Revival/Reformation (2)
Reformation Reports
Table of Contents (Scroll down to view all)
1. Two Night Visions
2. Apostolic Training Centers
3. Terminology Matters: Church
4. Terminology Matters: The Enemy
5, Terminology Matters: The Clergy/Laity System
6. Terminology Matters: Salvation
7. Terminology Matters: Take Care
8. Tithes and Offerings
9. Festivals, Celebrations and Holy Days
10. Hidden Ministry
Two Night Visions
By Lanny Swaim
For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
Job 33:14-17 (emphasis added)
Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Habakkuk 2:2-3
In the early 1970’s, as a young Christian, I attended Sunday morning meetings in the home of Doug and Miriam Carty in High Point, NC. We met in their basement, sitting in folding chairs in a circle, with an inner circle and an outer circle. When I attended there, there were usually about 60 people present at each meeting.
We met according to 1 Corinthians 14:26:
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
We started each meeting by passing around bread and wine (actually grape juice), partaking of what is commonly referred to as communion.
From that point on, no one led the meeting except the Holy Spirit. There was no preacher, no worship leader, other than the Spirit.
Most of our meetings were probably 80% to 90% praise and worship, with different ones beginning songs, mostly short choruses we all knew. We all joined in acapella and sang each chorus several times. Sometimes we would sing familiar hymns we knew. Occasionally someone would play guitar and sing a song to the group, often something that person had written.
Sometimes someone would read a scripture. There would be messages in tongues with interpretation, usually by two different people. Often just a prophetic word would be given. Occasionally there would be a short teaching, usually around five minutes or less.
We were encouraged to keep whatever we contributed short, leaving room for everyone else to contribute.
There were four elders in the group, and usually at least three of them were present. However, they were not there to lead, but simply as overseers. If someone got out of order, they would correct, if possible after the meeting instead of embarrassing the person who was out of order during the meeting.
In the two years I attended I only recall that happening once.
We were encouraged to always be led by the Spirit and not to just interject something we wanted to say or do. Amazingly, in a group that large, it was rare that two people ever started to speak at the same time.
At the end of each service, there was always a recognizable theme that flowed throughout the meeting, even though it came from numerous individuals with no preplanned agenda.
It was a beautiful thing to behold and always edifying. God’s presence always manifested and I think was felt by all.
Eventually I left there for various reasons and attended more traditional church gatherings, but I was never quite satisfied with anything else.
Over thirty years ago my wife and I attended a large Vineyard Church in Wilmington, NC. The Vineyard movement was known for much praise and worship, and the Vineyard we attended had several worship teams that took turns leading on Sunday mornings.
The Vineyard we attended had cell groups that met in homes during the week. We attended one and I had hoped it would be like the house church I attended in High Point all those years ago. But each week the cell group leaders were given a sheet by the leadership at the Vineyard, giving the cell group leader control over the meeting with subject matter, etc.
At best these cell group meetings were Bible studies and social get-togethers, which are okay, but I had hoped for more.
The Vineyard Movement was started by John Wimber, a musician himself, and had many good aspects. What I am about to write is in no way intended belittle The Vineyard Movement. I am just reporting what happened.
While we were attending The Wilmington Vineyard and involved in a cell group that met on Oak Island, the Lord appeared to me in a night vision. I was asleep but it was too real to have been just a dream.
He was sitting on a very large throne, which appeared to be a rock structure. His face was brighter than the sun, but I knew He was looking at me and I could look straight at Him without being blinded.
He said, “The Vineyard has it backward. They think the church meets on Sunday morning and breaks up into cell groups during the week. But the cell groups are the church, and they come together on Sunday morning.”
Four years later He appeared to me again in the same way and said, “It is time to start that church.” I said, “But Lord, I’m not a pastor,” thinking that most independent churches were started and led by pastors. He replied, “You are an apostle.”
The next morning my question to Him was, “Okay Lord, what is an apostle? What does a modern day apostle really do?”
He led me to 1 Corinthians 3:10, where the apostle Paul wrote:
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (emphasis added)
The word masterbuilder is translated from the Greek word, architekton, where we get the English word architect. So an apostle is an architect. An architect has the blueprint and knows how a building is to be built.
But the Church is not a building made with hands (see Mark 14:58 & Acts 17:24). Instead, it is a people.
A true apostle understands this. The Church was never intended to be an organization and it certainly is not a brick and mortar building. The true Church, which is not a good translation of the Greek word Ekklesia (meaning a governing/legislative body), is a people.
A thorough study of The New Testament reveals that this people in the first century met primarily in small groups in homes, breaking bread (communion) and assembling together according to 1 Corinthians 14:26 (above).
Occasionally they came together in larger groups, perhaps in a rented or borrowed facility, such as when Paul was in Troas (see Acts 20:6-8).
Occasionally there were other types of meetings, like when Paul preached every day for about two years in the lecture hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus (see Acts 19:9-11), or when the Jerusalem church met daily in the temple and from house to house (see Acts 2:46).
But I think we can glean from scripture that the most normal, regular way the first century church met was in small groups in homes. And this is confirmed by what Jesus said to me in those two night visions over 30 years ago.
Since that time, He has taught me other functions of an apostle, which in some ways and at various times include all the other five-fold giftings mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. Perhaps one of the most important functions of an apostle is prayer (intercession), which I often find myself doing during the night when I am unable to sleep.
Today there are many house churches meeting in The United States and throughout the world. James Rutz documented this in his book, Megashift, which I highly recommend.
From my observation, here in The United States, most house churches are meeting independent of other house churches. Some are meeting for good reasons, but others for the wrong reasons, such as having been hurt (wounded) in traditional churches. Many are meeting in much the same way as larger more traditional churches, just in a smaller group in a home, with perhaps a little more freedom for individuals to ask questions and/or express their thoughts. For the most part, apostles are not involved in or have any oversight of these house churches.
The Lord has made it clear to me that it is time for that to change. He is going to establish models of apostolic hubs overseeing networks of house churches.
If you have any thoughts about this, I welcome your comments and/or questions. I will be sharing more on this subject in upcoming Reformation Reports, because, surely we were born for such a time as this.
Apostolic Training Centers
By Lanny Swaim
I have found favor with you here in eastern North Carolina. I will personally visit you. There will be a revival greater than that of the great Wales Revival at the turn of the century (20th Century). There will be kings and leaders who will come from north and south and east and west to study the eastern North Carolina phenomenon.
This prophetic word was given by Derek Prince on Sunday, April 6, 1975 at Deliverance Evangelistic Temple in Jacksonville, NC.
Derek Prince was a well-known teacher during the Charismatic Movement of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The last years of his life he lived in Jerusalem.
All these years later, some believers in Eastern North Carolina are still aware of this prophetic word. Some are convinced that it will never come to pass, while others are still waiting for it.
I find it interesting that after all these years it is still known and remembered. Recently, I actually met a lady who was in that meeting in Jacksonville all those years ago.
Several years ago I was holding monthly meetings in several different cities in North Carolina. One of those meetings was in Jacksonville. I had been made aware of this prophecy and always had copies, which I made available on my sales table for free.
The Jacksonville meetings started out small and didn’t grow. At best only four or five people were attending every month. I was considering shutting it down but as I was lying on my couch unable to sleep one night, the Lord spoke to me and told me I had to continue going to Jacksonville.
A couple (Robert and Anne Meadows) from Maysville, a few miles up US Highway 17 from Jacksonville, attended the Jacksonville meeting every month. The hotel room we met in cost $100 each month, and at the end of every monthly meeting Robert would put a $100 bill in my hand, which covered the cost of the meeting room. So even though the meeting remained small, the only cost to me was traveling to and from Jacksonville.
Robert was aware of the Prince prophecy and we sometimes talked about it. He told me about a vision he had while driving on NC Highway 58 that runs between Maysville and Cape Carteret. Robert’s family farm, which he owned with his siblings, is on Highway 58 and Robert lived on one corner of the property (Robert has since passed but Anne still lives there as of this writing).
While Robert was driving home one day on Highway 58, suddenly he saw in an open vision a very large building with acres of parking lot out in the cotton field on the family farm. He asked the Lord what that was and the Lord told him it was a training center where people would come in for a period of time and then go out all over the world.
Robert later learned that a friend of his had seen the same thing, and that his daughter had dreamed it. Since then others have seen it.
I met Robert at his home one Monday to pray about the Prince prophecy, his vision of the training center, and the monthly meeting I continued to hold in Jacksonville. As we were praying, I looked at Robert and told him that every time I thought of the training center, I heard the Lord say, 16,000 people.
Robert told me that when he had the vision, the Lord told him the main auditorium in the building would seat 15,000 people.
While we were praying that Monday, we were led by the Lord to move my Jacksonville meeting to a church building across the road from Robert’s house, which I did. He and Anne had started the church meeting in their home and then put a modular building on property across the road from their house. The meeting did grow some there but still wasn’t very large. However, we continued to meet there for several months.
On my way home that Monday, while driving south on Highway 17 toward Jacksonville, I asked the Lord, “Why did you tell me 16,000 people and you told Robert 15,000?”
Immediately I heard Him say, “The main auditorium will seat 15,000 with a 1,000 seat overflow room, where smaller meetings can be held as well.”
Then I asked Him, “What is the phenomenon in the Derek Prince prophecy?” Phenomenon seemed to me like a strange word to be in a prophecy.
He said, “It is my glorious Church, built according to my blueprint and functioning according to my plan.”
I suddenly realized that is what kings and leaders will come from north, south, east and west to study.
This will be no less that a new reformation of the Church, comprising networks of house churches connected into apostolic hubs.
I believe the training center Robert and others saw in that cotton field will not only train and equip believers to go out all over the world, but will be a gathering place where networks of house churches can come together periodically for large worship services and teaching, plus fellowship and interaction for edification and unity.
While it will take finances to build, maintain and staff such a facility, imagine if all the money spent to build, maintain and staff all the church organizations and buildings scattered over the landscape was not necessary. With believers meeting primarily in homes with no paid staff, a tremendous amount of money would be available to send people all over the world.
Perhaps the biggest problem with current teaching on The Kingdom of God/Heaven is that most are still trying to fit it into the old model of church. That’s trying to put new wine into old wine bottles. We are in a time of transition, and while God has allowed it and even blessed the current system, the time is at hand when the new wine (revelation) of the Kingdom now being received and taught will have to be put into new wine bottles (a new reformation of the Church), or the bottles will break and the new wine will be wasted.
I have learned that a new system cannot be started simply by criticizing the old system. A new system has to be put in place of the old system, and saints of God, it is time.
But God is going to have to build it.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.
Psalm 127:1
However, we do have a part to play in the building of it. And for those of us who can see it, we will do our part, because, surely we were born for such a time as this.
Terminology Matters: Church
By Lanny Swaim
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.
Matthew 12:36-37
In our last Reformation Report, we looked at how new wine cannot be put into old wine bottles, in relation to how most who are seeing the Kingdom more clearly than in the past are still trying to fit this new revelation (new to them) into the old model of church.
Even those who are beginning to see that there needs to be and actually has to be a new reformation of the Church, often still use old terminology to describe certain aspects of the reformation, which is very misleading and causes confusion and dulls understanding of the Kingdom and how it works.
Perhaps one of the greatest misuses of terminology is the word church. Actually, the Greek word translated as church in most translations of the Bible is Ekklesia. The most literal definition of Ekklesia is a governing or legislative body, and it is not a spiritual or religious word. It is a political word, used by the Greeks as a government term.
Jesus and other New Testament writers often used secular terminology to describe spiritual functions. Many of the uses of the word church came to be long after Jesus walked the earth as The Son of Man, and after the first century Church had disappeared for the most part, replaced by The Roman Catholic Church; a dead, religious organization.
The true Ekklesia is not an organization or a building. It is a people.
To call a building a church is a gross misinterpretation of Ekklesia.
Words matter (see Matthew 12:36-37 above). To use the word church to mean a building where believers assemble makes church an idle word, void of its real meaning. The Day of Judgment mentioned in Matthew 12:36 (above) is the millennium we have now entered into, which is the seventh day (millennium/see 2 Peter 3:8) since creation and the third day of the Church.
Much that God has allowed and even blessed in the past is no longer going to be accepted in this day (millennium), and the wrong use of important words such as church will cause many to fall short of their God-ordained destinies. That result is not something anyone should want to be responsible for, and to think it is not a matter of importance, is to be deceived.
Often the misuse of church is taken to even greater error, such as when a pastor stands in a pulpit and says, “Isn’t it good to be in the house of the Lord today?”
To imply that a building is God’s house diminishes the reality that God’s dwelling place is in a people, not in a brick and mortar building. This encourages a mindset that makes the true Church purposeless in their role as the Lord’s Ekklesia.
Many times when receiving an offering in a church meeting, I’ve heard the one encouraging people to give say, “Bring your tithes and offerings into the storehouse,” comparing the church building to the temple in Jerusalem.
Tithing is a whole other issue we will look at in a future Reformation Report, but to compare a church building to the temple is a far stretch. There is no comparison. To say something like that is manipulation, and manipulation is witchcraft.
So to think that it doesn’t matter if you call a brick and mortar building with a steeple on top a church, or the house of God, or the storehouse is dead wrong.
To say you are going to church is impossible when we are the Church (Ekklesia).
To say you are having church when actually assembling together as the Church, is absolutely crazy.
Words do matter, and words produce results, good or bad.
Terminology Matters: The Enemy
By Lanny Swaim
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.
Matthew 12:36-37
I have Quaker ancestry on both sides of my family, and recently I was invited by a cousin who is a Quaker to join her in speaking at a Quaker meeting, primarily about one of our Quaker ancestors.
At this meeting I met the pastor of that particular meeting, and he told me he grew up a Universalist. I asked him how a Universalist becomes a Quaker pastor. He said it was a long story and while he didn’t really answer my question, we did talk for a few minutes.
I learned he had also been involved in a Pentecostal church for a while. He said the thing that bothered him most about Pentecostals is that they seem more focused on “the enemy” than on God. He said they are always blaming the enemy for this or that, giving the impression that he (the enemy/the devil/Satan) is almost equal to God in his ability to come against God or against believers.
We didn’t really pursue that conversation any further, but I nodded my head in agreement with him.
While thinking about all this, I tried to find in scripture where the devil/Satan is referred to as the enemy. Peter calls him our adversary (see 1 Peter 5:8) but I couldn’t find anywhere in the Bible where he is actually called our enemy.
While adversary and enemy are similar in meaning, they are not exactly the same. An adversary is mostly a word used in legal actions. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. In Job we find him coming before God questioning Job’s loyalty to God.
The word devour in 1 Peter 5:8 actually means to drink or swallow. So as the accuser or adversary of the brethren, Satan attempts by legal argument to swallow up believers.
By using our authority based on The New Covenant and the finished work of Jesus at the time of the crucifixion, Satan is no match for us from a legal standpoint.
An enemy, on the other hand, is someone who is coming against someone else to literally destroy them, such as in a military battle. An enemy is not defeated in a legal battle, but instead in a war battle, where each side is trying to kill the other side.
The devil is not trying to kill us but is rather trying to defeat us legally, which he could do under The Old Covenant, but cannot do under The New Covenant, unless we see ourselves as still under The Old Covenant.
So to give Satan any credit as an enemy, is to see ourselves as still under The Old Covenant.
Terminology matters, and to call Satan our enemy is perhaps one of the greatest hindrances to us being overcomers and advancing The Kingdom of God/Heaven on/in earth as in Heaven.
There is a fairly well-known prophetic person I follow who has understanding of the transition taking place in the Church and in the world, and of the adversity many believers are experiencing due to that transition.
Like many prophetic voices speaking out at this time, he is still advising those dealing with this adversity to stand against “the enemy,” instead of teaching them to rest in and trust in the Lord to see them through the transition and the adversity caused by the transition, which is not an attack from “the enemy” but instead a process we must go through in order to overcome.
Struggling with this transition and the adversity it causes is due to a wrong mindset and wrong terminology. I often say, our greatest enemy is not the devil but the thing that sits on our shoulders (our head/mind).
We overcome our adversary by knowing who we are in Christ Jesus and who He is in us. As He is, so are we in this world (see 1 John 4:17). Our adversary is no match for Jesus, and he is no match for us.
One more thing: Many interpret John 10:10 to be about the devil.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…
A thorough study of the verses preceding and following John 10:10 makes it clear that the thief in this verse is not the devil/Satan but the hireling, who Jesus is comparing to the Pharisees.
If it is the devil who comes to steal, kill and destroy then he could be considered an enemy. But those who come to steal, kill and destroy were in Jesus time the Pharisees and in today’s Church are the clergy, who go by various titles.
In our next Reformation Report we will look at the clergy/laity system so you can better understand my statement about the clergy.
Terminology Matters: Clergy/Laity
By Lanny Swaim
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.
Matthew 12:36-37
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
John 10:11-14
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write… But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate (see also Revelation 2:15).
Revelation 2:1, 6
Who were the Nicolaitans Jesus spoke of twice in the letters to seven churches in Revelation?
In Greek, Nico means to conquer. Laitan has to do with the laity.
The deeds or doctrine of the Nicolaitans had to do with the clergy/laity system that had crept into the Church during the first century AD, and then became the foundation of The Roman Catholic Church in the fourth century.
The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century righted many of the wrongs of The Catholic Church but left intact the clergy/laity system, which is still very much alive in denominational and independent churches today.
Jesus said He hated that system. Not that He disliked it, or had some issues with it, but that He literally hated it. Strong language.
While I believe there are some clergy who have good intentions and genuinely love the so called laity, the whole system is wrong and therefore subject to abuse causing much damage to the laity, greatly hindering the spread of and even the understanding of the Gospel.
In my experience, even pastors (clergy) who have the best interest of their congregation at heart, see those in their congregation as their people, in some manner taking possession of them, when in reality they are the Lord’s people, and in no way, shape or form belong to the pastor.
In situations where the clergy is salaried by the church organization, they begin to see the people not only as their people but as their livelihood, which can lead to manipulation concerning tithes and offerings.
Pastor is one of the five-fold giftings mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 in the KJV of the Bible. The New Testament actually uses five different terms for the same function. The modern day church has made these terms to mean different functions or offices, but a thorough study of scripture reveals they are all the same. Those five terms are pastor, elder, bishop, shepherd and overseer. In our modern English, overseer is probably the best representation of this function.
Beginning with The Roman Catholic Church, other terminology came into existence as well; father, priest, pope, reverend, rector and perhaps others.
As a result, today most Christians have little if any understanding of the real function of an overseer, or any of the other five-fold giftings for that matter. Even those who see the need for apostles and prophets don’t really understand that they are functions or services to the Church, not positions of prominence or offices, and certainly not titles to put in front of someone’s name.
So in The New Testament Church there is no clergy or laity. We are all ministers with different anointings and functions, which are services to build up the entire Body of Christ.
The clergy/laity system (the practice of the Nicolaitans) is perhaps one of if not the most damaging aspect of the modern day church.
This has to be addressed and done away with in order to have a new reformation of the Church, which our Lord Jesus is going to have.
This is why more and more, a remnant of believers who are seeing The Kingdom of God/Heaven clearer than ever before, just cannot do church the way it has been done for centuries.
Actually, it isn’t about doing church at all. It is about gathering together as the Church, as the Lord reveals how to actually do that.
I am encouraged that more and more are seeing this. There was a time when very few were seeing it. But glory to God, that is changing as we enter the greatest spiritual awakening the world has ever known, which will be sustained by a new reformation of the Church.
Surely we were born for such a time as this!
Terminology Matters: Salvation
By Lanny Swaim
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.
Matthew 12:36-37
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Romans 10:9-11
The Greek word for the English verb save is sozo. Sozo has to do with temporal deliverance from danger, lack, suffering, etc.
A good example of salvation (being saved) in The Old Testament is the deliverance of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. Their salvation had nothing to do with an afterlife, which the Hebrew people were not focused on, but instead was about their existence on Earth.
Modern Christianity has made the verb saved or the noun salvation a spiritual word, having to do with the afterlife instead of the here and now; a misuse of the word.
Often believers equate salvation with being born again (born from above). But Jesus told Nicodemus that a person must be born again to see the Kingdom of God (see John 3:3). Seeing the Kingdom has nothing to do with going to Heaven someday but instead is about seeing and understanding the Kingdom as it manifests on Earth.
In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus said that the Kingdom doesn’t come with observation but that it is within you (speaking to the Pharisees). But the Kingdom of God was not within the Pharisees. Within is a wrong translation. It should read among you.
The Pharisees were looking for a messiah to set up a political kingdom, and eventually the Gospel did change politics leading to the downfall of The Roman Empire. But initially the Kingdom had to be established spiritually in a people, who lived out their lives among others who were impacted by the Kingdom being manifested in and among a born again company (Christians).
I dare say that many Christians today who have experienced being born again are not seeing the Kingdom, or at least not seeing it very clear. Being able to see the Kingdom comes with maturity. Just like a baby is not born mature, Christians are not born again mature. The process of maturity is what enables us to see the Kingdom and understand it.
So it is with salvation.
In Romans 10:9 (above) the apostle Paul didn’t say that if you confess Jesus and believe that God raised Him from the dead you are saved. He said, “You shall be saved.”
Salvation only comes with maturity, and maturity is a process.
Salvation has nothing to do with an afterlife, but instead is about maturing in this life, enabling us to be useful in advancing the Kingdom of God/Heaven on Earth and in the world’s systems.
To say that when you were initially born again you got saved, just simply isn’t true.
It supports the idea that salvation has to do with being saved from Hell and going to Heaven, which it does not.
Salvation has everything to do with this life and nothing to do with an afterlife.
We have made the Gospel all about an afterlife, when actually it is about changing the world.
Again, terminology matters, and to misunderstand what salvation or being saved is changes the way the entire Bible reads and our whole approach to preaching the Gospel.
There is so much we’ve had wrong that we must get right, in order for the awakening that has begun to last and not be a fleeting revival like those of the past. That’s why terminology is an important part of the new reformation of the Church, which will sustain the awakening.
Terminology Matters: Take Care
By Lanny Swaim
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.
Matthew 12:36-37
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Philippians 4:6
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 6-7
How often does someone say to you, “Take care,” or “Be careful?” Perhaps it is something you say to others.
Our society in The United States equates care with love, but care and love are two entirely different things.
The most literal definition of care is worry, anxiety, mental anguish, etc.
So when someone says, “Take care” or “Be careful (full of care),” they are telling you to entertain worry, anxiety, mental anguish, etc. All these things are extremely stressful, and even the medical profession will tell you that stress is a killer.
So when someone tells me to take care or be careful, I want to say, “No thank you.”
Usually I simply speak a blessing to them, such as, “Have a good day.” I’m sure they don’t realize they have just spoken a curse to me, which I don’t accept. I know they mean well so I don’t confront them, but I do believe there needs to be teaching on the importance of using right terminology, which is why I have written this and other articles on terminology.
Words matter and words carry power. God spoke the cosmos into existence with words. If our desire is to advance the Kingdom, our conversation should line up with that mission.
Tithes & Offerings
By Lanny Swaim
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Nowhere is tithing taught in The New Testament, and yet, it is taught in many church meetings as well as by ministries independent of church organizations.
Pastors often teach that a tithe (10%) of your income belongs to the local church you attend, and ministers of various independent ministry organizations teach that a tithe of your income belongs wherever you are being fed spiritually. Isn’t it interesting that what these leaders teach benefits the organization they are dependent on for a salary? While some of these pastors and ministers may actually believe what they are teaching and may mean well, in reality this is nothing more than manipulation, because it just cannot be found in The New Testament.
As a young Christian, wanting to do the right thing but having questions about tithing, I asked the Lord, “How much of the money in my wallet belongs to you?”
Very quickly He answered me and said, “All of it.”
We are in covenant with God. Therefore, everything we have and everything we are belongs to Him. By the same token, everything He has and everything He is now belongs to us.
You can’t give God something that is already His. Some believers use the term, pay your tithes. It’s ludicrous to think you can pay God anything.
Should we be givers? Absolutely. But we should give whatever we purpose in our hearts to give according to 2 Corinthians 9:7 (above), and I should add, as we are led by the Spirit to give.
I want to be a blessing to others, but there are many ways to bless others. Finances is only one way.
Some teach that tithing was instituted before the law, and therefore, while we are not under the law to tithe, we should tithe anyway. To support this view they use the story of Abraham tithing to Melchisedec from the spoils of a battle he had fought and won.
But this was a one-time thing that Abraham did, and it doesn’t institute anything. To teach that because Abraham tithed out of the spoils of battle we should tithe 10% of our income, is pure manipulation.
Tithing is an Old Testament legal matter, and as Gentile believers we were never under the law anyway.
When pastors attempt to coerce believers to give to a local church organization, they are asking them to give to a system that is unscriptural, born out of religious tradition and not ordained by God.
Imagine if all the money that goes to keeping up church property and paying salaries to leadership that is not scriptural either, was given to missions and to the poor, how much more the Gospel of the Kingdom would be advanced.
When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the church house door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he was pointing out 95 things the Roman Catholic Church taught that were unscriptural. What I have attempted to do with these Reformation Reports is point out a few things that the modern church, for the most part, is doing that are also unscriptural.
There are things we have to get right if there is going to be a new reformation of the Church. The Protestant Reformation of around 500 years ago only took the Church so far. If the Church is going to be completed/perfected, we have to get it 100% right.
Jesus is going to present the Church to Himself a glorious Church, without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing, holy and without blemish (see Ephesians 5:27).
So get it right we will. He is going to see to it. And it will happen during this seventh day (millennium) of/since creation, which is the third day of the Church.
Amen (so be it).
Festivals, Celebrations & Holy Days
By Lanny Swaim
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Colossians 2:16-17
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Romans 14:5
And it came to pass, that he [Jesus] went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Mark 2:23-24, 27-28
I have received of the Lord that which I also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew thee Lord’s death till he come.
1 Corinthians 11:-26
Keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments, but under the laws of Moses there are numerous other Sabbaths as well. In addition to and included in Sabbaths are The Feasts of God, the three main feasts or festivals being Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, with seven total feasts.
While the Hebrew people in The Old Testament were commanded to observe these holy days, in The New Testament we find the fulfillment of these holy days, which were prophetic and actually rehearsals of things to come; the meaning of shadows in Colossians 2:17 (above).
We are now entering into the seventh day (millennium/see 2 Peter 3:8), which is the Sabbath that all the Sabbaths of the law point the way to. It is the Sabbath rest that the writer of Hebrews prophesied about (see Hebrews 4:9).
Jesus was the first prophetic fulfillment of The Feasts of God, being born during Tabernacles and crucified on Passover, with the Holy Spirit coming on Pentecost. During the past 2000 years (The Church Age) we have to a degree experienced the second prophetic fulfillment of Passover and Pentecost, and as we enter into this seventh day of/since creation, which is the third day of the Church (The Kingdom Age), we are beginning to experience Tabernacles.
There is an entire book on this subject on my website, which can be read there free of charge; www.lannyswaim.com.
Since we are actually living the fulfillment of the holy days the Hebrew people were commanded to observe in The Old Testament, there is really no need to observe or celebrate them in The New Testament Church. Paul informs us that if we choose to continue to observe them it’s okay to do so, but we are not commanded to keep them.
Personally, as I am becoming more and more aware of the reality that we are living out the fulfilment of the holy days, I have no desire to rehearse what is now happening.
However, there is one ceremonial observance The New Testament Church should keep. We often refer to it as communion. The significance of communion, or The Lord’s Supper as it is also called, is that is supersedes and makes unnecessary the observance of all the holy days celebrated under The Old Covenant (Testament).
So, to remember the Lord’s death is to realize that The Old Testament holy days have been and continue to be fulfilled, and that the observance of those days were only types and shadows, or rehearsals of our present experience.
The fact that Jesus told us to partake of Communion or The Lord’s Supper as often as we will, indicates the continual and eternal reality of His sacrifice on the cross, which far outweighs keeping specific days or periods of time.
One more thing: After the Roman Emperor Constantine made it legal to be a Christian in The Roman Empire, he called The Council of Nicea in AD 325, in an effort to doctrinally unify The Catholic Church.
Constantine was anti-Semitic, and considered The Feasts of God to be Jewish feasts, so he outlawed the observance of the feasts, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, replacing them with Easter, Lent and Christmas.
I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t celebrate these man-made holidays, but you should at least understand that they originated out of anti-Semitism. They also incorporate certain pagan practices.
Just something to think about.
The important thing is not whether or not we celebrate certain holy days (holidays), but that we realize the prophetic significance of the Sabbaths and festivals (feasts) of the law. Without that understanding, we will misinterpret much of the Bible.
Hidden Ministry
By Lanny Swaim
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operation, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16
As we have studied in previous Reformation Reports, there is no clergy/laity system in The New Testament Church. We are all ministers with various anointings.
It’s important that we recognize what our giftings are and exactly what it is we are anointed to do. We also must be led of the Spirit as to how and when we are to operate in those giftings.
While some functions in The New Testament Church are more visible, such as what is often referred to as the five-fold ministry (see Ephesians 4:11), the less visible functions are of no less importance.
Even some of the functions of the five-fold are not what we see them doing, but rather what is done in secret or perhaps one on one instead of addressing a group.
As an apostle, I have realized that much of what I do is prayerful intercession during the night. I also spend quite a bit of time on the phone or meeting in person with individuals.
Much of my ministry is more visible, but the visible ministry is of no more importance that the hidden ministry.
There are perhaps many in The Body of Christ whose ministry is entirely hidden for the most part, but you should never consider your ministry to be of less importance that the more visible ministries.
Winston Churchill had a gift to encourage the people of England during the bleak days of WWII. In 1942 he addressed a conference of coal mine operators and miners in Westminster’s Central Hall. His speech that day didn’t seem to be exceptional until he reached the end of it. He said, “We shall not fail, and then someday, when children ask, ‘What did you do to win this inheritance for us, and to make our name so respected among men?’ One will say. ‘I was a fighter pilot’; another will say: ‘I was in the Submarine Service’ ; another: ‘I marched with the Eight Army’ ; a fourth will say: ‘None of you could have lived without the convoys and the Merchant Seamen’ ; and you in turn will say, with equal pride and with equal right: ‘We cut the coal.’”
The miners who provided coal for the war effort were just as important as those who fought on the front lines.
So it is with The Body of Christ.
No one is of less importance than another, and it takes us all to advance The Kingdom of God. We all have different spiritual gifts and we all have various functions in society.
The one who intercedes, the one who gives finances, is every bit as important as the one on the stage, TV screen or Internet.
And while many are not that well known, the Lord sees and rewards according to our obedience and faithfulness.
Several years ago I was at a Full Gospel Business Men’s weekend in South Carolina. I was the worship leader for all the services that weekend. As a worship leader, I was known in certain circles such as Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship, but I was unknown nationally or internationally as were some worship leaders.
The meetings took place at a 4-H camp that was closed down for the winter, and usually we slept two men to a room. However, this year there was evidently an odd number of men attending, and I had a room to myself.
On Friday night before going to bed, the Lord spoke to me and told me to get up at 6:30 the following morning. I assumed He probably wanted me to spend some time praying before breakfast. I started to set my clock for 6:30 when I heard Him say, “Don’t set a clock. I’ll get you up.” So I didn’t set my clock and went to bed.
The door to my room wouldn’t lock, so just in case someone maybe came into my room by mistake, I sat a chair in front of the door.
I was awakened at 6:30 the next morning to the sound of footsteps coming into my room, but the door hadn’t opened and the chair hadn’t moved.
Immediately, I knew this person coming into my room was Jesus.
I was lying on my side, facing the wall. Why I didn’t turn over and look at Him I have no idea, but I didn’t.
He sat down on my bed with His back to mine. He then leaned into my back and I pushed back, leaning into His. We did that a second time and then a third. Why, I don’t know.
Then He started to speak. He was talking in a language I couldn’t understand. His words had a very kind quality to them but also great authority. He went on for a period of time until I became frustrated that I couldn’t understand Him.
With a bit of an attitude I interrupted Him and said, “Lord, what are you saying? I can’t understand you.”
He stopped and gently said, “You’ve promoted me.”
I asked, “Lord, how have I promoted you?”
Suddenly He was gone.
Then I heard that still small voice inside that I have come to recognize as His. He said, “Now I’m going to promote you.” And He has, and continues to.
I realized that every time I lead praise and worship I promote Him. As my ministry has grown to include other giftings, they all promote Him, just as whatever ministries He has you operating in promote Him as well. And if you remain faithful to your calling(s), He will promote you.
Does that mean you’ll become famous? Maybe, maybe not. Whether you do become famous or not is unimportant. What is important is that you operate in your giftings in obedience to Him, and He will promote you as is necessary for success in whatever He has called and anointed you to do.