RULING AND REIGNING WITH GOD

Part 10

 

October 2, 2020

 

This week we will wrap up this series of legal actions that were necessary for us to come into the place of having the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, having access to all the authority of the Heavens. We were destined for rulership before the first words of Creation were spoken. You’ll remember the words that were spoken over Adam when he was first created and the Lord breathed His breath into Adam.

 

Genesis 1:27-28: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

 

You see the operative word, don’t you? “….replenish the earth and subdue it: have dominion.” That’s what we were brought into this world for to begin with, and that’s what Jesus restored to us! Let’s get back to our narrative.

 

There went forth a knowing in Jesus' spirit at the age of 30 that the second legal action had been accomplished, and that the third was about to commence. He thereupon journeyed into a desert place to find His earthly cousin, John the Baptist, who was the first prophet Israel had heard and seen in some 400 years, and instructed John to baptize Him in the river Jordan. With the water still dripping from His head, and His clothing soaked, Jesus began to step from the river. As He did, a thunderous voice spoke out of Heaven. The Holy Spirit appeared as a dove, seemingly from out of no place, and settled upon His head. The voice uttered words which everyone present heard,

 

"This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

And the third legal action had been accomplished.

 

Immediately, the Holy Spirit caused Jesus to depart into the wilderness where He fasted for forty days and forty nights. Now a criterion would be established in the legal case being built against the Serpent.

Following the period of fasting, Satan came to Jesus and raised a question. Oddly enough, it was the same core question he raised in the Garden when he came to Eve.

 

"If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

 

THIS is the same question he raised with Eve? Yes! It is the core question -- but only one-third of it. Wait and you will see. Jesus' response spelled out precisely how mankind was to answer any question raised by the Serpent and those of his ilk.

 

"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God!"

YEEESSSS ! !

 

Do you get it? Man shall not live to provide for his flesh. Man shall not live according to that which is written on stone tablets, or on papyri, or in books. Man shall not live according to the dictates of other human beings. Man shall live by every word -- every rhema -- which proceeds moment by moment, second by second, out of the mouth of the Lord God. That demands relationship -- intimate relationship -- a living relationship in which one can hear moment by moment and second by second that which the Lord isspeaking. That's not to take away from anything which He has said in the past. It just cannot be the means by which we live a love relationship with Him. What he has said in the past will confirm in some manner that which He is speaking, but it can never be the determination of our response to the Lord.

 

Next, Satan took Jesus into the city and set Him up on a pinnacle of the temple. Jesus has just made it clear to Satan that man is to live by the word which proceeds (present tense) out of the mouth of the Lord -- not what He said, no matter how good or authoritative it was, in the past. Was Satan dense, or something? Or was he just plain obstinate? Anyway, he proceeds to quote Scripture to Jesus, and uses it to tempt Him to act on the basis of the written word,

 

"If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, 'He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone."

 

That's twice Satan has questioned Jesus' validity as the Son of God. Don't forget, just before all of this transpired, Jesus came up out of the river and the voice of the Father spoke audibly for everyone to hear,

 

"This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Get it? The Father has just said to everyone, "This is My Beloved Son!" Period! End of discussion! No question. No doubt. It's a settled fact. The Father has just certified Jesus’ authenticity as a member of the Godhead. It is precisely the same question Satan raised with Adam and Eve. "Do you really have a relationship with God? If you really have a relationship with God, why would He withhold His provision or His protection in this area?"

 

And Jesus answered Satan in kind, "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy God!"

Once again, YEEESSS ! !

 

Do you understand this response? Jesus has just spoken his agreement with the word which The Father spoke a short time before as He came out of the river, and with the written word which confirmed that which the Father had just spoken.

 

All right! Let's try this one more time.

 

Next, Satan takes Jesus into a high mountain to show him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of those kingdoms; then says to Jesus,

 

"All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."

 

Wow! Our arrogance is showing, isn't it? We want to make sure that Jesus makes obeisance to Satan. It is important that Jesus acknowledges Satan's right to these kingdoms. If we can just get Him to yield to Satan’s will, or purpose, or suggestions, He’ll be had!

 

Sorry!

 

And Jesus seals the fourth legal action with His response,

 

"Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."

 

For the third time Jesus affirms the fact that He is "the Lord thy God," that it has been said, and it has been written.

 

"So let it be written! So let it be done!”

 

Satan was worried. He saw that Jesus was the first human being who had stood up to his incessant questioning. Jesus had not bowed in any way to his wishes or desires. If this was permitted to go on unchecked, Jesus might just incite other human beings to rebel against his authority. That was no big deal because he could always kill them off. Nevertheless, there was no reason to allow this to continue. One never knew what Jesus might pull off...........

 

And so he planted within the mind of Judas Iscariot -- one of the twelve -- the idea that Jesus' kingdom should be the restoration of Israel as a nation. Now, if we can just get Jesus to agree to cooperate with the overthrow of the Roman government......Hmmmm.....if it works, Jesus will cease to be a threat. If it doesn't, no problem! We did it with Naboth. We can do it again. We'll just set him up for legal assassination. We'll let the Roman government take him out as a threat to their government.

 

(Of course, you understand that Satan did not let Judas in on this last part of his plan. He wouldn't have cooperated if he'd known that the ultimate objective was Jesus' death.)

 

Sure enough, Judas sold Jesus out to the chief priests. Judas was, after all, the treasurer of this Ekklesia. The political implications of the resurrection of Israel as an independent nation were not lost on him.

 

They immediately took Jesus before Herod and Pilate, and arranged a mock trial. It was a mock trial because it did not even conform to Roman Law, much less Jewish Law. If they could just get Jesus to admit that He was the Son of God, they could – legally -- put Him to death for blasphemy.

 

Little did they realize that they were all falling into the most stupendous "sting" operation ever laid in place. And....when put on trial, Jesus testified publicly that He was the Son of God....and sealed the fifth legal action.

 

Great! Now we have Him!

 

Really? Wait a minute! Who has who?

 

And they nailed Jesus to a cross, hanging Him in open, naked shame before all Israel. Don't look now, but the trap has just been sprung! And Satan has been caught in the trap. Watch what happens now!

 

Across all of time, from the moment the clock first began ticking as Adam and Eve were ushered from the Garden, to the grand finale at the Great Judgment Seat, the angelic forces have been sent to gather together all of the sins of mankind. At the same time, they have been sent to collect every evil spirit unleashed upon the human race. Together with every sickness, every affliction, every torment -- even Death himself -- they are swept inexorably towards the Cross and the dying Bridegroom. None will escape! With the forces of the four winds blowing across the face of the earth, all are brought together to an instant in time -- in the twinkling of an eye. Even Satan, himself, cannot escape as the four winds converge on the Cross.

 

Jesus has been hanging on the cross, His life slowly ebbing away because of the cruel beatings and scourging, and the trickling away of His life's blood. He has just won the heart of a thief hanging on another cross nearby. He is about to utter the most important words ever spoken in the history of mankind. Knowing that the end is near, Jesus catches the attention of a nearby centurion. He has little voice with which to speak, but manages to say,"I thirst."

 

The centurion fills a sponge with vinegar, puts it on some hyssop, then extends it up to Jesus' mouth to wet his tongue. It was a nasty trick to use vinegar, but it wouldn't matter. Jesus would now be able to speak those fateful words.

 

His voice did not ring out with any particular strength. No doubt, there were those present who strained to understand the words being spoken. Yet, those words carried forth with a victory and a joy Jesus — even in his weakened state — could hardly restrain. His Plan, set in motion before time began, had worked. The enemy, Satan, had fallen into a trap from which he would never escape. Jesus was about to begin receiving the Bride he had waited for during more than four millennia of time.

 

Listen to those words come forth! Though they are not loud in terms of human hearing, they will reach to the very throne room in Heaven. Do you hear them?

 

"It is finished."

What was that?

 

"It is finished."

Huh? It sounded like He said...…

 

"It is finished."

That's it!

 

Ahhhh, but wait! I thought that the charge could not stick unless there were at least two witnesses.

Riiiighht! Now you're getting it!

 

O.K.! Where's the second witness?

 

You want to know who the second witness is? Look around you. Go and look in the mirror.

Do you get it, yet?

 

With His death and resurrection, Jesus made possible an overcoming process for everyone who desires to be joined to Him.

 

Jesus learned obedience through the things which He suffered. That same process has been ordained for everyone who desires to be a part of His Bride. It is called, "thlipsis." It is the same crushing process which was used to render the oil of the olive. It is pressure! Tribulation! Heat! Fire! A furnace so hot it would wipe out those who do not have a relationship with the Lord, yet it only burns off the ropes and chains which have held the Bride captive.

 

For approximately two thousand years, a Bride has been coming forth in the earth who has gone through exactly the same process Jesus went through. This has been the final phase of The Plan. True, most have not had to die on a cross -- Jesus took care of that aspect. Nevertheless, this Bride has suffered the attacks of the flesh, the torment of the mind and emotions, persecution from false brethren, false accusations, along with the continuous assaults of Satan and his minions.

 

This Bride has had to accomplish after the Spirit what Israel was commanded after the flesh to fulfill: the utter destruction and decimation of the seven nations -- the seven ruling spirits of the enemy in the earth. These are the seven mountains upon which that great whore, Jezebel, (also called "Babylon") has been seated, enticing the people of God and leading them to destruction through religion. And indeed, the Bride has decimated those former principalities and rulers of the darkness of this world.

 

This Bride has overcome the weaknesses of the flesh, being literally transformed into a counterpart for the Lord Jesus Christ -- one who is Supernaturally natural, and naturally supernatural.

 

This Bride has risen above death itself, taking authority over death, and standing against and restraining the forces of death -- all the while seizing life on behalf of her children. She has overcome every lie and deceit of Satan. She has learned to reject "study." She has learned to reject "knowledge." She has learned to eat only from the Tree of Life.

 

This Bride, this counterpart, this "other self" of the Lord Jesus Christ has learned to prevail in battle against the accuser of the brethren. This Bride has learned to rule in peace, even in the midst of chaos.

 

This Bride has learned what it means to worship in the Spirit. The Lord has become her number one priority in life -- pleasing His every desire, responding to even the slightest indication of His yearning.

 

Do you get it now? When Holy Spirit began to unravel and reveal this process to me, it was breathtaking! Now you understand how and why we get to rule and reign with Jesus Christ! The legal requirements for that rulership have been established. They are engraved in the courts of Heaven.

 

It remains for us learn, to receive from the Holy Spirit, to endure the processing that MUST take place – the thlipsis. Remember what we’ve already shared in the past? Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy!

 

II Timothy 2:15-17: 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.

 

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 will 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”….. and we point out Hymenaeus and Philetus as examples.(RAC Translation & Amplification)

 

I’m going to leave it there today. Next week, we will return to the discussion we were pursuing prior to looking at this legal process necessary for us to rule and reign with Jesus Christ.

 

In case you are missing out on real fellowship in an environment of Ekklesia, our Sunday worship gatherings are available by conference call – usually at about 10:30AM Pacific. That conference number is (712) 770-4160, and the access code is 308640#. We are now making these gatherings available on video usingZOOM. If you wish to participate by video on ZOOM, our login ID is 835-926-513. If you miss the live voice-onlycall, you can dial (712) 770-4169, enter the same access code and listen in later. The video call, of course, is not recorded – not yet, anyway.

 

Blessings on you!

 

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Temple, Texas 76502

Email Contact: CapenerMinistries@protonmail.com

 

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