Table of Contents

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8. The Covert Remnant

9. Judgment that Overcomes

10. Two Eras Marked by the Passing of Billy Graham

11. Perspective

12. Redeeming the Time

13. Going Forward by Going Back

14. Prophetic Word: By Larry Pate

15. Turn

16. Turn (2)

17. Turn (3)

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The Covert Remnant

By Lanny Swaim

 

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 2:32 (Emphasis added)

 

Hidden in the Secret Place

 

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

 

There is a remnant today, marked by the intense and severe tests and trials they have endured, who are being positioned to be at the forefront of the greatest spiritual awakening the Church and the world has ever known.

 

However, for what seems to have been a long time, and even now, they appear to be hidden from the world and the Church, having been taken out of the greater Body of Christ (Church) and separated from the world.

 

But that doesn’t mean they haven’t been actively involved behind the scenes, interceding as they are being prepared, already making a major difference in the affairs of the Church and of nations.

 

Their process of preparation has been one of coming to a much deeper trust in the Lord than they have ever known, finding that place of rest and peace that remains elusive to most of the Body of Christ.  And through this time of transition in their lives, their relationship with the Lord has become much more intimate; to the point that they not only positionally but experientially dwell in the secret place of the Most High God, hidden under His shadow.

 

But they won’t remain hidden for long, because theirs is not a walk that can remain hidden.

 

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: and hid, that shall not be known.

Jesus in Matthew 10:26

 

The Unveiling

 

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation [revelation/unveiling] of the sons of God.

Romans 8:19

 

In the Hebrew culture of the Bible, a son was a mature child, ready to receive all his father’s inheritance, and to operate in all the authority of his father’s name.  So it is with this remnant that has been matured through a process of intense and severe tests and trials.

 

While we may not be 100% there yet, we are closer than ever before, having tasted of the fulness of the Godhead indwelling us fully, enabling us to walk in greater authority than ever before, having the assurance that we are in Christ and He is in us; that literally we are an extension of Him.

 

Not only have we been prepared and positioned for the time at hand, we are about to and even currently being revealed/manifested/unveiled to the Church and the world, taking our rightful place of authority as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God.  Even though we face much opposition from the religious community and from the political and financial entities that think it is their destiny to rule the world, we cannot and will not be overcome; but rather will reign with the King of kings and Lord of lords, ultimately and literally bringing the Kingdom on/in Earth as in Heaven.

 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw, blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:1-3

 

The Book of Revelation is not a chronological order of so called, end-times.  Rather, it reveals Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Hence, it is synonymous with the manifestation of the Sons of God.  It is the unveiling of a people, filled with all the fullness of the Godhead, taking their rightful place of authority and power on Earth; literally becoming an extension of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and, as a result, paving the way for a convergence of Heaven and Earth, unlike anything known from the time of the creation until now.

 

And it all begins with a remnant.  Since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, God has been in a process of restoration, reformation, and transformation, with each new step toward those goals starting with a remnant.  At times that remnant was one person or one family, such as Noah and Abraham.  Then there was the nation of Israel, a remnant of all the peoples on Earth at that time.  Out of Israel came the remnant of the Jews, and out of the Jews came another remnant, the Church.

 

Coming out of the Church today is yet another remnant, whose purpose and destiny is to be at the forefront of the greatest awakening the Church and the world has ever known.  This remnant is the manifested/revealed/unveiled Sons of God; hidden for a season but about to be made known.

 

This covert remnant is not only laying the groundwork for a great awakening, they are preparing the way for a total reformation of the Church, taking the Church far beyond the bounds of the Protestant Reformation of 500 years ago.  But it doesn’t stop there.  They are paving the way for a total transformation of planet Earth, ultimately resulting in the nations of the world becoming the Kingdom of God (see Revelation 11:15).  And this will lead to the restoration of everything that was lost at the time of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.

 

What a glorious future we have!  What a glorious time to be alive on planet Earth!

 

Surely we were born for such a time as this!

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Judgment that Overcomes

By Lanny Swaim

 

For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God.

1 Peter 4:17

 

Judgment is not condemnation.

 

A thorough study of Scripture reveals that judgment, at least where the believer is concerned, is for the purpose of redemption and reconciliation rather than condemnation.  Judgment exposes that which stands in the way of our becoming like God (which entails possessing His character, enabling us to be fully equipped for ministry). 

 

Often, this exposure is brought about by rather intense and severe tests and trials in our lives.

 

Several years ago the Lord put me through four years of the most intense and severe tests and trials I had ever experienced.  For the first two years I rebuked the devil, constantly taking authority over him in the name of Jesus, to no avail. 

 

I confessed the promises found in the Word of God concerning my situation.  I continued to study the Word, attempting to appropriate the faith needed to overcome.  But nothing worked.

 

Finally, at perhaps the darkest point of my desperation, I was lying on my couch at 4:00 AM on a Monday morning, praying in the Spirit and crying out to God for relief when I heard Him say, “Put the ball back in my court.”

 

It was the first time He had ever spoken to me in a cliché.  My immediate response was, “God, I didn’t know I carrying the ball but I put it back in your court.  I quit.  I’m not doing another thing until you do something.”

 

By 7:00 that morning things had begun to turn around and from that point on I began to realize that even though I was doing many good things, my motivation was wrong.  While I had a genuine desire to minister to and help others, I wanted to be accepted and look good in the process.  I wanted recognition with a little wealth and fame for icing on the cake.

 

In other words, there was a lot of self in everything I was doing.  And the sad thing is, I had no idea.  I thought I was okay. 

 

The tests and trials showed me that I was in the way of what God wanted to do in and through me.  Self is the enemy of God.  Self cannot be fixed or rehabilitated.  The only solution that deals with self is death.  Self has to die.  And more often than not, dying to self is accomplished as the result of tests and trials, which is the judgment that begins at the house of God.

 

A Season of Judgment

 

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.

Revelation 14:6-8 (Emphasis added)

 

Judgment has always begun at the house of God, but I believe we have entered a time in history when there is an acceleration of that judgment, which will ultimately bring the Church much closer to its destiny; that destiny being perfection (maturity) (see Ephesians 5:25-27).  While a remnant of the Church has been experiencing this acceleration for several years, I believe we have now entered a time when this acceleration will begin to affect many more.

 

We are now in the beginning hours of the twenty-first century, which began with the year 2000.  Twenty in scripture is representative of a period of waiting for completion, which is synonymous with perfection or maturity.  Jacob waited twenty years to receive both his wives and freedom from their father, Laban (see Genesis 31:38-41).  Solomon spent a total of twenty years building the first temple and his own house in Jerusalem, providing a dwelling place for the presence of God and for the King of Israel, which he intended to be permanent (see 1 Kings 9:10).

 

Twenty in scripture also represents righteousness, which we see in Abraham’s bargaining with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham ask God if He would spare the cities if forty righteousness could be found in them.  Forty is twice twenty.  Then he asked God if He would spare them for only twenty.  Lastly, he asked if only ten could be found.  Ten is half of twenty.

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The purpose of judgment, which often manifests as tests and trials, is to produce righteousness in our lives and ultimately in the Church as a whole.  And righteousness (being right and doing right) enables us to overcome.

 

Overcoming

 

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation 2:7 (see also Revelation 2:11, 17 & 26; 3:5, 12 & 21)

 

When we submit to God’s judgment and allow the process to move us toward righteousness/completion/perfection/maturity, we become overcomers.  Overcoming is not about ridding our lives of the challenges we face but rather about overcoming in the challenges.  Ironically, we overcome by going through.

 

When God told me at 4:00 AM that Monday morning to put the ball back in His court, the intense and severe tests and trials I had been enduring for two years didn’t immediately cease.  In fact, they continued for two more years.  But for those next two years I responded to them differently.  Instead of continuously rebuking the devil, I began to see God’s hand at work in the tests and trails.  I came to an understanding of the reason for the tests and trials, which, as I have already stated, was to rid me of self, making room for the Lord to live His life in and through me.

 

You see, Kingdom living is not about us.  It is all about Him.  And it is only when we are out of the way, that He can live His life in and through us.

 

The apostle Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20) (Emphasis added).”

 

Again, it’s not about us because it’s not even our faith.  It is the faith of the Son of God!

 

May you realize the necessity to completely submit to the judgment that begins at the house of God, and in doing so, become the overcomer He created you to be.

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Two Eras Marked by the Passing of Billy Graham

By Lanny Swaim

 

The Era of Personal Salvation

 

Many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 22:14

 

Billy Graham was definitely one of the chosen few.  Like John the Baptist, Jeremiah and others, his destiny seemed to be sealed before he exited his mother’s womb.

 

There is a catch phrase that has become somewhat of a cliché among Christians, “In God’s perfect timing.”  But I am convinced that everything does actually happen in God’s perfect timing.  The birth, life and passing of Billy Graham is perhaps one of the greatest examples in modern history.

 

His simple message of personal salvation was probably the main catalyst that brought into existence a Christian mindset that transcended denominations, establishing a block of Christianity known as Evangelicals; who have not only been influential in the Church at large but also in the American political arena.

 

Graham was a man born on the timeline of history to dominate an era that took Christianity beyond the advances the Protestant Reformation brought about, sparking what became the fulfillment of the Great Commission, as recorded in Mark 16:15:

 

Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 

The Transition from One Era to Another

 

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all the things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [age].

Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20

 

The Great Commission as recorded in Mark 16:15 seems to emphasize the personal salvation message that Billy Graham preached.  Perhaps Jesus was not only giving a command, but prophesying a future time when this evangelical aspect of the Great Commission would be restored to the Church.

 

However, Matthew’s account of the Great Commission seems to focus, not so much on personal salvation, but on the nations.

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While personal salvation is extremely important, it’s really not the message that Jesus preached.  Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, which focuses more on changing the world than on personal salvation.  Actually, personal salvation is but the means to bring the Kingdom on/in Earth as in Heaven (which Jesus taught us to pray), literally changing the nations of the world, therefore changing the world.

 

John focused on this aspect of the Great Commission:

 

For God so loved the world…

John 3:16 (Emphasis added)

 

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Jesus in John 3:3

 

The Amplified Bible adds to see the Kingdom – experience the Kingdom.  This makes it clear to me that the primary purpose of being born again is not necessarily personal salvation, but to gain an understanding of and experience the Kingdom of God.

 

While the personal salvation message has as its main focus the concept of going to Heaven when the believer dies, the Gospel of the Kingdom focuses on bringing Heaven to Earth; literally a convergence of Heaven and Earth.

 

The fulfillment of this aspect of the Great Commission will change the world, bringing about the reality of Revelation 11:15:

 

The kingdoms [nations] of this world are become the kingdoms [Kingdom] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 

It has been revealed to me by the Spirit of God, that the passing of Billy Graham prophetically signifies a shift in the focus of the Great Commission, from the personal salvation message to reaching entire nations with the gospel message, ultimately changing the political landscape of the world.

 

The Beginning of a New Age

 

I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [age].

Jesus in Matthew 28:20

 

The Amplified Bible makes it clear that Jesus wasn’t referring to the end of the world but rather, the end of the age.

 

I am convinced that a thorough study of prophetic scripture indicates that we are now transitioning from the Church Age into the Kingdom Age.

 

Billy Graham was a forerunner, and his life and ministry represent an era that opened the door to more than a new era.  Like John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, I believe Billy Graham prepared the way for the coming of a new age, the Kingdom Age.

 

Jesus said He would be with us (believers) until the end of the age.  I believe that, as we transition from the Church Age into the Kingdom Age, Jesus is not only going to be with us, but is becoming fully formed in us, (see Galatians 4:19 AMP), enabling us to live the Kingdom lifestyle that will change the world.

 

I also believe, that as many are prophesying, this changing of the world begins with the greatest spiritual awakening the Church and the world has ever known.  And, as has been prophesied by numerous prophetic voices for several years now, the passing of Billy Graham marks a line of demarcation on the timeline of history, when this greatest of all awakenings begins.

 

Saints of God, the time just ahead is going to be the most glorious time in all of history so far!  Surely we were born for such a time as this.

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Perspective

By Lanny Swaim

 

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying…

Revelation 1:10-11

 

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither…

Revelation 4:1

 

In chapter one and chapter four of Revelation, John head a voice, which sounded like a trumpet.  In the verses that follow Revelation 1:10 the Voice identifies Himself as the Son of Man, who of course is Jesus.  Then, in the second and third chapters, He addresses issues concerning seven churches in Asia. 

 

After this initial experience, John says he looked and saw a door open in Heaven, and the same voice told him to come up there.  Then John says something interesting.  In Revelation 1:10 he had said he was in the spirit, but here in chapter four he says that after hearing the same voice again he was immediately in the spirit.

 

Why do you suppose he differentiates between these two experiences of being in the spirit?

 

Could it be that the first spiritual experience was concerning earthly things (problems and situations in seven churches)?  He was in the spirit but seeing from an earthly, time/space perspective.  Then, in verse four he was invited to come up to Heaven and see from the heavenly perspective.

 

An Earthly Perspective

 

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10

 

In John’s first experience of being in the spirit in the Book of Revelation, he was told to write letters to seven churches.  Those letters contained recognition of the good things they were accomplishing and admonition to change that which was not so good.  There were consequences if the changes were not made, and rewards for those who overcame the problems and made the necessary corrections; the implication being that there were choices to be made by the churches corporately and by the individuals within those churches.  The outcome was then determined by the choices made.

 

These letters were dictated and written from an earthly, time/space viewpoint, where the outcome appears to be uncertain.

 

So it is with believers whose primary focus is from an earthly, time/space perspective, more so than from an eternal perspective.  What they hear God saying to them personally or in a prophetic capacity, is limited by their perspective.  Therefore, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:9, they know in part and prophecy in part.

 

In other words, what they are hearing is incomplete; meaning it is not 100% correct.

 

This in part view of everything also effects their understanding of Scripture.  The revelation they receive while reading Scripture is incomplete and not 100% correct, limiting their effectiveness as they walk out their lives as believers.

 

I believe this is why prayer for most believers is a hit and miss proposition.  Sometimes their prayers get answered, sometimes they don’t.  This tends to propagate explanations as to why certain prayers didn’t get answered, which are really no more than excuses; the real reason being that they were praying from the wrong perspective.

 

Ultimately, this in part perspective causes them to fall short of their potential, unless their earthly, time/space viewpoint changes to an eternal perspective.

 

An Eternal Perspective

 

Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus in Matthew 6:25 & 33

 

Those with an earthly perspective focus on earthly things.  As a result, they spend a lot of their time and energy on providing and/or appropriating the physical needs that living in a physical world necessitate.   

 

But those who see from an eternal perspective aren’t all that concerned about physical needs.  Theirs is a perspective that sees the bigger picture.  Theirs is a perspective that sees the end from the beginning (see Isaiah 46:10).  Theirs is a perspective that realizes the eternal plan of God is much more important than the finite, physical world our mortal bodies function in.  Theirs is a perspective that understands whatever it takes, whatever it costs us to gain eternity, is worth it.

 

John’s stay on the Isle of Patmos was supposed to be a death sentence.  There was no fresh water or food supply on Patmos.  Physically speaking, John should not have survived Patmos.  But John seemed to be a believer that had more of an eternal perspective than perhaps any of the other original twelve apostles.  Maybe that’s why John was later released from Patmos, and died of natural causes around the age of 105, according to historical accounts; while all the other original apostles met violent deaths of martyrdom, except for Judas who committed suicide.

 

John lived in and had to deal with the physical world, but his eternal viewpoint enabled him to receive the Revelation of Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, to be passed down through the generations to us.  In order for that to happen, he had to be released from Patmos to publish what has become the last book of our Bible.

 

I have found, that as I have continued to die to self and mature in the Lord, I too am seeing much more from the eternal perspective rather than from the time/space perspective.  And that is not only changing my viewpoint, it is literally changing my life.

 

We don’t know how John survived on Patmos.  Perhaps God supernaturally provided for his physical needs, or maybe God showed him where there was fresh water and a food supply, hidden from the Roman authorities and all those previously sentenced to Patmos.  But we do know that God’s plan for John was not to die on Patmos, but to be released and live out the rest of his life in Ephesus, publishing the Revelation of Jesus Christ and continuing to minister in whatever capacity the Lord desired.

 

So it is with us.  If our focus is from an eternal perspective, our walk through this life will reflect that reality, and we will accomplish all God has purposed for us to accomplish.  Not only will we accomplish all He intends, we will see the Kingdom as He sees the Kingdom, which will ultimately cause us to move on to perfection, no longer being limited by an in part understanding of Scripture and life in general.

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Redeeming the Time

By Lanny Swaim

 

Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:9  (See also 2 Thessalonians 3:13)

 

Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:14-16 (emphasis added)

 

Redeem is translated from the Greek verb, exagorazo, which means buying up the opportunity.  Time in Ephesians 5:16 is referring to the Greek word for time, kairos, or a time in which something is seasonable (a specific time as opposed to chronological time as days on a calendar).  It can also mean a specific time pregnant with destiny.

 

The implication in Ephesians 5:14-16 is that we have been asleep, as if dead, which describes the Church for most of the last 2000 years, at least from the fourth century on until the awakening that became known as the Protestant Reformation, and then more recent awakenings (which restored the baptism with the Holy Spirit accompanied by the gifts of the Spirit) that took place in Wales in 1859 and 1904 and then the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angles, California in 1906.  (I should note that these are the better known awakenings.  There have been others.)

 

Then, in the mid-twentieth century many believers received the baptism with the Holy Spirit in a move of God (known as the Charismatic Movement) that crossed all denominational boundaries, not only in Protestant Churches but in Catholic Churches as well.

 

But even then, with the restoration of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, in a very real sense the Church as a whole still remained asleep.  Even those who accepted the baptism with the Spirit accompanied by the gifts of the Spirit, didn’t fully embrace the fruit of the Spirit, which is being filled with the fullness of Christ as we take on the very nature and character of God, literally becoming perfected love as He is love.

 

Today there is a remnant of the Body of Christ that is beginning to experience the fullness of Christ, having been subjected to an intense and severe process tests and trials, emptying them of self (dying to self), enabling them to become more like God in nature and character than ever before.

 

This remnant has been obsessively walking out the various missions they have been assigned by God, seemingly to little avail.  While they have experienced a measure of success, major success has eluded them.

 

But that is about to change for many of this remnant.

 

Those of us who are a part of this remnant have been busy with well doing, during a season of preparation, as the Lord has been maturing (growing within us the character of God/the fullness of Christ) and positioning us for that which lies just ahead.  Prophetically speaking, the Lord is now saying that a new season is upon us, when that which we (of this remnant) have decreed, declared, prophesied and prayed for is about to burst forth in our lives and ministries and onto the world stage. 

 

At times during this period of maturation and positioning, we have become weary to the point of desperation, and yet we didn’t faint or give up.  Now, as the season is changing, we are about to buy up the opportunity before us (redeeming the time), and the currency we will use to make the transaction is our overcoming nature born out of the intense and often severe tests and trials we have endured.

 

Very soon we will find it hard to keep up with all God has us involved in.  We will have to day by day and hour by hour listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit, in order to determine what the priorities are each step of the way.

 

We will see things that have been hidden in our hearts for a long, long time suddenly come to pass, with little or no effort on our part.

 

Instead of going from test to test and trial to trial, with hindrances always appearing to hold us back, we will suddenly find ourselves going from glory to glory (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

 

Surely, we were born for such a time as this!

 

He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and sitteth me upon my high places.

Psalm 18:33

 

They that wait upon [serve] the lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

 

Absolutely, without a doubt, we were born for such a time as this; all glory to God!

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Going Forward by Going Back

By Lanny Swaim

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Ephesians 1:3-5

 

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Jeremiah 1:5

 

My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labor until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you.

Galatians 4:19 AMP

 

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Hebrews 4:9

 

A friend recently told me that she felt she wasn’t moving forward or going higher in her spiritual walk with the Lord.  She said the Lord spoke to her, and told her that she didn’t need to go forward or higher, but that instead she needed to go back.

 

When she shared this with me, the immediate question in my mind was back to what or back to where?  As soon as I had almost unconsciously entertained this question, the answer became clear.

 

Back to before the beginning, in the posture of an eternal existence, when everything that is playing out in a time/space world was already finished and complete.

 

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

Isaiah 46:9-10

 

In eternity there is no past, present or future.  Eternity is an ever present now.  Before we were conceived, God knew us.  We already existed.  And because we had not yet entered the time/space world where mankind has inherited the fallen nature of the first Adam, we were sinless.

 

By entering the time/space world when a flash of light, which is scientifically referred to as conception, placed us in our mother’s womb, we then began the process of being perfected; of growing physically until we could survive outside the womb, of growing to adulthood, all the while experiencing the process of being perfected, until eventually reaching the sinless state that was our existence before the foundation of the world.

 

There is a remnant of believers today who are getting a glimpse of this end from the beginning, seeing more and more from the eternal perspective instead of the time/space perspective.  In essence we are going back to our sinless existence before we began this process of being perfected.

 

We are beginning to see ourselves as God saw us before the foundation of the world, and in doing so are finding a place of rest, where we no longer strive to become like God, but rather realize that in a very real sense, we are already like God, even though on the timeline of history as our lives play out in a time/space world, we don’t look like it.

 

To cease striving and find this place of rest is to trust God completely with the outcome of our lives.  Some might think this gives us a license to sin, but I beg to differ.  Instead, it puts the outcome of our existence entirely on God, who saw our end before our beginning in a time/space world, because He knew us before the beginning.

 

To fully embrace this reality, we must realize that God not only saw us before the beginning, we existed before the beginning.

 

We are becoming who we were, and by trusting God enough to get us to our destination, we will at some time arrive at our destination.  And in our process of journeying into perfection individually, we of this remnant are becoming the firstfruits of the entire Body of Christ being perfected, which will ultimately bring about the restitution of all things (see Acts 3:21).

 

While this must play out in a time/space world on a timeline of history, we must realize that it can only play out as a people discover and experience the destiny God planned for His creation before creation came into a physical existence, when everything that is existed in eternity, which cannot be changed by the failures of mankind or a devil who is an agent of destruction.

 

To see from this eternal perspective is to rest in the reality of it.

 

Ultimately, absolutely, and surely we were born for such a time as this!

 

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted an grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.  Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

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Prophetic Word

February 16, 2020

By Larry Pate

 

I am sovereignly going to pour out my Spirit.  They will say this doesn’t belong here but I say I am God and there is no other but Me.  I will pour out My Spirit and man cannot tell Me what I shall do.  There will be places of refuge.  They will be called glory hubs; places of sold-out believers following no agenda.  I will raise up those to steward My glory.  Many places of worship will not experience this glory.  They are too self-willed and have not prepared their hearts, therefore I will bypass what most call church and reveal [My glory] to my remnant who has been prepared in the desert place.  I will reveal My glory in those who have surrendered, who follow no agenda but My Spirit.

 

Repent I say, for what I do is great and many are called but few are chosen.  Therefore rise up and take your place, My people, for the hour is before you and this is the time spoken of long before by my prophets. 

 

Declare a thing and it shall be!  Arise, for your chains are being broken and you are being unleashed.

 

The world has never seen the beauty of My remnant, My bride gleams with beauty.  She is a picture perfect expression of Me.  My people have suffered and have overcome.  They have endured hardness and yet maintained faith.  I have prepared them through difficulty.  They have no desire but Me.

 

Therefore I’m setting before them an open door; miracles of all kinds such as the world has never seen.  My people will shine with My glory and reveal My true character.  I desire to reveal Myself to man.  Great glory and grace shall flow and overtake My people.  Wherever you are, My people, My glory will show up and expel the darkness.  Take your place, My people, for the enemy cannot defeat you.  I have fortified you and made you a stumbling block to darkness. 

 

Great revelation shall be unveiled to My people; great strategies to take cities; conquer and take the land for it is yours for the taking.  Arise, and take hold of your destiny, for there has never been a time like now, and it shall not be [again].  For I have prepared this time for My people to reveal My plan.  Darkness has planned great chaos but I have thwarted those plans and I will pour great grace upon the land, such as has never been seen before.  Even the most evil will come to light.

 

For I am beckoning them to come.  Many will say, “How can such evil ones be converted?”  I have a plan and man’s darkness is no match for My grace.  Even your politicians will say, “How is this?  How has darkness been defeated so easily?”

 

Rejoice, My people, for all the prophets have longed to see what you are going to experience.  This is the day of reckoning.  I will give back what has been stolen and you will be robbed no more.  For in one hour I will change laws and push aside evil plots!  Hold fast to your profession, give diligence to My word, for I am a God of justice and will not clear the guilty.  Therefore repent.  Turn away from foolish things and give Me your full attention.  Stay close to My side for the battle is swift and the victory is sure.  My love, you have endured and held on in impossible conditions, and now you will reap where you have not sown and you will prosper where there is lack.

 

They say it is darkest before the dawn.  I am opening the way to light.  I am before you preparing the way, and now you will see My glory shine as the dawn of a new day, for it is truly a new day for My people!

 

Turn

By Lanny Swaim

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If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (emphasis added)

 

This is a well-known scripture reference, often used and applied to America.  However, in the Old Testament it actually applied only to Israel, who, were in the Old Testament, God’s chosen people (if My people).

 

If you have been reading my writings very long, you probably know that I believe there is more than one application to Old Testament prophetic scripture.  Often what was originally intended for Israel, also has an application for the New Testament Church.  And sometimes, the New Testament application is the stronger one, especially when read on this side of the cross.

 

I believe 2 Chronicles 7:14 presents us with a principal that applies not only to the nation of Israel, but to any nation where God’s people are citizens in modern times.  In that sense, it is a prophetic scripture, and should be understood and put into practice as such.

 

When applying this scripture reference to the USA, where people get into error, I think, is when they apply it to the entire country.  In this reference, God specifically addresses His people.  In the Old Testament, His people were the entire nation of Israel.  But in the USA, His people are only a part of the population.

 

So in modern times, those who need to turn are not the entire nation but only those considered to be God’s people, which would be the Church.  This, I believe, also applies to other nations and not just to the USA, but I am only familiar with this reference being used in the USA.  Perhaps if you are in another country, and this is used and applied to your nation, you could let me know.  I would very much like to know.

 

So, applying this to the Church in any nation, obviously there are conditions to acquiring the desired outcome of having our nations healed.  Since I am a citizen of the USA, I will be applying it primarily to the USA, but if you live in another country, you can apply it to your nation as well, however it might relate.

 

So here are the conditions: 

 

First of all we must humble ourselves.  I could write an entire article on this, but I am going to leave it to you to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to how to humble yourself. 

 

Then, we must pray.  Again, I will leave it to you to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to how to pray.

 

Next we must seek God’s face.  I believe this is about intimacy with God.  We have for many years sought God’s hand, and as a result have seen many miracles, signs and wonders (perhaps not as many as we would like to have seen, but none the less, many).  Perhaps one of the reasons, and maybe the main reason, we have not seen more signs, wonders and miracles, is that we have sought God’s hand without seeking His face.  It is intimacy with God that increases our ability to activate faith, and as a result we are drawn closer to God, become more like God in character, literally having the mind of Christ to a greater degree than ever before.  Again, there is more I could teach on this, but at this point in time, I would rather you seek the Holy Spirit for that guidance and revelation.

 

The next thing on God’s list in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is that we must turn from our wicked ways.  What?  We’re talking about God’s people here.  This implies that God’s people are wicked, having wicked ways.

 

How can that be true?  But obviously, it is.  So, if we have wicked ways, we should definitely find out what those wicked ways are, and then how to turn from them.

 

I believe God has shown me what some of those wicked ways are, and how we must turn from them in order to get our nation healed.  In the next few weeks, I am going to be addressing one issue each week that I believe applies to this scripture reference.

 

I encourage you to read each one, pray into it, and see what the Holy Spirit will reveal to you.  You may actually see more than I have written about, and if this is in fact the case, I will consider my work to have been a success.

 

I would be more than happy to hear anything revealed to you, or to have you respond and interact with my viewpoint.  Perhaps, together, we can get an even clearer picture of what is needed to turn from our wicked ways.

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Turn (2)

By Lanny Swaim

 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (emphasis added)

 

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Jesus in Revelation 2:6, to the church of Ephesus

 

So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Jesus in Revelation 2:15, to the church in Pergamos

 

In the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation, we find seven letters to seven churches, which Jesus told John to write.  In two of those letters, we find Jesus referring to the Nicolaitans, and emphatically stating that He hates the doctrine and deeds of the Nicolatians.  Obviously, this sect within the Church was practicing something very wicked.  So I think it would be to our advantage to know what this practice was, to insure we aren’t repeating it today.

 

While there seems to be some uncertainty as to the meaning of Nicolatians, in Hebrew it literally means lay conquerors or to conqueror the lay people.

 

Evidently this practice had crept into the Church early on in the first century.  Hence, Jesus addressed it in the second chapter of Revelation.  Later, by the fourth century, it became the structural foundation of the Roman Catholic Church, which separated the clergy from the laity, giving the clergy complete control over the laity in matters regarding doctrine and behavior.

 

Nowhere in the New Testament are we taught that there should be a clergy/laity system within the Church, and yet, we see it in practice as early as the first century, becoming the foundation of the Church by the fourth century, and continuing until the present time.

 

The Protestant Reformation righted some of the wrongs of the Catholic Church, but left the clergy/system intact.

 

The practice of the clergy ruling over the laity is perhaps one of the most damaging aspects of Christianity, keeping the laity spiritual babes, and giving the clergy far too much power over their lives.  As a result, the laity are hindered from becoming the ministers of the Gospel they should be, making them virtually ineffective in having any real influence over the world system, and keeping them powerless to minister to and be of any great help to one another.

 

Is it any wonder that Jesus hates this practice?

 

Today, denominational churches have various hierarchies that control and/or include the clergy, which goes by unscriptural titles (reverend, rector, priest, father, etc.), while most independent churches are for the most part controlled by a pastor or group of pastors, who operate in an unscriptural position.  And most of these so called pastors are functioning independent of any apostolic oversight.

 

Wicked simply means twisted (think of wicker furniture or wicker baskets), and the clergy/laity system in the Church today is possibly one of, if not the most twisted (wicked) practice that needs to be addressed and changed.

 

That being true, it is perhaps one of if not the most prevalent issue delaying the healing of our nation.

 

However, there is good news!

 

There is a remnant today who are seeing and coming to an understanding of this wicked practice, and are coming out of that unscriptural church system.  And God has a history of starting any major move with a remnant.  Just as He doesn’t need the entire nation to turn in order to accomplish His purposes, He can accomplish His goals with only a remnant of His people.

 

So the question is not whether or not God will heal our nation.  The question is whether or not you will be a part of the solution or remain a part of the problem.

 

The solution is already in motion.  Perhaps as more join the cause it will accelerate, but regardless, it cannot be stopped as long as a remnant continues in faith and obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

 

We will overcome, period.  And God will heal our nation.

 

Surely we were born for such a time as this!

 

Turn (3)

By Lanny Swaim

 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (emphasis added)

 

How is it then, brethren?  When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.  Let all things be done unto edifying.

1 Corinthians 14:26

 

In our last teaching we looked at the unscriptural clergy/laity system prevalent in the Church today and for most of the past two millennia.  This system is the practice of the Nicolatians that Jesus twice said He hates in the Book of Revelation.

 

Under this system, the pastor (who goes by different titles in different denominations) of a church functions in an unscriptural position (his job description is unscriptural).

 

There are five words in the New Testament that have been defined as different functions, but are in fact the same function.  Those five words are pastor, elder, bishop, shepherd and overseer.  In modern English, I think overseer best describes the function of this position in the local church assembly. 

 

A pastoral overseer is not the CEO of a church organization.  The proper function of an overseer can only be understood as it applies to a small group meeting together according to 1 Corinthians 14:26, primarily in homes.

 

An overseer is simply one who oversees the meeting.  And this function, I might add, works best when there is more than one overseer in a meeting.  These overseers are not the leaders of the meeting, but are simply there to oversee the meeting.  The Holy Spirit is the leader the meeting.

 

My first experience with this kind of meeting was in the early 1970’s, when I was a very young Christian (young in years and young in the faith).

 

Doug Carty, a retired Air Force chaplain, had gotten revelation on how the local church assembly should be meeting, based on 1 Corinthians 14:26 and other New Testament scripture references.

 

We met in the basement of Doug’s home, and sat in two circles; an inner circle and an outer circle.  We started each meeting by partaking of what is commonly referred to as communion, and from that point on no one led the meeting but the Holy Spirit. 

 

Our meetings were primarily praise and worship, with different individuals starting songs as they were led by the Spirit to do so.  Most of the songs were short choruses we were familiar with, making it easy to join in and sing along.  Sometimes musicians would contribute a song they had written or someone else’s song that was appropriate, often accompanying themselves on guitar or some other instrument.  In addition to praise and worship choruses, sometimes scripture was sung and even familiar hymns. 

 

In addition to singing, often a scripture would be read by an individual, as the Spirit led.  Sometimes there were prophetic words given. Sometimes a message in tongues with an interpretation following.  Occasionally there was a short teaching, usually less than five minutes.

 

Everyone was encouraged to contribute to the meeting as they were led to do so, but no one was under any pressure to speak or start songs.  And everyone was admonished to keep their contribution short, leaving room for others to contribute.

 

These meetings usually lasted about two hours, and at the end of each meeting a certain theme could be recognized that ran throughout the meeting. 

 

The meetings at Doug’s house were rather large, and there were four overseers, which insured that at least two or three were present in each meeting.  But as I have already established, they were not there to lead, but simply to oversee and make sure everyone remained in order, and no one attempted to take over the meeting.  I only remember one occasion when this ever happened while I was attending, and that person was taken aside in private after the meeting and confronted. 

 

Eventually the meeting grew so large that it was broken up into smaller meetings in various homes, which is how house churches grow (multiplying by dividing).

 

These meetings were gatherings where each person present could practice hearing from the Holy Spirit and obeying.  In the beginning of my attendance there, I was often led of the Spirit to start a certain song or contribute in some other way.  Unsure if I was in fact hearing from the Spirit, I would hesitate and someone else would start the same song or give the same message, etc.  This confirmed to me that I was hearing from the Spirit, and encouraged me to minister accordingly; a practice which I was then able to put into practice outside the meetings in any given situation.

 

This type of meeting makes ministers out of believers, which is as it should be.  The clergy/laity system tends to only make workers out of believers, keeping them subservient and immature.

 

While there is a time and place for an anointed teacher to teach for an extended period of time, or for an anointed worship leader to lead the entire assembly in worship for an extended period of time, the primary way the Church is to come together is in small groups ministering to one another as led by the Spirit to do so.

 

In the beginning of the Church in the first century, the Jerusalem church met daily in the temple, where they were most likely taught by the apostles, and from house to house, where they broke bread (communion) and most likely ministered to one another (see Acts 2:46).

 

A thorough study of the Book of Acts and the epistles reveals this same pattern in the Gentile churches, where believers met primarily in homes, occasionally coming together in a larger facility, perhaps borrowed or rented, as was the case when Paul (the itinerant apostle) was in Troas (see Acts 20:6-8).  It is also evident from the verses following Acts 20:6-8 that Paul spoke all night long.

 

The Lord has given me a vison to establish networks of house churches connected into apostolic hubs, which I believe is the pattern established by the Lord in the first century.  That pattern has not changed.  People have changed it, twisting the original intent for the coming together of the Church, making it one of the wicked ways of God’s people.

 

Today a remnant of believers is finding it impossible to remain in the unscriptural system any longer, and many are coming out of it.

 

In our next teaching I will share more about the vison I have been given of networks of house churches connected into apostolic hubs, which is building in the pattern of the New Testament Church as found in scripture.

 

Surely we were born for such a time as this!

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