridegroom as we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us. The preaching and teaching we have received -- and continue to receive -- out of the life experiences of those who have learned and received from the Holy Spirit provides the fundamental foundations of growth in the way we relate to the Lord. Pattern principles, however, are no substitute for that real and personal, intimate love relationship sought after by the Lord.

Praise is an act of our will. It requires a mental thought process. With praise, we extol the Lord for His wonderful works and His greatness. We laud Him for the things He has done, and is doing. But praise is not worship, and worship is not praise. Praise comes from the intellect while worship comes from the spirit.

Jesus said, "An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is a Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (see John 4:23-24)

The call of the Paraklete, the Holy Spirit, therefore, is for a people who will "come away" with Him -- in the realm of the Spirit. This is a call to intimacy with Jesus Christ.

He does not want us to come predicated on the things we have done, or are doing. He is not impressed with our gifts, our talents, or our I.Q. since they came from Him to begin with. He is not impressed with our "ministerial" titles. He does not want us coming to "study" Him. He does not want us coming as supplicants, or intercessors. He wants us to come as His loving Bride, whose first and only priority is to love Him, and know Him.

Everything we have done in the past -- all the previous moves of the Holy Spirit -- have served to help us learn about Him. We have learned about His graces. We have learned about His gifts, and how to operate in them. We have learned about His ways, and caught glimpses of His plans and desires for the future. None of these things, however, have brought us into a place where we know Him as He knows us. None of these things, as wonderful as they have been, have brought us into the Holy of Holies. None of these things have brought us into a relationship with our Bridegroom-to-be which separates us from all activities, all doctrinal predispositions, and all other people so that we can be alone with Him.

Hence, the call of the Holy Spirit (and this call is going forth on a world-wide basis) is for believers who will become His Bride -- not just servants, and not just friends. It is a call to come away with Him into His secret place, and be alone with Him. (See Song of Solomon 2:14, Psalm 91:1.) This is a call to know Him -- not simply know about Him, His ways, His gifts, His graces, His ministries, etc. -- to know Him as our other self; and to be known as His counterpart, His other self: the Bride whom He has prepared as His co-equal, groomed, fitted, trained and equipped to sit with Him on His throne.

This is a call to know Him after the Spirit -- not after our flesh -- and, not after our intellect. This is a call to WORSHIP! It is, first and foremost, a call to personal worship -- a call to separate ourselves unto Him.

(By this, I don't mean that we should run away and hide in the wilderness, or to cut ourselves off from others.) We may, indeed, find ourselves cut off from others because we no longer perform to their expectations, or measure up to their religious standards. Let's make it clear, however, that we are not (and should never be) the ones who are cutting ourselves off.

A further note while we are on this topic: There is a dividing and separating which is taking place which we have nothing to do with. As the Holy Spirit calls, and we respond, there are brethren and sisters who, for reasons we do not know or understand, either have not heard, or have not responded to the call of the Bridegroom. Frequently, these are friends whom we have known, loved, and fellowshipped with for many years.

Our response to the Bridegroom's call necessarily causes separation. It is not something we choose or desire -- and it may not be a long-lasting separation -- but when we respond to the call to "come away", it is not a call to "come away with" our brethren and sisters: it is a call to come away with the Bridegroom. Hence, our response produces something within our spirits towards the Lord Jesus Christ which others may not understand, and is foreign to prior upbringing and indoctrination within the "church" structure.

Only as our brethren respond themselves will the gap be bridged and understanding be generated within their spirits. We do not want them cut off. We want to see them respond to the "romantic" beckoning of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, and must be, however, a decision which is strictly between them and the Holy Spirit.

The call of the Bridegroom is, secondly, a call to corporate worship. By this, I am referring to a gathering together of those who have individually heard His call and responded: Ekklesia in its purest form! These are those who have responded to the call of the Bridegroom, "Come away with me, my Beloved!"

They have left all to be alone with Him. In the corporate setting, the Holy Spirit brings these individuals together to experience a unique expression of intimacy in Him: unique in the sense that it is not available in any other way, and unique in the sense that none of us have ever before seen or heard the Bridegroom express Himself in such an extraordinary way.

Within this corporate setting, we find ourselves literally transported beyond our earthly setting into a dimension where the Lord reveals the things nearest and dearest to His heart; and where He allows us to see and experience His purposes -- then respond to Him. We are enabled to see, in graphic visual manner, events unfolding in the heavenlies, and instructed how to proceed.

Where, in time past, the focus of our attention has frequently been on intercession, or prayer for certain individuals, or the unfolding of specific events, we now find that with the focus of attention on ministering to the Lord -- worshiping and adoring Him -- things are accomplished in the realm of intercession without attention being specifically given to it. Needs are met, provision is made, bondage is broken, people are healed or delivered, families see the intervention of the Lord in their affairs, etc. It occurs, however, as Bridegroom and Bride -- in union -- accomplish it as a matter of natural course by virtue of their being joined together. There is singleness of purpose in this union -- and singleness of action.

There is a power and authority that none of us could possibly imagine released in the midst of this corporate worship. It is important to note that this is something the Lord does, and not something which we accomplish by any act of our will. There are no formulas to follow which can bring any of this about. It all takes place at His will and choosing in the midst of our corporate gatherings.

I've been reminiscing a bit, thinking back over the past 20-plus years since the Lord began to bring us into this dimension. None of this happened or began immediately when we first began to gather together for this kind of worship. Earle, Marcia, Della and I had been gathering together daily for months, disciplining ourselves to meet for worship, even if all we had was ten or fifteen minutes out of the day, in the midst of unbelievably hectic work schedules.

As we continued to meet daily, the Lord began to give us these experiences. At first they were sporadic. As the worship continued, however, we began to experience visions. The corporate gatherings increased in the number of people, and we found that we were, from time to time, being literally picked up and transported into the heavenlies. Sometimes this happened with only one or two people during the worship, and sometimes with many.

(I do not mean to imply that we were physically picked up -- that is, in the flesh. Rather, this happened (and continues to this day) in a spiritual dimension where we lost our awareness of those present; and the Lord transported us in the same way that the Apostle Paul relates in II Corinthians 12:2-4.)

It is important to remember that these experiences were not (nor can they be) the purpose of the corporate gathering. The excuse that "I am not an accomplished musician or singer," will not wash. It matters not whether you can sing like Whitney Houston, or carry a tune in a bucket. One does not have to be an Andres Segovia or a Chet Atkins to pick up the guitar and play.

We do not come to spend time with the Lord with expectations predicated on our musical skills or accomplishments -- even though those skills are a blessing from the Lord. Our gathering for worship is not a musical performance based in one's musicianship or vocal skills. There have been times when we have gathered with no instruments at all!

Two of the songs on one of our early recordings, THE BRIDE'S RESPONSE, "Arise, My Love, My Fair One," and, "I Will Come Away," came to Della when she was alone with the Lord -- and not even around others in a corporate setting. The Lord gave Earle the music to "The Processional," while he was driving down the freeway in his truck, worshipping the Lord. He grabbed his pocket recorder and whistled the tune into it in order to remember it and share it with me later. The Lord gave me "Arise, My Beloved! Arise!" when I was by myself in the bathtub. The common denominator in these is that they all came while we were worshiping -- alone.

By the same token, much of our music comes spontaneously while we are gathered together corporately. There are no formulas for this. The lack of musical backgrounds cannot be an excuse for not gathering. For those who struggle to enter into worship because of past programming within the structured "church," or have only understood and participated in praise, this should not be a block. The Lord takes us where we are. It is only necessary to ask Him to place a spirit of worship within you and to build upon it. He will do it -- in abundance!

We have been gone from Trails' End for 15 years but the gatherings continue, and the spontaneous praise, worship, prayer and intercession all continue. Being involved in this kind of spontaneous praise and worship as a musician is still amazing to me! I have frequently said to Rich Warren (who mostly plays the bass) that I find it totally astounding to watch him. We get started with some piece of spontaneous praise or worship and he just sits back, closes his eyes and gets lost in the Spirit.

We may have never played or even heard the music before, but he listens with his spirit to the flow of what the Holy Spirit is giving and tracks the music, hitting the right bass note flawlessly. He doesn't watch me, he doesn't pay attention to how my fingers are positioned on the neck of the guitar in order to get some cue as to where I may go next, and we don't have any discussion between us as to what we're doing. It just flows!

We continue to experience an incredible peace and joy which envelops our whole beings in the midst of this worship. It is transmitted through the music in a manner which defies natural explanation. Change is taking place in our beings as a result of living in this worship. We don't fully understand, yet, all that is taking place but know that the change is a product of the continuous presence of the Lord.

We are simply responding to the call of the Bridegroom to the Bride.

More to follow in our next Coffee Break.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: PLAYING POLITICAL RUSSIAN ROULETTE

Mar 22, '12 8:57 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break:

Playing Political Russian Roulette

During the 2003-2004 political campaign/election cycle I ran for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Texas' 25th Congressional District. After losing the Primary a sizeable number of people approached me who apologized for not having voted for me. These were bankers, lawyers, businessmen, church leaders -- you name it -- all of whom crossed over to vote on the Democratic ticket thinking that they would cast their vote for the weaker of the two Democratic candidates and thereby alter the race dynamics in my favor.

Polling seemed to indicate to them that I had a fair lead against my Republican opponent, and they felt like I had the race in the bag. They felt safe in crossing over so as to alter the outcome of the Democratic ticket. In fact, their crossover vote made virtually no difference in the outcome of the Democratic Primary, whereas had they actually cast their vote for me my outcome would have been very different.

As a result I published a political commentary consisting of a somewhat abbreviated version of today's Coffee Break. Because of what we are currently seeing take place in the ongoing Primaries around this nation I felt the importance of once again expanding on that same commentary.

That said, Good Morning to you! Pour yourself a good 16-ounce cup of that Double-Roast French, pull up a chair and let's discuss the current spiritual state of our political spectrum.

One of the tragedies of modern society is the drive towards political correctness. Striving to be inoffensive to every segment of society and desiring to please everyone has created a tyranny of the minorities. Despite the fact that mainstream America overwhelmingly professes to be Christian, the majority succumbs to the pressure of the minority.

Election after election, people who privately hold mainstream, conservative, Christian values continue to vote for candidates who -- year after year -- peck away at, and incrementally erode the freedoms granted by our founding fathers in our United States Constitution.

Why is this? What is it that possesses people to compromise their values? How is it that we can go behind the curtain in the voting booth, away from the prying eyes of those who want to control the election outcomes, and vote contrary to what we know to be right?

The answer, plain and simple? Fear.

There are three families of fear that infect and contaminate the human race: the Fear of Evil, the Fear of Man, and the Fear of Death. These three families of fear operate respectively in each of the domains of human existence.

The Fear of Evil affects people at the level of their spirit. It manipulates the hearts of men and women to react in fear where anything spiritual is concerned. It causes people to be in terror of God, substituting a healthy respect and reverential awe of God for an unhealthy terror. The Fear of Evil is the driving force behind all religion and man-made efforts to please God. It substitutes a love-relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ for a set of rules, regulations and laws that are performance driven.

The Fear of Man works at the level of our human relationships. It works in the mind and soul of man, causing him to fear how others think of him or see him. In the same way that the Fear of Evil is a liar, the Fear of Man is a liar, invoking imaginary scenarios of how we see ourselves through the eyes of our friends and society in general. The Fear of Man drives modern politics in a way that seems to escape a large segment of the voting public; and people seem to be oblivious to the fact that their voting choices are being manipulated by an evil spirit.

The Fear of Death directly compromises us at the level of our flesh, our natural existence. It causes us to fear the unknown, creating imaginary situations that threaten our physical well being. With the modern push for a socialist society where Government becomes our source of supply, steals our trust and confidence in the Lord as our Source, and forces the nation into a "gimmee, gimmee" welfare mentality, the Fear of Death becomes an increasingly driving force in our electoral choices because we fear having that money or those benefits being taken away from us. The subconscious fear is that we will die or suffer physically if we lose those things a "freebies" from the government.

So, how exactly do these fears affect the way we behave in the voting booth? Let’s look at a series of events that have unfolded over the past 50 – 60 years.

First, let’s define an increasing political polarity.

For the conservative, the Christian, the individual who believes in the essential liberties granted in our Constitution for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – or, to quote the Apostle Paul, “….that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty,” the objective is a candidate who will promote and defend those liberties without taking any more from us than is absolutely necessary to accomplish the goal. Unfortunately, conservatives – by virtue of their very nature – tend to be passive and nonconfrontational.

The secularist, humanist, socialist liberal believes that he or she is entitled to those liberties at the expense of the state; that if the state lacks sufficient money to guarantee his or her “right” to have those liberties regardless of cost, it is perfectly acceptable – nay, mandatory – that the funds be extracted by whatever means necessary from those who have prospered by their labors. That mindset leads to a dependency upon the state. The state becomes the arbiter of all things, and the supplier of all needs. Personal responsibility diminishes as the state picks up more and more authority, and provides more and more services.

In the voting booth, the conservative – being more or less nonconfrontational – adopts a compromising attitude if the individual running for office mostly supports the concept of smaller, less intrusive government, and stands for some of the basic moral and spiritual values that epitomize conservatism. The fact that the candidate might be 55% conservative and 45% socialist humanist is set aside in fear.

That fear is not overpowering. It is not apparently or obviously driving the individual. It is subversive, and subconscious. It is persuasive. It is seductive. And it manipulates through either or both the Fear of Man, and the Fear of Death. Compromise or not, the voter casts the ballot for an individual who will ultimately chip away – ever so little, but ever so surely – some of the freedoms the voter currently enjoys.

On the other hand, the secularist, humanist, socialist fears a society that demands responsibility. Responsibility portends the possibility of failure. Failure threatens one’s existence. Failure threatens one’s “comfort zone.” The Fear of Death becomes a driving force.

The secular socialist has none of the peace that comes with a walk with Jesus Christ, nor the assurance that there will be a brighter day ahead by the help and provision of the Lord. A mandate develops, therefore, within the humanist to elect a candidate who will continue to ensure his or her livelihood no matter how much it costs the state.

Let’s take this to the next level.

Years of compromise – make that decades of compromise – have watered down the conservative stance of the Republican Party. Instead of standing for the principles that originally made up the GOP – principles that were rooted in smaller, more efficient, less-intrusive government and Christian moral leadership – we have seen a willingness on the part of Republican leaders to incorporate those as candidates who accept “a little socialism,” or “a little” larger, more intrusive government in order to have candidates that appeal to the voting public.

At the same time, because of the similar compromises made within the Democratic Party -- compromises with communism and the socialist principles of Marx and Lenin – the Democratic leadership has shifted to the far left of mainstream America. The Democratic Party supposedly used to represent the interests of the working man, the common man, the ordinary, every-day individual. You’d never know it today! The party leadership has moved towards a Robin Hood philosophy in order to provide “gimme” programs that encourage poverty and stifle productivity.

In a reaction almost wholly based in the fear of death, conservatives have compromised their values even more, thinking that the compromises would stop the march toward a completely socialist America. It is a fraud! It is a lie being perpetrated on conservatives and Christians.

Where once candidates stepped forward on their own volition, inspired by genuine concern and/or spiritual motivation to stand up against the march towards socialism, trepidation has taken over. Now, those who might normally present themselves as available for public office avoid doing so because avarice, greed, the love of money – and the need for enormous sums of money in order to even enter the race – have taken over.

Republican Party leaders have frantically sought for candidates they’ve calculated would be “viable” against their Democratic counterparts. Formulas have been devised. “Bean counting” has taken place in an effort to figure out how to strategically position candidates for a winning strategy.

Mathematical formulas and voter profiles have replaced integrity. Winning has become so important that leaders are willing to sacrifice conservative principles in order to elect candidates selected through compromise.

Between profiling possible candidates and studying statistical patterns in districts, choices are being made that eliminate candidates with true conviction and moral clarity. These are often candidates who can articulate clearly the conservative message in such a way as to convince undecided voters.

Business leaders who could and would financially support candidates that actually reflect their conservative values are discouraged from giving in order to direct the “available dollars” to the candidates “most likely” to win. It becomes a “numbers game.” We play the roulette wheel, hoping to cash in with the odds in our favor. Worse, it becomes a game of Russian Roulette in which we hope the hammer falls on an empty chamber.

And it is all motivated and driven by The Fear of Evil, The Fear of Man, and The Fear of Death.

Unless we as a people return to our core values and stop playing these games of compromise, THE HAMMER IS GOING TO FALL on a loaded chamber, and we will find ourselves living in a socialist, secular humanist state, deprived of the essential liberties our Founding Fathers sought to guarantee this nation.

In 1781, Founding Father Samuel Adams made the following statement, "Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual -- or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country."

It was in 1881 that President James A. Garfield made the following observation: "Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.”

See the picture? Then come on, Folks! Let’s wake up and get our act together!

"The Spirit of God is preparing leadership by releasing upon them the anointing that rested upon the sons of Issachar. They had understanding of the time and were aware of what the people of God should be accomplishing (see 1 Chronicles 12:32). The Spirit of Truth is releasing revelatory insights for all who are actively seeking to fully follow God (see Jeremiah 29:12-13). Let me stress again that the Kingdom of God will not be established by mere words or abilities of men, but by the Spirit of God (see 1 Corinthians 4:20). This type of realistic confidence can only come from genuine union with Christ. It is abiding in His manifested presence that results in our boldness (see Proverbs 28:1)." (Bobby Connor)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012, Part 4

Mar 18, '12 2:28 AM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break

A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012, Part 4

Felicitations and Blessings to You All! And another best day of your life while we're at it!

The French Press is full and running over. Come on it and set a spell. Let's talk.

Actually, I thought I was going to get to move on to another topic today but realized after receiving many comments and reviewing some things I'd written that we really weren't finished yet.

That said, here is the theme of this Coffee Break series from Paul's second letter to the Ekklesia in Corinth.

"Wherefore, if any [person] be in [Christ] the Anointed One and His anointing, he is a newly formed creation; the old [nature] has perished and dissolved away; the whole [being] has causatively changed and re-ordered so as to become freshly new." (II Corinthians 5:17, my translation and amplification)

We really have been undergoing a DNA transplant -- a DNA reordering -- a complete restructuring of our character and makeup, our personality and our very nature. In short, John's promise to the overcomer as he recorded it in Revelation 3:12.

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name [onoma] of my God, and the name [onoma] of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name [onoma]."

For the sake of those who've only been reading these Coffee Breaks for a short time and haven't heard the definition of this word, onoma, while this word is uniformly translated as "name" throughout the NT, J.H. Thayer, in his Greek-English Lexicon, defines it like this: "By a usage chiefly Hebraistic, onoma [shem] is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling which is roused in the mind brings by mentioning, hearing, remembering the name -- that is, one's rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, deeds, etc."

Where "names" and/or "name-calling" are used in opposition, he characterizes onoma -- in contradistinction to "name-calling" -- as, "the reality of one's existence,"

Thus, we see the prophecy in Revelation in an entirely different perspective. This DNA change is literally a change of our character and nature. It is a change of our rank and authority because we are now "in Christ" and He is in us! It is a complete change of our interests and our pleasures. The things of this world no longer have an appeal to us. Our command is altered because instead of now being simply "followers of Jesus Christ," we are One with Him. That gives us the right -- and more so the responsibility -- to declare and decree with Kingdom commands the Word that comes directly to us by and through His Spirit.

Now you're getting the picture! We become identified not simply with "the name of God" but with His onoma. His city, His Kingdom, His dwelling now becomes our habitation and place of residency. We've become citizens of a different dimension, a different realm.

But here's the best part of this. He is, has been, and will continue, to write upon us, to engrave within our thought processes, our nature, our makeup, His new character, His new makeup, His new identity.

I know. I know. I know. That scarcely makes sense to us as rational beings. How or why would Jesus' very nature and makeup change? How or why would His character and identity be altered?

There are two aspects to this that I will share.

When Della and I got married, we both went through a change of personality and makeup. Friends like Dwain McKenzie who've known me for most of my life made statements in the years following, something like this: "Brother, you sure have changed! You are not the same person you used to be!"

They could or would probably recite a number of character or personality changes that had taken place -- most notably the fact that I was a much softer individual, not so driving, not so brittle or hard. And I would have to agree. Before the Lord gave Della to me I was incomplete. There was a constant "search" that went on inside my being for completeness, for something that would enable me to fulfill my destiny and be whom I am supposed to be. There was a "search," a craving, an insatiable desire for that one whom God had chosen as my counterpart, my other self.

Once we were joined together, everything changed! There was a release of new authority. There was a sense of satisfaction and joy in being complete. There was a knowing that -- FINALLY -- I was seeing tangible movement towards God's destiny! I was now a whole being!

That principle holds true with the Lord Jesus Christ. I've said this before, and I know that there are many believers who have struggled with the same concept, but from before the foundations of the earth, Jesus needed and desired a counterpart. There has been a constant drive on His part toward the day when He would be complete. He designed things this way, folks! I'm not making this up. This is not some new doctrine or funny contrivance of my invention.

From the beginning of time itself, all creation was spoken and set in motion to bring about a desired end -- a people who would become the counterpart, the other self, the very beloved partner of the Lord Jesus Christ. This would be a species of being -- a people -- who would reflect His Glory, be the expression of His love, function just like Him, flow with His authority and power, and -- ultimately -- enable Him to fulfill His destiny!

Why do you think the promise to the overcomer is, "And I will write upon him My New Onoma?" There is a process of overcoming that has to be made complete in us and we must come to that place the apostle Paul described like this:

"When I was a child (nepios), I spake as a child (nepios), I understood as a child (nepios), I thought as a child (nepios): but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (I Corinthians 13:11-12)

Here's how John put it in his first general letter to the body of Christ:

"Beloved, now are we the sons (teknon) of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (I John 3:2)

THAT is what this is all about! That is what it means to have His New Onoma!

Let's get something straight. This is what Jesus is coming back for! He's not coming back for a mealy-mouthed, Caesar-Milquetoast, namby-pamby people who behave like cowards, run at every appearance of Satan or his horde of demons, and are too intimidated to boldly declare and make the kingdoms of this world the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15). There's not going to be any rapture of the "ain'ts" until He can come and receive what He set out to have in the first place: a people who are once again in His likeness and image -- in other words, Saints!

And that is something, the scope of which, is a whole lot larger than the finite mind can even begin to imagine. Consider for a minute the onoma of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's how Paul put it when writing to the Philippians:

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name [onoma] which is above every name [onoma]: That at the name [onoma] of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

There's so much in that statement I could almost write a book on that passage all by itself! Let's see if we can condense it into a few paragraphs for the sake of this discussion.

Father has exalted and magnified Jesus and given Him a name, an onoma that is above every onoma. OK, so far? But that onoma is not just an exalted name here on earth. He has rank and authority, power and greatness and glory which Father has given Him above even His own!

Do you see it? Let me preface what I'm about to share by saying that the word "things" does not exist in the Greek text. It was an addition of the translators to try to describe ALL beings -- whether heavenly, earthly or demonic. Now, here we go! "That at the onoma of Jesus every knee should bow, of all beings in Heaven (whether they be angelic or kosmokrator -- and we tend to describe all heavenly beings as "angelic" even though that's not accurate), all beings on earth (no matter what kingdom they belong to -- human, animal, sea-creatures, plant-life, etc.), and all beings (demonic or of Satan's kingdom regardless of classification) under the earth."

And THAT is the character and nature being bred and formed in us by Holy Spirit at Father's will so that Jesus Christ receives His full inheritance!

[The term, kosmokrator, is a Greek word which appears in Ephesians 6 where Paul describes our spiritual wrestling, and the term describes a "world ruler" -- what we might frame as "principality" or "power" -- and describes a being who exercises power or rulership in a spiritual dimension over a city, a state, a country or a region of the world.]

We haven't even begun to explore the significance of what it means to be "in Christ," or even what the phrase "Christ in us" really represents. These have become religious catch-phrases without true meaning in our vocabulary as Christians or believers in Christ. We know that the Word uses these phrases, and we gather some mental imagery around us each time we hear them, but having revelatory understanding of what it is all about is missed in the overwhelming majority of Christians. I wish I could go there today, but it would take too long (and it really is a topic for discussion all by itself), so -- once again -- let me draw a brief picture

As part of Jesus' prayer (John 17) when He was about to go to the Cross, He prayed something that is stupendous by any description! Watch!

" That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17:21-23)

This, my friends, is a merging process in which we are merged into Him, and He is merged into us. You see, when we have been made One with Him, we have also been made One with Father because He and Father are One. That's how it is possible for His Glory to be seen in us! It's really quite elementary, and yet because we're still stuck with our finite time-space-based thinking, it somehow goes right over our heads. Once the transformation of our DNA takes place in the realm of the Spirit, this merging is no more complicated than breathing in and breathing out! It's what we've been designed for, folks! It's what Jesus has been after from day one!

This is where agreement -- the principle of being united in thought, purpose, desire, goal and destiny -- has such effectiveness. This is where the love of God becomes so manifest and demonstrated to the world around us. Father specifically set this up so "that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them exactly as you have loved me."

There's only one word in the English language that fits this picture -- WOW!!!

Now, are you beginning to grasp the picture of why and how the greater works are possible? Let's revisit the five growth processes as we wrap up today's Coffee Break.

We've been on a path and in the midst of a process that takes us from Brephos to Nepios; from Nepios to Paidion; from Paidion to Teknon; and -- finally -- from Teknon to Huios. Jesus took this path as the "firstborn among many brethren." (See Romans 8:29)

There are five separate phases here, and they cumulatively represent God's grace at work. The word "grace" has often been used as an acronym to represent God's Riches At Christ's Expense. That's really a terrible oversimplification, but in this instance it is apropos for the process which takes us from Brephos to Huios. It really is something that Jesus paid for with His life in order to restore the long-lost path to our relationship with Father. He took this path and is therefore qualified to direct the work of Holy Spirit in our lives as we progress from our new-born state as a "babe in Christ" to the place where we are released with Father's blessing and approval as "sons in whom He is well-pleased."

And that brings us once again to what is happening in 2012. There MUST be a release of the "sons of God" in the earth! All creation is literally screaming for that manifestation. Every society on this planet wants answers that only God's people can provide. Despite Satan's deception and the guile he uses to keep folks focused on man-made solutions, government solutions and processes that so-called "wise men" devise through their strategies in order to solve wars, rumors of wars, famine and calamity on every hand, men and women the world over know in their heart of hearts that the solutions which have been tried are not only NOT working, things are getting worse by the day.

Thus a cry fills this earth today for a people who have God's answers for world solutions. A stupendous harvest of souls awaits. 2012 is a year in which we're going to see things break loose with Kingdom authority being released like never before. Jesus Christ is going to have a full house. He's going to have a very large family, thank you very much, and the responsibility and the opportunity have been thrust upon us.

2012 is the year of Huios!

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles [nations and ethnic groups] shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." (Isaiah 60:1-5)

"Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father." (John 14:12)

See you next week.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012, Part 3

Mar 8, '12 7:03 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break:

A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012, Part 3

And another great day of blessing and prosperity to you!

Coffee's on! Grab one of those large "vitamins" and set a spell.

Let's pick up with where we left off last week. Here again is Paul's prophetic description of what God does in us at the point of our commitment in making Jesus Christ Lord of our lives.

What I shared last week was the fact that this initiates a reordering of our entire DNA. God's DNA has been injected into our being in order to conform us to His image and likeness. Let's recap the process using the five Greek words that describe us from birth to maturity before continuing.

(1) Brephos: [This word describes a child from the time he/she is in the womb to the time of birth and (for males) to circumcision.] In John 6:44, Jesus makes the statement that "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him..." It is that drawing by Father that begins conception. Holy Spirit nurtures and nourishes us so that we are more and more prepared for the new birth. There is a process (and this process varies with each individual, their calling, and their responses) by which Holy Spirit draws us to the moment of the new birth. When we are born again and come forth from that womb of the Spirit, we are born of the Spirit. (see John 3:6) The newborn babe in Christ, therefore, is brephos.

(2) Nepios: [From the time of circumcision forward, this word is used to describe a child during the period we commonly refer to as "a babe in arms" -- traditionally, 2 years of age.] Circumcision in the natural realm is designed to cut away flesh that interferes with the ability (in males) for the body to freely get rid of urine (or water-based waste products) in the body. Circumcision also prepares a male for the day when he will begin to procreate. In the realm of the Spirit, circumcision is represented by two kinds of baptism: (1) baptism in water (in which the old fleshly individual is put off, cut away, killed and buried) followed by resurrection from the dead (which takes place when a person is brought back up out of the water) and raised to new life in Christ Jesus, free from the Law of Sin and Death (see Romans 8:2); and (2) baptism in the Holy Spirit (in which the tongue and language of flesh is subdued so that the Holy Spirit now can speak the language of Heaven freely through the one baptized) a baptism which prepares one to receive the milk of the Word (see I Peter 2:2 and Hebrews 5:12-13) as babes and begin to grow up in the Lord. Nepios, therefore, represents that period of time between circumcision (baptism) and the weaning off spiritual milk.

(3) Paidion: [This word describes a child between the ages of 2 and 12 or 13 -- basically a young child who has yet to reach the age where they reach bar mitzvah (bat mitzvah in the case of girls) which roughly equates to "coming of age" -- being responsibly for their own actions.] By the time a baby is two or perhaps three years of age, they've been being weaned from the bottle and have begun to eat food -- pabulum at first, and then as they continue to age more and more solid foods. The same holds true in the realm of the Spirit. The more we eat of the Word and drink of the Spirit of Life, the more we grow and the more the realm of the Spirit begins to unfold to us. By the time we reach "the age of accountability" we've pretty much come to know what is acceptable in the sight of the Lord, and what isn't; and we know there are consequences -- spiritual, physical and emotional -- that can come if we persist in actions or activities, or pursue a thought-life that violates what we've come to know in our inner being in the sight of God. Thus paidion represents that time between being weaned from the "milk" and coming to a time of spiritual accountability with spiritual meat. Both paidion and teknon are periods of time in our preparation as "sons of God" in which we learn through the things that we "suffer" or "experience in the midst of making mistakes and being corrected." The "suffering" can be painful or not so painful, depending on how we respond to Father's correction.

(4) Teknon: [This word represents the period of time between the ages of 12 and 30 (the period may vary slightly according to the individual and the father's determination) during which a child undergoes serious training and preparation for adulthood. In the case of a boy/man, he is being trained in the ways of his father, prepared to take over his father's business and made to understand how his father's authority and power are exercised.] So it is with us as committed believers. In our early years of walking and growing up in God, as we respond to Father's voice, we are given more and more opportunities to speak, to pray for the sick, to exercise the operation of the Word in and through us to a greater and greater degree. The purpose, of course, is to bring us to a place of confidence in the efficacy of the Word and the sound of Father's voice in our innermost being. His objective is to bring us to a place of maturity as His representative. His Word must be so worked in us that we can be trusted to be faithful and obedient "sons," conducting His business exactly as He does -- and as Jesus did here on earth, and continues to do IN US.

(5) Huios: [This word is a picture of what it means to be practiced, exercised and fully mature, understanding AND IN AGREEMENT with -- mentally, emotionally, practically and functionally -- the father's plans, purposes and desires.] For us spiritually, this is a season and a time in which Father openly says of us, "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." Whether we simply hear it in our spirit or we hear it audibly, a knowing takes place in our being that Father has released us with His full Kingdom authority and is ready to back us up with His power on display. We are taught and trained, practiced and seasoned in making decisions that Father approves of and is pleased with, and we now act as the direct agent of Father in all matters as He directs and instructs by the Holy Spirit.

Let me give you an additional picture of huios in order to help you understand why this is so necessary, and why Holy Spirit has been drawing us like a magnet towards this day.

As most of you know from my previous sharing, I grew up in the arctic in mostly native Eskimo villages and communities. Shamanism was (and still is in some areas) a factor to be reckoned with as a dark spiritual force which deliberately pitted itself against us as Christians, against the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and against our very presence in certain communities. In one of the villages where we ministered, the local Shaman made it his business to walk around our home and church on a nightly basis (in the dead of night) speaking curses over us and over our home in an effort to get rid of us.

When you are constantly pitted against individuals who have given themselves over to the realm of the demonic supernatural, you'd better be well-armed spiritually and know who Christ (the Anointed One and His Anointing) is in you, and who you are IN HIM! The Word had better be very alive in your being.

I personally went into this man's sod house (it was made out of blocks of sod stacked brick-style over a frame of whale bones) and shared the Gospel with him as Holy Spirit ministered. This man -- the shaman -- was extremely fearful of our presence in the community and despite everything I had to share with him (and it wasn't just my sharing; my parents shared with him as well) he rejected that Word, preferring instead to continue with his curses. A day came when (and no one knew exactly what caused it) his wood stove apparently ignited the sod while he slept. The dwelling burned to the ground and he died. I did not rejoice over this man's death. Rather, I felt a grief inside my being that he had chosen to reject the Word of the Lord.

This was a "training" experience. It falls under the heading of teknon! It was a tiny sample of things to come, and a foretaste of some experiences I would go through in later years. It was an initial foray into a realm of spiritual authority in which we are all supposed to become fully operational. There were going to be many more such forays and experiences for me in the years that followed that introduction.

Darkness has been increasing by leaps and bounds as the days, months and years go by. Never in the history of this nation have we seen such darkness, such wickedness and such corruption in our local, state and federal governments, society in general, the business world and even in the church. I'm differentiating between "the church" and the "Bride of Christ." Isaiah foresaw this day and he prophesied the Word of the Lord for this moment in time.

You remember what I said in our last discussion? The world, our society, this nation is literally on a razor's edge screaming out for the "greater works" generation to be revealed. I'm referring, naturally, to Jesus' promise to believers when He prophesied, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father." (John 14:12)

We've seen and had tastes of the "greater works" during the last few years, but what we've seen is only a drop in the bucket for what lies ahead. The experience that I just shared with you is a tiny demonstration of the kind of demonic power that believers will be pitted against in the years ahead. Satan is so afraid of what is coming that he has amassed (and is amassing at this moment) every bit of power, every military tactic, and every individual who will cooperate with his agenda in order to stop this phenomenal harvest of souls of which we are on the cutting edge.

When I was first launched into the realm of deliverance and began to minister to people who were held captive by evil spirits, I came under some pretty unbelievable attacks. What made those attacks so remarkable was that -- with a few exceptions -- they all came from what purported to be the Christian community. Church leaders railed against me for preaching and teaching "heresy." Pastors invited me out of their churches. (I'm saying this as gracefully as I can. Grin!) Articles were written against me in religious publications. During my years with the Christian Broadcasting Network, many letters were written to Pat Robertson and other executives within CBN in a concerted effort to get the network to disconnect from any association with me.

Again, my purpose in sharing these things is not to focus on them but to help folks understand that there is an acid test that every huios will go through so that when the chips are really down, we can stand firm in our confidence that we have heard from Father, that we ARE in the middle of His perfect will, and that His Word is absolutely grounded in the core of our existence.

As I've said before, 2012 is a year of Huios! Father has determined within His economy to see many, many, many "sons" follow our pattern Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, in not only performing the works that Jesus worked (which, as He Himself noted, were Father's works), but also "greater works."

One of the fundamental differences between sons who are huios and sons who are still teknon is that those who have Father's stamp of approval etched within their being and have heard Him say, "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased," do not compete against other huios. They know who they are, and they know who Jesus Christ is in them! More than that, they know who they are IN HIM! There is a place of agreement in Him that allows them to work together in a sense of teamwork that those who are still teknons have yet to arrive at.

Now, before we run out of time today, let me get to the meat of what I need to share concerning this year ahead. Because of the nature of this vision and the significance of what I've heard and seen, I can only share a tiny bit of it in an open forum such as this one. I have shared this with a number of brethren in the prophetic community and they stand with me as having also seen what I'm about to share.

As I finish this Coffee Break and prepare to send it out, we are just entering the period on the Jewish calendar referred to as Purim. Purim is a name for the three days of fasting that all Israel entered into in honor of Esther's three-day fast without food or water. Esther's fast set the stage for the exposing of a Macedonian mole within the court of Xerxes (Ahasuerus in our English versions) who was bent on destroying God's people. I'm inviting as many believers as will to join Della and me (as well as other believers who stand in agreement) during the next three days to fast and pray for the deliverance of our nation from the Hamans who have infiltrated our various levels of government.

We have a Haman (or perhaps more accurately, a Haman and his sons) who is using our Federal government to destroy this nation and more specifically, the rights we have all come to know and enjoy under our constitution as Americans to worship freely and to name the name of Jesus Christ openly.

There are Hamans who have infiltrated our Congress and our Senate. There are Hamans who occupy governors' chairs across this land. There are Hamans who seek to manipulate and twist state legislatures in order to further their wicked agendas -- and it really is one agenda: Satan's!

So why have I chosen Purim as the moment to call God's people to prayer and fasting? Purim is a period of 72 hours. Last August I had a series of experiences in which the Lord showed me a 72-hour period in which the entire administration of this nation was changed. The change was of such magnitude, and the consequences so enormous that no one could explain the changes by any other means than it being the divine intervention of God.

What I saw had a direct and immediate bearing on the election cycle we are currently in. The outcome of our electoral choices was dramatically altered because of what God did in that vision! Candidates suddenly withdrew their names from contention because of the unfolding events. No one could possibly imagine the political earthquake that was going to bring this nation to its knees in prayer and return America to its constitutional roots. The politics of Washington, DC was radically altered because of these events.

Please excuse me if I seem to be too dramatic or sound almost melodramatic. That's not my intention at all. Because I am not alone in what I have seen, and the Holy Spirit has shown these same events to other brethren whose prophetic anointing and integrity I trust, it is incumbent upon me to call people to prayer and fasting.

Thinking about the deliverance of Israel that took place following Esther's fast, the enemy of God's people was exposed for who he was. The Jews were given the right to stand up and defend themselves against their sworn enemy and all who agreed with him. Haman was executed and his ten sons hung in open view for everyone to see.

America faces a crisis of the same proportions and unless God's people act with the same determination and integrity that Esther showed, we will see this nation succumb to an enemy who is out to undo everything our founding fathers bled and died for.

Folks, I'm not naming names here. This is not to target certain leaders or politicians. This is to bring down an enemy in the same manner that Daniel did when he fasted for three weeks. The angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel at the end of his fast and told him that he left the Throne of God with the answer when Daniel first began to pray, but that he had to defeat the prince of Persia (not a person but a demonic principality) before he could bring the answer to Daniel.

That's what we've got to do as committed believers. This is what it is going to take for the huios of God to be counted in this hour. This wicked administration must be toppled in the realm of the spirit so that the harvest of souls will freely and liberally unfold.

If you are an intercessor and want to be more involved in this fast, I'd be glad to share more details with you, and -- in that case -- please get in touch with me. Once again, I feel like I've only begun to scratch the surface. Maybe I'll get to share more of this picture later, but for now we'll leave it alone.

See you next week.

"There is a difference between a politician and a leader, and we are in desperate need of not just a leader, but a great leader. It is not the government that needs changing as much as the election process. America is now facing some of the most potentially deadly crises we have ever faced, in a time when the world is more dangerous than it has ever been. It is understandable that so many would be pining for another Reagan, but for what we are facing, we need a combination of Washington, Lincoln, Churchill, and Moses." (Rick Joyner)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012, Part 2

Mar 1, '12 9:08 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break:

A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012, Part 2

Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning!

No, my record isn't broke, I just need another cup of java to get my juices flowing for the day. (Grin) You can have some, too, you know. Join me for a cup, why don't you, and let's get right to our discussion.

Whenever a person comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, makes Him to be the Lord of their life, and permits the process of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, a transformation process begins. Listen to the way Paul describes it in his second letter to the Corinthian Ekklesia:

What Paul is saying is that there is a change of our DNA. God's DNA has been put into our being -- and that very act compels a transforming process to begin in our being. It's not instantaneous! Not by any means. The shock factor of that kind of change is more than subnormal human flesh can withstand. God's purpose is to bring us back, to restore us to a place of "normalcy" -- that place we were originally designed for so that we can fellowship with Him, interact with Him on a minute-by-minute, second-by-second basis AT HIS LEVEL of interchange!

That injection of His DNA into us leads us to a moment of time in our lives where a supernatural transaction takes place in the realm of the Spirit. A contractual agreement occurs between us and the Lord. That agreement is going to lead us to covenant, but we're not there yet. When that transaction, that agreement occurs in us, it takes place below the level of our consciousness. Something happens subconsciously that is ironclad in our beings.

Let me describe this in personal terms, relating it back to something that happened to me at age nine.

There was a day, a moment in time, when I was out on the playground of our public school, playing on the rings, grabbing them and running around the pole until I became airborne for a few seconds hanging onto the rope as it swung me around the pole. As clearly as I've ever heard the voice of the Lord speak, I heard Him say to me (as he flashed me back in a split second to the experience I'd had a couple of years earlier when Jesus appeared at the foot of my bed and proceeded to lay out His plan and purpose for my life), "Will you go wherever I send you? Will you speak to whomever I instruct, regardless of whether it is an individual or a group of people? Will you say to them exactly what I tell you?"

I was honestly surprised at the questions, but without hesitation I blurted out loud, "Yes, Lord! You know I will. I thought you already knew that!"

His chuckle at my response resonated in my whole being, and yet I knew something tangible had taken place. His answer to me was to the point, "It was necessary for you to say so." In that moment I knew for the first time that just thinking my agreement with Him wasn't enough; it had to be verbalized.

My speaking -- verbalizing -- my personal agreement with Him set in motion a series of events that continue to this day. A contractual agreement had been made in my spirit two years earlier, but now that agreement had become a covenant relationship. The things that He had spoken to me earlier, and the promises He made to me in the weeks that followed when He took me to Heaven for the first time did not come to pass instantly. There was a process of DNA transformation that had begun in me. I was on a path to become something He was making of me. There was a day yet to be realized when His destiny for me would be fulfilled.

So, why am I sharing all of this? There are tens of thousands -- hundreds of thousands, even -- of people who will see and read this word to whom something very similar has taken place. There has been a moment in time -- perhaps in the recent past, and perhaps in the distant past -- when a contractual agreement has been struck in which you have agreed with God's call and purpose for your life. You've been on a trek ever since then; a trek which has been leading you toward your destiny in God. Again, whether recently or at some time in the past, that contractual agreement with the Lord became a covenant engraved in your spirit, etched in your DNA. God's DNA has been changing you, transforming you, molding you and bringing you to the place where you can fulfill and accomplish all that God has placed in the core of your existence.

2012 is a year for that destiny to be manifested and for you to take your place in God's economy. Folks, as the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Roman Ekklesias, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."

You understand, don't you? The world, our society, this nation is literally on a razor's edge screaming out for the "greater works" generation to be revealed. I'm referring, of course, to Jesus' promise to believers when He prophesied, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father." (John 14:12)

Paul would never have written what he wrote concerning the earnest expectation of all creation (literal Greek) waiting for the manifestation of the sons (huios: fully matured and released with Father's full authority) of God had it not been for the fact that there was going to be that day of release. Let me take a couple of minutes to explain this term: huios.

Although there are other applicable words in the Greek and Hebrew texts that refer to sons, let me take the three principal terms used in the New Testament. The first word is paidion. This term is generally applied to a young child (there is another word that describes a babe-in-arms) between the ages of 2 and 12 years. The next word is teknon. This describes someone who has reached the age of bar mitzvah -- usually 12 years of age -- and has yet to reach a point of maturity in life and training. Between 12 and 30 years of age a young man is being groomed to step into his father's business and labors. This is an intense period of preparation, teaching, practice, making mistakes and learning "by the things that he suffers." (see Hebrews 5:8)

At or about age 30 (the determination of the exact timing is made by the father) the teknon becomes huios. At this point in Hebrew tradition and practice, a public ceremony takes place in which the father openly says of his son, "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." A ritual and celebratory commissioning upon the son now takes place in which his father's full authority and signatory power is given. From this moment forward the son has the full signatory power of the father, he can conduct business in his father's name, he can make contracts or covenants on behalf of his father and his father will back him up 100 percent! The son is now huios. He is taught and trained, practiced and seasoned in making decisions that his father approves of and is pleased with, and he now acts as the direct agent of his father in all matters.

What we see taking place in Matthew 3 and Luke 3 perfectly describe a process that unfolds the transition from teknon to huios. Luke tells us that "Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age." Both Matthew and Luke report that following Jesus' baptism (I'll speak to the significance of this at a later time) everyone heard a voice speaking out of Heaven as Father said of Him, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." It couldn't possibly have been more significant to those who saw and heard. It was a familiar phrase every householder was familiar with. Both Matthew and Luke report that as Jesus came up out of the waters of baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.

Thus we see Jesus (1) being publicly marked with Father's approval, (2) being commissioned and sent forth under the power of the Holy Spirit and (3) having the signet, the seal of approval under which Father's business would now be conducted in the earth.

So why am I going into all this detail? Because I want you all to see a process that Jesus went through as the Pattern Son. We as committed believers have been adopted into the Family of God. For us to be released to do what Father says, to conduct His business and to demonstrate that Kingdom to which we now belong, there is a process that unfolds.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: there's no such thing as "automatic" in the Kingdom of God. Certainly we receive our "fire insurance" when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and so long as we walk with Him we can kiss Hell goodbye. But that's not what being a Christian is all about! Being delivered from an eternity in Hell and having Heaven as our future eternal base of operations goes with the package of accepting Jesus Christ, but that's nothing more than "paidion."

Actually it would be more proper to use a different Greek term in this instance, and that word is nepios. Nepios defines a child between the period of time between circumcision (8 days old) and 2 years. If you want to get really technical you can define a brand new Christian -- one just saved and prior to circumcision (water baptism) -- by the Greek word, brephos. Brephos is literally a child just delivered from the birth canal.

Now that I've really bored you with technical definitions, let's get to the heart of the matter. You see from the Greek terms a progression from the new birth to the place of maturity. Under no circumstances would Father release to a brephos, or a nepios, or a paidion (you get the picture) the stamp of approval and full authority that comes with the maturity and seasoning that it takes for one to become huios.

Many years ago when my daughters, Danielle and Rebekah, were in their teens I had a newspaper business with the Anchorage Daily News. Our family vehicle at the time was a new Chevrolet Lumina mini-van. There was no way I was going to hand them the keys to the car and let them take off on their own on the streets of the city. Danielle was 14 and Rebekah was 12.

Periodically I had extra large newspapers, and hundreds of deliveries to make. If I wanted either of the girls to help me (at 3:00 AM) I would awaken them and tantalize them with the car keys. It didn't take any great persuading for me convince them to help me when they got to drive the car and follow me down the streets. They were, at that point in their lives, teknon. There was a measure of trust and authority that I could release to them at that age, and it was a necessary release that would become a natural part of their existence in the years to come. Huios was yet to come.

Some years later Della and I were living in south Texas. Rebekah had moved with her family to be near us. When Della and I left on a trip for Alaska and were going to be gone for awhile, we handed the keys to our home to Rebekah, along with a signed document that gave her the authority to act on our behalf in our absence and conduct any necessary business. For all practical purposes, she became huios. Rebekah's two boys, Andrew and P.J., now were given the key to our garden tractor and both permission and responsibility to keep our yards, lawns and orchards cared for. They got to experience the same release and trust their mother had experienced years before.

That's a pretty feeble illustration, but you have the picture by now. This is what the Lord has been doing with us. Depending on the degree of our responsiveness and obedience to the direction of the Holy Spirit, we've been learning from Him and being given greater and greater levels of responsibility and authority. We've been brought to a point where Father can say of us, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."

There is no substitute for that moment in our walk with God. The level of confidence that is released in us is beyond measure. With that moment comes a directive concerning Father's business, a commission, and with that commission the authority and power to back us up as we fulfill His destiny in us and for us.

There are many believers who are reading this who've been experiencing this process I've just described. You've walked with the Lord for years. You've experienced the pain and the correction that comes with disobedience, along with the love and grace Father gives to us as He patiently deals with us and gives us the opportunity to do it again. For many of us, Father's mercy is nothing less than astounding as He picks us up following our failures and continues to encourage us to move in Him and with Him to a greater and greater degree.

2012 is a year of Huios! Father has determined within His economy to see many, many, many "sons" follow our pattern Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, in not only performing the works that Jesus worked (which, as He Himself noted, were Father's works), but also "greater works."

If you haven't already seen this in your spirit, let me give you a snapshot.

Stilian Mihailov is the regional bishop for the Church of God in the Stara Zagora region of Bulgaria. As you can imagine, true Christianity in this region of the world comes at a great price and believers had better have the goods if they are to stand in the face of certain persecution for their testimony.

As we sat at lunch one day, Stilian shared with us the story of a brother in one of the churches he is responsible for. This particular brother was being chased by two men who intended at the very least to do him serious bodily harm, if not kill him, for his testimony. As he came to a lake with no place else to run, he simply took off running across the water. [Yes, that's what I said! NOT wading into the lake!] As he neared the middle of the lake the two very surprised and frustrated antagonists decided to run around the lake and catch him on the other side. The believer simply stood still in the middle of the lake and watched them run. When they had passed the middle point he simply turned and ran back across the lake the direction he had come. His would-be attackers couldn't believe what they were seeing and simply gave up their pursuit. They left him alone from that day forward.

A brother in the Lord whom I have known in years gone by was Mel Tari, the author of "Like a Mighty Wind." As Mel once related it to me, in order to reach ministry destinations entire groups of people needed to cross a river. Instead of me telling you the story, watch this YouTube video uploaded from Patricia King's XPMedia site as Mel relates the story himself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93TKE8_4QC0

I have been in meetings where people were healed en masse of certain diseases. There was no healing line, and the person ministering at the time didn't call certain people out of the audience. He simply decreed the Word of the Lord over certain specific diseases or sicknesses, swept his hand over the people and longtime, chronic diseases simply disappeared. Those people were asked to please go home, see their physician and get a thorough checkup, and then report back with the physician's signed release. This is not a one-time event! I've seen this over and over, and the phenomenon is increasing.

John G. Lake (1870 - 1935) was a kind of modern forerunner for this "greater works" movement that's really beginning to unfold in this day and hour. He was famous for going into hospitals and literally cleaning them out, with every single person in the hospital being healed, no matter what the affliction, disease or sickness might be. Medical doctors testified that they watched (in microscopes) viruses die on contact with his hand.

We need to stop for today, but I've scarcely scratched the surface and haven't even begun to reach the core of what I need to share with you. Let's pick this up next week, shall we?

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012

Feb 18, '12 8:22 PM
by Regner for everyone

Another Coffee Break

A PROPHETIC LOOK AT 2012

OK, OK, OK!! By now you've all probably heard just about every conceivable "prophecy" concerning events to come in the year ahead. That's NOT what this Coffee Break is all about. I suppose in a way it is, but that's not really what I want to focus on.

And -- before we get too far along, pour yourself a good cup of double-roasted French or some of that really dark-roasted Sumatran coffee. That'll get your day moving!

Most of you know that the Lord has used me or directed me in a prophetic stream for much of my life, and I've learned to be very careful about "prophesying" -- especially when it comes to events and people; and except when very specifically directed by the Holy Spirit I tend to shy away from making prophetic utterances concerning individuals and/or things that are taking place in their lives.

That's not to say that I haven't -- or don't -- but rather that it is the exception and not the rule. There are probably not more than a handful of folks who operate prophetically in this day and hour whose prophecies I trust to be accurate. There are a fistful of wanna-be prophets (or perhaps it would be better to refer to them as prophets-in-the-making) who honestly desire to minister prophetically and occasionally hit the mark, but I tend to not focus too much on their prophetic Words. That's NOT to slam them, by the way, or disparage their efforts.

Having been called by the Lord to a prophetic ministry when I was very young, throughout the years I have made some classic boo-boos with "prophecies" that have been way out in left field somewhere. That's been good for me! Those screw-ups have been times when the Holy Spirit has taught me the difference between the things I desire or wish for and try to make to come to pass by uttering forth declarations, and those things which I have genuinely heard from the Holy Spirit.

There's a huge difference, you know! As a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God and the Throne of the Most High, I have a personal responsibility to speak ONLY and EXACTLY what I'm instructed to speak, adding nothing and taking nothing away. That turns out to be a bit of a learning process. Thank the Lord for His patience in teaching and grooming us so that we are truly His representatives!

The apostle Paul had it right when he wrote, "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (I Corinthians 13:9-12)

Paul then opens up the 14th chapter of I Corinthians with this: "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying." (I Corinthians 14:1-5)

So you get the picture. In I Thessalonians 5:20, Paul writes, "Despise not prophesyings." There's our command to not hold prophesyings or prophetic utterances in disdain -- even if the utterance is in error. That said, what I have to share with you is something that has been "seasoning" in my spirit for some time. I have bounced portions of this off brothers and sisters in the Lord whom I respect and trust to correct me if they find any of it as not fitting with what they hear the Holy Spirit saying.

With that preamble to today's discussion, let me get on with what I have to share.

I have heard a great many gloom and doom prognostications (and that's what I'll call them -- NOT prophecies) concerning horrific events to come upon this nation this year and in the near future. The reason why I call them prognostications is that they come from calculations based on rational thinking and reasoning rather than actually hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying.

The problem with most of these predictions is that they completely ignore the prayers, the intercession, the crying out of literally hundreds of thousands -- millions, actually -- of Christians who have been interceding for America, and the answer that God has given to the intercessors. Let me give you a few examples.

1. The U.S. Dollar is about to lose 40% of its value, and it will literally happen overnight.

2. A great earthquake is coming upon this nation which will literally split the nation in half, forming the Western States of America and the Eastern States of America.

3. Because of the tolerance of our nation's leaders and the compromise that has taken place within the body of Christ to permit the unchecked murder of more than 50 million unborn babies, as well as tolerating the perversion of marriage and the "normalizing" of homosexual relationships, God is about to rain down the same kind of judgment on America that He did on Sodom and Gomorrah. Those who make this claim often repeat the cliché that "God would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah if He didn't destroy America for the same sins that brought down those city-states."

Let's deal with each of these claims in order.

1. There really are some tremendous changes about to take place within our nation's economy, but not the kind of catastrophes that many have feared. Della and I have talked about these changes among ourselves and with many of our brethren who share the same Word of the Lord that we've been hearing. Let me take you first of all to a promise found in Proverbs 13:22.

"A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."

There has been a growing expectancy as well as a knowing in the core of our beings that there has long been a scheduled day in God's economy to transfer the "wealth of the wicked" into the hands of "the just." No, this is not some get-rich-quick scheme being promoted by the oft-denigrated "prosperity preachers." This is a firm Word -- a Covenant Word -- being sent forth by the Holy Spirit on the behalf of a people -- the Bride of Christ, if you will -- whom He trusts implicitly to use the resources He transfers to them for the sake of the great harvest of souls being gathered into the Kingdom in this hour.

You'll appreciate, I'm sure, that God would no more release untold resources to "babes in Christ" or immature, irresponsible "believers" than you would turn your new Mercedes or BMW over to your 4-year-old. (Grin) You get the picture, I'm sure. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit has been schooling tens (even hundreds) of thousands of believers for a day of release and immense prosperity.

That day of release is upon us! Why do it now? Why would God release almost unimaginable wealth on His people? Consider what He said in His Word!

"But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day." (Deuteronomy 8:18)

It is sad to say, but there are many Christians who will get angry at my saying this, but the truth is that the body of Christ has been so programmed with a poverty mindset, and the idea that one has to be broke and in debt in order to "remain humble" and "be like Christ," that it is absolutely unbelievable! It is nothing more than a perverted lie of Satan that perpetrates this abortion on the body of Christ so that they will never have the resources to fulfill God's commission. I don't want to get sidetracked on a discussion about prosperity, and I know that there have been some preachers who have abused the message of prosperity, but that's beside the point. That doesn't make the Word of God a lie, and it doesn't mean that God isn't going to establish His covenant with His people just as He promised He would!

Because we are already seeing a harvest of souls on a scale hitherto unknown in world history, and because the financial need to accomplish that commission is increasing exponentially, the time has come when the Lord IS GOING TO RELEASE finances to His people!

Again, I repeat: God is not randomly selecting people who name the name of Jesus Christ or try to use religious formulas in order to get rich. This is the fulfillment of a covenant promise to a people He can and does trust -- and it is happening even now!

Will there be hard times for others? You bet. Will there be economic struggles and a severe disparity of income levels? Without question. Will our nation go under economically? NO! And a resounding, NO! Not any time in the near future, anyway. There are things happening behind the scenes that God has orchestrated because of the millions of prayers that have gone forth that will give this nation respite from its current financial crisis.

That doesn't mean we will roll merrily along in the future. More hard times are ahead and there is a day ahead that I won't talk about now, but for 2012 and the next few years God is giving us a breather.

2. There has really been a spate of prophecies concerning earthquakes and a continent-dividing event that awaits this nation. What has generally been left out of these prophecies is the spiritual conditions that must precede such catastrophes. That's over-generalizing a bit, so let me be more specific.

The prophets Micah and Zechariah went into great detail about the Lord gathering together His people and putting the city of Jerusalem back together after it had been divided. We know that Jerusalem was united once again under Jewish and Israeli rule during the Six-Day War in 1967 (it was a topic of hot conversation for me as a talk radio host during that time) and that the promise of God was that the city would never again be divided.

I don't intend to revisit my discussions concerning God's promises to Israel (we already covered that topic fairly well in a recent series on Israel) other than to say that the Old Testament prophets were directed by God to issue dire warnings to any nation or nations who attempted to once again divide Jerusalem. The fact that the Obama administration has taken the position that Jerusalem should be divided among the Israelis and the Palestinians and that Israel should be partitioned along the lines that existed pre-1967 has been of great concern to many Christians and Jews alike.

It has been with that perspective in mind that some (in the mistaken belief that the Obama administration would succeed in its goals vis-a-vis Israel) have prophesied a massive earthquake of biblical proportions that would literally split America in two. What they fail to take into account is the fact that despite the Obama administration's expressed intentions, the administration does not have the support of the American people when it comes to Israel. It also lacks the support of both Congress and the U.S. Senate, and in a recent event there were some 97 U.S. Senators (out of a total of 100) who signed a letter to the President expressing their unwavering support for Israel. At the same time more than three-quarters of the members of the House of Representatives expressed their support for Israel and vowed to take action against the administration if it tried to enforce the division of Israel and Jerusalem.

I will not -- and cannot -- take the time in this Coffee Break to go into a series of visions and dreams that I have had with regard to the administration's negative stance towards Israel. They've been shared privately with a close circle of friends in the prophetic community and folks with whom we are in close fellowship for the sake of prayer and intercession, but I do not have the liberty to share them in an open forum like this.

Suffice it to say that the Hosts of Heaven would step in and bring sudden changes to the White House, the administration and any leaders who take it upon themselves to act in defiance of God's Word concerning Israel. The changes would be so swift and so complete that the world would look on in awe at the Hand of God moving so supernaturally. For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, I only have to say to you, Remember Korah!

We've often admonished people to be in prayer and intercession for the President, the administration, the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, Governors and state Legislatures, and Della and I have often lifted up the President before the Lord. What I saw in my dreams and visions left me sick at the pit of my stomach, but the actions of the Heavenly Hosts were exercised only over a few individuals and not against the entire nation. Folks, there are far too many believers who are praying over this nation.

I only need remind you of Genesis 18:32 where the Lord speaks to Abraham and tells him that He will spare the cities if he can find ten righteous within Sodom and Gomorrah. To suppose that God would wreak such vengeance on America as a continent-dividing catastrophe in the face of the prayers and intercession of millions of righteous just flies in the face of God's covenant. America does NOT stand against Israel! We stand with Israel, and even if our current administration is grudging in its support of Israel during the coming war with Iran, that support will stand because of the outspoken support by the overwhelming majority of our leaders, and the prayers and intercession of millions of Christians.

Now, I've said all that and still haven't addressed the coming earthquakes that will shake this nation. Guess that will have to wait for the next Coffee Break. Let me move on to the third example.

3. America is the only nation formed in thousands of years which was assembled in the midst of a covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ. Several years ago I did a series of Coffee Breaks on the American Covenant in which I dealt with the unique history and historical documents that abound which detail our nation's founding fathers' love for the Lord and the written commitments they made when they swore to make this nation a place from which the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ would spread abroad throughout the whole world. Every single constitution of every single state in this union accords its existence and its purpose to the Lord God. Despite the efforts of a tiny minority of very vocal rebels throughout the past few decades to separate our government and our nation's existence from its dependence on the Lord and its worship of the Lord, America -- at its roots and at its core -- still remains a nation under God.

Despite the mistaken and exceptionally ignorant statement of Barack Obama that "America is no longer a Christian nation," a recent Gallup poll still demonstrates that 57% of Americans refer to themselves as "Born-Again Christians" (regardless of whether they classify themselves as Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist or Pentecostal, or whatever) and more than 80 percent still affirm a fundamental faith in God. Roughly ten percent refer to themselves as Jewish, seven percent are broken up among atheists and other non-believing groups and some two percent call themselves Muslim.

That said, the responsibility for permitting the wholesale murder of the unborn lies at the doors of the body of Christ. The same can be said for the breakdown of morality and the perversion that tolerates and even normalizes LGBT activities.

Judgment MUST begin at the House of God! In so saying, it must be pointed out that judgment has already come to the House of God on a scale to which many if not most Christians seem oblivious, and there's a lot more to come. I'll get into that in our next Coffee Break.

"In the midst of the turmoil all around us we need to see the coming Kingdom. The shaking has started and the Kingdom of God is about to be manifest in this world like never before. The greatest move of God that the world has ever seen is knocking on our doors if we have ears to hear and inner eyes to see." (Neville Johnson)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: CONTEXT

Feb 10, '12 11:50 AM
by Regner for everyone

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: CONTEXT

After a long absence from writing and posting these Coffee Breaks, we return belatedly to begin our eighth year of publishing. That said, GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING!!

Our schedule during the past two months has been nothing less hectic beyond words. Between dental and doctor visits for Della (she's doing just fine, thanks....nothing serious!) lots of court time on behalf of friends and some members of the family, acting as an advocate and legal advisor for them, then taking a trip to Alaska to bring our young granddaughter back to her family, taking a look at some potential investment properties ..... anyway, you get the idea! Whewww!! Maybe things will quiet down to a dull roar now for awhile.

One coffee comment before we get started ... and y'all know what a coffee connoisseur I've been, and how much I've promoted Starbucks coffees over the years. Starbucks Coffee Company has within the past few weeks become an active financial backer and promoter of a successful measure in the state of Washington to legalize homosexual marriages. Their corporate leadership has taken a strong anti-family position in the process. For that reason we have taken a public position against the company and recommended to friends and family that they avoid Starbucks' kiosks and shops, and purchase other coffee brands instead.

We refuse to spend our monies with a company which takes such a prominent public position on an issue which is clearly anti-God, anti-Scriptural and anti-family! For those of you who understand and agree with our stance, we recommend that you likewise send the same message to Starbucks -- and especially to Howard Schultz, the company chairman. When corporate leaders get the message from the buying public and that message affects their bottom line, they will respond.

Several years ago, Ford Motor Corporation's executives decided to back homosexual activists and publications. As the then-owner of a recently purchased F-150 Heritage pickup, I wrote the president and chairman of the board and let them know that if they continued this policy of anti-family activism, it would be my last purchase of a Ford Motor Company product. Literally hundreds of thousands of other Ford owners participated in a letter-writing campaign stating basically the same thing. It paid off. Ford's bottom line dropped off so precipitously that the board of directors fired the president and replaced him. The new president immediately announced that Ford would no longer support homosexual activism and activist publications, and the company began to recover financially almost immediately. We can make a difference, folks!

In my last Coffee Break I said that I would be continuing my series on Heaven. The next edition of that series is almost complete, but there are some things taking place -- both spiritually and politically -- that I need to talk about, so bear with me if you were expecting that series to continue right away. I will get back to it.

In Proverbs 4, there is a unique contrast between righteousness and wickedness and it is a prophetic picture of what is unfolding today all around us.

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." (Proverbs 4:18-19)

Let me re-translate this passage out of Hebrew and amplify it a bit for you.

"But the well-trodden way of the uncompromisingly righteous and upright is like an increasingly brilliant light that shines brighter and brighter to reveal [and lead him to] his day of prosperity. The mode and course of the violator and morally, ethically wrong person is dark and progressively gloomy; he has no understanding or revelation of that which causes failure."

Guess I could have amplified it even more -- the Hebrew here is very colorful -- but you get the picture, I'm sure.

We have a very clear contrasting picture of what is unfolding around us in this day and age. The so-called "progressives" are headed down a path that is darker and darker, and they seem to have no understanding of the issues that are causing catastrophic failure for them, and for their communities, their states or provinces, and their nations.

Those who walk in the light of God's Word are being led toward greater and greater prosperity in the knowledge of the Lord as well as life itself. That's as it should be! The Word of the Lord IS revelatory for those who walk in it.

That's the key phrase, however -- FOR THOSE WHO WALK IN IT!!! It doesn't apply for those who try to play with the Word or try to make The Word fit their agenda, doctrine or thought processes.

Amplifying the Hebrew makes it clear that it is the UNCOMPROMISINGLY RIGHTEOUS who prosper in their way. Get it? No compromise! We don't get to alter or shape the Word of the Lord to fit our thought processes, our agendas or our doctrines.

My Presbyterian and Episcopalian friends are in the midst of real turmoil right now because their denominational leaders have compromised the Word and tried to make it fit with societal decay and the moral decadence that has infiltrated parts of the body of Christ. You have denominational leadership okaying homosexual "pastors" and homosexual "marriages" and justifying their acceptance predicated on a deliberate alteration of Romans 1:22-32 and other like passages in the O.T. Tens and hundreds of thousands of Presbyterians and Episcopalians are choosing to leave their denominations because their consciences simply will not allow them to tolerate this abuse of the Word.

Then you have "Christians" and church leaders of many stripes ignoring the context of Psalm 139 (and specifically, verses 13-16) or perhaps Jeremiah 1:5 in order to justify abortion and the myth of "a woman's right to choose" as though this is somehow enshrined in our nation's Constitution. Our nation's founding fathers could not have even imagined the evil that has been perpetrated using a divinely inspired Constitution to justify horrendous violations of the Word of God -- that same Word they all held sacred.

That brings me to the title of today's Coffee Break: CONTEXT. Within the body of Christ -- and growing increasingly so -- is the practice of taking the Word out of context in order to create (or justify) a doctrine which is comfortable. Even well-meaning believers have fallen into this trap, and it is an easy trap to get caught in.

Let me go back in time to draw some perspective of what I'm trying to share.

First, consider the Old Testament. Who was it written by, and under what inspiration? The Old Testament -- without exception -- was written by men whose mindset, whose thoughts and whose culture was entirely Hebrew. It's been said -- and I'm sorry if you disagree with me, but I agree with this -- that the Hebrew thought and mindset as it is revealed in Scripture is not simply "Hebrew" or "Hebraistic:" it is the thought and mindset of God. What we refer to as a "Hebrew mindset" is honestly the mindset of God Himself.

When you look at the New Testament nothing has changed. Every writer of the New Testament was Jewish. While Paul the apostle was certainly a Roman citizen, he was groomed at the feet of Gamaliel, the chief rabbinical teacher or professor of the day. He was of the sect of the Pharisees. The writers of the gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- were all Jews, all raised with the same Hebrew culture, thought patterns and mindsets. Luke was the author of the book of Acts, and other than Peter, James and Jude whose writings and epistles we have in addition to the aforementioned, every one of them were Jews with a Jewish or Hebrew upbringing.

Mark was considered to be the lone exception having been raised in a Greek-oriented lifestyle; and yet, he too was a Jew and a disciple of Peter's.

Virtually every translation of the Scriptures that we have today is "westernized." Our modern "church" concept is totally foreign to everything of either Old Testament or New Testament life. There were no churches in the first or second or even third century. An old Roman temple in Nova Roma (the city later became known as Constantinople) was remodeled in 225 or 226 AD during the reign of Alexander Severus for use as a gathering place for Christians, but the idea of a "church" didn't take place until after Constantine's Edict of Toleration in 313 AD -- and even then, the mode of gathering scarcely resembled anything we know today.

One of the problems in our modern church setting is that we try to fit Jewish or Hebraistic understanding and thought into a westernized picture. In doing so our understanding of the Word loses its context and frequently loses sight of a very clear picture of what the Word of God was given to communicate. I frankly find it nothing less than miraculous that in spite of the westernized setting we've tried to fit the Word into, the Holy Spirit still manages to communicate the very fundamental truths of the Gospel into our lives bringing change and transformation to us.

I'm often amazed at the silliness that comes out of the mouths of some Christians when you talk to them about the need to accurately divide or discern "the Word of Truth."

One oft refrain is, "Whaddaya mean? It's right there in front of you in plain English!"

The only answer one can give is that the Word wasn't written in English to begin with; what we have is an attempt to translate two picture languages -- the only two languages in the world that do this: Hebrew and Greek -- into something that closely approximates their meaning in our language. Even the best of our English translations -- such as the Amplified Bible -- sometimes miss it because it can take a whole paragraph to describe the picture that is drawn by a single Hebrew or Greek word. Within that picture are nuances that are easily lost in our language.

Let me share a classic example of how a simplistic English translation can lose the context of what the Holy Spirit is seeking to communicate.

A verse of Scripture which we have all heard hundreds, if not thousands of times, is found in II Timothy 2:15. The KJV renders it, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." This is an absolutely tragic translation. Although the NASB and NIV both render it more accurately, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth," the KJV rendition, "Study," has been a mainstay of many messages and doctrinal presentations.

I felt quickened to read this passage in the original Greek text, and discovered that it has some very powerful applications in that to which the Lord has been calling His Bride.

The verse begins with the Greek word, "spoudason." While the NASB rendering, "Be diligent," is an acceptable translation, this word has some deeper meanings. It would be more accurate to translate it, "Be instantly responsive..."

Where the Greek word, "dokimon," is rendered "approved" in most of the translations, this word has a unique background, and a special application for this particular passage.

"Dokimon" was a word originated among numismatists to identify the process by which gold and silver coins were tested after smelting in a crucible. It was the process which allowed them to determine the genuineness and purity of coins, as well as to detect any counterfeit coins, bars, etc. The coins were heated to the melting point. If they were real, there would be little if any dross. If they were fakes or counterfeit, there would be very little real silver or gold in the crucible. The process duplicated the smelting of the gold or silver ore during refining. If the coins were real, you would have the same amount of molten gold or silver in the crucible used to stamp the original.

In the same vein, the word, "parasteesai," translated: "to present," was first used by the Septuagint translators within the context of "making oneself available for the purpose of being questioned," as well as "making oneself available" metaphorically "for fellowship and intimacy."

The "proven word of truth" in this instance can be identified as a "rhema" word from the Lord which has been walked out and put to the test in our lives. It is an experiential word! It is an incontestable word no man can combat with any doctrinal argument or theory. How else would it have been possible for men and women to stand in the face of martyrdom? Once the Word had been worked in them so that they -- like Jesus -- had become "the Word made flesh," there was no threat leveled against them with the power to dissuade or convince them to recant the truth, even with their lives forfeit! They had been in the crucible! The Word had been tested and tried and proven in them!

Verses 16 and 17 of the same chapter reinforce this. Without taking the time, here, to break down each of the pertinent Greek words and phrases, it can be rendered, "Stand aloof from, and avoid the untested, untried "word" which comes forth from those who would propagate speculation and create their own doctrines. These profane speculations and so-called "words" are empty babblings which will only serve to advance ungodliness; and those who spread these doctrines will only yield a gangrene pasture -- a source of poison to those who ingest their "word"......"

The unbalanced emphasis on "Study" which has been ingrained into the fabric of church structure has led to a large number of the doctrines which skillfully bring division among God's people. The push to "study" (and I'm emphasizing the academic focus) has led to the creation of seminaries and Bible colleges, with the subsequent "ordination" of those who complete the "approved" courses of study. Those who graduate are supposedly ready for "ministry," ready to step out and speak in the name of the Lord, ready to administer guidance and correction to those who are growing in the Lord.

This, my friends, is what happens when the Word loses its context. This is what happens when the Word becomes academic rather than revelatory and experiential. Jesus NEVER intended for anyone to go forth to preach and teach something from "book learning." Every command that He gave to the disciples incorporated a living, tangible demonstration of the power behind the Word.

They were commanded to "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8) See also Luke 9:2 and Luke 10:9.

Mark 16:15-18 reads like this: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

When the Word of God is put into you, tested in you in the midst of the crucible and tried in actual practice, it ceases to be a theory; it ceases to be a religious doctrine; it ceases to be a theory! NOW it is the Word in its proper context!!

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: HEAVEN XVII: Daniel's Prophecies

Dec 23, '11 6:58 PM
by Regner for everyone

Heaven XVII:

Daniel's Prophecies

Do you have an indescribable craving in your spirit for something you can't even put to words? Is there a cry in the depths of your being for a walk with God unlike anything you've seen or heard of in any of the people with whom you are acquainted? Are you thirsting for a place of intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ the likes of which will clearly demonstrate your being One with Him? ... A place of spiritual existence in which the works that Jesus did are commonplace in your life?

Then you know exactly how I felt in 1969 while ministering with Bill Christopulos in Salt Lake City. Brother Bill came over to my house one day after seeing (in the realm of the Spirit) the cry that consumed my whole being. My whole demeanor reflected that cry, that unrest, that place of absolute dissatisfaction with where I was in Christ Jesus. Brother Bill walked in and sat down. Without any greeting or social commentary he just dived in, "Reg, what is it that you want from the Lord?"

There was no hesitation or delay in my response. It simply erupted from my whole being, "Brother Bill, you remember how it was with Elijah and Elisha? You remember the miracles that Elijah did, how he raised the dead, how he demonstrated the power and authority of the Lord in the midst of Israel in a way no prophet before him had done? You remember how when asked that same question, Elisha had the unbelievable boldness -- the unmitigated gall, if you will -- to say to Elijah, "I want double everything you've got in God!"

"Brother Bill, that's where I am. I have some stupendous promises from God. I've seen some of what my destiny should be in the Lord. I really don't know what my full inheritance is supposed to be, but there is a level of dissatisfaction in me that I can't put into words! I've come to the place that I want a double portion of whatever my inheritance was supposed to be in the Kingdom of God!"

He was quiet for a minute, but my answer to his question really seemed not to catch him off guard. "Brother," he said, "I don't really think you know or understand what you're asking for! I don't think you have any idea what it will cost you!"

I interrupted him, "Brother Bill, I don't really care what it costs! I'm determined to have God's best, and I won't settle for anything less!"

If Bill Christopulos found my rather brassy and perhaps presumptuous answer humorous, he kept a straight face while he continued. "You don't understand, Son! It will cost you your friends. It will cost you your family. I will cost you your business. (I was President of Intermountain Electronics Corp. at the time.) It will cost you your standing, your reputation in the community -- and likely your reputation among your fellow-Christians."

The thirst in my being for all that God had for me knew no bounds, and remembering Jesus' promise in Mark 10:30, I had no qualms about responding, "I don't care what it costs! I'm determined to have all that would have been my inheritance in God -- and double!"

Now he smiled broadly. "My brother, God is going to give it to you."

That was 42 years ago. It was 62 years ago that Jesus stood at my bedside and began to lay out His plan and purpose for my life, and to show me a vision of what lay in store. It was 60 years ago today that the Lord took me to Heaven for my first trip and made some very specific promises to me of what He was going to have for me.

In 65+ years of actively walking with the Lord (although there's not a day in my life that I haven't known Him), there isn't a miracle that I haven't seen or been a part of -- with the exception of walking on water, or turning water into wine. I cannot begin to imagine how many folks I've led to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Wouldn't even try to calculate the number of people healed from every conceivable disease, illness, infirmity or weakness!

I've seen blind eyes healed, the deaf made to hear, the crippled made to walk, arms or legs replaced which had either not grown because of birth defects, or lost through accidents or disease, teeth replaced supernaturally, organs instantly made whole or replaced in their entirety, cancer made to cease completely with formerly cancerous organs or tissue replaced, speech impediments removed, people healed of Parkinson's, Tuberculosis, Asthmatic attacks -- and the list goes on and on.

Thousands of people have been set free from evil spirits -- every kind of demonic activity you can think of. If you've seen the movie, The Exorcist, with its demonic displays and graphically displayed activities, there is nothing in that movie that I've not seen in real life -- and yet I've seen the authority of Jesus' Name (His Onoma) free people completely who've been in that kind of bondage.

I've personally been involved in and seen three people raised from the dead -- not including being raised from the dead myself 28-plus years ago after suffering a massive heart attack. I've seen corruption removed from governments and corrupt individuals removed from office -- sometimes almost instantly -- while the Lord raised up the righteous to replace them.

Consider the Day of Pentecost when seventeen distinct nationalities with their own languages heard people they knew had no prior knowledge of their tongues began to speak fluently in those languages and dialects praising and glorifying the Lord. Not only have I been witness to it on many occasions, I've personally had people come up to me and ask where I learned to speak such perfect Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Castilian (Spanish) or some other language. Obviously it was the Holy Spirit speaking through me, and it was a sign to those who heard.

Does that all sound good to you? Great! But, folks, that's all nothing more than the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that "verily, verily I say unto you, the works that I do shall ye do also....." (See John 14:12)

I'm not complaining about what I've seen and experienced in God -- not by a country mile! But that's just a drop in the bucket! I remember a prophetic Word that came forth one day in the midst of one of our gatherings in which the Holy Spirit said, "All that you've seen and experienced is less than a single drop in a ten-gallon bucket of that which I've prepared for you."

You know what that does to me? You think I've been thirsty before to see the handiwork of the Lord Jesus Christ in my life? There is literally a scream inside of me that I can't even begin to put into words to be so One with the Lord Jesus Christ that when people see me, they see Him; when He speaks or when I see Him do something in the Heavenlies, I can declare those things and call them into being, doing the "greater works" of which He promised in that same commitment that John referenced in John 14:12.

That thirst, that craving is whetted additionally by the promises Jesus made to me as we were preparing to leave Heaven (and I'm somewhat getting ahead of myself in my narrative of the experiences I had during this trip to Heaven) and were standing at the Gate. Add to that the vision He embedded in my Spirit at age seven when He appeared at my bedside, and you have something that can only be described as "a consuming fire!" (See Hebrews 12:29)

So, why am I talking about this now? My discussions in Heaven with David, with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and now, Daniel, burned something into my inner being I can only describe as being etched, engraved -- carved if you will, in the deepest recesses of my mind and spirit. There has been in me a lifelong recognition that we as the people of God have lived our lives so far beneath God's destiny for us that it is tantamount to our settling for a piece of tinfoil instead of reaching out and taking the handful of gold and diamonds being offered.

That brings me to my continuing discussions with Daniel.

"It seems to me," I said, "that your prayer life and your fasting became a real source of controversy and antagonism. We've all heard -- perhaps more than any other story of you -- about your daily routine of prayers; and how jealous the princes and presidents were of you and your standing with the king. They tricked the king into signing a decree which required all the inhabitants of the land to worship only him, and blocking them from offering a prayer or making a request to God or any idol other than him.

"You went about your daily practice of prayer and intercession and waiting on God as though the decree didn't exist. That resulted in them petitioning the king to have you thrown into the den of lions to be executed because of your disobedience. My question to you is this: what happened to you when you were thrown into the den of lions? I know that the Lord shut the mouths of the lions, but what happened? What took place there?"

Daniel began to chuckle. "To tell the truth, the whole experience was quite astonishing," he said. "You have to realize just how angry King Darius was when he realized what was being perpetrated by these jealous princes and presidents. He and I had really developed a wonderful friendship. God had given me immense favor with him. The presence of the Holy Spirit in my life caused him to desire my presence and companionship on a daily basis. He trusted me and he trusted the counsel of the Lord that came through me.

"There was literal pain in his face as he stood by and watched them throw me into that den. Those presidents, princes and lords wanted to ensure that I couldn't somehow escape from the lion's den so they had a large stone rolled across the mouth of the den. In a way it was almost funny.

"When I picked myself up off the floor of that den after being unceremoniously dumped in, the first thing I saw was the angel of the Lord standing between the lions. They didn't roar. They didn't growl. They didn't lick their lips or make any motions that would indicate their desire to kill and eat me. They were tamed to the point that I was almost tempted to pet them. I didn't, of course, but they were completely quieted. The angel of the Lord made them feel like they had already eaten to the full. They didn't exhibit any hunger or desire for food. They just laid down and went to sleep."

I thought about the whole picture for a minute and then asked, "Did the angel of the Lord stay with you that whole night?"

"Yes, he did," Daniel answered. "He motioned for me to sit down and just rest. I suppose I could have gone to sleep, but I didn't. I just quietly prayed and meditated on what God was doing.

"Even as the new day was dawning, I heard the voice of King Darius as he cried out, 'Daniel! Oh, Daniel! Servant of the Living God! Is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?'

"You know the rest of that story. It may not have been very dignified or the usual thing for a king to do, but the king grabbed me and embraced me when his servants brought me up from the lions' den.

"It probably seems a bit extreme, but Darius didn't want even a trace of the kind of jealousy and hatred and conspiratorial conduct remaining among the royalty and nobility of the palace; so he gave the command that every single one of those lords, princes and presidents should be taken, along with their wives and children and thrown into the lions' den. What a picture! You've never seen anything like it! In the same way that the angel of the Lord had made the lions feel completely satisfied and full so long as I was among them, when I was removed it was as though their hunger was suddenly increased! They might as well have been starved! As each person was thrown into the den, the lions ripped them in pieces and devoured them before their bodies ever had a chance to hit the ground.

"My deliverance from the lions, and the subsequent devouring by the lions of all those who had conspired against me sent a chilling message to all would-be conspirators. It was a demonstration of the Lord on my behalf of His utter protection and His vindication of my relationship with Him!"

Daniel's very clear description of this event left an indelible picture of God's deliverance in my spirit -- a picture that has lasted with me during the past sixty years, and one I've come to personally appreciate as I have seen the Lord's protection and deliverance of me in rather extreme circumstances when my life was clearly in danger.

Our conversation now turned to some of his rather cryptic but graphic prophecies.

"In the prophetic experiences you had, the Lord opened up much of the future for you and showed you things that would happen well past your lifetime, and things that are happening even now, thousands of years after you prophesied them. You not only saw events to come that were immediate and affected kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and Darius during the years you served as Prime Minister, you also saw the coming of Messiah, his death and resurrection, and events which would follow in the years afterward.

"The thing that gets a lot of preachers today is the fact that the Lord told you to seal up those things that He showed you until the time of the end. In spite of my youth, I've heard so many theories concerning "the time of the end" as to be ridiculous. Not only that, it causes confusion for many believers. Am I wrong, or am I living in that "time of the end" which the Lord showed you?"

"You know that because of what the Lord showed you concerning Israel more than two years ago," Daniel answered, smiling broadly. "There is a revelation that comes by the Holy Spirit," he continued, "in which the things that have been sealed up are unsealed to and for those who are in union with Him."

Something flashed past me in that moment that I'd seen throughout the Word.

"Can I ask you a question concerning something you saw (recorded in Daniel 7, 8, & 11) and mentioned several times throughout your sharing of the prophecies? Even Jesus made mention of this in His teaching and prophesying."

"Certainly," he responded. "But don't ask me to open the book which has been sealed up. There is a very specific timing in which the Holy Spirit will bring things to your remembrance in years to come -- things you've seen but not understood, things you've heard in the realm of the Spirit for which you've had no context, and fresh revelation. There is a day and an hour for this revelation to come forth. Some of those things you will see, hear, and understand before others of your generation. Some of them will be seen and understood by other brethren and shared throughout the body of Christ both before and about the same time as the Holy Spirit begins to reveal them to you. Don't worry or fret if you see and/or hear things that don't seem to mesh with what you are hearing commonly taught.

"In some things you will be a forerunner as you share; in others you will receive revelation and share simultaneously with other men and women to whom the same revelation will be given. At times you will see and hear and speak things that are totally at odds with preachers and teachers who've arrived at what they think is truth but have been steered astray by human intellect and unhearing ears to what the Holy Spirit is saying."

"Now, ask your question."

"You make several references to the 'four winds of heaven.' Jesus uses this same phrase when He is teaching the disciples. Then John refers in Revelation to the 'four winds of the earth.' What does that mean? Is there some great significance to this picture of the four winds?"

As was pretty much true throughout my visits with everyone in Heaven, Jesus either stood by or was fairly close at hand as we conversed. I glanced over at Him and His eyes were twinkling. He nodded His head toward Daniel ever so slightly, indicating that it was OK to answer that question.

"I will take you back first of all to a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah that Isaiah delivered in which he said, 'and the government shall be upon His shoulder.' That wasn't just the government of Heaven, that was the government of all the nations of the earth. You'll remember that Isaiah prophesied about the government being 'upon His shoulder.' Let me ask you a quick question. Where is your shoulder?"

I'll admit to being caught a bit off guard. Not too certain of where he was going with this, I pointed to my shoulder(s) and said, "right here! On my body."

He laughed and said, "OK. Good. Now, let's apply that picture to the body of Christ -- and actually, when you have your discussion with Paul and the other apostles, they'll expand on this for you, I'm sure. Jesus is pictured as the Head of the body. You and all the other believers in Christ are pictured as the torso, the arms, the hands, the legs and the feet. The torso includes the shoulder. Therefore the government of the nations of the earth -- and in a more practical sense, the area of town, the city, the state and the region where you live -- is upon your shoulder.

"As you get older and more mature this will become much more significant to you. What I'm getting at is that the responsibility for the government of the city, the state or the nation in which you live becomes more and more your responsibility. You have an assignment -- a divine assignment -- to watch over and govern the area in which you live, first and foremost, in the realm of the Spirit.

"Let me make this more personal. In the years ahead, the Holy Spirit will lay upon you a very great and important responsibility to rule through prayer, through intercession, and through decrees and declarations over the area in which you live. It will grip your whole being and you will become the very picture of your name -- Regner -- which means 'King.' Do not be surprised if that rulership or governance takes place in the natural realm. Father God will lay upon you increasing responsibility, and if you commit yourself to His purposes for righteous government, you may find yourself actually serving as I did."

My eyes must have glazed over for a minute trying to take it all in because he said, "Don't think about this too much right now. The time isn't yet. You will likely forget about this conversation -- at least in your conscious memory -- in the months and years ahead, but at the time appointed by Father God it will come back to the forefront.

"Now let me come back to the way your phrased your question to me concerning the four winds of heaven. Whenever you see a reference to the four winds in these prophecies, they always spell a significant change of government in the earth. That's where you -- and every praying and interceding believer -- come in. It is the responsibility of believers to agree with God's plan for Kingdom governance in the earth and to exercise the authority they've been given over the spiritual forces of wickedness that attempt to contaminate the civil governments of this earth.

"Does that make sense to you? Do you understand what I'm saying to you? If you will agree with the Lord for righteous governance over the area in which you live, He will put you in the right place at the right time to enforce and enact His Will!"

Daniel had gone from the smiling, almost jovial, personality to a very serious look on his face. Although the significance of what he was saying would fade away in my consciousness for a number of years, the Lord had used this opportunity to plant a seed in the core of my being -- one that would begin to flower and grow in the years to come, and one that would begin a process of revelation in my spirit concerning the degree of spiritual authority vested in us as sons and daughters of God.

I've really run long in this Coffee Break, but I wanted to finish this phase of my sharing before moving on to my experiences with Peter, James & John and Paul. I won't take the time right now -- or at least during the next few weeks -- to share what Daniel had to say about the 70-weeks prophecy. That's a pretty strong subject, one likely to be filled with some controversy once shared, so I'll wait until later this next year to share what I saw and heard in a separate Coffee Break series.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: HEAVEN XVI: Daniel, The Intercessor

Nov 18, '11 11:38 AM
by Regner for everyone

Heaven XVI:

Daniel, The Intercessor

Frank Villa is a recent (within the past year) friend, brother in the Lord and co-laborer in the Gospel.

Among my friends I like to describe Frank as a fellow-investor in the Kingdom of God and a broker of Kingdom opportunities. That may sound like a funny way to describe him, but Frank has discovered that it is our investments (our time, our labors and energies, as well as financial giving) in the Kingdom of God that pay the kind of dividends which are reaped not only here but in eternity as well. Whether they describe it like this or not, Frank and Jan (his wife) have entered into a powerful covenant with the Lord.

Let me remind you of this rather remarkable covenant that Jesus made – and this covenant applies only to those who don’t draw back or withhold any part of their existence from the pursuit of excellence in Jesus Christ. First let me take you to the context of this covenant.

Jesus has just finished with His invitation to the rich young ruler to forsake all and come and follow Him. The rich young ruler can’t quite bring himself to make that kind of commitment and leaves Jesus in sadness. Jesus says to His disciples, “Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

He follows that statement by saying, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle (a very low and narrow gate in the wall of the city of Jerusalem), than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

Because Peter and several of the disciples are fairly well-to-do businessmen and fishermen, and have a rather abundant supply of resources, this shakes him and he answers, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus now answers Peter like this: “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” The point He’s making is that the ability to prioritize one’s life for the sake of the Kingdom and lay aside possessions is a gift from the Lord.

Peter thinks about his situation, as well as that of James and John and some of the others and seeks to make the point with Jesus that, while they have plenty, their trust is not in their wealth and personal resources. So, he responds to Jesus and says, “You see, Lord, that we have left all our wealth behind and have followed you [not making our well-being and personal comfort our priority].”

Now Jesus responds with a covenant statement: “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (See Mark 10:17-31)

Are you seeing and understanding the nature of this covenant? Our families, our friends, our relatives, our wealth and possessions get bumped out of first place in our priorities. Jesus obviously didn’t care if people had family and friends, wealth and possessions – in fact, He was promising all that to them! What He was saying was, “You follow after me! You make the Gospel of the Kingdom your priority, even if you have to walk away from your closest family and friends, even if you have to walk away from your wealth. If you’ll do that, I covenant with you to make family and friends, wealth and possessions my promise to you a hundred times greater than anything you walk away from – not only now, but in the ages to come, along with eternal life! But know this! If you have all these things and you are following after me and making the Gospel of the Kingdom your priority in life, you will have persecution because of it.” (My paraphrased rendering from the Greek text)

Whewww!!! How’s that for a mouthful? You get it, don’t you? His promise and covenant to those who receive this gift from God to be able to set aside their family, friends, lands and possessions is that He will restore to them – IN THIS LIFE – all that they walk away from a hundred times over!

It’s really the same thing that Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

I’ve said all that to say this: Frank Villa has made it his life’s purpose to promote every opportunity God has directed him to for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear to invest in avenues which provide a financial means to enlarge the Kingdom of God. He and Jan have entered into this covenant with the Lord. It’s the same covenant that Della and I have entered into – hence our great appreciation for Frank and Jan.

Can folks get rich doing this? Sure. But the riches are not for those who just want to have lots of money for themselves. The objective is to ensure that those who are on the frontlines of the Kingdom doing battle with the Enemy and taking back Kingdom territory stolen by Satan have all the resources they need in order to accomplish the mission God has anointed them for.

Remember what I said in one of our last Coffee Breaks? Tremendous opportunities are being given to many to invest in the Gospel of the Kingdom. Those who hear the Word of the Lord and obey every command to invest with their seed sowing and their abundant giving will see their opportunities, their finances and personal resources multiply greatly. This great transfer of wealth into the hands of God’s people, however, is not so they can build a collection of mansions, Rolls Royces or Bentleys (and it’s not that God objects to His people having these things!); the purpose for this great wealth transfer is to capitalize on the moment so that the Kingdom of God expands and multiplies in the earth. Our first priority as believers is to extend the boundaries of the rulership of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

OK. Time for us to get back to our main discussion. Got a big carafe of some dark-roasted Columbian mixed with some lighter-roasted Swedish coffee sitting on the kitchen counter. Come on by and pour yourself a 16-ouncer as we continue talking about my adventures in Heaven.

It was in the early spring of 1971 after returning from speaking at a Full Gospel Businessmen’s Convention in Phoenix that I dived into a three-week fast. Other than some one-, two- or three-day fasts, I had never really engaged in any fasting to speak of up to this time. Somehow I’d become fixated on the Esther-type of fasting: that’s to say, no food of any kind and no water. I knew Moses had gone twice for 40 days without food or water so it never dawned on me that it took a rhema and an act of God in order to pull off something like that.

“No food and no water” was pretty normal to me and that’s the way I dived into this three-week fast. It wasn’t until I hit the 8^th day of the fast that I realized I was in physical trouble. You’ve no idea how rough it is on a person’s constitution to be without water for eight days! It was in my physical weakness that I flipped open my Bible the afternoon of that 8^th day. My Bible fell open to the 10^th chapter of Daniel. In a split second my conversation with Daniel (20 years before while I was in Heaven) came flooding back and I suddenly knew it was OK to finish out the fast drinking water. Even though Daniel could eat bread on his fast (it just couldn’t be whole bread or sweet bread), I felt restrained from eating any bread.

That fast finished and culminated with the miracle of Eskdale (if you’d like to read that story go to this link – http://regnersrangers.multiply.com/journal?&=&page_start=540 – and scroll down the page just over halfway. There are three parts to this story.)

Picking up where I left off in our last Coffee Break, my questions to Daniel now centered on his life of prayer, intercession and fasting.

"Where and when did your daily life of prayer and intercession begin," I asked.

"My prayer life began in my youth," he began, "even before we were taken into Babylon. It had become a regular activity for me. While I was still a very young person, my prayer life was resulting in a tangible sense of the presence of the Lord being with me. If daily activities and family affairs interfered for a day or a few days, it soon became clear to me that I was missing out on the immediacy that I experienced with regular and consistent daily prayer."

It was at this moment that he allowed me to see a quick vision of the carrying away into captivity and the long, tiresome and wearying procession. I saw Daniel and his companions as they trudged mile after mile after mile. He also allowed me to see the combination of disappointment and occasional flashes of fear -- a fear of the unknown that lay ahead. At the same time I saw the rising up of hope and determination in him with the knowledge of God's presence. There were flashes of revelation in his spirit that, despite the fact that he was leaving home and all the surroundings he'd known in Judah, he was walking into a destiny that God had purposed for him before he'd ever been born into the House of David.

Daniel now continued his discourse. "During our long trek to Babylon, it became very clear to me that the only way I was going to succeed or prosper in any way in our new and foreign environment was to be constantly in communication and communion with the Lord. I resolved in myself to spend my first waking moments in praise and worship, prayer and intercession and seeking the heart of the Lord for that day. When mid-day came, I wanted to renew and refresh my spirit with His spirit and ensure that my day was completely on track with His plans and purposes.

"When evening came, it didn't matter that I would be asleep during the late hours. I wanted my spirit to be completely in tune with the Lord in such a way that any dreams or visions would be those in which He wanted to reveal more of Himself to me. It was mandatory for me -- a mandate in my spirit from which I could not escape -- that my last waking hour or minutes would be spent in communion with Him."

It was in that moment that I saw what God was doing in me, even at my young age. The very first thing I did each morning when I awoke was to grab my Bible and read. The hunger in me to know the Word was nothing less than voracious. As I read and meditated, there was a place of communion with the Lord that unfolded in the midst of that time. It wasn't a thing where I would grab the Bible, read a few verses or a chapter, put it down and focus on the things that I wanted or needed to do. I enjoyed the presence of the Lord and would read and read and meditate and commune until I heard my Mother call me for breakfast.

The concept of stopping in the middle of the day to read or to pray had not entered my mind or my spirit, but there wasn't a night in which my last activity was to get my Bible and read and read and meditate and commune with the Lord until I fell asleep. In fact, here I was in Heaven, brought here by the Lord while I was doing what I always did: read the Word and meditate on Him before going to sleep.

I realized that the prayer and reading practices of early morning and late evening which had developed -- and my parents readily encouraged -- were very much like that which Daniel lived. Suddenly I related to him in a way that I couldn't put into words, but there was a bond of communication in the realm of the spirit. There was nothing in me at that moment that said my life would unfold like Daniel's life had, nor was there any idea that the Lord would unfold for me that same kind of revelation he experienced.

Daniels' next words to me were almost obvious. I knew where he was coming from.

"Remember Nebuchadnezzar? Remember the dream he had and how when his so-called "wise men, soothsayers and astrologers" couldn't begin to explain or unfold it, he sent forth Arioch, the Captain of the Guard, with an order to kill all his wise men and counselors?"

I interrupted him. "Daniel, how was it that you and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were incorporated into his wise men? How did you get chosen for that when you were anything but an astrologer or soothsayer or someone who invented connections between the position of the stars or other heavenly bodies and unfolding events?"

Daniel began to laugh. "That's a humorous way of putting things," he said, smiling broadly. "But you are right! Astrology is nothing more than an effort to predict events based on the position and alignment of stars or other heavenly bodies. Those who engage in astrology fail to realize that every constellation was named by God when He created the heavens. The constellations are there as His signs in the heavens so as to confirm His Word -- NOT to predict events in the lives of individuals before they happen.

"Those who seek to use the stars as a means to foretell events or draw personality profiles become the tools and victims of a lying Spirit of Divination because they are not walking and living in a personal relationship with the Lord. Without that place of intimacy and covenant with Him they become subject to lying spirits which purpose to lead them astray, confuse them and sidetrack them so that their focus is not on receiving the life God has for them.

"To answer your question more directly, because we were all of the royal House of David, it was thought that, as members of royalty, we would have had better training, better schooling and -- as a result -- more wisdom and knowledge than the average individual. Add to that the fact that the four of us had an outward manifestation of the Spirit of God upon us which set us apart. Without the king's advisors realizing it, they selected us to become part of the magi because they sensed the Spirit of the Lord God with us; and His Spirit -- all by Himself -- conveys a wisdom and understanding that the natural world does not have."

"Does that make sense to you, my young friend, Regner?" Daniel asked. "Do you understand?"

I nodded my head affirmatively, and he continued the discourse I had interrupted a few minutes earlier.

"Let's get back to my question to you about Nebuchadnezzar's dream and his order to Arioch." When I realized what the king's orders were, namely, to destroy all of the magi because they couldn't tell him what he dreamed, nor give him an interpretation of that dream, I knew immediately in my spirit that the Lord would not only unfold the dream to me, He would also at the same time explain the dream in such a way that I could make the king understand what God was saying."

"God had given me favor with Arioch, the Captain of the King's Guard, so that I was given an opportunity to request time from the king to put the whole matter before the Lord. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were quick to agree with me and we began a time of prayer and intercession and waiting in the presence of the Lord. That same night, God gave me a vision in which he literally put on display for me every facet of the king's dream, along with a full understanding of the events that would follow throughout the centuries to come.

"It was really fascinating to me! It was the first of many like experiences in which the future unfolded in front of me like a scroll. As amazing as it was for Nebuchadnezzar to hear his own forgotten dream read back to him, I was honestly just as amazed to see and hear what the Spirit of the Lord was saying about the kingdoms that would succeed the Babylonian kingdom.

“What it did ultimately was to inspire and compel me towards a life of prayer and intercession more than ever before. Intercession, you see, is more than simply praying intensely over some situation or set of events. Intercession is active participation in bringing to pass the heart's desire and the will of Father God on earth and in the affairs of men. Intercession is what Father God has ordained for us in order that the Kingdom of Heaven and God's rulership be implemented and enforced here."

That last comment sparked a series of questions from me -- and we'll take those up in our next Coffee Break.

Next: HEAVEN XVII: Daniel's Prophecies.

When people are given a glimpse of their individual role in God's destiny, it transforms them and sets them on the course to repentance and the impartation of the Christ-like nature. They see the cause of God and are forever changed and have the joy of their salvation restored. We are seeing that happen now. Strongholds of hopelessness, despair, depression and other oppressive mindsets will be overcome when God's "zoe" life is breathed into an exceedingly great army. -- Paul Keith Davis

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: SPIRITUAL DNA

Nov 11, '11 12:42 AM
by Regner for everyone

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: SPIRITUAL DNA

In 1996 I had an extended experience in which I was transported back and forth in time as the Lord showed me His plans and purposes for His people. It took place daily over a roughly three-month span. When I say "transported" I'm not talking about being taken physically -- although it might as well have been because of its impact on me -- but rather taken through portals in the realm of the Spirit. That experience is far too lengthy and too detailed to try and share in its entirety in a forum like this, but the revelations and impartations by the Holy Spirit, and the angelic visitations that accompanied it are still producing new understanding in the core of my being on a daily basis.

Let me lay a little foundation for you to help you understand the context of my adventures in the Spirit.

This series of experiences began while Della and I were visiting in the home of some dear friends -- Beryl & Chester Mjolsness -- in Cochrane, Alberta. Beryl frequently drove, along with another very close friend -- Mary Ellen Olnick from Red Deer -- to Post Falls, Idaho to participate in our extended spontaneous praise and worship gatherings where at the time we were based for ministry. That said, from time to time we had our gatherings in their very spacious log home.

When Chester decided to expand the size of the house and add a 3000 square foot addition for his hunting trophies (he was a widely-traveled and well-known big game hunter), Della and I had the rather unusual opportunity to chink the new logs (putting the insulating filler material between the logs to prevent the outside air from coming through). It resulted in periodic trips back and forth to Cochrane, and Della wound up being Beryl's "go-to" person in getting things done around her house.

It was just one of those trips where I had some real time to spend alone with the Lord while Della was helping Beryl. Sitting at a desk in the guest bedroom where we stayed with my Bible spread out in front of me and a computer to take notes with, a portal between time, space and eternity suddenly opened in front of me. An angel of the Lord stood at the portal and beckoned me. The reality of the moment was stunning to say the least. Not until I had stepped through the portal did I realize that what was taking place was happening in the realm of the Spirit, and not in my fleshly body. It began a series of adventures with the Lord that I am sometimes at a loss to really properly explain. Daily, and sometimes several times a day, the portal opened before me and I walked into a dimension where time and space literally spread out before me like a scroll. I was in eternity.

As I was taken from one place and time to another and permitted (instructed, actually) to carefully watch the events unfolding, some of the things I witnessed were spread out over days and weeks, and yet when I returned to the present only minutes or hours (at most) had passed. It gave me a whole new understanding of just how easy it is for us as committed believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to enact the will of God in this realm. The more I experienced this moving between time and eternity, and eternity and time, the veil that separates these dimensions became more and more transparent.

Remember how Jesus instructed the disciples to pray? "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven......" (Luke 11:2)

This is not a prayer of request. It is not a prayer of asking God to do it. Neither is it intercession. Read it carefully! It is a prayer, a decree, a declaration which reaches through the veil of time and eternity and brings God's Will into the present.

Now, let's rephrase and amplify this into more modern terms:

"Father, you are not just my Father but rather THE Father of an entire family -- our Father! You dwell in the Heavenlies -- all of them -- and your name (your onoma, your character and makeup, your very essence) is Holy. I worship you, and I declare you to be the essence of the Holy of Holies!

"Because you are Father God, because you are in me and I am in you, and you have adopted me into your family by and through the covenant that was ratified in the Blood of Jesus, you have delegated your authority to me to decree your decrees and commands here on earth in the same way you have already declared and decreed things to be in Heaven. Therefore I command your Kingdom to come here on earth. I declare the rulership of your Kingdom to be in force in this part of the earth you have given me responsibility for....."

Are you getting the drift of this? Nothing -- ABSOLUTELY NOTHING -- in this prayer we so tritely refer to as "The Lord's Prayer" incorporates asking, requesting, begging, or coming to Father with hat in hand!

In case you think I've lost it, let me finish this prayer so you can see and understand what I'm talking about.

"I speak by your authority, Father, and command your Word to come alive in my being to produce both spiritual and physical growth and life -- that same kind of growth and life that comes by eating of Your Son, the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"I erase from existence (this is the literal translation of the Greek word, aphiemi, otherwise translated "forgive") the offenses, the hurts, the debts and the sins of all those who have done wickedly against me, and that gives me the legal right and authority in Christ Jesus to declare that my offenses, hurts, debts and sins against you are erased."

"We will not be tempted to do or to say things contrary to Your Will and Your Word, Father, because You have delivered us from all evil and from the Fear of Evil."

Matthew adds more worship to the end of this prayer with the ending, "For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen."

I can see the wheels spinning in your thoughts, so let me quickly explain.

When the disciples came to Jesus and said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray," they weren't using a word which describes everything we think of in our modern society as "prayer." They weren't asking Him to show them how to ask, or beg or necessarily make requests of Father. The word translated in this instance "pray" in the Greek text is the word, proseuchomai. This word occurs within the framework of a covenant relationship in which an intimate relationship and bond have been developed.

The disciples were literally saying to Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to communicate properly with Father so as to enact His covenant will and purposes here." And Jesus responded with a clear and concise answer that would make the veil between this earthly realm and the Heavenlies literally transparent and navigable in the Spirit.

The entire plane of reference Jesus was creating for them was one activated by DNA transformation. Let's go back to the Garden of Eden for a minute.

You need to see something that took place when God breathed into Adam the breath of life. Adam had been formed by the hand of God to be an exact duplicate of Himself -- a physical representation, a visible example of what He looked like and how He operated in the spirit realm. Adam was flesh and bone, but not yet living until the breath of God was breathed into him.

Consider, for a minute, the breath of God. That is the same breath that came forth when the words were spoken, "Light BE! The word used here in the Hebrew text is neshamah, and differs from the ordinary Hebrew word, nashaf, which would describe a puff of wind or breath. Dr. William Gesenius, in his Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, tells us that this word -- neshamah -- literally describes the Spirit of God imparting His life and His wisdom.

Adam -- at least at that moment in time -- was no mortal. He was immortal. (Mortality didn't come until Adam ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and took upon himself a part of the DNA of a doomed being -- the Serpent, Satan -- who was no longer an eternal being.) The DNA of God was in him. He was in the likeness and image of God. The way this is phrased in the Hebrew text is that Adam was an exact replica -- a photographic image, if you will -- a veritable model of the Lord God made by God to His specifications.

It was no miracle that Adam could "name" all of the animals and every living creature that walked upon the face of the earth. This "naming" process was not simply calling the animals, "bear", or "lion", or "elephant", or "hippopotamus", or "giraffe" or anything else like that. Out of Adam's mouth came a rhema -- a direct, creative word -- which caused each animal and each species to have a character, a makeup, a personality, and individual essence with specific likes and dislikes, tastes and cravings of its own. Each animal, each species, was distinct. Its nature was spoken into being -- creatively -- by Adam.

Why? Because Adam had God's DNA. He was like God. He was God's model in flesh and bone here on earth. I've heard several rabbis say that the last phrase of Genesis 2:7 should be read, "and man became a living, speaking spirit."

So why am I emphasizing this? It was never God's intention to create mortal beings. Mortality is not part of His DNA. His objective from the very beginning was to create a family of beings who would be like Him, function like Him, speak like Him, breathe like Him, love like Him and exist like Him eternally -- in other words, they would be compatible with Him. They would be His counterpart, His "other self," if you will.

Sin corrupted that. Though the DNA of God was still at the core of the creation of the human race, the contamination of self-will, rebellion, and (what we've come to call) learning created a divide between God and man. For the Lord to receive His due in His creation meant that only He could bridge that divide. The process by which He did that was unique and nothing less than spectacular!

Because the contamination came through eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and that tree was reserved by God unto Himself (the Holy Portion, if you will, in the Garden), John the Baptist prophesied of Him saying, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the tree..."

That tree had to be cut down in the realm of the Spirit so that it could no longer be accessed as a substitute for the knowledge and revelation necessary for our redemption. There had to be the cleansing of the contamination to our DNA, and the restoration of our being into that first image and likeness in which God created us.

When I refer to this as "DNA," you all understand that I'm using this in a metaphorical sense, do you not? We are first and foremost spirit beings. Our physical bodies are only containers to house our spirit and our soul. Our spirits existed with God before we ever came to inhabit these bodies. Whether we experience the "twinkling of an eye" transformation of our physical bodies into bodies that never die or whether we depart from them through death, our spirit and soul will return to the Lord.

Lest anyone misconstrue what I'm saying, the "twinkling of an eye" transformation ONLY applies to born-again, committed believers who walk in an intimate love-relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. That also applies to those who depart from these bodies through death and return to the presence of the Lord.

Unbelievers will never experience this. And unbelief is not simply a lack of believing these things: unbelief is an active decision and act of the will to oppose the Word and the Will of God.

Now, let's get to an aspect of spiritual DNA, the revelation of which literally unlocks the door of understanding to our operating as true sons of God, heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.

Let me first bracket a statement that comes from personal conviction, and not one that I can absolutely prove from Scripture -- at least not yet. I do this purposely so that no one thinks I'm promoting this as some "new doctrine." It isn't! It has long been my conviction that Adam and Eve saw through the veil that separates time and eternity. I tend to believe likewise that they had the ability to traverse between dimensions as easily as Father God. I have lots of reasons for believing this, but that's not what this Coffee Break is about so we will leave it there for the time being.

In any event, we know that Jesus certainly crossed time and eternity with ease. He was the "last Adam" who came to undo and remove the curse that impaired our God-created ability to live and function as we were intended -- fellowshipping and operating as the family of God. Think about His DNA for a second. Mary was "with child" by the Holy Spirit. That meant that Jesus had Father's DNA! And He made it crystal clear to all of us that it was His intention to bring us back to that same place where He operated -- and operates!

Jesus spells it out like this: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

That "life" He's talking about is "zoe" life! J.H. Thayer, in his Greek-English Lexicon defines zoe like this: the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, which -- through Him and through Jesus Christ -- is transfused into human nature.

I've partially paraphrased Thayer and bypassed a fistful of other Greek words in order to simplify this translation. You get the idea, I'm sure. We're not talking about life in the sense of "animal life" which is here today and gone tomorrow. We're talking about the very life and breath of Father God, the same life and breath that Jesus breathed.

And, Folks, Jesus didn't come to dispense this kind of life in dribbles; He came to liberally give it to us, as the Amplified Bible puts it: "to the full till it overflows"! He absolutely intended that our DNA be transformed, changed, "conformed to the image" -- that same image He was in!

The apostle Paul puts it very succinctly in Romans 8:29: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

I've underlined four very pertinent words in this verse which, in the Greek text, make it abundantly clear. Here's how I've rendered this verse from the Greek:

"For those whom He knew and had intimate knowledge of (and relationship with) before they came to be born, He also predetermined and limited in advance so they could be jointly formed and fashioned like unto the very likeness, character and makeup of His Son; because His purpose from the beginning was that He (Jesus Christ) would be the firstborn and first-begotten among a multitude of brothers." (Note: There is no female or male in Christ Jesus because we are all -- once again -- first and foremost "Spirit beings"!)

Am I making sense to you? Are you seeing this picture -- this principle?

Again, Ephesians 1:15-23 says that Jesus is the head of the body, and WE are the body. That makes us part of Him. We are inextricably woven with Him. His DNA is our DNA. You see, folks, as I said in our last Coffee Break we have to get our limitations removed. We have to stop thinking "in the box." Religion and religious thinking keeps us boxed in and prevents us from operating in the fullness of the character, the nature and the makeup of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has given Himself for us and to us, and His command is that we go forth IN Him with Him IN US!

I had hoped to talk more about the portal between time and eternity in this discussion, but I think I'll hold it for now and share pieces of it as we resume the Heaven experiences in the next Coffee Break.

"It is God's grace that allows spiritual awakening to recognize the distinction between religious spirits and the Holy Spirit. The religious spirit introduces into the Church the spirit of the world nullifying the grace of God. The views of truth necessary to purify the Church are not such as the world gives, but are such as are communicated by God's Spirit." (Paul Keith Davis)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: LIMITATIONS

Oct 6, '11 12:24 PM
by Regner for everyone

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: LIMITATIONS

Della has been working during the past few months at a home for developmentally handicapped (reduced mental faculties) people. These are folks, some of whom have the development of a six or seven-year-old, and a few with perhaps teen or pre-teen mental states who are in their 40's and 50's. It has been a real education for both of us. What has been evident is that in each case there is clear demonic activity with a couple of very severe cases that have a proclivity for violence.

Several weeks ago, she began taking her Bible with her, bringing some of the residents of the home out to a quiet place in the back yard and reading and praying with them. The spiritual impact of that one act alone was nothing less than dramatic. Now, each day when she arrives, she is greeted with, "Are we going to read out Bibles now?" or some similar question.

There are a couple of residents who have been easily triggered into screaming rampages or violent outbursts. With these folks, Della has begun praying with them each day and getting them to follow her in prayer, repeating after her something like the following: "Father, in the name of Jesus, I take authority over my mind and my thoughts. I place them under submission to you. I receive a Spirit of Peace in my being and I submit myself to you. Restore my mind. Restore my brain. Restore me so that I can achieve the destiny you have planned for me. I declare this in the name of Jesus. Amen."

To say that it has had an effect in them is an understatement. It gives a whole new dimension to the power and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can release with the words that come out of our mouths.

Obviously, Della isn't there in this group home every day, but other health workers in the home have seen what a difference this is making and they are picking up on it. With one resident in particular who is still easily distracted and set off, some of the health workers immediately stop this individual and initiate a declaration similar to the following: "I am at peace. Those are not my thoughts and I command them to leave now in the name of Jesus."

Without fail, it works! It gives an added dimension of understanding to what Paul wrote in II Corinthians 10:4-5, which reads: "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Folks, we need to wake up and realize that we tend to operate with limitations placed upon ourselves by our own minds, our thoughts, and by a demonic predisposition Satan takes advantage of when he sees the open door. We've got to get out of our mental boxes and discard the limitations of religion, religious doctrines, the traditions of men and the demonic restrictions we've allowed as a result.

Notice that I listed "demonic restrictions" last in this list. Satan has no power over us that we don't give him; and we open doors of opportunity for his ingress into our lives by our thoughts and our failure to "bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." I can't tell you how often I've heard (and continue to hear) people blame God for their state or for the misery they are in. It isn't His fault: it's ours for not believing and acting upon the authority given to us by virtue of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

That's not to say that we won't still experience mishap and difficulty: we do and we will. Jesus made the statement, AND the promise, "In the world ye shall have tribulation(thlipsis: pressure, heavy burdens, anguish, persecution): but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Hmmmm.... Looks like I just kind of dived in and forgot to say Good Morning to y'all! GOOOODDD MORRRNNNIIIINNNG !!! This is the best day of your life! Sure it is!

While we're still on the topic of dealing with emotionally and mentally handicapped or disadvantaged people, let me tell you about a remarkable event unfolding with our daughter, Rebekah. Like her mother, she works in a home dealing with some developmentally disabled or handicapped people. One of her charges is a young man who is in his late twenties. Several weeks ago she called us quite disturbed because the young man in question was waking up in the morning with what appeared to be bite marks and scratches all over his back. The injuries were clear and unmistakable. The other health workers in the home simply dismissed it as his having nightmares, sleep-walking and injuring himself in the process.

Rebekah has seen enough with our ministry throughout the years to know better and she called to ask what she could do about it. We told her to first document each instance, and if possible to get the agency responsible for the home to install a night-vision camera in the young man's room. The agency refused the request so Rebekah decided to do what she's seen us do and what we have challenged her to do in years gone by.

The young man in question has been greatly tormented for years, and yet he is -- and has been -- a Bible-believing Christian. Rebekah took him to some scriptures to show him how Jesus dealt with these issues, and made it clear to him that she felt he was dealing with evil spirits. He had grown up in a home where he was taught that Christians couldn't be tormented by evil spirits. It's a nice religious doctrine that pacifies a lot of folks and makes them feel good momentarily, but it doesn't get them the help they need, or the deliverance that Jesus paid for on their behalf.

After showing him some pertinent scriptures, Rebekah recommended that he pray with her and take authority over the evil spirits that had been tormenting him and command them to leave him in Jesus' name. He did so immediately.

We've shared with Rebekah the event that happened with Smith Wigglesworth many years ago (and a similar thing happened to Kenneth Hagin) in which he awoke one morning early to see Satan standing over him. Smith Wigglesworth looked up at him and said, "Ohh! It's only you," and turned over in his bed and went back to sleep.

Rebekah shared this with the young man and told him that he could do the same thing. Other than that, she said, "Just tell the demon or Satan to get out of your room and leave you alone in the name of Jesus."

A couple of nights later, that's exactly what happened. The young man woke up feeling pain in his back and turned over to see a demon standing there with his fingers dug into his back. He yelled at him, "Get out of here in the name of Jesus, and don't come back!" The young man was quick to tell Rebekah about it the next morning, and he was ecstatic! "It worked! It worked! Satan left me alone! He stopped scratching and biting me and left."

But that's not the end of the story. This happened more than two weeks ago, and the young man has been able to have a complete night's rest every night since, and the demon has not returned. That's not to say that Satan has given up on the young man yet, but he has had his first taste of Jesus' authority being operational in him and it is making a radical change in his whole makeup.

It's a funny thing! When folks begin to really taste of the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ operating in them, it alters their whole outlook on things. The fear which has been so resident and controlling in their lives begins to dissipate -- and if there is one common denominator in the developmentally disabled, it is FEAR! Once that fear begins to leave, their ability to reason returns or begins to develop the way God designed for them.

Kenneth Hagin used to tell the story of how he was urged to go and see a young woman in a mental asylum. This lady was locked in a padded cell, and had been there for many months. The Holy Spirit directed him to read to her from the Scriptures, pray over her -- and tell her every single day that Jesus loved her, and he did too. For one solid year he did this as the Holy Spirit instructed him. In that year, the woman's whole demeanor changed. She was transferred from the padded cell to the general population of the institution.

When Kenneth Hagin's year was up and the Holy Spirit said to him, "You're through. You've done all that is needed," he went his way and as time went by stopped thinking about the lady. Several years passed and one day he received a phone call from a lady who asked him to come to her place of business.

When he walked into the place, a well-dressed and elegant woman rose from her desk and shook his hand. "Brother Hagin, do you remember me?" she asked. He looked at her and confessed that he did not. "I was that woman in the padded cell in the insane asylum that you ministered to for a solid year."

She proceeded to tell him how she had grown up in the midst of extreme physical abuse and how it had driven her over the edge until she completely lost her sanity. During her growing up years she had been prevented from attending school and had no education whatever. She thus lacked any people skills and any ability to cope with her environment. When she was locked away, everyone gave her up totally considering that she would be institutionalized for the rest of her life.

Hearing the Word day after day, hearing the prayers, the declarations and prophetic decrees over her, and hearing that Jesus loved her (and Kenneth did too) slowly but surely brought her back to sanity. She learned to read by reading the Bible. In due time she was released from the insane asylum as completely sane and emotionally stable. In the years that followed she learned math and became financially proficient, eventually forming her own business. Her company became one of Texas' major trucking and transportation companies, and she became a pillar of society. More than that, she became a living, breathing testimony of how the love of Jesus transforms and restores an individual thought completely lost to society.

Are you beginning to get the drift in these events? These are miracles that are happening "outside the box." They go past the mental limitations -- the religious limitations -- that we tend to put on ourselves or allow Satan to trip us with.

How often have you heard someone say, "Oh, I can't do that!! That's for someone a whole lot more "spiritual" than me." Or maybe it came out like this: "I just don't have the faith for something like that."

Something like WHAT? Something that Jesus did? Something that He commanded us to do? Since when is it OUR faith that accomplishes it?

Jesus put it like this: "Have the faith of God." (Mark 11:22) Our KJV renders it, "Have faith in God," but that's not how the actual Greek text reads. OK, so if we are commanded to have God's faith, how do we get there?

Again, Jesus didn't leave us without clear and unmistakable answers. Consider how the apostle Paul put it in Romans 10:8: "The word (rhema: direct, spoken and uttered word) is near you, in your mouth and in your heart -- that is, the word (rhema: direct, spoken out loud word) of faith which we are preaching." (NASB)

Again Paul writes in the same place, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema: direct, spoken out loud word) of God." (Romans 10:17)

Get it? We hear Him speak it inside ourselves. It may be quiet, it may be nothing more than a prompt, it might even be a whisper, but it is still something we hear. He doesn't shout it, He simply speaks it into us.

It becomes alive and active once we put wind to what we hear -- that is to say, it comes forth from our vocal cords in agreement with what the Lord is speaking in our spirit.

What happens, then, when we hear that prompting inside and respond to it by speaking what we hear is that we see tangible results -- the kind of results that Della has seen with the people she's working with, the kind of results that Rebekah has been seeing, the kind of results that Kenneth Hagin saw when he responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and spent that year reading and praying and speaking to that woman in the institution.

Roughly three months ago while gathered for prayer with a group of local pastors and church leaders, one of the men shared a prayer request for his granddaughter who was struggling with epileptic seizures. He had requested prayer for her a couple of times previously and we had all prayed our usual prayers of agreement for her healing and deliverance both times.

This time was different. As he shared how she was being battered about by the Enemy and the number of seizures was increasing dramatically, anger against the Enemy rose up in me in a way that's hard to put into words. There was a passion that came out of the core of my being. The Word of the Lord spontaneously came out of my mouth and I began to decree and declare the Word of deliverance for this young woman. I commanded that spirit to loose her from that moment forth and declared her complete healing and restoration from any physical or mental or emotional damage done to her on the basis of I Peter 2:24.

Her deliverance, her healing and her restoration were already paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ and He deserved to get from her what He paid for! Now bear in mind that this young woman is not someone I've ever met -- and still haven't to this day. She was many miles distant from our gathering.

Though I did not quote this particular Scripture, it is one that has come to mind more often in recent weeks and months than at any time previously, namely, "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Psalm 107:20)

Jesus fulfilled that prophecy on several occasions. I remind you of the Centurion who said to Jesus, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." (Matthew 8:8)

Jesus did so. He sent His Word and the Centurion's servant was healed instantly.

The same thing happened when the Word of the Lord -- a rhema -- came out of my mouth. That was three-plus months ago, and the young woman has never had a seizure since. She was healed and completely delivered from those epileptic attacks.

One of the problems we all have as Christians is that we tend to think that this will work for someone else -- and it certainly worked for Jesus -- but "we're just not Jesus!"

Bahh!! Humbug!! Talk about a lie of the Enemy! Let's see, the last time I looked, God's Word hadn't changed. Last time I checked, Ephesians 1:15-23 still says that Jesus is the head of the body, and WE are the body. That makes us part of Him. We are inextricably woven with Him. His DNA is our DNA. (And I'll talk about that more in our next Coffee Break.)

You see, folks, we have to get our limitations removed. We have to stop thinking "in the box." Religion and religious thinking keeps us boxed in and prevents us from operating in the fullness of the character, the nature and the makeup of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has given Himself for us and to us, and His command is that we go forth IN Him with Him IN US!

More on this topic in our next Coffee Break.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE !!

Sep 9, '11 7:13 PM
by Regner for everyone

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK:

KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE !!

Greetings to all of you, and Blessings!

The past six-plus weeks since I last posted a Coffee Break have been eventful to say the least.Della and I were gone to a prophetic conference in Canada for nearly three weeks.When we got back, Della was asked to lead the memorial service for her uncle who had just passed away.

No sooner had that taken place when the sewer pipe to our upstairs bathroom decided to let loose and pour sewage down through the wall and ceiling of the dining room below.Our insurance company was slow in getting someone to come out and clean things up and dry out all of the water-soaked areas so -- being a carpenter (having helped my father build six of his seven churches) and skilled in most of the building trades -- I dived into (ummm....that might be the wrong term) the project and started tearing out the upstairs bathroom.Having done that, I began taking apart the ceiling in the dining room to let it air out.

Wrong move!Ever taken a shower in the sewer?I don't recommend it.Everything rained down on me.I want you to know I didn't waste any time afterwards in getting into a real shower and getting all that gunk off me.It was funny, but not funny if you know what I mean.

When the water remediation folks showed up to start drying things out with their equipment, all the fans and dehumidifiers caused the breakers to kick in the electrical panel -- twice in a row.My main computer was on when the breakers kicked and then came back on.

Even though I have a RAID array for safety's sake, it still took out the boot sector to my hard drives, and I was offline for days. The folks at Dell sent a technician with a pair of new drives to replace the bad ones, but it still took days to rebuild the RAID arrays with all of my backup data and get my system restored. Good thing I had everything backed up or I'd have been a sunk duck!

The fun continues as we wait for the restoration process to be complete.It's a pretty good spiritual illustration.You think things are taken care of in your life and you're crusin' along with the Lord; and all of a sudden something breaks and a whole lot of sewage comes out that you were not prepared for.Think maybe the Lord just might be permitting all of this to happen so that real cleaning, repair and restoration can take place?Yup.I think so.

Well, I thought I'd be able to get back to my experiences in Heaven, but that's going to wait a little longer.There are some things that need some immediate attention and there is a priority in the realm of the Spirit to cover these things. I'll get back to my experiences in Heaven in due time -- and I may yet do one more piece on Israel.

During the past month or so, participating in a conference with Chuck Pierce, Paul Keith Davis, Joshua Mills and Charlie Robinson -- not to mention the conference in Lancaster, California with Paul Keith, Neville Johnson and Sadhu Sundhar Selvaraj -- we've seen a consistency and a continuity of the message of the Holy Spirit to the Bride of Christ today.No matter where you turn, the Word of the Lord is the same.

The Holy Spirit is after a people who are more in pursuit of the indwelling presence of the Lord in His fullness with the accompanying manifestation of the greater works that Jesus promised -- more in pursuit of Him than they are in pursuit of their pet doctrines.

That may seem like a strange thing to say so let me be clear.I'll make it personal so no one takes offense or thinks I'm pointing fingers.There are lots of things that I believe.There are many things I have experienced in a lifelong walk with the Lord.But -- and here's the catch -- there are many things that I know, not just because I've experienced certain things, not because I've studied and researched and done a lot of academic pursuit of knowledge, (and I do love Biblical history!) but because they have been revealed by the Holy Spirit in my inner man.

If that sounds self-serving, it isn't meant to be.Here's how the angel of the Lord put it to John:"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."(Revelation 2:17)

"Hidden manna" is something that comes by revelation -- not by study and research and careful calculation.There's a huge difference between "doctrines" and revelation. I grew up in traditional Pentecostal circles with a lot of "doctrines" being taught -- and a lot of those doctrines were predicated in study, research, mathematical calculations or even some personal experiences -- but they didn't produce the kind of inner life that the Holy Spirit is looking for in us.

Once again, let me repeat: there are lots of things that I believe.But believing is a whole lot different from knowing!Again, let me build some fences around what I'm saying. Let me give you some examples.

I know that Jesus is coming soon. How do I know that?First, because He says so in His Word. Secondly, because I've had personal visitations from the Lord, along with angelic visitations to specifically confirm that fact.My knowing is based in a combination of the Word -- and if it isn't in the Word, you'd better really consider what you think you know -- and in that which has been revealed by the Holy Spirit.

Now, watch!

I believe that we only have a few years before Jesus comes.I don't believe He will come this year, or next, or even the next year after that.Why? Because that isn't what the message of the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ today.That doesn't mean I'm right -- and no one would rejoice any more than me if I were wrong -- but here's why I take that position. Consider what John wrote as he closed out the Revelation.

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."(Revelation 22:17)

The Bride of Christ is not saying, "Come, Lord Jesus."The Holy Spirit is not saying, "Come, Lord Jesus."What the Spirit and the Bride are saying is this: "Get the spots and wrinkles out of your garments, people!Make yourself ready to receive Him."

Consider these two scriptures: (1) (Ephesians 5:25-27) "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."(2) Revelation 19:7-8) "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

If there is any message being trumpeted by the true prophets in the body of Christ today, this is it: Invite the Spirit of Judgment and Burning into your life to cleanse every last vestige of religion, every last vestige of flesh, every last vestige of sin or error of any kind! Make yourself ready so that Jesus truly receives the inheritance He paid for with His blood!

In Paul's instruction in the letter to Ephesus, he precedes his statement about the Lord giving Himself with a command to husbands to love their wives in the same way that Jesus gave Himself for His Bride. While Paul is speaking to husbands and wives, he does make it clear that Jesus gave Himself totally, completely and without reservation in order to redeem for Himself that people He designed for Himself before time began.

For Jesus to truly receive His inheritance in His people, they likewise must give themselves totally and unreservedly to Him -- no matter the cost -- so that His Glory can be seen in them, so that His presence will be seen, and so that all that He is will be demonstrated and manifested in the earth.

Sorry to have spent so much time on this topic. There's a whole lot more here to talk about -- and maybe in the future I can do a specific Coffee Break on the coming of the Lord -- but that's not what this discussion is all about today.What I'm getting at is that -- because of the above Scriptures -- I believethere are some things absolutely necessary to be accomplished in the Bride of Christ before Jesus can come. Understand?

What Ibelieve is a bit different from what I know.I don't know the day or the hour that Jesus will come, and I refuse to speculate on it or guess at it.There is an alert that takes place in the realm of the Spirit for those who are prepared and there's no guesswork to that alert.

There are times and seasons in God, and we certainly know the season of Jesus' return.And it is important for us to know the times and the seasons.That said, my objective is to allow the Holy Spirit to do whatever it takes in me so that when the Lord Jesus Christ does return, He can receive in me everything He paid for.Am I clear?

One more clarification on this topic so there is no misunderstanding.I was awakened a couple of years ago early one morning with the audible voice of the angel of the Lord speaking.I sat up straight in bed when I heard it.He said to me, "You have no idea how soon the return of the Lord Jesus Christ really is!"Now there's an attention getter!

There is an alert that has gone forth in the earth today, but that alert is somewhat akin to the parable that Jesus gave in Matthew 25.The virgins (representing those who had their garments clean and spotless) were first made aware that the Bridegroom was on His way.That's the alert that has gone forth.The Bridegroom has delayed His coming so that He will have a Bride who is ready for Him.In Jesus' parable, there was a second alert, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him."That alert has not taken place yet.Those who have ears to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying will hear that alert! What the Holy Spirit is saying is, "Bride, get yourself ready."He has not yet said, "Come, Lord Jesus."OK?

Good!Let's move on.

Some of you may wonder why I've taken this path in our discussions today.Folks, because of what God is doing in the earth today and because of what He is saying to the body of Christ, it is imperative that I share the following with you.

It has been clear for some time now that there is a clear dividing taking place among Christians -- a separating, if you will -- that is making many believers uncomfortable.After all, we well remember Paul's declaration in Ephesians 4 (verse 3) in which he instructs us to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."But Paul didn't leave it there.Watch what he writes a few verses later.

"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers for the perfecting(katartismos: the complete furnishing) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (teleios: complete)man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.(Christos: the Anointed One, and His anointing)"

HELLO?????

Unto a perfect man?Unto the measure (metron: the rule or standard of judgment; the determined extent, the measured portion) of the stature (helikia: maturity) of the fullness of Christ?Us?Now, before we get to Heaven?

That's it, folks!NOW, not in "the sweet bye and bye."

One of the difficulties in the body of Christ is a wide spread of doctrines that push many things way off in the future, or "when we all get to Heaven" as if Heaven is our objective. Heaven is not our objective! Heaven is only home-base for the future.

By the same token, there are many things -- interpretations of prophecies, for example -- that get shoved into the 1000-year reign of Christ on the earth (the Millennium, if you please). The problem is these interpretations is that they fail to give the Lord Jesus Christ His due in us.Sometimes I wonder if people really understand what Jesus did for us, and if they understand what it cost Him.

Let's see if I can put this another way.

Every Christian believer knows that Jesus died on the Cross for him or her, and that their salvation from Hell rests in that fact.But does every believer understand that what Jesus paid for on the Cross goes way beyond "fire insurance"?

Fire insurance -- deliverance from the penalties of sin and an eternal damnation in Hell -- is only a fraction of what Jesus paid for.Let me digress for just a second.

If you go to Costco or Sam's Club or Wal-Mart or Safeway (or whatever) and you decide to purchase something, do you not expect to get what you pay for?Do you expect, for example, to plop down the cash or a check (or a debit card) for food or household goods, and then walk out of the store and leave them behind?If you paid for them, don't you deserve to get what you paid for?Aren't you legally entitled to get what you paid for?

Now, let's apply this principle to the price that Jesus paid.Let me take you to a transliteration of Isaiah 53:3-5 that I did from the Hebrew text:

(3) He is disdained and scorned, and considered as having ceased to exist by men: a man of anguish and pain, and has known grief by seeing and experiencing it; and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was disdained and scorned, and we maliciously fabricated, invented and treated His suffering and death as void.

(4) Surely He has suffered and accepted as His own our maladies, our anxieties, our calamities, our disease and sicknesses, and carried our anguish, pain and grief: yet we fabricated and maliciously invented His being stricken violently, beaten, punished, wounded and slaughtered as if by God -- choosing to believe that God browbeat, demeaned and looked down upon Him.

(5) But He was broken and profaned for our rebellion, our revolt, our apostasy and our [religious] quarrel against God; He was crushed, oppressed and smitten, and (emotionally) broken into pieces for our perversity, our evil, our mischief, sins and faults; the breaking and ridiculing of our peace, our welfare, our prosperity, our health and our safety was upon Him; and with His bloodied and blue wounds we are cured, mended, repaired and made thoroughly whole.

THERE!!That's what Jesus did, and that's what it cost Him! Understand?

Now!Consider Paul's prayer and admonition.

" I pray thatthe eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places."(Ephesians 1:18-20 NASB)

Lastly, do you understand the word, "Salvation"?Do you know that this word was never intended to be just about "fire insurance"? This word is a translation of the Greek, sozo, (to protect, to deliver, to rescue, to defend, to save, to heal, to preserve, to cause to prosper, to make [completely] whole).It is the equivalent of the Hebrew, yasha (and its derivative, ye shu ah), with the same identical meanings.

Having said all of that, what do you believe?Now then, what do you KNOW?If Jesus paid for your salvation, has He received it yet?He paid for your defense from the Enemy.Do you KNOW that He is your defense?He paid for your healing.Do you KNOW that you are healed?He paid for your deliverance from poverty.Have you received, or do you walk in the totality of abundance that He paid for?

If Jesus paid for all of this with such a high price, has He received in you what He paid for?

What do you believe?What do you KNOW?It isn't your faith by which you receive all of this: it's Jesus' faith!

See you again soon.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

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Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: ISRAEL & THE PSALM 83 PROPHECY, Part Three

Jul 18, '11 7:47 AM
by Regner for everyone

ISRAEL & THE

PSALM 83 PROPHECY

Part Three

“Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day; I’ve got a wonderful feeling…..!

OK, sorry ‘bout that. Sometimes those oldies from years gone by seem to run through my mind. Anyway, Good Mornin’ to ya! This is the best day of your life!

I’d really like to get this series finished. Della and I will be doing a considerable amount of traveling during the next month, and it’s likely I won’t have a lot of opportunity to do much posting until we return.

Della’s uncle, Jesse Evans, went home to be with the Lord in this past week so there’s a lot of family activity ongoing as preparations are made for the respective memorial services, etc.

The responses from readers to this series on Israel have been pretty amazing. The comments from them have been overwhelmingly positive and we’ve been adding about a hundred new subscribers to our database every couple of days. Wow! That said, there sure have been a few folks whose religious indoctrination just won’t let them accept that the prophecies in the Old and New Testaments apply to both natural and spiritual Israel, or that the term “God’s Chosen People” has a natural as well as a spiritual implication. What they don’t seem to realize is that they are arguing with God’s Covenant – not with Israel. (But that’s another topic.)

Oh well! Trying to convince folks who don’t want to accept that the Word has much greater depth to it than a simple surface explanation is an exercise in futility. All I can do is share the Word and the revelation I have and leave it there for folks to deal with. Hey! If you have a struggle with anything I’m sharing, put in on the shelf. Don’t simply discard it. The Holy Spirit just might accidentally bring revelation to you that differs from what you think you already know. D ‘ya think?

Let’s begin today with something I said in the last Coffee Break. What happens in and with Israel is a direct prophetic correlation to what God is doing in the earth! It is a picture of the in-gathering together, the great harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ taking place around the earth even as we speak. It is the fulfilling of Paul’s prophecy in Ephesians 1:18-19: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (NASB)

Jesus’ inheritance is found not only in the Gentile “church” – it is found in Israel and in the Jews! That inheritance is so multi-faceted and multi-layered as to defy description.

[Note: I really don’t like the term “church” because of the pictures it conveys which are so contrary to everything we know about the early believers. They had Ekklesia – not the structured “church” concepts familiar with western society today.]

Let’s get back, now, to the way Asaph prayed against the enemies of the Lord.

Once he has described the ten nations or tribes who assemble themselves against Israel, he now launches into a character description of them, describing past victories God has given Israel, and likening the character and nature of those past enemies to those assembled against Israel. Asaph could easily have named many other enemies whom God had given into Israel’s hands, but he chose these specifically because of the way their names – their makeup and essence – paralleled those of the ten-nation confederacy.

Let’s take them in order as they are described:

(1) First, he describes the Midianites. The name “Midian” in Hebrew means strife. Midian, you’ll remember, was descended from Abraham’s lineage through Keturah. Not part of the covenant family through Isaac, the Midianites still dwelled in relative peace with Israel for several generations. Think back to Jethro, the priest of Midian, who became Moses’ father-in-law, and – through wise counsel to Moses – brought forth the form of government that served Israel for hundreds of years through tribal councils, elders and chosen representatives. (We know this form of government today in the U.S. Our nation’s founding fathers called this a “republican government.”)

The peace and tranquility between Israel and Midian did not last once Moses led Israel out of Egypt toward their promised inheritance in Canaan. Midian had grown to occupy part of the territory God promised to Abraham through Isaac, and they feared Israel. Once Israel entered the land they were occupying, Midian formed an alliance with the Moabites and turned on their erstwhile brethren.

(2) Next we have Sisera, Captain of the Host for the Canaanites under Jabin, their king. Sisera’s name is Egyptian and translates out as “servant of Ra.” The Canaanites we know from Genesis 9:25 where this firstborn son of Ham bears the curse of his father’s sin for committing a homosexual act against his father, Noah. Canaan fathered each of the seven nations whom God commanded Israel to destroy and erase from the land of promise. [That’s a separate study which you can find in the Coffee Break archives (http://regnersrangers.multiply.com/journal/)] The Canaanites were sworn enemies of Israel and continually sought to prevent them from receiving God’s promises to Abraham.

(3) Jabin, the king of the Canaanites, whose name means “to separate mentally, to be cunning, to understand,” thought to use his cunning and craftiness against Israel in order to keep them under subjection to himself. He built for himself an arsenal of 900 chariots made of iron to go with an army that the Hebrew text describes as “locusts” for their multitude. For twenty years Jabin had held Israel in fear and had ruled them, manipulated them and made them a laughingstock in the land. Because Israel had made the unbelievably stupid mistake of following the gods of the Canaanites and bowing to them, the Lord permitted them to come under Jabin’s dominion as punishment. (More on this in a moment.)

(4) Next we have Oreb, whose name means “raven.” In scripture the raven was forbidden to eat because it was an unclean bird, feeding mostly on carrion or dead birds and animals. One notable characteristic of the raven was its tactic of picking out the eyes of helpless birds or small animals and then feeding on them while they still lived. Oreb came by his name honestly as a prince of the Midianites. He specialized in preying upon the weak or defenseless among Israel, picking them apart and utilizing their resources for himself.

(5) His companion prince was a man named Zeeb whose name means “wolf.” The Hebrew term for him was “yellow” – a descriptive word for someone who was cruel and treacherous. Wherever we see Oreb in Scripture, we see Zeeb. These two Midianite princes worked together as a treacherous pair killing, persecuting, terrorizing the Israelites and continually committing acts of war against pockets of Israelites.

(6) Then we have Zebah, a Midianite king whose name says it all in Hebrew: slaughter; sacrifice (as in offering up animals [or in this case, people] as burnt sacrifices.

(7) Finally we have one more Midianite king, Zalmunna, whose name in Hebrew translates literally to: “shade has been denied.” It is a perfect description of one who deliberately removes any available protection and goes out of their way to expose a person (or a group of people) to the kind of danger that will ultimately take their lives in a cruel and debilitating manner.

Now, consider what happened in history to each of these individuals. See how history graphically portrays the significance of Asaph’s prophetic prayer.

(1a) Though the Midianites were permitted periods of time by God to persecute Israel because the nation had departed from worshiping Him, in battle after battle beginning with their confederation with Moab when Balak tried to bribe Balaam to curse Israel, God continued to rout them with Israelite leaders and armies who were severely outnumbered and out-weaponed.

(2a) Sisera represented the Egyptians, and in this case, had become confederate with the Canaanites. The Canaanites represented five separate lesser tribes who had banded together because they were not large in size. The banding together enabled them to become a mostly cohesive people who, because of their Hamite lineage, had grown into the most corrupt and sexually perverse people among the seven nations God covenanted to give to Abraham. Sisera stands out in Asaph’s prophecy because of the way in which he died (see Judges 4). He was an arrogant man who thought his incredible military strength would be more than sufficient to defeat Barak’s piddling 10,000 men. He was wrong! Sisera died at the hands of a woman – Jael – who drove a nail into his temple while he slept, thinking he was safe and secure in hiding in an Edomite home. The Edomites were no particular friends of Israel (think Esau vs. Jacob), but one of the families of Edom – Heber, the Kenite (and father of the Kenizzites) – had become integrated into Israel’s history and heritage through Caleb, and then Othniel. Sisera never bothered to check out the family where he tried to hide, and died in his sleep.

(3a) Jabin, the Canaanite king, had been allowed by God for a period of twenty years to subdue Israel, and he thought himself secure with his expert Egyptian commander, Sisera. When Barak – with the prophetess Deborah – came out against Jabin’s forces in order to free Israel from tyranny, he felt absolutely confident in his military might to put down the rebellion. Judges 4:23-24 tells us that following Sisera’s death and the utter defeat of his great armies, Barak hunted him down to his death and destruction.

(4a & 5a) When you consider the story of Gideon (Judges 7) and how once again the Lord used a tiny contingent of 300 men to roust the armies of Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. Their army had been joined by the Amalekites, the Syrians and (from all we can tell) Ishmaelites. The number of people gathered together in the Valley of Jezreel was “as grasshoppers for multitude.” In order to appreciate Gideon’s feat consider this. A rabbi once told me that the sound generated by the breaking of the pitchers from Gideon’s high perch above the valley would be analogous to the sound of hundreds of swords being drawn at once from their scabbards. Add to that sound the picture of all the lights spread out in single file on the hilltops, and it created the illusion of a vast army coming against them in the middle of the night. The Midianites, the Amalekites and all of the Arab nations were (and still are for the most part) ruled by and through fear and terror. Their reaction to this sudden explosion of sound and light created utter panic causing them to turn on one another in the darkness and kill each other. Of one hundred thirty-five thousand soldiers pitted against Gideon, only 15,000 survived.

(6a & 7a) Those 15,000 fled to a placed called Karkor, a relatively walled up (and “dug in” according to Gesenius) secure place east of the Jordan, along with the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. The two princes, Oreb and Zeeb, had already been killed, and now it was time to take out the kings. Gideon’s band of 300 – even in their weakened and wearied state – took out the 15,000 and brought Zebah and Zalmunna to him. Judges 8:21 tells us that Gideon killed the two kings with his own sword and took the large royal medallions that hung on the necks of their camels. There is a great significance to taking these medallions because they had the images of the gods that the Midianites worshiped. Thus, Gideon not only took out their armies, but also took away from them the symbols of the gods they worshiped, demonstrating that the God of Israel was supreme over all other gods.

There is a side note to this story worth telling. As Gideon and his men pursued after Zebah and Zalmunna, they came to a place known as Succoth. Succoth, at that time, was occupied by Arab families who had not joined in the battle against Israel. When Gideon requested food and provisions for his band of 300 in their wearied state, they stubbornly refused assistance of any kind despite the obvious victories God has wrought through Gideon. Gideon warned them that there would be retribution for their passive assistance to the Midianites, and when he and his men returned from the victory at Karkor they stopped at Succoth, took the elders of the city, and rather than kill them, he sent a message to all who would provide aid and assistance to the enemies of Israel by whipping them with thorns and briers.

Gideon’s great victories over the Midianites, their kings and their princes, with his tiny band virtually ended the power of Midian, and except for harboring Hadad, an enemy of Solomon, many years later it was the end of their military forays against Israel.

There is one more picture here relevant to these great victories. Judges 6:34 tells us that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon.” This is a unique phrase in the Hebrew and it literally tells us that “the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself with Gideon.” Get it? When God’s enemies rise up against His people, the Lord clothes Himself with them in such a way that they become Him on the battlefield.

Now you begin to get the picture and the great significance of Asaph’s prophetic prayer, and why he prayed the way he did. He was prophesying the same kind of doom and destruction against a confederacy of ten nations who thought to wipe Israel off the map. He is saying to the Lord – or more accurately, the Lord is saying through Asaph – “Do to these nations and peoples exactly what was done to the Canaanites, the Egyptians, the Midianites, the Moabites and the Syrians (and all of the other unnamed Arab peoples) who pitted themselves against God!”

Yup. Let me paraphrase the rest of this prophecy.

“O my God, make them like a wheel (that goes in circles around itself), as stubble before the wind. As fire burns wood and flames consume a mountain, so create a firestorm and tempest against them, and make them afraid to ever come against You again! Shame them, O Lord, not to their utter destruction but so that those who remain will seek after You. Let those who reject You for their false gods be forever confounded, put to shame and perish, that men worldwide may know that You, Yowd Hey Vav Hey (Jehovah), are the Most High God over all the earth!”

That, my friends, is exactly what we are about to see. Whether it happens within a year, two years, five years – or whenever it takes place – these same peoples of whom Asaph prophesies will rise up against the Lord God saying, “Let us take and possess the houses of God for ourselves.”

The Lord will respond with a roar! He will clothe Himself with Israel and the world will see a military victory that will make the Six-Day War look like an afternoon skirmish.

There is one other factor to consider in this prophecy.

Pay attention to each of the ten nations, where they are located, and the culture, the philosophy, and the religion of each of them. Religion – no matter by what name it is called – is and has always been the enemy of God. Every religion has at its roots man in control, or man being the final arbiter of himself.

Let’s make one thing clear, too. True Christianity is not a religion. In fact, it is anything but! Christianity is a personal, intimate relationship with a living God – a living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Those who truly worship God worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! True Christians are those who know, understand, and walk in the love of God – and I don’t mean the “sloppy agape” that has permeated the church world. Yes, there is a religion that calls itself “Christianity,” but denies the power of God, and puts on a façade that seems to have the form of Godliness, but lacks in the signs following that Jesus promised.

Folks, true Christianity has the signs following. It does! The sick are healed, the dead are raised to life, the lepers are cleansed, demonic prison bars are smashed as people are set free from evil spirits, and people’s lives are radically changed for the better. Anything that calls itself “Christianity” that lacks this evidence is a poor substitute religion.

That said, when you look at the ten nations or groups identified by Asaph’s prophecy, there is a common denominator in today’s world: Islam! Asaph’s prophecy in Psalm 83 spells the end of Islam. It is the coup de grace to a religion that has imprisoned men and women and children for centuries, taken away basic freedoms guaranteed by God, and forced people to worship a false god – the same false god that the Canaanites served, the same false god that the Midianites served, the same false god that the Lord God warned Israel NEVER to serve: Baal.

Never mind the fact that Baal is now called “Allah.” Allah is none other than an incarnation of the demon, Baal, and he is about to suffer a defeat such as the world has never known!

Buckle your seatbelt! Baal has never gone down without a fight in the past, and he is about to mount the greatest attack on the people of God – Israel and Christians – such as recorded history has never known. But the Lord – through Asaph – makes us a solemn promise in this prophecy. Baal and his servants – his followers – will see such shame that the world will fear and reverence the Lord God and honor Him as Yowd Hey Vav Hey!

Believe me! When God comes to your defense when you’re under attack by the Enemy, He has a spectacular way of doing things – and He often does it conditions we would consider impossible.

Because of our travel schedule, I’m not sure when the next Coffee Break will be published, but I will try to get one or two out while we are on the road.

As Christians we have a mandate from the Lord to bless Israel. Those who bless Israel are blessed and become a blessing themselves. God’s promise to Abraham was, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: ISRAEL & THE PSALM 83 PROPHECY, Part Two

Jun 28, '11 11:15 AM
by Regner for everyone

ISRAEL & THE

PSALM 83 PROPHECY

Part Two

Good Morning, Good Morning!

There are a few folks who’ve suggested that I am a “Christian Zionist” – not understanding the term “Zionist.” The term “Zionism” really began in England a century or more ago referring to the intent and the (then) budding movement among members of the British government to see Israel restored to its God-covenanted homeland. But the term “Zionism” has far deeper roots than just the political or geographical concepts suggest. I’ll get back to this in a moment.

First of all, let me take a minute to explain some rules concerning Biblical prophecy.

As nearly any Hebrew scholar will tell you, there are not less than seven layers of interpretation to the Word of God. I won’t take the time today to lay out each of those layers, but suffice it to say that interpretation and understanding begins with the surface meaning of the words. Underneath the surface there are core meanings rooted in pictures that no single word or translation can possibly convey. In some instances, because the meanings have their roots in the Hebrew culture and thought processes, certain phrases tend to convey expressions that are totally lost in modern western thought.

Thus, attempts in our western society to interpret Scripture solely on the basis of our English translations (or Spanish, or German, or French, or whatever) of the Hebrew or Greek – those translations resulting in over-simplistic single words or phrases which fail to capture the essence of Hebrew thought – fail miserably, often leaving the reader with a poor interpretation of what the Holy Spirit is saying.

I have cited in the past, for example, my translation from the Song of Solomon which constitutes non-stop Hebrew metaphors from its opening passage to the very end of the Song. A recurring phrase which appears in the Song of Solomon (1:5), “I am black,” also appears in Jeremiah’s prophecy. It has nothing to do with the color of one’s skin. It is an expression of woe, of weariness, of spiritual exhaustion; and it is based in a fundamental understanding built into every single individual (whether they realize it or not) that because we are created in the image of God; that like Adam was, so are we in need of a counterpart – an “other self.”

The world has trivialized this into a search for “one’s soul-mate,” but the “soul-mate” concept misses completely the spiritual nature God invested in us and expressed in the Song of Solomon as “my sister, my spouse.” This phrase much more literally translates out of its metaphorical usage into “my counterpart, my other self,” – in other words, “my beloved!”

The expression, “I am black,” is rooted in the specific weariness that comes from a life-long and fruitless search for the husband or wife specifically designed by God to fulfill and complete you in such a way that you become a complete being. Eve completed Adam, but Adam also completed her. She was his beloved! He was her beloved!

When Jeremiah used this phrase, he was speaking on behalf of the Lord God, who was expressing His weariness in His search and crying out for the return of His beloved – that people whom He had created for Himself. They had left Him to bond with other gods and He was crying out through His prophets to return to Him.

When the Lord gave Della to me, He completed me. The “search” in my being for my counterpart (something which happens deep in one’s spirit, often well below any conscious level) ended with Della. She fulfills me, she completes me, she is what I am not, and I am what she is not. Together we are one: one whole being! She is a whole lot more than my “soul mate”: she is my counterpart, my other self, my beloved!

Anyway, I’ve said all that to say that to try and interpret prophetic utterances from Scripture based solely on the surface meaning is to completely miss the “hidden Manna” revealed in layer after layer after layer of the Word. None of these layers are exclusive to themselves, nor does any layer contradict or negate in any way the surface meaning.

I may be taking you around a 40-acre field in order to get to Psalm 83, but bear with me. This is a significant prophecy and it is important to lay proper foundations for understanding.

It is of prime importance to first remember that these prophecies – both Old and New Testaments – were given by Jews whose understanding was rooted in the seven-layers of God’s Word.

Secondly, let’s remember that they were (in nearly every instance) prophesying to a Jewish audience who knew exactly where they were coming from. Thus the prophecies were made specifically to the Jews. They were the first recipients of those prophecies and God was speaking directly to them, promising what He would do for them as a covenant-keeping God.

Here’s the catch. Saying that they were the first recipients is not the same as saying they were the only recipients. The prophet Joel made a very specific prophecy which Peter quoted on the Day of Pentecost. Peter applied the prophecy to 17 nationalities or groups of people who heard their languages being spoken by newly Spirit-baptized men and women.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:28-32)

When Peter was preaching to the multitudes on the Day of Pentecost – a multitude that included the aforementioned 17 nationalities (non-Jews) – he made the following amplification to Joel’s prophecy: “For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself.” (Acts 2:39 – Amplified Version)

The NLT puts it like this: “This promise is to you, and to your children, even to the Gentilesand to people far in the future—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

You see the specificity here, don’t you? The promise is made first to the Jews: then it is to the Gentiles (the nations of the earth).

One of the problems with modern translators and folks who’ve been programmed with traditional western thought is that they have somehow replaced the notion of these prophecies applying to the Jews with the idea that they only (or mostly) apply to the body of Christ. We sometimes refer to this as “replacement theology.” Prophecies that were meant first for the Jews somehow now don’t apply to the Jews in this theology.

A corollary doctrine is that of “cessationism.” This teaching relegates prophecies such as Peter’s prophecy in Acts 2:39 to the past. The idea is that such utterances “applied to the Jews and to the early church, but it died out with the apostles.”

This is why so many prophecies and so many scriptures often get taken out of context to prove some religious doctrine. The western mindset we’ve all grown up with really is an enemy to the Truth of God’s Word. It does its best to separate things out into some kind of logical order – logical, that is, by western thinking. End time doctrines, especially, suffer from this mindset. It’s why we have “pre-Trib, mid-Trib and post-Trib” doctrines concerning the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word is not taken as a whole message: it gets separated into “dispensations” and segments instead of seeing it as one single message from beginning to end.

The Word of God stands intact for all generations! It was true yesterday. It is true today. And it will be true tomorrow!

Getting back to “Zionism,” one needs to realize that Zion was originally the fortress that Shem built after the flood. It was the fortress and the hill that David re-captured from the Jebusites (after they had taken it over following Shem’s death) when he restored Jerusalem to the Israelites. It was the place where he erected his simple tabernacle consisting of a tent (with flaps open) and the Ark of the Covenant on display for all Israel to see. It was the place where he established the continuous ministry of praise and worship.

Zion represented the covenant of marriage that the Lord made with His people. In Psalm 2, David prophesies of the coming Messiah when he writes, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” This was not about him, although he ruled from Zion: it was about an everlasting covenant that God had made – one that would be exhibited through His people Israel, and made available to the whole earth.

Consider another of David’s prophecies – and Israel had not been carried away into captivity when he wrote this: “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.” (Psalm 53:6)

Then there’s this one: “For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.” (Psalm 69:35-36)

There are something like 150 separate prophecies concerning Zion throughout the Old Testament which refer to the coming of the Messiah, the restoration of Israel as a nation, the unification of Jerusalem and the gathering together of all the tribes of Israel to their homeland after being scattered by the Lord.

Zionism really – at its heart – is the cry for the salvation and restoration of Israel according to the promises of God. So, to answer those who speak negatively about “Zionists” and “Christian Zionism,” I am in every respect a Zionist. I believe God’s Word. I believe that Israel is being – and MUST BE – restored according to the promises God has made to the Jews. God’s covenant with them was that He absolutely would restore them as a nation and as a people in the earth!

I am a “Christian Zionist” also because I believe in the multi-layered pictures contained in these prophecies. I believe in a completed and fulfilled Bride of Christ consisting of both Jews and Christians – the counterpart and “other self” of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not possible to separate Israel and the body of Christ – and yet, paradoxically, they are distinct. It is one of the unique aspects of the “hidden Manna” contained in the seven layers of the Word.

So why, then, this focus on modern Israel? Why is there such importance on the restoration of the Jewish homeland, the unification of Jerusalem, and the gathering together of the scattered tribes of Israel from throughout the world? What does that have to do with us as Christians and the body of Christ as a whole?

Everything!

What happens in and with Israel is a direct prophetic correlation to what God is doing in the earth! It is a picture of the in-gathering together, the great harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ taking place around the earth even as we speak. It is the fulfilling of Paul’s prophecy in Ephesians 1:18-19: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (NASB)

Israel, the Jews AND the Gentiles (nations of the earth) represent His inheritance! That inheritance is so multi-faceted and multi-layered as to defy description.

That (finally! Whewww!!) brings us to the prophetic Word of Asaph in Psalm 83.

He begins with a cry to the Lord to execute judgment on His enemies! Notice that Asaph does not refer to them as the enemies of Israel: these are God’s enemies – and that is an important distinction. The Holy Spirit is interceding through Asaph in a prophetic word of an event to come.

Do you remember what Isaiah prophesied towards the end of his years? “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:24-25)

So Asaph is preparing the stage in the realm of the Spirit long before this event is to unfold. Take a quick look at Romans 8:26-27: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

So it is the Holy Spirit who is praying/prophesying through Asaph who couldn’t possibly know in the natural the events to unfold or know how to pray for something he has never seen or conceived. And Asaph accordingly, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, is making intercession for God’s people according to the will of God! I cannot overemphasize the importance of this.

And how do the enemies of the Lord take counsel against Him and conspire against the Almighty? “They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.”

This is a time-honored practice of Satan and is one of his classic military tactics against God. He has no way to counter God Himself in person so he comes against God’s people – and especially those who’ve been chosen by Him – whether it be Israel or believers today.

We’ve already talked about the ten nations in the previous Coffee Break, but for the sake of review, here they are again: (1) Edom [Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq], (2) The Ishmaelites [the Sinai to Iraq], (3) Moab [Lebanon, Syria, Jordan], (4) The Hagarites [Jordan to the Sinai], (5) Gebal [Lebanon], (6) Ammon [Jordan – the Palestinians], (7) Amalek [The Sinai, western Saudi Arabia], (8) The Philistines [Gaza, the Palestinians], (9) Tyre [Lebanon, southwestern Syria], and (10) Assur (Asshur - Assyria) [Syria, southern Turkey, northern Iraq].

We have here a description of a confederacy aligned against Israel the likes of which has never happened in history. We all know what happened when Jordan, Syria and Egypt (then known as the UAE) came against Israel with their combined firepower and military might in June of 1967. It was a sweeping victory for Israel that went down in the annals of military history, and it was another example of God’s miraculous defense of a very tiny nation whose existence has never left the center of His love and focus.

And it is that love of God for His people upon which Asaph leans in his prophetic prayer. He sees a time in history when the ten aforementioned nations or tribes assemble themselves together with a unified purpose: Israel’s annihilation and extermination from the earth. That time is not yet, but we are quickly approaching it.

Iraq has no interest in Israel at the moment. The government of Iraq is focused entirely on reentering the world community and rejoining the world economy as a sovereign nation without the restraints and sanctions it has suffered since Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1991. That doesn’t mean that Iraq couldn’t or won’t join other Arab nations in the years ahead in their hatred of the Jews. Jews are not currently welcome in Iraq, and there is much persecution of Christians ongoing there despite (or maybe because of) a huge move of the Holy Spirit taking place among the Iraqis.

Secondly, Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel and King Abdullah has no immediate interest in abrogating that treaty. He lacks both the will and the military might to be of much assistance in a conspiracy, as much as he might like to participate. However, the current turmoil in Jordan and the reshaping of Jordanian politics and its government in the next two years could radically alter things.

Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, the Gaza and Saudi Arabia are no friends of Israel, and Ahmadinejad’s threats from Iran could well force things in Iraq and Jordan to unravel more quickly than the current scenes there suggest. The upheavals in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia are priming those nations and people in such a way as to portend Asaph’s prophecy.

That brings us to the way Asaph prayed against the enemies of the Lord. There’s simply too much to share to add to today’s Coffee Break, so let’s save that for one more in the next few days.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: ISRAEL & THE PSALM 83 PROPHECY, Part One

Jun 19, '11 5:36 PM
by Regner for everyone

ISRAEL & THE

PSALM 83 PROPHECY

Part One

Howdy! Glad you joined me today!

I’ll keep these comments short because we need to get right into today’s discussion. There are a large number of folks who’ve responded to this series of Coffee Breaks on Israel – both positively and negatively. A common thread appearing in the negative responses is predicated in a horrendous doctrine that began to spread throughout the “structured church” during the Dark Ages. There are two parts of this doctrine.

The first part of it alleges that the Jews crucified Jesus. That is scripturally inaccurate. Revelation 13:8 clearly states that Jesus was “the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth.” He chose, of His own will, in agreement with Father and Holy Spirit, to go to the Cross even BEFORE Adam and Eve were created. Adam’s fall was no surprise to the Lord God. He knew it was going to happen before He breathed His first breath into him, and they [the Godhead] made preparation to redeem the human race. There was an appointed time in history (His Story] for that to take place.

Secondly, although the religious Jews were part of the scenario which led to Jesus’ crucifixion, they were pawns in an agenda created by Satan long before Jesus was born. The truth is that it was a religious spirit which crucified Jesus on the Cross. Sure, it was operating in the religious Jews, but it was also operating in Rome as well. To blame the Jews for Jesus’ death on the Cross is a deliberate distortion of history, and a deliberate twisting of the spiritual forces that were at work. One of these days I’ll do a series of Coffee Breaks on the Nephilim Agenda – a Satanic agenda that was at work to destroy the promised Redeemer as far back as the days of Noah.

The driving force behind this demonic doctrine is a virulent spirit of Anti-Semitism. The second part of the doctrine that says the Jews crucified Jesus also says that because the Jews departed from the Lord God and worshiped false idols, God canceled His Covenant with them; therefore, Jesus’ death on the Cross was designed to redeem “the world” and NOT the Jews! Anyone who believes that has become the victim of an extremely racist spirit. I won’t take the time today to dig into it, but let me just simplify it like this: ALL racism – whether the prejudice is against Blacks, Asians, Indians, Eskimos, Arabs or Jews (or any other racial group) is predicated and rooted in Anti-Semitism.

[Note: Anti-Semitism and racism of every ilk is – nothing more and nothing less – rooted in a spirit of hatred against God’s plan for the human race from the day He breathed His breath into Adam and initiated the process of creating a family for Himself – a family of beings who would be like Him, function like Him, love like Him, think like Him and speak like Him. It targets the Jews or Israel (or any other race or culture of people it chooses), blames them for the world’s ills (or society’s ills) instead of the true Enemy. It targets people and personalities instead of the evil spirits that drive them, creating a special class of people to lobby against. It frequently uses a religious spirit to conceal its hatred and justifies itself by quoting scriptures like Romans 9:8 or I Thess. 2:14-16 and taking them out of the overall context of what the Word says.]

The corollary to this Anti-Semitic doctrine that God abandoned the Jews in favor of the Gentiles is the idea that the Gentiles are now “God’s chosen people” and the Jews have no claim to that status anymore. What a lie! What a perversion of the truth!

I take you back to some quotes from the last Coffee Break

“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.” (Romans 11:1)

He goes on to say the following: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Romans 11:25-26)

Were it not for the Jews, therefore, there would be no salvation for the rest of the world! And Jesus makes that abundantly clear in John 4:23.

OK. Time to move on.

The 83^rd Psalm is one of the most unique prophecies in the Word. This was a prayer and a prophecy of Asaph. Despite all the attacks that have come against Israel throughout the centuries and millennia, this is one of those wars that have never taken place – yet! Hence, when Asaph was praying this prayer, he was seeing ten nations or tribes or peoples who had assembled themselves against Israel with one purpose. When you listen to some of Ahmadinejad’s rants and threats, you’d think he actually believes he can beat the Lord God and wipe Israel off the map.

Listen to how Asaph puts it in his prayer: “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee.”

Now Asaph lists the conspirators, and he is very specific as he names 10 nations or tribes.

“The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot.”

In order to appreciate the significance of this, we need to identify each of the nations with their modern-day counterparts.

1. Edom: This is a name given to the descendants of Esau. Their territory was initially referred to as “the mountains of Seir” and extended from the Gulf of Aqaba to the foot of the Dead Sea and eastward into Jordan and Arabah (modern-day Saudi Arabia). The Greeks referred to their rock-hewn city of Sela as “Petra” – the name by which we still know it today in what is currently the western part of Jordan. The Edomites became a very scattered and nomadic people, eventually making Bozrah (modern-day Basra in Iraq) their capital until they were taken over and assimilated by the Chaldeans.

2. The Ishmaelites: This was a people descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham born to the Egyptian handmaid, Hagar. Ishmael, as we know, was sent away with his mother by command of the Lord because he was the “seed of the flesh” and not the “seed of covenant.” The angel of the Lord told Hagar that Ishmael’s descendants would have “their hand against every man, and every man’s hand against them.” They initially settled in Paran, a region lying between Canaan and the mountains of Sinai. This was a people who scattered (as did the Edomites) across the wide deserts of northern Arabia from the Red Sea to the Euphrates.

3. Moab: Descended from Moab, the incestuous son of Lot, these people initially occupied Zoar, the region around the Dead Sea left in chaos by the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and eventually began to spread over the region east of the Jordan River until their great defeat by David. The last historical reference to the Moabites as a people places them in what today is southern Lebanon and southeastern Syria. Chronologically in Scripture, we find Sanballat (who was a Moabite [Nehemiah uses the Horite description]) doing his best to block the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

4. The Hagarenes (Hagarites): Brothers to the Ishmaelites, we have no record of their father and they are described as descended from Hagar. History distinguishes between them and the Ishmaelites, although they seemed to occupy much of the same territory as their Ishmaelite brethren. Every scriptural reference to them identifies them as a “trans-Jordanic tribe,” and we see the tribe of Reuben soundly defeating them in battle during the days of King Saul.

5. Gebal: Modern day Dschebel (25 miles north of Beirut, Lebanon) is identified with this mountain-seaport. The Greeks referred to Gebal as “Byblos”; and it was one of Syria’s major seaports. There is a separate reference to a Gebal in the Apocrypha as being in the northern part of Arabia near Petra, but there seems to be little connection between the two. Gebal was a “city-state” much like Monaco is today, and was among the major city-states of Phoenicia (which today is northern Lebanon and south-western Syria).

6. Ammon: Modern-day Amman, Jordan is a continuously occupied city for some four-plus millennia, and it gets its name from Ammon, the other incestuous son of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. That inhabitants of Jordan, much of whom we would know today as “Palestinians” are the descendants of Ammon seems pretty clear. Historically, the Ammonites and Moabites were the persistent enemies of Israel, continually trying to deprive them of their existence in the land. I remind you of I Chronicles 20 when the Ammonites and Moabites, along with remnants of the Amorites, came against Jehoshaphat and the Lord routed them in such a way that they destroyed one another.

7. Amalek: These were descendants of Esau – a warring people who principally occupied the Sinai between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. They were a persistent enemy of Israel for whom God decreed ultimate destruction. Agag, the Amalekite king, tried to bribe Balaam into cursing Israel. “Agag” seems to be a title given to each king of the Amalekites, and it was an “Agag” whom Samuel was forced to kill when Saul disobeyed the Lord by keeping him alive. Haman, whose conspiracy to destroy Israel in the days of Esther, was an “Agagite” – a descendant of Agag in the days of Saul.

8. The Philistines: There is a rather oblique reference in II Samuel which suggests that they were part of the Rephaim – one of the groups in Scripture identified with the Nephilim in Genesis 6. In any case they occupied the Gaza, Lebanon and south-western Syria. The Palestinian demand to occupy the Gaza today is a very telling picture of this enemy of Israel. I only have to remind you of the story of David and Goliath.

9. The Inhabitants of Tyre: A city-state of its own during Old-Testament times, it was originally one of the main port cities of Phoenicia. By the time Asaph gave his prophecy, Tyre was a Syrian stronghold, and it remains as that to this day. Although Abraham was sometimes referred to as a Syrian because he lived for 25 years in Haran (modern-day spelling: Harran) before responding to the second call of the Lord, the Syrians have been – ever since Israel began to occupy Canaan – the enemies of Israel. I Kings 11:25 tells us that Hadad (see also I Kings 11:14), the King of Syria, was of royal Edomite lineage – a descendant of Esau, and this explains the ongoing enmity of millennia between Syria and Israel.

10. Assur (Asshur): This was the capital city of ancient Assyria – an empire divided by the Medes and Persians. Syria of today gets its name from ancient Assyria. Modern-day Asshur is in Northern Iraq, however, and its remnant people are scattered throughout Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Because they were close neighbors of the Moabites and Ammonites, Asaph tells us in his prophecy (reading the NASB) that “they have become a help to the children of Lot.”

That’s the general outline of the ten nations. Let’s consolidate the picture to modern times. What do we see? Closest to Israel, we find (1) the Palestinians in Gaza, (2) Lebanon (under Syria’s domination with Hezbollah), (3) Syria, (4) Jordan, (5) Egypt - (the Sinai Peninsula), and (6) Saudi Arabia. A little farther out, we have (7) Iraq, and (8) Iran. While on today’s maps (you can Google Map the region for a look at it yourself) there are ten nations named, three of the nations are consolidated in present-day Jordan and Syria: Moab, Ammon and the “Hagarenes.” Since we know that the Hagarites occupied much of the same territory as the Ishmaelites, and we know that the Ishmaelites occupied at least a portion of the Sinai, the father of the Hagarites (and I’m really speculating here) could have been an Egyptian as Hagar was.

In any case, Israel today is surrounded by the very same enemies it faced during Biblical times, despite the fact that in some instances we have different names today along with consolidation. In a Coffee Break series I did a couple years ago titled Seven Nations, Seven Letters, we talked about the fact that ancient Israel failed to keep God’s commandment to them to literally destroy, wipe-out to the last man, woman and child, and erase every vestige of the seven nations that occupied Canaan prior to the conquest by Joshua.

Additionally, in the days of King Saul, Israel was commanded to obliterate every trace of the Amalekites. He did not. As a result of their failure, traces of these nations remained throughout the ages. We even find almost one whole nation of the original seven still intact as a nation during Jesus’ ministry. The Greek New Testament refers to the original Girgashites as the Gergesenes (Gergesenos) when Jesus brings deliverance to the Gadarene demoniac.

Although we have no modern reference to the Moabites, Ammonites (except for Amman), Amalekites, Hagarites, etc., history is clear that whatever remnant of these tribal nations existed after their major destruction at the hands of their enemies, that remnant was assimilated into their captor nations.

We couldn’t have a clearer picture of Asaph’s prophecy. Here is a perfect description of the same enemies that surround Israel today. With the possible exception of King Abdullah in Jordan (who as mentioned before has attempted to moderate things with the Palestinian population which comprises more than 70 percent of the Jordanian people) and Iraq which is endeavoring to get its own act together, the rest of the surrounding nations have adopted a hostile, “get rid of Israel” attitude; and Iran’s Ahmajinedad has actually declared the very words Asaph used calling for Israel’s extinction.

I want to get to the meat of the prophecy in Psalm 83, but it is clear that we won’t make it there today, so let’s cut this Coffee Break short and we’ll pick things up in a few days.

Before I go, however, an article of extreme interest appears on the front page of Israel Today in the June 17^th edition. The headline reads: ARE MANY PALESTINIANS REALLY JEWS? (see: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/tabid/178/nid/22830/language/en-US/Default.aspx)

Here are a few lines from the article: In the shadow of the conflict over the Promised Land more and more Palestinians are disclosing the truth: Entire families are considering conversion to Judaism. They claim that their ancestors were forced to choose between religion (Judaism) and remaining on the Land, and hence, they were compelled to convert to Islam. These Palestinians are part of the seed of Israel and could be called “Palestinian Marranos” - like the “secret Jews” of Spain in the 15th century who were forced to convert to Christianity, but covertly remained observant Jews. By returning to the Jewish religion and nation, they foresee a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

With the news from this piece, a recent poll in the Jerusalem Post makes a lot of sense. Taken on the West Bank the polls showed that 57% of the “Palestinians” interviewed would prefer to be a part of Israel rather than a Palestinian state. No wonder! When you have people who’ve been forced into accepting Islam or die, and they become assimilated into a culture that is antagonistic towards everything they’ve ever known and serve a god who is a false god, there can’t be anything but a yearning for a return to the life and the worship their ancestors have known.

OK. There you have it for today. I’ll pick up on the Psalm 83 prophecy and its significance to today in our next Coffee Break. See you then.

As Christians we have a mandate from the Lord to bless Israel. More than that, the cry of the Lord through Isaiah is to “give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth!”

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: ISRAEL'S DESTINY

Jun 6, '11 7:33 PM
by Regner for everyone

ISRAEL’S DESTINY

Greetings! Salutations, too!

Before we get started with today’s discussion, let me finish our last discussion with a few comments. And, by the way, thanks to Rich and DeAngela Warren, we have a really nice new French Press. It makes roughly 38 ounces of the best coffee you’ve ever had, and I’ve got a mix of Double-Roasted French and some medium-roasted Swedish coffee (again thanks to Rich and DeAngela) steeping in it as we speak. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and join me in a cup.

As Elliott Green notes in his legal argument (see http://www.think-israel.org/green.sanremo.html), The San Remo decision for the Jewish National Home was ratified by the League of Nations in 1922 and endorsed by a joint resolution of the United States Congress that same year, with a more official US endorsement coming in the Anglo-American Convention on Palestine (proclaimed 1925).

When the UN was founded in 1945, it reaffirmed through its Charter the existing territorial rights of peoples as they had been before the war (Article 80). This applied of course to the Jewish National Home. However, many or most people today are either not aware that the whole country constituted the Jewish National Home, or believe that the UN had somehow eliminated this status and, in any case, had fixed legal boundaries for Israel through the 1947 Partition Resolution. Yet the 1947 resolution was passed by the General Assembly. And all General Assembly resolutions on political issues are merely recommendations.

The UN Charter states, defining the powers of the various UN bodies: "The General Assembly may discuss any questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security... and... may make recommendations with regard to any such question" (Article 11; also see Arts. 10, 12, 13, 14). Only the Security Council can make binding resolutions, according to the Charter.

Now the Partition Plan, in a not uncommon display of political irrealism, recommended two states in the former mandatory Palestine west of the Jordan, one Jewish and one Arab, plus a special status for Jerusalem (The British had separated Transjordan unilaterally from the Jewish National Home in 1922, although not de jure). The Holy City was to be an internationally governed corpus separatum. While the Jewish leadership accepted the Plan, the Arab governments and local Arab leadership universally rejected it. After the war had begun the UN made no effort to prevent the invasion of the country by Arab states, to prevent Arab attacks on Jews within the country or to eliminate the Arab siege of the Jews in Jerusalem, a city where Jews had been the majority at least since 1870. Thus Israel did not feel bound by the Partition recommendation. Professor Eugene Rostow, an authority on international law, has pointed out that the Arab war on Israel of 1947-49, "made the Partition Plan irrelevant."

The demand, therefore, by the current administration in the White House (operating in agreement with the demands of the Arab League) that Israel return to the lines originally outlined by the partition of 1947-1949 ignores completely the fact that lands being illegally occupied by the Palestinians were legitimately restored to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. For anyone – our nation’s leaders especially – to demand that Israel give those lands back in exchange for peace is illogical and hypocritical. Once you start down that road, one could logically argue that the United States should give back Texas and California to Mexico (and there are a group of radicals – La Raza, for example – who are pushing for just that!)

It simply flies in the face of reason! That’s never going to happen, and any effort at a government level to begin negotiating such an action would be regarded as treason. By the same token, for the U.S. – or any other national entity – to presuppose that Israel should surrender territory won by the blood of its soldiers and its citizens, and (more than that) territory given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by God as an everlasting inheritance (the Hebrew text renders the word “o’lam” eternity, or: eternity of eternities, perpetual, to a point in time beyond the vanishing point [Gesenius] – see Genesis 17:8,19 – is arrogant beyond words!

Getting back to the San Remo Accord, it is important to understand that nothing has changed since that charter was given for the reestablishment of the Jewish homeland. No legally binding action of any kind has taken place which abrogated that charter. The fact that the Arab nations refused to agree to a two-state solution recommended by the United Nations negated the whole idea of a separate “Palestine.”

There has never been a nation or state recognized internationally as Palestine – just a designated region of the Middle East. Politically speaking, Israel has agreed conceptually to a Palestinian state, but that agreement has always been founded upon the basic tenet that the Arab peoples who call themselves “Palestinians” must agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The “Palestinians” have never agreed to recognize Israel as a Jewish state – ever!

Although Israel was already legally entitled to what was being referred to as “the West Bank,” “Gaza,” the Sinai and “the Golan” under the San Remo Accord, when Egypt, Jordan and Syria attacked Israel in 1967, Israel won those territories by right of conquest; and they both legally and by right of war have the absolute claim to those lands. Any suggestion to the contrary is based in utter ignorance of the laws, charters and internationally recognized claims of war.

We could take this argument farther, but that pretty much covers it. Let’s talk now about Israel’s destiny.

The Scripture actually speaks of four Israels. If that sounds really strange, let me explain.

1. The first Israel we would describe as “Political or Secular Israel.” This is represented by the governing leadership – the political structure that governs the nation’s day-to-day activities. This leadership is (to quote Carl Gallups) “thoroughly secularized and Godless.” This Israel simply reflects the sin nature in the same way that political or secular leadership of other nations is sinful and Godless.

2. The second is “Religious Israel.” This is that part of the people or nation that practices Orthodox Judaism. Jesus often addressed the religious people of that era – the Scribes and Pharisees – rebuking them for their adherence to legalistic obedience while utterly ignoring the spiritual nature of their whole existence as a people.

3. Third is the geographical land that God gave by covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Prophecies abound throughout Scripture – both Old and New Testaments – in which geographical Israel plays an important role. Many of the O.T. prophets prophesied the day when Israel – the people – would be restored to their land, and their land to them.

4. And fourth is what we could call “Spiritual Israel.” Paul goes to great lengths in Romans to lay out the picture of the Israel of God’s destiny, describing it as those Jews (or Israelites) who accept Yeshua HaMaschiach (Jesus (the) Christ), along with the grafted-in peoples of all the nations of the world who also turn from their idols to worship Him.

It is important to make a distinction here before we continue.

Isaiah often prophesied of and to Jerusalem and in so doing, prophesying to Israel (the nation) as a whole. But he made a clear distinction (just as David did) between Jerusalem (the city) and Zion, where his Tabernacle sat (as the place of intimacy, the place of God’s Parousia) His immediate presence. Jerusalem was the larger picture of God’s people. Zion was the picture of a holy, set apart, always-in-tune-with-Him people whom Jesus likened to the five wise virgins.

While Jerusalem always represented God’s people as a whole, Zion was the place where David established his Tabernacle. It was the place of continuous praise, worship, prayer and intercession, all taking place before the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the marriage between the Lord and His Chosen and Called-Out Bride.

There are numerous references to Zion as “the city of David” – a phrase which many have taken to apply to Jerusalem as a whole. However, what gets missed in the translation from Hebrew is the fact that Zion (tsiyon in Hebrew) actually means: a conspicuous place, a monument or guiding pillar. The term, Zion, was initially meant to apply to the place of David’s Tabernacle. David’s Tabernacle was set on a high place so that Israel could see it as a visible reference – a mark of God’s presence and covenant in and with the land. David’s appointment of the families of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun became a visual and audible representation of the seven-lamped Golden Candlestick. The Golden Candlestick (in Moses’ Tabernacle) signified the worship of a loving Bride with its flames of passion burning day and night.

The name, Jerusalem, is a compound name with two root words: yeru, [yaru] [yarush] (Jerus), meaning: foundations (or: to found or establish); and: Salem, shalam [shalom], meaning: peace, safety, to be complete, to be prosperous, to be restored, restitution. We reduce it to: “the foundations of peace.”

You may recall that this city was first established by Shem, the son of Noah. It began as a citadel in the years after the great flood. Shem built it as a city and a place of safety for his bride, and named it Salem. He occupied this citadel and exerted righteous influence throughout the land of Canaan and much of the Middle East for roughly 500 years. (It’s not a wonder, therefore, that they referred to him as being without father or mother, without beginning or ending of days! He outlived many generations.)

Because of his act of tracking down Nimrod with a band of twelve men following the scattering of people at Babel, killing Nimrod, cutting his body up into twelve pieces and sending a piece to each of the rulers in the region with the message “Thus shall it be done to those who rise up against God,” the inhabitants of the land began to refer to him as Malkiy – Tsedeq (the King of Right or Righteousness). We have his name Anglicized as “Melchizedek.”

Following Shem’s death in the year that Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, the descendants of Canaan’s son, Jerus, (Canaan was the firstborn son of Ham, Shem’s brother) moved into the citadel and began to occupy it. Because Jerus had developed a military tactic of crushing the grain fields of his enemies and rendering the grains unplantable for a new crop, his sons renamed him from “Jerus” to “Jebus,” which means “crushing.” Thus the city of Salem became known throughout some five-to-six centuries as “Jebus” (the city of the Jebusites) until David captured it. Once David had the city, and once the Tabernacle of David occupied Zion, the city became known forever as Jerusalem – Yerushalayim.

We thus have two distinct characteristics within Jerusalem – that of the city and its occupants, and that of Zion as the place of David’s Tabernacle, and ultimately Solomon’s Temple (on the adjoining hill). Jerusalem became known as “the city of God,” (i.e., the City of God’s people). Zion was distinguished within the city as the place of covenant, the place of intimacy, the place of praise and worship.

You therefore have a people of God; and within that people is a smaller, more intimate group of people near to the heart of God whose entire existence revolves about seeing that His heart’s desires are met and fulfilled. It has become the picture of the body of Christ at large – we often refer to it in error as “the Church” – and within that larger body is a small segment, a remnant if you will, of people prophetic Scriptures identify as “the Bride.” (I won’t take the time in this discussion to deal with this subject at length since it would take us too far afield from our central point.)

I’ve said all that to say this, Israel’s future and destiny are spoken of prophetically throughout the Word. Let’s address the geographical land of Israel, the Jewish people, and Jerusalem to begin with.

Isaiah 62:1-4: For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the nations and peoples (Gentiles) shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name (shem: character, makeup, personality), which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

Isaiah 65:8-10: Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

It is important to remember that Isaiah is prophesying directly to Israel. While there certainly is a spiritual relevance to these prophecies that applies to the body of Christ, and to the Bride in this day, that is only one part of the picture. Israel was Isaiah’s focus, and he is literally covering the different parts of the nation in these words.

He first addresses the people AND the city of Jerusalem (For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness); he then speaks to the land (neither shall thy land any more be termed desolate). This prophetic word all by itself makes clear that Jerusalem will never be given over to an Arab nation or people as its capital.

Now Isaiah addresses some of the geographical aspects of the land of Israel when he says, “I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.” While Isaiah refers to the “seed out of Jacob” he literally speaks to all the territory that God promised to Abraham – and that’s a whole lot more than Israel currently occupies! “Judah” is modern-day “Judea and Samaria” in the West Bank.

Next he refers to opposite sides of the country: Sharon, which is a 30-mile stretch of land bordering the Mediterranean beginning just south of modern-day Haifa and extending south toward Netanya; and the “Valley of Achor” which runs along both sides of the Jordan River (both East and West Bank) and encompasses the area formerly occupied by the ancient city of Jericho.

I’m running short of time today so let’s get to the pictures of both religious (Orthodox Judaism) and spiritual Israel.

Consider Paul’s statement as Romans 11 begins: “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.”

Clearly God has not forsaken His people. Paul was a Pharisee, a member of Orthodox Judaism, before his Damascus road experience. Now he speaks to Israel’s redemption – AND to ours as the seed of Abraham by faith!

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. (Romans 11:25-31)

Thus, Paul makes it abundantly clear that religious Israel was allowed to go into a place of spiritual blindness so that the rest of the world (the Gentiles) could have access to the mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. But that period of blindness was only for a season – not for all time!

Here’s how Jesus put it: “And they (the Jews as a whole) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24)

Without taking a lot of time to deal with the subject (it really is lengthy when you get into it) John speaks of two groups of 144,000 in Revelation.

The first group is seen as a metaphor for Israel itself: And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (Revelation 7:4)

The second group John describes as being “redeemed from among men.” And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. (Revelation 14:3-4)

The number, 144,000, is a Hebrew metaphor. It is a prophetic picture. It is 12 taken to completion. Throughout Scripture you see the number twelve appearing many times. It essentially describes a group of people in training and processing and preparation to rule. You see it in Israel, and you see it in the body of Christ at large. The 144,000 represents the completion of that training and preparation.

The two groups that John sees in Revelation, therefore, describe the completed Bride of Christ – a portion made from a trained and prepared Israel and a portion made from those grafted into Christ from among every nation and language as the seed of Abraham by faith.

Thus the destiny of Israel is our destiny as committed and sold-out believers in Jesus Christ. We are inseparable! Israel was God’s original pattern people for the world. Despite the nation’s fall into sin and departure from serving God, He would not forsake them nor abolish His covenant with them. Thus their redemption is taking place – even as we speak. I’m told by friends in Israel that an increasing number of Jewish Rabbis are coming to the recognition that Yeshua HaMaschiach was and is their promised redeemer, and that number of Rabbis is approaching the 50% level. The Lord IS going to show Himself strong on Israel’s behalf, and the nation will turn to Him!

Jesus is returning for a sold-out, committed, processed-in-the-fire, spot- and wrinkle-free Bride. That’s a people – Jews included – who DO KNOW THEIR GOD, who are strong and will do exploits! (See Daniel 11:32)

We’ve got one more Coffee Break to do on Israel: ISRAEL AND THE PSALM 83 PROPHECY. See you again, soon.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

Tags: another coffee break

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