Spiritual Hierarchy & Authority, Part 17

 

 

February 9, 2018

 

We have lots of territory to cover today, so let’s get right to it.

 

The death aspect of "sound" is exhibited in that which went forth when the Serpent opened his mouth.  The very first thing we see of his "sound" is the questioning of God’s motives.  The first thing that comes forth from his onoma is lies, as he says to Eve, “Ye shall not surely die.”

 

The effect of listening to the sound of the Serpent was deadly.  It raised questions in Adam and Eve -- questions which were  predicated on lies.  It caused them to question God's very onoma.  It caused them to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.   Listening to, and heeding the "sound of the Serpent" caused them to "know" good and evil -- to begin making judgments based on their determination of what was "good" and "evil."

 

Every sound which goes forth in the earth today which emanates from man, emanates from that spirit which resides within.  Because we are first and foremost "spirit beings," that which comes forth from us becomes the voice of that spirit which we allow to be in control of our existence.

 

There is another aspect of "sound" which most of us relate to much more  readily: music.  Regardless of what kind of music is played or sung, that music comes forth from spirit -- whether it be the spirit of man, the Spirit of God, or evil spirits who are directed by Satan.  Music, therefore, which comes forth from or through us as ministry to the Lord is motivated and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.  This is a form of worship.

 

Jesus made the statement that "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth."    Worship music -- true worship music, that is -- flows through us by the Holy Spirit as we extol and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ.  True worship need not have any words.  Consider that the worship which we have been experienced within our local Ekklesia is at times spontaneous, sometimes lacks words, and yet has a life and power which defy rational explanation.

 

Music which we often refer to as "Praise" generally flows from our intellect.  That may seem contradictory to what has just been stated, so let me clarify.  Worship -- genuine worship -- bypasses the intellect    completely.  It is spirit ministering to Spirit.  We can better describe worship as our spirit -- totally yielded to and motivated by the Holy Spirit -- ministering pure love to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Praise can operate in the realm of the spirit, but it has a totally different function.

 

Praise begins in our intellect as a decision of our will to extol, to laud, to exalt the Lord -- specifically to glory in the things which He has done.  It may continue into the realm of the spirit and may be addressed to the Lord, but it differs dramatically from worship.  Where worship ministers love to the Lord, praise speaks of the Lord and His mighty works, and is often intended for specifically showing the world that which the Lord has done.  It is also used to conduct warfare.

 

We can liken Praise to ministry which goes forth from the Holy Place.  Worship is the exclusive domain of the Holy of Holies.  One can praise without the invitation or initiation of the Holy Spirit, (And, as we all have seen, there is a realm of praise which exalts and extols the works of Satan, and promotes those works within men and women) but one cannot worship without the invitation and/or initiation of the Holy Spirit.  Both praise and worship are onoma-based and have a distinctive sound which separates and identifies the source onoma.

 

That sound which comes forth in the world today as popular music, rock music, country music, etc., has a spiritual origin and an onoma which drives it.  One of the tragedies of our society, and particularly the Body of Christ, is the sound which permeates it.

 

Our society is permeated by sounds which by only the broadest definition of the term are classified as "music."  Without launching into an attack on any of the various kinds of "music," it will suffice to say that every piece of music is motivated by some spirit.  Every piece of music originates in some onoma.  Every piece of music has a definite and specific spiritual purpose  -- whether the "writer," or "composer," or "author" has any conscious awareness of that fact.

 

Much of what we have referred to as "contemporary Christian music" is also motivated and originated by a spirit.  It, likewise, originates in some onoma.  It, too, has a specific purpose and goal in its going forth.  It is a sound and by specific inference, conveys either life or death, power or weakness, authority or fear, health or sickness.  A sad fact of life is that a substantial portion of the so-called "Christian" music is neither "Christian," nor music.  It is a sound to be sure, but a sound which emanates from evil spirits.

 

I know that statement will raise a lot of eyebrows, so let me again clarify what I am saying.  Just because "music" has words which supposedly speak of the Lord, quotes scriptures, or allegedly "praises" Him, it does not necessarily indicate that this music emanates from the Spirit of the Lord.  One of the most expert quoters of scripture is Satan, himself.  This is evidenced in the way he quoted scriptures, attempting to trap Jesus and seduce Him into yielding to his design.

 

Just because a piece of music supposedly promotes the Lord, it does not automatically follow that it is good, life-giving, or given to foster an intimate relationship with Him.  Throughout the Body of Christ today a multitude of the songs which are sung either promote a  religious doctrine of man which originates in Babylon (which is the spirit of the church system), or attempt to seduce God's people into a passivity designed to placate them in their spiritual state.  What matters is not nearly so much the words which are sung, but rather the spirit which is behind the sound.

 

It may seem that I’ve really gone astray from the principle of spiritual authority and hierarchy, but what I’m trying to demonstrate to you is the fact that because we were and are created in the image of God, what we speak (or sing) comes from an onoma which has creative authority.  Every word we speak has a creative element to it.  There is creative authority in our voices — and that is an authority we cannot get away from, like it or not!

 

Now, let me get into some territory that may get me into trouble (in case I’m not already there!)

 

Two different individuals can sing or play the very same piece of music and communicate two totally opposite things.  It is not so much the series of words which have been strung together.  It is not so much the sequence of notes which are played, or even the instruments which are used.  The same instrument can be used by two different musicians and still communicate two totally opposite onomas.

 

A guitar in the hands of one person can communicate and immerse the listener in the presence of the Lord.  In the hands of another, it can subject them to a spirit of anger, hate, vengeance or fear.  And the two musicians can play the very same sequence of notes!  The difference is the onoma of the spirit which originates the sound.

 

Many of God's people are duped into accepting certain "Gospel Songs"  because they are categorized as such by the words, or the individuals singing or playing them.  What they fail to realize is that they are being systematically lulled into spiritual lethargy by religious spirits driven and motivated by Satan.  Because it "sounds" good to their mind, their emotions, or their flesh, it must therefore be "good!"

 

The objective purpose of this music is not life, health, power, a sound mind, and/or most of all, an intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is to keep people "fat and happy" with their present spiritual state, to satiate the appetites of the flesh in the name of Jesus, and to lead people down a   primrose path which will deprive them of ever entering into the kind of love relationship with Jesus Christ which He so greatly desires.

 

The whole objective of the "Sound of worship" must be so that the desires and purposes of our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, are fulfilled.  It cannot and must not be for what we get from that music, or from Him!  True worship does not satiate the flesh: it ministers life.

 

That the sound of many so-called “gospel songs” is driven and  motivated by an onoma which is antagonistic to the purposes of our Bridegroom is evident in the fact that people are not drawn to follow the Lord Jesus Christ into the furnace of affliction for processing and preparation.  They listen, they tap their feet, they clap their hands, they get “happy,” but they don’t respond to the heart’s desire of Jesus Christ for intimacy.

 

It is the sound which carries this music.  That sound is motivated by spirits whose entire existence revolves and thrives to defeat the desires of the Bridegroom.  The same is true of the large majority of the popular music of the day.  A preponderance of the entire rock or rap genre is not even passive about its opposition to the Spirit of the Lord.  The substance of the sound is acid to one's spirit, and corrosively destructive to one's whole being.    

 

Because, as we have previously noted, the sound is the "voice" of some onoma, the purpose and intent of that "being," whether it be life or death, is communicated.  More than that, it has a force which is either creative or destructive.

 

No sound is passive.  No sound simply entertains.  No sound simply communicates a thought or idea.  Life or death, strength or weakness, faith or fear, hope or despair, blessing or cursing are literally transmitted by the sound.  One becomes virtually immersed in the onoma which originates the sound.  This results in change -- for the better or for the worse.

 

Observe, if you will, some examples recorded in scripture.

 

Mark records numerous incidents when Jesus came face to face with individuals under the control or dominance of evil spirits.  In Mark 1:21-26 an event is recorded in which Jesus was speaking in a synagogue.  In this instance, sound is coming forth.  Life is coming out of Jesus' onoma.  Mark tells us that those present were immersed in His authority.

 

There was a man present in the synagogue who had "an unclean spirit."  The longer Jesus spoke, and the more His authority was manifested, the more fearful this spirit became until it could take Jesus' presence and spirit no longer.  All evil spirits display fear in some  measure or another because it is a major part of the onoma of Satan.  This occurrence was no different.  The evil spirit could no longer stand the power and authority being manifested and it screamed out in fear, "What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?....."

 

The sound of Jesus was power and authority.  The sound of the evil spirit was fear.  Jesus had not even been speaking to either the man in whom the evil spirit resided, or the evil spirit.  The sound of His life was simply filling that room.  When the evil spirit screamed out, Jesus spoke simple words of His authority -- The Ultimate Authority!

 

"Be quiet, and come out of him."  No doctrines, no preaching, no teaching, just a simple address: "Be quiet, and come out of him."  The result was instantaneous.  The man in whom the evil spirit had resided convulsed, the unclean spirit screamed out again in terror, and departed him in haste.

 

Consider the many examples in the record of Jesus' deliverance of the Gadarene demoniac.   Jesus has just been on the Sea of Gennesaret (sometimes called the Sea of Chinnereth) with his disciples.  A storm, which was obviously created by Satan, arose and began filling their boat with water.  (The Greek text describes this storm as a great "shaking" of the sea as though being moved violently by some external force.)  It was an abnormal storm, to be sure, and it caught the disciples off guard.

 

They became fearful because of the cyclonic sound of the whirlwind (The Greek text uses the word, lailaps, for whirling wind or cyclone), and the sight of waves breaking over the boat, and they cried out in fear, "Master, do you not care that we are perishing?"  Jesus, being awakened from a peaceful sleep in the stern of the boat, simply looks at the storm and speaks peace, "Hush!  Be still!"

 

Once again you have a sound.  This time it is not an articulate sound as in speech, it is the sound of the onoma of Satan.  It is the sound of violence, and its obvious intention is the death and destruction of Jesus and His disciples.  The sound of this great shaking of the sea, combined with the sound of the cyclone or whirlwind, produced exactly the desired effect in the disciples: fear.  And this is the sound which now comes forth from them.

 

Upon being aroused, Jesus also utters a sound.  Again, this sound is the sound of His onoma, and it is the sound of absolute authority.  He speaks three simple words, "Hush!  Be still!"  The instantaneous effect is the proof of that onoma: the winds ceased, and the waters were suddenly calm.

 

Consider the fact that this storm would have easily been visible from both sides of the sea.  They were crossing from Galilee to the district of Gadara -- a distance of roughly five to seven miles.  A storm of the described magnitude would have swamped the entire region.  When that sound of authority came forth from Jesus, it didn't just become calm where they were situated: the entire storm -- from end-to-end -- ceased instantly.

 

Sound and light went forth at creation.  Authority manifested.  My objective in taking this direction in our sharing is to show you just how significant the authority is that was built into us and infused into our very makeup, character and essence when we came into this world.

 

We’ve still got a ways to go with this discussion, so let’s pause here and pick it up next week. 

 

 

For those of you who’ve participated during the past three years in our Monday night Healing Prayer Conference Call, this is just a reminder that the calls have resumed on a once-a-month basis, the first Monday of each month.  If you have a need for healing, or you have friends in need of healing, here is the number to call: (712) 775-7035.  The Access Code is: 323859#.  For Canadians who have difficulty getting in to this number, you can call (559) 546-1400.   If someone answers and asks what your original call-in number was, you can give them the 712 number and access code.

 

At the same time, 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 10:45AM Pacific.  That conference number is (712) 770-4160, and the access code is 308640#.  We are now making these gatherings available by Skype.  If you wish to participate by video on Skype, my Skype ID is regner.capener.  If you miss the live voice call, 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 A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Temple, Texas 76504

Email Contact: CapenerMinistries@protonmail.com

 

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