Ekklesia
EKKLESIA—WHAT AND WHY?
When Jesus surprisingly used the word “ekklesia,” to describe what we now call "church" the people of His time understood he was referring to a secular institution where Roman citizens conducted governmental business for their emperor, NOT a religious institution! So, when we gather an ekklesia, the focus is on conducting the business of the Kingdom of Heaven…bringing on earth what is true in Heaven, as Jesus said in the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 8:10, …”Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
God is calling his people to step into the power of agreement as the Ekklesia of God that Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 16:18 He was building.
It is vital that we understand the ramifications of the entity Jesus called His Ekklesia and its power to transform society as we function in this legislative capacity to bring the reality of the Kingdom of heaven in earth.
In Matthew 16:19 Jesus follows up his Ekklesia announcement with his amazing promise:
“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; whatever you by nerve shall be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.“
This statement begins to reveal the power that Ekklesia has to agree with and mirror what is in heaven on earth.
Jesus repeats the same promise in Matthew 18:18. And then in the two verses that follows He adds incredible insight into how ecclesia will best accomplish this legislative function of agreeing with heaven’s agenda:
“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, is shall be done for them by my father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered in my name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:19-20)
Here Jesus gave us the secret of Ekklesia’s power: The power of agreement which is best done in smaller groups!
HOW?
We believe that God has given each of us abilities in our vocations and in our talents and gifts; unique abilities that bring us into different arenas of culture.
Gathering in groups of typically anywhere from 2 or 3 to 15, we are intent on convening to pray and conduct Kingdom business, as we get to know each other’s assignments. We know that our purpose is to step into the gates of influence in future and destroy the counterfeit gates of Hades and take ground for the Kingdom of God!
BREATHE IN…
When Ekklesia gathers together in these small, powerful groups, we legislate Kingdom business as it ought to be on the earth through prayers of agreement. These prayers of agreement are aimed especially for our country, our families and our unique assignments. We realize the results of prayers of agreement more and more as we see our spheres of influence mirror more and more the goodness of heaven.
BREATHE OUT…
The next step of breathing out involves Ekklesia, the empowered body of Christ, naturally moving into their places of influence. Here the prayers of agreement are given feet and walked out as we step into real-life situations, bringing His ways, His nature, His principles, His keys and His functionality into all aspects of society.
This is what, beginning with Lance Wallnau and Johnny Enlow, is now referred to as the seven mountain mandate (see item #4 below in the Guidelines): the Ekklesia operates in agreement together, contending for a breakthrough in each other's lives, areas of influence and vocations.
Then, as the members of the group go out into society, they begin to see the Kingdom of God become real in their lives and the lives of those whom they love and influence.
