RULING AND REIGNING WITH GOD

Part 23

 

January 8, 2021

 

As we continue to move into this new year, and approach the swearing-in ceremony for President Trump’s second term, opposition against him and the plans of the Lord have continued unabated.  That means that we have an increased responsibility to be lifting him before the Lord, along with his family, and his staff and cabinet.  This is a practical dimension for us to exercise ruling and reigning!

 

We continue today’s discussion as we look at Jesus’ prayer.

 

John 17:11-16: And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name (onoma) those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

 

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name (onoma): those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

 

This is an interesting revelation.  Jesus maintained the disciples existence through Father’s nature, character and makeup.  Now He is returning their keep to Father (because of his impending departure) and requesting that Father continue to maintain that supernatural existence in them so that they could continue His ministry and existence in the world.

 

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word (rhema); and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep themfrom the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 

Once again, we see Jesus making it clear that He has revealed the full character of Father, that His disciples have become so much a part of Him and Father that the world hates them in the same way that it hates Jesus.

 

You understand, I’m sure, that the hatred expressed towards Jesus was because the authority of Heaven was continuously manifested in Him, and that scared the world — and especially the religious Scribes and Pharisees.  The religious people of the day were supposed to be in tune with the Father, but Jesus had demonstrated again and again that they knew absolutely nothing of the Father, that they were so bound by tradition that all they could spout was their empty traditions with no authority to back up anything they said.

 

Let’s skip forward a bit in John’s narrative of Jesus’ prayer.

 

John 17:20-23:  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

 

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

 

Now we see the real revelation of Jesus’ authority and where it came from.  Take another look!

 

….Thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee…..

 

Get it?  Father was in Jesus, and Jesus was in Father!  Everything that was Father was in Jesus.  Let’s not forget that the entire Creation sequence in Genesis 1 was spoken by Jesus!  (See Hebrews 1:2)  THAT, family, is a level of authority that few people have ever known or experienced — and yet, it awaits us!

 

Now we get to the crux of Jesus’ prayer.

 

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

 

Look at it again!

 

….that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made (teleios—complete) perfect in ONE;….

 

Jesus made it clear that He and Father were ONE.  They were indivisible!  The couldn’t be separated from each other.  What Father thought, Jesus thought.  What Father said, Jesus said.  What Father did, Jesus did.  The complete and total authority of the Trinity, the Godhead, was vested in Jesus.  Do you remember what Jesus said?

 

John 8:29:  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always (pantote—at all times) those things that please him.

Now Jesus takes it the next step.

 

….I in them, and thou in me….

 

In the same way that Jesus and Father were ONE — totally merged with each other — now He says, “I in them,” meaning that the same merging of Father and Jesus could take place in us.

 

THAT, family, is where our authority is truly vested and made functional!  This is no myth!  This isn’t theoretical.

 

We have authority over all sickness, all disease, all infirmity, death — and that’s just the beginning!  Our authority is over the elements, the rain, the wind, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc, etc.  We have creative authority and power.  We have authority over governing powers and authorities in the earth.

 

In actual fact, we don’t even begin to comprehend the nature and the depth of the authority that has been vested in us as Sons & Daughters of God!

 

Then why is it that we don’t seem to experience or operate in all this authority and power?  Consider what the apostle Paul wrote to the Ekklesia in Philippi:

 

Philippians 2:5-7:  Cause this manner of thinking – to exercise and discipline your mind – in the same way that Jesus did, who, being part of the Godhead, did not consider it an inappropriate assumption, even illegal plunder, to be on par with Father God, being like Him in every respect,

 

But now finding Himself in the nature and makeup of a natural man, humbled Himself, emptying Himself and neutralizing all of His God-powers and authority so that He could become an ordinary man (taking on the position of the fallen Adam) – even debasing Himself to the level of a servant; and in so doing submitted Himself to the curse of death, even the cursed death of the Cross;  (RAC Translation & Amplification) 

 

Then we have a couple of statements that Solomon makes in the Proverbs:

 

Proverbs 18:21:  Ruin, pestilence, disease and death (emotional, mental and physical) and freshness, vitality, strength, restoration and the veritable breath and life of God are in the power, means, direction and charge of the tongue; and they who understand, have revelation of and utilize it [as an integral part of their existence] shall see, experience, and partake [as one feasts at a table] of the rewards (or curses) and results thereof.  (RAC Translation & Amplification)

 

Proverbs 23:7: For as a person thinks, reasons, and meditates in the core of his being, so does he or she become.  (RAC Translation & Amplification)

 

So, why is that?  How is it that the way we think or reason becomes who or what we are?  Watch!

 

Luke 6:45:  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

 

Then there’s this one!

 

Matthew 12:34-37:  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 

Let me pick up again with verse 37 and amplify it for you.

 

Matthew 12:37:  It’s because of the body of the words that are in you — the thoughts and intents of your heart — resulting in that which comes out of your mouth, that renders you just, free, innocent and righteous; by the same token that body of words that occupies your thoughts and the intents of your heart and manifests itself in your speech will judge, condemn and pronounce you guilty.(RAC Translation & Amplification)

 

I don’t think it can be any clearer!  If we are going to function in the authority and rulership of the Lord Jesus Christ — the authority of the Kingdom of God — we really have to bring our minds and our thoughts into subjection to the Spirit of the Lord.

 

How we think governs how we speak.  How we speak governs what takes place.  If our minds are clouded by fear, doubt and unbelief, that same fear, doubt and unbelief will prevent the words of our mouth from operating in the authority of God.  I can’t say it enough times!  There is no room for fear, doubt and unbelief in the minds of those believers who truly want to function as the Lord Jesus Christ functioned — and continues to function!

 

Consider this!

 

Jesus was totally enveloped in Father!  Once He was baptized in water, and Holy Spirit settled upon Him, there was a complete transition that took Him from being a businessman, a carpenter, an ordinary man to the place where He could only think as Father thought!  There was no room whatever for doubt, fear or unbelief.  He merged and meshed Himself into Father.

 

It wasn’t that He hadn’t known Father prior to this: He had!  Witness his discourse in the Temple at age 12 with the religious leaders of the day.  They were confounded with His knowledge of the Word!

 

Jesus had always been aware of the destiny He had before Him to cancel out the curse that had come upon mankind because of Adam & Eve’s sin.  There is a huge difference between knowing that there is a day in the future that you are going to have to accomplish certain things with eternal consequence, and actually activating that purpose and doing everything necessary for it to be fully accomplished.

 

That’s where we are, family!  That’s where we are!  All of us have lived our lives knowing that there is a specific destiny that God has chosen for us.  That time has come!

 

We look around us at the filth, the corruption, the intense hatred against God’s chosen, appointed and anointed leader for America.  I doubt if any of us could have imagined that a day such as this could actually happen in our country, and yet here we are!  There is no better time than for God’s people to shed their doubt, fear and unbelief and take on fully the mind of Christ!

 

There is no better time for us to exercise God’s authority in our nation.  We do have authority over government.  That authority is a whole lot more than just voting on election day.  We have the ability to decree, to declare, to pray and intercede, and to watch the intervention of the Lord — THROUGH US — in this hour.

 

Let me share one more amplified Scripture for you that addresses where we are in this moment.

 

Romans 8:5-8:  For those whose minds and thoughts are oriented towards, and dwell on, the desires and cravings of the flesh, along with the lusts that originate in the mind, are continually in pursuit of that which pleases one’s rational thinking and satisfies fleshly desires; but those whose thoughts, whose desires, and whose purposes are to measure up to the mandate of the Spirit will be in constant pursuit of that which creates and generates the fulfillment of the inner man and the purposes of God.

 

Because when one’s thoughts, purpose, intent, and focus is on the things that gratify the lusts of the flesh, it results in both spiritual and physical death, but when a person allows the breath of Holy Spirit to blow upon and infuse their minds, their thoughts, and the intents of their heart, they are filled with the very life and light of Father God; and their beings are permeated with (and radiate) His peace, which passes all unredeemed and natural, human understanding.

 

Thus, when one purposes in his thoughts and focus to do only those things that gratify and please the lusts and desires of the flesh, they set themselves in opposition to God; and, indeed, that way of thinking and reasoning is insubordinate and disobedient to the laws and principles of God.  It is impossible for that kind of mindset to be anything but insubordinate and disobedient.

 

Hence, those whose mindsets, thinking and purposed intents are focused on pleasing and gratifying fleshly lusts cannot at any time, and will not under any circumstances please and satisfy the Lord God. (RAC Translation & Amplification)

 

So far, so good?  You all understand where we are?  Excellent!  Let’s shorten today’s discussion and pick it up here next week.

 

 In case you are missing out on real fellowship in an environment of Ekklesia, ourSunday 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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