VISION STATEMENT

The vision of the early church is what True Light Ministries in Jacksonville, Florida and Douglas, Georgia is running after in order to accomplish its purpose. What is the vision of the early church? It is very elusive. Many do not know what it is or how to catch it. But it can be understood and can be caught. If the church would run after the vision of the Early Church, catch it, and be empowered by it, the church would rise up from its slumber, prepare for battle, and fight with a holy anger and a holy determination. Of course, this fight is that of the spiritual realm. Paul said it best, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Eph 6:11-12). Actually, the Greek says, “For our battle (or conflict) is not against flesh and blood.” It could even be translated as, “For our battle (or conflict) for us is not against flesh and blood.” The “for us” would mean that the battle engaged against evil is for our betterment.

In understanding the “Vision of the Early Church,” one must understand that their vision was the vision of the power of the resurrection (Acts 4:33; Rom. 1:4; Phil. 3:10; Rev. 20:6). The power of the resurrection and its vision includes evangelization or the spreading of the unalterable Gospel (Matt. 28:19), the giving of the Holy Spirit in fullness and in power (Acts 2), the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and their manifestations (Acts 2; 1 Cor. 12-14); the empowerment of the Gospel wrought through and by the manifestations of the Holy Spirit including signs, wonders, healings, miracles, and the prophetic; the fruits of the Holy Spirit conjoined with the Christian works (Gal. 5); and the denial and rejection of all sins so that one can live a life of holiness (Gal. 5). Further, the power of the resurrection and its vision denounces all tradition save that of the Early Church which saw the freshness of the Christian faith and saw firsthand its power.

So, the vision of the Early Church includes:

  • Evangelization or the spreading of the unalterable Gospel to a dying world (Matt. 28:19).
  • The giving of the Holy Spirit in fullness and in power (Acts 2).
  • The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and their manifestations (Acts 2; 1 Cor.12-14).
  • The empowerment of the Gospel wrought through and by the manifestations of the Holy Spirit including signs, wonders, healings, miracles, and the prophetic.
  • The fruits of the Holy Spirit conjoined with the Christian works (Gal. 5).
  • The denial and rejection of all sins so that one can live a life of holiness (Gal. 5).

Furthermore, the vision of the Early Church incorporates into itself the following things:

  • Healing the oppressed of Satan.
  • Demons coming out of many.
  • To pray for healing, deliverance, and freedom from whatever afflicts people from the attacks of Satan and his forces.
  • The Early Church as a whole allowed the Holy Spirit to move in meetings and do His sanctifying work in the operation of the supernatural gifts as found in 1 Cor. 12 of the Holy Bible.
  • To heal the brokenhearted.
  • To preach deliverance to the captives.
  • To recover sight to the blind.
  • To set at liberty those who are bruised.
  • Cleansing the leprous.
  • Reinvigorating the paralytic.
  • Summoning the dead to life again.
  • Making the very elements of nature obey the saints.
  • Stilling storms and walking on the sea.

In essence then, the vision of the Early Church is that which sees the church empowered and equipped to pull down all strongholds of the enemy and bring forth that power to a dying world in the form of salvation, deliverance, healings, miracles, and any other form that may be needed.