The Church: Past, Present, & Future - Part III
The Church:
Past, Present, & Future
Part III
Sunday, December 21st, 2025
Apostle Mike Herzog
The Church was born over two thousand years ago. There’s a lineage to the Church. This week Apostle Mike continued the series of teachings about the History of the Church. He reminds us that each of us is a unique attribute of the body of Christ and the Church has an eternal purpose.
Ephesians 4:16
From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Over time, God has instituted reforms. The first Reformation began with the birth of Jesus and culminated in the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit ascended to bring the people the presence of God. Three thousand witnesses accepted Jesus as the Son of God and their souls were saved. God’s throne moved from Jerusalem, where Jesus previously resided, to inside of His people, now known as a spiritual Jerusalem. This was a time when the lineage of our Church was growing rapidly. God began using all types of people to perform miracles. The belief that only Jews could be saved changed through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that Gentiles could also be saved. Christians began to face major persecution. This resulted in the need for them to scatter. God took this tragedy and turned it for good as this became an opportunity for the gospel to be spread far and wide. Even while the Church faced persecution it was growing rapidly. During that time many thought the end times were occurring because of so much persecution that seemed to line up with the prophecies Jesus mentioned would happen in the last days. Then, a major shift happened. The Roman Emperor had a revelation about who Jesus was and made Christianity the official religion of Rome. It was mandatory to keep citizenship. This subjugation of free will took the spirit out of the Church and turned it into a man-made structure. Taking a relationship with Jesus and turning it into religion, ushered in the Dark Ages for the Church. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they that labor, labor in vain.”
Around 600 A.D. Mohammed founded the Islamic religion. They conquered many nations, including Jerusalem. During the dark period, corrupt leaders ran the Church. The clergy were uneducated, and they allowed bloodshed, bribery, and immorality. It was a time of war, and of nations rising and falling. There was no mercy or justice in the world. Church was reduced to an empty form of godliness without life or power. 1000 A.D was referred to as the Midnight of the Dark Ages. The dark period lasted roughly from 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.
Certainly, this series of tragic events appeared as though the end of times were near; however, Apostle Mike reminded us that the return of Jesus isn’t based upon how terrible things get, but His return is based upon fulfillment of the ancient prophecies. God had once raised up Moses to deliver His people from bondage out of Egypt, and in the 1500s God began raising up a Moses of that time to deliver His people from bondage once more.
In the late 1400’s many had attempted to reform the Church but were silenced. Their lost lives paved the way for the second reformation. In 1461 there was a man from Germany named Johannes Gutenberg who invented the printing press. Its purpose was to be able to take a piece of writing and make copies. Before the printing press, it cost a year’s salary to create a copy of the Bible. The first book printed on Gutenberg’s movable printing press was the Bible. This changed the world because you no longer required going through someone else to get the word of God. This opened direct access to His word. This invention also promoted education. The newfound access to knowledge created a light out of the Dark Ages. The kingdom of darkness is about ignorance and this invention created a way to gain understanding and revelation. Exploration started happening from the opening of people’s minds. In 1492 America was discovered. America was a part of God’s plan for the second reformation to happen.
When God wants to do something on earth, He needs someone to partner with. By the early 1500s God hand-picked the next Moses of the generation. His name was Martin Luther. This man received and delivered messages from God that brought the Church out of bondage and launched the second reformation. In 1505 Martin was a 22-year-old law school student. One day, while out riding horses with a friend, his friend was suddenly struck by lightning and killed. This near-death experience for Martin brought forth an epiphany of his convictions. He abruptly quit law school and joined the monastery. Anything the church taught, he obeyed, from fasting to inflicting pain on his body. At the time, man taught that you earn righteousness from God through suffering and by what you accomplish. Doing these things did not bring him peace, it only made Martin more aware of his sinful nature. The concept that God was such a hard-hearted dictator frustrated him and left him feeling unsettled. His superiors suggested he study the scriptures for himself to find peace with God. Finally, he came across Romans 5:1.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Following a checklist of acts of service isn’t what brings us peace with God. There is nothing we can do to earn right standing with God, except to believe in Him and what His son did for us on the cross. Jesus already paid for our salvation. This scripture was the transformation point in Martin’s life, and he was born again. This completely changed his perspective on God’s nature. He discovered many other truths in scripture that were contrary to what the church was teaching.
Martin made ninety-five theological arguments based on scripture that opposed what the church was doing such as selling indulgences (pardoning of sins), worshiping objects, and earning salvation. He boldly declared justification was by faith alone. He wrote these ninety-five statements down, titling it his “Ninety-Five Thesis” and courageously nailed it to the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. He finally had the peace with God that he had longed for all his life, and he had no fear of man’s repercussions. He was thirty-four years old during the official start of the second reformation, October 31st, 1517. This was called the Reformers movement. His intention was not to break away from the Catholic Church, but that is what happened. In 1520 he was excommunicated and given sixty days to recant his ninety-five “heresies” or face the death penalty. He defied the order and burned it publicly. This started a revolution. Men from other countries began to stand up for the same truths. Reformed churches were set up and persecuted by the Catholic and Orthodox churches. This started 100 years of religious war.
In 1529 there was a meeting with the Catholic church leadership. A law was passed that the Reformers couldn’t preach in Catholic states, but Catholic churches could perform anywhere. The Reformers protested this law. That was the beginning of the Protestant Church. Christendom is classified as either Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant. The Protestant Church began by protesting an unrighteous rule. The Protestant movement restored great truths to the Church. This brought back the truth that we are only made right by what Jesus did. We can come boldly to the throne of grace, and we do not require someone in a position of power to advocate for us. These truths were taken out of the Church after the persecution during the first reformation when we were put into bondage, but God raised up Martin Luther to deliver us from bondage to restore truth to bring about the second reformation. God is seeking those with the desire to have peace with Him for themselves and for others. During the Dark Ages, the religious leaders were manipulating those desperate for peace with God to use for their own personal gain. However, God is searching for people who can bring about His divine assignment on earth.
Throughout history, there has been a pattern of those stuck in the old ways persecuting those embracing change. In the weeks to come, Apostle Mike will be discussing the further progression of the Church. God will always be unraveling His plans for progression, and we must embrace that His plans are for our good. We are now in a time of undergoing the third reformation as God is still working and revealing more to us. God often uses our convictions, our frustrations, and our discontentment. Martin Luther was dissatisfied with the condition of his soul, and God used that so Martin would get hungry enough to search for a greater purpose through God’s truth.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.
Past, Present, & Future
Part III
Sunday, December 21st, 2025
Apostle Mike Herzog
The Church was born over two thousand years ago. There’s a lineage to the Church. This week Apostle Mike continued the series of teachings about the History of the Church. He reminds us that each of us is a unique attribute of the body of Christ and the Church has an eternal purpose.
Ephesians 4:16
From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Over time, God has instituted reforms. The first Reformation began with the birth of Jesus and culminated in the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit ascended to bring the people the presence of God. Three thousand witnesses accepted Jesus as the Son of God and their souls were saved. God’s throne moved from Jerusalem, where Jesus previously resided, to inside of His people, now known as a spiritual Jerusalem. This was a time when the lineage of our Church was growing rapidly. God began using all types of people to perform miracles. The belief that only Jews could be saved changed through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that Gentiles could also be saved. Christians began to face major persecution. This resulted in the need for them to scatter. God took this tragedy and turned it for good as this became an opportunity for the gospel to be spread far and wide. Even while the Church faced persecution it was growing rapidly. During that time many thought the end times were occurring because of so much persecution that seemed to line up with the prophecies Jesus mentioned would happen in the last days. Then, a major shift happened. The Roman Emperor had a revelation about who Jesus was and made Christianity the official religion of Rome. It was mandatory to keep citizenship. This subjugation of free will took the spirit out of the Church and turned it into a man-made structure. Taking a relationship with Jesus and turning it into religion, ushered in the Dark Ages for the Church. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they that labor, labor in vain.”
Around 600 A.D. Mohammed founded the Islamic religion. They conquered many nations, including Jerusalem. During the dark period, corrupt leaders ran the Church. The clergy were uneducated, and they allowed bloodshed, bribery, and immorality. It was a time of war, and of nations rising and falling. There was no mercy or justice in the world. Church was reduced to an empty form of godliness without life or power. 1000 A.D was referred to as the Midnight of the Dark Ages. The dark period lasted roughly from 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.
Certainly, this series of tragic events appeared as though the end of times were near; however, Apostle Mike reminded us that the return of Jesus isn’t based upon how terrible things get, but His return is based upon fulfillment of the ancient prophecies. God had once raised up Moses to deliver His people from bondage out of Egypt, and in the 1500s God began raising up a Moses of that time to deliver His people from bondage once more.
In the late 1400’s many had attempted to reform the Church but were silenced. Their lost lives paved the way for the second reformation. In 1461 there was a man from Germany named Johannes Gutenberg who invented the printing press. Its purpose was to be able to take a piece of writing and make copies. Before the printing press, it cost a year’s salary to create a copy of the Bible. The first book printed on Gutenberg’s movable printing press was the Bible. This changed the world because you no longer required going through someone else to get the word of God. This opened direct access to His word. This invention also promoted education. The newfound access to knowledge created a light out of the Dark Ages. The kingdom of darkness is about ignorance and this invention created a way to gain understanding and revelation. Exploration started happening from the opening of people’s minds. In 1492 America was discovered. America was a part of God’s plan for the second reformation to happen.
When God wants to do something on earth, He needs someone to partner with. By the early 1500s God hand-picked the next Moses of the generation. His name was Martin Luther. This man received and delivered messages from God that brought the Church out of bondage and launched the second reformation. In 1505 Martin was a 22-year-old law school student. One day, while out riding horses with a friend, his friend was suddenly struck by lightning and killed. This near-death experience for Martin brought forth an epiphany of his convictions. He abruptly quit law school and joined the monastery. Anything the church taught, he obeyed, from fasting to inflicting pain on his body. At the time, man taught that you earn righteousness from God through suffering and by what you accomplish. Doing these things did not bring him peace, it only made Martin more aware of his sinful nature. The concept that God was such a hard-hearted dictator frustrated him and left him feeling unsettled. His superiors suggested he study the scriptures for himself to find peace with God. Finally, he came across Romans 5:1.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Following a checklist of acts of service isn’t what brings us peace with God. There is nothing we can do to earn right standing with God, except to believe in Him and what His son did for us on the cross. Jesus already paid for our salvation. This scripture was the transformation point in Martin’s life, and he was born again. This completely changed his perspective on God’s nature. He discovered many other truths in scripture that were contrary to what the church was teaching.
Martin made ninety-five theological arguments based on scripture that opposed what the church was doing such as selling indulgences (pardoning of sins), worshiping objects, and earning salvation. He boldly declared justification was by faith alone. He wrote these ninety-five statements down, titling it his “Ninety-Five Thesis” and courageously nailed it to the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. He finally had the peace with God that he had longed for all his life, and he had no fear of man’s repercussions. He was thirty-four years old during the official start of the second reformation, October 31st, 1517. This was called the Reformers movement. His intention was not to break away from the Catholic Church, but that is what happened. In 1520 he was excommunicated and given sixty days to recant his ninety-five “heresies” or face the death penalty. He defied the order and burned it publicly. This started a revolution. Men from other countries began to stand up for the same truths. Reformed churches were set up and persecuted by the Catholic and Orthodox churches. This started 100 years of religious war.
In 1529 there was a meeting with the Catholic church leadership. A law was passed that the Reformers couldn’t preach in Catholic states, but Catholic churches could perform anywhere. The Reformers protested this law. That was the beginning of the Protestant Church. Christendom is classified as either Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant. The Protestant Church began by protesting an unrighteous rule. The Protestant movement restored great truths to the Church. This brought back the truth that we are only made right by what Jesus did. We can come boldly to the throne of grace, and we do not require someone in a position of power to advocate for us. These truths were taken out of the Church after the persecution during the first reformation when we were put into bondage, but God raised up Martin Luther to deliver us from bondage to restore truth to bring about the second reformation. God is seeking those with the desire to have peace with Him for themselves and for others. During the Dark Ages, the religious leaders were manipulating those desperate for peace with God to use for their own personal gain. However, God is searching for people who can bring about His divine assignment on earth.
Throughout history, there has been a pattern of those stuck in the old ways persecuting those embracing change. In the weeks to come, Apostle Mike will be discussing the further progression of the Church. God will always be unraveling His plans for progression, and we must embrace that His plans are for our good. We are now in a time of undergoing the third reformation as God is still working and revealing more to us. God often uses our convictions, our frustrations, and our discontentment. Martin Luther was dissatisfied with the condition of his soul, and God used that so Martin would get hungry enough to search for a greater purpose through God’s truth.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.
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