“The Unifying of His Body”

Ricci Johnson-Wilson

March 4, 2025

 

Last week we discussed Acts 2:1-38, focusing on the impact of Katanusso—the piercing and Metanaoe—the turning, in terms of the individuals Peter and the Apostles were ministering to on the day of Pentecost.

There is another element however, and that is the birth of the Church.

Acts 2:37-39

37 Now when they heard this they were stung (KJV says “pricked” Katanusso-pierced all the way through) to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles (special messengers), Brethren, what shall we do?

38 And Peter answered them, Repent (Metanaoe-a profound commitment to change one’s behavior and align with the will of God – change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise (of the Holy Spirit) is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, (even) to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself.

This is the promise that gains us entrance into the Body of Christ. Peter is sharing the promise He heard from the Lord Jesus not long ago:  

John 3:16-18 (AMPC)

16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]

This is the Gospel message in a powerful nutshell. This is the core belief of the Church, our motto if you will, and this is the very message that should emanate from us. I believe over time, we have complicated it and reduced it to memorized Scriptures instead of something that oozes from our being. I remember years ago taking an 18-week course just to learn how to spread it to others and on my first trip out, I froze. Years of sharing the truth of the Gospel with my friends, and I froze when sharing it systematically with a stranger.  

The Church’s motto, the truth of His life, death and resurrection is so profound, yet so simple. Even a child can hear and receive the purity of it. Whether we are children or adults, this motto should emanate from us and invite others to take part in the Hope of our future.

Let’s look at the Church aka the Body of Christ:

What is the Church? In the New Testament, “ecclesia” primarily refers to a gathering or assembly of people, often used to denote the community of believers in Jesus Christ. It is translated as “Church” in most English Bibles. The term emphasizes the collective nature of believers who are “called out” from the world to follow Christ. It can refer to both local congregations and the universal body of Christ.

Cultural and Historical Background:  In the context of the New Testament, the term was adopted to describe the community of Christians who gathered for worship, teaching, fellowship, and the observance of the sacraments. The early church was distinct from Jewish synagogues and pagan temples, forming a new identity centered on faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

Jesus Himself spoke specifically of the Church in Matthew 16:13-19

13 Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?

14 And they answered, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

15 He said to them, But who do you (yourselves) say that I am?

16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood (men) have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.

18 And I tell you, you are Peter (Greek, Petros—a large piece of rock), and on this rock (Greek, petra—a huge rock like Gibraltar) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it (or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it).

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

The Church, are those individuals who are called out of their worldly-ways and into a new Christ-centered culture, involving an entirely different way of living and a new purpose for their existence. We are called out of all other practices to follow Christ. Our lives, our very existence and everything we do is to be done in accordance with His will and His ways. The ways He walked, the ways He demonstrated what it looks like to follow the will of the Father over His own will, is our living example of the prayer He Himself prayed in John 17: that we would be one with each other and one with the Father, just as Jesus and the Father are one.

Jesus is the essence of who we are! “He is the Christ! He is the Son of the living God!” as Peter proclaimed! And that rock—that precious proclamation—that revelation and understanding which Peter declared, really is the foundation of the Church. It’s not Peter’s Church, it’s Christ’s Church. His Ecclesia, His called-out ones, a unique collection of people called “Christians”. We make up the Church.

We read in the book of Acts that they became one in the Spirit on the day of Pentecost and this revelation exploded within them. Throughout the book of Acts we can see that the gates of Hell did not prevail against them. The Gospel message was preached, and the people were pierced through the heart and turned from their wicked ways to follow Jesus. The book of Acts reveals the mighty miracles wherein people were brought and laid down in the pathway that Peter would walk, likely to and from the Temple, so that as his shadow was cast over them, they would be healed of incurable diseases and set free from demonic possession. In addition, Paul prayed over handkerchiefs, and they were sent hundreds or thousands of miles to the those who were sick so that they would be healed. This is the literal demonstration of the life of one who is like Christ. Imagine if the Church functioned like this today!

Jesus said that the gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church. In the book of Acts, we see this truth lived out through every single chapter.

Let’s consider just the impact of Pentecost and Peter’s piercing message and what it teaches us about the birth of the Church.

Acts 2:40-47

40 And (Peter) solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation. 41 Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.

42 And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread (including the Lord’s Supper) and prayers.

43 And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).

44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and (together) they had everything in common; 45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.

46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose (KJV one accord), and in their homes they broke bread (including the Lord’s Supper). They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts, 47 Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding (to their number) daily those who were being saved (from spiritual death).

What does this show about the impact of his message?

The Church was born! 3000 people were added to their number in a single day!

What does this teach us about the birth of the Ecclesia?

  • The truth of the Gospel, and what Jesus saved us from, was preached. They/we have been saved from a wicked, perverse, and unjust generation (vs 40)
  • The people heard, accepted, and welcomed the truth (vs 41) It’s important to note, the Temple was 36 acres, that’s roughly the size of 24 football fields. If 20,000 can stand on a football field at once, we know that tens of thousands could fit in in the Temple. While not all heard the message, thousands upon thousands did. And only 3000 were added to their number (plus women and children). The Word pierces the heart, and repentance comes forth, but not always. They have to welcome the truth and pray for those who don’t. Day after day the Apostles went to the Temple, many more were added each day.
  • They (the new members of the Church) steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the fellowship of the Apostles. The people stayed and learned the fullness of how to walk like Christ. (42)
  • A reverential fear of God fell upon the people. The more we learn about God, the more we see our desperate need for Him and the more we find ourselves humbled by His great mercy to send His Son for us. There is a fear of offending or sinning against Him, we learn that sin separates us from Him, and a fear of this separation prevails in our lives. (43)
  • The people were moved to give to the work that was enriching their souls so greatly. In addition, when someone embraced Christianity, the Jewish community would disown them, there was a great need for provisions. (44-45)
  • They walked united in purpose. (Vs 46) The KJV says “in one accord”

One Accord: The Greek for this is “homothymadon”. Homo which means “same” and thymadon which means “passion”.  

The term “homothymadon” is used to describe a group of people acting with a unified purpose or in complete harmony. It conveys the idea of being of one mind or spirit, often in the context of prayer, worship, or decision-making. This unity is not merely an external agreement but a deep, internal harmony of purpose and intent. This is a God-produced unity.

Cultural and Historical Background:  The early Christian community, emerging in this cultural milieu, emphasized spiritual unity as a reflection of their shared faith in Christ. This unity was seen as a powerful testimony to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit among believers, distinguishing them from the surrounding society.

They assembled in the temple, on the street, in their homes, thousands upon thousands were being added to their number, and they walked with the same internal harmony of purpose and intent, the same passion. What passion? The Passion of Christ. Their lives centered around Him. They served as He served. They prayed for the sick and they were healed. They delivered those vexed with demons. They walked as Christ walked. Jesus, the Son of the living God, put on human flesh and dwelt among us to show us how we are to live this life as believers.

We are the body of Christ, we have one mind and one spirit, we are to move forward as a unified body still today.

What happened? Why are we static? How did we diminish in our effectiveness as a body?

I did a quick internet check to see exactly how many Christian denominations there are today, 45,000. Yep, that was forty-five THOUSAND worldwide. That’s nearly 14,000 more denominations than Bible verses!

How did this happen? In the beginning of the Church, they were united, in one accord, they all had the same passion. Their focus was the spread of the Gospel, the one with the core understanding that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, and that God the Creator, so loved the world, He sent His son to die for us, that we might have ever-lasting life with Him in Heaven! His Son was sent to die for us. We are to walk in that same kind of love. Love that has so pierced our hearts that we have turned from our own way of thinking and doing things to walk out the life of Christ, AS HIS BODY in everything we do. When a new believer comes in, they enter the Body of Christ and flow in one accord, united, with the same passion that Christ walked this earth with 2000 years ago and that the early Church practiced. One that emanated the love of Christ.

That said, I would add to this list of what Acts 2 teaches us about what it means to be part of the Ecclesia:

  • They walked in love. What kind of love? The kind we read about in 1 John 4

1 John 4:7-21(KJV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.

This entire passage not only provides the Gospel message, but it details the entrance of the sinner into the Body of Christ to become as a fearless member. One who has repented, turned from their wicked ways, received the impartation of His Holy Spirit, and now bears witness to the Son of God, the Savior of the world. One who walks in the same passion and the same love that Christ walked. One who does not fear the loss of this temporal life, but rather, fearlessly pursues the eternal life. Just as Jesus bore witness to the Father, we bear witness to the Father and the Son. One who through their witness of the Father and the Son, draws all men unto His kingdom. 

What happened?!? It took time, but man got in the way. Tensions between people and their interpretations of Scripture brought division and separation. Denominations formed and then splintered further from there. I will say that there are some splits that needed to happen, the Reformation separated us from the Catholic Church. But here we are hundreds of years later, and the Lutheran Church split because of sin and compromise. Now 2000 years from the birth of the Church, we have 45,000 different methods and beliefs on “following Christ”. They range from Catholic to Jehovah witnesses, Lutheran to Christian Science, Methodist to non-denominational. Wars have been fought over religion which is why in 1999 the Pope brought so many denominations together to sign a document to “unify the church”. The problem is, the follower of Christ, cannot unite with one who believes you pray to Mary, rather than Jesus, the Son of the living God.  The follower of Christ cannot unite with one who believes Jesus was a prophet but not the Son of God. That is not unity of the faith, that is an attempt to bring all world religions under the Pope’s reign.

Documents and signatures do not unify, belief in the Gospel message unifies.

In December, I had a vision of the Church, or what people call the Church. It split in two and branched out into two different segments:

  • The Apostate church – which, honestly, looked like the swamp. The melding of ideology contrary to God’s Word and woke agendas, it’s a thick and soupy mess of compromise and sin.
  • The Ecclesia – the unified Body of Christ. The unified body went up and became engulfed in the baptism of fire. An explosion occurred and it spread like wildfire.

How do we become a Unified Body of Christ?

  • We need to return to our first love. What do I mean by this? It’s kind of like our spawn point, that point where we enter the School of the Spirit and turned our lives over to God. At that point we gave up our will and became one with Him, His will and His ways. Jesus would tell the Church of Ephesus that His one complaint with them is that they left their first love. We need to return to the passion of the fire that burst within us the day we gave our lives over to Him. I remember when I got saved like it was yesterday. I made a conscious decision to give my life to Him and when I did, my life was forever changed. I hungered for more of Him every single day. He became the focus of my life morning, noon and night.
  • We must cling to the Truth of His Word. No one can grow without proper nutrition and development. His Word provides this for us. We need to ingest and apply the Word, the whole council of God’s Word, every day. We need to connect with our passion—Jesus, through prayer, again every day. Today, with so many distractions available at our fingertips, it takes a great deal of perseverance to stay on course. We need to make a conscious decision that this step is not optional. Acts 2:42 says “And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread (including the Lord’s Supper) and prayers.”
  • We must move with one accord, with one passion, and that passion is our pursuit of Him. If our focus is His love, demonstrating His love to those we encounter, and walking out His love in our daily lives, like we read in 1 John 4, we will move in one accord. We will become a Church that the gates of Hell will not prevail against like Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 16. The gates of Hell will not prevail against us! Can you even imagine!?

In 1961 Tommy Hicks had a powerful vision. I shared this vision back in July of 2018. I’m going to close by sharing a portion of his vision. It is the product of the unification of the Body of Christ. That which my heart cries out for in this hour.

Suddenly, in the vision I was standing with the full view of the whole world before me. From out of the heavens came great thundering and lightning. Accompanied with this phenomena came a voice, a great voice, for it was the voice of God. My face was turned towards the North. With a great flash of lightning covering the whole earth, I looked down and beheld a massive form that appeared like a huge Giant. I was amazed as I saw this Giant cover the earth. Its feet seemed to reach to the North Pole, and its head extended to the South Pole. The arms were dramatically spread from sea to sea. Again, with another great flash I saw that this Giant was alive, and yet, strange to say, struggling for life. I said, “Oh, Lord, what does this mean?”

This massive being was covered with debris and seemed to be fettered. As I viewed this being, it began to quiver, then almost go into convulsive gestures. As this took place, I saw thousands of strange little creatures. Every time the Giant would quiver, they would withdraw. However, when it ceased to move, they would return again. I was definitely made to know what these creatures were. They were instruments that had bound the body of Christ throughout the ages.

Suddenly, the right hand of the Giant came up, and with it came a loud voice like a roar of thunder from heaven itself. The left hand was raised . . . and as I looked, I saw its hands extend into the very heavens. Then very slowly the Giant began to cleanse the debris from off its body. I saw it rise to its feet with hands outstretched to heaven, so great that its hands were in the heavens, while one foot was in the sea and the other was on the earth. I trembled immensely, for never before had I seen such a sight.

Presently, the sky was filled with clouds, heavy clouds, but lo, they turned to silver until from the very silver clouds themselves came liquid drops of light and poured on the form of the Giant. As I watched intently, I saw the Giant melt to the earth itself. The form had seemed to dissolve, and now in its place I saw millions of people. I cried to the Lord, “What is the meaning of this?” A voice so clear and vibrant said plainly, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army, which I sent among you.”

As I listened to the voice and watched the multitude of people, from the clouds came great drops, like liquid light. This majestic heavenly substance made every one it touched lose their identity. . . and their identification was JESUS. I saw no barriers, no denominations, nor sects, but the transcendent glory of heaven that rested upon these people compelled them to lift their hands in praise and adoration.

I watched to see who this company was worshipping. At that point, I saw a great white figure come out of the clouds pointing His finger to one and then to another. It seemed that He was giving directions, for as He would point, they would go, some through deserts, forests, and jungles. God is going to have a perfect Church. He is going to have a people that is so endued with power that it will not be an exposition of self, but it will be Christ in them the hope of glory. I saw these people pass through the fire unburned. They crossed rivers as though there was no water in them. They crossed oceans with ease, escaped persecution as though a hand transported them from their surroundings.

In spite of wild beasts roaring, being attacked by men with swords and weapons of war, nothing seemed to hinder them. They moved over mountains and through valleys. They moved like the hart skipping down the hills. Their faces shone with the countenance of victors . . . they were Conquerors.

I hesitate to tell this part of the vision, because it was with great trembling I received this portion of the revelation. I saw the man clothed in white point with a sceptered hand. Again, there was a pouring forth from His hand what I call “liquid power.” As soon as it would touch the person, he would have his hands bathed and dripping in the same heavenly substance. Upon receiving this anointing, they would walk into hospitals, through the streets, into the institutions, and on and on, marching throughout the length and breadth of the land. I would hear them saying, “According to my word, be thou made whole.” As the liquid power flowed from their hands, each one they touched was instantly healed and made whole.

I saw people transported in the spirit from nation to nation. I saw them going to Siberia, Africa, to Canada, and to the ends of the earth. I saw them literally lifted up and placed by the Spirit in the respective countries.

Then I heard a voice, not a thundering voice this time, but a voice that was low and beautiful as the murmuring of the waters. This tender voice said, “My little children, I have given unto thee my treasures. You are mine; you belong to me. I have loved you with an everlasting love. Now my power shall be in you. The gifts that I have given unto thee shall be made manifest to a lost and dying world. I am going to restore to thee ALL.” These people arose in the power of this great commission. I saw them cross oceans, go through fire, face persecutions, and be lifted by the Spirit and transported to many places. They were being placed where God wanted them. They were being put in places God was going to visit His people. They were prepared and already equipped.

I realized that this whole panorama picture was the demonstration of the Kingdom of God through those who follow Him. I continued to see a stream of people marching, healed, blind eyes opened, deaf ears unstopped—literally millions receiving the power of this great manifestation. It seemed so “fluid” in its operation. There was no exaltation of a man—simple, but profound, “According to my word, be thou made whole.”

As I watched, it seemed as though days formed into weeks, until months and years seemed to slip away, and in the midst of those who received the fullness of God’s visitation, there were also those who withdrew. I could see the anguish of their faces. The price was too steep; retaining of identification meant too much to them. They refused to march and eventually slumped away. The price was more than they could bear. They eventually slipped out into the darkness of the night.

In 2009, Mom released a series of messages entitled Acts Book Two. Why? Because the Lord told her that we were approaching an event so profound, so impactful, it would be likened to the events witnessed in the book of Acts. It will transform the Church; it will transform the nations as the Spirit of the Lord sweeps across the land.  The Awakening and Revival.

I believe this is what Tommy Hicks saw…

Through constant prayer, the work of the Gatherings, these weekly prayer sessions, we are paving the way for such a move, let us press in and press on toward His plans and purposes to unify His body.

Blessings & love,

Ricci Johnson-Wilson