Another Coffee Break - By Regner Capener
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Preparing the Bride of Christ For His Return By Janet Van Hierdan
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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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