ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: SUPERNATURAL MATURITY, Part 5

Another Coffee Break:

Supernatural Maturity, Part 5

April 17, 2015

Let's get right to our discussion today.  This concept of being "naturally supernatural, and supernaturally natural" is rooted and grounded in the following truths.

We've been fitted together and joined together with Jesus Christ as a living, breathing extension of Him.  This may sound simplistic, but He is us, and we are Him.  Whatever He does, He does through us.  Things don't happen without our participation.  Jesus Christ does not randomly, mystically, perform miracles in the earth, or work some kind of sign and wonder in the earth without the direct participation of His covenant people.

We have and live a covenant that requires our all.  Jesus has made a covenant with us that requires His all -- and the last time I checked, He hadn't left anything out or stopped His covenant partners from living in, and operating in all that He is and has.

Folks, His covenant is as alive and breathing today as it was when He said,

"All (exousia) privilege, force, authority, power and jurisdiction is given unto me in Heaven and in earth.  You go, therefore.." . (Matthew 28:18-19a)

That's OUR responsibility.  Our covenant responsibility to the Lord is to do the works that He did, to preach the Word that He preached, and -- moreover -- to fulfill His prophetic Word,

"Verily, verily I say unto you.  He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father."  (John 14:12)

This is where I want to go today as we continue from Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5.  Before we can become this mature extension of the Lord Jesus Christ, living, breathing and operating in His character, His nature, His personality -- the very essence of Who He is -- our thoughts, our way of thinking, our motives and personal agenda have to be expunged from everything we have learned and gained as a result of eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

That tree is the very epitome of the spirit of anti-Christ.  Again, as a reminder, anti in Greek is not "against" (as the Latin translates it) but rather "a substitute for."  Eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil causes us to substitute ourselves, our motives, our reasoning processes and our decisions for the heart's desires of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For that reason, Jesus makes the following statement as He continues His "beatitudes."

Matthew 5:8:   Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

This is a verse that needs to be amplified in the same way that we have looked at some of the previous verses.

“Blessed and highly favored by the King [of Kings] are those whose thoughts, motives, purposes and intents have been purified by fire, who are unstained with any guilt, for God will allow and permit them to see Him — and more than that, to see into and know His heart [His heart’s desires and purposes].”  (RAC Translation and Amplification)

How’s that for a mouthful?  In case you think I'm stretching it a bit with my translation, consider how J. H. Thayer translates the word, katharos (the Greek word translated, "pure").  Thayer uses the following definitions: 1a) physically; (1a1) purified by fire; (1a2) in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit.

Are you seeing how this fits with other verses of Scripture we have previously considered?  Consider for a minute, and put this in context to Paul’s statement to Timothy in his second letter:

II Timothy 2:15:  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.  (RAC Translation & Amplification)

But Paul doesn’t just leave it there.  He goes on to give the following warning to those who ARE in the crucible and might be tempted to hear and pay attention to teaching or “untested” word (or words) that comes from those who’ve not permitted the word to be tested in them and purified.

II Timothy 2:16-17:  Stand aloof from and avoid the untested, untried “word” which comes forth from them who would propagate speculation and create their own doctrines.  These profane speculations and so-called “words” are empty babblings which will only to 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” — and we point out Hymenaeus and Philetus as examples.  (RAC Translation & Amplification)

David absolutely understood the significance of this principle that Jesus set forth when he wrote the following:

Psalm 37:4:  Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Now, take a look a how the Hebrew actually renders David’s statement:

“Let your thoughts, motives, purposes and intents be soft and pliable towards the Lord; luxuriate in and take exquisite delight in Him; and He will appoint, ascribe, commit and apply in and to you the desires and requirements of your will, your feelings, your intellect and your thought processes.” (RAC Translation and Amplification)

You see it, don’t you?  In each instance we are seeing the same principle applied.  We could probably even read David’s statement like this and pretty much hit it on the head:

“Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will plant within you His desires so that they become your desires.”

Preaching on the sabbath in a synagogue in Antioch, Paul reaffirmed what David said, and even took it a step further to describe the “why” and importance of this principle.

Acts 13:22:  And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Consider just the last part of this verse:

“I have sought out and obtained David, the son of Jesse, a man whose intense pursuit is to know my thoughts and feelings, my intents and purposes, who will [without deviation or compromise] perform, execute and accomplish everything I purpose, determine and decree — according to my delight, desire and pleasure.”   (RAC Translation and Amplification)

The picture is that of a man (or woman) whose intense pursuit of the Lord is focused on God getting His heart’s desire fulfilled to the exclusion or setting aside of all personal desires or purposes.

Now, add that to the previous Scriptures we’ve looked at!  The promise that God makes to them is that they will get to see him, experience His presence, and know His heart’s desires.

Beyond that, the desires of their hearts are met and fulfilled!  David expresses it like this:

Psalm 16:11:  Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

No statement could express it any better!  That leads me to what is probably going to become something of a rabbit trail in this discussion but something nevertheless that draws as vivid a picture as I can draw.

Let me start with something that Paul wrote to the Corinthian Ekklesia:

I Corinthians 12:1-4:  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Now, take a look at the context of these next statements.

Numbers 11:24-25:  And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.  And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

Numbers 12:5-8:  And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.   And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful (Hebrew: ‘aman: to support, uphold, nourish, reliable, faithful, trusty) in all mine house.  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently (Hebrew: mar’eh: appearing, seeing visually), and not in dark speeches; and the similitude (Hebrew: temunah: image, likeness, form) of the LORD shall he behold (Hebrew: nabat: to look intently at, to regard with pleasure).

The Hebrew phraseology in this instance is as clear as anything can be.  God describes Moses as one who “supported, upheld and nourished”  Him.  The nourishment that Moses provided God came from a pure heart.

Borrowing from Jesus’ statement in Matthew 8, Moses’ thoughts, motives, purposes and intents had been purified by fire; He was unstained with any guilt.  Hence, he had the privilege of seeing into the heart of God, knowing His thoughts and desires — AND Moses was permitted into the very presence of the Lord.

Let’s get back to the picture described in Numbers 11 and I Corinthians 12 where we read of Moses and the 70 elders eating and drinking with the Lord in the cloud.   Before I get too far along here, let’s talk about the nature of this “cloud” and what distinguished it from all the other clouds.

Here’s how Moses describes it:

Deuteronomy 5:22:  These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

Moses describes this cloud as “thick darkness.”  Kind of peculiar, don’t you think, if Moses and the elders were sitting in thick darkness?  But wait a minute.  This isn’t quite all it appears to be.  Take a look at how this cloud appeared to the armies of Pharaoh when they were chasing after the Children of Israel.

Exodus 14:19-20:  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

Do you see it?  That cloud was darkness to the Egyptians, but it was light to the camp of Israel.  Consider the cloud in the way that it rested in the temple on the day that Solomon dedicated it to the Lord.

Let me pause here in this narrative to share with you a personal experience in order to draw the comparison.

Well, OK, I just realized how long we had already gone today, and if I take the time to share that experience today, it will make this Coffee Break overly long -- and I don't want to lose you.  Let's stop here and pick it up next week.

I remind those of you in need of ministry that our Healing Prayer Call takes place on Mondays at 7:00 PM Eastern (4:00 PM Pacific).  Once again, the number to call for healing is (805) 399-1000.  Then enter the access code: 124763#.

Also want to let you know that our Sunday worship gatherings are available by conference call – usually at about 10:45AM Pacific.  That conference number is (559) 726-1300, and the access code is 308640#.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Sunnyside, Washington 98944

Email Contact: Admin@RiverWorshipCenter.org

Our book, A Tale of Two Brides, published by Destiny Image, is available on Amazon.com as an E-book: http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Brides-Relationship-ebook/dp/B00BSV6HZC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1363139096&sr=8-8&keywords=A+Tale+of+Two+Brides#_

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

If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.To remove yourself from the mailing list, please send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.

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: SUPERNATURAL MATURITY, Part 4

Another Coffee Break:

Supernatural Maturity, Part 4

April 10, 2015

Need to share a personal story with you as a lead-in to today's Coffee Break.  It was December 5, 1960 that I joined the Army.  Not long after completing Basic Training at Fort Ord, I was standing out on the tarmac, duffle bag in hand, awaiting being boarded on an aircraft with orders that would send me to Ramstein, Germany, with ultimate deployment to Laos.

Short of my 19th birthday, I was one scared puppy not knowing what lay ahead.  I had walked with the Lord for my entire life and was totally committed to whatever He had in store.  Being a combat soldier somehow didn't fit with the pictures of what God had called me to, but there was a firm determination that I would go wherever and whenever He led or directed.

My company was in the boarding process when a runner came up to me and said, "Capener, your orders have been changed.  Stand by."  I got into a waiting Jeep and was taken back to the barracks.  Not long thereafter the company commander informed me that I was going to be his clerk typist.  He had discovered that I could type and he needed someone to do his paperwork, type out orders for other soldiers, and do other office work.

Fast forward to the spring of 1963.  After a period of having my MOS changed from infantryman to automotive maintenance (military intelligence, you know ) and being stationed for a time at Camp Roberts, repairing carburetors and ignition systems for every kind of military vehicle imaginable, authority had been transferred to the Presidio in San Francisco, and once again I was on tap to return to status as a combat soldier.

The hand of God had been evident in everything that had transpired, and His mercy in keeping me from the front lines was obvious.  With the call of God into fulltime ministry continually in my spirit, I began looking at Bible colleges.  In April of that year, I went to my commanding officer and requested an early discharge so that I could "prepare for the ministry."  (I was still programmed with the idea that one has to attend a Bible College or Seminary in order to become a minister -- not understanding at the time that God doesn't call the qualified: He qualifies the "called." )

When he asked why in the world I would make a request like that, my answer was that I felt like I could better serve my country as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ and a minister of the Gospel rather than as an infantry soldier.  My CO laughed at me and said, "Son, I've been in this man's army for 20 years, and I've never seen it happen."  He allowed as how he had "once prepared for the cloth" before joining the Army and said, "I understand where you're coming from.  I'll play fair with you and send your request to the General, but I can tell you in advance what the answer will be."

A week later he called me and said, "Capener, get in here!  I've got your discharge papers on my desk!"  We were both astonished, to say the least.  "Only thing I can figure is that you've got some pull upstairs," he said, with this knowing smile spreading across his face.  My discharge became effective on May 5, 1963, 2 1/2  years to the day from when I joined.  That fall, I enrolled at Bethany Bible College in Santa Cruz.  The Hand of God and His mercy had been with me from the very beginning.

OK?  That brings us to the next character attribute of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Believe me, when you can learn to operate in God's mercy instead of human compassion, you've shifted into a realm of supernatural maturity.  It defies every area of natural human emotion and requires a complete shift into hearing what Father God says and thinks.  My short stint in the Army, and the evidence of God's mercy there, prepared me for understanding His dimension of mercy in a way that I'd never known.

Here's how the KJV puts Matthew 5:7:  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Now, let's amplify this out of the Greek text.

Matthew 5:7:  Blessed and highly favored by the King [of Kings] are those who experience and function in and with [supernatural and spiritual] compassion; God will see that they have His compassion and will have the same kind of compassion on them [in their place of need].  (RAC Translation and Amplification)

One of the biggest failings in the body of Christ today is the substitution of human compassion for Godly compassion.  We all have our places of emotional reaction and concern when we see certain things take place — especially with people we know and love.

There is a huge difference between Godly compassion and human compassion.  Human compassion is based in either the rational logic of human reasoning or human emotion with really considering the spiritual consequences of our intervention on behalf of the needs we see.

Human emotion and rational consideration sees the poor, the sick, the desperate, those in crisis and reacts by wanting to “fix things.”  Human compassion tends to be very “socialist” in its approach to solving needy situations.  If one operates in the political realm, human compassion says, “just give some money to the poor!  Money, food, clothes, housing, etc., etc. will fix the problem.”

Because of the huge losses the socialist wing of the Democratic party took in this past election, I’ve heard some of their leaders spouting the baloney that, “We have core spiritual values, too!  We are concerned with poverty, with health care and with the rights of our citizens.”

The statement all by itself demonstrates that these folks DON’T have any concept of what real spiritual values are.  They may be religious people but being "religious" is a far cry from having an intimate walk with the Lord or understanding what Jesus' values are all about.

Religion, however, only amplifies human compassion.  The “religious” may call themselves, “Christian,” but they don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ – at least the kind of relationship that produces the anointing to give.  Their religion is the religion of big government and social programs.

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again.  There IS a solution to poverty!  There IS a solution to ongoing sickness and disease!  There IS a solution to the plagues that ravage the earth.

But that solution doesn’t come in the form of government programs.  It comes with and through the anointing that the believer has available in Christ Jesus.  That kind of anointing produces Godly compassion.  No government will ever be able to give and see the kind of results – or even a fraction thereof – that individuals and ministries can and do produce every day of the week.

Our politicians – many of whom really do have good hearts and good intentions when it comes to providing for the needy – have devised these schemes to level our society and get rid of the gap that separates the poor and the rich.  Don’t misunderstand me.  I’m not criticizing either the personal giving or the desire to give.

Unfortunately, they have also taken away both personal initiative, personal freedom and – most of all – the anointing that comes when giving is directed by the Holy Spirit.  By taking away the anointing that comes in a relationship with Jesus Christ, they have also taken away the fruitfulness of the giving.  The results demonstrate that.

Let me illustrate with something that Paul wrote to the Ekklesia in Corinth.

II Corinthians 9:6-14, NASB:  Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written,

         “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,

         His righteousness endures forever.”

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

We’ve been all over the map talking about the concept of mercy as seen in Matthew 5:7, but there is still an aspect of it that we haven’t covered.  The Greek word translated “mercy” in this instance — and literally without exception throughout the New Testament — is the word, eleeo.

J.H. Thayer gives us the following interpretation: to be compassionate by word or deed, specifically by divine grace or empowerment.

By way of comparison, we see the terms “mercy” and “compassion” used as a contrast to each other in Paul’s letter to the Romans (9:15), and this is the only place in Scripture where the Greek word, oikteiro, appears.  This word, translated “compassion,” more literally means: to exercise pity.

That word, oikteiro, is perhaps a better description of human compassion.  We have pity on someone and step in to help or alleviate their situation without regard for the end result.

Take a look, however, at how God’s mercy/compassion is defined in the Word.

Romans 9:15-18:  For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.   So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Are you seeing the difference?  The mercy of God is not dependent on prevailing circumstances.  God’s mercy — His compassion — is entirely a function of His sovereign purposes for His people.

He sees the outcome and final results of His decision to intervene and alter the circumstances or outcome of any given situation for individuals.

Paul draws a comparison that every believer would understand out of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.  The Lord makes it clear that He was the one who raised up Pharaoh in order to show His power in the earth and to put His Name, His character, His makeup, His authority and power on display throughout the earth.

In verse 18, Paul writes, “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”

To the rational, reasoning human thinking, it almost sounds arbitrary and perverse, but Paul doesn’t stop there in making clear the realm where God’s mercy operates.

Romans 9:19-24:  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?

Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,  Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Understand?  What Paul is saying is that there are individuals whom God has specifically created whose end is destruction, to whom He will endure “with much longsuffering” so that when judgment falls, the riches of His Glory will be seen in the earth.  Again, he takes this a further step so that there can be no misunderstanding of what God is about.

Romans 9:25-28, NASB:  As He says also in Hosea,

   “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’  There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;  for the Lord will execute his word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.”

The mercy of God has always been with a view towards the end result of having a people who operate in and with His character, His makeup, His personality, His authority and His power.  His purpose — from Day 1 — has been the having a race of beings who are His Family.

The mercy — the compassion — of God is NOT pity.  It isn’t simply feeling sorry for people because of the state they find themselves in.  God wasn't feeling sorry for me or having compassion on me because of my fears when I was in the Army.  He was seeing far into the future, preparing me to walk in His mercy and extend that mercy to hundreds and thousands of people He would intersect with my life.

His intervention in the lives of His people is that there will be nothing lacking, nothing missing in who they are and who they become.  The fact that He intervenes in some situations, and some situations He sits back and allows to move forward of their own weight and momentum is because His compassion for us cannot permit us to be short-changed in the development of His character and nature in us.  Is that clear?

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,” He spoke directly to the fact that His mercy is always tempered by His vision and knowledge of the final result.  What He was saying is, “If you live and walk in My Mercy and Compassion, you will be the recipient and arbitrator of My Mercy and Compassion in your sphere of influence.”  

Get it?  If we can shift into operating in the mercy of God and set aside our human thoughts and emotional compassion, we become not only the recipients of God's mercy in our lives, but also the arbitrators of it!  That's supernatural.

OK?

Next week we will take a look at what it means to be judged by the Lord as pure: "pure in heart."

I remind those of you in need of ministry that our Healing Prayer Call is back on schedule for Mondays & Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Eastern.  Once again, the number to call for healing is (805) 399-1000.  Then enter the access code: 124763#.

Also want to let you know that our Sunday worship gatherings are available by conference call – usually at about 10:45AM Pacific.  That conference number is (559) 726-1300, and the access code is 308640#.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Sunnyside, Washington 98944

Email Contact: Admin@RiverWorshipCenter.org

Our book, A Tale of Two Brides, published by Destiny Image, is available on Amazon.com as an E-book: http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Brides-Relationship-ebook/dp/B00BSV6HZC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1363139096&sr=8-8&keywords=A+Tale+of+Two+Brides#_

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

If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.To remove yourself from the mailing list, please send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.

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: SUPERNATURAL MATURITY, Part 3

Another Coffee Break:

Supernatural Maturity, Part 3

April 3, 2015

For those of you with children who are running from God or who simply ignore the call of Holy Spirit in their lives, let me share a quick story of encouragement before we begin today's sharing.

Our youngest son, Joshua, has had his battles for years.  He has had anger issues stemming from abuse and rejection from his biological father -- anger which has gotten him into trouble more than once and even landed him behind bars on several occasions.  That anger was often explosive and hair-triggered and if he felt confronted or corrected, he would fly off the handle.  Despite the fact that he was instructed in the ways of the Lord and -- in his youth -- manifested the compassion of the Lord for the underprivileged and downtrodden, as the years unfolded he went his own way, winding up in the company of "friends" who led him into the world of alcohol and drugs.

During a period of a couple years in which we were able to help him get a job working for a Canadian mining company under contract in Alaska, (a job which he still holds today, some eight years later) he met and married an Eskimo girl, Michelle, who has become the love of his life and one of the best things that could have ever happened to him.  Today they have four children -- four kids who have become little treasures for Grandpa and Grandma!

Unfortunately, the drug use and alcohol abuse picked up again in the midst of keeping bad company, and that substance abuse became a real issue for Michelle and the kids, creating fear, mistrust and real tension in his family.  Attempts by Della and me to counsel Josh went unheeded and things were reaching a break point with his family.

During the past few years, Josh found a way to release the pent-up anger in cage fighting and gained a reputation as a fierce competitor.  As an "MMA" fighter, his fists became classified as a lethal weapon.  A few months ago an incident occurred which scared the daylights out of him and highlighted for him his own need to get rid of the anger issues and surrender his life to the Lord.

Joshua called us for prayer.  The awakening that took place in his spirit triggered repentance and correction in his life that have been nothing less than astounding.  A few weeks ago, he called his wife and children together, knelt down in front of them and asked them to forgive him for having been "such a lousy dad."  From that day forward, he has been reading the Word and praying with his family on a daily basis.  We are watching a progression in him, in Michelle, and in the children that brings continual joy for Della and me and a continual reminder of the covenant that the Lord made with us many years ago concerning our children.  It is a prophetic Word you can hang onto as well from Isaiah's prophecy.

Isaiah 54:13: And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

OK, my story wasn't quite a "quick" as I intended, but I just wanted to encourage those of you who may despair of ever seeing your children walking with the Lord.  God IS a Covenant-keeping God, and His Word is what we can hang onto no matter what the outward circumstances may appear to be.  As my longtime friend and brother in the Lord, Dwain McKenzie, once said, "Things are not what they appear to be; they're what God says they are!"

Now, then, let's get on with today's wrap up of Matthew 5:6.

Matthew 5:6:   Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Consider how Isaiah describes the conditions of this hunger.

Isaiah 61:1-3:  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Have you ever noticed how much Isaiah’s prophecy of Jesus in this instance so closely parallels Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”?  Just about everything that Jesus declares is incorporated in this prophecy.

Then take a look at how Luke describes the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as soon as He returns from the wilderness after being tempted by the Devil.

Luke 4:14-21:  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.   And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.   And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

It’s safe to say that ALL of Jesus’ ministry was aimed at delivering folks from the contamination and infection of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Isaiah’s prophecy of Jesus was that His purpose in ministering “good tidings to the meek, binding up the brokenhearted, delivering the captives, restoring sight to the blind, and opening up the prison to those who were bound” was to transform them back into “trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, so that He could be glorified!"

Remember what Jesus said to John when asking him to baptize Him in the Jordan and John objected?

Matthew 3:15:  And Jesus responded to him, saying, ‘Erase your preconceived ideas of what is appropriate; suspend your emotions for the moment, for it is necessary in this way or manner for us to furnish, execute and make available ALL righteousness and justification.”  And John baptized Jesus, setting aside and erasing his thoughts and emotions. (RAC Translation and Amplification)

You’ll recall that John the Baptist prophesied of Jesus saying, “And now also the axe is laid to the root of the Tree,” (see Matthew 3:10) referring to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Follow that line of thinking to the fact that both Peter and Paul refer to Jesus as having been hung on that Tree (see Acts 5:30 and Galatians 3:13) in order to deliver us from its curse and restore our access to the Tree of Life.

Take a quick look at how Paul phrases this in his letter to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:13-14:  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Before we continue on, let’s review the Greek words translated “blessed” or “blessing.”

Throughout the beginning statements in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” each time we see Him use the word, “blessed,” He is making use of a word that has a unique etymology to it.  The word, makarios, is the word translated, “blessed” throughout what we know as The Beatitudes.  While this word indeed refers to being blessed, it has the connotation of a king’s approval and subsequent conveyance of unique favor.  Thayer describes it as “the supreme blessing,” hence, the ultimate favor one can be given.

I can easily illustrate this from my own family’s history in my ancestor, William Capron, who joined William the Conqueror in his conquest of the British Isles.  When the battles were over and William the Conqueror became King William I of Britain, because of my ancestor’s bravery and battle success, he was knighted by the king and granted a huge tract of land in central England we know today as Lancastershire.

That blessing and favor continued on through the generations that followed so that William Capron’s grandson, William Capener, became Lord High Chancellor to King Henry I, and his great-great grandson served similarly.

That picture of blessing gets a slightly different flavor when we see how Paul uses it in referring to “the Blessing of Abraham.”  Here, we see the Greek term, eulogeo.  We could liken this to the “rhema” of blessing.  Eulogeo is the speaking forth of makarios.

Whereas makarios describes the supreme blessing and favor granted by a king, eulogeo delivers that supreme blessing and favor by enacting it within the framework of Covenant.  Eulogeo is a covenant word, and those who receive the declarations or decrees spoken forth do so because they have become participants in the covenant.

Now, let’s get back to the verse that started this line of discussion, and let me amplify that for you from the Greek.

Matthew 5:6:  Blessed and highly favored by the King [of Kings] are those who are famished and crave after with unquenchable thirst the way of thinking, feeling and acting wholly conformed to the will of God, who has His whole-hearted approval and acceptance, and therefore needs no (man-made) justification, for they shall be satisfied in abundance — being able to literally gorge themselves on and with the nature, character and personality of God.  (RAC Translation and Amplification)

Wheww!!  That’s a mouthful, I know, but my desire was to capture the very essence of what Jesus is communicating when He speaks of His favor towards those who thirst after His nature and character.

Each time we see the preface in our English translations, “Blessed are,” we are seeing the express favor of both Father and Son for the following attitudes and behavior.  When Jesus revealed His Glory to Peter, James and John in the mountain, and was transfigured before them, He permitted them to see into His supernatural makeup, His character and personality.

This word, transfigured, in the Greek text, describes a dimensional shifting.  The word is more often translated “transformed” throughout Paul’s letters, but the original word is: metamorphoo, a compound Greek word which denotes undergoing a visible shift in appearance.

Jesus’ appearance took on a brightness and a transparent shining such as no one had ever seen.  When Moses and Elijah appeared with Him, the disciples failed to understand or to comprehend the prophecy that was taking place before their eyes.  He became the fulfillment of the Law as well as the prophetic announcements of Him throughout the centuries.

In Peter’s excitement and zeal, he put his foot in his mouth by suggesting that they should build three tabernacles there on top the mountain.  He did not yet comprehend the Glory of the Lord that was being revealed before them, and Father had to cause His cloud to overshadow them momentarily while He spoke out of Heaven saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him!  (Matthew 17:5)

When righteousness becomes complete within us as the people of God, the Glory of the Lord is revealed and made plain to those around us.

Righteousness enables Holy Spirit to reveal the Glory of the Lord in such a way that the Word — the rhema — of Jesus is heard as we speak.

There’s a whole lot more we could cover on the subject of righteousness, but let’s move on to the next “be attitude.”  (smile)

And this is a good place for us to stop.  We will continue this again next week.

I remind those of you in need of ministry that our Healing Prayer Call is back on schedule for Mondays & Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Eastern.  Once again, the number to call for healing is (805) 399-1000.  Then enter the access code: 124763#.

Also want to let you know that our Sunday worship gatherings are available by conference call – usually at about 10:45AM Pacific.  That conference number is (559) 726-1300, and the access code is 308640#.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Sunnyside, Washington 98944

Email Contact: Admin@RiverWorshipCenter.org

Our book, A Tale of Two Brides, published by Destiny Image, is available on Amazon.com as an E-book: http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Brides-Relationship-ebook/dp/B00BSV6HZC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1363139096&sr=8-8&keywords=A+Tale+of+Two+Brides#_

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

If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: Subscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.To remove yourself from the mailing list, please send a blank email to Unsubscribe@AnotherCoffeeBreak.com.

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.