Another Coffee Break - By Regner Capener
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Sunday, January 20, 2013
Another Coffee Break:
A New Onoma, Part 1
Felicitations!
Yes, yes! I know that's an archaic word we never see
used in the 21st Century, but it still works.
It has to be a good 17 years ago
that I first published a rather lengthy and exhaustive Open Letter to the Ekklesia titled,
"The New Onoma." It was fresh
revelation to me back then. As we all
know, Holy Spirit does not stand still.
There are many layers of revelation being peeled back for all of us as
we near the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is no exception. I was
awakened last night by Holy Spirit as He began to unfold and enlarge an even
greater understanding for me.
That said, let's lay some
foundations before you fade away, put this article down and say, "that's
all Greek to me!"
One of the tragedies of
"religion" is that it seeks to bring everything to the lowest common
denominator. Despite the best efforts of
various translators in their efforts to render the old Hebrew texts of the
O.T., as well as the Greek texts of the N.T., into today's languages in a way
that will bring some understanding and depth of the Word, even the best translations
have some common failings. The Amplified
Bible probably does the best job overall of helping folks really grasp some of
the levels and layers of revelation that are hidden beneath the surface.
Even the Amplified misses it though,
in some key areas, and it is one of those areas that I want to share with you. For God's people -- and especially the Bride
of Christ -- to really fathom the vast scope of where the Lord is taking us,
and what He will receive in a completed and well-deserved company of people who
are like Him in every respect!
I'm speaking, of course, of the
Hebrew word, shem
(pronounced like "shame"), and its Greek counterpart, onoma.
Most of you know that the name of
Noah's first son was Shem. This is precisely
the same word which gets translated in virtually every English text as the word
"name." Ever think about
it? Ever wonder why Noah's first son
would be given a name which we would simplistically translate otherwise as
nothing more than "name"?
Both Dr. William Gesenius (in his
Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon) and Dr. J. H. Thayer (in his Greek-English Lexicon)
give us a pretty clear understanding.
Let me quote two passages directly from Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon
for the sake of illustration.
"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."
"The
Onoma of God in the N.T. is used for all those qualities which, to His
worshippers, are summed up in that name, and by which God makes Himself known
to men; it is therefore equivalent to His divinity, His divine majesty and
perfections so far forth as these are apprehended, named, and magnified."
To this we can add a portion of
Gesenius' definition of shem: "definite and
conspicuous position; an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality;
by implication: honor, authority, character."
We can therefore safely illustrate
and translate the word shem
and/or onoma by saying that this is
representative of one's character, their personality, their makeup and -- to
sum it up in a single descriptive phrase -- the very essence of who and what
they are!
Are you getting the picture? Fine!
Now let's go back to Shem.
Without repeating all of the events
that followed the Flood, the horrific nature of what Ham did to his father,
Noah, the way in which Shem took the lead with his other brother, Japheth, to
deal with Ham's atrocity (this is clear, by the way, in the structure of the
Hebrew text of Genesis 9:23), and the peculiar phraseology of the blessing
which came upon Shem as a result (see Genesis 9:26), suffice it to say that
Shem became the representation of the character, the nature and the very makeup
of the Lord. (I would really like to
explore this further with you, and maybe I'll get to do that in a later Coffee
Break.) He was the shem
of the Lord in the earth until the Blessing could be passed on to Abraham, and
he lived through 13 generations until Joseph was 17 years old and sold into
slavery in Egypt.
You may wonder where I'm going with
all of this, but be patient. I'm still
laying some more foundations.
As the shem
of the Lord, Shem (the son of Noah) became the blessing of the Lord in flesh
and blood. In a very real sense of the
word, he became a forerunner, a shadow if you will, of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He became the Blessing -- the
Word -- made flesh and dwelling in the earth.
Without getting into all of the history behind it -- and I've already
talked about this in previous articles -- Shem's identity for all practical
purposes became known with what we have anglicized into Melchizedek (or as the
Hebrew text puts it: Malkiy - Tsedeq), the King of Righteousness.
To
help understand the basis under which onoma – and its Hebrew
counterpart, shem, – were and are
used as a part of God's economy, names were given at birth (or creation, in the
case of Adam and Eve) as a prophecy of what children would become. In most cases those names represented either
blessing, or the fulfillment of some promise of the Lord, or the prophesying of
some blessing to come. In some cases,
the names represented the judgment of the Lord.
In a few cases, they epitomized a curse which was to come (witness
Ichabod: the Glory has departed). In
every case, the child grew to become the living example – a prophetic picture
of that name which was given at birth.
Integrated into
this system of giving names (which God ordained at Creation), we also have the
several recorded instances (e.g., “Abram” into “Abraham;” “Jacob” into “Israel;”
the aforementioned “Shem” into “Melchizedek;” “Saul of Tarsus” into “Paul,”
etc.) in which names were changed by the Lord to represent the change of
nature, character and makeup he brought about (or was bringing about) in them.
Earlier we said that religion tends
to drag things down to the lowest common denominator. In this instance, we have the word,
"name," throughout Scripture translated from both shem and onoma, and
unfortunately the true implications of the original text have been lost, or at
the very least, glossed over in such a way that the use of "name" has
become a religious formula in many instances.
We cast out demons "in Jesus'
name" as though Jesus' name is some kind of magic amulet. The lesson of the seven sons of Sceva in Acts
19 has largely gotten lost among many Christians. Folks often give their children names without
a clue as to the prophetic significance of what they are doing. "Christ in us, the hope of Glory"
is an almost ethereal, mystical concept without any real grasp of the authority
and power invested, and being "in Christ" has become a religious
catch phrase.
He was not
intending the use of His name as some magic formula to ward off or drive out
evil spirits. His intention was that we
would come against them in His onoma. See the difference? Are you beginning to see where we are headed
with this? We're not talking a formula. We're not talking about using the name,
Jesus, or the name, Yeshua, or the name, Jehovah, or the name Immanuel, or any
one of the other names used to describe Him throughout the Word.
I have a friend
in Puerto Rico whose name is Je-sus.
That's a hyphenated pronunciation.
I have Hispanic friends who are likewise named Je-sus, or Jesus (if you
prefer). Get the idea? It's not about rattling off a Greek
pronunciation of Yeshua that has all that authority or power. It's about functioning, operating, living,
existing, being in the very character and personality, the makeup of who and
what Jesus (or Yeshua), the Son of God IS!
In John 5:43 -
44, Jesus addresses the unbelief of the Pharisees and Sadducees, saying,
"I
have come in my Father's onoma, and you refuse to receive me; (yet) if
someone else comes in their onoma, you will receive them. How is it that you can willingly receive
glory or honor from one another, and yet the (true) glory which comes from the
Father, you don't bother to seek at all?" (my translation)
Jesus wanted to
make it clear that He was operating in, through and by the very onoma, the shem
of Father God Himself! He came in
Father's nature. He came in Father's authority and power. He came as the literal, living extension of
Father -- and He demonstrated it over and over and over and over and over again
-- and again and again and again, ad infinitum!
Got that? Try this one on:
"And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. If you ask
anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13,14 KJV)
Ever ask yourself
why it doesn't seem to always work? How
many of you have asked many requests "in Jesus' name" and puzzled
over the fact that you asked "correctly," and nothing happened. In fact your requests were even Scriptural --
you weren't asking for some far out, fanciful thing. You asked on behalf of someone's needs, or
perhaps prayed for someone's
healing. But nothing happened.
I'm not being
critical or accusatory here. We've all
experienced this! The answer is
simple. The requests were made "in
Jesus' name" -- not His onoma. No request goes unanswered when made in His onoma. Now you may think this is just splitting
hairs, or playing at semantics, but the difference is crucial, and should
become very clear as you see the picture of His onoma unfold.
For us to BE in
His onoma, for us to live in His onoma.....well, that's a process, folks! And I've yet to meet anyone who got there
overnight.
Let's see....how
was it that Jesus put it? "Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? And then
will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity." (Matthew 7:22-23,
KJV)
Ouch! Ouch!
Ouch! Jesus' name IS
powerful. Demons hate it! But there's a huge differentiation between
spouting the "name" and being IN the name. Jesus makes it clear in this instance that
the fundamental distinction is having an intimate relationship with Him. Intimacy develops a knowing of how someone
thinks, what their desires are, what their goals and purposes are, what they
are made of.
So why make such
a point of all this? Because it is
integral to understanding -- not just the book of Revelation, but -- the
promises of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, to that individual and corporate
Bride He has called unto Himself.
To
be able to clearly understand the significance of this "new onoma," then, we must first
understand the baseline onoma
of the Lord Jesus Christ by which the "new onoma" is established.
We must first comprehend the basis of Jesus’ makeup and character, the
essence of who and what He is and has been, before we can come into an
understanding of what He will be – and what we must be -- at the time this
promise is fulfilled.
The
Revelation, which John saw and wrote, encompasses a single letter to the
Bride. It contains a theme which is
repeated eight times, "To
him that overcometh."
That really
is what this discussion is all about.
This is where I want us to go as we explore the onoma of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the "new onoma" John prophesied in Revelation 2:17 and
3:12.
The
Revelation begins with defining the onoma
of the Lord in, and as,
"the seven spirits of God." (see Revelation
1:4) Four times throughout the
Revelation, the "seven spirits of God" are mentioned as the standard by which
everyone (and everything) is judged.
Twice,
a promise is made of receiving a new onoma "to
him that overcometh," and twice we see that new onoma in the foreheads of the
overcomers.
[Allow
me to pause momentarily here to point out that the significance of this
prophecy of the new onoma being in the foreheads of the overcomers relates to
the thought patterns, the mindset, the kinds of choices -- in other words, the
way a person thinks, both consciously and unconsciously. The overcomer, in this instance, overcomes
the way the world thinks. The overcomer
gains victory over the Enemy's mindset and agenda.
The
use of this phrase "in the forehead" occurs numerous times throughout
the Word, and it is a common Hebrew metaphor to denote one's mindset, their
will, their thought patterns. Witness,
therefore, David taking Goliath down with a stone in his forehead. It was a prophetic act to denote the
authority and power of God striking down a mindset of rebellion and hatred of
God and His people. (That's a whole
different study, and I won't take time to explore that one today.)]
John
began his letters to the seven Ekklesias like this:
"John to the seven Ekklesias which are in Asia: Grace be
unto you, and peace from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and
from the seven Spirits which are (enopion) in
the place of and occupy (before, KJV) His throne." (Revelation 1:4) He begins this Revelation by establishing the
fact that it is the Seven Spirits who are in the place of rulership – that
these Seven Spirits are the very character and makeup, the essence of God
Himself.
As
he addresses the Ekklesia in Sardis, he says, "These things
says He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars." (Revelation 3:1) In this attention-getter, John uses the
totality of the Lord’s makeup as the yardstick by which Sardis is
measured. (Several years ago I did a rather lengthy series titled Seven Nations, Seven Letters in which
this subject is covered much more exhaustively.
It is available upon request.)
In
Revelation 4:5, John writes, "Out of the throne proceeded
lightnings, and thunders, and sounds; and seven lamps of fire burning before
the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." Now he illustrates a very basic part of the
nature and makeup of the Lord in the picture of these lamps of fire, and I will
deal with this as we go forward with this discussion.
Clear
enough so far? In case you think that
I'm really stretching a point to say that the seven Spirits of God comprise the
onoma of Jesus Christ, read on.
John
makes his fourth reference to these seven Spirits of God in Revelation 5:6,
where he says, "And I saw and beheld in the midst of the throne and the
four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as
having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of God which have been sent into all the earth."
Finally,
John makes clear that the Lamb which was slain (whom they all knew to be Jesus
Christ) was He in whom consisted the Seven Spirits of God.
I
won't take the time in this discussion to deal with all of these metaphors
since they are peripheral to that which
the Holy Spirit is saying concerning the new onoma. It is important,
however, to identify these seven Spirits, and that's where we will begin in the
next Coffee Break.
See you soon!
Blessings
on you!
Regner
Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES
CAPENER MINISTRIES
709 South 7thStreet
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
(509) 515-0133
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Friday, January 11, 2013
Another
Coffee Break:
A
Virtuous Woman,
Part
2
Greetings
and Solutions to all of you!
OK. That was supposed to be “Salutations” but
”solutions” works, too.
This
was intended to be the final Coffee Break for the year 2012, but events
conspired to hold it up until January.
Nevertheless, I want to finish up this discussion on the virtuous
woman.
This
is also the completion of our eighth year of publication of these articles and
discussions and the beginning of our ninth year. For those of you who may not have yet
noticed, or gone there, http://www.RegnersMorningCoffee.com
is our new site. Rich Hoffman has done a
spectacular job of transferring eight years of articles, photos and music to the
new site. Recordings which sample many
years of praise and worship in our gatherings are available for download free of
charge. Just click on the tab that says
“Music,” and you'll see a wide assortment of available recordings. Changes and refinements to the website will
continue for awhile.
As
I write this Coffee Break, I’m in Anchorage.
Della and I are staying with our daughter, Danielle, and her husband,
Anthony, (and, of course, their two boys, Anthony, Jr. and Joseph) during the
transition period until we complete the purchase of a new home here. That will hopefully be completed by the end
of January. We just realized that this
is the very first Christmas holiday season we’ve gotten to spend with Danielle,
Anthony and family in the 20 years they’ve been married. We’ve had Christmas with most of our other
children at different times, so this year was a treat for us.
Although
we will likely commute back and forth fairly frequently to the Yakima Valley for
the foreseeable future for continuing ministry there, the primary responsibility
for the fellowship has been transferred to Gary and Vicky Hyndman. Gary & Vicky are a brother and sister in
the Lord who have a rich and seasoned background and heritage in the Lord, and
with whom we have had the joy of fellowship and communion for the past couple of
years.
One
of the joys of being able to move on with freedom and liberty in the areas of
ministry God has called Della and me to – and especially the upcoming labors in
the arctic – is the backing, the unwavering prayer and intercessory support we
have from the families to whom the Lord has joined us during the past seven
years of ministry. There is a level of
confidence that no words can properly express.
We have a constant sense of having been joined by Holy Spirit in
Ekklesia, along with the sense of teamwork and koinonia that comes with Ekklesia.
That
said; let’s get on with today’s discussion.
Here again is the passage from Proverbs 31.
"Who
can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart
of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool,
and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and
giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
"She
considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a
vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is
good: her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea,
she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household
are clothed with scarlet. She
maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and
purple.
"Her
husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the
land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth
it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing;
and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of
kindness. She looketh well to the ways
of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praiseth her.
"Many
daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty
is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be
praised. Give her of the fruit of her
hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."
I’ve
said this before, and it bears repeating.
For years – many years, in fact – I always regarded this passage as a
model of perfection for a wife, and one that was more theoretical than
practical. How in the world do you find
a wife who meets all of those qualifications?
Of
COURSE
it was the Word of God! Of course it had to be real because the
Word clearly says so! But that was a long ways from reality for me – and
just about every friend or acquaintance I knew! That’s no put down, by the way, of my
Mother. The Lord obviously designed her
specifically for my Dad, and particularly, to flow with him in an extraordinary
way in laboring under sometimes nearly impossible conditions in the arctic. Mom was an unusual individual. She was a one-of-a-kind, and everyone who
ever knew her would agree! There simply
wasn’t another one like her – but that’s another topic, and I won’t go there
today.
Not
until the Lord joined Della and me, and the years began to unfold in our
relationship, did I realize that this picture of the virtuous woman was more
than a theoretical ideal. It was and is
a reality, and I’ve had the privilege of living it and seeing it unfold in front
of my eyes for nearly thirty years. It
made the Song of Solomon come alive to me and peeled away layers of revelation
in the Word which had been hidden.
Consider
the picture in the Song of Solomon. This is a slightly different kind of woman,
but from every standard of measure, she is
I’m quoting from my own amplified translation of the Hebrew metaphors
that abound throughout, and picking up in Chapter 1, verse 4:
(1:4)
(Much later as the radiant Shulamite leaves the bedchamber, the young maidens
gather around her.) "We have prepared a celebration -- a feast of wine -- for
you" (As they all gather together, the
obvious questions arise.) "What makes you so different from us? Why did He choose you? We have a real desire to know and understand
so that if an opportunity arises for us, we will be ready! Your obvious display of love together gives
us something to contemplate and consider.
You have our sincere appreciation!
We are genuinely blessed by what you have shown together.
(1:5)
(Without hesitation, she responds.) "Although I am beautiful and desirable for
Him to look upon, the real answer goes much deeper. There is a "search" that goes on in the heart
of every person -- a seeking after one's counterpart -- for their "other
self." I have spent my life searching
for the man who is my "other self," knowing deep inside that when I found him,
an inner joining would occur -- a linking up to form a whole being instead of
two partial beings. That inner joining
occurred when we met and came to know each other. Just as our society views the tents of Kedar
as a symbol of strength, authority, loyalty to family, protectiveness, and the
absence of pretense, so does my lord, the King, see built in me a commitment to
those values. He sees in me a mobility,
a flexibility, a willingness to pick up and go -- to follow him wherever he
desires to go. In the same way that the
curtains of his chamber shimmer and ripple in their color and transparent
beauty, so also does Solomon see an inner transparency to me -- and a physical
body which shimmers and ripples with movement, to his great delight! This is what he looked for in a bride, and
why he chose me."
(1:6)
"Because you normally expect a woman who is taken in marriage to have been
prepared indoors, away from the sun, with oils and spices and perfumes for
several weeks or months, you look on me with shock because my skin is deeply
tanned. Ignore that! My preparation came another way! Instead of scrubbing my skin, washing it, and
rubbing it with oils and spices, my spirit and inner being have been scrubbed
through the washing of trying experiences.
For years have I been in the furnace of affliction with my supposed
"friends" and family. They hated me. They were angry and extremely jealous of
me. My family thought to rid themselves
of my presence by forcing me to tend the vineyards. I was made vulnerable to wild animals, thieves
and robbers. They exposed me to the
elements of nature: the storms, the wind and the rain, and the hot sun. I became responsible for work my brothers were
supposed to do. Because I was responsible for keeping several vineyards, I
couldn't keep up with all of them. Consequently, my own vineyard fell into
neglect, and my reputation went with it.
The constant exposure to danger and hard work with the attendant
problems, and watching God's provision and deliverance through those years,
developed something in my spirit more important to the King than scrubbed skin,
olive oil and spices..."
The picture of the Shulamite is the epitome of the virtuous
woman. This is a woman who, despite the
arrows of accusation concerning her appearance and her alleged failure to take
care of her own business and personal reputation, has met every qualification to
be chosen by the King (Solomon) as his bride, his counterpart -- his "other
self," if you please. How could that
be?
The virtuous woman is more than an exterior beauty. She is much more than what the world today
refers to as "a trophy wife." As we all
know, physical looks and youthful beauty seem to fade through the years for most
of us. Appearance has its place, but of
long lasting importance and significance is character, integrity, honor and
grace -- all of which exist in an atmosphere of true love. Along with that goes patience, commitment,
initiative and a willingness to take on things that are greater than
oneself. Now, add to all of that the
willingness and purpose of this virtuous woman to fit herself into the very
makeup and personality of her husband, to complete those areas of him that are
lacking or insufficient, to round him out into a complete
being.
What am I describing,
folks?
We're talking about the Bride of
Christ!
This passage from the Song of Solomon is descriptive of a
preparation process that takes place.
Notice that the Shulamite has been through the fire, in a manner of
speaking. She has been exposed to every
form of danger. Yet, she has not only
tended to a business of her own (albeit falling short because of her care of the
business affairs of "friends and family"), she has ministered to the needs of
the aforementioned friends and family and maintained a right spirit in the midst
of everything.
In case you missed it, folks, that's pretty rare in the
world today! She is an admittedly
beautiful woman to look at (Solomon wouldn't have chosen someone who wasn't),
but more than that, she has the kind of beauty that shines out from within a
character that has overcome obstacles, the storms of life, persecution and
opposition on every hand. She exhibits a
peace and tranquility and a self-confidence that comes from the constant
presence of the Lord. Besides all that,
she has the self-possessed attributes that come from watching the deliverance of
the Lord and His protection over her no matter what she went
through.
Now, go back and take another look at the woman described
in Proverbs 31.
This woman has the best interests of her husband and her
husband's reputation at heart. She looks
after the needs of her children and even the household retainers -- the
servants, the maids, etc. She's not
afraid of hard work and puts "the pedal to the metal" in order to ensure that
her business endeavors are successful.
She is particular and tasteful in her choices. She has a vision for the future -- not only
for her own labors, but also for her husband's esteem and reputation in the
community.
Out of her mouth comes grace and peace. Out of her spirit comes wisdom and
understanding. Her counsel is sought
after by her husband, her children, her family at large and the community of
which she is a part. Her words are backed
with integrity.
In spite of her personal successes and the praise she
receives -- not only from her husband, but her children, her family in general,
and the community at large -- she has a clear and uncompromised understanding
that everything she has and everything she does can be directly attributed to
the favor of the Lord.
Now! We've been
speaking somewhat in metaphors and similes, but let's bring this down to earth a
bit. This, my friends, is exactly what
the King of Kings, our Lord and coming Bridegroom, has been after in His Bride:
the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31.
Jesus Christ is coming back for a virtuous woman. Consider what John saw and wrote in Revelation
19:6-7:
"And
I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. 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."
Contrary to a lot of unfortunate and erroneous doctrine
which has been preached throughout the body of Christ for well over a century,
the Bride of Christ is NOT going to be made ready WHEN Jesus returns. The Bride of Christ will have readied herself
so that Jesus will have something and someone to come back to and
for!
This is no namby-pamby, Caesar-Milquetoast, quiet and meek
lady! This is an overcomer! This is a warrior! This is a lady who wields the sword of the
Lord boldly, but carefully and accurately, tearing down the Enemy's
strongholds. This is a virtuous woman
whose integrity is that of the Lord Himself!
When she opens her mouth to speak, it is the authority of Jesus' voice
you hear.
When she ministers to the needy, she doesn't just "fix" the
short-term problem; she gets to the heart of the issues and brings the necessary
healing and correction needed so that the "healed" can go forth in the power of
that healing and duplicate what they've received. Whereas the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31
might well have been considered a "miracle worker" because she was able to
juggle so many different things at the same time and accomplish them
successfully, the virtuous woman Jesus is after is literally immersed in Him, in
His character and makeup, in His personality.
She's not just "supernatural"; she is naturally supernatural, and
supernaturally natural!
That's because she and He have been blended together into a
complete being! You'll excuse me, I
trust, for using this personal example, but when people see Della, they see
me. When they see me, they see
Della. It's simple, really. I'm me because of, and with Della. She is who she is because I am blended into
her personality and character. We
complete each other.
So it is with the virtuous woman prophesied of in Proverbs
31. She fulfils, she completes, she
rounds out everything that Jesus is. She
is the expansion of His personality. She
is the augmentation of His love, His authority, His grace and His power! She is everything He has been looking for and
waiting for these thousands of years since the first words of Creation were
first spoken.
The virtuous woman is the "what and why" Jesus suffered and
died, and rose again destroying death in the process in order to win for
Himself. Jesus is returning for this
virtuous woman, but He's not coming today or tomorrow. The Bride is yet to be completed, and there is
no cry -- either among the Bride, or coming from Holy Spirit -- which even
begins to sound like, "Come, Lord Jesus."
Nope!
C'mon, Family! It's
time to wake up and realize that Jesus will not return until He has a
disciplined Bride who has conformed to His image -- not their religious image of
what they are supposed to be. This is a
people who, when He comes, will make Him proud, joyful, and absolutely pleased
in every respect with what He receives!
See you again, soon!
Bobby
Connor is a brother in the Lord whom I first met back in the 1970's. He is a strong and clear prophetic voice to
the body of Christ in this hour. Here is
a portion of a prophecy recently delivered by him:
God's Holy Spirit is
stirring His people! The King of kings is
awakening warriors to take their place, to join the victorious, joyful band of
Believers known as the overcomers, those who stand strong for King Jesus and
carry His glory and love throughout the earth (1 John
5:4)!
As
followers of this glorious King, each one of us is called and commissioned by
the Spirit of God to become mighty warriors of God. What is a warrior? One who has experienced many battles and has
defeated every enemy. One who succeeds without fail! The warrior,
however, is not a common soldier.
Warriors demonstrate nobility and honor, bravery and fearlessness, and,
above all, radical devotion to their Leader.
Warriors will die for their king!
You may well be
asking, "Me? A mighty warrior?" Yes,
you! Does this calling sound
impossible? It is! Is this beyond your strength and
ability?
Absolutely!
Our identity as
warriors of God is only possible because we, in ourselves, are now dead! We have been crucified with Christ. We no longer live: our lives have been bought
by His Blood at Calvary. Christ now lives as God's Warrior in and through us!
"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
During
these perilous, dark days, we can be fearless champions because Christ, living
within and through us, has already "overcome the world" (see also Joshua
1:7). We don't have to overcome; Christ
already has. He is the mighty Lion of
Judah! He is the King of kings! Remember His promise: "Greater is He that is in you,
than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The
apostle Paul reminds us that we are NOW more than conquerors in and through
Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37).
(For the rest of this prophecy, go to: http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=11756.
Blessings on you!
Regner
Regner A. CapenerCAPENER MINISTRIES 709 South 7thStreet
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
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