Preparing the Bride of Christ For His Return By Janet Van Hierdan
A Tale of Two Brides is now available on Amazon.com:
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Aphiémi Healing, Part 4
November 15, 2013
Greetings!
Some years back, Della and I were at Saint Paul Island, Alaska helping my parents. Dad's health was failing and he needed to get off the island for some medical attention, so we put aside our personal affairs for about a year to help prepare for the winter ahead.
Della had taken the opportunity to enroll in some extension courses being offered by the University of Alaska while there and headed out the door one night for her computer class. Less than a hundred feet from the front door, she was stricken with a severe attack on her kidneys. The doctor had already told her that her kidneys were failing and that she should expect major surgery in the months or years ahead. The potential for a kidney transplant loomed in the background.
She managed to make it back to the house to tell me what she was fighting and then passed out from the excruciating pain. I picked her up and carried her across the way to the church building where we had our bedroom. Laying her on the bed, I knelt down, placed my hand on her abdomen and began praying in tongues with a great deal of volume (!) and continued on for some 30 minutes nonstop.
She awoke and sat up on the bed, tested things rather gingerly and realized that she was totally pain-free. The evidence of the miracle that had taken place, however, took place over a period of weeks and months as we both realized that the Lord had healed her completely of all kidney issues. That took place some 25 years ago, and to this day, Della has been completely free of kidney problems and all related pain. She was delivered from what had been years of kidney issues and recurring pain.
My sharing of this event is simply to make you aware that sometimes it is that kind of persistence which is required to bring about the miracle(s) of healing we need.
Once again we pick up with our discussion from Mark 9:41-50 from the Amplified Version:
"For I tell you truly, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to and bear the name of Christ will by no means fail to get his reward. And whoever causes one of these little ones (these believers) who acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin, it would be better (more profitable and wholesome) for him if a [huge] millstone were hung about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
"And if your hand puts a stumbling block before you and causes you to sin, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to go into life [that is really worthwhile] maimed than with two hands to go to hell (Gehenna), into the fire that cannot be put out.
"And if your foot is a cause of stumbling and sin to you, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter into life [that is really worthwhile] crippled than, having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna).
"And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell (Gehenna),
"Where their worm [which preys on the inhabitants and is a symbol of the wounds inflicted on the man himself by his sins] does not die, and the fire is not put out. For everyone shall be salted with fire. Salt is good (beneficial), but if salt has lost its saltness, how will you restore [the saltness to] it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another."
We're focusing today on verse 47 -- the picture of one's eye causing them to stumble. We will get back to the subject of the foot and tie things together as we proceed in this discussion.
At first glance it almost seems obvious when we talk about one's eye causing them to stumble. It takes no rocket science to realize that many folks are brought down by allowing their flesh the tantalizing (?) fantasies of looking at pornography or watching X-rated flicks. It rouses the flesh, stirs the emotions and causes men and women to get lost in erotic fantasies that destroy their marriages, their families, their jobs and any real relationships. Worse, the focus of attention on these images ruins one's ability to listen to the voice of Holy Spirit. It becomes an addiction that warps one's capacity to relate in a marriage in a healthy, productive and satisfying manner.
The Fear of Death takes over and the sudden need to reproduce oneself in order to "perpetuate the species" rules the mind and spirit. It monopolizes one's mind and -- depending on how far the addiction has progressed -- transforms a person's character into exactly what Solomon describes in Proverbs 23:7.
"As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he."
The Hebrew text really opens this verse up. "As a man (or woman) opens up the gate of his(her) mind and soul [by what is focused upon], so is he conformed [to that image]."
Let's get away from the more obvious topic of pornography and get to the heart of what Jesus is warning. Consider what happened to Eve in the Garden and the sequence of events that followed.
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked."
We begin with Satan's lie: "In the day you eat, your eyes of your soul will be opened and you'll be able to see just like God sees and be on par with Him."
Get it? The beginning place of all temptation was with what the eyes focused upon.
Next, we are told that Eve did exactly that and focused her attention on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She SAW that the tree was producing tantalizingly-appearing, luscious fruit. The Hebrew text uses the word, ta'avah, which our KJV translates as "pleasant." In fact, this word draws a picture of lust, a longing for, something that greedily sucks a person into.
Once Eve's attention was focused on this attraction, she got sucked into it. She grabbed (the Hebrew, laqach, in this instance could be translated, "seized") that fruit and did exactly what God had commanded her NOT to do! She ate of it.
[Let me break away from this narrative for just a minute to share something that I saw in person when the Angel of the Lord transported me in the Spirit into the Garden some years back to watch the temptation unfold. Adam had not been privy to the conversation taking place between the Serpent and Eve, but he walked in on the conversation just as Eve was eating of the fruit. The horror on his face spoke volumes!
The thought of his suddenly losing Eve to the Serpent because of her sin was intolerable. It was unthinkable! Forgetting who he was and what he was (as having been created in the image and likeness of The Elohim), he allowed the sight of Eve's action and her subsequent offering of the fruit to him to blind his spiritual eyesight. Adam did the rational thing (rational, you understand, from a human emotional perspective): he took the offered fruit and ate of it, too.]
On a natural, thinking, human level, Adam's thought processes were redemptive. The Serpent wasn't going to get to have Eve! On a spiritual level, they were reactive and out of keeping with the redemptive ability he had, spiritually speaking, as Eve's husband. The consequences of his and Eve's actions were deadly, not only to them, but to the human race as their descendants.
The unredeemed, flesh-seeing eye -- as Jesus so perfectly described it -- causes men and women to rationalize, to think with their emotions or their natural desires. It causes folks to "think things out" instead of listening to and responding obediently to the Word of the Lord. The eye then becomes that catalyst for disobedience and offense -- both to the Lord and to others around us.
Watch the sequence that unfolds.
1. What a person sees, he focuses on and begins to think about.
2. The more he thinks about a course of action, the more likely he is to engage in business activities and relationships that are contrary to what Holy Spirit dictates. Thus, the eye causes the hand to become the means by which people stumble, cause others to stumble and place stones of stumbling before others.
3. What the person sees and thinks about becomes integrated into his character and makeup. With that flaw (or flaws) in thinking, choices are made as to what path or course of action to take. The eye therefore becomes the means by which our foot causes us to stumble. We head down a path of danger, potential destruction and ultimate death -- and in the process, take others with us. We not only become an offense to the Lord and to those around us, we cause others to likewise offend.
Consider the sequence that unfolded as a result of Adam and Eve's sin.
For a couple of thousand years, they had lived, walked and talked with God, enjoyed the fruits of the Garden environment. Never had there been any suggestion that they were unclothed. (This is a discussion I'd like to take farther, but I won't take the time in this series.) Fact is, Adam and Eve never needed clothing -- at least not the kind of clothing we wear in today's world. They were clothed in the Glory of the Lord. That Glory ruled their perceptions of one another. They simply didn't see each other as "naked." And they weren't!
What happened once they began to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? Now their perceptions were based on what the natural eye could see, and that "seeing" was predicated in humanly-acquired knowledge. It wasn't "good" that they didn't have clothes on.
So how come they suddenly needed clothes? The Glory of the Lord had been stripped away from them. They WERE naked. They were lacking in the essential ingredient that had clothed them for the past two thousand years in the Garden. They no longer had the ability to see one another after the Spirit. Now they could only see after the eyes of flesh.
The three families of fear were immediately introduced into their beings. They had, after all, opened the gate into their minds, their souls and their bodies. The knowledge of Evil opened the gateway to the granddaddy of all evil spirits: Fear of Evil.
The entry of the Fear of Evil into their beings brought with it the Fear of Man. Witness the "blame game" that followed as soon as they were challenged by God as to their disobedience. "The woman whom THOU gavest me, SHE gave me of the tree and I did eat!" Riiiiggghhhhttt!!! Well, OK! "And the woman said, THE SERPENT beguiled me -- he tricked me into eating!" Yup! We've all heard the same routine.
But wait! There's more. What was it that God had warned Adam and Eve about? Oh, yeah...."But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Yessirree!!! Adam and Eve had never been designed to die. They were, after all, created in the image and likeness of God, and He IS -- past, present and future. In Him is eternity. In Him is the eternity of the eternities! For the first time in their existence, cells began to die. Sickness was introduced into the human frame. A terminus to their existence suddenly loomed in their minds, their thoughts and their spirits. And the Fear of Death became a compromising entity in their beings.
See how the eye caused Adam and Eve to stumble? See how it brought an offense to them? See what it did to all their descendants?
Here's what Jesus had to say about it: "Where their worm [which preys on the inhabitants and is a symbol of the wounds inflicted on the man himself by his sins] does not die, and the fire is not put out."
Ahhh, but here's where aphiémi kicks in for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh (the seeing of things with the natural eye, the conducting of business after the manner and mindset of the Beast, or the walking in paths of destruction), but after the Spirit.
Is this picture from Mark 9 becoming more and more clear to you? Great!
Next week I'll try to bring all of this together to show you the picture of aphiémi, and how we have redemption and healing available as a result of the new Covenant.
A reminder: If you are in need of healing please join our prayer conference calls on either Monday, Wednesday or Friday of each week at 7:00 PM Eastern. Once again, the number to call is (805) 399-1000. Then enter the access code: 124763#.
Blessings on you!
Regner
Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES
CAPENER MINISTRIES
RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
Email Contact: Admin@RiverWorshipCenter.org
A Tale of Two Brides is now available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Brides-Relationship-ebook/dp/B00BSV6HZC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1363139096&sr=8-8&keywords=A+Tale+of+Two+Brides#_
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 available at http://www.RegnersMorningCoffee.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 remove yourself from the mailing list, please send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.To remove yourself from the mailing list, please 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.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Aphiémi Healing, Part 3
November 8, 2013
Good Morning! The miracles of healing continue throughout each week as we watch what God is doing in the lives of folks who call in to our healing conference calls. High blood pressure, stomach problems, arthritis, hip and leg issues, cancers of multiple varieties, vision problems, hearing issues, psoriasis -- you name it -- folks are being healed and delivered of these things, and a whole lot more.
As I've shared on numerous occasions, many diseases have their origins in one of the three families of fear: the Fear of Evil, or the Fear of Man, or the Fear of Death. Each of these families of fear bring on diseases unique to each type of fear. Perhaps I will do a set of Coffee Breaks dealing with the diseases outlined in Scripture that relate to each family of fear.
That said, we've been seeing folks receive deliverance from fear, and with that deliverance, healing for multiple afflictions in their bodies. Once again I remind you that these calls take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:00 PM Eastern. The call-in information is at the end of this Coffee Break. If you are in need, please join us and let us minister to you.
Let's continue with our discussion from Mark 9:41-50 from the Amplified Version:
"For I tell you truly, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to and bear the name of Christ will by no means fail to get his reward. And whoever causes one of these little ones (these believers) who acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin, it would be better (more profitable and wholesome) for him if a [huge] millstone were hung about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
"And if your hand puts a stumbling block before you and causes you to sin, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to go into life [that is really worthwhile] maimed than with two hands to go to hell (Gehenna), into the fire that cannot be put out.
"And if your foot is a cause of stumbling and sin to you, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter into life [that is really worthwhile] crippled than, having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna).
"And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell (Gehenna),
"Where their worm [which preys on the inhabitants and is a symbol of the wounds inflicted on the man himself by his sins] does not die, and the fire is not put out. For everyone shall be salted with fire. Salt is good (beneficial), but if salt has lost its saltness, how will you restore [the saltness to] it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another."
We talked about the issue of the hand, and how it relates to disease and sickness in the last Coffee Break. This week let's take up the next area that Jesus addresses from Mark 9:45 -- the issue of one's foot causing you to stumble, and how this specifically relates to one's health and/or healing.
"And if your foot is a cause of stumbling and sin to you, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter into life [that is really worthwhile] crippled than, having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna)."
In the same way the previous statement concerning the hand was revelatory, this is likewise. The reference to one's foot is a common Hebrew metaphor for that which supports you, your stability, the path of life you choose and walk in. The Hebrew text in the Old Testament uses the word, regel, and the Greek text of the New Testament uses the word, pous. Once again, the translation from either the Hebrew or the Greek represents endurance, strength, stability, reputation, character; it is a unique measure of time (from the standpoint of how long you walk in a certain way, how long you support yourself and endure in something); and finally, it is a picture of direction -- which path you choose to walk in.
Let's take a look at some references throughout the Word which clearly illustrate these descriptions.
Our first illustration comes from Deuteronomy 28:15, 33-35, and while this statement certainly figured under the Law of Moses, there is a spiritual principle I'd like to deal with which is revealed quite clearly.
"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:.........A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. So you shall be driven mad because of the sight which your eyes see. The Lord will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head."
Three manifestations of disobedience to the Word of the Lord -- sin, if you will -- appear in this short passage: (1) poverty, continual lack, having the work of your hands destroyed time after time after time; (2) blindness or vision problems; and (3) skin problems and blood issues. The picture of the foot in this instance is that the disease becomes so great you cannot stand or walk -- hence, you have chosen a path of disobedience to what God has instructed you.
Are you seeing the picture? Bear with me, folks! I know there are a lot of folks who will say, "Well, that's just Old Testament. We live under Grace and not under the Law." Sorry, people, but it doesn't work that way! Grace is not an excuse to disobey the Word of the Lord. The Spirit of Grace and Supplications (Zechariah 12:10) -- the fifth of the Seven Spirits of God -- is not just Grace as a standalone part of God's nature: this spirit includes Supplications -- intercession and prayer support -- which enable you to be obedient to the Word of the Lord. Think, for example, of Jesus as our intercessor (see Hebrews 7:25).
My father walked and lived this before our family continually and he used to say to me, "Son, what God orders He pays for." It was a rather simplistic way of saying, "If God directs you to do something, He will enable you to do it whether you think you can or not." I don't know who came up with this cliché, but it is accurate: God doesn't necessarily call those who are able or capable; He enables those whom He calls.
Make sense? What has God instructed you to do? What path or direction has Holy Spirit continually pricked your spirit with? Have you paid attention to His voice or have you chosen not to obey because "that doesn't make sense, and besides there's no way I could possibly do that!" Are you suffering eyesight issues because you ignored the Word of the Lord to you? What about skin or blood disorders?
Let's move on with our examples from the Word.
Consider Proverbs 1:10-16: "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood."
This illustration is about as obvious as anything can be. It is a description of one's foot participating in wicked activities, taking advantage of other folks, using conniving, manipulation and trickery to steal or cheat them out of their money or goods (legally, of course -- Riiiiggghhhttt!) in order to get rich.
But there is one more aspect of this that many Christians miss entirely, and this one will take many well-meaning folks by surprise. It is one of the reasons why so many folks are poverty stricken today, and why so many people live sub-standard lives, health-wise.
Look at the warning that comes from the Lord in this statement: 'Let us all have one purse." Do you understand the significance of this? This is the personification of wealth distribution -- taking from those who have the most and (in theory) distributing it so that everyone has an equal share. When you read it in the Hebrew text it becomes even more clear.
The phrase, "one purse" comes from two Hebrew words, "'echad" (meaning: to unite, to collectively make as one) and "kiys" (meaning a pot, a cup, a bag, a purse -- a place to gather one's funds together). Thus, you have one person who in fact is a thief gathering from everyone into a single collection. The thief profits from the fact that the funds are at his disposal, because of the "fees" he takes for himself as the administrator of the fund, while he distributes the remainder as he sees fit in a supposedly equitable fashion to "everyone." In case you hadn't already figured it out, the Lord is warning us against the evils of socialism and collectivism.
The end result is that while the thief lives in his abundance, the rest is supposedly distributed in a way that no one really has quite enough. The warning that the Lord gives us is, "Refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood."
Right! As Jesus put it, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal (everything you've got), and to kill (and cause you to die prematurely), and to destroy (your health and your livelihood): I am come that they might have (and enjoy) life, and that they might have it (in so much) more (abundance that it overflows and overflows) abundantly." (John 10:10 with my additions)
By now, you're getting a pretty graphic picture. People who subscribe to the socialist philosophy believe the lie of Satan, and their health and welfare ultimately suffer as a consequence.
Let's take a different approach and see what happens with those whose foot is secure in God. Consider a portion of Psalm 91:
"Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation."
Here is the picture of someone whose foot is securely planted in the ways, the plans, the destiny that God has chosen for them. The promise prophesied in this instance is that (1) no plague of any kind will come near you or your family. (2) Angels will be your protection. (3) If there is a danger that you will make a misstep and get off the path you are walking in, or if the Enemy places a stone of stumbling in your path, the angels will pick you up and keep you from stumbling or injuring yourself.
(4) You will have the ability to walk over (and take on) lions [a metaphor for those who roar against you], (5) and adders [a metaphor for those who twist your words against you], as well as (6) trampling underfoot the young lions [a metaphor for walled communities who set themselves against you] and (7) dragons [this is a fascinating metaphor for kings or governors or leaders who set themselves up with laws, rules, commands or legislation which targets you as part of the household of God].
Like it so far? Thought so! But Wait! He's not done with His promises!
(8) Whenever you are in danger, the Lord will not only take you out of harm's way and He will place you above your enemies' reach where they can't touch you. (9) You'll be able to address Him directly with your prayers and requests, knowing that you will have immediate audience with Him and the answers to your requests. (10) As always, all believers and particularly those who walk in an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will suffer persecution, affliction, trials and adversity, but His promise is that He will arm and equip you with everything you'll need to strip your enemies of their power and their power base. (11) Even in the midst of the ongoing warfare and adversity, God will honor you and display His Glory in you in such a way that your enemies will know that He loves you and covers you!
Here's the last one of His promises in Psalm 91 to those whose foot is firmly established in the ways, the plans and purposes and destiny God has chosen: (12) He will give you prolonged, satisfying and rewarding life -- never mind what the doctors say, never mind what science says, never mind the traditions of men, never mind what you've seen and heard in the past -- AND He will visibly demonstrate to you His deliverance, His protection, His health, His prosperity (try that one on for size!), His salvation and His assistance in every situation!
Let's go back to Mark 9:42 (with my amplifications):
"And whoever causes one of these little ones (these believers) who acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin (by the way in which you allow your foot -- the path you choose in opposition to God's specific direction), it would be better (more profitable and wholesome) for him if a [huge] millstone were hung about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."
Is this picture from Mark 9 becoming more and more clear to you?
I said it before and I'll say it again. Jesus is referring to offenses -- offenses that we bring toward others, as well as seizing the opportunities to do even the littlest thing for someone, something as tiny as just bringing a cup of water to someone who thirsts and bringing it in the name, the character, the life, the makeup of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, and as ambassadors and representatives of the Kingdom of God, every action and every reaction we have or take is a reflection on Him. Even drawing from Psalm 91, He promises to reward every individual who performs even the littlest task when it is done in, by and through Him. Believe me, when He says He will reward you, that's exactly what He will do!
I really have only touched the surface of this part of the discussion. We're still talking about aphiémi -- the forgiveness, eradication and permanent elimination of offenses -- and I haven't even gotten to that aspect of this word in this discussion about the foot offending. That's where we will pick this up next week.
I'll try to get next week's Coffee Break out a day earlier. Rich Warren and I have a men's retreat where we are leading worship, and that will take us away all next weekend.
A reminder: If you are in need of healing please join our prayer conference calls on either Monday, Wednesday or Friday of each week at 7:00 PM Eastern. Once again, the number to call is (805) 399-1000. Then enter the access code: 124763#.
Blessings on you!
Regner
Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES
CAPENER MINISTRIES
RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
Email Contact: Admin@RiverWorshipCenter.org
A Tale of Two Brides is now available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Brides-Relationship-ebook/dp/B00BSV6HZC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1363139096&sr=8-8&keywords=A+Tale+of+Two+Brides#_
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 available at http://www.RegnersMorningCoffee.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 remove yourself from the mailing list, please send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.
If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.To remove yourself from the mailing list, please 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, November 2, 2013
Aphiémi Healing, Part 2
November 1, 2013
As you all know, we've been doing these world-wide healing conference calls on Mondays, Wednesday's and Fridays. On one of these Coffee Breaks a few weeks ago I mentioned how the Lord had healed George Robinson's shoulder and -- from what we can see -- literally gave him a new shoulder out of the "parts room" in Heaven. It has happened again, and this time with George's heart.
We have mentioned on a few occasions that George needed healing for his heart and that he has (in times past) suffered several heart attacks, two or three of which resulted in his flat-lining. On each occasion the Lord has raised George back to life. The problem has been, however, that his heart was still in need of being replaced with a new one.
Early this week, George called us and he was in serious trouble again with his heart. We went to prayer over the issue, and this time we called for a new heart for George out of the parts room in Heaven. He called me a couple of days ago and said he woke up feeling really energized. He decided to go to the health club and do a work out. After a couple hours or so of weight lifting, running on the treadmill and doing a number of other exercises, he went home and began cleaning out the pond in his back yard. Besides cleaning out dead leaves, he had to pull grass and weeds from the pond (and of course, that takes some effort).
The catch here is that the pond is down a hill in his back yard. In times past, every time he had climbed that hill back up to the house, he suffered shortness of breath and even chest pains on occasion. This time George climbed the hill without a single symptom of breathing issues and was still full of energy when he got back up to the house. He called me and his reaction was, "It's so cool!" Riiiiggghhhhttt! See what God does? What He did for George, and what He's done for me, He will most certainly do for you. Join us on our healing calls. (See the number below.)
Let's continue where we left off last week and begin with Mark 9:41-50 from the Amplified Version:
"For I tell you truly, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to and bear the name of Christ will by no means fail to get his reward. And whoever causes one of these little ones (these believers) who acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin, it would be better (more profitable and wholesome) for him if a [huge] millstone were hung about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
"And if your hand puts a stumbling block before you and causes you to sin, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to go into life [that is really worthwhile] maimed than with two hands to go to hell (Gehenna), into the fire that cannot be put out.
"And if your foot is a cause of stumbling and sin to you, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter into life [that is really worthwhile] crippled than, having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna).
"And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell (Gehenna),
"Where their worm [which preys on the inhabitants and is a symbol of the wounds inflicted on the man himself by his sins] does not die, and the fire is not put out. For everyone shall be salted with fire. Salt is good (beneficial), but if salt has lost its saltness, how will you restore [the saltness to] it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another."
Jesus is getting at something here that many Christians seem to miss out on. So many folks suffer from chronic diseases and ailments. They ask for prayer for healing, they read the promises in the Word relating to healing and often quote those scriptures to themselves. Many of these same people understand the concept of speaking the Word and having a proper confession, and yet complete healing seems to be just beyond their grasp.
Sadly, lots of folks give up when they don't receive their healing after repeated prayers and "proper confessions," and many fall prey to the lie of Satan which says, "Well, it just must not be God's will for you to be healed. You just need to bear your cross (spoken, of course, in a whiny, religious voice). After all, let's not forget Paul's thorn in the flesh."
Whewww!!! What a pile of religious horse puckey!
Jesus most certainly did not suffer all those stripes -- stripes I might add that left him looking like nothing more than a mass of bloody and ripped flesh and almost unrecognizable as a human being -- because he wanted some folks to continue on in their sicknesses, diseases and infirmity! He paid for all of it, PERIOD!! There's no such thing as it being necessary for some folks to be sick and some folks to be healed. What a lie!
Well, let's begin breaking down these statements that Jesus made and show you the relationship between each of these comments and our ability to receive and retain our healing for the long term. I'm going to move back and forth between these verses of scripture, but let me begin with the statements in Verse 43.
"And if your hand puts a stumbling block before you and causes you to sin, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to go into life [that is really worthwhile] maimed than with two hands to go to hell (Gehenna), into the fire that cannot be put out."
This is a revelatory statement. The reference to one's hand is a reference to the way one conducts business. The Hebrew text in the Old Testament uses the word, yamiyn, and the Greek text of the New Testament uses the word, cheir. In both instances, the translation from Hebrew and Greek is a representation of power; it represents an instrument or a means of conducting business, and it is a representation of one's strength.
Scripture is full of examples of the use of the hand, and especially the right hand. Take a quick look at some statements David makes in the Psalms.
Psalm 20:6: Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.
Psalm 21:8: Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
Then we have this contrasting illustration.
Psalm 26:9-10: Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: in whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
Now take a look at some references in which the hand is an example of business endeavor.
Psalm 78:54: And He brought them to the border of His sanctuary, even to this mountain which His right hand had purchased.
Psalm 80:15-17: And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
This is a tiny fraction of several hundred such illustrations scattered throughout the Word. Are you beginning to see the picture? Do you understand what Jesus is saying when he makes reference to one's hand putting a stumbling block before them and causing them to sin?
Let's go back to Mark 9:41-42:
"For I tell you truly, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to and bear the name of Christ will by no means fail to get his reward. And whoever causes one of these little ones (these believers) who acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin, it would be better (more profitable and wholesome) for him if a [huge] millstone were hung about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."
Jesus is referring to offenses -- offenses that we bring toward others, as well as seizing the opportunities to do even the littlest thing for someone, something as tiny as just bringing a cup of water to someone who thirsts and bringing it in the name, the character, the life, the makeup of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, and as ambassadors and representatives of the Kingdom of God, every action and every reaction we have or take is a reflection on Him. He promises to reward every individual who performs even the littlest task when it is done in, by and through Him. Believe me, when He says He will reward you, that's exactly what He will do!
There is a corollary to this, however, and it is the opposite side of this equation. If anyone who represents the Lord Jesus Christ causes a "little one" -- a relatively new believer -- to stumble and/or give up in their spiritual walk, there are huge consequences. As Jesus puts it, it would be more profitable for the Kingdom of God that the one who offends or causes someone else -- whether that "someone" is a friend, an acquaintance, a stranger, or even a member of their own family -- to stumble and fall in their walk with the Lord, that person is better off having a millstone hung about their neck so that they are weighted down, cast into the sea and drowned.
Pretty strong, isn't it? But we live under Grace, don't we? True, but Grace is not an excuse or justification, or some reason why we should escape the consequences of our offenses.
Let me take this illustration the next step. Pay attention to something that Paul writes to the Ekklesia in Corinth. He says this within the context of eating and drinking at the Table of the Lord. (See I Corinthians 11:28-30 with my additions)
"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily (carelessly), eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning (not recognizing those among you who are a part of) the Lord’s body (the body of Christ). For this cause many are weak (suffer from infirmities) and sickly (with diseases) among you, and many sleep (die prematurely)."
Let's try this one more time but fully amplified from the Greek text: "But let a man place himself for examination in the crucible by eating of that bread and drinking of that cup, because he that eats and drinks treating the bread and the cup as commonplace, incapable and unfit to accomplish in him [that for which Christ died on the Cross] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not separating or discriminating between that which is ordinary and the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak, sickly, infirm, diseased and poverty-stricken, and many die prematurely."
Now do you get the picture? Good! Then let's get to the offense of the hand and re-do Jesus' statement, clarifying it by (greatly) amplifying the Hebrew metaphor.
"And if the way you conduct business, if the way you exercise your influence and power on a personal level causes you to err or depart from a walk or a way of life that is obedient and responsive to the Lord Jesus Christ, cut off that business; cease in the way you exercise your influence or authority. It is far more profitable for you as a member of the body of Christ to go through life without being in that business or living your life in a manner that draws attention to your power and authority and position, and to live a life that is productive in Christ through your place of weakness rather than live an unproductive life spiritually and lose everything you've got in God heading into the fires of destruction, and suffering a burning that you cannot quench."
OK, I know that's a bit expansive, but it is important that you understand the significance of what Jesus is getting at.
We're talking about healing in this discussion, so let's get to the crux of why Jesus is focusing on your "hand" as the symbol of the way you conduct business, and the way you exercise power, authority or influence, and how this relates to chronic disease or infirmity.
"The burning that you cannot quench" is a picture of a disease that is like a fire inside you that consumes your flesh. The text of the Amplified Version we began this discussion with describes it as "the worm [which preys on the inhabitants and is a symbol of the wounds inflicted on the man himself by his sins] does not die, and the fire is not put out."
We are talking about infirmities and diseases that men and women bring upon themselves by their own sins. These are the sicknesses, the places of weakness, the diseases and chronic afflictions that people pray over, they declare over, they attempt to speak the word of faith, they agree that "by His stripes we are healed," and yet the diseases stay on and on and on without seeming remedy of any kind.
Is there a remedy? Is there healing and restoration from these chronic illnesses? Yes, there is! That healing begins with true repentance, and repentance is NOT saying to the Lord, "I'm sorry." Repentance is turning away from that which brought you to this place. Repentance is a turning back. The Greek term, metanoeo, means: to think differently, to change the way you have thought about things, to reconsider and do things differently.
The application of repentance in this instance is to cut off that area or type of business you've been involved in and with, or to begin to conduct business according to Kingdom principles. Remember the rich publican, Zacchaeus? The guy that had cheated folks in business? When Jesus saw him sitting in the tree, He said to him, "Zacchaeus, come on down. I'm coming over to your house today."
Naturally all the religious folks standing around began to criticize Jesus for associating with a guy whose business ethics were less than acceptable. Here's how Luke describes what happened next:
"And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:8-10)
THAT, folks was true repentance. And with that repentance came Jesus' aphiémi. Zacchaeus' past was eradicated. He was a different businessman from that day forward.
Well, we've only begun to scratch the surface on this. Next week we'll take up the picture of one's foot offending them and draw some pictures for you from the Word.
A reminder: If you are in need of healing please join our prayer conference calls on either Monday, Wednesday or Friday of each week at 7:00 PM Eastern. Once again, the number to call is (805) 399-1000. Then enter the access code: 124763#.
Blessings on you!
Regner
Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES
CAPENER MINISTRIES
RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
Email Contact: Admin@RiverWorshipCenter.org
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