By Apostle Leigh Collins

What is church?  What is it meant to be?  Many of us grew up in church, but it didn't change our lives.  Many of us don't want to hear about church.  Yet the church was instituted by Jesus Himself and if understood correctly, it will be the most revolutionary move this world has ever seen.

Heb 9:15-18  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.  (16)  For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.  (17)  For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.  (18)  Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

Mat 16:15-18  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  (16)  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  (17)  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  (18)  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Someone had the revelation of who Jesus was.  At that revelation Jesus introduces the church!  He thought, "Ok, NOW I can reveal it."

If Christ's fullness has not been revealed to you, you will not understand church.  I've heard many people say negative things about the church.  Today they are all backslidden and their lives are in a mess.  Some were very dear to me.  But I can't relate to them anymore.  They lacked the revelation of Christ and tried to understand the new covenant church with the carnal mind.

Don't be swayed by powerful personalities.  Some of them are very weak in the spirit.  It must be birthed in your spirit.  If we don't have a revelation of who Christ is, how can we be His body.

Mat 16:19-20  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  (20)  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

What is the church?  In the original Greek manuscripts the word "ecclesia" was used for "church".  Ecclesia literally means "called out ones".  The church is a chosen group of people called out of darkness into His glorious light.  Some say we are called out of the church!  No! We are called out of the world into the church.

Jesus did not say "I will build my synagogue" or " my temple" as was the custom of the day.  But He said "church".  He introduced a new group of people, people called out of the old into the new.

Reform the church to reform the land.  How is the spiritual building of the church built?  It's not built on Peter, but on the revelation of Jesus Christ.  And the gates of hell will not prevail against His church.  It will not dominate, over-power or overcome the church.  Gates speak of a city, town, principality, etc.

The church is built on a foundation.  When you come to a building, you don't say, "What a lovely foundation!"  You appreciate the building, not the foundation.  The church is built on the doctrine of the apostles and on Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone. 

How to enter into this church. 

Heb 12:22-24  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,  (23)  to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,  (24)  to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

We shouldn't be longing for heaven one day.  We have come.  We are there.  It's available to us.  We must enter through the veil.  That veil is a local body, a local church.  We're responsible for the revelation that we receive.  Then we need to act on it. 

I received revelation because of the accuracy of the word which is preached here.  Sow handsful of purpose into people's lives.  You can only be added to a church.  You cannot join it.

Heb 10:19-20  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,  (20)  by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

You enter through His flesh, His body, a local body of believers.

Joh 2:19-21  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  (20)  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  (21)  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

Arise O God.  Have mercy on Zion, the church.  The church is glorious.  Let them see the church of the Firstborn registered in heaven, the church that Jesus initiated, the church built on the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Let this government also see the church as a glorious church.  Thank you for the grace.  Let the church in general also see the church registered in heaven. 

By Apostle Aje Pelser

Based on Proverbs 31.  King Lemuel, at some stage was a prince.  His mother taught him from childhood how to find the right wife.

Pro 31:10-31  Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.  (11)  The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.  (12)  She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.  (13)  She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands.  (14)  She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar.  (15)  She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants.  (16)  She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.  (17)  She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.  (18)  She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night.  (19)  She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.  (20)  She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.  (21)  She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.  (22)  She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.  (23)  Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.  (24)  She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.  (25)  Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.  (26)  She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.  (27)  She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.  (28)  Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:  (29)  "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all."  (30)  Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.  (31)  Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Women, don’t feel bad if you cannot tick off that whole list.  We are a body, and as a body we can certainly tick off a few.  

Jer 33:11  the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever"— and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD.

At some stage the Israelites were taken captive to Babylon.  During this time they did not have wedding ceremonies.  But Jeremiah prophesied that the voice of the bridegroom and the bride would be heard once again.

Rev 21:2  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:9-11  Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."  (10)  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  (11)  having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

The Lamb’s wife is the church.  The new Jerusalem is not a place, it’s an assembly of people.  It’s the church.  More precious that rubies.

Eph 5:23-32  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  (24)  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.  (25)  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,  (26)  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  (28)  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  (29)  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  (30)  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  (31)  "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."  (32)  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

In Ps 23 David wrote about a feast.  Jesus also spoke parables about feasts, calling people from the highways and byways.  God is using your family because you came to the feast.  Isn’t it a father’s desire to have a lot of people at his son’s wedding feast?  And that’s why our Heavenly Father forgives us so easily.  

In Harvester we celebrate weddings differently.  We let the bride come first and announces the bridegroom’s arrival just like Jesus’ return will be announced.  

Jesus lived a holy life AND died on the cross AND rised from the dead.  I worship Him for all these things.  No other religious leader ever gave his life and rose from the dead.

The church is the bride of Christ.  If you mess with the church, you’ll have to deal with an angry Husband.  

Can the Husband trust the Bride?  Yes.  Every move of God has the responsibility to stick to the apostle’s doctrine.  

Put your hand to something.  If a ploughman stops at the first rock it strikes, what kind of a ploughman is he?  A lazy one!  When does your hand leave the plough?  When the work is done.  

Don’t leave your job for an idea on paper.  Test it in a lab first.  Don’t come here saying, “I don’t like my job.  I want to go into ministry.”  You’re gonna WORK.  Don’t be lazy.

Don’t make quick, hasty and rash decisions.  It’s not scriptural.  Proverbs says, “He who has faith shall not make haste”.  You can have 3 jobs and you can do each of them without the one interfering with the other.  I teach drums and coach cricket in summer for an extra income.  

She is like the merchant ships.  In order to do God’s work, we need to raise funds.  Apostle André is like a merchant ship, taking the Word out all the time.  I am shipping the whole MBC out to the UK on a flash drive.  

She brings her food from afar.  We are a body having been brought from afar, from different cultures.  

See yourself as a merchant ship, taking out God’s glory to the nations.