ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 4

Another Coffee Break:

THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM

Part 4

If ever there has been a day for the manifestation of the Bride of Christ -- the Sons of God, THIS IS IT!

In the last Coffee Break I told you about Della's return from Alaska.  However, I did not tell you about an extraordinary event that took place with her and our longtime friend, Dorie Wassilie.

It was roughly ten days ago when Della and Dorie decided to take a drive from Anchorage to Seward -- a distance (one-way) of roughly 110 miles -- for no other purpose than to simply enjoy God's spectacular handiwork.  If you've never been to Alaska, it easily has some of the most gorgeous scenery you've ever seen in your life, and the drive to Seward takes you past some major glaciers.

On the return trip (and it was getting late in the afternoon) the sun was getting lower and lower in the sky, and at one point was somewhat obscured from their vision because of the mountains.  As they came around a particular bend in the highway, they had a very clear view of the sun in front of them.  What I should say is that they had a very clear view of TWO SUNS in the sky.  No, I don't mean a shadow or a sun dog; we're talking about two very distinct suns of at least equal brightness spread about 10 degrees apart in the sky!

If you've ever seen Star Trek or Stargate episodes where the main characters in the series have visited planets with two suns, or even the concluding scenes in the movie 2010: A Space Odyssey (the follow-up to 2001), then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  That's how clear it was in front of them.  What made it all the more interesting was the fact that there was a ring around the second sun (a sun dog) -- not the main sun!  They pulled off the road and got out to watch it.  They had to watch for five or more minutes before the second sun began to diminish in brightness and they realized that the sun dog surrounded it instead of the main sun.

Della called me immediately to tell me what was happening, and I asked her if she had a camera with her to photograph the event.  She had forgotten our camera, but Dorie had hers and snapped some pictures (unfortunately, AFTER the second sun was diminishing in size and brightness).

Consider something that Jesus said: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."  (Luke 21:25-26)

Then there's Joel's prophecy (the same one that Peter quoted on the Day of Pentecost):  "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call."  (Joel 2:28-32)

Now, put that double-sun event in the light of these prophecies, and we have a wake-up call from the Lord!  And let's not forget that at the time of Creation, (Genesis 1:14) God said that He was placing the sun, the moon and the stars in the skies as His "signs."  When we see a doubling of the sun, and a display that puts two distinct suns of equal brightness ten degrees apart (and by the way, to the best of my knowledge, this is an exceedingly rare event!), Holy Spirit is communicating something of great prophetic significance to us.

What is the significance?

Beyond the fact that we all know this portends and prophesies the return of Jesus Christ, let's get to the last statement in this prophecy since it spells out exactly what we've been talking about with the calling of the Bridegroom to the Bride.

First, let me share one other pertinent scripture which uses a unique description of Jesus in a way that no other prophecy uses: (Malachi 4:2-3) "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.  And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts."

Notice that Malachi refers to the Lord as the "Sun of Righteousness" -- NOT the Son of Righteousness.  Why does he phrase it like that?  Because Malachi has seen a prophetic picture of the Sons of God arising in this hour after the same pattern that Joel described.  Some of you may think that I'm really taking this out of context so let me remind you first of all how Malachi ends his prophecy, and then take you back to the specific wording that Joel uses.

Here we go: "And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."

The rising of the "Sun of Righteousness" is manifested IN the people of God -- and more specifically, IN THE BRIDE, that same people Paul describes in Romans 8:19 as the SONS OF GOD!  Still think I've left the planet or that I'm out in La-La Land?  Then consider Joel's last statement in his prophecy.

"For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call."

Who?  Where?

In Mount Zion.  In Jerusalem.  In the remnant whom the Lord shall call.  If that doesn't make sense to you, or you are still seeing these words and phrases as a description of the literal city of Jerusalem (and in fact they are!) the prophets began to use these descriptions -- Mount Zion, and Jerusalem -- to prophetically describe, first of all, the larger body of God's people (Jerusalem), and then that distinct and called-out people -- the Bride -- (Mount Zion) who represented those who understood and sought after the heart and the heart's desire of our Bridegroom.

Of course, Jerusalem and Mount Zion were representative of God's people, Israel, and because His covenant was a covenant that lasts "through all generations" (the Hebrew phraseology makes it much clearer: the eternity of eternities), it certainly applied to the Jews, and more specifically, to those Jews who recognized, acknowledged and worshiped Jesus Christ!  But these prophets of old had a much larger vision which included the Vine (Jesus) and the branches (non-Jewish Christians) grafted into the Vine -- or, as Paul describes in Romans 11, we as Christians being grafted into the olive tree (the symbol of Israel) as God's chosen and called-out people.

So what are we saying here?  In Jerusalem and in Mount Zion SHALL BE DELIVERANCE!  Hello?  Are you seeing it?  Deliverance, Salvation, Healing -- it is all available to the world today in the Sons (Suns) of God as they are arising in the midst of this darkening world.

One more prophetic word and I'll get on (I hope) with where I originally planned to go in this Coffee Break.

What was it that Isaiah prophesied?  "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

Now, WHO is arising?  The people of God!  That chosen, called-out and set-apart people we corporately refer to as "The Bride of Christ" -- or as the Song of Solomon phrases it, "My Sister, My Spouse" (KJV), and more accurately translated from this Hebrew metaphor, "My Counterpart, My Other Self!"  And, folks, this is a people arising and shining during a darkening age, an age in which "gross darkness shall cover the earth."

THAT, Family of God, is precisely what the call of the Bridegroom is designed to do: to call to attention, to commission, and to send forth in the earth a people upon whom the Glory of the Lord has arisen.  Now do you see the significance of the double-sun event?  Do you see, do you hear the call of the Bridegroom?  Do you see His signs in the heavens?  Then, my friends, you are beginning to grasp what Holy Spirit is doing and saying in the earth today.

Whewww!!!  That explanation took a whole lot longer than I expected -- and honestly, Holy Spirit just began to download things into my spirit as I wrote.  You're getting it fresh as I'm receiving it!

That said, perhaps you are seeing the immediacy that comes with a rhema Word.  Let me pick up with where I left off in our last discussion as we talk about the revealed (in us) Word vs. academic study of the written Word.

I have shared in these Coffee Breaks in time past the travesty of the KJV translation of II Timothy 2:15 in which the word "Study" has been translated from the Greek "spoudason" in contradistinction to the real message of Holy Spirit.  That message  is to "Be instantly responsive!"  What a huge difference in meaning!  What a huge difference that one single word represents to those of us who are pressing in for the intimate presence of the Lord.

A verse of Scripture which we have all heard hundreds, if not thousands of times, is found in II Timothy 2:15.  The KJV renders it, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  This is an absolutely tragic translation.  Although the NASB and NIV both render it more accurately, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth," the KJV rendition, "Study," has been a mainstay of many messages and doctrinal presentations.

Reading this passage in the original Greek text one day, I discovered that it has some very immediate and potent applications in the call of the Bridegroom to the Bride.

The verse begins with the Greek word, "spoudason."  While the NASB rendering, "Be diligent," is an acceptable translation, this word has some deeper meanings.  It is eminently more accurate to translate it, "Be instantly responsive..."  Where the Greek word, "dokimon," is rendered "approved" in most of the translations, this word has a unique background, and a special application for this particular passage.

"Dokimon" was a word originated among numismatists to identify the process by which gold and silver coins were tested after smelting in a crucible.  It was the process which allowed them to determine the genuineness and purity of coins, as well as to detect any counterfeit coins, bars, etc.  The translation which renders this word "approved" is sort of OK, but you really need the context in order to appreciate it.

In the same vein, the word, "parasteesai," translated: "to present," was first used by the Septuagint translators within the context of "making oneself available for the purpose of being questioned," as well as "making oneself available" metaphorically "for fellowship and intimacy."

It therefore becomes a powerful message from the Holy Spirit when we translate it thus: "Be instantly responsive to the Lord, making yourself available to Him in the midst of the crucible, a tried and tested laborer, who has no fear of being examined -- one who, by virtue of God's testing and the time spent in the crucible with Him, knows the proven word of truth."

The "proven word of truth" in this instance can be identified as a "rhema" word from the Lord which has been walked out and put to the test in our lives.  It is an experiential word!  It is an incontestable word no man can combat with any doctrinal argument or theory.

Verses 16 and 17 of the same chapter reinforce this.  Without taking the time, here, to break down each of the pertinent Greek words or phrases, it can be rendered, "Stand aloof from, and avoid the untested, untried "word" which comes forth from those who would propagate speculation and create their own doctrines. These profane speculations and so-called "words" are empty babblings which only serve to advance ungodliness; and those who spread these doctrines will only yield a gangrene pasture -- a source of poison to those who ingest their "word"......"

The unbalanced emphasis on "Study" which has been ingrained into the fabric of church structure has led to a large majority of the doctrines which skillfully bring division among God's people. The push to "study" has led to the creation of seminaries and Bible colleges, with the subsequent "ordination" of those who complete the "approved" courses of study.  Those who graduate are supposedly ready for "ministry," ready to step out and speak in the name of the Lord,  ready to administer guidance and correction to those who are growing in the Lord.

Please don't throw rocks at me for saying this!  I'm not quibbling with the need to study or (better, yet) immerse oneself in the Word.  David wrote and sang, "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11)  In this case where we see "word" it is the Hebrew parallel to "rhema."  Thus, the "Word" that David was hiding in his heart was the spoken Word that he heard in his spirit.  It was directly spoken into him by Holy Spirit.  David had no written "Word" to "study."

Unfortunately, Bible colleges and seminaries tend to produce formulas and doctrines.  When the formulas fail, and the lives of those people who depend on the pastor or church leader crash, condemnation sets in.  Because the "minister" has put his or her dependence on formulas and doctrines which are ingrained into the very core of his existence -- in the name of putting that dependence in the Lord -- the "minister" now feels that the Lord has failed him.  Despair sets in, depression reigns, and questions arise by the multitude.  What's the problem?

The "minister" never heard from the Lord.  Much of his upbringing and preparation for "ministry" was predicated on "profane, empty babblings which only serve to advance ungodliness." 

I'll never forget the day that I asked the pastor of a large church how the Lord called him into the ministry.  He looked rather blank at me, stammered and stuttered around momentarily, and then said, "It just seemed like a good occupation for me to go to, and the pay looked pretty good, so I went to seminary."  When I tried to explain the call of the Bridegroom, and the absolute knowing that happens in one's spirit when you hear that call, it was apparent that I was speaking a language he did not understand at all.

Sadly, those who sit under these teachers receive a mix of truth with poison.  Taken to its logical extension, it results in "Christians" who have a name that they are alive, when in fact they are dead.  It is nothing less than the spectacular grace and mercy of God that many have survived this era in the life of the Body of Christ to come to a place of recognizing the reality of a love relationship with the Lord, and have responded -- even within the limited framework of their understanding.  Fortunately, the Lord is greater -- much greater -- than the church, the structure, and the doctrines of men; and He leads those on who follow by faith.

That's where we'll go next time.

"We are called to be heirs of God in Christ. There is no higher calling in all of creation. Everything happening in our lives is intended to prepare us for this high calling by working in us Christ's nature.  Christ is the answer to every human problem, and He is the answer to every problem we're now facing.  It is not just that He has the answers, but He is the answer.  If we are living in the knowledge that the One we serve is over all rule and authority and dominion, how can we fear?  Every challenge is an opportunity to grow in faith, so a key to the victorious life is to not waste our trials.  (Prophetic Word from Rick Joyner)

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 now available at http://regnersrangers.multiply.com/journal/ and are being slowly added at http://www.AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.  Coffee Break articles are normally published weekly.

If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.  To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.

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

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 3

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 3

Blessings upon you this first day of the rest of your life!

This may sound like a really strange way to say things, but FINALLY! I'm whole again. Now, don't start laughing at me. Della has been in Alaska for most of the last three weeks, visiting and sharing with our daughter, Danielle, and her family, and our son, Joshua, and his family, getting to see our latest granddaughter, Trinity Elizabeth, for the first time (this one is #24), and continuing to lay the groundwork for our return to Alaska.

When you have been joined by the Lord to your counterpart, absence for any length of time from one another is not something easily tolerated. You feel incomplete without your counterpart present, lacking, inadequate. Of course, with today's technology, one can still stay in touch (and, brother, do we ever!) by telephone, by computer, etc. But it's just not the same!

You'll remember how I started off the previous Coffee Break, sharing the event in which James Merwin made the statement that "I'd rather be dead than live for 10 seconds without the presence of the Lord." THAT'S INTIMACY!! What we have with the Lord in that place of intimacy is life itself. Paul said that he was, "willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord!"

That's probably a great description for the relationship the Lord has given to Della and me. What the Holy Spirit has given to us in our earthly relationship throughout the decades has been a tiny microcosm of the same bonding that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our bond with Jesus Christ is a bond of intimacy, a bond of love, a bond of absolute trust and confidence. By the same token, He has given to Della and me that same kind of bond in this natural realm -- a bond which is a picture for those who see us and know us of what we have in Christ.

That said, let me pick up where I left off in the previous discussion, and draw upon this picture of intimacy and the developmental process designed to get us there with the Lord Jesus Christ. We were talking about Ekklesia as the preparation of the Bride of Christ.

Ekklesia is not an event. It is not something one can attend, in the sense of attending a church. It is not something one can decide to join at his or her choosing. One does not make an intellectual decision based on circumstances to be joined in an intimate relationship to the Lord. It is a life to which one is called by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The call goes forth by the Holy Spirit. Individuals hear -- not a message of "get saved so you can go to heaven" -- but that Jesus paid the ultimate redemption cost to purchase for Himself a people who would be groomed, fitted, and prepared to be His counterpart, His "other self," His Bride! Having heard the call from the Bridegroom to "come away with Me" deep within their spirits, they respond to the preparation processes that now begin.

(Once again I emphasize the fact that in the same way that we see developmental stages of growth between birth and maturity, we MUST experience and respond to the processes laid out for us by the Paraklete at the Bridegroom's direction. This is not for us: this is for Him! We were and are created for His pleasure -- not the other way around. And that's not to say that we won't experience pleasure in this relationship -- we will!!!)

Ekklesia is the gathering together, the forum in which this preparation process is directed by Holy Spirit under the leadership of those in whom He has already made much preparation and given a vision of His objectives. It is designed as that same microcosm I just described of bonding and joining in the realm of the Spirit. The objective purpose of Holy Spirit is for us to be so bonded together -- first, with the Lord; and secondly, with each other -- that the world can look on and KNOW that we walk and live naturally supernatural and supernaturally natural as sons and daughters of God!

I do not say these things in order to manipulate individuals into joining us, nor is it some clever way to suggest that people should come under subjection or submission to some special set of doctrines we might hold to. As has been clearly stated, this is not something that people can join! At the same time, Ekklesia is not some kind of exclusive club with a set of requirements to keep "undesirables" out.

Perhaps this can best be explained out of John 1:12-13 through an illustration which the Lord gave to Della recently. Rendered from the Greek text, it reads like this: "But as many as believed in, and responded to Him, to them He gave the authority and ability to become -- and be transformed into -- begotten children of God, specifically to those who entrust their future existence and well-being by faith in His name, rank, position, character, personality and being; who were begotten, not of flesh and blood, nor because human flesh determined it by its own decision, nor because the mind and intellect of man seized upon it and willed it into existence, but by God as a sovereign act of His will and determination." (my translation)

It becomes clear, therefore, that:

(1) Ekklesia begins with the Lord, through and by His Spirit calling and choosing us;

(2) it requires a response of obedience predicated on believing His word and the voice of His Spirit;

(3) our character and nature begin a process of transformation so that we, as spiritual beings, can be joined to Him;

(4) no act of our flesh is involved in the process;

(5) we are begotten by the Spirit in a genetic sense of the word;

(6) neither strong personality, nor an intellectual decision to become "one" with Him play the slightest part in any transformation which takes place in our life;

(7) we cannot "will" ourselves to become a part of the Bride, nor can we "choose" by arbitrary decision to participate in anything which the Lord is doing in His people;

(8) everything which occurs as a part of the developmental processes initiated by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection, does so because the Father first spoke it, willed it so, and called those who are undergoing the processes.

For those who see the foregoing as an impossible situation, and find themselves at the height of frustration because they feel that they are being by-passed by others in a spiritual sense; that others are hearing and responding, but they are not; there is a simple answer. It is no more complicated than saying to the Lord, "Whatever it takes for you to accomplish your will and heart's desire in me, do it, Lord! Enable me to hear your voice so I can respond!"

This is the very essence of all He asks. To respond to His direction and calling! Change begins to occur within our lives thereafter because of what we are rapidly coming to refer to as His "processing." Processing is nothing more or less than the dealings of Holy Spirit, His identifying those areas of our lives which need to be conformed to the nature and character of Jesus Christ, and His beckoning for us to respond.

When Jesus Christ, by a sovereign act of His will, brings individuals into the Ekklesia He has built among us, there generally are, or have been doctrinal disagreements. The Lord, however, has a unique way of dissolving those disagreements, or at least setting them on a back burner. What He has done, instead, is to bring us into a "unity of the Spirit."

This is a principal priority! Once that unity of the Spirit is established, He then can deal with the "unity of the faith." Those who make "the unity of the faith" their priority usually do not stick around (and have not) since this so-called "unity" is generally based on some pet doctrine or set of doctrines to which they choose to cling.

Those, likewise, who do not allow the establishing of worship and intimate love between them and the Lord do not remain. If there is a common denominator in all that the Lord has been speaking to us, that common denominator is worship. That does not mean that we have found some magic formula to bring us into the presence of the Lord. It simply means that people who resolve for themselves that the Bridegroom's desires are THE highest priority find that He places within them an overwhelming yearning for His intimate presence.

Worship may be expressed in different modes whether musically, verbally or by some act or action on our part. Worship always has a prophetic component to it. Though accompanied by music, the spoken word, or some actions on our part, it ALWAYS takes place in, by, and through spirit communication -- and that transcends the intellect. Without the joining that happens in the realm of the Spirit, what we've often referred to in time past as "worship" is really nothing more than some form of praise, prayer, or testimony.

Because many of us have been involved in some of the previous great moves of God, there are certain bondages that each of us must be free from -- most of which are very "religious" in nature. It has been frequently said that "those who are a part of one particular move of God usually resist the next move of God, and in fact, persecute those of the next move."

The resistance and persecution generally come from the fact that each successive "move" brings God's people -- and specifically, the Bride -- closer to perfect union with the Lord Jesus Christ. It almost seems paradoxical that anyone would resist this; yet, when we consider that each successive "move" also exposes more and more things which have been hidden within our spirits, it becomes quite clear.

These are flaws, or spots which cannot continue to coexist if there is to be union with Jesus Christ. These are parts of our character which are under the motivation or control of evil spirits who find their authority and operation being challenged, and their hiding places exposed. Exposure and subsequent deliverance mean greater freedom for the individual in his or her relationship with the Lord.

At the same time, these wicked spirits want to keep us bound within the religious structure we have known in times past, and blinded in such a way that we can only accept the "truths" thus far revealed. Hence, these "religious" spirits oppose and resist any new move of the Holy Spirit which would bring them into the light, or expose their hiding places; and, consequently, motivate contention and strife within the individuals who are bound by them towards those who do yield to that "new" word which the Holy Spirit is bringing.

For this reason, the Lord has specifically directed Della and me to frequently lift up all those who are coming into, or responding to, that which Holy Spirit is calling His people to in this day and hour: an intimate love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The significance of this "call" to intimacy is obvious. This will bring a union between the Bride and Bridegroom. Hence, we have been directed on many occasions to undertake specific fasting.

We have also been directed to fast on behalf of those who, for physical or emotional reasons, are unable to fast during times or periods when Holy Spirit calls for a corporate fast. For many of them, the Lord will bring them to a place where they can fast, and will experience little, if any, physical difficulty or side effects during the time they are directed to fast.

Toward the end of one of Della's times of fasting, the Lord showed something to her regarding one of the principal reasons why so many people struggle to receive "new" revelation from Holy Spirit, and come into an understanding of what the Lord desires of them. Della was directed back to Genesis 3 to review what we have all been taught as "the original sin."

We have all been taught, and have understood, that the original sin was "disobedience" when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. What the Lord showed Della was that the original sin occurred before they ever ate, and that this sin is at the heart of the problem within the corporate church structure.

The original sin took place progressively, and the progression goes like this:

(1) The Serpent (Satan) began the temptation by bringing
them back to the original word which God had spoken
to them with the question, "Hath God said?" (see Genesis 3:1)

(2) In raising the question, he caused them to question the
integrity of God and challenge the word of the Lord to them.
(see Genesis 3:2-4)

(3) Once the question of God's intent had been raised
in their minds, God's motive was challenged. The idea
was planted that He was trying to prevent them from
becoming like Him. Were they to become like Him, His
authority would be challenged. They would become "wise,"
being able to discern what was "good" and make their own
judgment regarding "good," as well as determining "evil," and
make their own decisions with regard to "evil." Hence, they
would be "as God." (see Genesis 3:5)

(4) The "original sin," therefore, occurred in their questioning
of God's word to them, and judging His motive in
commanding them not to eat of this one particular tree. The
"original sin" occurred when they elected to make their own
independent decision, choosing to believe Satan's version of
"wisdom," and choosing "knowledge" over a relationship of love
and trust between them and the very God who had so carefully
and lovingly created them. (see Genesis 3:6)

(5) The "original sin" came when they agreed with Satan
in direct violation of the word which the Lord had clearly
spoken to them. Had God said? Absolutely!

(6) The disobedience which followed (vs. 6) was only the "fruit"
of the original sin, and compounded the original sin by violating
a spoken commandment, given in love as a warning from the
Lord God, who knew that such action would bring an end to
their "cool-of-the-day" intimate fellowship.

God's people have been re-enacting this sin ever since that day, and it is at the core of the corporate church structure. We are taught repeatedly and continuously, through various doctrines of the "church" to pass judgment on the word of the Lord which comes to us. We are educated to the concept of getting as much "knowledge" about the Lord, and the things of God, as possible; trained to make our own decisions and determinations of what we will respond to, and made to feel perfectly justified in not responding to certain "words" from the Lord.

Education, knowledge, and "wisdom" are made to become GOD. The lie of this, and the deceit of the Enemy, comes in the exchanging of receiving the "Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ" (see Ephesians 1:17) for "getting" wisdom, knowledge and understanding (i.e., "education") by "study" -- in other words: "man's way," as opposed to "God's way". It is the very thing which has separated us from an intimate love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have shared in these Coffee Breaks in time past the travesty of the KJV translation of II Timothy 2:15 in which the word "Study" has been translated from the Greek "spoudason" in contradistinction to the real message of Holy Spirit. That message (and we'll get into it more in our next Coffee Break) is to "Be instantly responsive!" What a huge difference in meaning! What a huge difference that one single word represents to those of us who are pressing in for the intimate presence of the Lord.

We'll explore that difference in depth in our next Coffee Break.

"We are called to be heirs of God in Christ. There is no higher calling in all of creation. Everything happening in our lives is intended to prepare us for this high calling by working in us Christ's nature. Christ is the answer to every human problem, and He is the answer to every problem we're now facing. It is not just that He has the answers, but He is the answer. If we are living in the knowledge that the One we serve is over all rule and authority and dominion, how can we fear? Every challenge is an opportunity to grow in faith, so a key to the victorious life is to not waste our trials. (Prophetic Word from Rick Joyner)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener

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

All Coffee Break articles are copyright by Regner A. Capener, but authorization for reprinting, reposting, copying or re-use, in whole or in part, is granted – provided proper attribution and this notice are included intact. Older Coffee Break archives are now available at http://regnersrangers.multiply.com/journal/ and are being slowly added at http://www.AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. Coffee Break articles are normally published weekly.

If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.

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

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 2

ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: THE CALL OF THE BRIDEGROOM, Part 2

Felicitations!

It was in the spring of 1963.  I was at First Assembly in San Jose, California.  James Merwin was the senior pastor.  Occasionally, when he preached he would come out with some one-liners, some zingers that made you turn your head and sit up straight.

This particular Sunday morning he made a statement just like that!  "I would rather not even be here -- I'd rather be dead than to live for 10 seconds without the presence of the Lord!"

Now there's a wakeup for you!  I fully comprehend that statement, and I absolutely agree!  And honestly, looking back over my life, I can't think of a single moment when I haven't known the intimate presence of the Lord.  There is a peace, a confidence and an assurance that defies natural reasoning.  Actually, come to think of it, when you walk in that place of confidence in God, folks tend to think of you as arrogant; and that's because the world in general -- and unfortunately, many professing Christians -- have been deceived by the Enemy into thinking that the intimate presence of the Lord as a way of life is unattainable for them.

I was sharing with one of my sons the other day.   I said to him, "Just because you say you're "saved", just because you've been baptized in water, baptized in the Holy Spirit, you speak in tongues, you operate in the gifts of the Spirit, lay hands on the sick and do all kinds of miracles, that's not the same as having an intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ."

In case you think I've lost it, or perhaps wandered off the reservation, let me draw a picture for you.

Once you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, once you've been baptized in water and then baptized in the Holy Spirit, you've really only just been "born again!"  The Greeks have a series of words (and we see these words used in the Greek text of the New Testament) which describe our growth process from the new birth to a place of spiritual maturity -- that place where you've grown up spiritually and know what it is to have Father's heart.

I shared these five words in a recent series of Coffee Breaks, but for the sake of this discussion, let me briefly recap.  Brephos is a word which describes the process of development in the womb as a child prepares to come to birth; and the first eight days immediately following birth up to circumcision.  Nepios describes a babe-in-arms between the time of circumcision and being weaned from the breast (or the bottle).

Paidion is a child who has been weaned from the milk, but has not yet reached the age of reason (Bar-Mitzvah for boys -- age 12, and Bat-Mitzvah for girls -- age 13)).  From this point forward children are referred to as teknon(s).  Now the young person (still referred to sometimes as a "child"), having reached the age of reason, begins to undergo very strict training and preparation so that he/she is thoroughly metamorphosed into the thoughts, the ways, the practices, the business dealings, and the very heart of the Father.

The apostle Paul describes this period of time for Jesus as having "learned through the things that He suffered."  It is intense.  It is corrective.  It is administrative.  But it is also revelatory.  This is that time when a person comes to understand, agree with, and flow with Father's desires.  Father and son (or Father and daughter) develop a place of intimate and intuitive understanding with each other so that when a point of complete maturity is reached (generally around age 30), Father can release the son to act on His behalf, run His business, speak for Him and conduct any negotiations for Him as though Father were there in person.

When that day is reached (and that day is Father's prerogative -- it is not fixed in stone) a ceremony takes place in which Father announces, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."  Father takes the ring off his hand which bears the seal of his authority and places it on the finger of His son.  A baptism takes place in which the "child" goes down into the water, is raised out of the water with the "child" now dead and gone, and a fully mature adult (the Greek word for this is "Huios") on display for the world to see.

This is where we have been being called to.  This is the call of the Bridegroom -- the Lord Jesus Christ -- to us, His Bride-to-be!

We cannot simply stop with being "born again."  That's not what it is all about.  We cannot stop with water baptism or Holy Spirit baptism.  That's not even "early childhood development" yet!  All that has happened is that we've just been given the necessary equipping to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord.  There's so much more to receive and to become in Christ Jesus!  The call of the Bridegroom to everyone of us is to grow up in Him -- to become JUST LIKE HIM!

One of the tragedies of the western church world is the contamination of the Gospel with the "let's get everyone 'saved'" mentality.  Getting "saved" [translation: getting one's "fire insurance"] has become the ultimate, the pinnacle of what we've all been called to.  Being delivered from a future in Hell and having Heaven as our future dwelling is certainly important, but that's NOT what Jesus died on the Cross to accomplish.  To leave us at the Cross with nothing more than a "born again" experience shortchanges us and cheats Lord Jesus Christ out of the very thing He gave His life to have.

His objective was a people who would be like Him, a people who would reflect His Glory, a people who would so demonstrate and manifest His love that the world would be drawn to Him simply by seeing who and what we have become as a result of our intimate relationship with Him!  His objective was to have a Bride who would be His co-equal counterpart, His "Other Self."

The whole idea of "counterpart" is having that part of one's existence which is unfulfilled and incomplete made complete!  I keep coming back to what I experienced when the Lord gave Della to me.  Until we had each other, there was a constant void in us that was unfulfilled.  To draw from the Hebrew metaphor, "I am black" (seen in the Song of Solomon, and also in Jeremiah's prophecies), there was a constant "search" in each of us for that one whom God had created that would be exactly what would fulfill and complete every aspect of our existence.  Once the Lord had joined us to each other the void was filled and the "search" disappeared from our minds, our thoughts, and our spirits.

So how do we get to that place of intimacy with Lord Jesus Christ?  How do we arrive at a place in our walk with Him where we live and breathe His presence?

We talked about this in Part 1 of this discussion.  Because God is a spirit and "they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth," (John 4:24) our relationship with Him is founded in the spirit.  Created in His image, we are first and foremost spirit beings.  "Spirit" is the eternal part of our existence.  It is that part of us that links us directly into the spirit realm and the means by which we can communicate on an intimate level with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Music is a realm created by the Lord specifically as a vehicle for spirit-to-spirit communication.  The Psalms were sung and penned (mostly) by David to communicate the glories and the wonders of the Lord.  Incorporated in the Psalms are praise, worship, prayer, intercession, prophetic decrees and declarations, and spiritual warfare.  The Psalms were given to us partly as a means to introduce us to the realm of spirit-to-spirit communication.  They were also given to introduce us to the concept of spiritual intimacy.

When David sang, he became totally lost in the realm of the Spirit.  Not only did he bring the decrees of Heaven from eternity into the earthly, time-space realm, he bonded with the Lord in an intimate dimension in a way no person in history had been able to do before.  Love flowed out of his being in the midst of his music.  A pathway -- a channel, if you will -- was activated between he and the Lord by means of Holy Spirit.

The more he lived in that channel, the more the heavens were opened up to him; and the more God showed him of His plan and purpose for Israel -- and men and women in general -- and the deeper his relationship with the Lord grew.  So loving and intimate did that relationship become that God began to refer to David as "a man after God's own heart."  David pursued that relationship with every breath of his existence.

Sitting on a hillside one day with his harp, he sang, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"  (Psalm 42:1-2)

That panting, that craving, that thirsting for the presence of the Lord God came as a direct product of the call of the Bridegroom.  It was a drawing in him that consumed him more and more and more.  Despite the grief that he went through during all the years he sat on the throne of Israel, that call never left his being.  It became the anchor of his existence.

So much did the praise and the worship -- and more specifically, the realm of musical expression of the praise and worship -- become his very life's breath that he invented the musical instruments that the families of praisers and worshipers (the families of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun) played as they praised, worshiped, prayed, interceded, declared and decreed prophetically.

In the first part of this discussion last week, I was talking about some of the experiences that we had at Trail's End in Idaho during the nearly-six years we gathered together with folks from the northwest and Canada.  The Lord spoke to Della one day as we were gathered for worship and said that He was  -- through His Bride -- taking back the music of the past, the present, and the future.  It seemed a bit unusual, until we realized that the music unfolding in our midst spanned the gamut of musical expression: from classical to jazz -- and everything in between.
We have heard Eastern music, Spanish music, Jewish and Mediterranean music, Slavic music, Russian music, Oriental music, ancient 12th - 14th century English music, music of the baroque era, music of the Elizabethan era, turn-of-the-century American music, music which harks back to the Roaring Twenties, music of the Big-Band era, Swing, Jazz, contemporary -- you name it!  The single extraordinary aspect of this is that it all came in the midst of this new expression of corporate worship.  It would be safe to say that it transcended anything any of us have previously experienced.

During one particular gathering at the ranch at Trails' End, because of the busyness of sharing together, and the other activities unfolding, we did not sit down until very late one evening to begin our corporate worship -- like 11:30 PM!  As always, the worship was completely spontaneous -- the music fresh and unrehearsed. Something like six or seven new pieces of music emerged -- some very classical in style and content, some as progressive jazz, and even one which was very Brazilian with a bossa nova rhythm.   A Canadian sister, Beryl, sat there marveling at this progression, and shared afterward that she had asked the Lord where this would all end, or if there was an end.  The Lord's response to her was that "there is no end to the music in Heaven," and that as we continued in His presence, there would be no end to the music which came forth.

In the midst of these experiences, one thing which Holy Spirit began to emphasize within us was that much of we have known and referred to in times past as "the Church" is not His heart.  Since the whole concept of "church" as we have known it (we refer here to the concept of gathering within the structured hierarchical system) is predicated on principles which the Lord absolutely abhorred and hated, He has been continuing the process of revelation in showing us what His heart's desire really is!

Before you jump ship on me, let me explain.

Without getting into a long, historical review of how the concept of "church" came into being -- as opposed to what is referred to in the original Greek as "Ekklesia" -- let me simply state that "church" -- from its historical perspective -- along with its present-day structure, make-up, and doctrinal dogma, did not begin to exist until 225-226 A.D. in the time of the Roman emperor, Alexander Severus (the first "church" was only a remodeling of a former temple).  It was not until after the "Edict of Toleration" issued by the emperor Constantine in 313 A.D. that churches actually began to be built, and even then the mode of gathering differed greatly from what we know today.

In referring to churches, here, let me make it clear that this is a reference to "structure" in the sense of hierarchical systems where there is a distinct line of separation between the "ministers," or clergy, and the "laity", or common people.  You understand, of course, that they are referred to as "common" in the sense that they supposedly had no call from the Lord to fulfill.   "Structure" also refers to democratic systems (in which the "ministers" and "elders," etc., are elected by a vote of the people.  Both of these systems and their structures came out of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, who were Judaizers (Both Pharisee and Sadducee).

Neither of these systems represent the heart of Father, nor the desire of Jesus Christ in the preparation and completion of His Bride.  That's not to say that the Lord hasn't used them throughout the centuries: He has!  It's safe to say that the overwhelming majority of folks who will read this (and I'm included) have grown up in one or both of these types of church structure.  The catch is that the Lord has called us (and continues to call people) out of the old structure and into Ekklesia in order that He can grow us up into Him.

It is also important to note that the word, "church," is derived from the Greek, kirios, which means "the lord's place" (in the sense of a castle or fortress -- a place from which absolute authority is demanded).  Kirios never appears anywhere in scripture, and the whole concept of this word is the very antithesis of Jesus' expressed desire for "servants" in His people.

From the standpoint of the Bridegroom, however, "Ekklesia" -- in contradistinction to "church" -- represents the calling together -- first and foremost -- of those who have responded to the call of the Bridegroom, Yeshua ha Mashiach (the Lord Jesus Christ) to become His Bride.  Secondly, it represents the gathering together of those who are being prepared by the "Paraklete,"  (Holy Spirit) groomed, fitted, and equipped to be a Bride whom the Lord can present to Father and say,  "This is my Beloved in whom I am well-pleased!"

"Ekklesia" can be described as the preparing of the Bride by the Paraklete, Holy Spirit.  It is the gathering of those called by the Bridegroom to be His Bride, and the preparation by the Paraklete.  The term, "paraklete," which is the Greek word occurring in the original text, is most often translated in our English versions as "comforter" or "helper," and sometimes "advocate." In a variant form, it is translated, "exhort," "intreat," "pray," or "beseech" (request). These terms convey only fragments of the true picture of the Paraklete, who has the full authority of the King to accomplish that which He has been assigned -- and who comes to prepare, train, equip, and endow with all the gifts and graces necessary.

There are some spectacular pictures of just who and what a paraklete is and does scattered throughout the Word.  In our next Coffee Break, I'll draw some of those pictures for you.
More to follow in our next Coffee Break.

"This a moment that I am drawing the line, and earthly orders are coming from the heavenly realms. Tune your ears to hear the instructions of Heaven, for you are living in a strategic moment when you will see kingdoms that have not been able to come down, come down. New strategies are coming down, and it is a strategy that will pierce the deepest darkness that could not be pierced in the past. Listen to the sounds of Heaven, for in the sounds of Heaven, you will hear your next step!"   (Prophetic Word from Chuck Pierce)

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES
709 South 7th Street
Sunnyside, Washington 98944
(509) 515-0133

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