ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: A VIRTUOUS WOMAN

Another Coffee Break:

A Virtuous Woman

Well, here we are already in the final month of 2012, and it seems like the year just started yesterday. The pace of events worldwide has been quickening. God's Time Clock for this age is ticking in its final moments.

The Bride of Christ has been going through some pruning, some cleaning, some refining, and a lot of final preparations for the coming of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. This morning, just after getting up and heading into the kitchen to start heating water for my French Press coffee, the Lord downloaded a picture of the finished Bride for me in a way I've never seen before. I'd like to share that with you today, as well as in the next few Coffee Breaks as we wrap up our eighth year of publication.

A word of reminder before we begin today. Destiny Image Publishers is preparing to release A TALE OF TWO BRIDES shortly. Many of you know that this book is a product of a series of experiences in which the Angel of the Lord took me out of time, into eternity, and back into time a different intervals to see the preparation of the Bride of Christ.

A TALE OF TWO BRIDES is the first book to come out of those experiences, and it is a picture of the preparation and responses of two separate women -- Vashti and Esther -- when they were called to become the wife, the bride, the queen and the counterpart of King Xerxes (Ahasuerus in our KJV).

The book continues on into the present to see the exact parallel in the processing and the responses of Christians in this modern age and separates the body of Christ into two distinct groups: those who rely on their religious upbringing, their doctrines and their traditions in the way they respond to the quickening of Holy Spirit; and those who throw away all of their preconditions, their religious understanding and their "learning" in order to respond to the heart's desire of the Lord. It is a look at what believers are experiencing today as the call of Holy Spirit quickens and strengthens within their being, and it is a careful look at what is required of us as believers if we are going to be a part of the chosen and called-out company known as "The Bride of Christ."

That said, let's begin today with the portion of the Word (Proverbs 31:10-31) which specifically describes "a virtuous woman."

"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."

Many years ago, when I was attending Bible College, I'd been dating several different classmates. The "search" going on my spirit was for a wife, a companion who would share my vision, my call and my destiny in the Kingdom. When I became engaged to one of my classmates and asked her to marry me, one of the young men who shared the house where I was living on campus felt quickened to deliver a Word from the Lord to me. I came back to the house late one night and his Bible was opened up on my pillow. Proverbs 31:10-31 was highlighted for my attention, along with an implied warning to be careful that the young lady I was engaged to would meet those qualifications.

It all seemed a bit overboard at the time and unrealistic. The picture of this paragon of virtue wasn't something I could relate to and -- not realizing the significance of the Word being given to me -- I set it aside to my own peril. I closed the Bible and put back on my roommate's dresser. The day would come when I would rue that decision. At that stage of my life, I was devoid of any understanding of the concept of God having designed a mate who was the exact counterpart and missing pieces of one's existence.

That, my friends, is an area of teaching that has been sadly lacking in all of the pre-marital counseling and instruction given by pastors or church leaders in any recent generations within the body of Christ; and I'm not even sure any of that teaching has existed in many centuries. Nevertheless, the Word of God is filled with it!

There are uncountable hundreds of thousands of marriages that have ended in divorce -- the one I just referred to included -- because folks entered into them in absolute ignorance of the will, the design and purpose of the Lord in joining a man and a woman together whom He had specifically created and equipped for each other.

Were it not for the grace and mercy of the Lord in giving Della to me, I would not be in any position to share what I'm about to share. I absolutely understand and appreciate the picture of "the virtuous woman" of Proverbs 31 because Della meets every description and characteristic given -- and I have almost 30 years of marriage to her as living testimony. We'll talk more about that as this discussion proceeds.

Let's see if I can get to the nitty-gritty of this discussion right from the get-go! In the same way that we have been created to be a counterpart -- an "Other Self", if you will -- for the Lord Jesus Christ; in the same way that we have been, and are being, prepared to complete Him in every respect, God has created for each of us a wife (or a husband in the case of a woman) who fulfills and completes us.

Here's the principle. In the same way that Adam was first created complete, then rendered incomplete once Eve was created out of his side, and then completed once again when Eve was presented to him as his wife, everyone of us -- having been born of Adam & Eve -- have that same incompleteness without our counterpart.

The world has a counterfeit that it refers to as one's "soul-mate." The problem with that terminology is that it doesn't take into account the fact that we are first and foremost spirit beings, created in the image of God. When I refer to Della, I do not refer to her as my "soul-mate." She is much more than that! She is my counterpart. She is my "other self." She has every characteristic in her that I lacked.

As I said to her last night, I became "me" as a whole and complete person when the Lord gave her to me. She fulfills and completes every part of my being. She is what I am not. By the same token, I am what she is not. Together we make one whole being!

I've used a portion of this illustration in the past, but let me repeat myself. Let me share with you a segment from another book in progress titled, THE GARDEN EXPERIENCE.

The Adam and Eve we consider in this place of timelessness (for time has not yet begun) are a visible representation -- a prophetic image -- of that which will be worked through six millennia of time, as our Bridegroom forms for Himself a people -- a corporate entity -- who will become One with Him, and in so doing cause Completion! They are a picture of unity. Yes, Eve is different than Adam -- in the way she thinks, in the way she talks, in the way she arrives at conclusions -- and yet, no two people could be more alike.

They share the same existence. They are a part of each other. Without Eve, Adam is incomplete. Without Adam, Eve is incomplete. They share the same purpose. They are best friends. Yet they are spiritual beings, created to have fellowship with the Lord, our Bridegroom, without whom they would be even more incomplete.

Consider Eve. She is the perfection of Adam. No woman could more compliment and finish a man. Yes, she is beautiful -- stunningly so -- but, that is not our focus. She has been given an independent mind with which to think. She has been given the independence to choose. Were a thousand other men arrayed before her, she would still choose Adam.

Why? Because she was literally taken from him. She was extracted from his side. Before she was, he was. Before she was, he saw her -- if only in his spirit. Before she was, they were one -- but incomplete. Adam had no separate feminine expression of his onoma. He was forever bound to exist in only one dimension as a masculine expression. There was no independent expression of love and commitment towards him from a like being who could share his thoughts, his desires, his hopes, his purposes.

Though Adam was ruler over the earth, though he had been given power over every living species, though he had been given the wisdom and revelation to identify the onoma of every living creature, he had no one with whom to identify his onoma.

Eve is like him. Yet, she is different. Full of grace and beauty, Eve is the expression of all that Adam could not be. Her onoma is his onoma because she was taken from his side. His onoma is her onoma because he is in her as she is in him. Without Adam, Eve is terribly incomplete. Without Eve, Adam is incomplete, lonely, unable to fully express that onoma which was bred into his genetic structure when the Lord breathed those first breaths into his being. Together, they make one whole being.

Even though the Adam we see walking here in the Garden is a picture of masculine greatness, authority and power, he is only that way because Eve is here to complete him. Remove Eve from the equation and you have a man unable to be whom the Lord created him to be. Remove Eve, and his destiny will never be fulfilled. Remove Eve, and you will have a partial man.

Eve, for all her stunning beauty, is incomplete without Adam. Remove Adam from this picture and you have grace, form, stature, loveliness, compassion, love, emotional expression and tenderness that will never be fully expressed. There will be no counterpart with whom to express those facets; there will be no recipient of her love; there will be no complete demonstration of the power, authority and greatness incorporated into her onoma.

With Adam, Eve is the personification of greatness. With Adam, Eve is the complete expression of love. With Adam, Eve is the visible manifestation of grace and power. With Adam, Eve is complete. With Adam, Eve is Eve!

With Eve, Adam has greatness. With Eve, Adam's authority can come forth. With Eve, Adam can rule the dominion he has been given by the Lord. With Eve, love will go forth in the land. With Eve, Adam is Adam!

Together, there will be a full expression and demonstration of the onoma that is Adam. Adam is not Adam without Eve. Eve is not Eve without Adam. Adam pours out his being to Eve. She reciprocates of her own free will and choice. They are Adam.

And now we understand the mystery of our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Now we know why He brought us to the Garden to see this picture. He is the second Adam. We are the second Eve.

Before we were, He was. Before we -- the second Eve -- became, we were One in Him. Before we were, He saw us and knew us. We are because of Him. And He now is because of us.

Before we were, He had no complete expression of the onoma which was incorporated into His spiritual genetic structure. To be sure, He was full of grace and beauty. To be sure, He was the personification of all that is love, the manifestation of all power, all authority, all strength, all life. And, yet, none of those facets had expression. There was no recipient of His love. There was no way for His strength and life to be demonstrated. There was no means for all that is His being, His essence, His makeup, His character, His onoma to be shared and to be given back in a way that would fulfill Him. They were capped, enclosed, sealed within Him awaiting a counterpart: an "other self" who would receive and reciprocate His life -- all that He is -- by free will and choice, a co-equal who would know as He knows, see as He sees, and function as He functions. By the same token, this co-equal must have been taken from Him in order to be imbued with His onoma -- his essence, his personality, his very makeup.

Before we were, He was incomplete, unfinished, lacking in the expression of His innate perfection. For each of us here today, there is not a shred of doubt that we are because of Him. We, the second Eve, the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, came forth from His side just as surely as the first Eve came forth from the side of the first Adam. In the same manner in which Adam willingly was put to sleep in order that Eve could be taken from His side and molded, conformed and shaped in his image, the second Adam, Jesus Christ, willingly allowed Himself to be put to sleep on the cross, suffering the pain of crucifixion and the sword thrust into His side so that the second Eve -- us, His Bride -- could be taken from Him and molded, conformed and shaped in His image and likeness. Just as Eve came forth to become the source of ecstasy for Adam, we have come forth to become the source of ecstasy for our Lord and second Adam, Jesus Christ.

This is the mystery of Godliness. This is the mystery of "the way of a man with a maid." This is the mystery of Christ and His Bride. The mystery is -- no more and no less -- the completed expression of His onoma. It is the manifestation in both the first Adam and the first Eve of the completed Adam -- all that had been hidden in his being from the time of creation, and now expressed fully in both Adam and Eve. They were the complete Adam. The mystery of Godliness is the complete expression of Jesus Christ as the second Adam with His Bride who is the second Eve. Jesus Christ and His Bride are the completed I AM!

And you've just seen a glimpse of "the virtuous woman" -- that perfected Bride, the second Eve, that lady whose exquisite character and personality compliment and complete the Lord Jesus Christ. You've just had a peek at a corporate woman -- that many-membered Bride of Christ -- whose entire existence revolves about pleasing her husband and seeing that every need of His is fulfilled and completed.

You understand, don't you, that this isn't a one-sided arrangement? This woman's husband literally suffered every indignity, every humiliation, persecution, torture and death itself -- gaining victory over death in the process -- in order to win her hand in marriage. This woman's husband literally breathes her existence, and has provided every conceivable need in order to assure her welfare, her safety, her protection, her provision -- and He has done it in such grand style and grandeur as to defy human imagination!

Here's how the apostle Paul put it in I Corinthians 2:9 [my amplification]:

"But as it is written, [natural] Eye hath not seen, nor [natural] ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of [unregenerate] man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

This is where we will stop for today, and pick this up again in our next Coffee Break and finish Paul's statement.

After years of walking with the Lord, David gave expression to his heart's longing. He had ultimately concluded there was only one thing he truly desired and one thing that would fully satisfy the purpose of his life: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life and to behold the beauty of the Lord and meditate in His Temple (Psalm 27:4).

David's passion was to gaze upon and perceive the Lord's beauty and delight in His loveliness. His expression signifies an experiential comprehension of the beauty realm of Heaven. Can we behold the King in all His beauty?

In Isaiah 33:14-15, the Holy Spirit through the prophet Isaiah asks a revealing question: "Who can live with continual burning?" Or, in other words: Who can live in an atmosphere where there are perpetual expressions of God's justice? The prophet provides the answers:

1. The one who walks righteously.
2. The one who speaks with sincerity.
3. The one who rejects unjust gain.
4. The one who shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe.
5. The one who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed.
6. The one who shuts his eyes from looking upon evil.

Such a person lives in a state of consecration and purity, which allows them to dwell in the heavenly heights; their refuge will be the impregnable Rock. Such a person's heavenly bread will be provided and their spiritual water source will be sure. Such a person's eyes will see the King in all of His beauty and will behold the far-distant land (Isaiah 33:14-17).

Although the Lord first appeared as the suffering Lamb, He is now being revealed as the victorious King. Presently, Heaven is unveiling the Lord's great glory and kingly authority. It is our outstanding privilege to be offered the opportunity to possess anointed eyes to see, behold, and perceive the revelation of the King and His Kingdom design. (excerpted from a recent prophetic Word delivered by Paul Keith Davis.)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

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ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: UNDERSTANDING OUR RIGHTS, Part 2

Another Coffee Break:

Understanding Our Rights, Part 2

Greetings, felicitations and blessings to all of you!

I really want to get right to our discussion today, so let's dive in!

We shared this in the previous Coffee Break, but let's go back and re-read the passage from Genesis 15 which contains such a stupendous revelation of this covenant the Lord was making with Abraham.

"And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

Because of the impossibility of Abraham being able to keep this covenant in the natural, God had to perform both His part of the covenant AND Abraham's! That meant that He had to put Abraham to sleep -- and in fact a very deep sleep. The Hebrew text here uses the word, tardeòmaòh, to describe a trance or a vision. What was taking place was supernatural, and Abraham had to be experiencing this in a vision in order to understand and perceive what God was accomplishing.

Notice the following:And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. Abraham saw the Lord fulfilling both parts of the covenant -- God's part and his part -- in the form of the smoking furnace and a burning lamp. Here's the part I've been getting to. The Lord was walking up and down -- or back and forth -- in the blood that had been shed. The furnace represented the consuming of the sacrifice, meaning that the sacrifice and the shed blood had been accepted and the covenant ratified.

Abraham wasn't going to get to see the fulfillment of this covenant in his lifetime, but he had an inviolable guarantee that his descendants would, and that they would inherit a land which -- in his lifetime -- was filled with a people whose entire existence opposed everything that represented the Lord. The land was filled with a people who were covenant and truce-breakers. God was not only promising Abraham and his descendants all those lands, He was promising him that his seed would have victory over those enemies of the Lord.

In order to accomplish this, of course, Abraham's youth had to be restored so that he could once again procreate. Sarah would have to be restored to her youthful body and reproductive capability. We know that this indeed took place because even while Sarah was pregnant with Isaac, the Philistine king, Abimelech, saw her beauty and thought to take her unto himself as his wife.

So, what am I getting at, and what does all this have to do with understanding our rights? Just this!

We have an even better covenant than Abraham! Abraham was in a very real spiritual sense the father of our faith. He believed God. He believed that the Lord would accomplish the impossible with him and began to confess it from that day forward.

Abraham became the recipient of restored youth and restored health because of the covenant God made AND KEPT with him! Abraham became one of the wealthiest men on the planet. He ceased to be a Chaldean. His residency became the land of promise. His home became the Kingdom of God.

The apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 11:9-12: "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable."

The covenant we have with Father God through Jesus Christ provides all of this and more. It remains for us to receive it all utilizing that same faith that Abraham exercised.

Faith is not complicated. Faith comes by hearing the Word of the Lord. So how do we hear the Word of the Lord? We simply open up our spirits to receive from Holy Spirit. It isn't difficult, really! We have to get the clogs out of the way, however -- the noise and the thoughts and the imaginations that bombard our minds with such repetitiousness and rapidity that we find ourselves in a mental fog. Faith comes easily to minds that are stayed on the things of God.

I know I've shared this before, but when you are immersed in negative thoughts, thoughts about your family, thoughts about your work, thoughts about your responsibilities, thoughts about your financial situation, thoughts about business -- and how about thoughts about some stupid movie or TV program you are either watching, or have watched -- thoughts about your physical condition, the aches and pains and/or diseases and infirmities you are fighting, you can't simply screw up your will power screw and try to change your thoughts. It doesn't work that way.

Thoughts don't chase away thoughts. Words chase away thoughts! You don't try to think your way out of a hole, you speak to it!

And.....you can't just get angry and say, "Get lost!" The Word of God gives us everything we need to deal with any situation! Are you in need of healing? Are you fighting with some kind of physical infirmity? Then why not speak the Word of God over it! There are a host of Scriptures which make it abundantly clear that our healing and our physical health have already been paid for by the Blood of Jesus Christ. How about I Peter 2:24? How about III John, vs. 2? How about Isaiah 53:5?

There is nothing we have need of that Jesus didn't already pay for by his suffering, death and resurrection! Got it? It doesn't matter what your situation is, Jesus already paid for the answer, the healing, the deliverance, the provision IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE!!! And, folks, He deserves to get what He paid for!

Let me take a bit of a side-trip here for just a minute.

Ask yourself the question. WHY did Jesus pay for all of this? Why did He pay for our healing? Why did He pay for our deliverance from every affliction of the flesh and every affliction of the spirit? Why did the apostle Paul write the following?

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

And, NO, the phraseology in the Greek text CAN'T be translated "spiritually rich." That's not what Paul was talking about! The word is "plouteo" and it means exactly what it says: rich, increased in goods, materially prosperous, "loaded" (colloq.)

Let's take it another step. Why does Matthew record the following?

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

All right. One more. Why does Mark record the following?

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

To recap, why does Paul record what he recorded (and I've only touched on a microscopic drop in a ten-gallon bucket); why does Matthew record what Jesus said; why does Mark record what Jesus said to His followers?

Folks, the answer is obvious, and the answer is simple! Pay attention, now!

BECAUSE IT IS OUR LEGAL RIGHT!

OK. for everyone who raised their eyebrows, let me take it the next step. Why is this our legal right? Ready?

BECAUSE IT IS JESUS' LEGAL RIGHT FOR US TO LIVE AND FUNCTION LIKE THAT!

Hello. Ever stop to think about the fact that salvation is not about getting to Heaven? Salvation, deliverance, health, healing, long life, safety, peace of mind, provision for every need -- all these were a part of the way we were first created! We were created for fellowship with the Lord God in the first place. He created us for His pleasure! That's first and foremost! The fact that we get pleasure out of that place of relationship is a natural byproduct of being created in His image and likeness! Heaven is only a byproduct of our loving relationship with the Lord.

The fact that we are entitled to all these things is a natural part of the Law of Reciprocity. OK, don't grimace like that. Let me explain. The Law of Reciprocity means that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Clear? Then let me put it another way. There are consequences for good or for bad for every action we take or reaction to God's Word!

Go back to the Garden. What was it that God said to Adam? "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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."

Adam and Eve were entitled to eat of the Tree of Life as a natural part of their existence in the Garden. With the fruit of that Tree came healing, health, long life, provision for every need, painless and sorrow-less labor and a work-ethic filled with joy and peace. There was a consequence that followed the eating of that tree, and that consequence is quickly expressed in the Law of Reciprocity.

The same was true if they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were never designed to acquire knowledge of good or of evil by their own mental prowess, experiences or academic study. Knowledge (and wisdom) was a natural byproduct of their walk with -- and fellowship with -- the Lord God. They were warned, therefore, that if they deviated from their created design and existence and fellowship with God that a very destructive consequence would follow.

That consequence was a reciprocal action: the removal of their access to eternity, the decay and ultimate destruction of the genetic makeup they were given at creation resulting in eventual death, along with disease, sickness, painful and sorrowful labor just to survive, and the loss of peace in their lives.

Consider, then, the redemptive work that Jesus did on our behalf. His objective was to (as Luke so carefully put it) "seek and to save (sozo -- to restore, to make whole, to deliver, etc.) that which was lost." While the word, "save," has become the byword of so many preachers, and so many sermons throughout hundreds of years, the true focus of "salvation" has often been overlooked or missed completely. Salvation has been over-generalized as being "saved from sin" while the real concept of sin has gotten lost in the fog.

What Adam and Eve did epitomized "sin." While sin has been categorized as lying, stealing, bearing false witness against someone, cheating, committing fornication or adultery, committing murder, etc., all those things are really nothing more than the symptoms of sin. Lying, cheating, stealing, etc., all take place almost automatically when a person decides that he/she is as smart (or smarter) than God and fully capable of making his or her own decisions -- never mind what God is saying, or has said, concerning the act or acts he or she wants to take.

When an individual takes matters into their own hands irrespective of what the Word of God is, they've just done the very same thing and thought -- whether consciously or subconsciously -- in exactly the same manner that Lucifer did when he arrogantly rose up against God, considering himself to be God's equal or superior and deciding to thrust God out of His place as Supreme Ruler of the universe. (See Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28)

Lucifer was not the Creator, he was a created being. The end of his pomposity and arrogance Isaiah prophesied as Hell. He was removed from his place as an Archangel in Heaven and thrown out, along with all those who took his side. He became the epitome of sin. He was/is the architect of all lies and arrogance against God.

OK, sort of got a bit off-track there, but I wanted to get to the root of what Jesus came to save us from. Jesus' objective was to not only restore us to the place of fellowship and intimacy with

Father, with Himself and with Holy Spirit, it was to once again make possible, make accessible, and put into practical living the naturally supernatural life we were originally created for.

Let's get this discussion down to some brass tacks. If we attend church, warm a pew, put our checks in the offering basket and/or teach a Sunday School class, none of these things will make the rights of citizenship in the Kingdom of God accessible. We can pray for the sick, preach wonderful sermons, visit the widows and orphans and minister to the needy and still not have access to our rights as sons of the Kingdom. Notice the phrase, "sons of the Kingdom."

It is possible to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons and still die and make it to Heaven as diapered babies in need of pabulum and milk bottles. Consider the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. Or, let's take it another step. Consider something that Jesus said in His "Sermon on the Mount." (See Matthew 7:22-23)

"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."

When Jesus says, "I never knew you," the Greek word ginoskoappears here. What He is saying is, "You and I have never had a real relationship. I've never known your love and affection, your faithfulness to Me or to My Word."

It becomes even clearer in the very next statement when He says, "Depart from me, you that work anomia -- illegally, lawlessly." What is Jesus saying? I think the best illustration of this comes from Acts 19:13-16 where the seven sons of Sceva, a Chief Priest, thought to use the name of Jesus, and the name of Paul in casting out demons. They were attempting to use the name of Jesus as a formula. They were not casting out demons IN the name -- the onoma: the character, the essence, the makeup -- of Jesus! They were working anomia-- illegally, lawlessly!

There are many professing Christians doing the same today. They don't have a personal relationship with the Lord. They are not operating IN Him, and He is not IN them.

This is the crux of all of our rights in Christ Jesus. And this is what we need to understand. If we will dwell IN Him and have our beings as a place He wants to dwell in, there is absolutely NOTHING withheld from us. Whenever we ask something of Him, we will be asking it IN His onoma. He will hear us. We will KNOW that He hears us. And we will have whatever -- whatsoever-- we ask, and He will give it liberally!

Here's the catch. Whatever we ask for of Father, whatever we demand of Satan, whatever we require, we do according to and IN the will of God! One doesn't have to second-guess or wonder if we are "in the will of God." Let me describe the relationship like this.

Della and I have a place of relationship in love and trust that she doesn't need to ask me if doing something is OK with me. She may do it anyway, but by virtue of the Spirit of God we have become One being! She knows my thoughts. She knows how I will think or how I will choose in virtually any and every circumstance. By the same token, I know how she will choose, how she will think in a given situation or circumstance, and what she will decide. We still ask or discuss things with each other out of common courtesy and love, but our choices and desires are no surprise to each other. She knows my will, and I know her will! It just goes with the territory!

That's how it is supposed to be between us and the Lord. The more we press into Him, the more we focus our minds, our thoughts and the words that come out of our mouths on Him, the greater the sense of intimacy between us. It is a rare instance that I have to ask the Lord what His will is concerning a decision or needed action. The ongoing communication between us in the realm of the Spirit functions 24 hours a day.

This is the place we must live in order to understand and to access all of our rights as sons of the Kingdom, as sons and daughters of The Most High! It isn't hard to live here, but it takes diligence and commitment on our part. And I'll share one more thing with you before I quit.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit receive the greatest of pleasure in us when we live our lives focused on His pleasure, on His receiving His inheritance, and on His right to that inheritance. That, my friends, is when we have full and complete access to all of our rights in Christ Jesus! These are covenant rights-- the same covenant rights He restored with His suffering, His death on the Cross, and His resurrection from the dead.

Sorry, but I still haven't completely arrived, folks!! (Grin!) I'm still learning. And I'm having the time of my life in the process! Wouldn't trade this for anything! As I more and more have access and see these things manifested in my life, it only whets my appetite for more!

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

709 South 7^thStreet
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
(509) 515-0133
All Coffee Break articles are copyright by Regner A. Capener, but authorization for reprinting, reposting, copying or re-use, in whole or in part, is granted –provided proper attribution and this notice are included intact. Older Coffee Break archives are temporarily available at http://regnersrangers.multiply.com/journal/and are being slowly added 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.
CAPENER MINISTRIESis 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.

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: UNDERSTANDING OUR RIGHTS

Another Coffee Break:

Understanding Our Rights

G’Mornin’, Y’all!

Have a blessed weekend, did you?  Ready to fire things up for another week?  Well, OK, for the rest of the week?

It’s hot water and lemon for me today.  Maybe for the next couple of days, actually.  Time to do a flush of toxins out of my system.  Hey, don’t look at me like that!  There’s nothing like drinking hot water and putting in a slice of lemon.  Tastes good, and works well.

I used to get strange looks at the restaurants in the south when I would ask for a cup of hot water and lemon.  The waiters or waitresses looked at me like I fell out of a spaceship.  I can’t tell you how many times they brought me a glass of hot water and put some lemon slices on a dish.  When you try to explain that the glass is too hot (and sometimes they actually bring you warm water – not hot) and you need a cup, they still didn’t get it.

When Della and I have traveled in Alaska, Canada and the northwest, we tend to order hot water and lemon.  Unless the restaurant happens to serve gourmet coffee, we just don’t order coffee in the restaurants because what they serve is either instant coffee (yucckkkk!) or canned, pre-ground coffee that tastes like last week’s leftover, and has all the acid to go with it.  For whatever reason, ordering hot water and lemon is pretty common in the northern tier states.  Oddly enough, when Della and I were in Washington , DC and asked for hot water and lemon in the restaurants, no one blinked an eye.

Anyway, 'nuff of that!  Hot water and lemon not only refreshes, it has a real health benefit.  The citric acid in the lemon does wonders when used with the hot water.  Drink that for three days or so, and you’ll be surprised at what it does for you.

Several years ago, I did a series of Coffee Breaks dealing with our Covenant position in Jesus Christ, and the rights we have in Christ as a result of that relationship.  I'd like to revisit a small portion of that discussion and perhaps amplify that which Holy Spirit has been emphasizing in my spirit of late. This might take some doing so let me begin by laying a few foundations so you understand where I'm taking this discussion.

I've mentioned this before, but there is an aspect of covenant I don't think I've ever heard discussed in any church or fellowship in my 50+ years of active ministry.  It is based in a Hebrew word that really has no direct translation into English.  That word is ãñç kheseed  with the "k" sound almost silent.  Strong's Concordance is literally all over the map with the word, and without explaining why, gives totally divergent meanings.

Gesenius, in his Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon explains the word like this in its primary applications: to love with intense desire; to show oneself gracious; zeal (towards anyone); ardor; kindness; benevolence; the grace, favor and mercy of God; tender mercies; lovingkindness.

Depending on context, this word does have some opposite uses, but these uses are limited in Scripture and always occur with appropriate diacritical (breathing) marks.  Because those uses are peripheral to our study, I won't try to get into them other than to say that they always occur with antiphrasis -- that is, set within the context of communicating a negative article.

This word, ãñç kheseed,  is -- in my personal opinion -- one of the closest Hebrew words to the Greek agape in usage and meaning.  Appearing most frequently -- actually, almost entirely -- within the context of covenant, it gives us a picture of the kind of relationship the Lord had with Abraham, and the extravagant nature of what the Lord was establishing.

ãñç kheseed  draws a picture of an almost intense rivalry in which covenant partners seek to meet each other's needs, go out of their way to defend, uphold and care for, and to display a sense of mercy and lovingkindness that knows no bounds even in the face of dispute or disagreement.

In one of my Coffee Breaks dealing with the concept of covenant, we talked about the fact that one of the first events to occur during the covenant ceremony was the exchange of cloaks or outer coverings.  It symbolized the giving of all that a person was, making all that he had available to his covenant partner: his wealth, the resources of his household, the intervention of his family in time of need or distress, and his personal guarantee or oath upon which the covenant hung.

Consider how the Lord showed His cloak during the covenant ceremony.  Abraham is put into a deep sleep as the Lord shows up to pass between the halved animals and stand in the blood.  The KJV puts it that "when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces."

That's somewhat obscure in the way it gets translated, but the word translated "smoking" is the same word that gets used in some instances for cloud or vapor.  Remember the cloud or pillar of smoke that stood guard for Israel when the armies of Pharaoh came after them?  Now do you have the picture?  It is metaphoric of the covering, the defense of the Lord on behalf of His covenant people.

We'll come back to this illustration in a few minutes.

ãñç kheseed  is the core of covenant.  It describes what we could call an "alter ego."  Let me explain.

I've shared this before, but it's worth sharing again.  When a person is in a covenant relationship, their covenant partner virtually becomes their alter ego, their "other self."  I can probably liken it to a description that folks used to use in referring to Dwain McKenzie and me during our Long Beach Christian Center days.  We were so linked to each other in relationship and companionship that even when folks only saw one of us, they saw the other.  We were frequently referred to as "the Bobbsey twins" (a reference to two nearly identical twins in the famous series of children's books).

The situation developed to the place where when we were in Barrow (we ministered together in the church I [in my teen years] had helped my Dad build years before we were at Long Beach Christian Center), people would see me walking down the street and wave at me with a shout of "Hi, Dwain."  He experienced the virtually identical thing when folks would say to him, "Hi, Regner, Hi, Betty June."  (Betty June -- since gone to be with the Lord -- was his wife at that time).

You've got to know how strong this identity thing was when my father returned from a boat trip along the arctic coast where he had been ministering in some villages and summer campsites and saw Dwain coming to meet him on the beach.  His first and immediate reaction was, "Well, Regner, what are you doing here?"  Funny thing.  I was in Nome at the time, and that's a long ways from Barrow.

Anyway, you get the idea.

[Here's a side-note for you.  Dwain and I developed the closest of friendships and have had a bond in the realm of the Spirit for more than 55 years.  We've had our moments of disagreement, to be sure, (they were so long ago, I've all but forgotten what they were) but throughout the years there has been a nonstop bond of love and fellowship between us closer than any ordinary blood relationships.]

Here's a good way for me to describe this.  Within the framework of covenant, kheseed describes a condition in which each other's blood flows in each other's veins: so deep is the sense of caring and covering for each other.

Now maybe you can begin to understand how the whole concept of covenant has been so diluted and watered down throughout the centuries that we've lost the true sense of it!  Now maybe you can begin to get a grasp on the New Testament (Covenant) and the use of the word, agape, as the descriptor by which the Lord commands relationship.

Covenant relationships defined the character and nature of those in covenant with each other.  So deep was the sense of responsibility and concern for each other that they would gladly die for one another if the situation so demanded.  It transferred over to the family members within that covenant so that each party to the covenant, their wives, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren -- and even aunts, uncles and cousins -- all became identified with each other.

The entire Old Testament -- the word "testament" all by itself scarcely conveys the whole picture -- is a picture of God's covenant, His first covenant with Abraham and his descendants.  Everything framed in the Old Testament is described within the structure of covenant relationship.

So what am I getting at?  Why am I talking about covenant relationships?

While every covenant brings a level of responsibility between the covenant partners, it also brings covenant blessings and covenant rights.  I could probably really get off track here by talking about this concept of blessings and covenant rights if I began describing it within the framework of human covenants, but the covenant we have with the Lord Jesus Christ far transcends anything human imagination can perceive.  In order to explain it properly let me share something that I think a lot of believers have missed.

Let's go back to the time when God first made His covenant with Abraham.  (See Genesis 15)

The Lord proceeds to tell him, " I am the [same] Lord God that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it."

Abraham by this time, of course, was well aware of the significance of covenant.  To inherit is to have heirs.  At his age, having children is rare, if not impossible, so he says to the Lord -- within the framework of covenant-thought, " Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it."

Now we're going to see the enactment of covenant -- and this is no ordinary covenant; this covenant is about as one-sided as you can get!

The Lord instructs Abraham to bring Him "an heifer of three years old, a she-goat of three years old, a ram of three years old, and a turtledove and a young pigeon."

The animals are slaughtered, their carcasses divided in two parts and laid out with each half facing the other.  One bird was placed on one side, and the other bird the other side.  (I don't have time -- and while important, it isn't specifically relevant to this discussion -- to get into the significance of each of these animals or birds, and their spiritual implications.  We'll save that for some later discussion.)  Suffice it to say that the halved carcasses were placed far enough apart that Abraham could stand between them and the Lord could pass between them.

The significance of this IS relevant since the parties to this covenant would be standing and/or walking in blood as the covenant was struck.  Why?

The Lord spoke to Moses and said (Leviticus 17:11), "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

Understand?  Like every other member of the human race, Abraham had been born under and grown up under the same curse that came after Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  That curse was death!  That curse was poverty!  That curse was the requirement to work and toil for one's living instead of working so that one could have the wherewithal to give.  That curse brought about a break in fellowship and communion between man and God.

Because the first part of the curse was death itself -- and the degenerative and decaying process had entered the blood of every human being, as well as their genetic structure -- God designed and established the physics AND the spiritual order of things so that blood had to be shed as a redemptive measure in order to reverse that death process.  The Lord had first done this with Adam and Eve by the shedding of the blood of lambs or sheep in order to provide them with skin coverings.  Abel had that revelation when he brought to the Lord (Genesis 4:4) the first and best of the lambs from his flock.

Once again, let's go back and re-read the passage from Genesis 15 which contains such a stupendous revelation of this covenant the Lord was making with Abraham.

"And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.  And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. 

I thought I was going to get to finish this discussion with one single Coffee Break, but it is obvious to me that's not going to happen.  Let's pick up this discussion in a few days and we'll finish it with Part Two.

Sadly, there are many Christians who are cheated out of their inheritance and their rights as citizens of the Kingdom of God; and they are cheated because they neither know what they have a right to, nor do they understand that everything they have a right to has been either withheld until they exercise the same faith that Abraham exercised, or they fail to recognize that Satan has stolen what rightly belongs to them.

My objective in sharing is to help God's people receive what they are entitled to -- and even more than that, in so doing see that Jesus Christ receives His inheritance in a people who boldly and unashamedly walk in their inheritance in Him, displaying God's glory in the process!

Make sense?  Good!  See you again in a few days. 

[Back in the early 1980's I served for roughly three years as an advisor to the area board of Aglow in Fairbanks.  Seven years later I served in the same capacity in Anchorage.  The following prophetic Word comes from Jane Hansen-Hoyt who is President & CEO of Aglow International.  This Word was shared November 7th.]

Last evening a President was elected to another term of office in the United States. It was a measured victory with half of the nation voting for the other candidate. Such a divided vote speaks to the reality that we are a nation divided on many issues, serious issues, that continue to profoundly change America. We have seen historically what occurs when a nation continually turns from the principles of God's Word to walk in its own ways.

As you might imagine, there are many voters who are concerned with the outcome of this election. While I am certain that we, as Believers, must continue to make our prayers heard in the gates of our respective nations, I also want to remind us of our true purpose.

When Pilate questioned Jesus about being "King of the Jews," Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not of this world!" Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (see John 18:33-37).

Jesus knew who He was. His identity was secure. His purpose was focused. He could not be turned aside by people's opinion of Him or the questions they asked. He never once wavered in the purpose for which He had come, which was to demonstrate the realities of another Kingdom. That Kingdom was vastly different from the world around Him. He had come to establish a new mindset, a new culture, and a new way. We, as the followers of Jesus, have been sent into the world to continue what Jesus began.

Think of Pilate's response to Jesus: "Do You not know that I have power to crucify You?" (see John 19:10). In essence, Pilate was saying that he had the power to destroy Jesus and all that He had come to do in the earth! The bold answer of Jesus captured the totality of the situation, even as it does ours, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above" (verse 11).

Jesus knew that there was a greater purpose He had been sent to accomplish. While things around Him swirled in opposition to that purpose, He walked in total confidence that God, His Father, was in control and would not allow any deviation from the plan.

Nothing has changed! We, too, walk in the knowledge that God's plan is marching on. We are the people of another Kingdom. We have joined ourselves to Him in that purpose, as we move on with Him. The hour is more critical than we know and our prayers and worship more vital than we perhaps see. It is the time of our arising. We have stepped into a new place in our identity and purpose. Do not be moved by what you see and hear. Keep your eye single and you will be filled with the light of His revelation as we walk forward together, male and female, taking dominion.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

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

All Coffee Break articles are copyright by Regner A. Capener, but authorization for reprinting, reposting, copying or re-use, in whole or in part, is granted – provided proper attribution and this notice are included intact.  Older Coffee Break archives are temporarily available at http://regnersrangers.multiply.com/journal/ and are being slowly added 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 unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.

CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.