The church has a story that spans centuries—a living, breathing journey from its beginnings to the vibrant reality we see today, with an even greater future ahead. To grasp this, we must understand the changes that have taken place from the early church to our day and what is yet to come. What He said, what men said, what the devil said, what angels said, and what Jesus said—meaning everything in the bible was not to be lived by but to understand who was speaking, to whom it was said, and for what purpose. Let’s travel through time, from the past to the present, and peek into the future of God’s unstoppable church.
In the early church there was a period of growth for instance in the Book of Acts, the first 15 chapters didn’t believe non-Jews were supposed to be part of the church. It wasn’t until Acts 15 that they debated this—yes, it took 15 chapters to hash it out! Rewind to Acts 10, where Peter faced criticism for visiting a Gentile’s house. He had to explain that God sent him (Acts 10:28-29, KJV: “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”). Five chapters later, in Acts 15, they still struggled to accept that the Gospel was for everyone (Acts 15:7, KJV: “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”). So, you have to understand the past, the present, and the future to see the bigger picture.
Take Mark 4:40 (KJV: “And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”). You can’t read that and say, “Oh, maybe I don’t have faith.” It was possible in their day not to have faith, but no one who is born again has zero faith. Romans 12:3 (KJV: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”) tells us your faith can’t be smaller than what was required to be born again. Jesus was talking mainly to Old Testament folks, teaching them according to the covenant God had with Abraham. Look at Luke 13:16 (KJV: “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”). Context matters.
Christianity’s Unstoppable Rise
Some people think Christianity will fade into history. No—it will outlive every system. Christianity gets greater by the day. There’s a move of the Spirit causing these changes we must have before the King comes back. Haggai 2:9 (KJV: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.”)—Haggai, a contemporary of Ezra, spoke this. In Ezra 3:12 (KJV: “But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:”), they’d been given permission to rebuild the temple, a place to worship God. As the foundation was laid, they remembered.
The psalmist echoed this in Psalm 137:1-4 (KJV: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”). They wept for the old temple, happy it was being rebuilt but sad about the past. Haggai heard a word from God once they repented: “this latter house,” not “the latter house,” and in this place, He’d give peace. The silver and gold are His (Haggai 2:8, KJV: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.”). Verses 6-7 talk of shaking the nations—sound familiar?
Today, the economies of the world are trembling. People wonder what’s happening—how can humans manage their money and then say they don’t know where it went? Because God said He’d shake everywhere, bringing the desire of all nations Haggi 2: 6-9. Glory here is abundance, magnificence, beauty, splendor, excellence. Every prophetic word God gave was clear about its purpose—dual implication or for a specific person. This latter house follows the former. Herod built another grand temple in Jerusalem, but Jesus said in Matthew 24:2 (KJV: “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”), and sure enough, by 70 AD, the Turks razed it.
James 5:7 (KJV: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”)—God’s the husbandman, and every soul won is precious fruit. The early rain (Pentecost’s Holy Spirit outpouring) started the church. It prepares the ground for sowing. The latter rain prepares it for harvest. As the church’s end nears, the latter church will shine. They thought it was over in the Dark Ages, but it’s grown greater and greater as we approach the Lord’s return.
Daniel 12:4 (KJV: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”)—in the latter days, knowledge increases. This church is greater than Peter or Paul knew. By the 2nd century, they began grasping Paul’s letters, though 2 Peter 3:16 (KJV: “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”) says they were difficult for many, not Peter.
1 John 1:1-3 (KJV: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”)—notice the emphasis on senses. John testifies to us through what he experienced. Lovely, but it has a class.
2 Peter 1:16 (KJV: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”)—they heard the voice on the holy mount. Why did Jesus need this? Deuteronomy 19:15 (KJV: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”). It was the law God demanded.
John 20:24-30 tells of Jesus after His resurrection—entering a locked room! He says, “Peace be unto you,” but later uses “Makarios” (John 20:29, KJV: “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”). Notice how Jesus entered the room?? Wow! usually the word “to bless” in the more poetical form is eulogio were the blessing is conferred on you but this time Jesus chooses the word “Makarios” means you are supremely blessed, it is a word of transportation, it means lifted beyond this realm, independent of circumstances, to be lifted to another level, it is a blessing of separation, others are seeing you and can acknowledge the separation. Jesus didn’t come to set up a religion. Christianity is not another religion, it is much more than being a worshipper of God, it is those that have been freed from their senses and the flesh (Romans 8:1, KJV: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”). A church living in the Word, transported beyond human limits. Ephesians 3:14-17 (KJV: “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…”)—not “I feel God’s presence,” but faith. The day you don’t feel it, you think it’s gone. How the church has longed for the anointing, begged, fasted for it! If you have the Holy Spirit, He’s in you (1 John 2:27, KJV: “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you…”). Go beyond the senses, it says that Christ may dwell in your heart BY FAITH; If you have received the Holy sprit, he lives inside you. The anointing is the effect of the workings of the Holy sprit, sometimes it is also the impartation of the Holy Spirit’s power, for example when the anointing comes on a cloth e.g. handkerchiefs and apron. The question is, the person and his effect or the person and his impartation which is greater? IT IS THE PERSON. When you pursue the anointing it is like pursuing the shadow of a man and ignoring the man himself. Chasing the anointing if you have received the Holy Spirit means you truly don’t know the holy spirit (Matthew 16:13-17, KJV: “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”).
The Church He’s Coming For
Ephesians 5:27 (KJV: “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”)—not begging for anointing or struggling with sin. Ephesians 3:17—God’s dream is you as His living tabernacle, full of Him as Jesus is, not growing into it but awakening to it. Ephesians 3:20 (KJV: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”)—note the power in us.
Colossians 1:9-13 (KJV: “For this cause we also… do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…”)—Jesus’ balance: powerful yet humble, glorious yet restrained. “Knowledge of His will” is esoteric, specific, absolute knowledge —not saying “no one can tell God’s will.”
This is one of the benefits of attending church regularly, don’t miss church services because this is where God builds you up, where the cooperate operation of the Holy Ghost is at work and taking the church to higher levels because we are a family, so when we meet as a family there are things that God does which an individual as yourself can not accommodate. The Church builds you up (Hebrews 10:25, KJV: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…”; 1 Timothy 3:15, KJV: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God…”)—a family where God works corporately.
God wants you to be fruitful in every good work, where everything you touch turns into a success because you are full of the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. This is Gods plan. The church is not about to slow down, this glory is getting greater and greater, nothing of our past can compare with what we have in front of us. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness. We are powerful, invigorated. This is why he doesn’t let us pray against our enemies our power is too much. Our fight is not against men (your uncle, cousin, friends, boss or neighbours …) for the bible says in Ephesians 6:12, KJV: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…”
A Glorious Future
God wants you fruitful, everything you touch a success, full of His will’s knowledge. The church isn’t slowing down—its glory grows. Colossians 1:11 (KJV: “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”)—might is “dunamis,” meaning a force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): – ability abundance meaning might (-ily -y -y deed) (worker of) miracle (-s) power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Thayer’s Definition: Strength, power, ability, inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth, power for performing miracles, moral power and excellence of soul, the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth, power and resources arising from numbers, power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts. No weakness here (in the church). I know who I am!
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