For most of my life, I have heard about the reformation. No one ever really explained anything about it, only that Martin Luther was involved and that he talked about being saved by grace instead of being saved by the Catholic Church and that was to total value of the reformation. I think most Christians have a similar view of the subject. I was raised in the Catholic Church, and the subject of the reformation surely was never mentioned there, and they surely were not affected in doctrine by any reformation. We assume that all the other non-papists were greatly affected and began to repent of and change doctrine and direction throughout history.

From the 1500’s onward, the Spirit of God directed men just as he did with Luther to continue the reforming of the Church on earth. Almost all of these movements had been given a piece of the truth and the fire of God began to burn quickly, and also extinguished just as fast. The early pioneers of reformation, such as J. N. Darby, Martin Luther, George Fox, Robert Barclay, William Penn, T. A. Sparks, Watchman Nee, and many others - including movements such as the Plymouth Brethren, the Welch Revival, the Latter Rain Movement, the early Quakers, Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship, Azuza Street Revival, and others also had a piece of the restoration. However, in almost all cases, they fizzled out in time. The general problem came in by God first giving a vision to men and them beginning to run with it. Success came quickly, and with that came fame.

Everyone wants to come to a burning fire - even today. Many of these men were told to stay out of the divisive divisions in denominationalism and to be led by the Spirit outside of the camp. They told it and preached it, but satan working through the clergy became a cancer again to destroy what the Spirit had started. We could write books on this subject, of which I have seen and witnessed myself. There is a future move of the Spirit coming and this same method of the enemy is going to come through the world harlot church systems to try to destroy it in its infancy just like in the days of Moses as a babe.

May we discuss a few items which have been part of the reforming and still are parts which in general must be completed. These are not new concepts, and some have gone onto this roadway that the Spirit has led them on. However, the 95% of the Christians are still in bondage and need to be freed.

1. First we must eliminate the clergy-laity separation. This clergy idea is an Old Testament Jewish doctrine and has no place in the Church age. We are a kingdom of priests unto God. There is no concept for Bible colleges to ordain men and women for the priesthood except in the cults. The reformation was supposed to deal with this major cancer, but not much has changed. They still seek titles as Pastor, Reverend, His Holiness, Pope, Senior Pastor, Youth Pastor, etc. and they wear the robes to identify themselves as separate and superior. George Fox, Watchman Nee, T. A. Sparks, J. N. Darby, and many others have addressed this problem. However, do you see any change? They have missed the words of Jesus in Matthew Chapter 20, “The greatest in His Kingdom will be the servants.” They have missed the warning by Paul in Corinthians not to sub-divide the Church into sects. Do you think the Christians listened? This is part of the reforming which remains to be fixed.

2. The house of worship must transfer from the wood and stone structures to the living Spirit filled house which is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is the body which is you if you have received Christ. There is nothing worse today than to hear some pastor stand up at the beginning of a meeting and say “welcome to the house of God”. Really, he is an enemy of the Cross of Christ and doesn’t even know it. He is in the Old Testament, in the Temple in Jerusalem, and has gone into a previous dispensation. What a terrible anti-reforming concept it is. One needs to stand up and rebuke these blind guides. We must come to see that there are no holy places, holy items, holy crosses, holy pictures, or holy people except those in whom Christ indwells. Be ye holy as Christ is holy. Do we see that the holiness we have is only Christ within and that on our own we have nothing at all. He is the Holy One, and we receive Him as holy and as our holiness. He is holy - He does not have a bucket full of holiness that he pours out on you and I when we read the Bible, go to church, pay our tithes, pray, or anything else. Holiness comes from the receiving of Christ within as our holiness. The reformers had much to say about these items mentioned, however little has changed. We stand against this anti-Christ concept of clergy-laity separation and holy places outside of the temple of God, which you are if you have received Him.

3. All titles of men, all religious systems with names and tax exempt accounts must be closed down and eliminated. The properties generally need to be sold and the money given to the needy as the Spirit directs. Now I understand that this concept will shake up many, but it won’t bother Jesus, nor the Apostles. True reformers will understand these problems and come back to the original Spirit-led church. If people would quit giving Old Testament tithes and offerings to these un-reformed systems of men, they would close their doors, close their bank accounts, sell assets, and much of the problems of the true Church would cease. I am surely happy that Jesus and His followers didn’t require payment for services so they could buy the goods of the world. What do we do with the fund we have? What does a reformer do? He that is led by the Spirit of God is a son of God. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked. Are you taking care of family members as the Scripture required? The anti-reformers have convinced you that they can do a better job of distribution because they see the need and will take care of it. Most systems use less than 3% of the money on helps ministry. Try to get some of that helps money, and you will see a closed door. The real help goes to the clergy. Reform the problem, learn to pray and seek direction on where to give unto the need of the world’s people. Repent of ever writing another check for your tax exemption into some system. Get involved in what God’s direction for giving is all about - which is you doing the work of the ministry.

4. All Bible colleges and books on Christian subjects must be eliminated or closely examined. Most of the material at Christian book stores is anti-church, anti-Body of Christ, and they will sell anything that is popular and brings in cash. Let’s just stay with the Scriptures. Yes, there are many good books that have been written, but when I go to the book store, they do not stock them, and some have not even heard of the authors. But if you want to get books on left behind, the laughing church, or numerous psychology based subjects, you can find all you want. Christians would not go buy a book of Mormon or other cultish books, but love to buy ear-tickling books which are just as far off. Want to be a reformer? Go throw away all the garbage out of your library at home and begin to read church history.

5. The concept of pastoral covering with men and women lording it over God’s flock must be repented of and eliminated. This concept should have been reformed 500 years ago, however, it seems to be worse now than ever. The continual damage done by covering teaching is truly from the pit. They teach covering as a principle of God. I believe it is bondage and a controlling spirit of the enemy. If they can control you, they can control your time, money, ministry, and your life. One needs deliverance from this grip of satan and to see that he whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Do you need freedom? Be reformed into what Jesus has placed before you, be led of His Spirit.

6. The promotion of arts, plays, theater, dancing, and all of these forms of entertainment must be stopped by the Church. The early reformers taught a lot on these subjects because they have no place in the Church, only in the world. Satan is mixed into the middle of the whole movement of these arts. Want to be reformed? Repent and begin to understand the mystery of the Gospel which is not in external dance and art, but in “Jesus Christ in you, the hope of glory”. The promotion of church discipline must quickly be added to bring correction which has been omitted for 1700 years. It’s not time to laugh and dance, but to pray and seek after Him and become a witness.

7. An now the most difficult item to deal with and will upset most. Sometimes I think that I will not cover this subject because it always causes people problems and they get mad at me. However, not all revelation was given to any one person as far as I can see with the only possible exception being the Apostle Paul. The subject matter is the role of women in the Church. It has always been a problem. The early Catholics promoted Mary to a special position and now there is a move to make her a fourth person of the Trinity. Error starts in a minute way and grows into heresy. But first let us examine some of the positions on women that are written even by a true reformer like Robert Barclay in 1676. I really like most of his book entitled “Robert Barclay Apology for the True Christian Divinity”. He says on this subject: “I judge it fit to speak something in short concerning the preaching of women, and to declare what we hold in that matter. Seeing “male and female are one in Christ Jesus,” and that he gives his Spirit no less to one than to the other, when God moveth by his Spirit in a woman we judge it no ways unlawful for her to preach in the assemblies of God’s people. Neither think we that of Paul (1 Corin. 14:34), to reprove the inconsiderate and talkative women among the Corinthians, who troubled the church of Christ with their unprofitable questions, or that (1 Tim. 2:11), that “women ought to learn in all silence, not usurping authority over the man,” any ways repugnant to this doctrine; because it’s clear that women have prophesied and preached in the Church, else had that saying of Joel been badly applied by Peter (Acts 2:17). And, seeing Paul himself, in the same epistle to the Corinthians, giveth rules how women should behave themselves in their public preaching and praying, it would be a manifest contradiction if that place were other ways taken in a larger sense; and the same Paul speaks of a woman that laboured with him in the work of the gospel; and it is written that Philip had four daughters that prophesied; and lastly, it hath been observed that God hath effectually in this day converted many souls by the ministry of women, and by them also frequently comforted the souls of his children; which manifest experience puts the thing beyond all controversy:” (See pages 276 and 277). This sounds like a good argument for women pastors, prophets and teachers in a role of leadership. However, Mr. Barclay has been influenced by the Jezebel Spirit of his age. As far as I can see, the Apostle Paul, apostle to the church age, appointed by Jesus Himself, and teacher of church order saw things much differently. Barclay has errored in his understanding of the schemes of satan from the beginning, that which Paul understood and stated. The enemy wants to reverse God’s order. Why has this scheme been so hidden from the Church? At first satan wanted to be like God and equal to God and convinced 1/3 of the angels to rebel against God’s order and authority. See Jude 6: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement of the great day.” Then satan came into Eve’s presence and convinced her to teach her husband Adam and she was deceived. She reversed God’s order and became Adam’s teacher and sin came into this world. Next, Jesus was tempted by satan to worship him and come under his authority to reverse God’s order. All that is left today is the Church to deceive and God still has an order. “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corin. 11:3). God has an order but satan wants to change that order. Satan deceived the angels, Eve, and tried to deceive Christ without success, and now he deceives the Church.

What does the Scripture teach. Paul said “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (1 Tim. 1:12 & 14). “Let your women keep silent in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for women to speak in the Church. What? Came the Word of God out from you? Or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” (1 Corin. 14: 34-37).

Well Paul, I acknowledge along with you that these things are God’s commandments. Now as to Barclay’s view, I agree with the Scripture that male and female are one in Christ Jesus , which has nothing to do with Church order. It certainly does not make Christ head over the man-woman does it? Barclay said when the Spirit moves in a woman that he judges that it is not unlawful for her to preach in the assemblies of God’s people. Well, it’s unlawful for God, Jesus, Paul and myself -- how about you? And his point about talkative women in Corinthians who trouble the Church of Christ with their unprofitable questions or that of 1 Tim. 2:11 was in any way repugnant to this doctrine because it’s clear that women have prophesied and preached in the Church. Well, they had better not have done it in Paul’s presence or they would have been silenced. Paul spoke the word and command of the Lord. He was not confused or this subject, but many are.

Barclay was an early Quaker and had many correct concepts of reform. However, I am convinced that part of the current destruction of the modern Quaker movement which started with George Fox and others, is a direct result of this false doctrine. I have seen current materials distributed by the Quakers and it is filled with the gay agenda. This Jezebel spirit has truly helped destroy the important piece of restoration given to George Fox to where that his ministry has little effect today.

We see the effects of women pastors, Women’s Aglow and many other movements which are out of control.

We will stand with Paul and our women against this Jezebel spirit in the world and church today. “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou suffferest that woman Jezebel, which callest herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.” (Rev. 2:20-21).

Jim Dermanoski
August 2007

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