the last reformation the beginning

The Beginning

The Beginning
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In August 2014, Torben Søndergaard and filmmaker Lebo Akatio were traveling to the USA for a discipleship training weekend. On the way, they felt God spoke to them to make a movie. Not just a short movie that would simply show the trip – but a big, feature-length movie. A movie that would show how the church is in need for a new reformation. When they arrived in the USA, they bought the necessary equipment and started the work.

real sign

During that trip and the trips that followed, they were able to capture impressive miracles and things that had never been shown in any movie before. The message is also quite different from similar movies that are out there. This movie will be part one of a series of three and the work for the second movie has already begun.

This movie is special in every way. There was no plan, there was no budget – only a few people and the guidance of God. It is a movie to tell the world about a movement that is going on in our time – now also in the western world. It’s a movement of people who have a burning heart for this world. These people see that this dying world needs Jesus Christ, but it’s so hard to reach people. They discovered that people made things too complicated a long time ago. They see that if we go back to the gospel, as it was presented in the Book of Acts, we will see the same things happening as in the time of the first disciples.

To read more about how this documentary came into existence, we recommend you to read about Torben Søndergaard and Lebo Akatio.

how it came to be

about the film

the beginning

their stories

about lebo and torben

Lebo Akatio picture
Lebo Akatio

Lebo Akatio is the Director, Editor, and Cinematographer of The Last Reformation Movie.

How did you get started with making films?

My interest in movie making started because of my interest in football. I wanted to go pro and I played everyday! I started watching videos on Youtube about football. Then I started making my own videos about football. People loved them! I kept making videos and putting them on Youtube. They got millions of views and thousands of subscribers! But after some time it got too boring to only edit videos, so I started to film and direct short films. Some music companies contacted me and I made some music videos as well. I had some of them shown on different TV stations.

But one day when I met God, something happened in me. Suddenly I didn’t feel the desire to do it anymore. I wanted to use my talent to glorify Him instead. My desire now is to see the gospel change lives through film. And from now on until my last breath I want to be 100 procent available for Him in everyting that I do. 

How did you come to know Jesus?

I got born again and met God three years ago, in the beginning of 2013. I was a ‘Christian’ all my life and I loved God. But I felt it was really boring to go to church and I didn’t like to read my Bible because I didn’t really understand it. So one day I was searching on the internet and I found a website called ‘Experience Jesus’ and I saw the videos of people getting healed, and delivered and baptized. It really opened my eyes. I  saw that it was not just special people like leaders, pastors, people with a gift or a special anointing that can do it! Everyone can do it! I thought “I need this!!”.  

I wanted to serve God. I asked God to show me that He wanted to use me and then something crazy happened. At that time a small hole opened up in my bed! I covered it up with sheets and a blanket. Some days later when I removed the sheets, I discovered that the hole had become a big cross! I was shocked! I knew it was God’s answer! He was calling me, He wanted to use me!

So I called the owner of the website, Torben Søndergaard, and we met up in Copenhagen. We talked and he shared the Gospel with me. I repented, and I was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit! Then I was kickstarted in the mall where I prayed for a girl and she was healed! I was changed from the inside out!

I heard there is an interesting connection with your testimony and the movie?

Yes. The cross that is in the title of the The Last Reformation Movie is very similar to the cross that opened up in my bed!

How did the idea for The Last Reformation Movie come about?

At the time, I was working in a supermarket part-time. In February 2014 I felt God speak to me about making a full-length documentary movie one day. A movie to show that we today can live the same life as in the Book of Acts, because He hasn’t changed. I also felt that God was saying Torben would be the main person in this documentary. I was excited about it and I really wanted to do it!  But I thought, I have no money to do it and I need equipment which costs a lot. A good camera costs about $50,000, so I thought I would do it in about 5 years.

One month later Torben came back to Copenhagen and I met with him. He said he was going to America in a couple months.
I wanted to help him out with the videos so I asked him to let me come with him and he said yes. So in April 2014, I went with Torben on the trip. I took my camera with me. We were in Las Vegas with Don Blizard from The Last Reformation USA. So Don and I were sitting and talking one night and he asked me what I wanted to do. I shared the vision that God had given me about the documentary with Don and he prayed with me. At this time I had not told Torben about it. We went on to LA and I made a quick video for Torben. Up until this time he had been making videos with his phone. When he saw it he loved it! After that I went with Torben to Holland and Sweden and made some more videos that we put on Youtube.

In June 2014 Torben came and told me they were going to America again, this time to Boston and New York City. Then he said “We want to bless you! We want to pay for you to come with us!”  In July on the way to the airport, God spoke to me again. He said “This time you will make something bigger than you’ve ever done before!” I was excited!

Then in the plane while we were on our way to America, I was sitting next to Torben and we both felt God say “Make a full length documentary movie about getting back to the book of Acts!” It was STRONG!!!

When we got to America I only had my camera with me. We bought some sound equipment and I began filming. God worked and we saw things we never saw before! We filmed the first chapter and it was amazing!

When I heard from God the first time I thought it would take five years, but five months later it had already begun! God, He showed me that when He speaks He will provide and He will be there!

What is The Last Reformation Movie about?

The Movie is about bringing down traditions and religion that have slowed down the power of the gospel. It is about going back to basics. Back to the life in the Book of Acts, back to the beginning and just the beginning. Showing that it is not about the buildings, or money making. But it is about the body of Christ going around doing the same things as He did. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore everything that is written in the Book of Acts is also for today and forever. 

How long have you been working on this project?

We started filming in July 2014 in Massachusetts. We spent about a half year to film in different countries. The last was Japan in October 2015. It took me about four months to edit the whole movie.

What are the goals for The Last Reformation Movie?

We want the movie to activate people when they watch it. We want people to not just be encouraged, but to be transformed so they will start doing what they just saw! It will give you the tools you need to live the life as it is in the Book of Acts. We want people to create disciples! People will use it as a gospel tract and give it out! Those who see it will know what the Gospel is all about and go out and start doing it!

Torben Sondergaard is the founder of The Last Reformation movement. He was born and raised in Denmark into a good family and he and his two brothers were raised in the Lutheran tradition. He was baptized as a baby and confirmed at the age of 14. He thought he was a Christian, because in his mind, and in the minds of many, to be a Christian was to be baptized, confirmed, and be a good person. He was a “Christian”, but he had never met God. He had no experience of God until his good friend and neighbor Tommy told him he had just met God and experienced Jesus! What? Experienced Jesus! This was an eye-opening statement for Torben and began a journey that God is using to bring revelation about discipleship and church to people who love Jesus all over the world!

“Make a movie!”

In the summer of 2014, Torben was sitting in an airplane with his good friend Lebo, a man who was born again (John 3) a few years earlier. Together they had been traveling around creating Youtube videos. Suddenly, in the airplane it came to them: don’t make a Youtube video like you normally do, make a movie. It came so clear; a movie, a real movie! They were bubbling over with excitement! So when they landed they bought equipment and started to film right away. That trip was amazing. They saw things they had never seen before. They saw the power of God working, they saw people getting born again and the testimonies they filmed were really awesome. From that time forward God started to teach and show them things they had never seen before and never seen in other Youtube videos. They got a lot of film footage.

So, after a while Torben said: “Let’s get the movie out!” He didn’t have any clue how much it takes to get a movie out! He thought it would be three or four months and then it would be out that upcoming February. But, instead it didn’t come out until the following February. So instead of three months, it took one year and three months to get that movie together! It’s been a big project, and it’s taken a lot of time and energy but it is just amazing! And we look so much forward to see the fruit of this.

You won’t believe your eyes!

What you are going to see in this movie is how this reformation is spreading. How people are becoming disciples like never before. In the beginning there is a chapter about the Book of Acts. The Book of Acts is the normal Christian life! The Catholic Church is not the normal Christian life. The Lutheran church is not the normal Christian life. The Baptist church and the Pentecostal church are not the normal Christian life. The Book of Acts is the normal Christian life. And we talk about that with amazing stories. 

Then we show what the gospel is about, what repentance is. Repentance is not feeling sorry I have sinned. It’s more than that – it’s going deep. It is recognizing I have sinned against a Holy God. It’s Him we have sinned against and it’s Him we need to repent toward. It’s not just “Ok, I need to ask forgiveness because then I can go to heaven”. It’s not about going to heaven or hell. We need to repent, turn away from our sins, turn to God. And then we need to get baptized to Jesus Christ. And you will see that baptism is not water on the head, and it’s really not just a symbol. It has nothing to do with membership in an organization. It has to do with washing away sins, it has to do with forgiveness, it has to do with putting on Christ, becoming a new creature. It has to do with burying the old life, and with being raised up to a new life. And you will see that in a way you’ve never seen before.

The biggest revelation for us has been the power in the gospel. If the gospel has been lost then Jesus has been lost. If the foundation has been lost, then the foundation we are building on is wrong, and it’s going to fall. So, how can we expect to make disciples if these people have not really been born again? We need that right foundation, and we hope to make this clear in this movie.

This movie is about discipleship. It’s about the normal Christian life. It’s about the gospel. This is for everyone! You don’t have to wait – it’s time now to come out and do it! We want to do the right thing. We want Jesus to be Lord! We want Jesus to be the Head

Completely free!

In the beginning, Torben and his team were thinking they could sell the DVDs and stream it on the internet for a price. Then, with that money they could start other schools, help other people, do other things, get the gospel out more, and help pay some of the bills. But God started to work on them. He wanted them to do something different and He wanted them to trust Him. So they have decided to give the movie out for free.

So, the movie is going to be special in every way. Every area is going to be strong. It’s going to change lives and it’s going to be free! So when it comes out, people can see it free right away on the internet. You can buy the DVDs; we didn’t get the DVDs for free so we cannot give them out for free. But the price will be very low because we want to get the movie out to as many people as possible. So people will be able to see it for free on the internet, or they can buy the DVDs really, really cheap. They can buy 10, 50, 100 DVDs and just give them out to people in the church, on the street or in the whole city if they want.

We don’t want to inspire – we want to reform!

This message is changing lives! This message is going to save people, it’s going to save the church. We believe that like Martin Luther and his 95 theses became the start of the reformation, this movie is going to be part of the start for this reformation.

Let’s get it out!

We are looking forward very much to getting this movie out. We are so excited! And you have to be so excited! This is going to be big! Help spread it! Tell people about it! Tell your friends about it! Help to get it out! It’s free, we are not doing it for money. We want to see a reformation of the church. If you want to help us to cover the costs, come and do it! Let us stand together and get this movie out to every household all over the world, because people’s lives are going to be changed. See what you can do to help spread this message and get the movie out. And let us see a reformation that is much needed. It’s going to be amazing!

 

Torben S¢ndergaard picture
Torben Sondergaard

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Two years after we met Maria at the shopping mall, she wrote the following:

“I have so many stories to tell you but to make it short, I am totally a new creation in Christ since we’ve met. Jesus has delivered me from all fears. Praise God!! I have been sharing my testimony to people especially young people, even young adults at our church. Can’t even begin to tell you how much Jesus has transformed me since the day I had an encounter with Him through you and your friends. Thank you so much and I am filled with Holy Spirit!! He’s my very best friend!! Thank you so much!!”

If you need healing, you can find someone near you on the map that can pray for you. Click here and you’ll find the button to go the map.

We recommend that you watch the Online Pioneer School where many of your questions will be answered.
You can also find articles, videos and more on our website.

Go to our Upcoming Events page and find out if there’s an event near you anytime soon. You can also check out the map to find someone who lives near you and is willing to help you get started in this new life of following Jesus.

Many people have questions about their baptism. Can I be baptized again? Or: Should I be baptized again?

Some have been baptized as a baby, others at a young age. Let’s see what the Bible says about it. Torben talks about it in the video below.

We have a growing network of believers around the world that want to help you. You can try to contact someone near you on the map above. Note that we don’t know all these people personally. We recommend contacting the markers that are green.

After seeing our movie, it may seem that we are against the church. But we are not! We love the church and that is the reason why we preach this message! It’s important the the truth comes back in the body of Jesus Christ, and we need to sacrifice some traditions to get there.

We love the church and we like to see the church blossom. However, we must ask ourselves: what is the church? Is it the building, and the organization behind it, or are it the people? It’s the people, or better said: a fellowship of people (or community). A church is simply a group of believers who are joined together.

However, we believe that the church system, the way most churches work, generally do not produce disciples. This has to change! And whether that change is happening within the current structures or outside… in the end it’s Jesus who builds his church (Matthew 16:18)!

The video below adresses this topic as well.

For more on this topic, we recommend this lesson from The Pioneer School.

other questions

This movie will always be free.

Subtitles for the movie are available in many languages. Please click on the CC button within the YouTube player to enable subtitles.

You can find the music here:

Through prayers, signing up for the map, donations, translating books and much more. To learn more, please visit this page.