Another Coffee Break - By Regner Capener
Powered by Blogger.
Preparing the Bride of Christ For His Return By Janet Van Hierdan
A Tale of Two Brides is now available on Amazon.com:
Translate
Thursday, March 22, 2012
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, 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
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
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
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
CAPENER MINISTRIES
709 South 7th 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.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.
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.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
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.
"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
CAPENER MINISTRIES
709 South 7th 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.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.
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.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
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.
"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)
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.
"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)
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
CAPENER MINISTRIES
709 South 7th 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.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.
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.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)