The most foundational New Testament principle for the Ekklesia is found the Greek word, “oikos” which means household.

The expression of household in the early church connected the family AND the workplace. This characterized both the relationships and influence the family had in their home.

Acts 2:46-47 “ 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house oikos to house oikos, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church (Ekklesia) daily those who were being saved."

Christ’s Ekklesia grew from family household to family household. Work and home were synonymous. Almost all people ran their business’ from their homes. They did not all climb on their donkeys and “go to work,” much like many of us who use our vehicles to drive/ride to work today.

Every Home an Ekklesia

So every home is meant to be an inception point for the Ekklesia. Our homes are the launching pad to advancing the Kingdom of God. We see this in the New Testament with Zaccheus, Cornelius, Lydia, and the Philippians Jailer.

The Apostle Paul brings together the Ekklesia and the home when he is equipping his young and faithful leader, Timothy.

1 Timothy 3:15 “If I’m delayed in coming, you’ll already have these instructions on how to conduct the affairs of the church (Ekklesia) of the living God his very household (oikos) the supporting pillar and firm foundation of truth."

Because we’ve defined church primarily as a location or an event, we have separated church from the home. This is why we hear that he/she acts one way in church and at home, another. This was not so in the early church.

Sixteen Keys to Making your Home and Ekklesia

What does an Ekklesia in the home look like? What is the framework for its fruitfulness?

Your home is wherever you live. This can be a single family home, apartment, condo, your parents home, etc.

Here are sixteen “keys” used to unlock “ gates” and establish the Ekklesia in the home. These are keys that bring stability, security, and kingdom light into our homes, wherever you live.

It’s important to note that you will not have all these keys present. Some of these you will be strong in and some not. Some might not even apply to you. The goal is to grow and establish these keys in your homes as the Holy Spirit leads you.

1. Pray continuously (1 Thess. 5:16-18; Phil 4:6). Pray together in your home for healing, wisdom and family matters as they arise.

2. Bible Daily (Ps. 119:11; Josh. 1:8). Read the Word daily and bring your children into it. Be a living example of this in your home.

3. Think Biblically (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23,24). React and respond biblically to the things we face at home. This only happens with a mind renewed in God’s Word.

4. Walk Morally (Ps. 15:1-3; 1 Peter 1:14-16). It would not matter how many sermons I preached if my life did not match it. My greatest and most influential sermon is the one lived.

5. Love Unconditionally (1 John 3:16; 1 Peter 4:8). Our homes need to be havens of God’s love. It’s not I love you if, or I love because, it’s I love you period. My little one-liner to my children growing up was, “no matter what you do; daddy will always love you.”

6. Forgive Wholeheartedly (Col. 3:13; Eph. 4:32). The family is probably the greatest training ground to learn to forgive others. Let forgiveness be a regular part of your home.

7. Live Joyfully (Neh. 8:10; Prov. 17:22). Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy makes one approachable and likable. Joy determines whether your children or spouse want to be near you. There is a big difference in your kids “wanting” to be near you or “having” to be near you. Joy is a difference-maker.

8. Sacrifice Daily (John 15:13; Phil. 2:4). Sacrifice is giving up our own wants and desires for others. It’s laying our life down. Our dignity and identity can stay in tack while we love and sacrifice for one another in our homes.

9. Give Generously (Acts 2:44-45; Luke 6:38). We need to be generous with our time, resources, money, and energy. This starts in the home.

10. Decide Wisely (Prov. 2:6; 4:6-7). Ask the Lord for wisdom, daily. Wisdom isn’t necessarily knowledge; it’s rightly applied knowledge. Our decisions need to be filled with God’s wisdom.

11. Witness Boldly (Acts 4:29-31; 2 Cor. 5:20). Our homes need to be inception points and invitations to those who don’t know the Lord. Pray throughout your neighborhood and believe for the Lord’s salvation wherever you live.

12. Parent Courageously (Josh. 24:15b; Prov. 22:6). Parenting is not for the weak or timid; it requires loving boldness and courageousness to lead our families into the fullness of God’s plan and purposes for their lives.

13. Meals Regularly (Acts 2:46; Luke 9:16-17). We are busy people, but I believe it’s critical to set aside time to have a meal together. Meals create the occasion that we get to look at each other to talk, laugh, discuss and of course to eat!

14. Work diligently (Col. 3:23; 2 Thess. 3:10-12). Our work is our worship, our offering, to the Lord. Whether it’s at home or outside of the home, we should be diligent and trustworthy.

15. Play Intentionally (John 10:10). Find time to play. Find time to laugh. Find time to be goofy. Let your kids Instagram you. Let them jump on you. Go on trips together, play sports with them. Find out what they enjoy and do it with them.

16. Church (Ekklesia) Weekly (Heb. 10:25). Make it a point to attend church (Ekklesia gathering) weekly.

Let this be a priority and one of the highlights of your week. Set a loving standard as parents and be committed to your church family.

Look over the list. What keys are you strongest in and what keys do you need some work in? Commit your homes to be Ekklesia’s and work with the Lord in establishing them for His glory.

Your Turn

What do you think? Love to get your thoughts on this post by adding a comment below.

As believers, we are seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20) and do life from heaven to earth. Jesus said that he only did what he saw His Father in heaven doing (John 5:19).

We must rule as Christ's Ekklesia from a place of love, joy, and intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christ's Ekklesia is intimately connected to the Godhead to rule from the overflow of God's love.

It must be noted again, that we rule like Christ did, through the foundation of love and service. Gates are entered and the works of darkness destroyed (1 John 3:8) by loving God and re-presenting Him in the world.

We must draw from heaven as our Source living filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19), advancing the Kingdom, and fulfilling the mandate to bring heaven to earth (Matthew 6:10).

We can't rule and reign with Christ unless we receive from, and remain in, Christ. A quick look at John 15 tells us that unless the branches are connected to the vine, we can do nothing. Kingdom influence flows from the life of Christ in us. Intimacy and influence are one.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Intimacy with the Lord and ruling as the Ekklesia are two sides of the same coin. In large part, we have assumed intimacy at the expense of ministry. We've called for greater levels of ministry, assuming that people are going deep with God. That is not so.

Through the years, the one glaring reality in the body of Christ is the somewhat shallow relationship many believers have in the Lord. Though faithful to Christ, there is a poverty of the soul. Knowing, reading and enjoying the Bible and truly knowing and loving their Father in heaven is lacking. The result is settling for faithfulness rather than fullness (which includes faithfulness, by the way).

How we have defined "church" also drives many to greater levels of "doing" to meet the demands of what we've defined as success in ministry, namely, bodies in our pews, budgets, and buildings. (I call these "the killer Bs"). While these are important, they are not primary. As a result, if we are not careful, we draw near to the Lord to achieve ministry goals rather than to simply know and enjoy Him. If this is our primary goal, then it should be no surprise that there will be discontent, discouragement, and burnout.

Jesus and Paul

On the contrary, what must be noted is that Jesus, as the Ekklesia, lived from heaven to earth, in joyful relationship with the Father. It is from that place that He ruled as the Ekklesia on earth. Notice the priority.

The apostle Paul did the same. Paul pressed on to the goal of knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:12-14) while being a carrier of revival as Christ's Ekklesia.

When Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus (Ephesians) the two great prayers in the letter are directed towards intimacy with God first. Paul never mentions buildings, programs or the latest podcast. He urged them to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation, to KNOW Christ more and to be filled with all the fullness of God's love (Ephesians 1:17-19; 3:17-19).

It must be noted that neither Jesus, Paul, or, for that matter, any New Testament writers had a church paradigm. None. They influenced cities for Christ from the overflow of union and communion with the Lord as Christ's Ekklesia.

Intimacy with God and being Christ's Ekklesia are one. We rule OUT OF relationship.

The Bride of Christ Ruling as the Ekklesia

Let's capsulize this two-sided coin in short statements to bring distinction to the love and rulership that we have as Christ's bride and Ekklesia.

While the Bride loves intimately, the Ekklesia rules courageously.

As the Bride, we love and commune. As the Ekklesia, we access Kingdom Keys and confront gates.

While the Bride carries the Kings' heart, the Ekklesia carries out the King's will.

While the Bride connects vertically, the Ekklesia confronts horizontally.

If the Bride is governed with love and affection, the Ekklesia is then governed by devotion to the commission.

As the Bride we are called close, as the Ekklesia, we are called out.

It takes a Bride to love Jesus as He deserves; it takes the Ekklesia to conquer what He has destroyed.

Ending Thoughts

We have the joy to embrace the Bride's heart and fulfill the Ekklesia mandate. We can't choose to love God and ignore His mandate. Actually, God's love leads us to accomplish it. Men and women are the bride and men and women are the Ekklesia.

We are called to love well and rule well.

There are some pretty wild misconceptions and practices when it comes to binding and loosing. When binding and loosing comes up, I'm drawn to images of people shouting, yelling, holding, pacing, pointing, asking names, and spending hours on end with limited results.

This behavior is usually directed, but not limited to, a person, a principality, the weather, a car, or something else that's not working; you name it. The people being prayed over are either scared half to death by what is going on around them, or they begin to wonder just who has the real problem!

I think you get the picture!

Though I'm poking a little fun at how we have administered binding and loosing, it's to be noted and determined that binding and loosing is a very real thing and is vitally important to God's kingdom and the Ekklesia. I think our understanding, and dare I say approach, to binding and loosing can be calmer, simpler, practical and much more effective.

Binding and Loosing and the Ekklesia

Jesus gives only two offensive weapons to the Ekklesia found in Matthew 16:19, the keys of the kingdom, and binding and loosing. These two work together. The keys of the kingdom, along with binding and loosing, are how we govern and expand the Kingdom of God. Binding and loosing is far more than a shouting match with demons or something that is relegated to only a few people who have a "deliverance" ministry.

Binding and loosing is for ALL believers. It's not intended to be spooky, weird, or for only a select few. It is simple and practical and should be a natural part of daily life.

What is Binding and Loosing?

Here is what Jesus said to His disciples about binding and loosing in connection to kingdom keys and His Ekklesia.

Matthew 16:19: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (NIV)

Let's first start with defining the words binding and loosing. I'll spare you all the Greek language details and get right to the point. To "bind" means to "forbid" and to "loose" means to "permit."

• Bind = Forbid

• Loose = Permit

What Other Bible Translations say about Binding and Loosing

Let's take a look at a few other Bible translations to see if we can gain further clarity on binding and loosing.

The New American Stand Version says:

Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (NASB)

The older Williams Translation helps bring further clarity:

Matthew 16:19 "I solemnly say to you, whatever you forbid on earth must be already forbidden in heaven and whatever you permit on earth must already be permitted in heaven" (WT).

Here, we see the words "forbid" and "permit," and the phrases "shall have been bound" (NASB) and "must already be" (Williams). These phrases mean, in essence, the same thing and add more clarity to binding and loosing.

We cannot bind (forbid) and loose (permit) that which has already been forbidden and permitted in the realm of Christ's Kingdom.

The Passion Translation adds a bit more clarity:

Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of heaven's kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in heaven." (TPT)

Here, we see that we are to take the keys of heaven's realm and use them to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven and to release on earth that which is released in heaven.

Two Questions

This leads to two questions.

1. What in heaven are we to release on earth?

2. What on earth should not be permitted because it is not in heaven?

Whatever things are not in heaven, those things should not be on earth, and whatever things are in heaven, those things should be released on earth.

Anything that does not exist in heaven is viewed as illegal on earth. And anything that exists in heaven is viewed as legal on earth. What is forbidden (illegal) on earth serves to infect and destroy God's original design and purpose for our lives and the lives of all humanity.

The good news is that when something is loosed from heaven, something becomes bound on earth. The focus then is to release heaven to earth, God's world into this one.

A Few More Questions

Let me ask you a few questions.

1. Is sickness in heaven? No. Then sickness is illegal or earth. So, we use the kingdom keys and loose heaven by praying/declaring the name of Jesus to bring healing. When someone is healed, heaven is loosed, and sickness is bound. Sickness can't stay because healing has come.

2. Is unforgiveness in heaven? No. So we use the kingdom keys and loose heaven by forgiving those who have hurt us. When we forgive, mercy is loosed and unforgiveness is bound. Unforgiveness can't stay because mercy has come.

3. Is hatred in heaven? No. So we use kingdom keys and loose heaven by receiving and activating God's love for others. When we truly receive and activate His love, God's love is loosed, and hatred is bound. Hatred can't stay because God's love has come.

What's the target? Bring heaven to earth.

On Earth, as it is in Heaven

The will of God is His Kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10 "Your Kingdom come, your WILL be done ON earth AS IT IS heaven."

When we bring heaven (by using kingdom keys), we loose (permit) heaven to come and simultaneously bind (forbid) what is illegal on earth.

This is why the keys of the kingdom of heaven are so vitally linked to binding and loosing. Using kingdom keys opens the gates of hades and brings heaven. Bringing heaven simultaneously binds what is illegal and unlawful on earth, resulting in changed lives, cities, and nations, as the glory of the Lord fills the earth.

This is also why Jesus always responded to the Father and never reacted to the devil. He lived in communion with His Father in heaven and from that place used kingdom keys to bind the devil's work on earth. His sole focus was to bring heaven from a close relationship with His Father, resulting in changed lives, His kingdom expanding, and the devil's works diminishing 1 John 3:8.

All believers are seated with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 2:6. From the place of communion with the Lord, where we are seated, we are to bring His Kingdom into this one. Heaven is impacting earth.

When light comes, darkness leaves. There is no fight; light wins. Let me encourage you to stop complaining about how dark the room is, but find the light switch (kingdom keys) and turn it on.

You get the idea.

You Can Bring Heaven

We can all bring heaven. We can all pray for the sick. We can all forgive. We can all love how God loves. When we do things that are from heaven, we bind what is unlawful, such as hatred, depression, and corruption on earth. You don't have to yell, scream, and shout to bind and loose. Just release heaven.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of kingdom keys found right in your Bible. Find them. Apply them. Share them with others. In doing so, you will loose heaven "as you go," impacting lives and bringing change.

The world is waiting.

We are now clear that Jesus said that He is building His legislative ruling assembly, namely, His Ekklesia, and that the target of His Ekklesia is the gates of Hades. But what is needed to invade these gates and destroy the works of darkness?

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus gives us two things we must do to advance the Ekklesia through the gates of Hades.

Matthew 16:19: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

In this post, I will address the first of the two things Jesus lays out: the keys of the kingdom.

The Keys of the Kingdom

The first thing Jesus tells His Ekklesia to do is to receive from Him the keys of the kingdom of Heaven.

Because of Christ's finished work on the Cross and his resurrection from the dead, Jesus legally satisfied all requirements, securing once again the keys (authority) that we lost in the garden. This authority is rightfully His now, and he makes it available to His Ekklesia.

Revelation 1:18: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

What Do Keys Do?

Keys create access. They are manifestations of ownership and authority. They are used to lock and unlock things. Moreover, specific keys fit specific locks. In addition, some keys are more valuable than others.

Things are easy to open once you have the right key because keys are customized to fit a particular lock. Have you ever used the wrong key for a specific door? It doesn’t work. Having the right key for the right door creates quick, and easy access.

Jesus tells us that in order to access the Gates of Hades, we must have heavenly keys. Earthly, man-made keys will not cut it. The keys that get us through the Gates of Hades are in heaven waiting for the ekklesia to take hold of and appropriate on earth.

Understanding the Keys of the Kingdom

We have to understand that the devil is defeated, and all he has left are gates for which he no longer has keys. Jesus has all of the keys.

The ekklesia must prayerfully ascend into the unseen realm and access the keys of the kingdom to gain wisdom and revelation and open the locked gates.

“Doing church" puts Kingdom keys out of reach. We don’t think to reach for them, given that we are so busy using inferior keys. Although we might achieve greater attendance in our churches, we will continue to have little influence in our cities.

Appropriating the Keys of the Kingdom

The Kingdom key for the crisis Noah faced was to build an ark. The Kingdom key for the crisis Joshua faced at Jericho was to march around the city and shout. The Kingdom key for the crisis Gideon faced was to secure 300 men and use pots, torches, and trumpets. The Kingdom key Jehosophat used against Ammon/Moab was to place singers in front of the army and give praise.

Noah’s key would not work for Joshua; nor would Joshua’s key work for Gideon.

What’s the point? Specific breakthroughs require specific keys.

What we are prone to do is copy what others are doing. We want to use their keys. Though I realize we can learn and borrow from others, I believe we need to access Kingdom keys unique to the challenges we are facing in our own personal lives, churches, cities, and regions. These keys come to us by the Spirit, through prayer, the Word, visions, dreams, wisdom, and prophetic insight.

The Ekklesia Must Challenge the Gates of Hades

The gates of Hades in our nation, namely, pornography, abortion, violence, corruption, racism, and more, need the kingdom keys accessed by Christ's Ekklesia to bring about Heaven's solution.

Ephesians 3:10: “His intent was that now, through the church (Ekklesia), the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rules and authorities in the heavenly realms."

Our assignment is to disciple and baptize nations. The keys are available to get the job done. Let us joyfully enter into God’s presence and gain access to these keys so that we can save, heal, and deliver people, cities, and nations.

Heaven holds the keys. Let's access them and change the world!

Jesus said He would build His Ekklesia and the Gates of Hades would not prevail. Our assignment is to assault and move through these Gates with governmental authority and power, plundering Hades and populating Heaven. Let’s define what these gates are and close with a charge to engage them.

The Gates of Hades or the Gates of Hell?

Bible translations refer to the Gates as either “of Hell or Hades.” While most believers seem to think it doesn’t really matter which word is used, I think it’s important to be clear on what word Jesus used and what that might mean for His Ekklesia.

In the days of Jesus, hell was a literal place, more specifically hell was a garbage dump in Jerusalem, a local incinerator, known as a place of perpetual burning. Spiritually, according to Matthew 25:41, hell is a place prepared for the devil and demons and its final resting place of torment, forever.

Hades, however, means “underworld’, a place of death. In Greek mythology, which was very popular in Jesus's day, Hade's responsibility was to govern and rule the underworld and death. His two brothers were Zeus and Poseidon. Zeus, was the supreme ruler on earth and Poseidon, was the ruler of the waters. Together, these three made up a triune rulership over the universe.

Hades and the Ekklesia

Hades then represents, the domain of Satan, and the kingdom of darkness, because all things that contribute to death are part of Satan's realm having his influence in every sphere of society.

This gives the Ekklesia greater clarity about its role and assignment.

Picture Jesus standing with his young disciples in this dark, demonically infested region, pointing to the Gates of Hades as the target of His Ekklesia!

In full view of these Gates, Jesus provides the mission and mandate of His Ekklesia. He was very strategic and made sure he took the twelve to this exact point so there would be no misinterpretation or confusion about what He is calling them to do. Christ's Ekklesia is to co-labor with Him to access the Gates of Hades and bring heaven to earth.

The Gates of Hades represents all that opposes God's will. Crime, corruption, lying, sexual immorality, pornography, ungodly ways of doing business, humanism, abortion, to name a few. All these, and more, have come out of these gates into our society. Our responsibility is co-labor with Jesus and bring the gospel to these "gates," redeeming and reclaiming lives and systems.

Jesus Enters These Very Gates First

What must be noted here is that upon Jesus’ death and resurrection, He enters through these very gates ahead of His disciples. The Bible says that Jesus passed into Hades, preached salvation, and defeated death, hell, and the grave, making a public spectacle of principalities and powers (Acts 2:31; Rev.1:17-18; Col. 2:15).

Not only that, Jesus recovered the Keys of the Kingdom, namely our authority, which we lost in the Garden and He comes away victorious with the Keys in hand (Rev.1:18). He is now seated at the right hand of the Father as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev.20:13-14).

He now commissions His Ekklesia to co-labor with Him to do the same. His Ekklesia must show up on the field where the Gates of Hades are. This is our mandate and His mission. Discipling and baptizing nations begins at the Gates.

Characteristics of Gates

So what are some of the characteristics of Gates?

1. Gates are both defensive and offensive structures. Gates don’t attack; they are built to keep things out and release things from within.

2. Gates are legal transaction centers. Business, justice, and commerce were achieved at gates. Elders would preside over the transactions and serve as judges at the gates.

3. Great battles are won or lost at the gates. Gates are the weakest part of the wall. At the gates, you can strike a decisive victory. Sometimes there are multiple gates along a wall.

4. Gates come many forms, shapes, and sizes. We have personal gates that come through the senses, such as what we see, feel and hear. There are gates in each realm of society such as education, government, business and entertainment. And many more. We need wisdom and revelation to discern what these gates are and where they are located so we can access the keys of the kingdom and defeat them.

A Decision Needs to be Made

We have to make a choice, are we going to continue “doing church” or rise up to our calling and become Christ's Ekklesia? The Gates stand as Goliath did over our cities, towns, regions, and nations defying the armies of the Living God. Are we going to try and suit up in Saul's armor and “do church” or take what God has equipped us with onto the battlefield as Christ's Ekklesia?

How do we penetrate the gates? What are the tools necessary to successfully complete the task? These will be topics in our next post in this series. Stay tuned.

Your turn: Love to get your thoughts on this. Leave a reply in the comment section below.

At the birth of Jesus, there were three major institutions: the Temple, the Synagogue, and the Ekklesia. We are familiar with the Temple and aware of the Synagogue, but we know virtually nothing about the Ekklesia, and yet the Ekklesia is the redemptive agency Jesus assigns to us to carry on His mission to disciple nations.

The Temple and the Synagogue

Th…

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When we understand that Jesus wants to build His Ekklesia, and its assignment is to penetrate the gates of Hades, it soon becomes clear that the primary way to legislate is through prayer. Prayer must become the number one functional identity of the Ekklesia. Personal and corporate prayers are the lifeblood and backbone of the Ekklesia. We take the authority that Christ has given us and access and legislate Heaven to earth.

Church Prayer Meetings

Our prayer meetings are weak because we are misinformed about our assignment. If we believe that the measure of “church” success is attendance, and the number one priority of the “church” is what goes on INSIDE its walls, then our prayer lives become self-centered, our focus grows inward, and our lives grow apathetic towards the Lord and His Kingdom.

Our current understanding of the “church” has cut the legs off our need and urgency to pray. There is little “focus” or “fight” within its current definition. Most are “bored” because we are focused largely on a pastoral rather than an apostolic mandate.

The Ekklesia and Prayer

The Ekklesia cannot survive without prayer. The commission to legislate and assault the gates of Hades starts and ends with prayer since our battle is not with flesh or blood but against principalities and powers.

When we really “get” the revelation about Christ’s Ekklesia, prayer is no longer an option but a necessity. The Sunday morning service is no longer a “church meeting” but an “Ekklesia gathering.”

The apostles knew this. When Jesus said, I will build my “Ekklesia,” they understood unquestionably what Jesus was saying and what they had been assigned to do.

Begin studying the Book of Acts, and you will see how the Ekklesia functioned. The baseline of the early Ekklesia was prayer, which released divine strategies, salvation, angelic visitations, and kingdom power. In a little over 1.5 years, 20% of the city became born-again. That’s revival! That’s transformation!

What if the revelation of the Ekklesia were to be discovered by the Body of Christ today? How would this change our lives, our churches, and our cities? What would the church actually look like? The results and implications are far-reaching!

So, Where Do We Go from Here?

Allow me to give you a few thoughts to consider as we move from “church” to “Ekklesia,” with prayer being our foundation.

1. Prayer must become the number-one functional identity of the church (Ekklesia).

Jesus calls His house a “House of Prayer” for all nations. Jesus lives to make intercession. Why? Because we are His Ekklesia. Prayer must become central for the Ekklesia to succeed.

2. We need to function as a bride who loves and an Ekklesia who rules.

“The people the Bride understand their rulership, not as a Bride, but because they are also the Ekklesia, and likewise, the Ekklesia understand the critical need for intimacy not as a function of their rulership, but because they are as the Bride.” 1

It takes a bride to love Jesus as he deserves, and it takes an Ekklesia to conquer Hades.

3. We need to look at the church as a gathering of people, living stones of the Ekklesia. These are the “called out” ones, those who govern from a place of intimacy to shift the atmosphere of cities and gain air supremacy while winning people to Jesus and moving with supernatural power.

4. We must take a fresh look at the Book of Acts and see how the Ekklesia functioned. Corporate prayer leading to the advancement of the Gospel and the expansion of the Kingdom.

5. We need to ask for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation according to Ephesians 1:17 in order to better understand Christ's Ekklesia, His ruling government on Earth.

The Ekklesia Carries the Heart of Its King

In The Barbarian Way, Erwin McManus recounts a compelling insight he gained into the history of the Douglas clan while visiting Scotland. The story begins with Robert the Bruce, the Scottish noble who famously betrayed William Wallace as immortalized by Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart. Later, after Wallace’s execution, Robert the Bruce rose up to lead Scotland to freedom.

“Before his death in 1329, Robert requested that when he died, his heart would be removed and travel into battle with a worthy knight during the crusades. One of his closest friends, James Douglas, honored the request. The heart of Robert the Bruce was embalmed, placed in a small container, and carried around Douglas’s neck. In every battle he fought, Douglas literally carried the heart of his king into the fight. In a campaign against the Moors in Granada, Spain, Douglas was surrounded by enemies. Knowing his death was imminent, he took the heart of Robert the Bruce from around his neck and flung it into the midst of the enemy forces, shouting, ‘Fight for the heart of your king!’" 2

1-Dean Briggs - Ekklesia Rising pg. 178

2-Dean Briggs - Ekklesia Rising pg. 119

Jesus could have used any word in Matthew 16:18 to define his strategy to advance His Kingdom. He could have said, "I will build my fellowship, my temple, my synagogues," but shockingly, Jesus chooses a secular word to define His divine agency of bringing His Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven, the Ekklesia.

God’s Kingdom Is Governmental

We need to clear…

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We must realign ourselves with the original mandate to get true Kingdom results. We must uncover Christ's original intent regarding the Ekklesia. We need to rediscover what “Ekklesia” is and shift our priorities accordingly. When we do this, we will truly have a "Kingdom mindset."

Our Drift from Apostolic to Pastoral Ministry

Because we changed both the name and meaning of our Lord’s words in Matthew 16:18, our churches have ceased being apostolic and have become largely pastoral. Our primary concern shifted from spreading the gospel and reaching cities to pastoral care.

We measure "church ministry" success largely by attendance and not influence. Pastors and church leaders feel compelled to keep the church plates spinning to fulfill what’s been determined as a successful ministry. This drives pastors and leaders to the brink of godless competition, joyless exhaustion, and career-ending depression.

Jesus never commissioned us to sit within the walls of buildings and “do” church but to engage with culture as the Ekklesia. The Ekklesia was created to take the revelation of Jesus Christ through the Gates of Hades and into the darkest places on Earth.

The Temple, the Synagogue, and the Ekklesia

In the days of Jesus, there were three main institutions in Israel: the temple, the synagogue, and the Ekklesia. Now, most are familiar with the temple and the synagogue but know very little about the Ekklesia. The temple and the synagogue were religious institutions organized to worship and instruct God’s people.

The Ekklesia was not religious but governmental. It was first developed by the Greeks hundreds of years before Christ and expanded by the Romans when they took power. Every city had an Ekklesia.

The Ekklesia

The Ekklesia had expansive authority in determining the affairs of cities and territories. It functioned as the legal ruling assembly of a city, meeting 40-50 times a year to lead and govern. Ekklesias were regularly summoned to actively participate in legislation, declare war, make peace, negotiate treaties, make alliances, elect officials, and more.

In legal co-operation with the Senate, the Ekklesia had the final decisions in all matters affecting the supreme interests of the state, as war, peace, alliances, treaties, the regulation of army and navy, finances, loans, tributes, duties, prohibition of exports or imports, the introduction of new religious rites and festivals, the awarding of honors and rewards, and the conferring of the citizenship. 1

In other words, the secular Ekklesia had expansive authority in determining the affairs of their cities and territories. To adequately manage these affairs, the ruling council typically met three to four times a month. 2

Since every Ekklesia governs through Roman rule, its role is to activate and enforce Roman customs and laws ensuring each city looked and acted like Rome itself. Ekklesia's colonized regions. They were the local ruling expression of Rome, apostolic in nature.

Christ's Ekklesia

It’s no coincidence that Jesus released the name and function of His divine agency, the Ekklesia, at the Gates of Hades.

He said in Matt. 16:18, "I will build MY Ekklesia."

What does this mean? Jesus chose the Ekklesia to be and function as His spiritual government, legislating heaven on earth.

The will of our King is to access every dark, demonic gate, freeing people from the kingdom of darkness and ushering them into the kingdom of light.

The Bible says that when Jesus died, He first went through the Gates of Hades himself and plundered it, leaving it powerless. He took the keys of Hades and death gave it to His Ekklesia (Revelation 1:18; Ephesians 4:9-10; Colossians 2:15; Matthew 6:19).

This means the church (Christ’s Ekklesia) has the keys, and the devil does not. The Ekklesia is commissioned to use the keys to access locked gates and reclaim that which is lost (Luke 19:10) again, legislating heaven to earth.

Final Word

In the next post, I will explore in greater detail what Christ's Ekklesia is called to do. Let's just say, for now, that Jesus is passionate about the Ekklesia and has zeal for what He is building. More to come!

1 A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, Mythology, Religion, Literature and Art By Oskar Seyffer; pg. 203

2 Ekklesia Rising: The Authority of Christ in Communities of Contending Prayer by Dean Briggs pg. 111

We have to take a brief trip back through history to uncover where we adopted the word “church” over the word “Ekklesia.”

The point of this section is to provide a fly-by of historical events that led us away from Christ’s original intent, causing us to misunderstand and misappropriate our assignment, which has an impact on both our functional identity a…

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In Matt. 16:18 Jesus says, "I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." If Jesus is building something, it is imperative for every believer to know what that something is. If we misinterpret this statement we are in grave danger building what He is not authorizing or anointing.

I will build my “church"?

It is at the Gates of Hades that Jesus releases two of the greatest revelations in the New Testament. First, the declaration that He is the Christ. And second, that He will build his church and the Gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Our mission is to destroy the works of darkness at and through the Gates of Hades with our Ruler and Messiah, King Jesus. The agency Jesus chooses to move through the Gates is the "Ekklesia", NOT the "church."

Before we go any further, I want to say that I love the church as we have defined it and have given over thirty years of full-time ministry to see it strengthened and expanded. I am also completely committed to the church and want only to see its absolute success. I have always believed that the church is the Lord's agency to transform the world. There is no plan B. But how we both "define" and "do" church is in many ways different from how Jesus defined it and how the apostles and the early church lived it out.

How we have come to define "church" as we do today

Pick a dictionary, any dictionary, and look up the word “church.” In the popular Merriam-Webster dictionary (as in virtually all dictionaries), the first definition you see is "a building for public worship." If you delve deeper into the etymology of the word (at the bottom of the page), Merriam-Webster leads you to the Greek word that defines its origin; it's the word "kuriakon" which means "the Lord's house."

What is startling to realize is that the word for “church” (Greek word “kuriakon”) did not exist until the fifth century or 400 AD. So, if we embrace the reality that Jesus used the word "church" in Matthew 16:18 we have to believe and except that fact that Jesus used a word 350 years BEFORE it even existed!!

Jesus most likely spoke these words to Peter and the disciples in his native language of Aramaic and used the word "ladoth." This Aramaic word used for church is an old Semitic legal term from the root ‘od which means "to assemble or gather together for the purpose of testifying, instructing in a matter of law or to call a witness to testify." So the disciples heard Jesus say "ladoth" in Aramaic which is rightly translated "Ekklesia" in the Greek language. 1

It's also worth noting that Jesus could have very well used the Greek word "Ekklesia" when he was speaking to His disciples here in Matthew 16:18. The disciples all knew some of the Greek language and the Ekklesia was the governing institution within every city. In other words, the word "Ekklesia" was common and known to all as legal assemblies in every city through out the Roman Empire.

Truth is, Jesus did not use the word “kuriakon” (church) in Matthew 16:18 but rather the word “Ekklesia" (legal ruling assembly). We will discover in future posts why this is such a massive deal. For now, let's agree on this thought, if Jesus uses one word, mind you, the word that defines His redemptive agency to change the world, and that word is changed to mean something else, wouldn't we conclude that it's imperative to research and study the word Jesus originally used and clearly uncover its true meaning and purpose as intended so we are on the same page as He is on?

Our Current Understanding of Church

Is our current understanding of church and how we "do church", the agency Jesus chose when he stood with his disciples in the darkest, vilest, most demon-infested region on Earth, before the gates of Hades and all of Hell itself? Do you think that our Lord experienced the thirty-nine lashes on his back, the crown of thorns on his head, the brutality of the cross, and His glorious resurrection, so we can build buildings, have good meetings, and call it church?

There has to be more… and there is! In the next series post I will share, in somewhat brief and bulleted form, just how we came up with the word, "church" and then begin to define what Jesus did say to his disciples in Matthew 16:18, namely, I will build my ekklesia.

Final Word

This is a journey of revelation and seeking to understand the clear meaning of our Lord's words. I don't claim to have THE answer, nor would I ever assume so. I'm a learner, a disciple, who wants to see Jesus receive the full reward of His sufferings and all glory. I want the church (ekklesia) to shine, to be the head and not the tail, to truly be salt and light and represent Jesus well as the desire of the nations.

I'd love to get your thoughts and comments on this post.

1 - Chaim Bentorah, Biblical Hebrew Studies, "Word Study-What is the Church?"

Over the last year, the Lord has really been shining His revelatory light over Matt 16:13-19. Here, we read of Peter’s great confession that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One).

The scriptures tell us that Jesus makes his way furthest north to the region of Caesarea Philippi, and then, he takes a two-day walk with His disciples to the Gates of Hades.

Jesus uses the backdrop of the Gates of Hades to give two of the greatest New Testament revelations to all of mankind.

Matt 16:13-18: "13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

The Region of Caesarea Philippi

The region of Caesarea Philippi is the seedbed for much occultic activity and idol worship. No devout Jew dare enter the region due to the spiritual darkness that permeates it.

The Gates of Hades itself sits as a cave at the bottom of Mt. Hermon. Shrines to the goat-man Pan and other gods, such as Caesar and Nemesis, are visible, along with temple prostitution, pagan worship, and ritualistic sacrifices.

Compare this region to San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New Orléans all rolled into one.

The Revelation of Jesus as the Christ

It’s actually at this very place and before these very gates that Jesus releases both the revelation that He is the Christ AND our assignment to build his Ekklesia (church).

It’s almost shocking to realize that in the darkest spiritual place on Earth, Jesus chooses to give two of the greatest revelations to mankind. Why not release the revelation in the temple at Jerusalem? Why here? Because the revelation of Jesus as the Christ at the Gates of Hades carries our Kingdom assignment, namely, to engage the powers of darkness and bring the saving knowledge of Jesus to all mankind as His Ekklesia.

Jesus never commissioned us to sit within the walls of our churches, but rather to engage the culture. The church, Christ's Ekklesia, is created to take the revelation of Jesus Christ into darkest places on earth.

Final Thoughts

The revelation of Jesus as the Christ, legally authorizes and empowers us, as His Ekklesia, to bring people from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His glorious light.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. If you want, please leave a comment below.