The Church Past, Present, & Future: Part IV
The Church
Past, Present & Future:
Part IV
Sunday, December 28th, 2025
Apostle Mike Herzog
Each person that is a member of the church is a part of the body of Christ. We each have an individual function, and we function best when we are assembled as one.
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.
This is week four of the series that Apostle Mike has been teaching about the Church’s history, where we stand currently, and where we are moving towards. It is important to know where we’ve come from to understand where we are going. The Church has an eternal purpose. That purpose is the body of Jesus. Over the course of history God has implemented reformations to manifest His divine purpose within the Church.
1st Reformation:
The birth of Jesus. (Separated time: A.D. & B.C.) Then the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus died and rose again. The Church began to grow rapidly. The Church later faced persecution.
Throughout history those who clung to the old ways persecuted those revealing God’s new plans.
The Church went from being spirit-led to being man-led, taking the relationship with Jesus and turning it into forced religion. This led Christianity to the Dark Ages.
The Dark Ages lasted one thousand years and consisted of moral corruption amongst the Church and its leadership. Leaders were the only ones with access to the scriptures, but they weren’t preaching those scriptures. They preached what would edify their own personal interests.
2nd Reformation:
In the 1500s God raised up a type of Moses named Martin Luther, whom He used to bring the people out of bondage. Man had taught that you had to do certain works and suffer to earn peace with God. Martin struggled with obtaining that peace, so he sought out truth in scripture for himself. He finally found peace with God when he came across Romans 5:1.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Peace with God isn’t obtained by any work a man can do, but simply by faith in Jesus Christ. Martin Luther challenged the Church by posting his Ninety-Five Theses on the church castle. This was the beginning of God’s second reformation, called the Protestant Reformation. The Protestants were a group of people in protest of how the Catholic Church was operating. They began forming new churches. This second reformation got the church moving out of the one-thousand-year dark period.
Acts 18:24-26
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So, he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Each of us has a certain amount of revelation. None of us have a full revelation of God. Revelation is an unfolding of knowledge or understanding over time. Apollos was a man of God who had a certain level of understanding. He was preaching about the baptism of John, which was about repentance of sin. Aquilla and Priscilla had more revelation than Apollos, so they pulled him aside to share this revelation with him. They explained there is also baptism in the Holy Spirit. He then gained that revelation. Each of us has the opportunity when revelation comes to hear, learn, and move forward or refuse that revelation. The struggle with the evolution of the Church is that when new revelation would come, many would refuse it because they were stuck on the old revelation they received, rather than being open-minded to the next revelation available to be able to move forward. The Church was built through an incremental process, just like each human being is born and grows.
Isaiah 28:9-10
“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
The Evangelical Movement
During the 1600s the main belief was about personal conversion through baptism, along with the truth that salvation should produce a transformed lifestyle and a daily walk with God. A group called the Anabaptists gave the revelation that true baptism was immersion, rather than the traditions of Catholics that consider baptism the sprinkling of holy water on the head of an infant. The Baptist Church grew from this revelation. They also believed there should not be one nation-church denomination. The Protestant and Catholic Churches joined forces to persecute the Evangelicals. The Catholics would persecute by fire (burning at the stake), and the Protestants persecuted by water (drowning). Because of this persecution, the movement was transferred to America, where there were laws prohibiting killing as a form of religious persecution.
The Holiness Movement
This movement of the 1700s revolved around sanctification. This taught that there are two works of grace. We receive grace through salvation for what Jesus did for us, but also by baptism of the Holy Spirit to further assist us in living righteously every day. The Methodist Church was a part of this movement, and they taught the methodical study of the word of God and anti-worldly activities. They had an emphasis on missions and restored victorious living and joy to the Church with evidence of the fruit of the Spirit.
The Faith Healing Movement
The 1800s taught that Jesus received 39 strikes on His back for our physical healing. Science has since discovered that there are 39 roots of disease. Jesus took each stripe for our disease and healing. During the 1880s a Presbyterian minister named A.B. Simpson was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Knowing he didn’t have much time to live, he declared that if he was going to die, he’d die full of the word of God. Upon studying scriptures, he found the revelation that Jesus not only paid for our salvation but also bought our healing. After this revelation, God healed him, and he lived 35 more years and preached his testimony everywhere. This created a worldwide movement. Simpson founded The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
The Pentecostal Movement
Restoration of the power of the Holy Spirit within the Church through preaching of the word accompanied by healing, miracles, speaking in tongues, and radical praise and worship occurred in the 1900s. This was born in the U.S. and spread rapidly into Latin America and eventually around the world.
The Charismatic Movement
Restoration of the experiential reality of healing and miracles, personal prophecy, and presbytery and revitalization of traditional churches by integrating practices from Pentecostalism made a global impact in the 1950s. This wasn’t led by any one person or group. It was known for enthusiastic worship and personal faith experience.
The Faith Movement
The distorted teaching from the Dark Age that suffering meant being holy was finally overcome in the 1970s. There was a maturing within the body of Christ regarding living victoriously, spiritually, physically, and financially.
III John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
The Prophetic and Apostolic Movement
The truth that God’s purpose was to bring restoration and activation to the fivefold ministry gifts, including the apostles and the prophets, was illuminated by the 1980s. The fivefold gifts are the apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers. The purpose of these gifts is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are meant to operate in each member of the Church. The Five-Fold Ministry shows us how to activate these gifts.
Ephesians 4:11-12
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
1950s – The time for the Evangelist.
1960s – The time for the Pastor.
1970s – The time for the Teacher.
1980s – The time for the Prophet.
1990s – The time for the Apostle.
The Saints Movement
Church historians believe the 3rd Reformation began between 2007 and 2008. We are currently living in a reformation. God has called the body of Christ to function in gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit. We all need to be activated. Activation is the process of turning something on or starting something. We require knowledge and faith, and to move from passive belief to active participation by being in the word, praying, and taking leaps of faith.
Acts 1:8
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
All these movements are part of the restoration process from what was stripped away during the Dark Ages. God’s plans will continue to unfold until the time when our savior returns.
Past, Present & Future:
Part IV
Sunday, December 28th, 2025
Apostle Mike Herzog
Each person that is a member of the church is a part of the body of Christ. We each have an individual function, and we function best when we are assembled as one.
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.
This is week four of the series that Apostle Mike has been teaching about the Church’s history, where we stand currently, and where we are moving towards. It is important to know where we’ve come from to understand where we are going. The Church has an eternal purpose. That purpose is the body of Jesus. Over the course of history God has implemented reformations to manifest His divine purpose within the Church.
1st Reformation:
The birth of Jesus. (Separated time: A.D. & B.C.) Then the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus died and rose again. The Church began to grow rapidly. The Church later faced persecution.
Throughout history those who clung to the old ways persecuted those revealing God’s new plans.
The Church went from being spirit-led to being man-led, taking the relationship with Jesus and turning it into forced religion. This led Christianity to the Dark Ages.
The Dark Ages lasted one thousand years and consisted of moral corruption amongst the Church and its leadership. Leaders were the only ones with access to the scriptures, but they weren’t preaching those scriptures. They preached what would edify their own personal interests.
2nd Reformation:
In the 1500s God raised up a type of Moses named Martin Luther, whom He used to bring the people out of bondage. Man had taught that you had to do certain works and suffer to earn peace with God. Martin struggled with obtaining that peace, so he sought out truth in scripture for himself. He finally found peace with God when he came across Romans 5:1.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Peace with God isn’t obtained by any work a man can do, but simply by faith in Jesus Christ. Martin Luther challenged the Church by posting his Ninety-Five Theses on the church castle. This was the beginning of God’s second reformation, called the Protestant Reformation. The Protestants were a group of people in protest of how the Catholic Church was operating. They began forming new churches. This second reformation got the church moving out of the one-thousand-year dark period.
Acts 18:24-26
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So, he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Each of us has a certain amount of revelation. None of us have a full revelation of God. Revelation is an unfolding of knowledge or understanding over time. Apollos was a man of God who had a certain level of understanding. He was preaching about the baptism of John, which was about repentance of sin. Aquilla and Priscilla had more revelation than Apollos, so they pulled him aside to share this revelation with him. They explained there is also baptism in the Holy Spirit. He then gained that revelation. Each of us has the opportunity when revelation comes to hear, learn, and move forward or refuse that revelation. The struggle with the evolution of the Church is that when new revelation would come, many would refuse it because they were stuck on the old revelation they received, rather than being open-minded to the next revelation available to be able to move forward. The Church was built through an incremental process, just like each human being is born and grows.
Isaiah 28:9-10
“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
The Evangelical Movement
During the 1600s the main belief was about personal conversion through baptism, along with the truth that salvation should produce a transformed lifestyle and a daily walk with God. A group called the Anabaptists gave the revelation that true baptism was immersion, rather than the traditions of Catholics that consider baptism the sprinkling of holy water on the head of an infant. The Baptist Church grew from this revelation. They also believed there should not be one nation-church denomination. The Protestant and Catholic Churches joined forces to persecute the Evangelicals. The Catholics would persecute by fire (burning at the stake), and the Protestants persecuted by water (drowning). Because of this persecution, the movement was transferred to America, where there were laws prohibiting killing as a form of religious persecution.
The Holiness Movement
This movement of the 1700s revolved around sanctification. This taught that there are two works of grace. We receive grace through salvation for what Jesus did for us, but also by baptism of the Holy Spirit to further assist us in living righteously every day. The Methodist Church was a part of this movement, and they taught the methodical study of the word of God and anti-worldly activities. They had an emphasis on missions and restored victorious living and joy to the Church with evidence of the fruit of the Spirit.
The Faith Healing Movement
The 1800s taught that Jesus received 39 strikes on His back for our physical healing. Science has since discovered that there are 39 roots of disease. Jesus took each stripe for our disease and healing. During the 1880s a Presbyterian minister named A.B. Simpson was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Knowing he didn’t have much time to live, he declared that if he was going to die, he’d die full of the word of God. Upon studying scriptures, he found the revelation that Jesus not only paid for our salvation but also bought our healing. After this revelation, God healed him, and he lived 35 more years and preached his testimony everywhere. This created a worldwide movement. Simpson founded The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
The Pentecostal Movement
Restoration of the power of the Holy Spirit within the Church through preaching of the word accompanied by healing, miracles, speaking in tongues, and radical praise and worship occurred in the 1900s. This was born in the U.S. and spread rapidly into Latin America and eventually around the world.
The Charismatic Movement
Restoration of the experiential reality of healing and miracles, personal prophecy, and presbytery and revitalization of traditional churches by integrating practices from Pentecostalism made a global impact in the 1950s. This wasn’t led by any one person or group. It was known for enthusiastic worship and personal faith experience.
The Faith Movement
The distorted teaching from the Dark Age that suffering meant being holy was finally overcome in the 1970s. There was a maturing within the body of Christ regarding living victoriously, spiritually, physically, and financially.
III John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
The Prophetic and Apostolic Movement
The truth that God’s purpose was to bring restoration and activation to the fivefold ministry gifts, including the apostles and the prophets, was illuminated by the 1980s. The fivefold gifts are the apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers. The purpose of these gifts is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are meant to operate in each member of the Church. The Five-Fold Ministry shows us how to activate these gifts.
Ephesians 4:11-12
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
1950s – The time for the Evangelist.
1960s – The time for the Pastor.
1970s – The time for the Teacher.
1980s – The time for the Prophet.
1990s – The time for the Apostle.
The Saints Movement
Church historians believe the 3rd Reformation began between 2007 and 2008. We are currently living in a reformation. God has called the body of Christ to function in gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit. We all need to be activated. Activation is the process of turning something on or starting something. We require knowledge and faith, and to move from passive belief to active participation by being in the word, praying, and taking leaps of faith.
Acts 1:8
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
All these movements are part of the restoration process from what was stripped away during the Dark Ages. God’s plans will continue to unfold until the time when our savior returns.
Recent
Archive
2026
January
2025
July
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments