THE CHURCH (ekklesia Gk.) LOOKS LIKE: Feeding the hungry. Clothing the naked. Blessing the poor. Giving sight to the blind. Caring for the sick and infirm. Delivering those who are bound by Satan. Forgiving others and preaching the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s death and resurrection. Proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to the poor and showcasing it by our lives.

This amazing Jesus who existed before time and eternity, This Jesus who took on flesh and showed us what God is like, This Jesus who died on a cross and put to death all negative things, This Jesus who rose again on the third day, victorious over the grave, This Jesus who is seated at the right hand of power, exalted far above all principalities and powers, This Jesus who is the head of a new creation, a new humanity, a new race called “the ekklesia,” This Jesus, This glorious, matchless, incomparable, incredible, radiant, peerless Lord … Lives In You!

The Church is not a human idea—it is the unfolding of God’s eternal purpose. Before the world was formed, God had a plan, and John saw a vision of this plan when he described “a great multitude of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.” But this crowd was not just any crowd. They are the ekklesia — “the called-out ones.” Called to be a bride for His Son—a family whom He will entrust to rule and reign with Him. The Church was not a response to man’s fall. Paul writes, He “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” This means you are not an accident, and the Church is not Gods “plan B.” From the very beginning, the Church was His original plan. His people: called out, brought near, and united in Christ. The Church is not a building—the people themselves are His building. Paul calls the Church “the house of God” and says it is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” We are not just saved from something; we are a called into something—to be His body, His dwelling, a people who reflects His glory on the earth. Scriptures: Ephesians 1:4–5 + Revelation 7:9–10 + Ephesians 3:10–11 + Ephesians 2:19–22 + 1 Peter 2:9 + 1 Timothy 3:15 + Ephesians 1:22–23

#DAILY LIGHT CONFESSION WITHOUT A BOOTH: THE PRACTICE THAT WOULD TRANSFORM EVERYTHING 🚨 ​"James 5:16 says confess your sins TO ONE ANOTHER. Not to a priest in a dark booth. Not just to God silently in the privacy of your own head where no one can challenge you. He said to each other. Face to face. Why does this terrify us? Because we’ve realized that while God’s forgiveness is free, his healing is often found in the one place we refuse to go: Vulnerability." ​Saints, I need you to brace your spirits and silence the "Self-Preservation" instinct of your flesh today. By the apostolic and prophetic mandate of heaven, I am issuing a formal indictment against the "Culture of the Mask" that has paralyzed the modern church. We have created a version of Christianity where we are "known" for our Sunday best, but "hidden" in our Monday mess. We have mastered the art of being "social" while remaining completely "isolated." ​For generations, the institutional religious system has allowed us to outsource our repentance. We either hide behind a wooden booth or we hide behind a private prayer, ensuring that no human eye ever sees the cracks in our armor. But the Holy Spirit is blowing the whistle on our secrets. He is reminding us that sin grows in the dark, but it dies in the light. ​It is time for an expository confrontation with the lost apostolic practice of Mutual Confession. ​🏛️ THE INDICTMENT: THE PRISON OF PRIVATE RECOVERY ​The greatest lie the enemy ever told the Church is that your struggle is your "private business." As long as your sin is private, the enemy has a "legal" claim on your shame. ​The indictment is this: We have substituted "Appearance" for "Atonement." ​We are terrified that if people knew the real us, they would reject us. ​We prefer the "pax religiosa" (religious peace) of a fake smile over the "metanoia" of a messy confession. ​We have turned the Ekklesia into a costume party where everyone is pretending to be "blessed and highly favored" while they are bleeding out internally. ​We don't want to confess to one another because confession is the ultimate death of the Ego. You cannot be a "spiritual superstar" and a "confessing sinner" at the same table. We have chosen our reputations over our restorations. ​📖 EXPOSITORY EVIDENCE: THE HEALING POWER OF THE LIGHT ​Let the Scriptures dismantle our "Secret Sins" and reveal the apostolic path to total wholeness: ​📖 James 5:16 – "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." The Prophetic Reality: Notice the sequence! James doesn't say confess to be forgiven (only God can do that), he says confess to be HEALED. Forgiveness is a legal transaction in heaven; healing is a relational restoration on earth. Many of you are "forgiven" but you aren't "healed" because you are still carrying the weight of the secret! ​📖 1 John 1:7 – "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." The Apostolic Boundary: "The Light" is not a place of perfection; it is a place of honesty. You cannot have true fellowship with brothers and sisters while you are hiding in the shadows. The blood of Jesus doesn't cleanse "excuses"; it cleanses sins. And you cannot cleanse what you refuse to expose. ​📖 Proverbs 28:13 – "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." The Indictment: If you are "covering," you are "not prospering." It doesn't matter how loud you shout or how much you seed; if there is a covered sin, there is a ceiling on your spiritual prosperity. ​⚡ THE UNSTOPPABLE LIFE: THE FREEDOM OF THE EXPOSED ​The "Unstoppable Life" is a life with nothing to hide and nothing to prove. * When you confess your sins to a trusted brother or sister, the devil loses his blackmail! ​You cannot be "canceled" when you have already "confessed." ​The power of sin is its secrecy. When you drag it into the light, you take away its oxygen. ​The early church didn't have booths because they were a family. They knew that "bearing one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2) meant knowing what the burdens actually were. We don't need more "Performers" on stages; we need more "Confessors" in circles. Healing isn't found in the pulpit; it's found in the "One Anothers." ​📢 YOUR APOSTOLIC CALL TO ACTION ​Saints, it is time to take off the masks! We are done with the theater of "I'm Fine." If the Holy Spirit is convicting you that your secrets are rotting your bones, take action right now: ​TYPE "WALKING IN THE LIGHT!" IN THE COMMENTS: Make a prophetic decree that you are breaking covenant with the spirit of secrecy and shame! ​SHARE THIS BROADCAST NOW: There are believers on your timeline who are contemplating suicide or backsliding because they think they are the "only ones" struggling. Hit share and give them a bridge back to the family! ​THE PROPHETIC ASSIGNMENT: This week, do not just pray in your closet. Find one trusted, apostolic, mature believer. Invite them to coffee. Look them in the eye and say: "I need to walk in the light. Here is what I’ve been battling..." Kill the secret before it kills you. ​FOLLOW & FAVORITE: If you are ready to "Unlearn Religion" and return to the raw, honest, world-shaking discipleship of the early Church, hit "Follow" so you never miss a teaching. ​Father, I decree a holy "Boldness" over Your people! Break the spirit of shame! Shatter the fear of man! Forgive us for our masks. Restore the safety of the household, where we can be real and be healed. Release the power that only comes when we walk in the Light! In the mighty, secret-shattering name of Jesus Christ! Amen! 🙌🔥⚔️👑 #THE SON OF LIGHT

THE CATECHUMENATE: WHEN BECOMING A DISCIPLE TOOK THREE YEARS, NOT THREE MINUTES 🚨 ​"In the early church, you couldn't just walk to an altar and call yourself a Christian in three minutes. You entered the 'Catechumenate' for two to three years. Your lifestyle was examined. Your character was tested. Certain professions—like soldiers, gladiators, or actors in pagan plays—disqualified you unless you resigned. Why did we abandon the furnace of training for the convenience of an 'Acceptance Prayer'?" ​Saints, I need you to brace your spirits for a word that will dismantle the "Easy-Believism" that has flooded our sanctuaries. By the apostolic and prophetic mandate of heaven, I am issuing a formal indictment against the "Fast-Food Salvation" model of the modern church. We have traded the rigorous, bone-deep transformation of the early disciples for a shallow, transactional "decision" that requires no change of life. ​For generations, the institutional religious system has been so desperate for "numbers" that we have lowered the bar until it is on the floor. We "win" people to a Jesus they never have to follow and into a Kingdom they never have to serve. But the early Church understood something we have forgotten: You cannot join the Ekklesia until you have undergone Metanoia. ​It is time for an expository confrontation with the lost art of the Catechumenate. Let’s look at the blueprint of the Narrow Path. ​🏛️ THE INDICTMENT: THE SCANDAL OF THE SHALLOW ALTAR ​In the first three centuries, "joining the church" was considered a dangerous and holy act. The Church was not a "come as you are and stay as you are" club. It was a spiritual military academy. If you wanted to be baptized, you were called a catechumen. You were assigned a sponsor who watched your life for three years. ​The indictment is this: We have mastered "Converts," but we have abandoned "Disciples." ​They examined Fruit; we examine Feelings. ​They required Renunciation; we require Recitation. ​They tested Consistency; we value Convenience. ​We have millions of "believers" who know the jargon of the church but have never been mentored in the ethics of the King. We have produced a "converted" generation that is still enslaved to pagan lifestyles because we didn't think their character was worth three years of our time. ​📖 EXPOSITORY EVIDENCE: THE COST OF THE CALL ​Let the Scriptures dismantle our "Instant Christianity" and reveal the weight of true Discipleship: ​📖 Luke 14:28, 33 – "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost... So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." The Prophetic Reality: Jesus didn't want "impulse buys" in the Kingdom. He told people to Count the Cost before they committed. The Catechumenate was simply the Church enforcing the Lord’s own standard. If you aren't willing to count the cost, you aren't ready to carry the Cross. ​📖 Matthew 7:14, 21 – "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it... Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father..." The Apostolic Boundary: Jesus makes the "Doing" of the Father’s will the metric, not the "Saying" of the Lord’s name. The early church took three years to ensure you were a "Doer" before they would trust you with the title of "Disciple." ​📖 2 Timothy 2:2 – "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." The Indictment: Paul’s strategy was reproduction through rigorous training. He didn't say "find someone who says a prayer"; he said find "faithful men." Faithfulness is not discovered in three minutes; it is proven over time. ​⚡ THE UNSTOPPABLE LIFE: FORGED IN THE FIRE ​The "Unstoppable Life" is not an accident; it is an achievement of training. ​The early church survived lions, fires, and Roman crosses because they had been "Catechized." ​They were so deeply rooted in the Mind of Christ that no pressure could break them. ​They were a "peculiar people" because they had spent years unlearning the world’s ways. ​When we offer a "three-minute salvation," we produce "three-minute Christians"—people who wither the moment the sun gets hot or the culture gets angry. The world is not impressed by our numbers; it is convicted by our character. And character is a slow-cooked meal, not a microwave snack. ​📢 YOUR APOSTOLIC CALL TO ACTION ​Saints, it is time to stop being "Fans" and start being "Followers"! We are done with shallow religion. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you that your "walk" has no "depth," take action right now: ​TYPE "MAKE ME A DISCIPLE!" IN THE COMMENTS: Make a prophetic decree that you are submitting yourself to the long, slow process of character transformation! ​SHARE THIS BROADCAST NOW: There are millions of believers who are frustrated with their own lack of growth because they were never "Catechized." Hit share and deliver the call back to the Narrow Path! ​THE PROPHETIC ASSIGNMENT: Find a seasoned, apostolic father or mother in the faith this week. Ask them: "Will you examine my life? Will you tell me where I am still acting like the world? Will you mentor me in the ways of the King?" Do not seek an "accountability partner"; seek a Teacher. ​FOLLOW & FAVORITE: If you are ready to "Unlearn Religion" and return to the raw, rigorous, world-shaking discipleship of the early Church, hit "Follow" so you never miss a teaching. ​Father, I decree a holy "Weightiness" over Your Church! Forgive us for our shallow altars. Forgive us for valuing speed over Spirit. Restore the honor of the Catechumenate! Raise up mentors who are not afraid to test character. Give us a hunger for the training, that we may emerge as a Bride that is truly Unstoppable! In the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ! Amen! 🙌🔥⚔️👑

#DAILY LIGHT THE CHURCH WAS A FAMILY, NOT A SERVICE — WHAT SUNDAY MORNING REPLACED 🚨 ​"The early church met in homes, shared meals daily, pooled their money, knew each other's sins, and called each other family. We attend a 75-minute program alongside strangers and call it 'church.' We have replaced the intimacy of a household with the efficiency of a theater, and we wonder why the world isn't being transformed." ​Saints, I need you to lean in with a spirit of radical honesty today. By the apostolic and prophetic mandate of heaven, I am issuing a formal indictment against the "Spectator Spirit" that has colonized the modern Body of Christ. We have committed a tragic substitution: we have traded the Ekklesia (the gathered people) for the Service (the choreographed event). ​For generations, the institutional religious system has told you that you have "gone to church" because you sat in a cushioned chair, listened to a professional choir, and heard a 30-minute sermon. But in the eyes of the New Testament writers, you haven't "gone" anywhere—you have simply attended a performance. The early disciples didn't go to church; they were the church, and their "church" looked more like a noisy family dinner than a quiet funeral. ​It is time for an expository confrontation with the architecture of our fellowship. Let’s look at the blueprint. ​🏛️ THE INDICTMENT: THE RISE OF THE AUDIENCE ​In the first 300 years of Christianity, there were no "church buildings." There were no steeples, no pews, and no "green rooms" for the speakers. The church was an organic, living organism that breathed in the living rooms of the common people. ​The indictment is this: We have turned Disciples into Customers. ​In a family, you have responsibilities. In a service, you have preferences. ​In a family, you are known. In a service, you are anonymous. ​In a family, the goal is growth. In a service, the goal is satisfaction. ​We have mastered the "Service," but we have lost the "Saints." We have 5,000 people under one roof who don't know the names of the people sitting three seats away from them. We have traded the "One Anothers" of Scripture for the "Once a Weeks" of religion. ​📖 EXPOSITORY EVIDENCE: THE BLUEPRINT OF INTIMACY ​Let the Scriptures dismantle our "Service" culture and reveal the true family dynamic of the Kingdom: ​📖 Acts 2:42, 46 – "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers... breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart." The Prophetic Reality: The "doctrine" wasn't delivered via a stage and a spotlight; it was discussed over a meal. The life of the Spirit was woven into the fabric of daily life. True church happens when the "Amen" at the table is as sacred as the "Amen" in the temple. ​📖 1 Corinthians 14:26 – "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation..." The Apostolic Boundary: Read that again: "Each of you." The early church didn't have a "stage" where one person performed and everyone else watched. It was a potluck of the Spirit! Everyone brought something to the table. When we move to a "service" format, we silence 99% of the gifts in the room. ​📖 Hebrews 10:24-25 – "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..." The Indictment: We use this verse to guilt-trip people into attending Sunday services. But you cannot "stir up love and good works" in someone whose name you don't know! The "assembling" was for the purpose of mutual accountability and family business, not just sitting in a dark room watching a screen. ​⚡ THE UNSTOPPABLE LIFE: THE POWER OF THE HOUSEHOLD ​The "Unstoppable Life" cannot be sustained by a 75-minute weekly fix. It requires the "daily" rhythm of family. ​You cannot "bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2) if you only see each other in your Sunday best. ​You cannot "confess your trespasses to one another" (James 5:16) if you are worried about your reputation in a crowd of strangers. ​The early church conquered the Roman Empire because they were a tight-knit, economic, and spiritual family that the state could not break. You can close a building, but you cannot close a family. You can silence a pulpit, but you cannot silence a dinner table. The future of the Church is not in "bigger buildings," but in "smaller circles." ​📢 YOUR APOSTOLIC CALL TO ACTION ​Saints, it is time to stop "attending" and start "belonging"! We are done with being an audience; we are returning to being a family. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you of your anonymity and your "service-only" Christianity, take action: ​TYPE "CHURCH IS A FAMILY!" IN THE COMMENTS: Make a prophetic decree that you are rejecting the spectator spirit and embracing the responsibilities of sonship! ​SHARE THIS BROADCAST NOW: There are thousands of lonely people sitting in crowded churches today. Hit share and deliver the call back to true, organic fellowship! ​THE PROPHETIC ASSIGNMENT: This week, do not wait for Sunday. Invite two or three believers to your home. Share a meal. Read a Psalm together. Talk about your struggles. Be the Church in your living room. ​FOLLOW & FAVORITE: If you are ready to "Unlearn Religion" and return to the raw, apostolic household of the King, hit "Follow" so you never miss a teaching. ​Father, I decree a holy "homesickness" over Your people! Forgive us for turning Your family into a business. Forgive us for preferring the performance over the person. Restore the "House to House" fire! Raise up fathers and mothers, not just preachers and performers. Turn our hearts back to one another, that the world may see our love and know that we are Yours! In the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ! Amen! 🙌🔥⚔️👑 #THE SON OF LIGHT

The Apostolic Reformation © 2025 Philip M Spence There has been a quiet but relentless reformation happening in the body of Christ for a few decades now. No one person or organisation spearheads this reformation. It is Holy Spirit led. He is the Governor of the Kingdom, and He is reforming Christ’s Church in our time. Reformation is a generational process, so we can expect our children and grandchildren to observe and participate in the outworking of this apostolic reformation. Therefore, we must work from a generational perspective. So then, what is this apostolic reformation? What does it look like? What is it founded upon? Here are some thoughts which are by no means exhaustive. [1] The Kingdom The beginning point is the Kingdom of Heaven on Planet Earth. Jesus’ mission, mandate and message was all about His Kingdom. Everything He did and taught was for the purpose of establishing His Kingdom and mobilising an army to advance its cause across the world. The King began by raising up a group of twelve apostles, followed by a group of seventy apostolic leaders. They preached the gospel of the Kingdom and taught the explained truth about the Kingdom. Their mandate was to represent the King to their world. Their mission was to establish the Kingdom of God in the hearts of people everywhere, and by so doing, advance the Kingdom as God’s alternative to a broken world. The body of Christ became known as the Ekklesia. This was the body of people who learned how to govern Kingdom affairs as led by the Holy Spirit. The Ekklesia exists to be the authentic representation of the King and His Kingdom in the earth. Therefore, the Kingdom of God is the context for the Ekklesia. Everyone and everything finds its place in the context of the Kingdom. The apostolic reformation brings revelation about the Kingdom, the authority of the Kingdom, the order of the Kingdom, and the supernatural ways of the Kingdom, into being. The reformation is from man’s ways to God’s Kingdom ways. [2] The Ekklesia Jesus declared that He would build His Ekklesia, and that even the gates of hell would not be strong enough to withstand its advancement. Ekklesia was a Greek word which described the government of cities and nations. The Roman Empire adopted the word and applied it to Caesar’s Senate. Then Jesus shocked His followers by using this foreign concept. The Ekklesia is a body of people who are called out of society into the Kingdom of God, where they are to learn how to govern in Christ’s Kingdom. Members of the Ekklesia first learn how to govern themselves, then their environments. Faithfulness in these areas will result in greater spheres of influence on behalf of our King. The Ekklesia is the Christ’s original pattern for the Church. We were never intended to just be church attenders, servants, or leaders. Our destiny is to govern God’s purposes in our communities and nations. The apostolic reformation will produce overcomers who know how to conquer and rule. This will produce a very different kind of church. [3] Apostolic Governance The question now is: Who will lead this and how is it to be structured? The Ekklesia is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, all of whom only do the King’s bidding. Apostles come first in time, place and order in the Kingdom. This does not make others lesser. This is God’s order of things. Apostles lead the governance of the Kingdom, but they need prophets to complement them. Prophets tend to see what apostles miss, and apostles usually have the big picture context for what the prophets are seeing. Together, there is a balance and strength of leadership and ministry to the Ekklesia. Together, apostles and prophets impart what is needed for the teachers, pastors and evangelists to be more effective. Together, apostles and prophets maintain the Kingdom context and focus for the body of Christ. Apostolic governance is not just over a local congregation. Apostles are graced by Christ to govern cities and regions. They oversee multiple groups, ministries, and Kingdom advancements. They do this on the strength of relationships built, the grace and authority bestowed by Christ, and with the synergy of fivefold graces at work. [4] Five-Fold Team Ministry Five-fold team ministry is not a church leadership concept, or a church ministry team. It is not gift based or performance oriented. It is certainly not about anyone’s time to shine. Five-fold team ministry is built on humility. It also requires the synergy of the five graces. This can only develop where trust relationships have been built, and each one is hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. Five-fold team ministry will manifest the Kingdom, edify the Ekklesia, and honour the lead of the apostles and prophets. Five-fold team ministry is about coalition. It is about complementing one another to create a synergy of graces which will produce greater outcomes for the glory of God. It is about each member of the fivefold knowing who they are and understanding the ebb and flow of the Holy Spirit at work through a group of people. Five-fold team ministry means corporately coming to know the mind of Christ. [5] Spiritual Fathering & Sonship Everything that we have discussed so far can only produces God’s best outcomes if it is founded on God’s relational pattern, which is fathers and sons. God was a father before creation. We know this because He created a son called Adam who represents all of humanity. Throughout scripture we see Fathers and sons: Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Timothy, and so many more. The apostolic reformation will not achieve its fulfillment without the spirit of sonship. God is not looking for servants; He is seeking sons who will become spiritual fathers who will birth and raise spiritual sons. Kingdom leadership and ministry must be built on this principle. Fathering is Kingdom leadership, and the training ground for leadership is sonship. The apostolic reformation will lose its way of we do not stay true to this Kingdom leadership pattern. We must understand and advance the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth. We must understand and function as the Ekklesia. We must embrace apostolic governance of the Ekklesia. We must build fivefold relationships and function. And we must do all of this based on spiritual fathering and sonship. Then we will see a greater potency in the apostolic reformation. https://www.enlarj.com/post/the-apostolic-reformation

THE ADVENT TRUTH. A popular claim says the church disappears after Revelation 3 because in Revelation 4 John hears “come up here,” and the word church isn’t mentioned again until chapter 19. But this argument falls apart the moment you actually read the book. Revelation 4:1 is not a rapture. John is being taken in vision, just like Ezekiel (Ezek. 8:3), Isaiah (Isa. 6:1), and Paul (2 Cor. 12:1–4). Revelation 4:2 explicitly says, “Immediately I was in the Spirit.” No one claims Ezekiel or Isaiah were secretly taken to heaven. This is prophetic transport, not the removal of the church. The idea that the church “vanishes” after chapter 3 is also false. While the word church (ekklesia) isn’t used, God’s people are everywhere in Revelation: • Revelation 6:9–11 – Saints are martyred • Revelation 7:14 – A great multitude comes out of great tribulation • Revelation 12:17 – The remnant keep God’s commandments and the testimony of Jesus • Revelation 13:7,10 – The beast makes war with the saints • Revelation 14:12 – God’s end-time people keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus • Revelation 18:4 – “Come out of her, My people” If there are saints, God’s people, commandment-keepers, and faithful witnesses of Jesus on earth, then the church hasn’t disappeared—it has been renamed by Scripture itself. The argument that “Jesus wouldn’t take us up just to bring us back” assumes something the Bible never teaches. Scripture presents one visible Second Coming, not a secret evacuation followed by a return (Matt. 24:29–31; 1 Thess. 4:16–17). Christ comes after tribulation, not before it. Revelation doesn’t teach an escape plan. It reveals a people who endure, overcome, and remain faithful until Jesus actually returns.

#DAILY LIGHT THE KINGDOM IS NOW — NOT LATER 🚨 ​"Jesus mentioned the 'Kingdom of God' over 100 times. He mentioned 'going to heaven when you die' almost never. Why do we preach the opposite?" ​Saints, it is time to open our Bibles and confront a theology of escapism that has stripped the modern Church of its earthly authority. We are issuing an apostolic and prophetic indictment today against what I call the "Evacuation Gospel"—a watered-down message that tells believers to simply hold on, survive the devil, and wait for the sweet by-and-by. ​The institutional religious system has sold you a life insurance policy for the afterlife, but Jesus came to give you a Kingdom mandate for the present life. Let’s get into the expository truth of God’s Word and tear down this stronghold! ​🏛️ THE GREAT THEOLOGICAL HIJACKING ​If you read the four Gospels, you will be confronted with a staggering reality: Jesus was not obsessed with evacuating people to heaven. He was obsessed with colonizing earth with the culture, power, and authority of heaven. ​Jesus spoke of the "Kingdom" over 100 times. ​He spoke of the Church (Ekklesia) only twice. ​He spoke of "going to heaven when you die" almost never. ​Yet, modern religion has flipped the script. We have built massive empires preaching about going to heaven, while entirely ignoring the primary thesis of Christ's ministry: bringing heaven here. When we make the Gospel exclusively about a future destination, we breed a passive, powerless, and defeated generation of believers who surrender the earth to the enemy. ​📖 EXPOSITORY EVIDENCE: THE KINGDOM IS PRESENT TENSE ​Let’s look at the blueprint. Jesus did not preach a "someday" Kingdom. He preached an immediate, invading reality. ​📖 Luke 17:20-21 – "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you [in your midst]." The Indictment: Religion tells you to look to the clouds for the Kingdom. Jesus tells you to look in the mirror. The Kingdom is the present-tense rule and reign of God, activated within you by the Holy Spirit! ​📖 Matthew 6:10 – "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The Indictment: Jesus did not teach us to pray, "Take us to heaven so we can escape earth." He taught us to pray for heaven's reality to invade earth's territory. If there is no sickness, poverty, or depression in heaven, our apostolic mandate is to enforce that reality here and now. ​📖 Matthew 12:28 – "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." The Indictment: The Kingdom is not a geographical location in the sky; it is the manifestation of God's superior power dominating the enemy's inferior power. Wherever darkness is expelled, the Kingdom has arrived. ​📖 Romans 14:17 – "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." The Indictment: You do not have to die to experience the Kingdom. You simply have to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Righteousness, peace, and joy are available to you on a Tuesday morning in the middle of a chaotic world! ​⚔️ BREAKING THE "EVACUATION" MINDSET ​The "someday" Gospel has made the Church lazy. We have adopted a fortress mentality—hiding inside our four walls, waiting for the trumpet to sound, while the culture around us burns. ​But Jesus gave a very different command in Luke 19:13: "Occupy until I come." To "occupy" is a military and economic term. It means to take territory, establish infrastructure, and enforce the culture of the King until He returns. We are not meant to be refugees waiting for a rescue helicopter; we are ambassadors of a superior government deployed to a foreign realm (2 Corinthians 5:20). ​Stop waiting to die to experience peace. ​Stop waiting for the millennium to walk in authority. ​Stop waiting for heaven to see the miraculous. ​The Kingdom is NOW. --- ​📢 APOSTOLIC CALL TO ACTION ​Saints, it is time to shift from an evacuation mindset to an occupation mandate. If this word is shattering the passive, religious theology you were raised with, it is time to take action and spread the fire: ​TYPE "KINGDOM NOW!" IN THE COMMENTS: Make a prophetic decree that you are no longer waiting to die to walk in your God-given authority. You are activating it today! ​SHARE THIS BROADCAST: There is a whole generation of believers paralyzed by a "someday" gospel. Hit share right now and help wake up the sleeping giant of the Church! ​TAG A KINGDOM AMBASSADOR: Tag someone who needs to be reminded of their present-tense authority in Christ. ​FOLLOW FOR DISCIPLESHIP: If you are hungry for meat and tired of religious milk, make sure you hit the "Follow" and "Favorites" button on this page so you don't miss our next deep-dive expository teaching. ​May the reality of the Kingdom of God forcefully advance in your life, your family, and your city starting today. Step into your authority! 🙌🔥👑 #THE SON OF LIGHT

AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY. A/F # 23 Hello friends, family, and my brothers, and sisters in Christ. This is Brother Johnny Gass. Welcome to Bible study. Study to show thyself to approved unto God, a Workman unashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 Please share these lessons with everyone you know for the expansion of the kingdom of God. Amazing Facts # 23 The Bride of Christ. The Bible says there is but one body, or church, into which Jesus calls His end-time people - the bride of Christ. To some, this is unnerving, as there are thousands of different churches today that call themselves Christian. Virtually every one claims to be God's church, yet they each differ widely in biblical interpretation, faith, and practice. It's quite impossible for the honest seeker of truth to investigate the claims of each one. However, we can be thankful that Jesus has solved this dilemma for us by describing His church in such detail that you can easily identify it! That description, vivid and powerful, is found in Revelation 12 and 14, and it will thrill you with amazing truths that will help you in the end times. Please read Revelation 12:1-17 before beginning your journey of discovery into these transforming truths. 1. By what prophetic symbol does Jesus represent His true church? "I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." Jeremiah 6:2. "And say unto Zion, Thou art my people." Isaiah 51:16. Answer: We learned in Study Guide 22 that Jesus symbolizes His true, pure church (Zion) as a pure woman and an apostate church as a harlot. A few other texts which also utilize this symbolism are 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22, 23; and Revelation 19:7, 8. 2. In Revelation 12:1, Jesus symbolizes His church as a woman "clothed with the sun," with "the moon under her feet," and wearing "a crown of twelve stars." What do these symbols mean? Answer: A. The sun represents Jesus, His gospel, and His righteousness. "The Lord God is a sun." Psalms 84:11. (See also Malachi 4:2.) Without Jesus there is no salvation (Acts 4:12). More than anything else, Jesus wants His church to overflow with His presence and glory. B. "The moon under her feet" represents the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. As the moon reflects the light of the sun, so the sacrificial system was helpful spiritually only as it reflected light from the Messiah to come (Hebrews 10:1). C. The "crown of twelve stars" represents the work of the 12 disciples, which crowned the early years of the New Testament church. 3. Next, the prophecy states that the woman is in labor, about to deliver a baby who would one day rule all nations with a rod of iron. She then delivered the "man child," and later He was taken up to God's throne in heaven (Revelation 12:1, 2, 5). Who was this baby? Answer: The baby was Jesus. He will one day rule all nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:13-16; Psalms 2:7-9). Jesus, who was crucified for our sins, was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). His resurrection power in our lives is one of Jesus' essential gifts to His people (Philippians 3:10). 4. Revelation 12:3, 4 introduces "a great red dragon" who hated the "man child" and tried to kill him at birth. You may remember this dragon from Study Guide 20. Who was the dragon? Answer: The dragon represents Satan, who was cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-9) and who was working at the time of Jesus' birth through the pagan Roman empire. The ruler who tried to kill Jesus at birth was Herod, a king under pagan Rome. He killed all the male babies of Bethlehem, hoping that one of them would be Jesus (Matthew 2:16). 5. What is the meaning of the "seven heads" and "ten horns" of the dragon, and of "the third part of the stars of heaven" being cast to the earth? Answer: A. The "seven heads" represent the seven hills or mountains upon which Rome was built (Revelation 17:9, 10). We have now encountered a beast with seven heads and 10 horns three times in our Study Guides (Revelation 12:3; 13:1; 17:3). B. The "ten horns" represent the governments, or nations, that support the major powers in their oppression of God's people and church. During pagan Rome's tenure (Revelation 12:3, 4), they represented the 10 barbarian tribes that supported the papacy in eventually bringing down the Roman empire (Daniel 7:23, 24). These tribes later became modern Europe. In the last days, they represent all the nations of the world united in the end-time coalition (Revelation 16:14; 17:12, 13, 16) which will support "Babylon the great" in her warfare against God's people. C. "The third part of the stars of heaven" are the angels who supported Lucifer in his insurrection in heaven and who were cast out with him (Revelation 12:9; Luke 10:18; Isaiah 14:12). A Review and Summary Thus far, the prophecy has covered the following Bible facts: 1. God's true church appears, symbolized as a pure woman. 2. Jesus is born into the church. 3. Satan, working through King Herod of pagan Rome, tries to kill baby Jesus. 4. Satan's plan is unsuccessful. 5. Jesus' ascension is pictured. 6. What did Satan do after he failed in his plan to destroy baby Jesus? "He persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child." Revelation 12:13. Answer: Since he was no longer able to attack Jesus personally, he aimed his fury and persecution at God's church and His people. Many millions were burned at the stake because of Satan's persecution. Six Identifying Points In Revelation chapters 12 and 14, Jesus gives us six descriptive points to use in identifying His end-time church. Watch for them as you study the remainder of this Study Guide. 7. What did the woman (church) do to protect herself, and what is the "wilderness" spoken of in Revelation 12:6, 14? Answer: A. Verses 6 and 14 say, "The woman fled into the wilderness," where she was protected for "a time, and times, and half a time" (a time= 1 year which is or 1,260 literal years) from the wrath of Satan--who was then working through papal Rome. God's people fled to the solitary places of the earth to escape persecution. The "two wings" represent the protection and support God gave the church during her time in the "wilderness" (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11). The time spent in the wilderness is the same 1,260-year period of papal prominence and persecution (A.D. 538 to 1798) that Jesus repeatedly mentioned in prophecy. One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6). The 1,260 days of Revelation 12:6 refer to the 1,260 literal years of papal rule that is so often mentioned in Bible prophecy. B. The term "wilderness" refers to the solitary places of earth (mountains, caves, forests, etc.) where God's people could hide in seclusion and thus escape total annihilation (Hebrews 11:37, 38). And hide they did--the Waldenses, Albigenses, Huguenots, and many others. God's people (His church) would have been obliterated if they had not fled and hid in the wilderness during this devastating persecution by the papacy. Many fled to America to escape the terrible persecutions of God's people. (In one 40-year period, "from the beginning of the order of the Jesuits, in the year 1540, to 1580, nine hundred thousand were destroyed. One hundred fifty thousand perished in the Inquisition in 30 years." 1) At least 50 million people died for their faith during this 1,260-year time period. God's church did not exist as an official organization during this 1,260-year time period. From A.D. 538 to 1798 it was alive but not identifiable as an organization. When it came out of hiding after the 1,260 years, it still had the same doctrine and characteristics as the apostolic church, which entered the "wilderness" in A.D. 538. Note: We have now discovered our first two identification points for Jesus' end-time church: 1. It would not exist officially as an organization between A.D. 538 and 1798. 2. It would arise and do its end-time work after 1798. There are many loving, genuine Christians in churches that were officially in existence before 1798. But none of these churches can be God's end-time church into which Jesus is calling all His people, because Jesus' end-time church had to arise after 1798. This means that most of the popular Protestant churches cannot be God's end-time church because they existed officially before 1798. 1Albert Barnes, Notes on Daniel, comment on Daniel 7:25, p. 328. 8. In Revelation 12:17, God calls His end-time church the remnant. What does the word "remnant" mean? Answer: It means the last remaining portion. In reference to Jesus' church, it means His church of the very last days, which is identical in doctrine to the apostolic church. 9. In Revelation 12:17, what additional two-point description did Jesus give of His end-time remnant church? Answer: It would keep all the Ten Commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment (John 14:15; Revelation 22:14). It also would have the "testimony of Jesus", which the Bible tells us is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). (Study Guide 24 will give a full explanation of the gift of prophecy.) So here are Jesus' next two points of identification for His end-time remnant church: 3. It will keep God's commandments, including His seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment. 4. It will have the gift of prophecy. Remember that while hosts of sincere Christian people are found in churches that do not keep the Sabbath or have the gift of prophecy, none of these churches can be God's remnant end-time church into which Jesus is calling all last-day Christians, because God's end-time church will both keep God's commandments and have the gift of prophecy. 10. What final two points of identification for God's remnant does the book of Revelation provide? Answer: The final two points of the six are: (5) It will be a worldwide missionary church (Revelation 14:6), and (6) It will be preaching the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-14, which are briefly summarized below. God's remnant must be preaching the three angels' messages worldwide. A. God's judgment is in session. Worship Him! God's end-time church must be preaching that the judgment began in 1844 (see Study Guides 18 and 19). It also calls upon people to "worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Revelation 14:7. How do we worship God as Creator? God wrote the answer in the fourth commandment. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8, 11. So the first angel's message commands all to worship God as Creator by keeping holy His seventh-day Sabbath, which He gave to us as a memorial of Creation. B. Come out of the fallen churches of Babylon. C. Don't worship the beast or receive his mark, which is Sunday as a holy day. Beware of all counterfeits. Note: Here are the final two identification points: 5. God's end-time church will be a worldwide missionary church. 6. It will be preaching and teaching the three-point message of Revelation 14:6-14. Unless a church is preaching the three angels' messages worldwide, it cannot be God's remnant church for the end time. Now let's review the six points that Jesus gives us for identifying His end-time remnant church: 1. It would not exist as an official organization between A.D. 538 and 1798. 2. It would arise and do its work after 1798. 3. It would keep the Ten Commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment. 4. It would have the gift of prophecy. 5. It would be a worldwide missionary church. 6. It would be teaching and preaching Jesus' three-point message of Revelation 14:6-14. 11. Now that we have established Jesus' six identification points for His end-time remnant church, what does Jesus tell us to do, and with what results? Answer: "Seek, and ye shall find." Matthew 7:7. Jesus hands you these six specifications and says, "Go find my church." He promises that those who seek for heavenly things will find them. 12. How many churches fit these six specifications? Answer: Jesus gave such distinctive and specific specifications that they fit only one church. Jesus did not give vague generalities such as "There will be many good people in my church" and "There will also be some hypocrites." How many churches would those two points fit? All of them. Those two points also fit the corner grocery store and downtown civic clubs. They would fit everything, and thus mean nothing. Instead, Jesus gave such pointed, specific, highly descriptive points that they fit one church and only one church--the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Let's double-check the specifications. The Seventh-day Adventist Church: 1. Did not exist as an official organization between A.D. 538 and 1798. 2. Arose after 1798. It began to form in the early 1840s. 3. Keeps the Ten Commandments, including the fourth--God's holy seventh-day Sabbath. 4. Has the gift of prophecy. 5. Is a worldwide missionary church, working in 208 of the 236 countries of the world. 6. Teaches and preaches Jesus' great three-point message of Revelation 14:6-14. Jesus asks you to take these six specifications and check for yourself. It is easy. You cannot miss. Note: Please remember that there are many loving Christians in churches which these points do not fit, but no such church can be God's end-time remnant into which He is calling all His people for today. 13. After one of Jesus' children heeds His loving warning call and comes out of Babylon (Revelation 18:2, 4), what does Jesus ask him to do next? "Ye are called in one body." Colossians 3:15. "He [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church." Colossians 1:18. Answer: The Bible says that God's people are called into one body, or church. Jesus asks those who leave Babylon to join the remnant church--of which He is the head. Jesus said, "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold." John 10:16. He also calls them "my people" in both the Old Testament (Isaiah 58:1) and the New Testament (Revelation 18:4). Of His sheep outside His fold (church), He says, "Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." "My sheep hear my voice, ... and they follow me." John 10:16, 27. 14. How does one enter that body, or church? "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles." 1 Corinthians 12:13. Answer: We enter Jesus' end-time remnant church by baptism. When God calls people out of Babylon, He asks them to join His remnant church. People join His remnant church by baptism. (See Study Guide 9 for details on baptism.) 15. Does the Bible provide other evidence that Jesus has only one remnant church into which He is calling all of His people? Answer: Yes, it does. Let's review it: A. The Bible says there is only one true body, or church (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:18). B. The Bible says our day is like Noah's day (Luke 17:26, 27). How many ways of escape were there in Noah's day? Only one--the ark. Once again, today, God has provided only one boat, or church, that will take His people safely through to His heavenly kingdom. Be sure to get on the right boat! The Bible says, "The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts 2:47. It was true in apostolic times; it is still true today. 16. What is the good news regarding God's remnant church? Answer: God promises that His remnant church will triumph gloriously. A. Its central theme is "the everlasting gospel" of righteousness by faith in Jesus only (Revelation 14:6). B. It is built on Jesus, the Rock (1 Corinthians 3:11; 10:4), and "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18. C. Jesus died for His church (Ephesians 5:25). D. Jesus describes His remnant church so plainly that it's easy to identify. He also describes the fallen churches and calls His people out of them. Satan will trap only those who keep their eyes and hearts shut. E. Its doctrines are all true (1 Timothy 3:15). 17. What is the good news regarding God's remnant people? Answer: They will: A. Be saved in His heavenly kingdom (Revelation 15:2). B. Overcome the devil by the "power" and "blood" of Jesus (Revelation 12:10, 11). C. Be patient (Revelation 14:12). D. Have Jesus' faith (Revelation 14:12). E. Find glorious freedom (John 8:31, 32). 18. Earth's hour is very late. Jesus' second coming immediately follows the giving of the three angels' messages (Revelation 14:12-14). What is Jesus' urgent plea now to His people? "Come thou and all thy house into the ark." Genesis 7:1. Answer: In Noah's day, only eight people (including Noah himself) heeded God's invitation. Jesus is waiting at the door of His end-time ark, or remnant church, for you. Note: This is our eighth Study Guide in the thrilling series on the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-14. The final Study Guide of the series will discuss the gift of prophecy. Thought Questions 1. China, with one-fourth of the world's population, has barely been touched with the gospel. Wouldn't it take a long time to reach everyone there? Romans 9:28 "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27. The Bible says the Lord "will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." Romans 9:28. That same Lord who empowered Jonah to lead an entire city to repentance in less than 40 days (Jonah chapter 3) will finish His work very quickly in these last days. He says His work will move with such breathtaking speed that it will be almost impossible for God's church to adequately handle the overwhelming influx of souls (Amos 9:13). God promised it. It will happen. Soon and suddenly it will all be over. Long-term thinking and planning in God's work misses the point today. This is a time of great emergency, and an emergency demands immediate action. Long-term thinkers may be trapped and wake up too late. 2. Is there really a serious danger that many professed Christian people will be caught off guard and lost when Jesus returns? Luke 21:34 Yes, Jesus made that point crystal clear. He warned of several things that will trap and destroy Christians: (1) surfeiting, (2) drunkenness, (3) the cares of this life, and (4) sleeping (Luke 21:34; Mark 13:34-36). A. Surfeiting is overdoing in anything--eating, working, reading, recreation, etc. It upsets balance and destroys clear thinking. It also precludes spending time with Jesus. B. Drunkenness refers to things that bring on a stupor and give us a distaste for heavenly things. Examples include pornography, illicit sex, evil companions, neglect of Bible study, neglect of prayer, and avoiding church services. Such things cause people to live in an unreal dream world and thus miss out. C. Cares of this life destroy Christians who become so busy doing perfectly good things that time for Jesus, prayer, study of the Word, witnessing, and attendance of church services are crowded out. In so doing, we take our eyes off the real goal and drown in peripheral matters. D. Sleeping refers to being spiritually asleep. It may be the biggest problem today. When a person is asleep, he does not know he is asleep. Taking our relationship with Jesus for granted, having a form of godliness with no power, applying all great sermons to others, and refusing to become actively involved in Jesus' work--all these things and many others make sleepwalkers of those who, unless miraculously wakened, will sleep past the moment of truth. 3. I joined God's remnant church and have never been so happy in all my life. But I have never been harassed so much by the devil, either. Why is this? Revelation 12:17 Because the devil is angry with God's remnant people and spends his time trying to hurt and discourage them (Revelation 12:17). Jesus did not promise that His people would not suffer trials, woes, onslaughts from the devil, tough times, and even serious injury from Satan. In fact, He promised that such things would, indeed, come to His people (2 Timothy 3:12). He did, however, gloriously promise: (1) to give His people the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57), (2) to be with His people always, in everything they face (Matthew 28:20), (3) to give them peace (John 16:33; Psalms 119:165), and (4) to never forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). Finally, Jesus and His Father promised to hold onto Their children so tightly that no one could take them out of Their hands (John 10:28, 29). Amen! 4. What does the word "church" mean? Acts 2:47 The word "church" is translated from the Greek word "ekklesia", which means "called-out ones." How fitting indeed! Jesus' people are called out of the world and Babylon into His precious fold of safety. People become part of Jesus' remnant end-time church by being baptized when Jesus calls them. Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, ... and they follow me." John 10:27. To learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Sabbath, please visit your local Seventh-day Adventist Church. Or please visit us at Rossville Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 1737 Mission Ridge Road, Rossville Georgia 30741 Pastor; Greg Hudson Services start at 11am on Saturday (Sabbath) morning.